As Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers grows into a year-long conference filled with monthly activities, one thing stays the same: our five-day June conference, featuring intensive, week-long classes and daily breakout sessions.
The heart of Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers is the morning classes. Here, attendees workshop their manuscripts with an industry professional, spending 20 hours together.
During afternoon workshops, registrants attend plenary and breakout sessions to learn more about the craft of writing and the publishing industry.
WIFYR is like a mini-MFA (Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing)—at a fraction of the cost. Our faculty, which includes traditionally published authors and illustrators, publishers, agents, and editors, is here at WIFYR to help you succeed. Our monthly events support that learning.
A Day at the Conference
8:30am - 12:30pm
Morning Workshop
Spend four hours each morning with your faculty member and a classroom of people who want what you want: to learn how to be the best writer you can be.
Note: Morning workshops include your one-on-one with an editor or agent, as well as classroom visits by an editor or agent.
12:30pm - 2:00pm
Lunch Break
Lunch is a great opportunity to go out with writing friends. Not interested in that? Use this hour and a half to browse the bookstore, rework your manuscript, or just relax. Our afternoon activities include Brown Bag critique, lunch with your class, and even yoga!
2:00pm - 6:00pm*
Afternoon Sessions
After our break, we’re right back at it! Afternoons include two plenaries—speeches prepared to help you as you move toward publication—and two craft-related breakout classes follow. Every day, you’ll leave WIFYR filled with inspiration, ideas, and suggestions to help you strengthen your work.
*You can also register for afternoon sessions only.
“WIFYR turns more writers into authors than any other conference of its kind."
Stephen Fraser
Senior Literary Agent, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
“I am published today because I attended WIFYR. That's where I learned to craft a picture book and it's how I met my agent.”
Kristyn Crow
Author of All Aboard the Moonlight Train and the Zombelina series
"One of the wonderful things about WIFYR is that it brings writers in from the darkness. WIFYR did that for me."
Christian McKay Heidicker
Author of Newbery Honor-winning Scary Stories for Young Foxes
