The Writer's Workout

Be a better writer.

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The Writer's Workout is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run entirely by human volunteers.

Hey there!

Welcome to The Writer's Workout. Whether you're new to the craft, coming back after time away, or a seasoned professional, we can help you be a better writer.

Watch the CONFERENCE

Full 2026 schedule and calendar

Summer Internship program is open now.

OPEN CALL:

Magicfest is happening now!

Tales from the Archives is OPEN through Sept 15. The Tales page has all the important info.

Tales from the Unknown is available in digital and print!

Check the Tales page for cover, Pushcart Nominees, and links.

We hit NUMBER ONE in New Releases for the second year in a row.

Fiction Potluck is OPEN for "body snatchers" through May 15.

Read more about this quarter's guest judge, Elmira Olson, and check out her advice.

Read about the finalists on June 6.

Join us for Fiction Potluck Friday on June 19.

WayWords is OPEN for themes of "time" through May 20.

Issue 22 is in review. The team is reading and deciding.

Issue 21, Wonder, is published in digital and print!

Coming soon:

Head's up, we changed our submissions guidelines! We'll keep the popup active on Tales through March and Fest through April.

2026 CONFERENCE is over but you can still watch all the videos.

Past playlists are still available.

Want to present in 2027? Here's the form!

Writer's Games registration will open in MAY 2026 with Events in June and July.

Priority registration is OPEN NOW.

Check the overall and Event winners on the Games and Archive pages. The 2025 anthology, vol. 13 of 72 Hours, is published in digital and print!

Around WW:

Our focal topic in April examines presentation in various forms, from covers to interior formatting to how you've established your story. We're starting with Sofia and the process of book design on April 2.

Neurodivergent writers might find clarity (and tips!!) in Karen's Craft & Chaos series, available in the resources tab.

Welcome back, Indie Author Spotlight! Contact us to be featured.

Join us on Discord for write-ins, chats, and fun times.

Find quick access to announcements from any page through the pinned note at the top.

Happy writing!

—Theresa

On the Blog:

Indie Author Spotlight, Episode 25

Hello! Jennifer Martin here! I'm a budding short story writer and a new volunteer at The Writer's Workout as well as a recent graduate. I have been given the great honor of spreading the news of these wonderful authors by S.E. Reed, and I am grateful to be given the opportunity to meet new and interesting people in the literary community, like today's guest, Randie K. Berman. As a novelist and short story writer, Randie writes poignantly about women's experience across land a

Jennifer Martin

Find us on...

and Goodreads.

Recent Releases:

Tales from the Unknown

issue 21

vol 13

Learn more about our publications here.

Looking for the 2024 & 2025 Conference videos?

Find all the videos and presenter information on the conference page. Handouts are still available. Looking ahead: I'm slowly adding these past videos to different sections in the Resources tab.

Back to Basics

Check out the latest Back to Basics course here.

Back to Basics is a free mini-course open worldwide. Join us on Discord or use #WWB2B on social media.

Back to Basics: Embracing Revision

For this Back to Basics mini-course, we’re trying to embrace revisions— as a process . Let’s look at the basics. Getting a first draft of anything done, be it an essay, a novel, or anything in between, is grueling. Something special happens when you complete a draft: it gives you an almost indescribable feeling of joy . Sometimes we’re so proud of what we made that it can be hard to find any fault with it. But even if you think your first draft is perfect, it can never hurt t

Izhan Arif