A One-Day Collaborative Writer’s Conference
Registration opens Nov 1! Get your early bird discount by Dec. 19!
The Be Writing Festival is more than just a conference–it’s a collaborative, heart-centered day for writers of all genres and levels. Spend the day in community with writers, words, and chocolate!
Whether you’re just beginning your writing journey or deep into crafting your masterpiece, this day-long festival is designed to inspire, energize, and connect you with other writers and word nerds.
At Be Writing, you’ll enjoy a fast-paced day of mini-lessons, writing sessions, and community. Plus, you’ll get a Craft Lab consultation with a professional writer to get insight into whatever dilemma is plaguing your writing life.
Working on a novel, memoir, short story, or screenplay, or other project? Come to the Be Writing Festival for craft tips you can put to use right away.
What Awaits You at Be Writing
At Be Writing, we’ve created a space for you to dive into the craft, connect with a vibrant community, and transform inspiration into action. Here’s how we’ll make your writing heart go all a-flutter:
- Mini-Lessons That Pack a Punch
Five expert writers (including our keynote speaker, Tara Campbell) will share short, useful craft talks filled with juicy tips, ending with prompts to ignite your imagination. - Focused Writing Sessions
After each craft talk, you’ll have 30 minutes to write—using the prompt or tackling your current project–putting your new knowledge to work. Everyone stays in the same room, writing in an atmosphere of creative energy. - Craft Lab Consultations
Admission to the Be Writing Festival includes a twelve-minute one-on-one consultation with one of our pro presenters to brainstorm, solve problems, and unlock your next breakthrough. Twelve minutes may not seem like a lot, but Craft Labs are often the best part, as you get to figure out a knotty problem, get inspiring advice, or pick up a few ideas that are just what you need for your writing life. - Delicious Food and Treats
Enjoy a catered lunch, snacks, and refreshments—including chocolate!—to keep your energy flowing. - A Day For You
From the opening keynote to the final send-off and book signing, the Be Writing Festival is designed to uplift and encourage you, helping you leave with fresh ideas, new connections, and a deeper belief in your writing.
Why the Be Writing Festival is Different
We know writing can sometimes feel isolating, which is why Be Writing focuses on creating a sense of belonging. You won’t just learn and write—you’ll be part of a supportive, vibrant community of writers who share your passion.
Be Inspired: Kick off the day with an energizing keynote.
Be Challenged: Explore new techniques through short, engaging craft lessons.
Be Empowered: Write in a shared space brimming with encouragement and creativity.
Be Connected: Build relationships with other writers and industry professionals.
Be Celebrated: Share your day’s work, celebrate your growth, and leave with a renewed sense of purpose.
Craft Lab Consultations
One-on-One Craft Lab Consultations
Take the opportunity to sit down with a professional writer for personalized feedback and guidance. Each Craft Lab session is a twelve-minute one-on-one meeting designed to help you:
- Solve a specific writing dilemma.
- Gain fresh insights on your project.
- Receive tailored advice to overcome creative blocks.
- Get actionable tips to improve your craft.
How It Works:
- Craft Lab sessions run concurrently with the festival schedule.
- Sign up for your preferred time slot at the registration table once doors open at 9:30 am.
- Spots are limited, so don’t dawdle—but there’s no need to camp out early, either.
- Bring a specific question or issue to discuss during your consultation.
Our Craft Lab consultants are experienced authors and industry professionals eager to help you take your writing to the next level.
Be Writing Festival Schedule & Workshops
9:30 am to 5:30 pm
- 9:30 am Doors open
- 10 am Welcome + housekeeping
- 10:15 am Keynote craft talk
- 10:45 am Writing session 1
- 11:15 am Break
- 11:30 am Speaker 2
- 11:45 am Writing session 2
- 12:15 pm Lunch + community time
- 1:15 pm Speaker 3
- 1:30 pm Writing session 3
- 2:00 pm Break
- 2:15 pm Speaker 4
- 2:30 pm Writing session 4
- 3 pm Longer break with snacks (cookies + fruit)
- 3:30 pm Speaker 5
- 3:45 pm Writing session 5
- 4:15 pm Break
- 4:30 pm Sharing session
- 5 pm Book signing
Stories Are Lies but They Tell You the Truth—Curtis C. Chen
Fiction is made up. The spies, the starships, the people who never existed. So why do the best stories feel truer than real life?
It comes down to the emotional center: the beating heart that makes readers care about what happens and remember it long after the last page. Every story’s center is different, shaped by its characters, its stakes, and what you, the writer, are really trying to say. Curtis C. Chen will show you how to find yours, with concrete examples you can put to work on the page right away.
Creating Messy, Memorable Characters—Miriam Gershow
Humans are messy. That’s exactly what hooks readers: they recognize something human in a character and can’t look away. In this talk, Miriam Gershow will walk you through the three Cs of character development: complexity, contradiction, and complication. Then you’ll put them into practice by writing your own messy, messy humans.
Beyond the Background: Using Setting to Drive Emotion, Conflict, and Chemistry—Anna Grace
Want to create a setting as vivid, layered, and compelling as your main characters? Join author Anna Grace and explore how to transform your setting into a dynamic force—one that shapes conflict, deepens character arcs, and heightens the emotional payoff. You’ll learn to use place as a catalyst for connection and tension, and to craft settings that work like characters in their own right.
A Killer Method for Moving Your Story Forward—Valerie J. Brooks
Scene/sequel is a killer method for pacing, plotting, and creating better characters. It takes the struggle out of moving your story forward, especially when you’re slogging through the muddy middle. Every writer needs tools. Valerie Brook’s about to hand you one of the sharpest.
Cozy Stakes: Writing Compelling Slice-of-Life—Neil Cochrane
Not every story is about the end of the world, but everyday life can be just as tense, emotional, and overwhelming. Author and bookseller Neil Cochrane will show you how to turn small stakes into absorbing plots using GOTE (goals, obstacles, tactics, and expectations), a method drawn from theatrical character work.
Festival Hotel
Our Festival Hotel is the beautiful Campbell House Inn located just a few blocks from the studio. Call 541.343.1119 and ask for the Wordcrafters room block. (Your lodging is not included in the price of workshop) All rooms have en suite bathrooms. Breakfast, glass or wine Wi-Fi and parking is included.
Be Writing Festival FAQ
Who can attend the Be Writing Festival?
The festival is open to all writers ages 16 and up, in all genres, and experience levels. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned author, you’ll find inspiration and value in the day’s activities.
What time should I arrive?
Doors open at 9:30 am, and we kick things off at 10. Until 9:30, we’re busy setting out chairs, coffee, and chocolate, so we can’t let anyone in early—but we’ll be thrilled to see you right at opening.
What should I bring?
Bring a notebook, laptop, or tablet for the writing sprints. Feel free to bring an ongoing project or use the prompts provided during the event. Don’t forget a pen and your creative energy!
Are meals included?
Yes! Your registration includes a catered lunch, snacks, and refreshments throughout the day. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available. If you have dietary restrictions, please let us know on your registration form as we’ll do our absolute best to accommodate you.
Chocolate is also included!
How do I sign up for Craft Lab consultations?
You can sign up for your Craft Lab timeslot at the registration table when you arrive. Each writing pro will have a small number of slots, so don’t be late!
Is there parking available?
Yes, free parking is available. When you arrive, come to the door to get a parking permit. There are several accessible parking spots right in front of the building, and there are no stairs to get into the building.
What restroom facilities are available?
We have one all-gender ADA-accessible restroom in the studio. There is one more all-gender single-user restrooms in the building (upstairs), as well as two gender-segregated multi-stall restrooms (upstairs).
Can I buy books at the event?
Yes! Our presenters will have their books available for purchase, and there will be a book signing session at the end of the day.
I have a different question!
Email us at bewriting@wordcrafters.org.
Our Most Excellent Speakers
You’ll hear from five professional writers and get their juiciest nuggets of craft knowledge–then receive a prompt to put your new knowledge to use! Here’s who we’ve got lined up so far:
KEYNOTE: Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇)
Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) (he/him) now writes stories near Portland, Oregon. He’s the award-winning author of the bestselling Kangaroo series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Realm original podcasts Echo Park, Ninth Step Murders, and Machina.
Curtis’s shorter works have appeared in Playboy Magazine; the ENNIE Award–winning Kobold Guide to Roleplaying; The Year’s Best Fantasy, Volume 2; Aliens vs. Predators: Ultimate Prey; and elsewhere. His homebrew cat-feeding robot was displayed in the “Worlds Beyond Here” exhibit at Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum.
Find him at CurtisCChen.com.
Award-winning author Anna Grace (she/her) writes fun, contemporary romance. With a big, blended family, a career in education, and a tendency to say yes to any new adventure, Anna finds inspiration for her novels at every turn.
Whether exploring the west with her husband in their remodeled sprinter van, or wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city in search of the perfect cup of espresso, Anna loves to travel. Her interests include rock climbing, art, fashion, and saying hello to other people’s dogs. Anna lives in western Oregon.
She loves to connect with readers on social media @AnnaGraceAuthor or through her website AnnaGraceAuthor.com
Miriam Gershow (she/her) is the author of Closer, Survival Tips: Stories, and The Local News. Her writing is featured in The Georgia Review, Gulf Coast, and Black Warrior Review, among other journals. Her flash fiction appears in anthologies from Alan Squire Books, Alternating Currents, and Fractured Lit, as well as many journals, including Pithead Chapel, HAD, and Variant Lit. Her creative nonfiction is featured in Salon and CRAFT Literary, among other journals.
She is the recipient of a Fiction Fellowship from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing and an Oregon Literary Fellowship, and she is a two-time finalist for the Oregon Book Award.
Find her at miriamgershow.com/
Multi-award-winning author Valerie J. Brooks (she/her) writes femme-noir psychological thrillers where badass women take center stage. Revenge in 3 Parts, the first book in her Angeline Porter Trilogy, was a finalist for the Nancy Pearl Book Award and a winner in the International Readers’ Favorite Thriller Awards. The second, Tainted Times 2, won the Book Excellence Award for thrillers. New York Times bestselling author Kevin O’Brien called it “a real nail-biter from first page to last.” The trilogy concludes with 1 Last Betrayal.
Raised in puritanical 1950s–60s New Hampshire by an English war-bride mom and an artistic army officer dad, Valerie was drawn early to the gothic, to secrets, and to the dark side of human nature. As her English mum once said, “You’re a good girl who wants to be bad.” After studying film noir in college, she found her noir voice for fiction.
She has received an Elizabeth George Foundation grant and five writing residencies, and she teaches classes and workshops on writing noir and creating plot twists. Valerie lives in Oregon’s McKenzie River Valley with her Havanese pooch, Stevie Nicks.
Find her at valeriejbrooks.com
Neil Cochrane (he/they) is a queer, trans author and artist living and working on unceded land in Portland, Oregon. He writes speculative fiction that centers queer characters overcoming obstacles and building families. He particularly uses speculative fiction to reflect on philosophical questions about the nature of identity, relationship, and community. He has worked in and around the publishing industry since 2012, in such various roles as editor, literary agent assistant, marketing director, and bookseller.
Find him at neilcochranebooks.com
Reserve Your Spot at Be Writing
Be Writing is your chance to learn, create, and connect in a supportive, joyful environment. The Wordcrafters Studio is beautiful, cozy, and has limited spots available. Don’t wait to claim your place in this transformative day of writing.
Writing is your passion—this is your day to celebrate it. Let’s come together, share our stories, and be writing.
Saturday, February 20, 2027 | 10 am to 5:30 pm (doors open at 9:30 am)
Wordcrafters studio
436 Charnelton St., Ste 100, Eugene, OR 97401
Cost: $199 EARLY BIRD–SAVE $25 before DEC 15!! ($174)
Pricing info: Our classes and events are priced at their actual cost to run.
If paying the full price would keep you from joining us, use the code ACCESS at checkout to reduce your registration amount by 20%—no questions asked. If you’re a Wordcrafters member, use code MEMBERACCESS.
If the full price is within your means, please leave the ACCESS code for those who truly need it.
If you’re able, you can add a donation during registration to support our scholarship fund.
Scholarship info: We want everyone to have access to our writing programs. If you need additional support, please complete our scholarship request form.
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
Masks are optional. Please stay home if you’re unwell with any upper respiratory illness.
Other Shenanigans You Might Enjoy
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Starts Feb 7, 2027 | Ages 18+
An evening of new work from local writers and musicians, performed for the first time. Emceed by Eric Braman.
Saturday, January 23, 2027 | Ages 16+
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Saturday, December 26 | Age 16+
Come share a meal with other writers and talk shop—craft, process, money, motivation, publishing, rejection, weird writing habits, and whatever’s currently living rent-free in your brain.
Friday, Dec 18 | Noon–1:30 pm
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The Oregon Author Series brings a visiting Oregon writer into our space for an afternoon of live conversation: about their book, their process, and the stubborn, beautiful work of making something true on the page.
Dec 13, 2026; March 14, June 13, 2027 | 4-6 pm
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A 4-week writing accountability and co-working group to help you make real, steady progress on your writing.
Wednesdays 3-4:30 pm | In person or online | Next cohort starts Dec 2, facilitated by Daryll Lynne Evans | Age 16+