California Writing Groups, Workshops, and Creative Writing Classes
Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in California, from conferences to local critique groups, workshops, and creative writing classes. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, a workshop or class, a place to connect with other writers, or somewhere to submit your work, these California writing resources are worth checking out.
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Writing Organizations & Groups
A statewide writing organization with more than 2,000 members in 21 branches, offering local meetings, workshops, contests, publications, and other programs focused on writing craft, publication, and literary community. (Statewide)
Center for the Art of Translation
A San Francisco literary nonprofit supporting writers and translators through public events, educational programs, literary translation resources, and its publishing imprint, Two Lines Press. (San Francisco)
Inland Empire California Writers Club
A regional branch of the California Writers Club offering monthly meetings, guest speakers, critique opportunities, conferences, publications, and other programs for writers across genres and experience levels. (Ontario / Inland Empire)
A San Francisco literary organization producing year-round readings, writing and storytelling programs, small-press events, and the annual Litquake festival, which brings together writers, publishers, and readers from across the Bay Area and beyond. (San Francisco)
A literary publication and nonprofit offering year-round writing workshops and courses in areas including essays, memoir, criticism, and creative nonfiction, along with an intensive annual publishing workshop for aspiring literary professionals. (Los Angeles / Online)
A nonprofit literary organization supporting poets through workshops, readings, contests, publications, and other programs, while also operating Sacramento Poetry Center Press and publishing Tule Review. (Sacramento)
A nonprofit literary organization offering writing classes and workshops, critique and writing groups, consultations, readings, events, and other programs for writers across genres and experience levels. (San Diego)
Southern California Writers Association
A regional writing organization offering monthly meetings, craft and publishing presentations, networking, online programs, and other resources for writers across genres. (Orange County / Online)
UCLA Extension Creative Writing
A continuing-education writing program offering open-enrollment courses and certificate programs in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and other forms, with both online and Los Angeles-based options. (Los Angeles / Online)
The Writers & Publishers Network
A professional organization for writers and publishers offering educational programs, networking, workshops, publishing resources, and industry guidance for authors, independent publishers, and other literary professionals. (Southern California / Online)
A Bay Area creative writing school offering workshops and classes for adult writers in fiction, poetry, memoir, personal essay, and other genres, with programs for writers at varying levels of experience. (Bay Area / Online)
Conferences, Retreats & Residencies
An annual summer program in Olympic Valley offering intensive workshops in fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir, and poetry, along with craft talks, readings, publishing panels, literary-agent sessions, and individual conferences. (Olympic Valley)
A multidisciplinary residency program offering fully sponsored four- to ten-week residencies to writers and other artists, including fiction and nonfiction writers, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, and graphic storytellers. (Marin Headlands)
A year-round residency program offering one- to three-week stays for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, with private accommodations and studio space in rural Sonoma County. (Petaluma)
Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference
An annual multi-day conference featuring genre workshops, craft seminars, publishing panels, one-on-one consultations, open mics, readings, and other programming for writers at all levels. (Mendocino)
San Francisco Writers Conference
An annual multi-day writing conference featuring craft and publishing sessions, literary agents and acquiring editors, master classes, pitch opportunities, and additional year-round virtual programs for writers. (San Francisco / Online)
Southern California Writers’ Conference
A long-running writing conference offering craft and publishing workshops, read-and-critique sessions, advance manuscript critiques, and intensive programming for writers across genres. (San Diego)
An annual two-day conference for screenwriters featuring hands-on workshops, craft sessions, career guidance, and conversations with professional writers and producers, with both in-person and virtual programming. (Los Angeles / Online)
Writing Conference of Los Angeles
A recurring one-day writing conference featuring craft and publishing sessions, literary agent and editor pitches, manuscript critiques, and practical instruction on querying, proposals, and the business of writing. (Los Angeles)
Literary Magazines & Publishers
An independent nonprofit press publishing nonfiction focused on California and the American West, including history, nature, Indigenous culture, social justice, memoir, and regional writing, with direct proposals accepted from authors. (Berkeley)
An annual literary and arts journal affiliated with San Diego State University publishing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, translation, and visual art. (San Diego)
A nonprofit independent literary press publishing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction while also supporting writers through readings, educational programs, and community initiatives. (Pasadena)
A long-running literary journal published by Santa Monica College, featuring fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by emerging and established writers. (Santa Monica)
The publishing imprint of the Center for the Art of Translation, specializing in literary translation and international fiction, poetry, and other works brought into English from languages around the world. (San Francisco)
A San Francisco literary journal publishing fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, art, reviews, and interviews, with particular interest in California and West Coast writers while accepting work from writers everywhere. (San Francisco)
Help us add to this list, California writers! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or a California literary journal or publisher we should be aware of? Let us know here. We periodically review these listings for broken links and outdated information.