Maryland Writing Groups, Workshops, and Creative Writing Classes
Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Maryland, 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 Maryland writing resources are worth checking out.
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Writing Organizations & Groups
Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland, Inc.
A statewide writing organization offering monthly meetings, workshops, speakers, networking, and other resources designed to support Black writers across genres and experience levels. (Statewide / Online)
A Baltimore-based literary nonprofit offering master classes, craft workshops, one-on-one critiques, author events, publishing resources, and other programs designed to connect and support writers throughout Maryland. (Baltimore)
The Baltimore home where Edgar Allan Poe lived in the 1830s, now a museum and National Historic Landmark offering tours, exhibits, literary programming, and the annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. (Baltimore)
A multi-genre writing community offering regular online peer groups, workshops, retreats, and other opportunities for writers across Maryland and the East Coast to develop and share their work. (Statewide / Online)
Johns Hopkins Odyssey Creative Writing
A continuing education program offering creative writing classes, workshops, author talks, and literary excursions for writers of all experience levels in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other forms. (Baltimore)
A statewide nonprofit supporting aspiring, emerging, and established writers through local chapters, workshops, networking, educational programs, and an annual writers’ conference. (Statewide)
A nonprofit literary organization offering hundreds of writing workshops and classes each year, along with readings, events, publishing programs, and other resources for writers working across genres and experience levels. (Bethesda)
Conferences, Retreats & Residencies
Bay to Ocean Writers Conference
An annual one-day conference featuring educational sessions across a range of genres, with craft instruction, publishing guidance, and opportunities for writers from Maryland and the broader Chesapeake and Delmarva region to connect. (Wye Mills)
Chesapeake Writers’ Conference
An annual weeklong conference at St. Mary’s College of Maryland offering intensive workshops, craft talks, readings, and literary community for writers at all experience levels, including a dedicated youth program. (St. Mary’s City)
Creatures, Crimes and Creativity Literary Conference
An annual three-day conference bringing together readers and writers of mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and related genres for panels, workshops, readings, networking, and literary events. (Columbia)
Good Contrivance Writers’ Retreat
A writers’ retreat at a historic Maryland farm offering quiet time for independent work alongside recurring workshops and craft talks led by published writers. (Reisterstown)
Literary Magazines & Publishers
An independent Maryland press publishing poetry and literary translation, with a focus on contemporary voices and carefully produced books. (Rockville)
A literary press based at the Community College of Baltimore County publishing full-length fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry collections, and short story collections by emerging and established writers. (Baltimore County)
A historic poetry journal published by The Writer’s Center, featuring contemporary poetry and translations by emerging and established writers and maintaining regular open submission periods each year. (Bethesda)
A literary journal published by Montgomery College featuring fiction, poetry, nonfiction, translation, and visual art by emerging and established writers, with a particular interest in the Mid-Atlantic region. (Rockville)
A national literary journal produced at the University of Baltimore, publishing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art in print and online editions. (Baltimore)
A Baltimore-area nonprofit literary publisher supporting writers who identify as women through books, literary magazines, workshops, and other opportunities for publication and participation in the literary arts. (Baltimore)
Help us add to this list, Marylanders! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or a Maryland literary journal or publisher we should be aware of? Let us know here. We periodically review these listings for broken links and outdated information.