This page is to purchase tickets outright; to fundraise for your ticket, visit our peer-to-peer fundraising page here.
What happens at the NYWC Write-A-Thon?
We will host workshops, give prompts, write together as a community, host events, and hold readings and author talks throughout the 24 hours. Most events will happen through Zoom, and additional materials will be made available online via our website.
Several participation levels are available: the All-Access Pass allows you to attend all or any part of the entire Write-A-Thon—the best value for your wallet and creative muse! You can also purchase tickets for specific 6-hour blocks of programming, or for special prime-time programming.
What is NY Writers Coalition? What do the funds that are raised support?
NYWC is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization launched in 2002 and one of the nation’s largest community writing organizations. Each year, we provide more than 1,000 free creative writing workshops for people not heard from often enough in our society. Our workshop members include youth, people with disabilities, court-involved and incarcerated individuals, seniors, women, LGBTQ communities, people in recovery, and many others. We are unique in the breadth and scope of our work and have been a model for other organizations bringing the power of creative writing to those in need.
Immediately after the global pandemic forced us to curtail our in-person programs, NYWC stepped into the virtual space to provide free workshops open to anyone, to help bring connection, community, and creativity to those experiencing isolation. We’ve also re-launched about 30% of our in-person workshop virtually and created new workshops for those from underserved communities.
One-hundred percent of the funds raised through the NYWC Write-A-Thon will go directly to our new Workshop Leader Emergency Fund, which provides stipends to our workshop leaders, many of whom are freelance writers, teaching artists, and others economically impacted by the current crisis.
NYWC and the Write-A-Thon sound amazing. Tell me more about the event!
Write-A-Thon includes access to the following programming:
Creative writing workshops: A range of workshops to help support your writing practice. This includes chances to write together and share your new work with others in an NYWC-style workshop and attend craft talks and genre-specific workshops led by a diverse set of guest instructors.
Mic Check: An open mic for you to share aloud something you wrote during the Write-A-Thon.
Virtual Co-Working Space: A Zoom room where you can write in community with fellow writers from all over the world. We will share a writing prompt every 30 minutes to help you keep going, as well as low-key writing challenges to help keep you motivated.
Inspiration Station: A place to find all kinds of audio, visual, and text-based writing prompts, poems, links, and reading lists, for whenever you need a boost!
Special Events: Readings, writer talks, live chats, and panel discussions with writers, editors, agents, and publishers.
Who is scheduled to appear?
This year's speakers include:
View the full list of panelists on our website, here.
How do I get friends and family to support my day of writing?
Glad you asked! If you’d prefer to participate with others’ support (rather than purchase a ticket outright), you can create a fundraising page here! Enlisting supporters can be a great way to hold yourself accountable for writing a certain number of hours or words. What’s more, we will offer prizes for top fundraisers!
Can I donate to support someone who can’t afford to attend?
Absolutely. As a social justice organization committed to bringing the power of creative writing to everyone, we’ve created a special sponsorship ticket so that you can pay it forward so one of our workshop members and people economically affected by the global pandemic can attend for free.
If I can’t afford to attend, how can I join?
Email us at writeathon@nywriterscoalition.org to apply for a scholarship. Include your name and contact info and information you feel comfortable sharing about yourself, your circumstances, and your writing practice that would help us allocate sponsored tickets. Priority will be given to members of NYWC in-person workshops from underserved/marginalized communities.
Can I or my company become a sponsor of the event?
Yes! See the “Sponsor tickets” section for more info and email judith@nywriterscoalition.org.
I’d like to volunteer and/or I am an author, agent, editor, or publisher interested in helping out. How can I get involved?
Email us at writeathon@nywriterscoalition.org and let us know more about you and how you’d like to participate. We may need Zoom room moderators/hosts, people to help with technical support, and others to ensure the event runs smoothly.