Navigating the Writing World:
Lara Waas ('26 SOA) on the Value of Literary Conferences

Lara Waas is a New York–based writer and recent MFA graduate of Columbia University, where she teaches in the undergraduate creative writing program. She is a CFF member whose fiction has appeared in Narrative Magazine, LIT, and elsewhere. In 2026, she was selected to attend the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Barrelhouse Writer Camp, two competitive programs offering distinct approaches to literary craft, mentorship, and community.

We sat down with her to discuss her experience with both and tips for writers interested in attending.

Sewanee is one of the country’s longest-running literary conferences. What were the highlights of your time there?
Some of the greatest highlights were the participant readings. The quality of the writing was extraordinary, and reading from the opening of my novel, Quiet Coyote, in front of such an accomplished literary community was especially meaningful to me. Beyond the participant readings, Sewanee offered a full schedule of faculty readings, lectures, craft talks, and opportunities to engage with other writers. For twelve days, I was immersed in the study and practice of fiction—what’s not to love?

What was it like to work closely with established writers at Sewanee, and was there a particular piece of feedback or mentorship that changed your work?
I cannot speak highly enough of my workshop group, led by Jill McCorkle and Chinelo Okparanta. Their feedback was incisive and generous, as was that of the other participants. I left with a clearer understanding of my work and a strong sense of where to take it next. One lesson that stayed with me came from Jill’s seminar on suspense: “The best suspense is when we’re aware of consequence.” My novel gradually reveals a betrayal from the protagonist’s childhood, so I often withhold information to create suspense. Jill reminded me that giving readers enough knowledge to anticipate the emotional consequences can be just as powerful.

Barrelhouse Writer Camp offers a very different kind of experience. How did it compare with Sewanee in terms of workshop culture, mentorship, and the writers you met?
Sewanee followed an intensive schedule centered on workshops, readings, and craft talks, whereas Barrelhouse was more relaxed and self-directed. It organized workshops and conversations about the publishing business, but writers could choose how much to attend. Mostly, it was meant to give you time to work on your own writing. Barrelhouse also brought together a broader range of writers. At Sewanee, most of the fiction writers I encountered were working in literary fiction. At Barrelhouse, I met people writing across genres and experimenting with a wider variety of forms.

Writers often wonder whether conferences are primarily about improving the work or building a professional network. What do you find?
I find that the two are inseparable and that conferences are most worthwhile when you genuinely value both. If your only goal is networking, there are easier ways to meet writers and publishing professionals, such as readings or book launches. Likewise, writers primarily seeking feedback can find excellent workshops closer to home or online. What makes a conference distinctive is the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the community while getting feedback on your work. The greatest value comes from being open to both sides of the experience.

These conferences are quite competitive to attend. How did you know you were ready to apply for a program like this, and what did being selected to attend mean to you at this point in your writing career?
I applied just as I was completing my MFA at Columbia. After two years of intensive workshops, I felt prepared to contribute to another workshop community, while also wanting to move beyond the Columbia and New York circles I had built. The timing was especially meaningful because I had just completed my novel. Sewanee brings literary agents to the conference, and agents I met there read an excerpt and subsequently requested additional pages. It felt like a natural bridge between completing the manuscript and beginning its professional life.

For other writers hoping to attend competitive conferences, what makes a strong application? What do you think helped yours stand out?
Before applying, it’s important to consider whether the conference is realistically manageable for you in terms of time and cost. Have a look at the application fee, tuition, travel, lodging, meals, and the length of the program, as well as whether scholarships or funded fellowships are available. These factors can vary widely from one conference to the next.

Once you know the program is feasible, try to understand what distinguishes it rather than sending the same application everywhere. Study its faculty, workshops, participating genres, and overall aesthetic. I think submitting a polished, self-contained short story helped my application because readers could evaluate its complete arc, although an excellent novel excerpt can certainly succeed as well. Unless the application explicitly asks you to submit the project you plan to develop at the conference, it makes sense to send the strongest piece of writing you currently have. Once accepted, you can usually choose to work on or workshop something different.