DFWCon 2026

First-person POV can create an extraordinary bond between character and reader, but writing "I" doesn't automatically create intimacy. In fact, common first-person habits can unintentionally push readers away. In this practical, craft-focused workshop, literary agent Kelly Dyksterhouse explores narrative distance and the techniques that make first-person narration feel immediate, authentic, and emotionally compelling. Through examples from popular novels, writers will learn how to recognize distancing language, avoid common POV traps, handle description and interiority more naturally, and develop a character voice readers will happily follow.

This class seeks to create a distinction between two types of poetry, the literary and the revelatory, and how a healthy approach to that dichotomy can benefit all writers. With the former challenging poets to stress the boundaries of the poem and the latter teaching writers to capture the integrity and honesty of a first draft, the ability to recognize each camp and master their benefits galvanizes all writers towards greatness. This class will feature an educational lecture, followed by an interactive workshop experience.

We all recognize writing that makes our hearts soar and our pulses race, but how do we make that happen on our own page? Set the craft books to the side for an hour, and let's talk about strategies for finding practical answers to your thorniest writing questions, all within the pages of your favorite books.

Is this your first writers conference? Classes with a ✅ in the title like this one are especially good for newcomers.

From the query letter through the opening pages: An agent must sift through hundreds, even thousands of queries. Learn what makes an effective query letter and how to write a compelling opening for your sample pages. We will discuss how to write a grabby opening while avoiding the dreaded white room and its evil twin, the cliffhanger opening.

Exploring the many styles and uses of humor in writing such as satire, dark humor, slapstick, and sarcasm. How and when each each of these humorous style additions can add depth to make characters unforgettable.

Lone wolf? Independent spirit? You're not alone! More and more authors begin their publishing careers with something non-traditional. Come learn the whys and why nots of going the indie press or self-published route to publication.

We all love a good anti-hero character, but what about the unreliable narrator? What IS an unreliable narrator and why would a writer choose that approach? This class helps writers understand the purpose of the unreliable narrator by looking at successful examples in literature and film and dissecting the methods and outcomes that make it such a compelling point of view.