DFWCon 2026: Full Schedule

8:30am CDT

Age Isn't Just a Number: Exploring Age Categories in KidLit

Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT

When it comes to kidlit, age is more than just a number. Our readers span the developmental stages from first steps to leaving the nest (with countless important moments in between) and our writing must keep pace. Understanding age categories is a vital part of our writing and illustrating practice, especially in the current climate of book banning. In this session, we’ll discuss the key differences of kidlit age categories, from board book to young adult, and why these distinctions matter now more than ever. Then, we’ll explore relevant examples and do hands-on exercises to practice what we’ve learned.

Speakers

Anna Lindsey

Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Room 1

Craft

9:30am CDT

Bridge Over Troubled Water II

Saturday October 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am CDT

Room 1

Last year, I discussed how using a "Bridge," like those used in music, can keep your story from sagging in the middle. This year, I'm going further. I'm explore the structure holding that bridge up. It's called a Problem Nest: The problems that the protagonist faces as they move from the midpoint to the final act of the story. We'll analyze the Problem Nests of popular movies and, more importantly, the archetypes of the allies solving these problems for the protagonists, as defined in Christopher Vogler's THE WRITER'S JOURNEY. With the aid of these problem-solving archetypes, the protagonist crosses the bridge, and enters the climax a character that readers can't wait to cheer for.

Speakers

Brian Tracey

Saturday October 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am CDT
Room 1

Craft

10:30am CDT

✅ Mind Your Mannerisms

Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am CDT

Room 1

When first writing, everyone imitates, but how do we get past that to create interesting stories? What’s the difference between an homage, a pastiche, a ripoff? Everybody borrows. Discover how to put your own spin on tired old cliches.

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

Speakers

A Lee Martinez

Sally Hamilton

Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Room 1

Craft

Skill Level ✅ New Attendees

11:30am CDT

Writing Human Women

Saturday October 3, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm CDT

Room 1

Female characters written to be strong are often swinging a sword, or wearing a pantsuit, or girl bossing it up. And that’s wonderful. But we can go further. We can reflect a whole range of female strength in our writing. In this class, we will explore different forms of strength, and complex traits, you can give your female characters. Come learn how to get your leading lady leaping off the page and becoming lifelike.

Speakers

Caitlin Jacobs

Saturday October 3, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm CDT
Room 1

Craft

2:10pm CDT

The Art of Truth: Writing Nonfiction They Can't Put Down

Saturday October 3, 2026 2:10pm - 3:00pm CDT

Room 1

This session teaches writers how to borrow narrative techniques from fiction—like pacing, tension, and "the hook"—to build a compelling structure that keeps readers turning pages. Learn how to bridge the gap between raw research and a finished manuscript that anchors every chapter.

Speakers

Dr. Kimberlee Mendoza

Saturday October 3, 2026 2:10pm - 3:00pm CDT
Room 1

Craft

3:10pm CDT

Me Write Pretty One Day

Saturday October 3, 2026 3:10pm - 4:00pm CDT

Room 1

How do some authors do it? In just a few sentences, they evoke a kaleidoscope of emotions, set the mood, or draw an entire character. After dissecting the work of some incredible authors, this class will exercise their own writing abilities by workshopping a few underdeveloped passages into powerful ones. In the process, you’ll fill your sentence structure toolbox to improve your flow, style, tone, and impact.

Speakers

Brooke Fossey

Brooke Fossey was once an aerospace engineer with a secret clearance before she traded it all in for motherhood and writing. She’s a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers’ Workshop. Her work can be found in numerous publications, including Ruminate Mag... Read More →

Helen Dent

Helen Dent's career as a writer began at age nine, when her grandfather paid her a dollar a page for what turned into quite a lengthy story. She studied monster theory (among other things) in graduate school, taught English at a Chinese university, and toured the Scottish Hebrides... Read More →

Saturday October 3, 2026 3:10pm - 4:00pm CDT
Room 1

Craft

4:10pm CDT

Writing for Kids These Days

Saturday October 3, 2026 4:10pm - 5:00pm CDT

Room 1

WRITING FOR KIDS THESE DAYS examines current reading/publishing trends in the YA spaces through research data and anecdotes from 7th grade readers. This class is designed to equip authors with the tools needed to create a youthful engaging voice to write a story “kids these days” are interested in reading.

Speakers

Meg Blasingame

Saturday October 3, 2026 4:10pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 1

Craft

9:00am CDT

You Can’t Always Leave the Past in the Past: Trauma, Flashbacks, and the Art of Backstory

Sunday October 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Room 1

The most compelling characters are shaped by what happened to them before the story begins. But how do writers reveal trauma without overwhelming the narrative? In this session, we’ll explore how memory, flashbacks, and emotional triggers can be used to build layered, psychologically authentic characters. Participants will learn how trauma realistically appears in behavior and relationships, when to introduce backstory, and how flashbacks can move the plot forward. Through a trauma-informed lens, writers will learn techniques for integrating memory and past experience in ways that feel organic, emotionally resonant, and dramatically effective. Participants will leave with practical tools for crafting characters whose past continues to shape the choices they make in the present.

Speakers

Duygu Balan

Duygu Balan is a psychotherapist, speaker, and author whose work centers on intimacy, trauma, identity, and the stories we tell about ourselves. She has authored Re-Write: A Trauma Workbook of Creative Writing and Recovery in Our New Normal (Routledge, 2023), Confidently Chill: A... Read More →

Sunday October 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 1

Craft

10:00am CDT

The Art of the BookBub Deal

Sunday October 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 1

You have only 24 hours to make your Bookbub Deal a success; will you seize the day or let it go to waste? Learn the do's and don'ts of those hard-to-get spots on the Bookbub newsletter from horror author Russell C Connor, who jumpstarted his publishing career with one.

Speakers

Russell C Connor

Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of five. His short fiction has appeared in such publications as Black Petals Magazine, Alien Skin, Burial Day, Sanitarium, Beware the Dark, and the Stupefying Stories Showcase, as well as the anthologies Roadkill: Tex... Read More →

Sunday October 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 1

Business

11:00am CDT

Welcome to the Indie Author Trenches

Sunday October 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 1

The independent publishing basics, practical tips, and tricks to help you get your book out into the world.

Speakers

ChristaCarol Jones

Sunday October 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 1

Business

1:40pm CDT

How to Plot a Romance Arc That Complements the External Plot

Sunday October 4, 2026 1:40pm - 2:30pm CDT

Room 1

Everything you've ever wanted to know about how to create a romance arc that feels cohesive with—and essential to—the external plot! In romances that do this well, the internal emotional arc and external plot are inextricably linked, each propelling the other. In this class, we'll talk about practical ways to achieve that goal, including tips to keep in mind while brainstorming, writing the first draft, and going deeper in revision.

Speakers

Kayla Olson

Sunday October 4, 2026 1:40pm - 2:30pm CDT
Room 1

Craft

3:40pm CDT

When to Rework It and When to Kill It: Revising vs Rewriting

Sunday October 4, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT

Room 1

It's said that editing is the real writing, when a book becomes a draft to something publishable. But how do you know when to revise what's already there, or when to scrap part (or more!) of your book and start from scratch? This class will go over evaluating signs of where your book's working (or not), revision vs rewriting, and what both looks like.

Speakers

Sean Fletcher

Sean Fletcher is the award-winning, bestselling author of a number of fantasy series, such as the Savage Wilds, My Dearest Monster, Legacy of Dragons, Heir of Dragons, and more, in addition to forthcoming books whose characters will not give him a moment's peace until they get their turn in the spotlight. When not making up highly-enjoyable lies and putting them down on paper, he's often doing something most people find masochistic, like cyclin... Read More →

Sunday October 4, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 1

Craft

8:30am CDT

9:30am CDT

10:30am CDT

11:30am CDT

2:10pm CDT

3:10pm CDT

4:10pm CDT

9:00am CDT

10:00am CDT

11:00am CDT

1:40pm CDT

3:40pm CDT

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