DFWCon 2026: Full Schedule

8:30am CDT

Get Out of the Way: Writing First Person That Pulls Readers In

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

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.

Speakers

Kelly Dyksterhouse

Kelly Dyksterhouse is a literary agent with The Tobias Literary Agency.

She represents picture books, middle grade and young adult, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as graphic novels. She also represents illustrators.

For middle grade, she loves books with ensemble casts, books about good kids making bad decisions and then having to get themselves out of it, quests and hijinks, spooky stories and mysteries, and historical novels that feel relevant. For YA, Kelly is looking for much of... Read More →

Saturday October 3, 2026 8:30am - 9:20am CDT
Room 2

Business

9:30am CDT

Navigating Literary and Revelatory Poetry

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

Room 2

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.

Speakers

Moon Abbas

Saturday October 3, 2026 9:30am - 10:20am CDT
Room 2

Craft

10:30am CDT

✅ Read Like You Write: Unlocking the Wisdom of Your Literary Heroes

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

Room 2

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.

Speakers

Laura DuPuy

Saturday October 3, 2026 10:30am - 11:20am CDT
Room 2

Craft

Skill Level ✅ New Attendees

11:30am CDT

How To Hook An Agent – From The Query Letter Through The Opening Pages

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

Room 2

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.

Speakers

Michael Carr

Michael Carr is a literary agent with the Veritas Literary Agency.

With a strong background in editing and writing, Michael enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French. Before joining Veritas, Michael had professions as diverse as programming simulators... Read More →

Saturday October 3, 2026 11:30am - 12:20pm CDT
Room 2

Business

2:10pm CDT

You Think That’s Funny?

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

Room 2

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.

Speakers

BJ Sloan

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

Craft

3:10pm CDT

The Untraditional Choice: Indie Press or Self-Pub?

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

Room 2

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.

Speakers

Matthew Rollins

Shawn Warner

Saturday October 3, 2026 3:10pm - 4:00pm CDT
Room 2

Business

4:10pm CDT

Anatomy of the Unreliable Narrator

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

Room 2

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.

Speakers

Jalyn Renae Fiske

Saturday October 3, 2026 4:10pm - 5:00pm CDT
Room 2

Craft

9:00am CDT

Home Is Where the Heart Is: Using the Setting Around You to Build Fantasical Worlds

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

Room 2

Nothing is born from the void--and neither are the fantasy worlds we love to read about and create in our own work. This class is designed to help attendees use the world they know--their homes, the familiar streets, and the places they see everyday--to create grounded worlds in their fantasy genre pieces. After all, authors put in little bits of themselves in everything they create, and what better way to build a fictional world than one that includes the cracked tiles of their bathroom or the vaulted ceilings of their local city hall.

Speakers

Andy C. Naranjo

Sunday October 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 2

Craft

10:00am CDT

Strategic Dialogue Deployment: Subtext, Story Beats, and Other Things You Didn’t Know Dialogue Could Do

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

Room 2

We hear a lot about what not to do in dialogue. But then, how *do* you tell the reader something that Bob already knows? Update the reader on a plot point without mentioning the plot? Give the reader a clue without the detective noticing (and vice versa)?

Before the session ends, we’ll switch to advanced mode and see how dialogue can control pace and narrative rhythm, add subtext and characterization, and maximize story beats.

Speakers

Rosemary Clement

Sunday October 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 2

Craft

11:00am CDT

Andor: A Study in Adding Politics to Your Plot

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

Room 2

Star Wars: Andor is more than just a rebellion story–it’s a masterclass in political fiction that resonates with fans well beyond the galaxy far far away. In this class, we’ll break down how Andor integrates systems of control, class struggle, surveillance, and revolution into every layer of the narrative–and how you can do the same in your own work. You’ll learn to use political conflict to shape character arc, turn institutions into narrative engines, balance individual stakes with systemic commentary, and make your world’s politics feel real. No matter your genre, come learn to write stories that interrogate the world around us, in a way that readers truly connect to. (Don’t worry - you don’t even need to know the show.)

Speakers

Caitlin Jacobs

Sunday October 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 2

Craft

1:40pm CDT

✅ Brick House Chapter Building

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

Room 2

Every chapter of a novel should have a firm foundation built on goal-conflict-outcome.

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

Speakers

BJ Sloan

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

Craft

Skill Level ✅ New Attendees

2:40pm CDT

How to Self-Publish with Amazon: From Start to Finish

Sunday October 4, 2026 2:40pm - 3:30pm CDT

Room 2

Take the guesswork out of Amazon’s KDP publishing platform with this "start-to-finish" technical walkthrough. We’ll cover everything from interior formatting, cover design, ISBNs category selection, and the final upload process. Perfect for the author ready to take full control of their publishing career and see their book live on the world's largest retailer.

Speakers

Dr. Kimberlee Mendoza

Sunday October 4, 2026 2:40pm - 3:30pm CDT
Room 2

Business

3:40pm CDT

From Badge to Courtroom: Understanding the Layers of Criminal Investigation

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

Room 2

Criminal investigations don't happen in a single office or by a lone detective—they move through distinct layers of responsibility, each with its own role in building a prosecutable case. This session traces how cases progress through the system: patrol officers who respond first and establish probable cause, detectives who conduct follow-up investigations and gather evidence, and district attorney investigators who help prosecutors determine what charges can actually be filed. Drawing on real-world examples from theft to homicide, we'll explore how responsibility shifts at each stage, what triggers a case to move from one layer to the next, and how coordination between these roles determines whether a case makes it to court. Attendees will gain practical insight into the decision-making and accountability that define each phase of the investigative pipeline.

Speakers

Amanda Arista

Sunday October 4, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Room 2

Craft

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