Status Active Location(s) Fort Worth, Texas | Frequency Annual Country United States | |
Genre Multi-genre professional writers' conference Venue Fort Worth Convention Center (2016) | ||
The DFW Writers Conference, also known as DFWCon, is an American annual professional conference for writers in multiple genres. It always takes place in a city within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, normally in the spring months.
Contents
History and operations
The conference's purpose is to help writers grow their professional network, develop their writing skills and business knowledge, and meet with publishing-industry professionals. Attendees include literary agents and editors from publishing houses around the country, and writers from Texas and other states. The conference offers its attendees the opportunity to meet with a literary agent for one-on-one pitch sessions, and its education program typically features more than fifty writing classes.
The conference started in 2008. It is organized by members of the DFW Writers' Workshop, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps writers in multiple genres develop their writing to publication-level quality. The group has operated in the DFW metroplex since 1977.
Events
2008: The first conference took place at the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, attended by approximately 110 people. Its keynote speaker was entertainment journalist and romance author Candace Havens.
2009: The second event took place at the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Its keynote speaker was bestselling thriller author Bob Mayer.
2010: The third event took place at the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Its keynote speaker was New York Times- and USA Today-bestselling romance author Jodi Thomas.
2011: In its fourth year, the conference had grown to the point where it needed a larger venue. It moved to the American Airlines Training Center in Fort Worth. New York Times-bestselling romantic thriller author Sandra Brown was the keynote speaker.
2012: Forced to move again due to the size of its attendance, the conference relocated to the new Hurst Convention Center in Hurst, Texas. Bestselling action/adventure and techno-thriller author James Rollins was the keynote speaker.
2013: The conference remained at the Hurst Convention Center in Hurst, Texas. The keynotes this year were Pulitzer Prize nominee, journalist and author Michael Capuzzo and bestselling thriller author Deborah Crombie.
2014: DFWCon took place at the Hurst Convention Center in Hurst, Texas. The keynotes this year were bestselling multi-genre author Jonathan Maberry and literary agent Donald Maass.
2015: For the first time, the conference moved to Dallas and took place at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. Keynote speakers were bestselling mystery writer Charlaine Harris, bestselling science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson, and photography writer Me Ra Koh.
2016: The 2016 event took place April 23–24 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Its keynote speakers were horror, fantasy and suspense author Christopher Golden and veteran journalists Tara McKelvey and Thomas Kunkel.