This past weekend I attended the DFW Writers Convention in Dallas, Texas. Not only was it a great opportunity to learn more about publishing and meet some lovely authors, but I also got to meet Natascha (my wonderful agent) in person!
Theoretically, Saturday morning started at 8am, but as I was jetlagged (well, that’s my excuse!) I didn’t get down until closer to 10. It was really difficult to pick which talks to go to, as DFWWC had such a wide selection of interesting and informative panels on offer. In the end I hopped between a few, and I went to some really interesting panels, but my favourite probably was Rachelle Harp’s talk on writing female characters in sci fi and fantasy. It was great to hear someone speaking out on why female characters can’t just be an ornament, and should actually have their own story arcs too (revolutionary – I know!). Rachelle had some great tips on creating well-rounded characters, and used helpful examples from current books too.
This was followed by lunch (where I got to chat to more great writers) and the “Gong Show”. This was something I’d never heard of before, so it was really interesting to watch. There is a panel of agents, and one person reads out a query later (I have to mention: the person reading had the perfect movie voiceover voice – which really added to it!). Each agent has a gong, and they hit it when they would stop reading the query. Three gongs and they stop reading the letter out, giving the agents a chance to explain what caused the problem for them.
Even though I knew my query letter wasn’t in there (and I already have an agent!) it was quite stressful to watch, although highly informative. There were certain things that came up again and again, such as writing more of a synopsis than a blurb, or too much personal info and not enough about the book, and it was really interesting to see this process in real time.
Following more interesting panels in the afternoon, we had a mixer in the evening. I’m not always good with socialising, so I almost didn’t go – but I’m so glad I did! Everyone was very friendly, and it’s always great to talk to other writers about their experiences and what projects they’re working on. Something I loved about this conference was there was such a wide range of writers, from literary short stories, to fantasy, to thrillers.
One of the highlights of the evening for me was that I finally found Natascha! She held an informal “drinks with an agent” at one of the tables, so we got to chat with a whole group of writers about everything from which Doctor is the best in Doctor Who, to how to make homemade butter (she had some very helpful advice on that).
I had breakfast scheduled with Natascha the next morning, so it was a great to meet her before and realise that (of course) she doesn’t bite! I was a little worried that I’d oversleep (as we were meeting at 7am!) but luckily I was excited enough that I woke up on time. We had a great talk about all things book-related (and I got to eat yummy waffles) before heading up to the second day of the conference.
I could only stay until lunchtime on the Sunday, but I managed to pack a lot in (partly thanks to my early start). I went to panels on what to expect from the author/agent relationship, building your brand, and learning about publicity – which were all really helpful. The presenters knew so much about what they were talking about, and were really open to questions. The ideas about what to expect in publishing and building a brand” were especially good, as they were things I didn’t know much about before this.
All too soon, it was lunchtime and I had to go home. Before leaving, I had a fun lunch with Natascha and some of the other attendees (with some really good cake), before heading out.
It was a really busy weekend, and I feel like I learned a lot. I’m so glad I got to have this experience, and I’d definitely recommend this conference (and conferences in general!) to any other writers out there.
To find out more about the DFW Writers Con, check out their website!