Writers Workshop


Registration for the 2015 FenCon Writers Workshop is now closed.

FenCon and the Dallas Future Society are pleased to welcome USA Today bestselling author Jaye Wells as Special Guest Instructor for our eleventh annual Writers Workshop.


The Workshop will be an in-depth series of seminar-style sessions beginning the evening of Thursday, September 24th and continue during FenCon XII. The sessions will be taught by Jaye, a renowned author of urban fantasy and speculative crime fiction. Here's what's being said about her newest series, Prospero's War: “Kate Prospero is my new favorite heroine—imperfect, haunted, driven, and dangerous.” – Kevin Hearne, NYT Bestselling Author of The Iron Druid Chronicles


The 2015 Writers Workshop will cover several topics including:

  • Nurturing Your God Complex: A Crash-Course in World Building
  • Internal vs External Conflicts
  • Revision Tips and Writing Hacks
  • Jaye's critiques of each participant's submission

Participants must submit works of fiction (science fiction, fantasy, or horror) for critique. No erotica, please. Participants are required to provide critiques of other participants’ submissions.


  • The Writers Workshop registration period will end on July 17, 2015 or when all participant slots have been filled, whichever comes first.
  • The workshop is limited to 20 participants. 
  • Registration will be on a first-come, first served basis. Any paid registrations which come after the slots have been filled will be put on a waiting list in case of openings.
  • Each participant must be a paid attending member of FenCon XII. Either a full Regular Membership or Friend of the Fen Membership meets this requirement. See the membership page for details
  • There is a $25 registration fee for participating in the Workshop in addition to the FenCon XII      membership fee. The fee must be paid at the time of registration.
  • Writer's Workshop sessions begin at 7pm on Thursday, September 24, 2015 on the FenCon Campus and will continue through Sunday, September 27, 2015. The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday sessions will start at 9am. Participation in all workshop sessions is highly encouraged. Please plan your personal schedule accordingly.
  • No auditing or monitoring of the sessions will be allowed. Only paid, registered participants will be allowed to attend the workshop sessions
  • Each participant must submit their own original work of fiction via an electronic manuscript. Short stories are encouraged, but the beginnings of novels are okay. Submissions cannot exceed 5000 words. No shared-worlds or "fanfic" is allowed.
  • Deadline for submission will be no later than 11pm (Central) Friday, August 15, 2015. Submissions received after this time will not be guaranteed to receive a critique.
  • Each participant will have access to a private online forum where they can ask questions, interact with each other prior to the workshop, and post their submissions and critiques.
  • Submissions should be in something approximating standard manuscript format and be sent as *.doc (not docx) attachments.
  • Other details will be provided to registered participants later in a private message.


    If you have any questions or comments about this workshop, e-mail workshop@fencon.org.