OCLS Writers Conference
The annual OCLS Writers Conference will be virtual in 2026!
Make 2026 the year you finish and publish a novel. The OCLS Writers Conference will provide the tools and knowledge you need to reach your writing and publishing goals this year. Authors and publishing professionals will teach workshops on both craft and business topics.
This conference is free to the public, but registration is required for all attendees.
Please see other upcoming writing workshops at ocls.org/writerscorner.
Schedule
Saturday, January 24
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (all times Eastern)
| Start Time | Topic | Instructor |
| 10:00 AM | Voice: Character Idiolect versus Author Style | Kristen Stieffel |
| 11:00 AM | Prewriting | Jennie Jarvis |
| 12:00 PM | How to Write a Query Letter | Kelly Thomas |
| 1:00 PM | Develop a Writing Habit | Alli Martin |
| 2:00 PM | Understanding Genre | Sam Farkas |
| 3:00 PM | Five Mistakes Writers Make Setting (and How to Avoid Them) | Janice Hardy |
| 4:00 PM | Literary Agents and the Querying Process | Michael Mammay |
| 5:00 PM | Ask the Agents Panel | Sandra Proudman, Vicky Weber, Anjanette Barr |
Sunday, January 25
12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (all times Eastern)
| Start Time | Topic | Instructor |
| 12:00 PM | Don't Do This! (Unless you do it well…) | Elle E. Ire and José Pablo Iriarte |
| 1:00 PM | Show/Tell Solution | Lorin Oberweger |
| 2:00 PM | Choosing the Right Publication Path | Caridad Pineiro |
| 3:00 PM | Pace and Structure | Michael Mammay |
| 4:00 PM | A New Perspective on Viewpoint | Kristen Stieffel |
Conference Faculty (Subject to Change)
Jennie Jarvis
Jennie Jarvis is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, story consultant, and college educator. Her textbook, Crafting The Character Arc, is used in creative writing classrooms around the world. She teaches screenwriting and helps oversee the Full Sail Writing Conference.
Michael Mammay
Michael Mammay is the author of the military sci-fi Planetside series and sci-fi adventure The Misfit Soldier.
Janice Hardy
Janice Hardy spins tales of adventure to enchant teens and adults, and teaches others how to spin their own wonderous tales of adventure.
Alli Martin
Alli Martin is a science fiction and alternate history author, as well as a freelance editor. Alli holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Central Florida, runs the writing group Central Florida Inklings.
Kristen Stieffel
Kristen Stieffel is a writer and freelance editor specializing in speculative fiction. Kristen is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, Christian Editor Connection, and American Christian Fiction Writers.
Elle E. Ire
When she isn’t taking shooting lessons, getting mock-kidnapped, or cave swimming with bats, Goldie Award winner Elle Ire writes science fiction romance and paranormal romance featuring kick-butt women who fall in love with each other.
José Pablo Iriarte
José Pablo Iriarte is an award-nominated speculative fiction writer. Their short fiction has been reprinted in various Year’s Best compilations, and their debut novel is coming soon from Knopf/Random House.
Lorin Oberweger
Lorin Oberweger is a highly sought-after independent book editor and ghostwriter with almost thirty years experience in publishing. Her company, Free Expressions, offers intensive, deep craft workshops nationwide.
Anjanette Barr
Anjanette Barr is a Literary Agent at Dunham Literary, representing authors and illustrators for all genres and age categories.