New to the festival for 2026, this Advanced Fiction Workshop is a limited-enrollment, full-day intensive session for serious emerging writers. Led by award-winning novelist and short story writer Dennis Bock, the workshop is designed to elevate your craft alongside a select group of dedicated peers.

The morning begins with a deep dive into the art and practice of characterization. As Dennis notes, “Aspiring writers are often told that good prose shows and never tells. But how do you effectively show your protagonist’s longing to revisit her past? How do you show nostalgia, envy, or love without resorting to obvious, purpose-driven dialogue or made-to-order backstory? What about awe, jealousy, or wonder—those powerful emotions that boil within us but hardly ripple the surface? Let’s call these 'un-showable' emotions.…