Breakout Workshops
2027 Breakout Workshops Information
Go Deeper Than the Panel
Killer Nashville’s regular conference sessions introduce you to a wide range of ideas, perspectives, and professional insights. Breakouts offer the opportunity to go deeper into a subject that matters to you.
These approximately 45-minute sessions are designed around specific writing, publishing, and career challenges. In a smaller, limited-capacity environment, you’ll have more opportunity to interact with a specialist or expert group, ask focused questions, and explore practical ways to move forward.
Whether you’re revising a manuscript, preparing to approach an agent, or developing your author platform, Breakouts give you dedicated time to focus on one goal.
EACH BREAKOUT INCLUDES
Approximately 45 minutes of focused instruction
A smaller, limited-capacity learning environment
Opportunities for direct interaction and questions
Practical techniques and actionable takeaways
A guaranteed reserved seat
One focused session, $25
Choose the Problem You Want to Solve
Breakout topics vary each year, with sessions designed to address the specific challenges writers face throughout their careers. Past and recent subjects have included:
Strengthening manuscript openings, revision, and developmental editing
Building suspense and creating more compelling scenes
Improving pitches, queries, and synopses
Navigating debut publishing and working with agents or editors
Developing an author brand and marketing strategy
Creating a book-launch plan
Exploring independent publishing and attracting publisher attention
Writing for Hollywood and producing audiobooks
Protecting your work and your writing business
Developing more dimensional characters
The 2026 program features topics ranging from author branding and debut publishing to legal protection, working with editors, understanding agents, and strengthening first pages. Future programs will feature their own selection of subjects and presenters.
A Smaller Session. A More Focused Experience.
Panels offer a range of viewpoints and ideas. Breakouts are intentionally narrower, giving you the chance to concentrate on a specific question, challenge, or professional objective.
Depending on the session, you may take part in discussion, exercises, demonstrations, or guided analysis. Presenters may also provide handouts, checklists, or other supporting materials.
The goal is to leave with more than inspiration: a clearer understanding of your next step and practical insight you can apply to your manuscript or writing career.
Your Seat Is Reserved
Breakouts have limited seating to preserve the smaller, more interactive environment that makes them valuable. Each $25 ticket guarantees you a reserved seat in your selected session.
If a Breakout addresses a challenge you’re actively working through, we recommend reserving your seat in advance. Popular sessions may sell out before the conference begins.
Review the schedule, identify the topics most relevant to your goals, and add your preferred Breakouts to your conference plans.
A Small Investment in Your Writing
Sometimes one unanswered question can keep a manuscript, publishing plan, or career decision at a standstill. A focused session with the right specialist can help you identify a problem, avoid a misstep, or find a more effective way forward.
For just $25, a Breakout gives you dedicated time to explore a challenge and discover practical ways to address it. You bring the question; the session helps you take the next step.
Who Can Attend?
Breakouts are available exclusively to registered Killer Nashville conference attendees.
Four-Day Registration: May purchase any available Breakout that fits their schedule.
One-Day Registration: May purchase available Breakouts scheduled on their registered day.
Individual tickets: Each Breakout requires a separate $25 ticket and guarantees one reserved seat.
Breakouts are not available to members of the public who are not registered for the conference. Advance purchase is strongly recommended, as seating is limited.
Choose Your Breakouts
Find the question you most need answered. Choose the subject you’re ready to explore, and reserve your seat in a focused Killer Nashville Breakout.
Approximately 45 minutes · $25 per session · Limited seating
2027 Breakouts Announced Soon
2027 Breakout Sessions Coming Soon
2026 Breakout Sessions
Friday Breakout Sessions – August 21, 2026
Developmental Editing: Getting Your Manuscript Ready for Prime Time
9:00-9:45 A.M., August 21, 2026 [Breakout 1]
Agents often reject manuscripts after reading only the first page. Writing coach and award-winning novelist John DeDakis explains what to expect when working with a developmental editor and breaks down the essential story elements that keep readers turning pages instead of turning out the lights.
Audiobook Creation; a Painless Step-by-Step Approach
10:00-10:45 A.M., August 21, 2026 [Breakout 2]
Bring your story to life in audio with confidence. In this engaging, practical session, Scott Ellis of Ellis Audiobooks leverages over seven years of industry experience and has produced more than 350 audiobooks for indie authors to guide you through the entire process.
Learn the essential industry language, how to find and audition the right narrator, and how to work with talent to achieve a compelling performance. Designed for indie authors, this session breaks down each step so you know what to expect and how to make smart choices along the way.
Come prepared with questions and leave equipped with the tools and insights needed to successfully produce your audiobook.
Writing Edge-of-Your-Seat Fiction: Crafting Gripping Mysteries, Thrillers & Suspense Stories
10:00-10:45 A.M., August 21, 2026 [Breakout 3]
Learn how to craft stories that keep readers turning pages late into the night. In this class with DP Lyle, you’ll master the essential elements of mystery, thriller, and suspense fiction—building tension, planting clues, creating unforgettable twists, and developing high-stakes conflict. Whether you’re outlining your first novel or refining an existing manuscript, you’ll leave with practical tools to write fiction that captivates readers and doesn’t let go.
Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Three Key Elements of Every Novel, Synopsis, Pitch, & Back Cover Copy
1:50-2:35 P.M., August 21, 2026 [Breakout 4]
Goal. Motivation. Conflict. Every novel requires all three elements. However, being able to define your GMC goes beyond simply writing a compelling story. For writers aiming for traditional publishing, mastering GMC will help you create the perfect elevator pitch, query letter, and synopsis. For those interested in indie publishing, GMC is crucial for crafting engaging back cover copy. In this workshop, bestselling author Lois Winston will not only help you identify your main character’s internal and external goals, motivations, and conflicts, but also show you how GMC can benefit you even after finishing your novel.
The Book Launch Plan: Turning Publication into Visibility, Connection, and Sales
2:50-3:35 P.M., August 21, 2026 [Breakout 5]
This presentation offers authors a clear, strategic framework for launching a book that enhances visibility, deepens reader connection, and promotes sustainable sales.
Too often, authors view launch week as just a brief promotion rather than a coordinated campaign. In this session, Jeniffer Thompson guides attendees through a staged launch plan that begins 60–90 days before publication and continues beyond release week to maintain momentum.
This session will cover how to prioritize efforts when time and budget are limited, how endorsements, metadata, partnerships, email lists, and retailer optimization work together, and how to align marketing activities with long-term career goals—not just short-term spikes.
Attendees will leave with a practical launch roadmap they can customize to fit their book, genre, and publishing journey.
INSIDE THE DETECTIVE'S HEAD: The Real Thinking Process Behind Crime-Solving
3:50-4:35 P.M., August 21, 2026 [Breakout 6]
Real detectives don't approach a case the way readers solve a puzzle — they work under pressure, incomplete information, and real constraints that shape what they see and what they miss. In this presentation, Chris Berg explains how detectives really think: the pattern recognition that feels like intuition, the biases that influence investigations, and the constraints that force difficult decisions. You'll learn to write detectives who think like police officers, not TV detectives. Master this, and your crime fiction will create genuine tension where it matters most: the gap between what actually happened and what a detective believes happened.
Saturday Breakout Sessions – August 22, 2026
Author Branding and Your Book Marketing Roadmap
9:00-9:45 A.M., August 22, 2026 [Breakout 7]
Create a sustainable author brand that fosters a long-term writing career.
In today’s creative economy, personal branding plays a crucial role in career success—and authors are no exception. Publishing a book is just the first step. Writers who develop recognizable brands are better positioned to grow their audience, attract opportunities, and maintain a long-term career.
In this workshop, Jeniffer Thompson—author branding strategist and founder of Monkey C Media—teaches writers to think beyond a single book and build a professional author brand that supports their future projects. You’ll learn how to clarify your message, identify the readers who need your voice, and create a strategic plan that increases visibility, connection, and discoverability over time.
Key Takeaways
Understand why personal branding is crucial for building a sustainable writing career.
Identify your target audience and the communities and influencers who connect with them.
Build a clear author brand that boosts your authority and platform.
Develop a visibility and content strategy that fosters long-term reader loyalty.
Publishing Tips for New Writers
10:00-10:45 A.M., August 22, 2026 [Breakout 8]
Learn the craft from a master storyteller. Guest of Honor Reed Farrel Coleman, who started publishing at fifteen and has written over thirty novels, shares the proven methods behind his success. In this engaging session, Reed provides practical, tested techniques you can adopt or modify to strengthen your own writing process, elevate your work, and create stories that resonate.
Writing for Hollywood
1:50-2:35 P.M., August 22, 2026 [Breakout 9]
Learn how to craft a compelling, market-ready screenplay in this energetic session with Scott Moore, writer of The Hangover and Bad Moms and author of the upcoming novel The Mad Widows. Drawing on his Hollywood and publishing experience, Scott explains the key elements of a successful script, from concept and structure to character, dialogue, and twists that keep audiences hooked.
Through clear, practical guidance, you'll learn how to build strong story foundations, raise stakes, and create characters that readers and viewers root for. Scott also shares insider tips on rewriting, collaboration, and what it really takes to stand out in a competitive industry.
Ideal for writers at any stage, this session offers practical tools and real-world insights to help you elevate your screenplay.
How to Bring Publishers to YOU through Indie Publishing
2:50-3:35 P.M., August 22, 2026 [Breakout 10]
Discover how indie publishing has become a powerful platform for thriller writers. In this practical, forward-thinking session, Guest of Honor Noelle W. Ihli demonstrates how authors can position their work as a professional product in a competitive market.
Learn how to meet reader expectations within your niche, create a genre-savvy cover that captures attention, and craft a compelling book description that converts browsers into buyers. Noelle also discusses how these strategic choices can build momentum, grow readership, and open doors to agents, traditional publishers, foreign rights deals, and audiobook opportunities.
Protecting Yourself and Your Work: The Four Pillars Every Writer Should Know
3:50-4:35 P.M., August 22, 2026 [Breakout 11]
Protecting Yourself and Your Work is a practical legal guide for writers that explores the key issues every author should understand before publishing. Framed around four pillars—protecting your words, your money, your reputation, and your legacy—this talk covers copyright basics, common contract pitfalls, defamation and privacy risks when writing about real (or almost real) people, and the long-term management of intellectual property. Designed for both emerging and experienced writers, the presentation by Tisha Morris helps demystify the legal side of authorship so writers can make informed decisions, avoid common mistakes, and confidently build sustainable careers around their creative work.
The Power of Enneagrams
3:50-4:35 P.M., August 22, 2026 [Breakout 12]
Presented by Susan Reiss
In fiction, characters need to change. You, the writer, need to create the CHARACTER ARC. Many stories grow weak, even flounder in the dreaded, sagging middle.
A strategy using ENNEAGRAMS can guide you, offer ideas, even a better understanding of a character. It’s not a formula. It’s not a template. You decide from the possibilities the Enneagrams present. In this interactive session, working together, we will apply this strategy to create an ARC.
Appropriate for Published Authors, New Writers, Pantsers & Plotters
Sunday Breakout Sessions – August 23, 2026
How to Work With an Editor
9:00-9:45 A.M., August 23, 2026 [Breakout 13]
In this exclusive breakout session, you’ll sit down with a powerhouse panel of professional editors for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about the editorial process from their side of the desk. Whether you’re preparing your first submission or navigating revisions with a publishing team, this session will give you practical insight you won’t find in craft books.
Learn how to approach an editor, what makes a manuscript stand out (for the right reasons), how to interpret and implement feedback without losing your voice, and the common missteps that can damage a professional relationship before it begins. The panel will also explore developmental vs. line editing, how to know what your manuscript needs, and how to turn editorial critique into your strongest asset.
Panelists:
Dawn Barclay
Beth Terrell - https://www.jadenterrell.com/
Helen Thornton-Gussy - https://www.editco.nz/
John DeDakis - https://www.johndedakis.com/
Miranda Darrow - https://mirandadarrow.com/
Amber Meyer - https://www.mysteryeditor.com/
What Agents Expect from Their Clients
9:00-9:45 A.M., August 23, 2026 [Breakout 14]
In this session, you’ll hear directly from attending agents, Tommy Dean, Kristen Terrette, and Nicola Pittam as they pull back the curtain on what they expect from the writers they represent. Beyond signing the deal, what makes a client stand out as professional, prepared, and worth long-term investment?
This candid conversation goes far beyond query tips. Learn what agents look for in communication, career mindset, productivity, and collaboration. Discover the habits that build trust, the red flags that can strain a relationship, and how to position yourself not just as a promising writer, but as a valuable client.
Whether you’re seeking representation or already agented, this session offers rare insight into how agents think, what they prioritize, and how you can align your goals with theirs to build a sustainable writing career.
Panelists:
Tommy Dean - https://tommydeanwriter.com/
Kristen Terrette - https://kristenterrette.com/
Nicola Pittam - https://darkanthempress.com/
How to Get the Attention of an Agent
9:00-9:45 A.M., August 23, 2026 [Breakout 15]
In this exclusive breakout session, you’ll hear directly from attending agents, Ronald Gerber and Dean Krystek about what actually catches their attention, and what instantly turns them away. This is your chance to move beyond generic advice and learn how to position your work so it stands out in a crowded inbox.
From crafting a compelling query and opening pages to understanding timing, targeting, and professionalism, this discussion will break down what agents notice first and what keeps them reading. You’ll also gain insight into common mistakes writers make, how to avoid them, and how to present yourself as someone agents want to work with.
Presenters:
Ronald Gerber - https://www.lowensteinassociates.com/
Dean Krystek - https://www.wordlink.us/
Illuminating the Shadows: First Pages that Intrigue and Haunt
10:00-10:45 A.M., August 23, 2026 [Breakout 16]
Join Agent and writer Tommy Dean for a deep dive into the first page of today’s most gripping novels to determine how these authors hook and intrigue the reader. Tommy will show participants how the examples use action, sensory details, and a bit of mystery to enthrall and excite a reader, agent, or editor. We’ll look at model texts and hopefully get inspired by the writing prompts! Examples of the first pages will come from Gillian McAllister, Eric Puchner, S. A. Cosby, Harlan Coben, Liz Moore, Percival Everett, and more!
Being Your Own Storyteller / Author Interviews
11:30 A.M. - 12:15 P.M., August 23, 2026 [Breakout 17]
Every author interview is an opportunity to turn curious listeners into dedicated readers. This interactive workshop with Stacey Horan offers authors practical strategies for presenting themselves—and their work—with clarity, confidence, and authenticity. Participants learn how to speak effectively about their books, explain the reasons behind their writing, and share their creative journeys in a way that connects with audiences. This session allows attendees to practice interview techniques in real time.
5 Key Relationships Your Main Character Must Have
12:30-1:15 P.M., August 23, 2026 [Breakout 18]
Enhance your story by strengthening the relationships that drive it. In this interactive workshop with Christine Fairchild, you’ll identify gaps, missed opportunities, and areas for growth in your work-in-progress through guided exercises and optional partner work. You’ll leave with new material you can immediately apply to your manuscript, plus handouts to help you stay focused instead of scrambling to take notes.
This session examines how your main characters connect with five key elements: plot, world, key objects or tools, other characters, and most importantly, themselves. You’ll learn how to assign each character a unique role in the story, foster meaningful interactions with setting and story elements, and develop dynamic relationships that grow over time.
“I truly believe my career got its start thanks to Killer Nashville.”
– Phyllis Halt
“Thank you for the support you show aspiring authors at Killer Nashville.”