Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2025: Full Schedule

Registration for the 2025 Pikes Peak Writers Conference is now open!
The current schedule, like much of our writing, is a work-in-progress and is subject to change.
Sched is sponsored by Reedsy.

8:30am MDT

Just-In-Time Description and World Building

Friday May 2, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

Douglas

Whether you’re writing modern murder mysteries, historical rom-coms, urban fantasies, or space operas, your characters exist in a world that includes mundane features like geography, transportation, and money (does your protagonist need a MetroCard to hop the NYC subway?) and deeper aspects such as religion, politics, magic, bureaucracies, pandemics, or natural disasters. Learn how to avoid info-dumping while still creating a believable world that your characters inhabit and your readers will love.

Faculty

Kelley J. P. Lindberg

President, Blue Raven Services Inc.

Kelley J. P. Lindberg writes award-winning YA and adult fiction, and sometimes admits to having written several best-selling how-to books. Her fiction and essays have appeared in literary magazines, in anthologies including PPW’s Journeys into Possibility, and in the Tellables app... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

8:30am MDT

The Sequel to Every Scene

Friday May 2, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

Academy

If every action has an equal reaction, so should our scenes. That reaction is found in the sequel of our stories. We will cover the three steps of sequel, where is shows up in our scenes, and how it is the key to binding together the deeper aspects of storytelling like character growth, subtext, and theme.

Faculty

Callie Stoker

Callie Stoker is an editor with almost two decades experience. Her business The Manuscript Dr offers coaching and editing services. We believe that writing is a skill that can be taught through the application of individual tools. We love helping our clients elevate their abilities... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
Academy

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

9:45am MDT

Antagonists

Friday May 2, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Academy

Writers focus much of their development and planning for their next work on their protagonist and often fail to fully develop the "bad guy." Understanding the role of the antagonist, and how to create conflicts with the protagonist, is an essential tool for writers of all genres. This class focuses on aspects of development specifically for antagonists which ensure the antagonist is powerful, committed, and the perfect foil to your protagonist.

Faculty

Kevin Ikenberry

Author, Speaker

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. As an adult, he managed the U.S. Space Camp program, two Challenger Learning Centers, and served on active duty in space operations before Space Force was a thing. He’s an international bestselling science fiction... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Academy

Craft of Writing

9:45am MDT

Starting Your Story in the Right Place

Friday May 2, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Douglas

One of the most challenging goals in commercial fiction is knowing what to include and what to exclude in a first chapter. In this craft-oriented workshop we'll focus on examples that strike the right balance between exposition and action (in medias res).

Faculty

David R. Slayton

David R. Slayton (He/Him) grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he lives in Denver, Colorado and writes the books he always wanted to read. His debut, White... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

9:45am MDT

Story Blueprint: Using Tropes to Build the Infrastructure of Your Story

Friday May 2, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Hook readers and elevate your storytelling skills with a story blueprint based on tropes for genre fiction. This session will define what tropes are (and aren't) and how they can be used in your story. Attendees will learn the expectations and implications of several tropes, how to deconstruct the framework, and how to seamlessly integrate tropes across genres. Dawn Alexander and Jessica Snyder will: - define what a trope is (and isn't) and why they are useful in fiction - deconstruct the framework, expectations and implications of a trope - show you how to utilize them across genres - provide plenty of examples so you can implement them in your own writing.

Faculty

Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander Books

Dawn Alexander is a developmental editor and story coach who collaborates with both emerging writers and accomplished authors to strengthen their stories and refine their voices. Her clients have appeared on the *New York Times* and *USA Today* bestseller lists, as well as the Amazon... Read More →

Jessica Snyder

HEA Author Services

Jessica Snyder is an editor, author coach, and the host of The HEA Club, a community for romance authors. As the owner of HEA Author Services, she specializes in romance fiction and her clients range from best-selling authors like Pippa Grant and Lucy Score to new authors who are... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

11:00am MDT

Non-verbal Communication in Fiction

Friday May 2, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Douglas

Explore 5 areas of non-verbal communication, from physical interaction to how people inhabit the space around them, and how each can contribute to writing more realistic scenes and characters.

Faculty

Deb Courtney

President, Pikes Peak Writers

Deb Courtney holds a degree in Fiction from the University of South Florida, where she was a Saunders Scholar in Fiction. She has had numerous short stories published and has worked as a freelance journalist, creativity coach and freelance editor. Her background also includes more... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

11:00am MDT

Using Outlines and Synopses as Tools for Revision

Friday May 2, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Academy

Using common drafting tools like outlining and synopses in new ways, learn how to better visualize your novel's pacing and structure to make it an even more engaging read. We will discuss how to group the action by section, character, and theme to better identify weak spots and under-utilized connections, as well as other techniques like timelines and even graphs. This workshop will be ideal for those working in genre spaces.

Agents & Editors

Brenna English-Loeb

Agent, Transatlantic Agency

Brenna English-Loeb joined Transatlantic in 2019 after working for several years at Janklow & Nesbit Associates and Writers House, where she had the pleasure of working with New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors across multiple genres. Brenna grew up in beautiful Upstate... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Academy

Craft of Writing

11:00am MDT

Whose Story Are You Telling?

Friday May 2, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

El Paso

Choosing the correct point of view is one of the key elements of dramatic storytelling. Bestselling author John Gilstrap has been praised by Publishers Weekly for “flawless characterization” in his books, and in this interactive session, he’ll walk you through the critical decisions that help you propel your story through the most dramatic set of eyes. Bring paper and a pen, because there’ll be a writing exercise.

Faculty

John Gilstrap

John Gilstrap is the Thriller Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of over two dozen thrillers, including Zero Sum, Harm’s Way, White Smoke, Deadly Game, Blue Fire, Stealth Attack, Crimson Phoenix, Hellfire, Total Mayhem, Scorpion Strike, Final Target, Friendly Fire... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

2:00pm MDT

Capturing the Elusive Voice

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

Douglas

What is voice? It is often talked about but rarely clearly described. This presentation will break down what voice is and how it functions in prose. The tools taught will help you shift generic exposition and prose into character-driven voice with the use of language, metaphor, simile, and character point-of-view. It will cover how voice functions in first person vs. third person, and include exercises to help you discover your own unique voice for your writing.

Faculty

Callie Stoker

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

2:00pm MDT

When You See It: A Practical Guide to Show, Don’t Tell

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

El Paso

Show! Don't Tell! You've heard it, but how are you supposed to use it? What does it really mean? How do you actually do it? In this workshop, we will break down the basics of this common writing advice as well as revise sections from actual works-in-progress.

Faculty

Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander Books

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

2:00pm MDT

Do Your Settings Work as Hard as You Do? (2 Hours)

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 4:15pm MDT

Palmer

(2-Hour Workshop) If your settings aren’t doing double duty (or even triple duty), they’re not working hard enough. Explore how your settings can go beyond location and time to reveal your character's personality, enhance or instigate conflict, and establish tone, mood, and atmosphere—all without slowing down your story. Discussion, examples, and hands-on writing exercises will help you make settings an important tool in your “show, don't tell” toolbox.

Faculty

Kelley J. P. Lindberg

President, Blue Raven Services Inc.

Friday May 2, 2025 2:00pm - 4:15pm MDT
Palmer

Craft of Writing

Audience Intermediate

3:15pm MDT

Contemporary World Building: Tips and Tricks to Giving Readers the Full Experience

Friday May 2, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

Academy

Think you can avoid world building in contemporary stories? Think again. USA Today Best Selling Author Avery Flynn shares tips and tricks to building a fully imagined contemporary world that will give readers the full experience and keep them coming back for more.

Faculty

Avery Flynn

USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has sold more than a million books, which have been translated into multiple languages. She has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Academy

Craft of Writing

3:15pm MDT

Writing in the Age of TikTok: Ultra Short-Form Storytelling

Friday May 2, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

According to Orson Welles, "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." In this interactive workshop, we'll explore how ultra short-form storytelling (think a one-minute TikTok video or a 100 word story) can expand a writer's creativity by forcing them to think outside the box—or, more accurately, inside a very small box. We will look at examples of exceptional short-form storytelling in video and in print, discuss strategies for fitting big ideas in small packages, and each write our own tiny tale.

Faculty

Caris Pasch-Cooper

Caris Pasch-Cooper was voted "Most Dramatic" in her high school class, so it only made sense for her to become a writer. Originally from Denton, Texas, she holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of North Texas. She now works as a writer, editor, and researcher specializing... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

4:45pm MDT

Decoding Blockbuster Plots and Synopses

Friday May 2, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT

Douglas

Use the tools, tips, tricks and formulas for movies and television series to engineer or reverse engineer your plot and perfect the points to address for a compelling synopsis.

Faculty

Susan Mitchell

Susan Mitchell embraces folklore, ghosts and monsters. She tunes into that wavelength to write dark fiction, horror and thrillers. Her work has appeared in literary magazines and can be found in the upcoming anthology Open-Hearted Horizon from University of New Mexico Press. Originally... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

9:00pm MDT

Instant Slushpile

Friday May 2, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm MDT

Douglas

If you’ve never caught this workshop at, say, MileHiCon, Bubonicon, FyreCon, or at COSine, the premise is absurdly simple:

Attendees bring an anonymized, 300-word story opening, either short story or novel, and drop it in front of Lou at the beginning of the workshop. He will peruse the audience and select INSTANT EDITORS from those gathered and bring them up front.

For each manuscript, in randomized order, he will read aloud until three of the Instant Editors raise their hands, signifying that they would not publish the story. If he completes the story with fewer than three hands raised, consider that a success!

Each Editor will then share what they liked about the story, and then Lou gives his own thoughts. The author, who is still anonymous at this point, is invited to reveal themselves. Sometimes, Lou reads a ringer, a manuscript from a previously-published work, by a noted author, just to keep the Instant Editors guessing.

If you find that you have the time and inclination to participate, please consider joining Lou and his INSTANT SLUSHPILE WORKSHOP with your anonymized manuscript in hand!

Faculty

Lou J Berger

Author, Lou J Berger, Author

Lou J Berger lives in Littleton, Colorado with his high-school crush and two rescue dogs. A member of SFWA, he has been published in Clarkesworld, Galaxy’s Edge magazine, and a host of anthologies. He is STILL working on his first novel.Although a fan of science fiction since he was a small boy, reading Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, and of course the Heinlein juveniles, Lou also enjoys... Read More →

Friday May 2, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

9:00pm MDT

Write Drunk Edit Sober

Friday May 2, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm MDT

Fremont

The first session Write Drunk has you writing to various prompts while drinking. The follow-up Edit Sober session takes you through examining what you wrote and how to edit it into shape.

Faculty

Deb Courtney

President, Pikes Peak Writers

Friday May 2, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm MDT
Fremont

Craft of Writing

8:30am MDT

But Is It a Good Idea?

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

El Paso

Do ideas matter? Are there new ideas? We will investigate how ideas are part of the creation process and look at skills to diagnose the ideas that are falling flat and what elements they may be missing before they are ready to become story.

Faculty

Callie Stoker

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

8:30am MDT

Codes, Ciphers and Secret Messages

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

As long as humans have been sharing ideas, they've also been finding ways to conceal them. Learn the history of secret messages and the methods used to craft them, and explore ways to add codes, puzzles, and spycraft to your storytelling—no matter what genre.

Faculty

Christina Allen

President-Elect, League of Utah Writers

Christina Allen (publishing as C.W. Allen) is a Midwestern transplant to rural Utah where she serves as the President-Elect of the League of Utah Writers. She writes long stories for children and short stories for former children. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

8:30am MDT

Weaponize Those 5 Love Languages to Develop Characters and Build Tension

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

Academy/Palmer

(For all genres—not just romance!) The bestselling The Five Love Languages book series introduced five ways people receive and express love in any relationship (romantic or non-romantic). Writers of all genres can use these love languages for devious intent! In this fast-paced workshop, we’ll explore the five love languages, evaluate published examples, and learn how to use love languages to fully develop your characters, build that all-important tension and conflict between characters, and weave new levels of emotion into your scenes.

Faculty

Kelley J. P. Lindberg

President, Blue Raven Services Inc.

Saturday May 3, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
Academy/Palmer

Craft of Writing

9:45am MDT

Bangs & Booms 101: Technical Stuff That Writers Should Get Right

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Academy/Palmer

Fiction readers are getting more sophisticated all the time, and it’s a writer’s job to get the details correct. New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap brings his thirty years of experience as a firefighter, EMT, safety engineer and hazardous materials specialist to the classroom in a lively, interactive session to teach the basics of projectile ballistics, fire behavior, how explosives work, and how the human body functions. What actually happens when a person gets shot or stabbed? Do silencers really work? What’s the difference between a fire, a deflagration and a detonation? Was there really another shooter on the grassy knoll when JFK was shot? These and many other questions will be answered. Note: This presentation contains graphic imagery.

Faculty

John Gilstrap

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Academy/Palmer

Craft of Writing

9:45am MDT

Beyond the Bedroom: Using Physical and Emotional Intimacy to Create Authentic Character Relationships

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Intimacy isn't limited to romance. Authentic character relationships are crucial in all genres, whether you're telling a love story or building a friendship. This workshop will explore the progression from initial awareness to physical intimacy, as well as the emotional layers accompanying each stage of connection.

Faculty

Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander Books

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

9:45am MDT

Short Story Generative Workshop (Part 1)

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

Douglas

Split over two days, an hour each. Short stories have made a comeback. They're fun, but also beneficial to honing writing skills. Learn about the dynamics of short story writing then use prompts to start stories during the hour. Work on them overnight if you choose. Come back on day two to break into partners/groups to look over what you've started and get feedback. For the last twenty minutes we'll go over finding markets and submitting.

Faculty

Shannon Lawrence

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her short stories can be found in over sixty anthologies and magazines in addition to her collections. Her nonfiction title, The Business of Short Stories, and debut urban fantasy... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

11:00am MDT

Seven Screenwriting Strategies to Elevate Your Script

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

El Paso

Stories hit the page as screenplays, scripts or books viewed by eager theatergoers and read by avid readers. Many writers want to raise their story to the big screen, whether they start with a book they believe is a film or with the film in mind. However, understanding what it takes to actually write the story for the screen can seem like a mystery of its own, especially for book writers. In this presentation, Jennifer S. Wilkov, multi #1 international best-selling author, award-winning freelance writer, and Hollywood story consultant, will share seven screenwriting strategies to elevate your script. Break through the screenwriting static, streamline your screenplay, and craft it with ease. Expect to learn:

The basics for writing your screenplay
How to properly format your screenplay
Fool-proof ways to structure your storytelling
Proven techniques to use to craft it
Top strategies to elevate your script

Faculty

Jennifer S. Wilkov

Book & Creative Consultant, Your Book Is Your Hook!

Jennifer S. Wilkov is a multi #1 international best-selling award-winning author, an award-winning freelance writer, and a respected book business and Hollywood story consultant in her business called “Your Book Is Your Hook.” She supports first-time writers and seasoned authors... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

11:00am MDT

Write Drunk Edit Sober Follow-up

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Seven Falls

The first session Write Drunk has you writing to various prompts while drinking. The follow-up Edit Sober session takes you through examining what you wrote and how to edit it into shape.

Faculty

Deb Courtney

President, Pikes Peak Writers

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Seven Falls

Craft of Writing

11:00am MDT

Write What You Feel: Emotion in Fiction

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Academy/Palmer

Fiction that doesn't make us feel something is fiction we fail to remember. This workshop will focus on techniques to help writers show not tell and get in touch with their emotions.

Faculty

David R. Slayton

Saturday May 3, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Academy/Palmer

Craft of Writing

Audience Intermediate

2:00pm MDT

Secrets of Pacing and Clarity

Saturday May 3, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

This workshop focuses on the nuts and bolts of dramatic structure and learning from other media to create the most polished fiction and target the broadest possible audience.

Agents & Editors

Steve Saffel

Editor

STEVE SAFFEL has been an editor at Marvel Comics, Del Rey Books, Perseus Books, and Titan Entertainment, working on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and licensed fiction, with a focus on the author’s voice, pacing, clarity, career path, concept development, and creating fiction... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

2:00pm MDT

Strong Language: For and Against Swearing in Fiction

Saturday May 3, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

Academy/Palmer

Dig into connotative and denotative meanings and a discussion of what being a 'bad' word really means—and why we may or may not choose to use them.

Faculty

Deb Courtney

President, Pikes Peak Writers

Saturday May 3, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Academy/Palmer

Craft of Writing

3:15pm MDT

Book to Film Strategies to Sell Your Story in a Single Sentence, Treatment, Pitch Deck or Bible

Saturday May 3, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

Douglas

Stories go beyond the pages of a book in the form of screenplays and scripts that are marketed and viewed by eager theatergoers and read by avid readers. Many writers want to raise their story to the big screen, whether they start with a book they believe is a film or with the film in mind. However, understanding what it takes to actually pitch the story for the screen and take it from book to film, television or streaming can seem like a mystery of its own. In this presentation, Jennifer S. Wilkov, multi #1 international best-selling author, award-winning freelance writer, and Hollywood story consultant, will share book to film strategies so you can take your story to multiple media. Break through the pages of your book, streamline your pitch for Hollywood with these documents, and craft them with ease. Expect to learn:

The basics for selling your story in a single sentence
Treatments, pitch decks and bibles: what to include and what not to
Fool-proof ways to structure your storytelling in your pitch documents
Proven techniques to use to craft these essential pitch documents
Top strategies to sell your story from book to film

Faculty

Jennifer S. Wilkov

Book & Creative Consultant, Your Book Is Your Hook!

Saturday May 3, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

3:15pm MDT

Map Out Your Plot Using Story Structure

Saturday May 3, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Story structure can be a powerful tool to help you map out the plot of your novel. This workshop provides a high-level overview of a variety of different “mapping” options, including Three-Act Structure, the Hero’s Journey, GMC (Goal, Motivation & Conflict), and the Plotting Grid. Explore different structures to see what might work best for you via participatory exercises, examples from popular fiction, and a take-home list of resources. Terrific for beginning writers, as well as seasoned “pantsers” who want to learn what all the plotting fuss is about.

Faculty

Chris Mandeville

Author

Chris Mandeville is an unrepentant coffee drinker, night owl, and binge writer. She’s been teaching writing workshops for 15+ years, and loves to attend reader/writer events alongside her service dog, Oski. Her publications include nonfiction for writers, as well as short and novel-length... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

4:45pm MDT

Make ‘Em Laugh: How Bringing the Humor Heightens All Other Emotions

Saturday May 3, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT

Academy/Palmer

The power of laughter isn’t only for comedic novels and you can use it to heighten the emotional experience for readers no matter what genre you’re writing in. USA Today Best Selling Author Avery Flynn will give you practical tools to do just that in your story.

Faculty

Avery Flynn

Saturday May 3, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
Academy/Palmer

Craft of Writing

4:45pm MDT

Plotting Your Character's Demise

Saturday May 3, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT

El Paso

There are hundreds of ways to kill a character, but there’s usually just one PERFECT way for them to meet their demise. Looking at character traits, revelations, and more, this course will discuss the six most important elements to consider when crafting a character death that will have the greatest impact on the story.

Faculty

James Persichetti

Editor, Author, Lost Hat Editorial Services

James Persichetti is a writer, freelance editor, and rock climber who enjoys writing about queer characters going on adventures. He earned an English degree at Regis University and studied Arthurian legends, where he drew inspiration for his debut graphic novel, A Tale of Two Knights... Read More →

Saturday May 3, 2025 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

9:00am MDT

Sandboxes: Shared Universes and Co-writing

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MDT

Douglas

The MCU may be the first thing that pops to mind when you think of a shared world IP, but it’s a fast-growing trend in publishing communities. We’ll talk about shared universes in speculative fiction: what they are, how they work, IP considerations, and how to write in another author’s sandbox. From there, we’ll explore co-writing, including the best ways to outline and prepare for writing with a co-author, various techniques to splitting the workload, and the “yes, and” mindset that helps make these stories shine their brightest.

If you’ve ever written a book but didn’t have the expertise to flesh it out the way you wanted, want to write in another author’s IP, or just want to write a novel with your best buddy, we’ve got you covered.

Faculty

David Shadoin

Author

David "Shady" Shadoin is a trouble-making, corn-fed Nebraska boy the United States Air Force managed to turn into a somewhat decent pilot of whirly birds. An avid reader from a young age, he has always found inspiration listening to rock music while reading Fantasy and Sci Fi novels... Read More →

H.Y. Gregor

Moderator

H.Y. Gregor was born in Portland, Oregon, but will always call the mountains of Colorado home. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science but put it down often enough to narrowly avoid law school. Now she spends her free time weaving fantasy tales and battling plot gremlins... Read More →

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

Audience Intermediate

9:00am MDT

The Allegory in Your Subtext

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

We review the concepts of allegory, archetypes, tropes and other story templates and how they can be used to shortcut what we are trying to deliver in our writing and create depth and subtext to our themes and characters. In the last hour we brainstorm characters using archetypes then allow writing time in the class to show off our new skills.

Faculty

Callie Stoker

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

Audience Intermediate

9:00am MDT

There's No "Right" Way to Write

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MDT

El Paso

They say writers either outline or wing it, but really there are other ways to write, including some that don't involve a notebook/computer at all! Learn several different ways to write and develop a story, from timed writing to mentally visualizing a scene, and find the various methods that work best for you or your current project. This workshop is also great for those who struggle with "writer's block" or every day life that keeps you from being creative.

Faculty

Alexandra Diaz

Author

Alexandra Diaz is the author of several award-winning books for children and teens, including The Only Road (Pura Belpré Honor and Américas Award), The Crossroads (New Mexico’s Great Read at the National Book Festival), and Santiago’s Road Home (ALA Notable Children’s Books... Read More →

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

9:00am MDT

Full-on Fight Scenes: Tools and Tips to Fit Your Tale

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 12:30pm MDT

Fremont

Award-winning author and martial arts black belt Bowen Gillings combines forces with former MMA fighter and weapons expert AJ Metzger to help you understand how to write the perfect fight scene to fit your story. This workshop breaks down weapons from around the world and throughout history, demonstrates some basic techniques, tools, and tips, and explains the realities of violent action. Using successful current novels, fight scenes are analyzed in terms of character, voice, setting, and more. Attendees get their hands dirty with writing exercises and hands-on fight demos all to help you put real feel into the fights you write.

Faculty

Bowen Gillings

Author, Faculty, Conference Staff

Bowen Gillings writes to keep fiction fun. Known for his humorous thrillers and snarky-voiced fantasies, Bowen's quirky, offbeat style "boggles the genre mind." Bowen loves giving back to fellow writers, sharing his successes and failures on TV, radio, podcasts, YouTube channels... Read More →

AJ Metzger

AJ Metzger retired from the Navy in 2023 and now plans Wargames for US Space Command. She has been writing all her life and in the last few years published multiple academic papers for law enforcement. She is branching out into fiction writing using some of the more comical and unique... Read More →

Sunday May 4, 2025 9:00am - 12:30pm MDT
Fremont

Craft of Writing

10:15am MDT

Microflashbacks as a Plot Device

Sunday May 4, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Understand how micro-flashbacks differ from regular flashbacks (it's more than just length!), and how to decide when a micro-flashback is the right choice.

Faculty

Deb Courtney

President, Pikes Peak Writers

Sunday May 4, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Craft of Writing

10:15am MDT

Short Story Generative Workshop (Part 2)

Sunday May 4, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MDT

Seven Falls

Faculty

Shannon Lawrence

Sunday May 4, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Seven Falls

Craft of Writing

Audience Beginner

11:30am MDT

Pre-Writing Checklist

Sunday May 4, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT

Academy/Palmer

Often neglected the most important part of the process is prewriting. Spurned by a powerful but short-sighted urge to “get started" one rushes headlong and unprepared into the deep unforgiving waters of muddled middles, flat characters, incomplete ideas, and weak plots only to founder and wreck on the infamous writer’s block.

What you need is a pre-writing checklist to verify you’re ready, that your is hold full, your ship intact, your destination sure. Laden with sharpened harpoons for the literary leviathans that await.

This class presents a concrete check list of items and angles every author should consider before starting out of any work of fiction.

Faculty

Johnny Worthen

Award-Winning Author

Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, multiple-genre author of novels and short stories. His best-selling science fiction series Coronam beginning with Of Kings, Queens & Colonies, then Of Civilized, Saved & Savages and now complete with Of Heroes, Homes & Honey, is an award-winning... Read More →

Sunday May 4, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
Academy/Palmer

Craft of Writing

Audience Intermediate

11:30am MDT

Write Towards the Ending

Sunday May 4, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT

El Paso

The ending should represent everything you want the book to be, a culmination of the struggles and decisions your character has made, to deliver a final knockout punch. Whether you plot out every scene beforehand or set pen to paper to see where it leads, every story should build towards a satisfying ending that is (ideally) both unexpected and inevitable. This workshop is all about writing the most impactful ending that will leave your readers feeling like the hours they put into your book were worthwhile.

Faculty

James Persichetti

Editor, Author, Lost Hat Editorial Services

Sunday May 4, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing