Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2021

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Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2021

Registration is now open!
Join us to learn and network with fellow writers and industry professionals. Sessions focus on craft, writing life, business and reality, and our new track - voices. (Workshops are subject to change.)

1:00pm MDT

Socialize or Get Help Zeb's Lounge

1:30pm MDT

Welcome and Announcements The Main StageBowen Gillings

2:00pm MDT

Freelancing Do’s and Don’ts DiamondsKristin Owens Navigating the New World ClubsLaura Hayden

3:00pm MDT

Author Brands: Why, When and How to Develop Your Own Brand DiamondsClaire McKinney Roadmap to Completion: Planning your Novel from Start to Finish ClubsKendra Merritt Lessons from NaNoWriMo: How to Leverage NaNo Skills for Success in Every-day Writing HeartsChris Mandeville

4:00pm MDT

Keynote - Laura DiSilverio The Main StageLaura DiSilverio • Bowen Gillings

8:00am MDT

Socialize or Get Help Zeb's Lounge

8:30am MDT

Welcome and Announcements The Main StageBowen Gillings

9:00am MDT

Listen Up! The Scoop on Audiobooks SpadesKerrie Flanagan Verbs, Verbs, Verbs! DiamondsAngie Hodapp Read & Critique Boxcars Buffet Writing Mental Illness ClubsRachel Delaney Craft Pitch Perfect – Everything You Need to Know to Pitch Your Story (2 Hours) HeartsChris Mandeville

10:00am MDT

Digital Transformation and Personal Brands: How Authors Can Get Ahead With Digital Marketing Strategies and Tactics SpadesClaire McKinney Dirty Drafting: Staying in the Honeymoon Phase Long Enough to Commit to the Marriage DiamondsEmma Nelson Read & Critique Boxcars Buffet Walking on Eggshells: Writing Disability without Offending the Disabled ClubsKendra Merritt

11:00am MDT

The Quintessential Query SpadesSteven Hutson Outline Your Novel with Conflict Streams DiamondsRachel Delaney Craft Read & Critique Boxcars Buffet Casting Your Story: How to Write Diverse Characters ClubsCaitlin Berve Block the Block: Tools to Prevent Writer’s Block HeartsChris Mandeville

12:30pm MDT

Keynote - Mary Robinette Kowal The Main StageMary Robinette Kowal • Bowen Gillings

1:00pm MDT

Researching and Querying Agents SpadesKristin Owens Read & Critique Boxcars Buffet Writing a Character Outside Your Lived Experience—A Little Bit of Grace ClubsToby Santerelli • Tiffany Yates Martin Maintain the Balance: How to Juggle Life, Friends, and Family While Pursuing Your Dream HeartsC. R. Rowenson (Clark) High Concept (2 Hours) DiamondsAngie Hodapp Announcements The Main StageBowen Gillings

2:00pm MDT

Latent Themes and How to Market Them SpadesClaire McKinney Read & Critique Boxcars Buffet Inclusion without Insult: Diversity in Your Fiction ClubsBowen Gillings Nurturing Creativity: Finding Body and Mind Balance to Cultivate a More Productive and Fulfilling Writing Life HeartsEmma Nelson

3:00pm MDT

Anchor Your Story with Emotion DiamondsRachel Delaney Craft Hard Magic, Soft Magic, and Everything In-Between: The Four Universal Types of Magic HeartsC. R. Rowenson (Clark) Read & Critique Boxcars Buffet Writing Different Genders ClubsToby Santerelli How to Give an Effective Reading SpadesMary Robinette Kowal

8:00am MDT

Socialize or Get Help Zeb's Lounge

8:30am MDT

Welcome and Announcements The Main StageBowen Gillings

9:00am MDT

Magazine Writing Made Simple HeartsKerrie Flanagan The Art of Handselling SpadesKendra Merritt Think Like a Teen: Finding Your Young Adult Character’s Voice ClubsCaitlin Berve Critique Groups: When and How to Use Them DiamondsBowen Gillings Pitch Boxcars Buffet

10:00am MDT

Making the Most of Working with an Editor SpadesJames Persichetti • Tom Hoeler The Business of Being an Author HeartsTL James Drafting a Completed Novel in Seven Revisions ClubsKristin Owens How to Prop Up a Sagging Middle DiamondsTiffany Yates Martin

11:00am MDT

Before You Jump Into Self-Publishing… HeartsSteven Hutson Marketing Bootcamp SpadesSusan Mitchell In It For the Long Haul: Tools and Tips for Writing Fiction Series DiamondsKerrie Flanagan • Carol Van Natta Spoken and Non-verbal Dialog ClubsMary Robinette Kowal

12:30pm MDT

Keynote - Reavis Wortham The Main StageReavis Wortham • Bowen Gillings

1:00pm MDT

Promote Yourself and Your Project Like a Pro SpadesSusan Mitchell Building Your Story’s Stage: How to Strengthen and Utilize Your Setting DiamondsCaitlin Berve Stressing Your Characters ClubsMary Robinette Kowal The Secret to Fight Scenes HeartsJames Persichetti Announcements The Main StageBowen Gillings Pitch Boxcars Buffet

2:00pm MDT

Let’s Read That Publishing Contract SpadesSteven Hutson Sense in Sensitivity Readers HeartsToby Santerelli Big Bada Boom: Writing Realistic Explosions in Fiction DiamondsC. R. Rowenson (Clark) The 10 Biggest Mistakes Writers Make ClubsTiffany Yates Martin

3:00pm MDT

TV, News and Media, Oh My! SpadesSusan Mitchell Wrangling Westerns into Fresh Stories DiamondsEmma Nelson Write Towards the Ending HeartsJames Persichetti Keynote Panel ClubsLaura DiSilverio • Mary Robinette Kowal • Reavis Wortham

4:00pm MDT

Goodbyes and Conference Wrap-up The Main StageBowen Gillings