Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026: Full Schedule

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The 2026 Pikes Peak Writers Conference is in the books!
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8:30am MDT

♪ ♫ Do You Want to Kill a Snowman? ♪ ♫

Saturday April 18, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT

Douglas

We don’t buy the book because the protagonist is a twenty-something drop-out who no one believes in. We buy it because we want to see the monster! What makes a great monster? Its strengths and weaknesses–in other words, how to kill it!

Faculty

Sam Knight

Author/Publisher, Knight Writing Press

Sam Knight is the owner/publisher of Knight Writing Press and author of six children’s books, four novels, and over 80 short stories, including three co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson. Though he has written in many cool worlds, such as Planet of the Apes, Wayward Pines, and... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
Douglas

Craft of Writing

Moderator Jodi Anderson

11:00am MDT

Book Clubs for Writers: Why and How

Saturday April 18, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Not every reader is a writer, but every writer benefits from reading. Book clubs are a fabulous way to reap the benefits of reading, studying and discussing books with readers. We'll talk about how this will improve your writing, even if you never discuss your own book or genre. We will dive into lessons taken from a few successful book clubs lasting over a decade: the mechanics of a successful group, different styles and formats for book clubs, what keeps them thriving, and what they have in common. You'll leave with a good idea of what kind of book club might work best for you, how you can expect it to improve your writing, how to set one up, and how to keep it alive after the novelty wears off.

Faculty

Taryn Skipper

Author/artist Taryn Skipper’s publications include her science fiction novel for young adults, Between Tungsten and Gold (Sept. 2025, Splinter Press), picture and activity books for children, short stories and poetry in anthologies, cover art, and a decade of commissioned portraits and paintings. She enjoys presenting and volunteering at writing events and conferences and sits on the Storymakers G... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Writing Tools

Moderator Jodi Anderson

2:00pm MDT

Back Cover Copy That Sells

Saturday April 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

El Paso

Write your back cover copy using the plug-and-play elements that hook readers like character, conflict, stakes, tropes and even psychology. We’ll dig into best-selling blurbs to see what makes them work and you'll leave with a template to follow for future blurbs.

Faculty

Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder is a romance editor, author coach, and digital nomad traveling the US with her giant dog, Arrow. She's a Gallup Strengths enthusiast who loves kickass heroines, tropes flipped on their heads, rotisserie chicken, and getting stamps in her passport.

Saturday April 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
El Paso

Craft of Writing

Moderator Jodi Anderson
Audience Beginner

4:45pm MDT

Inventing a New Author You

Saturday April 18, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT

Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Things aren’t rolling along quite the way you’d like in your career? In this workshop, I’ll offer practical tips on identifying your goals, evaluating how your current brand meets those goals, and steps to take for launching a new brand. We’ll discuss everything from re-branding within the same pen name to modernizing your catalog’s packaging to launching an entirely separate pen name.

Faculty

Pippa Grant

Keynote

Pippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
Pikes Peak/Royal Gorge

Business of Writing

Moderator Jodi Anderson

Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

8:30am MDT

Sam Knight

11:00am MDT

Taryn Skipper

2:00pm MDT

Jessica Snyder

4:45pm MDT

Pippa Grant

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