Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

All storytelling requires a "suspension of disbelief," but within the first paragraphs of your novel, the words, character, and promises there will flag to your reader if that suspension can continue and if they trust you to pay off what has been set up. Learn to think like your reader in order to identify small breaks in trust that will keep them from DNF-ing your book.

Grounded in Authors Guild guidance and current U.S. copyright guidance for AI-assisted work.

Most writers never see what a working novel structure actually looks like until they are deep into a draft.

In this live session, Ana del Valle builds a novel structure in real time using OliviaAI™, showing exactly how to move from a rough idea to structure development. You will watch as core story elements are defined, a Story Bible is created, characters are developed, and a scene-by-scene outline begins to take shape inside a professional writing studio.

You will see how to:

• Turn a loose idea into a clear, structured concept
• Build a Story Bible that holds your narrative together
• Create characters that carry emotional and structural weight
• Move into scene outlining with purpose and direction

If you have ever struggled to bridge the gap between “I have an idea” and “I have a book structure that works and I actually write,” this session will show you how that bridge is built.

This workshop will help writers explore ways to bring animals and other non-human subjects into their adult, young adult, or middle grade fiction. A series of exercises help participants connect more deeply with the natural world and share your insights and experience with others.

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.

Your author bio can be a valuable tool for connecting with readers. Or it can bore them to death. Too much info, or the wrong info, and you may lose a potential reader of your work. But a good bio can spark the beginning of a great author-reader bond. This workshop provides an easy-to-use M-PACT system of “best practices” for creating an author bio. M-PACT prompts us to consider the desired Message of a bio, be Professional, be Appropriate for the audience/venue, practice Consistency, and edit until your bio is To the point for achieving your goals. In addition, this class covers how to curate a great author photo, using the M-PACT system as a guide. In conjunction with the guidelines and system, this presentation employs examples and advice from current bestselling authors. Attendees leave with proven “best practices” for crafting professional bios and winning headshots.

• The dangers of misinformation, leaked evidence, and irresponsible speculation.
• How to portray suspects, victims, and survivors with respect while still telling a gripping story.
• Q&A: Where’s the line between dramatization and exploitation?