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

Decision Making for Authors

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

Palmer

Writers who treat their work as a business must make clear-eyed, professional decisions. This class helps you use data instead of emotions to guide your next steps in all aspects of writing life.

Faculty

Kevin Ikenberry

Author

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 →

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

Business of Writing

Moderator Catherine Dilts

9:45am MDT

The Super Power of Writing Sprints: Smash Writer’s Block (2 hours)

Saturday April 18, 2026 9:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Palmer

For those of us who overthink our writing process, writing sprints can help us break through our writer’s block, self-doubt, and paralyzing perfectionism. In this improv-writing workshop, we’ll use writing sprints (timed writing exercises) to glide right past writer’s block, dive deeply into characters, and more. Bring pen & paper or your laptop, and be prepared to let your mind surprise you with fresh, uninhibited writing.

Faculty

Johnny Worthen

Award-Winning Author

Johnny Worthen grew up in the high desert snows and warm summer winds of the Wasatch Mountains. He graduated with a B.A. in English, minor in Classics and a Master's in American Studies from the University of Utah. After a series of businesses and adventures, including years abroad... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 9:45am - 12:00pm MDT
Palmer

Craft of Writing

Moderator Bill Bush
Audience Intermediate

2:00pm MDT

Rock Your Reader Magnet

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

Palmer

Build your fan base the easy way.

Most authors know that growing your fan base with a free giveaway makes great sense. But what do you offer? This workshop offers a slew of enticing options (for both fiction and nonfiction authors) for items that will have readers jumping on to your newsletter list.

We’ll cover:
>What to offer, including five different kinds of reader magnets
>Easy ways to format your giveaway
>How to easily deliver your freebie

Your list will grow in no time, and that means a built-in audience to buy your books.

Faculty

Debbie Maxwell Allen

Editor, Author, Scrivener Coach

Debbie Maxwell Allen writes historical fiction–with a touch of the unexplainable–set in quirky Mediterranean locations in the 18th century. She has placed in the Zebulon Contest three times and contributed to the Fresh Starts anthology. Her debut series launches in 2024. Debbie teaches workshops on the craft of writing, productivity, and how to use Scrivener and Vellum software at local writing groups and writing conferences... Read More →

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

Business of Writing

Moderator Catherine Dilts

3:15pm MDT

Writing Worlds That Work

Saturday April 18, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

Palmer

How can we make our fictional world–especially those we invent–real and immediate? Let’s discuss the building blocks of believable societies, how to avoid common world-creation mistakes, and how to get our readers to see and experience that world without boring them with long passages of description.

Faculty

Carol Berg

Carol Berg, former software engineer, never expected to write epic fantasy novels. Nor did she expect to win the Colorado Book Award four times or hear that her books had been read on the slopes of Denali, in the war zone of Iraq, or underneath the Mediterranean. She certainly never... Read More →

Saturday April 18, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Palmer

Genre-Specific

Moderator Kaitlyn Price

4:45pm MDT

Editing Beyond “Gut Feel”: A Checklist for Success

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

Palmer

Revising your work (or critiquing others’) can be overwhelming. Without specific elements to look for, it’s easy to fall back on our “gut feel,” which is hard to articulate and even harder to trust. Learn to evaluate 17 storytelling aspects to edit and strengthen any manuscript, including your own!

Faculty

Kelley J. P. Lindberg

President, Blue Raven Services Inc.

Kelley J. P. Lindberg writes adult and YA fiction, but her writing history is littered with dozens of how-to books (including several bestsellers) and hundreds of articles. Her fiction and essays have appeared in literary magazines, in anthologies including PPW’s Journeys into... Read More →

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

Craft of Writing

Moderator Joe Lenhoff

Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

8:30am MDT

Kevin Ikenberry

9:45am MDT

Johnny Worthen

2:00pm MDT

Debbie Maxwell Allen

3:15pm MDT

Carol Berg

4:45pm MDT

Kelley J. P. Lindberg

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