Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

Newcomers Briefing 8:00am - 8:30am

Make It Make Sense: Logic, Logical Fallacies and Character Motiv... 8:30am - 9:30am

Freelancers: Building a Business Mindset 9:45am - 10:45am

The Joy of Revision: Essential Self-Editing Strategies for Prose... 11:00am - 12:00pm

Becoming Your Characters: Narrating Your Own Audiobook 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Scrivener 101 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Scrivener 102 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Welcome Lunch 12:15pm - 1:45pm

Snack Break 4:15pm - 4:45pm

Dinner 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Q&A with Reavis Wortham 9:45am - 10:45am

Ask an Agent: Q&A with Elisa Saphier 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Pitch to H.Y. Gregor 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Book Cover Design...You're Not the Audience 8:30am - 9:30am

The Art of the Elevator Pitch 9:45am - 10:45am

This Ain’t Your Granddaddy’s Western 11:00am - 12:00pm

Why the First 10 Pages Make or Break Your Novel (with Live Editi... 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Short Stories: Good for the Novelist, Good for the Career, Good... 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Middles and Try-Fail Cycles 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Creative Writing Before and After AI: Navigating the New Literar... 8:30am - 9:30am

Scene and Sequel 9:45am - 10:45am

Turn That Spark Into a Blaze: 7 Steps to Craft Compelling Confli... 11:00am - 12:00pm

The Gooey Guts of Horror 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Ten Editing Hacks 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Beyond the Bedroom: Using Physical and Emotional Intimacy to Cre... 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Working Through the Slush Piles 9:00pm - 10:00pm

Read & Critique Session 1 8:30am - 9:30am

Read & Critique Session 2 9:45am - 10:45am

Speed Pitch 11:00am - 12:00pm

Read & Critique Session 4 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Read & Critique Session 5 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Read & Critique Session 6 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Write Drunk, Edit Sober 9:00pm - 10:00pm

Fact vs. Fiction: Writing Authentic Investigations 8:30am - 9:30am

Lending a Voice to Your Voice: Mastering the Author-Narrator Rel... 9:45am - 10:45am

0 to 60: Write Pacing Your Readers Won’t Forget 11:00am - 12:00pm

Story Spark Bootcamp: AI Hands-On Story Building Workshop 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Words, Words, Words 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Time to Get Creative: Time Management and Productivity for Write... 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Sandboxes: Building Castles with Co-Writing 9:00pm - 10:00pm

Morning Meditation and Writer Wellbeing 7:30am - 8:30am

Emotional Resonance: Or How I Made My Dad Not Talk to Me for a W... 8:30am - 9:30am

They Want to Hear From You! 9:45am - 10:45am

Agent Panel 11:00am - 12:00pm

Editor Panel 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Editor-Agent Sweet Spot 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Pitch Perfect 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Marketing 9:00pm - 10:00pm

Story Bible Magic 8:30am - 9:30am

Brainstorming Using the Plotting Board 9:45am - 10:45am

The Human Side of Crime: Survivors, Detectives, and Emotional In... 11:00am - 12:00pm

Strong Character Voice: What It Is, What It’s Not, and How to Ac... 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Protagonists: The Center of Your Story 3:15pm - 4:15pm

BookTok and Instagram for Writers 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Breakfast 7:00am - 8:30am

Lunch 12:15pm - 1:45pm

Write Drunk, Edit Sober Follow-up 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Snack Break 4:15pm - 4:45pm

Banquet 7:30pm - 10:00pm

Q&A with Pippa Grant 9:45am - 10:45am

Q&A with Mary Robinette Kowal 3:15pm - 4:15pm

♪ ♫ Do You Want to Kill a Snowman? ♪ ♫ 8:30am - 9:30am

Beat Writer’s Block and Reignite Your Creativity 9:45am - 10:45am

Lost in Translation: Writing distinct cultures, languages, accen... 11:00am - 12:00pm

Why Genre (Really) Matters 2:00pm - 3:00pm

From Cardboard Cutouts to Compelling Characters: Using Authentic... 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Deeper Reading for Deeper Writing 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Don't Break the Spell:Protecting Reader Trust 8:30am - 9:30am

AI Is Here. Now What? Inside a Live Novel Build with AI 9:45am - 10:45am

Through Animal Eyes: Adventures in Writing the Nonhuman 11:00am - 12:00pm

Back Cover Copy That Sells 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Best Practices: Author Bios & Photos 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Ethics and Responsibility in Crime Writing 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Book Signing 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Decision Making for Authors 8:30am - 9:30am

The Super Power of Writing Sprints: Smash Writer’s Block (2 hours) 9:45am - 12:00pm

Rock Your Reader Magnet 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Writing Worlds That Work 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Editing Beyond “Gut Feel”: A Checklist for Success 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Morning Meditation and Writer Wellbeing 7:30am - 8:30am

Critique Like a Boss: Get the Most from Your Critique Group 8:30am - 9:30am

MICE Quotient 9:45am - 10:45am

Book Clubs for Writers: Why and How 11:00am - 12:00pm

Things No One Told Me 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Book Fair Business 3:15pm - 4:15pm

Inventing a New Author You 4:45pm - 5:45pm

Story Structure: A Master-Level Class in One of Writing’s Most Daunting Subjects (2 hours) 9:00am - 11:15am

Tough Talk: Writing Effective Dialogue 11:30am - 12:30pm

Breakfast 7:30am - 9:00am

Lunch 12:30pm - 2:00pm

Baby Got Back(story) 9:00am - 10:00am

Write Lore Your Readers Won’t Forget (2 hours) 10:15am - 12:30pm

The Ins and Outs of Writing Series 9:00am - 10:00am

Tell Me a Secret: How to Interview Anyone About Anything to Stre... 10:15am - 11:15am

The Six Foundational Elements of Romance Fiction 11:30am - 12:30pm

Self-Publishing: Is It Your Friend or Foe? 9:00am - 10:00am

Marketing 101 for Writers (2 hours) 10:15am - 12:30pm

Morning Meditation and Writer Wellbeing 8:00am - 9:00am

A Feast for the Senses: Writing to Immerse Your Readers 9:00am - 10:00am

Be the Author YOU Want to Be 10:15am - 11:15am

SEND IT!?! What to Do—and What Not to Do—When an Editor or Agent... 11:30am - 12:30pm