Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

• Understanding the basics of criminal investigations and avoiding the “TV version” of crime.
• Using real case files, FOIA requests, and verified sources for accuracy.
• Q&A: How can writers responsibly use real case material without risking harm to survivors or investigations?

Keep your readers on the edge of their seats. You've got great characters and a good idea for your plot, but your story builds tension too slowly; even you get bored in the middle, and you're the one writing it. How do you avoid the slow start, the overly predictable middle, the boggy subplots, and the unsatisfying ending? Pacing is not just about action. It's about the way you dance with the reader–where you drop clues, where you misdirect, where you cut between scenes, when you throw in unexpected complications, and how you raise the stakes. It's about knowing when to delay and when to deliver. So how do you rev up the speed at just the right moments, give just the right amount of pause for breath, and play with readers’ expectations in ways that build suspense and give your readers surprises they'll be discussing for days? Jump into Stant Litore’s exhilarating crash course on pacing in fiction.

H.Y. Gregor will be accepting pitches on a first come, first serve basis in Zeb's Lounge on Friday, April 17, 2026 from 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

H.Y. Gregor is the Operations Manager for two presses owned and operated by Author and Publisher J.F. Holmes.

Cannon Publishing: The publishing company behind the Dragon Award nominated Fae Wars series, Cannon specializes in Military Science Fiction, Military Fantasy, and Sci-Fi. https://www.cannonpublishing.us/

Selene Press: Specializing in Fantasy, Romantasy, and YA, the newly established Selene Press will debut its first novels in May, 2026. https://www.selenepress.com/

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.

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.

Consciously or unconsciously meaning is hidden beneath signs and facades in literature, layered in word choice and focus. Through shared reading, discussion and meaning and themes, we will learn to consciously see what our subconscious feels within a text, those elements that unite and undercut, but always elevate craft into art. Once you understand deconstruction, your reading and your writing will never be the same.