Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026: Full Schedule

Sched is sponsored by Reedsy.
The 2026 Pikes Peak Writers Conference is in the books!
You must be logged into Sched to see the handouts.

2:00pm MDT

Read & Critique Session 4

Friday April 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

Fremont

Historical/Horror/Western

Faculty

Reavis Z. Wortham

Keynote

NYT Bestselling author, Reavis Z. Wortham, is the recipient of many awards, including two Spur Awards from the Western Writers Association, and six Will Rogers Medallions. Kirkus Reviews listed his first novel in the historical Red River series, The Rock Hole, as one of their Top... Read More →

Agents & Editors

Casey Cowan

Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates

Casey Cowan began his career in graphic design, shaping projects across a wide range of industries for nearly two decades before finding his niche and co-founding Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates in 2013. Under his leadership, the company has grown into a successful, award-winning... Read More →

Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong

Literary Agent, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong is a literary agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency with
nearly a decade of industry experience. A life-long lover of books, Cathie enjoys
vivid memories of the exact moment she unlocked the secret code behind the
letters that, when combined, form words. Sinc... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Fremont

Business of Writing

Moderator Chris Mandeville, Jodi Anderson

3:15pm MDT

Read & Critique Session 5

Friday April 17, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT

Fremont

Children/MG/YA

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 →

Agents & Editors

Drue VanDuker

Assistant Editor, St. Martin's Press

Drue VanDuker is an assistant editor at St. Martin's Press, where she has worked since 2022 after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English and a minor in Rhetoric and Writing. At SMP, she has worked across a wide range of genres, including book club... Read More →

T.S. Ferguson

Azantian Literary Agency

Before joining Azantian Literary Agency, T.S. Ferguson worked for 16 years as an editor for some of the top children's and teen book publishers in the business, including Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Harlequin Teen/Inkyard Press, and JIMMY Patterson Books. He has worked... Read More →

Friday April 17, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Fremont

Business of Writing

Moderator Chris Mandeville, DJ Cochran

11:00am MDT

Lost in Translation: Writing distinct cultures, languages, accents, and soundscapes in your worldbuilding (Or: I Guess the Elves are British)

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

Douglas

Let's talk about building speech differences, accents, culture and the whole aural landscape into your writing from the outset. Our speech shapes the way we see the world, our choices, our beliefs, and our sense of identity. This can all feel intimidating! Often writers leave this rich well untapped and vague or end up with confusing inconsistencies because they never considered it. Let's dig deep and see what treasures lie in really thinking about the way our diverse peoples speak, how language and accents evolve over time, and what shapes them. Jargon, socio-economic and temporal differences, alien and fantasy species, and how to translate all of this into an edible experience for the reader.

Faculty

Aaron Fors

Aaron Fors is an author, actor, filmmaker, creator thingy! An obsessive collector of obscure skills and knowledge, they love infusing their passion for the niche into their works. Aaron writes scifi, fantasy, and whatever fills their heart up and makes them feel like they’re going... Read More →

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

Craft of Writing

Moderator Chris Mandeville

2:00pm MDT

3:15pm MDT

11:00am MDT

Get help with the event