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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11:00am MDT

This Ain’t Your Granddaddy’s Western

Friday April 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Douglas

A look at how Westerns are evolving through crossovers with crime, horror, fantasy, and sci-fi. We’ll explore the future of the genre, with examples from writers like Craig Johnson, CJ Box, and Marc Cameron, and modern media like The Mandalorian and Bone Tomahawk.

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 →

Friday April 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Douglas

Genre-Specific

Moderator Mike Torreanno

2:00pm MDT

The Gooey Guts of Horror

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

El Paso

A class about the most visceral genre–HORROR. We'll discuss its evolutionary origins, compare it to its sister genre, then explore it, categorize it and wrestle with it to explore techniques to effectively use horror in our own 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 →

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

Genre-Specific

Moderator Lin Faloon

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

Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

11:00am MDT

Reavis Z. Wortham

Casey Cowan

2:00pm MDT

Johnny Worthen

3:15pm MDT

Carol Berg

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