Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2026

New to Pikes Peak Writers? New to writing conferences? New to writing, in general? Here's your chance to ask virtually everything about how to get the most out of your conference experience. There's etiquette, jargon, and a lot more to learn so that you present yourself in the very best light to our faculty and your fellow attendees. Learn what to do and what not to do by folks who have learned from their mistakes. You have questions? We have answers.

Get into the head of your evil mastermind villain and use logic to help shape your protagonist's arc. We’ll learn the basic structure of an argument, the difference between validity and soundness, and why it matters to build believable characters with motivations we don’t second guess. I’ll introduce several logical fallacies---ways people make illogical arguments sound good---so that your characters can act illogically in a believable way and justify bad (perhaps valid, but unsound) choices or manipulate others.

Owning and running your own business as a freelancer or an author is not only about the logistics of taxes, running a website, and marketing your business but also includes a foundational philosophy by which to focus the decisions that will affect your business and your brand.

This hands-on workshop teaches writers to look at their fiction or creative nonfiction as an editor would, on two levels: developmental editing (the big picture: characters, backstory, pacing, etc.) and line editing (the rhythm and flow of the prose). Participants will learn what agents and publishers consider red flags in a writing sample and how to avoid them; how to make their opening pages multi-task to capture a reader’s attention; and how to tighten their prose without losing its poetry. Targeted exercises will show how to recognize common pitfalls and craft a much stronger final draft. Along the way, writers will discover that revision can be fun!

During the class, attendees will be reading and analyzing first pages as actors. Samples will be available, but attendees are encouraged to bring your own first pages to work on.

Humans hear emotions first, then pitch and rhythm, and only then words. I want to give writers the most fundamental and powerful performance tools their creative cousins, actors, use to bring words to life. This will cover performance and speech skills that will render their text clear and easily understood. Emotional, expressive and analytical tools that bring their characters to life, vocal tools that will render their characters distinct from each other and grounded in the character's truth, and recording and editing technical how-to that will make the final product polished and professional quality on any budget. If you only had a few hours to take someone from 0 to a world class actor, how would you do it? That's what we're going to find out. Realistically, acting is like playing the violin, with a very high skill-cap, but progress can be fast with the right tools, the most precious thing that will come from this is the continuing education tools, resources, drills, and understandings that will have would-be author/narrators growing for years to come.

Get up and running with Scrivener--today (for those just starting out, or who feel they aren't using Scrivener's full features)

Scrivener writing software: everyone says they love it, but what writer has time to learn something new? And most writers already using Scrivener miss out on some of the program’s best elements.

This workshop will help you get up and running right away. You'll learn Scrivener's 5 main features, how to get your writing in, organize it, and get it out (when it's time to publish).

Even long-time users will learn to take advantage of features they didn’t know were there. Learn to navigate stunning elements to make writing--and research--faster and more efficient, no matter what genre. This workshop is for both fiction and non-fiction writers.

Advanced techniques for the motivated writer (customization for those already using Scrivener)


In this workshop, writers already familiar with the basics of Scrivener will discover the many ways Scrivener can be configured for novels and non-fiction projects.

>Find out how to customize Scrivener to your particular needs--and if you love color, you'll be super happy.

>Take advantage of little-known elements to make your writing life easier to manage.

>Learn to plot your book with virtual index cards.

> Manage scenes (and your own motivation) with the outliner.

>Fly through revisions with features most Scrivener users have not yet discovered.

>And much more!

Using Google Notebook LM: easily create an up-to-date story bible with one of Google’s newest (and little-known) offerings. Google Notebook LM is a free Google app that just might rock your world. Even if you’re not an AI fan, read on.


Building a Story Bible with Google NotebookLM
A compelling novel needs more than inspiration. It needs consistency, clarity, and a place where all the pieces come together. In this hands-on workshop, writers will learn how to use Google NotebookLM as a powerful tool for building and maintaining a complete story bible for their book or series.

Participants will explore how to organize characters, settings, timelines, themes, and worldbuilding details in one central, searchable hub. The session will demonstrate how NotebookLM can analyze uploaded notes, outlines, research, and drafts to help writers track continuity, uncover inconsistencies, and deepen story logic without stifling creativity.

An important focus of this workshop is writer control and privacy. Google NotebookLM works only with the documents you choose to upload, and—according to Google—your content is not used to train AI models. Your writing remains yours, allowing you to experiment, brainstorm, and develop ideas with confidence that your intellectual property is protected.

By the end of the workshop, attendees will:

• Understand what a story bible is and why it matters
• Learn how to set up a NotebookLM project specifically for a novel or series
• Practice structuring character profiles, plot arcs, and worldbuilding notes
• Use AI-powered insights to ask questions of their own material and generate clarity
• Gain confidence using AI tools without sacrificing ownership or creative control
• Walk away with a repeatable system they can use for current and future projects
  
  

This workshop is ideal for novelists, series writers, nonfiction writers, and anyone who wants a smarter, more flexible way to manage complex stories. No advanced technical skills required—just bring your story ideas and curiosity.

Have you ever wanted to brainstorm a new story with a critique group (or even just with yourself), but find it's difficult to keep track of everything? If so, the plotting board can help give you a very visual picture of how your characters and plot work together to show you what you have, but also what may be missing in your story. Join Pam McCutcheon as she explains how to use the plotting board and works through a story with the audience to demonstrate.

• The impact of homicide cases on survivors and the concept of “no closure”.
• Using emotional intelligence to write believable investigators, villains, and survivors.
• Q&A: How do you create characters who feel real while drawing from real human suffering?

Maybe you’ve heard an agent or editor ask for stories with strong voice. But what on this blue-green Earth are they talking about? After briefly defining Authorial Voice vs. Narrative Voice vs. Character Voice, we’ll demystify what agents and editors mean when they talk about “voicey” characters, and focus on how to infuse more character voice into our manuscripts. We’ll study examples of strong voice and learn to create distinguishable voice for each character without going overboard and veering into caricature. You'll come away with clear, actionable steps they can take to spot opportunities to add voice and to develop and improve character voice in their stories.

A protagonist drives the story and is the center of everything. This session teaches how to build a protagonist from backstory through emotional journey, assembling a cast that supports their arc while making them sympathetic, believable, and charismatic.

Ready to amplify your author brand and connect with readers in a fresh, exciting way? This workshop dives into the fastest-growing social platforms for storytellers, breaking down what works right now on TikTok and Instagram. Learn how to craft scroll-stopping videos, build an authentic presence, use trends without losing your voice, and turn followers into true fans. We’ll cover practical strategies, content ideas, and time-saving tools so you can show up consistently—without overwhelm. Perfect for authors at any stage who want to grow visibility, boost engagement, and have fun doing it!

Whether a writer is a plotter or a "pantser", the task becomes easier with a clear grasp of story structure. This course compares ancient and modern structural techniques, showing their similarities and differences in order to simplify the writing process and find the necessary beats all powerful and resonant stories contain. The course breaks down the most common frameworks and provides insight to story flow, character growth, and the emotional connection to readers.

Dialogue is a powerful writing tool; however, literary dialogue isn't the same as day-to-day speech. Learn techniques used by dramaturges to develop effective dialogue, ratchet up tension through dynamic speech, and make dialogue sound realistic to your readers' ears. Find out how to manage dialogue "tags" for effect and "invisibility." Participants are encouraged to bring works in progress that they can edit during the session.