Loading…
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.
Venue: El Paso clear filter
Friday, April 17
 

8:30am MDT

Creative Writing Before and After AI: Navigating the New Literary Renaissance
Friday April 17, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
Grounded Authors Guild guidance and current U.S. copyright guidance for AI-assisted work.

AI is changing the writing life, and for serious writers, that change presents an extraordinary opening. In this workshop, we will examine how AI is reshaping the creative process, what it means for authorship and originality, and how writers can use these tools to deepen their thinking and sharpen their process while keeping human authorship at the center.

You will learn: 
  • What has changed in creative writing process in the age of AI
  • The two definitions every modern writer must understand
  • The three types of writers emerging in this new era, where do you fit?
  • The copyright guidance that matters now

This session will challenge old assumptions, clarify what is at stake, and offer a more intelligent path forward for writers who want to work with new tools.
Faculty
avatar for Ana del Valle

Ana del Valle

AI Creative Writing Academy
In alignment with U.S. Copyright Law and the Author’s Guild’s 2025 guidelines on ethical AI use, Ana del Valle is an award-winning novelist, technologist, and recognized authority on AI in fiction writing. She is the host of The Novelist Studio podcast and YouTube channel, and... Read More →
Friday April 17, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
El Paso

9:45am MDT

Scene and Sequel
Friday April 17, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Writing an entire novel can be intimidating. But if you remember that a book is a series of connected scenes, writing one scene at a time is much less daunting. Once you master scene structure, you have mastered one of the basics of storytelling. To help with this, Pam McCutcheon explains what scene and sequel are and how to structure them with maximum effect, then uses movie examples and interactive story development to drive the point home.
Faculty
avatar for Pam McCutcheon

Pam McCutcheon

Pam McCutcheon writes a variety of romance subgenres under her own name, and urban fantasy under the name Parker Blue. She also writes nonfiction books for writers, including the popular Writing the Fiction Synopsis and The Writer's Brainstorming Kit.
Friday April 17, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
El Paso

11:00am MDT

Turn That Spark Into a Blaze: 7 Steps to Craft Compelling Conflict
Friday April 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Conflict ignites every scene in your novel. But how do you stoke those fires to keep your readers engaged and your plot moving? In this workshop, you'll learn that conflict isn't about confrontation; it's about character choices. This 7-step method will guide you in turning up the heat on your characters with intense stakes and escalating tension. Get ready to light up your manuscript with the tools to craft a story so powerful, it will burn in the minds of your readers long after they turn the final page.
Faculty
avatar for Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander Books
Dawn Alexander is a developmental editor and story coach who collaborates with both emerging writers and accomplished authors to strengthen their stories and refine their voices. Her clients have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, as well as the Amazon... Read More →
Friday April 17, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
El Paso

2:00pm MDT

The Gooey Guts of Horror
Friday April 17, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
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
avatar for Johnny Worthen

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

3:15pm MDT

Ten Editing Hacks
Friday April 17, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
This presentation puts self-editing tasks into an easy-to-follow list format. You can check off each item before submitting your manuscript to anyone from critique partners to agents and editors. Most of the tasks are quick and use shortcuts in Word such as Find and Replace. Others are a bit more work-intensive, like culling extraneous adverbs or removing filter words and writing in deeper POV but will ultimately strengthen your story.
Faculty
avatar for Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder is a romance editor, author coach, and digital nomad traveling the US with her giant dog, Arrow.  She's a Gallup Strengths enthusiast who loves kickass heroines, tropes flipped on their heads, rotisserie chicken, and getting stamps in her passport.
Friday April 17, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
El Paso

4:45pm MDT

Beyond the Bedroom: Using Physical and Emotional Intimacy to Create Authentic Character Relationships
Friday April 17, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
Creating authentic character relationships is essential in every genre—whether you're crafting a swoon-worthy romance, developing a fierce rivalry, or building a deep friendship. In this workshop, we'll explore how to layer both physical and emotional intimacy from first glance to Happily Ever After. You'll leave with a clear guide for developing believable relationships that resonate with readers and intensify the emotional engagement of your story.
Faculty
avatar for Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander

Dawn Alexander Books
Dawn Alexander is a developmental editor and story coach who collaborates with both emerging writers and accomplished authors to strengthen their stories and refine their voices. Her clients have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, as well as the Amazon... Read More →
Friday April 17, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
El Paso

9:00pm MDT

Working Through the Slush Piles
Friday April 17, 2026 9:00pm - 10:00pm MDT
If you’ve never caught this workshop at, say, MileHiCon, Bubonicon, FyreCon, or at COSine, the premise is absurdly simple:

Attendees bring an anonymized, 300-word story opening, either short story or novel, and drop it in front of Bowen at the beginning of the workshop. He will peruse the audience and select INSTANT EDITORS from those gathered and bring them up front.

For each manuscript, in randomized order, he will read aloud until three of the Instant Editors raise their hands, signifying that they would not publish the story. If he completes the story with fewer than three hands raised, consider that a success!

Each Editor will then share what they liked about the story, and then Bowen gives his own thoughts. The author, who is still anonymous at this point, is invited to reveal themselves. Sometimes, Bowen reads a ringer, a manuscript from a previously-published work, by a noted author, just to keep the Instant Editors guessing.

If you find that you have the time and inclination to participate, please consider joining Bowen and his INSTANT SLUSHPILE WORKSHOP with your anonymized manuscript in hand!
Agents & Editors
avatar for Bowen Gillings

Bowen Gillings

Associate Agent, Savvy Literary
Bowen Gillings joined Savvy Literary in 2025 and has nearly a decade of experience as an author and champion of authors. Currently building his list, Bowen seeks to partner with writers who possess a sense of professionalism and a sense of humor. He loves books with a strong narrative... Read More →
Friday April 17, 2026 9:00pm - 10:00pm MDT
El Paso
 
Saturday, April 18
 

8:30am MDT

Don't Break the Spell:Protecting Reader Trust
Saturday April 18, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
All storytelling requires a "suspension of disbelief," but within the first paragraphs of your novel, the words, character, and promises there will flag to your reader if that suspension can continue and if they trust you to pay off what has been set up. Learn to think like your reader in order to identify small breaks in trust that will keep them from DNF-ing your book.
Faculty
avatar for Callie Stoker

Callie Stoker

Owner, Managing Editor, The Manuscript Dr
Callie Stoker is an editor with almost two decades experience. Her business The
Manuscript Dr offers coaching and editing services. We believe that writing is a skill that
can be taught through the application of individual tools. We love helping our clients
elevate their abilities... Read More →
Saturday April 18, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am MDT
El Paso

9:45am MDT

AI Is Here. Now What? Inside a Live Novel Build with AI
Saturday April 18, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
Grounded in Authors Guild guidance and current U.S. copyright guidance for AI-assisted work.

Most writers never see what a working novel structure actually looks like until they are deep into a draft.

In this live session, Ana del Valle builds a novel structure in real time using OliviaAI™, showing exactly how to move from a rough idea to structure development. You will watch as core story elements are defined, a Story Bible is created, characters are developed, and a scene-by-scene outline begins to take shape inside a professional writing studio.

You will see how to:
  • Turn a loose idea into a clear, structured concept
  • Build a Story Bible that holds your narrative together
  • Create characters that carry emotional and structural weight
  • Move into scene outlining with purpose and direction

If you have ever struggled to bridge the gap between “I have an idea” and “I have a book structure that works and I actually write,” this session will show you how that bridge is built.
Faculty
avatar for Ana del Valle

Ana del Valle

AI Creative Writing Academy
In alignment with U.S. Copyright Law and the Author’s Guild’s 2025 guidelines on ethical AI use, Ana del Valle is an award-winning novelist, technologist, and recognized authority on AI in fiction writing. She is the host of The Novelist Studio podcast and YouTube channel, and... Read More →
Saturday April 18, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
El Paso

11:00am MDT

Through Animal Eyes: Adventures in Writing the Nonhuman
Saturday April 18, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
This workshop will help writers explore ways to bring animals and other non-human subjects into their adult, young adult, or middle grade fiction. A series of exercises help participants connect more deeply with the natural world and share your insights and experience with others.
Faculty
avatar for Anita Mumm

Anita Mumm

Anita Mumm is a writer and developmental editor based in Salida, Colorado. At her editorial firm, Mumm’s the Word, she supports first-time novelists and bestsellers alike. Her clients have earned top spots on The New York Times bestseller list and received acclaim from Publi... Read More →
Saturday April 18, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
El Paso

2:00pm MDT

Back Cover Copy That Sells
Saturday April 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
Write your back cover copy using the plug-and-play elements that hook readers like character, conflict, stakes, tropes and even psychology. We’ll dig into best-selling blurbs to see what makes them work and you'll leave with a template to follow for future blurbs.
Faculty
avatar for Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder is a romance editor, author coach, and digital nomad traveling the US with her giant dog, Arrow.  She's a Gallup Strengths enthusiast who loves kickass heroines, tropes flipped on their heads, rotisserie chicken, and getting stamps in her passport.
Saturday April 18, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
El Paso

3:15pm MDT

Best Practices: Author Bios & Photos
Saturday April 18, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
Your author bio can be a valuable tool for connecting with readers. Or it can bore them to death. Too much info, or the wrong info, and you may lose a potential reader of your work. But a good bio can spark the beginning of a great author-reader bond. This workshop provides an easy-to-use M-PACT system of “best practices” for creating an author bio. M-PACT prompts us to consider the desired Message of a bio, be Professional, be Appropriate for the audience/venue, practice Consistency, and edit until your bio is To the point for achieving your goals. In addition, this class covers how to curate a great author photo, using the M-PACT system as a guide. In conjunction with the guidelines and system, this presentation employs examples and advice from current bestselling authors. Attendees leave with proven “best practices” for crafting professional bios and winning headshots.
Faculty
avatar for Chris Mandeville

Chris Mandeville

Author
Chris Mandeville is an unrepentant coffee drinker, night owl, and binge writer. She can write anywhere, but her usual spot is a comfy chair at home in the Rocky Mountains with her service dog, Oski, snoozing by her feet. When she isn't writing, she loves to cook, travel, and teach... Read More →
Saturday April 18, 2026 3:15pm - 4:15pm MDT
El Paso

4:45pm MDT

Ethics and Responsibility in Crime Writing
Saturday April 18, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
• The dangers of misinformation, leaked evidence, and irresponsible speculation.
• How to portray suspects, victims, and survivors with respect while still telling a gripping story.
• Q&A: Where’s the line between dramatization and exploitation?
Faculty
avatar for David Lyons

David Lyons

David Lyons is a former homicide detective and retired police commander, living in central Kentucky. In retirement, he focuses on two passions. One, his role as a faculty member with FBI-LEEDA (the Law Enforcement Executive Development Association), the other, producing The Murder... Read More →
Saturday April 18, 2026 4:45pm - 5:45pm MDT
El Paso
 
Sunday, April 19
 

9:00am MDT

The Ins and Outs of Writing Series
Sunday April 19, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
Whether mysteries, romance, fantasy, science fiction, or historicals, readers love a great series. What does a writer need to keep in mind when deciding whether a WIP is a standalone, or a classic trilogy, or one episode of a never-ending adventure? We’ll look at what distinguishes each type of series, and how we can make sure our readers will have a satisfying experience with each book, while eagerly anticipating the next installment. We will look at the importance of endings and beginnings, points of view, and character issues, information tracking, and how to keep plots going from book to book without frustrating readers. With plentiful examples and some interactive exercises and brainstorming, we will explore the ins and outs of developing a vibrant series.
Faculty
avatar for Carol Berg

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 →
Sunday April 19, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am MDT
El Paso

10:15am MDT

Tell Me a Secret: How to Interview Anyone About Anything to Strengthen Your Fiction
Sunday April 19, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
Google’s fine for the basic facts, but you’re not writing a basic story. First-person interviews help you uncover the realistic details, unexpected twists, unique perspectives, and heart that can elevate your story. Learn how to painlessly interview anyone about anything, from private investigators, to scientists, to rock stars.
Faculty
avatar for Kelley J. P. Lindberg

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 →
Sunday April 19, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
El Paso

11:30am MDT

The Six Foundational Elements of Romance Fiction
Sunday April 19, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
This course teaches romance fiction from a structural standpoint. You’ll learn about goal, motivation, and conflict, which are the cornerstones of fiction writing. But then we dive deeper to cover character arcs, flaws and stakes, which are vital in character-driven stories like romance. You’ll understand how each element hinges on the others to build the infrastructure of your story, and you’ll gain the confidence to utilize these elements to improve your own books. Recommended prework is to watch the 2010 film The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. It's not required, but that's the film we'll use for a deep analysis at the end of the presentation.
Faculty
avatar for Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder

Jessica Snyder is a romance editor, author coach, and digital nomad traveling the US with her giant dog, Arrow.  She's a Gallup Strengths enthusiast who loves kickass heroines, tropes flipped on their heads, rotisserie chicken, and getting stamps in her passport.
Sunday April 19, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm MDT
El Paso
 
  • Filter By Date
  • Filter By Venue
  • Filter By Type
  • Moderator
  • Audience
  • Timezone


Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link

Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.