Sponsors

Cody, Wyoming Club

Casper, WY Branch

Kevin and Judy Lund Foundation

2026 Conference faculty

Check back as more exciting faculty members are added to the roster!

Click here to register!

TD Donnelly

Thomas Dean Donnelly has been a professional screenwriter for over 30 years. In that time he has written on projects that have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. He has adapted the classic works of writers such as Ray Bradbury, Clive Cussler, Stan Lee, and Robert E Howard. He’s worked on franchises from Voltron to Uncharted, and from Marvel’s Doctor Strange to The Walking Dead. His feature credits include Sahara starring Matthew McConaughey, and Conan the Barbarian. During the Hollywood writers strike he wrote his first novel: YEAR OF THE RABBIT, followed by YEAR OF THE HORSE, and YEAR OF THE SERPENT,  all spy thrillers.

T.D.'s Sessions:

Keynote Address:  Built For Story: Humanity’s Long Love Affair With Narrative

How To Win The Lottery: Tips and Tricks for Selling to Hollywood

Hollywood. Movie stars. The big screen. TV. The red carpet. Many’s a writer that has been entranced by the lure of Hollywood and the film and television business worldwide. For indie authors, is this a walled garden that we will never be invited to? Or are there ways to at least have a chance of having our work noticed by this most gatekept of creative industries? Join T.D. Donnelly as he imparts to you the wisdom he’s learned over thirty years as a professional Hollywood screenwriter, adapting the works of Ray Bradbury, Clive Cussler, Stan Lee, Robert Kirkman, and more. Learn what Hollywood is looking for from us, and once we have that project that fits the bill, how to strategize an approach. There are no guarantees in Hollywood, but the rewards are at least equal to the challenge!

Deep Character: Hollywood’s Secrets To Amazing, Undeniable Characters

In Hollywood we write for living, breathing actors; artists who are absolute masters of their craft. Because of this, we must become masters of creating deep, real, fascinating characters. Learn Hollywood’s techniques for writing characters that resonate deeply with audiences, and keep readers coming back for more. In this talk you will learn the eight dimensions that actors crave when they read characters, dimensions that will move your writing from stereotypes to archetypes, and reveal wants, needs, flaws, beliefs, and more. 

Todd Fahnestock

Todd Fahnestock is an award-winning, #1 bestselling author of fantasy for all ages and winner of the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age Award. Threadweavers and The Whisper Prince Trilogy are two of his bestselling epic fantasy series. He is a founder of Eldros Legacy—a multi-author, shared-world mega-epic fantasy series—three-time winner of the Colorado Authors League Award for Writing Excellence, and two-time finalist for the Colorado Book Award for Tower of the Four: The Champions Academy (2021) and Khyven the Unkillable (2022). His passions are great stories and his quirky, fun-loving family. When he’s not writing, he travels the country meeting fans, talks philosophy with his son, plays board games with his wife, dissects movies with his daughter, and plays to the point of bruises with Galahad the Weimaraner. 

Visit Todd at toddfahnestock.com.

Todd's Sessions:

Main Presenter for the Empowering Young Writers free event. 

Hear Todd Explain Empowering Young Writers Day

Register for Empowering Young Writers Day

Conquering the Con, Part 1 – Logistics & Presentation (setting up effectively)

Do you want to sell your books at comic cons? Author Todd Fahnestock walks through his personal journey of attending multiple comic cons, including the iconic San Diego Comicon, FanExpo Denver, FanX (Salt Lake City), Planet Comicon (Kansas City), FanFusion (Phoenix), and Albuquerque Comic Con. 

In this workshop, Todd shows you how to prepare for and set-up for success. He talks about having the right collateral materials, the most eye-grabbing presentation, and the best tools to build your reader base during and after, and he will set everything up right there in the room for you as though he’s at the Con. 

Todd Fahnestock made tens of thousands of dollars last year selling at Cons. Come see how he did it. 

Conquering the Con, Part 2 – The Pitch (what to do once you’re there)

Are you selling your books at comic cons? Local literary festivals? School events? This workshop walks you through how to successfully sell your books to readers.

Author Todd Fahnestock tells about his first frightening, failed point-of-purchase sales opportunity, how he turned it around using the introvert's key to engage customers, and how you can, too.

From booth layout to collateral materials to the actual "sales pitch", Fahnestock shows you how you can earn thousands of dollars at a point-of-purchase sales event.

The Author Marketer

In today’s publishing industry, whether you’re trad or indie, you have to market yourself all the time. This workshop gives you an inside glimpse at Todd Fahnestock’s real-life journey starting as a baby marketer (he didn’t have a website) to becoming a marketing machine (website, biz cards, banners, full-blown Con set-up, understanding genre-specific covers & back cover copy, 3,000 + reader mailing list, social media presence, school visits with access to 50+ elementary school classrooms). He will show you the pitfalls and the peaks.

Fleur Bradley

Fleur Bradley writes short crime fiction and novel-length mysteries for kids, including award-winning Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel (Viking/PRH), and the Double Vision trilogy (HarperCollins). Recently, she compiled her process for writing mysteries for t(w)eens in her 2026 released book Get a Clue: How to Plot, Write, and Sell Your MG & YA Mystery.
Fleur is a literacy advocate and speaks at educator conventions on reaching reluctant readers. She lives in a cottage in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies where she likes to foster rescue animals. Find Fleur online at fleurbradley.com

Fleurs' Sessions: 

How to Write a MG or YA Mystery

Want to write a chapter book, middle-grade or YA mystery, but you're not sure how to make the format work? This workshop covers concept (or:  how to pick the crime), introducing the suspects, and how to plant clues so they're not too obvious. We'll go over examples of great MG and YA mysteries and what makes them shine, how to create depth with theme and charater arcs, and how to create an outline. Attendees leave with a rough outline, with time for a Q&A.

Roundtable - Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America 

Join Fleur Bradley, President of Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America to learn more about this amazing organization. Mystery Writers of America is the leading association for professional crime writers in the United States. Members of MWA include most major writers of crime fiction and non-fiction, as well as screenwriters, dramatists, editors, publishers, and other professionals in the field.  You do NOT have to be published to join MWA. Everyone who is interested in mysteries and crime writing is invited join MWA.

Andrew Buckley

Andrew Buckley is a storyteller, educator, and keynote speaker with 20+ years in creative writing and marketing. Renowned for humor that stubbornly refuses to behave, he crafts captivating speculative fiction, comics, screenplays, podcasts, and immersive experiences. Creator of Deadly Dinner Parties, he brings murder, intrigue, and laughs to your table. Andrew’s engaging presentations make him a favorite at schools, colleges, writing conferences, and comic cons worldwide. He’s likely juggling too many projects right now, possibly trying to bend space and time to squeeze in more.

Andrew's Sessions:

From Concept to Script - Screenwriting Essentials

Storytelling when applied to film or TV is one of the most exciting mediums to explore. It not only improves a writer’s ability to structure story, but it provides the opportunity to look at the art of story from a different perspective. This masterclass is an interactive and engaging ‘how-to’ guide for structuring a film script, including plotting, character development, dialogue, and film theory. We’ll analyze existing film scenes and scripts while exploring and establishing the rules of scriptwriting (and also how to break those rules).

Writers Unplugged – Prompt-Powered Chaos with Zero Overthinking

Leave your inner critic at the door! It’s time to unplug your brain and let the creativity flow. This fast-paced writing jam is all about going with your gut, embracing the strange, and finding inspiration in the unexpected. Using bizarre prompts, sensory triggers, and curveball constraints, you’ll write wildly, share bravely, and maybe even rediscover your love of words. No editing. No overthinking. Just write. Recommended: Bring a weird object. Trust me <insert sly smile here>.

Twisted Tales: A Horror Writing Workshop

Join me on the dark side of story . . . This interactive, genre-bending workshop dives into the craft of writing horror by unpacking the tropes that terrify us, the fears that keep us up at night, and the story structures that make nightmares stick. Together, we’ll analyze chilling examples from film, dissect what makes them work, and then craft a complete outline for our very own horror movie—starring you and your fellow attendees. Equal parts craft session and creepy fun, this workshop blends storytelling principles with a horror twist. Not for the faint of heart!

Roger Carpenter

Roger Carpenter is a veteran marketing and design specialist with decades of experience in branding, advertising, and creative packaging. He designed campaigns for some of the most iconic films ever released, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, To Kill a Mockingbird, Planet of the Apes, and Citizen Kane, working with Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, and Disney.

Since relocating to Laramie, Wyoming in 2010, Roger has focused his creative expertise on book design. His philosophy is simple: a book cover should work like a movie poster — instantly capturing attention and persuading someone to take a closer look.

For authors, that means a professional cover that clearly signals the genre, attracts the right readers, and gives the book a strong presence online and in print.

View Roger’s portfolio, testimonials, and more information at:
https://www.creativebooksdesign.com

Roger's Session:

 Roundtable - Five Things to Know Before You Design a Book Cover

A quick guide for authors working with a book designer.

Heather Denton

Heather Denton has been writing since she was very young, always dreaming of writing a book. As it so often does, life got in the way, and that spark seemed to fade until she adopted Hugo. Everything changed when she met him. From the moment he came into her life, Hugo became her hero. Wanting to honor him, Heather finally sat down to write a story worthy of the dog who saved her life. Friends then encouraged her to illustrate it herself. Drawing is a daily creative practice for Heather, so she embraced the challenge and discovered she loved bringing Hugo’s story to life visually as well as through words. 

In 2022, Heather and her family moved from Massachusetts to Wyoming, where she found the peace that helped ignite her creativity. When she’s not writing or illustrating, Heather enjoys photography, hiking, camping, and taking road trips with her husband and their three dogs. 

A lifelong learner, Heather continues to grow as both a writer and illustrator. Through her books and author visits, she hopes to spark joy, celebrate rescue animals, and inspire young readers to find adventure in the everyday.

Heather will be taking author photos for a limited number of attendees.

Taking author photos can be daunting. These photos will be plastered on your beautiful book-baby, and it can be frustrating when the results miss the mark, so you throw your hands up and decide it’s “good enough”. Don’t settle for selfies and poor lighting. I’ll be at the conference taking photos. You’ll have a 10-minute session with me (be hair and makeup ready), where I will pose you and light you up for that back-of-the-book photo that is just as magical as the story inside its pages. 

What your session includes: 

-3 photos taken right on your own mobile device. No waiting, no wondering, no chasing down a photographer for weeks. 

-With my knowledge of posing, composition, and lighting, quick, simple edits can be made by me, right on your phone’s photo app. 

-I will have backup equipment with me in the event of any device malfunction.

Heather's Sessions:

Writing What You Know: Transform Adult Adventures into Dynamic Children’s Books

Join author Heather Denton for an engaging, interactive workshop designed to help writers turn real-life adult adventures into imaginative, compelling children’s stories. Using a blend of storytelling techniques, humor, and heart, participants will learn how to mine their own adventures and reshape them into stories young readers will love.

Jomil Ebro

Jomil Ebro lives in Golden, CO with his wife, Nancy Stohlman, and his 12-year-old son. Trained at the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, Jomil is a poet, philosopher, scholar, and associate professor at Arapahoe Community College. His Ph.D. is in Poetry and Consciousness Studies, and he holds Master’s Degrees in English, Philosophy, Postcolonial Studies, and Communication from New York University. His poetry, short stories, and critical essays have been published in Winning Writers, the Bath Flash Fiction Anthology, Vol. 7, Fractured Literary Anthology, Glossy Planet, Bending Genres, New Feathers Anthology, Progenitor Literary Journal, Cobra Milk, the Modern Horizons Journal, the Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies Vol. 3, Issue 2, and Peripheral Matters Journal, among others. He periodically holds poetry workshops for Castle Rock Writers and throughout the Denver community. Jomil thinks in all sincerity that poetry—namely, the way it necessarily expresses the presence and primacy of the consciousness in which everything appears and with which it is known—that poetry, as such, can save the world.

Jomil's Sessions:

The Unconscious As Gold Mine: Poetry and the Art of Defamiliarization

To some extent, all poetry, however lashing, grief-stricken, painful, or “negative” its particular content, is ultimately celebratory. The manifestation that is the poem—the artifact that represents the response to and shaping of the private jabberer, the inner critic, the incessant distruster, and irrepressible dreamer in all of us—is an awakened experience: the world is inexplicably and vividly rearranged before us, and we are not the same person who was there before we wrote the poem. Do we not seek this feeling when encountering all art?

In this workshop, we will learn some everyday yet sustainable ways to compose poetry that awakens both us and our readers into the ordinary miracles of our lives. We will address topics that are often challenging, unconscious even, and, thus, rarely explored: but this integration of and through the “shadows” of our lives is essential in not just writing poetry that awakens, but in living through and as that poetry. This session will invite a few jarring but utterly human texts that ask us to empathize with what Emerson called the “common heart” or the “Over-Soul.” The topics for our writing include defamiliarization, the metaphysics of ambivalence, apposition, and the geography of trauma. As Bertolt Brecht has written, “In these dark times, will there also be singing? / Yes, there will be singing. / About the dark times.” 

Bodies Churning in the Moonlight: The Poetry of Love and Longing

A poem that is simultaneously one of the hardest and most seamless to write is the poem of love and longing. Why is it that with our highly developed language skills, we can describe in minute detail how to assemble a sophisticated bomb, yet we have difficulty putting into words exactly what it is like to be an erotic creature? On the one hand, a love poem is a classification of a type of poem written by one person for another. Many such poems are one-dimensional because they are steeped more in sentimentality and unskilled outpouring than in poetry, awash more in declarations of love than in conveying and enlivening a particular emotional experience to the reader. Love poems of this kind are often the stuff of greeting cards and missives that are best kept private because their goal is simple telling: the professing of love. But even in our earliest lineages, we as a species weren’t content with just mouthing the feelings of love. We have always tried to enact it, to enflesh it as ecstatically as possible.

The trick, then, to writing an authentic and compelling poem about love or desire is to be wary of generalizations, cliches, and unrestrained emotion such that you easily slip from precise, intimate sensation to gushiness or over-sentimentality. Poems about love, longing, or intimacy face the same problems that other poems do. How, for example, does one remain honest and credible, avoiding the platitudes and stock responses that come from what we are told we are supposed to feel? And how does one talk about communion, passion, or sex newly and movingly? How do we create a new language that is capable of expressing our most intimate thoughts, feelings, and actions, and how do we describe an act which is so primal as to be preverbal, a wordless speech built on gestures, the senses, the flesh—the mute language of the body? In learning to (literally) love poetry again, we will explore the topics and techniques of dysphemism, deconstruction, the cosmology of the “small,” and “the leap.” If the “love poem” is grounded in the quality of one’s intimacy with experience as such, then the love poem is our creative access to a seamless field of awareness where there is no (absolute) sense of otherness, distance, time, or separation. What do we call the dissolution of the sense of separation between two others if not love itself?

When Your Whole Being is Involved: Poetry As Gateway to the Flow-State

Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi identified the “optimal experience” of being completely absorbed and happy in an activity as the state of “flow.” It’s “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter,” he wrote. “The experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it…for the sheer sake of doing it.” But there is a common misunderstanding: if you’re in a state of flow, one’s writing should spill out effortlessly. Actually and paradoxically, to be in a state of flow, our work must confront challenge and uncertainty, requiring us to labor, learn (or unlearn), and surrender—to push the boundaries of what you thought you could do and to feel—not just apply—our skills and gifts to their utmost. As Ray Bradbury writes, “The artist must work so hard, so long, that a brain develops and lives, all of itself, in his or her fingers.” These fingers gave us Sappho’s fragments, the Tao Te Ching, the Pietà, Leaves of Grass, La Sagrada Família,  “Claire de lune,” the Golden Gate bridge, Guernica, the Hubble Telescope, One Hundred Years of Solitude, the Beatles’ Abbey Road, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, Furstenburg’s wrap dress, the New York cheesecake.

In this workshop, we will discuss and employ practices such as phenomenal truth, beginner’s mind, nonduality, and “the decisive moment” in order to do the work that you—on behalf of the universe—were meant to do. These practices encourage us to reacquaint ourselves with the flow-state inside us that wants to guide the work—this “utmostness” that is true and innate to the writer, an irreducible mystery that can’t be rationalized, only experienced. 

Cindy Gunderson

Cindy Gunderson is a voice actress, content creator, and award-winning author. Since she has commitment issues, she writes sci-fi and fantasy, plus contemporary romance and women's fiction under the pen name, Cynthia Gunderson. 

After 25+ years of performing, voiceover and commercial work, instructing piano and vocal performance, and directing children's theater, she turned to audiobook narration and production. She's narrated, mastered, and produced over fifty-five audiobooks since 2020 in her home studio and has created a massive audio listener following/community on TikTok, YouTube, and other various audiobook platforms.

Cindy's first novel Tier 1 was awarded First Place in Science Fiction at the 2021 CIPPA EVVY Awards, and her women's fiction novel Yes, And was honored with the Indie Author Award's first place prize for best adult novel in the state of Colorado, 2023.

Cindy's Sessions:

Intro to Self-Narration:

Ever wondered what it takes to bring your words to life? In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to prepare your manuscript for audio—whether you plan to narrate it yourself or hand it off to a narrator. We’ll cover how to write with the listener in mind, how to organize for smooth recording, the equipment you actually need to get started, and the essentials of recording your own audiobook from home. If you’re ready to make your stories sound as good as they read, this class is your first step.

Sustainable Social Media Strategies: 

Feeling stuck on the content hamster wheel? In this session, you’ll learn how to build repeatable, scalable social media systems that work with your life—not against it. We’ll cover the tools, workflows, and organizational strategies that help authors show up consistently without burning out.

Author Systems and Organization Tools:

As your author career grows, your systems need to grow with it. In this class, we’ll break down the essential tools and organizational strategies that keep your business running smoothly now and as you scale. You’ll learn how to streamline workflows, structure your processes, and build a foundation that makes onboarding support (like a VA) easy and efficient. If you’re ready to run your author career like a well-organized business, this session will give you the tools to start.

India Hayford

Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong

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  letters that, when combined, form words. Since then, it’s the rare occasion when she’s without a book in hand, a Kindle in her purse, or a pair of AirPods in her ears while devouring the works of whatever author is her new favorite of the month. 

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Cathie is a 1992 graduate of the University of Oklahoma where she earned a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in history. She currently resides in Minnesota where she and her husband of 33 years share two grown children, a son-in-law, and a precocious black lab-mix named Ozzy. 

Cathie represents romance in all categories except Science Fiction. In addition, she’s looking for  Book Club Fiction, Domestic or Psychological Suspense, Horror, and select non-fiction projects.

Cathy is accepting pitches for Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. 

Cathie's Session:

Your Agent Meet-Cute: Where Advance Preparation Meets Author-Agent Compatibility and Success

This presentation walks authors through the steps they should be taking prior to sending their first query letter to agents or small publishers, including how to put together a proper query package, where to find agents, and how to make sure you're querying a legitimate agent.

Angie Hodapp

Angie Hodapp is the Director of Literary Development at Nelson Literary Agency. She holds a BA in English and secondary education from the University of Northern Colorado and an MA in English and communication development from Colorado State University. A graduate of the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, she has worked in professional writing, editing, and education for more than twenty years. A frequent presenter at writing conferences and events, and the author of Query Craft and Do You Need a Literary Agent, she loves helping writers improve their craft and learn about the ever-changing world of publishing.

Angie is accepting pitches for Nelson Literary Agency on SUNDAY ONLY via Zoom.

LOOKING FOR:

• Novel-length fiction for adults and young adults (grades 9-12) only in the following genres

• Action/Adventure

• Chick Lit

• Commercial

• Contemporary

• Crime/Detective/Police

• Family Saga

• Fantasy

• Historical

• Horror

• LGBTQ+

• Literary

• Magical Realism

• Multicultural

• Mystery

• New Adult

• Romance

• Science Fiction

• Suspense

• Thriller

• Upmarket

• Women’s Fiction

• Young Adult

• Young Adult Fantasy

NOT LOOKING FOR:

• Poetry

• Memoir or personal essay collections

• Short-story collections

• Novellas

• Children's books

• Middle-grade novels (for grades 5-8)

• Nonfiction

• Scripts or screenplays

• Anything for the Christian or inspirational market

Gina Holder

Gina Holder is a hybrid author known for her Christian romantic suspense novels and cozy mysteries. She published her debut novel, Whither Shall I Go, in 2017, marking the beginning of her writing career. Her works often weave themes of faith, redemption, and forgiveness, aiming to inspire readers with uplifting messages rooted in Biblical principles. In 2024, Gina won a writing contest, resulting in a contract with Scrivenings Press, a small press with big dreams. The Puzzle Within, the first book in The Game Masters series, released in June 2025.

Holder was raised in a family that fostered her love for books from a young age, which eventually led her to pursue a career in writing. She began writing short stories as a child and crafted her first novel by the age of twelve. Her dedication to her craft is evident as she continuously seeks to grow as an author.

Living in Wyoming with her husband and daughter, Holder balances her writing career with her role as a stay-at-home mom and an active member of her church community. When she's not writing, she enjoys activities like playing the piano, singing for worship services, cooking for her family, and indulging in Hallmark mysteries.

Holder is also an active member of the Christian readers and writers community and is involved through her social media and blog, where she shares insights, interviews, and book reviews.

Gina's Session:

Slogging Through the Bog: Writing the Middle of Your Novel (THURSDAY CRAFT DAY)

The middle of a novel isn’t filler. It’s where character, conflict, and consequence raise the stakes. Yet this is where many writers get stuck, and where many manuscripts lose focus, stall out, or collapse into repetition.

Participants will learn how to diagnose sagging scenes, strengthen conflict and stakes, and use character decisions to move the story forward. Practical tools will help writers revise or draft the middle of their novels with purpose and confidence.

We’ll cover practical techniques for:

• Diagnosing why a middle feels slow, flat, or repetitive

• Strengthening scene goals, conflict, and consequences

• Escalating stakes without forcing new plot twists

• Using character decisions to drive momentum

Ideal for: Fiction writers working on a novel draft who want stronger structure, deeper tension, and a middle that actively propels the story toward its climax.

Gayle Irwin

Gayle M. Irwin is an award-winning Wyoming author and freelance writer. She is a contributor to eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books and regularly writes for WREN Magazine (Wyoming Rural Electric News) and other regional and national publications. Her authorship began in 2007 with the publication of a children’s book about her blind dog. Since then, she’s written additional children’s stories, Christian devotions, and sweet and Christian contemporary romance books. All of her stories weave elements of life and faith, such as trust, courage, perseverance, nature appreciation, and the importance of pet rescue and adoption. Gayle begins a new genre in 2026: cozy mystery with pet sidekicks. She donates a percentage of book sales to regional animal rescues and shelters. Gayle currently lives in Casper with her husband Greg and their rescued and adopted pets. Visit her website to learn more: gaylemirwin.net.

Gayle's Session:

Book Funnel:  An Author's Marketing Partner

You’ve written and published a book … or are planning to do so. If you intend to sell that masterpiece, it’s not enough to write the darn thing – you need to market it as well. Easier said than done, at least for most of us. However, there is an incredible way that you can reach readers, and it involves partnering with authors in the same or similar genre. How does that partnership come about? Through an online resource called Book Funnel. 

This class will help you understand how Book Funnel helps you discover those similar authors, and therefore, find readers of your genre. You’ll learn about book promotions and author swaps, two great ways to get your name and book(s) in front of readers of your genre, whether you want to sell your work or gain newsletter subscribers. Within the first year of using Book Funnel, I tripled my subscriber list and more than doubled my e-book sales. 

Book Funnel offers other opportunities as well, including giving away your reader magnet (freebie) and obtaining ARC readers (Advanced Reader Copy readers).

Learn more about this amazing and inexpensive marketing tool. Book Funnel truly is an author’s marketing partner!

Lauren N Lipp

Lauren Lipp is a romance author and part-time poet. Despite being a Taurus opposed to inconsistency, she attended four different universities but eventually graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She was born and raised in Colorado, and still calls the mountains home. She also works for both 5 Prince Publishing and Writing Heights Writers Association, specializing in Publicity and Marketing.

Lauren's Session:

Author Branding for Writers, Not Influencers: How I’ve been able to reduce my screen-time but still build and maintain a successful, streamlined author brand online in a way that feels productive and healthy so I can write more and scroll less. 

This workshop is intended for authors/writers who want to learn how to better utilize social media for their author brand, but not get caught up in the negativity online or waste hours scrolling. This workshop will provide the tools needed to start building an author brand across multiple social media platforms from scratch, as well as tips for how to navigate the online space and not spend too much time on social media. This workshop also covers how to create a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing brand that can be utilized across multiple platforms.

Roundtable - The Importance of Writing Communities

Writing can be very isolating, but it doesn't have to be! In this roundtable, Lauren Lipp will discuss the Writing Heights Writers Association and answer questions about what writers need to feel supported, what they wish they knew more about, and how to find help when joining a writing community.

Robert Lewis

Robert (Bob) Lewis is a Colorado-based author, editor, publisher, magician, scholar, podcaster, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and more. He holds degrees with Latin honors in Biology, English, Mathematics, and Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver (where he also took an
Astrophysics minor) as well as a Master of Education in Science and the Public from the University at Buffalo. A dedicated polymath, he likes to tell people that his hobby is to collect new hobbies. Among his current favorite pastimes are chess, cooking, woodworking, tinkering in his workshop, collecting bizarre artifacts and curiosities, and (re)learning his musical instruments. By the time you read this, he’ll assuredly have added some more to the list.

Professionally speaking, he is the founder, owner, and executive editor of Polymath Press, host of the YouTube channel Phobophile, co-host of the Do You Like Scary Movies horror podcast, member of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, president of the Fiction Foundry writers' critique group, and performs as a magician at Bob Lewis Magic. By the time you read this, there’s a good chance he’ll be in the process of adding something to this list as well.

Robert is accepting pitches for Polymath Press.

Genres: I specialize in speculative fiction with a dark twist, particularly horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, etc., but am open to all genres and to non-fiction (politics/current events excluded). I try to look for eclectic or cross-genre works that may be difficult to classify or to place elsewhere but I’m open to anything that catches my eye.

Hear it in Robert's own words! 

Alan O'Hashi

Alan O’Hashi is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and creative coach whose work spans memoir, documentary, and social commentary. A Wyoming native, now living in Boulder, Colorado, is a longtime member of Wyoming Writers, Inc. Alan blends craft, curiosity, and community in everything he teaches. His latest venture, Best Chance Media Publishing, helps overlooked stories find their voice and their audience.

At the 2026 conference, Alan will lead lively, practical, hands-on workshops on the writing craft, focusing on topics including business, market development, structure, and elevating authentic voice. Bring your stories and be ready to write.

He’s especially passionate about helping writers turn obstacles into opportunities. If you have a manuscript that’s been rejected, shelved, or given up for lost, Alan wants to hear about it. Bring your pitch, rejection letters, and discover why it might actually be your best chance yet to be traditionally published.

Join Alan’s sessions if you’re ready to dig deep, experiment boldly, and walk away with a renewed sense of direction for your work. He believes every writer has a story worth telling and it just needs the right conversation to unlock its potential.

Alan is accepting pitches for Best Chance Media. He is most interested in manuscripts that have been previously rejected by agents and/or traditional publishers. Authors should be prepared to provide a story outline, synopsis, previous rejection letters, and an author's statement.

Alan's Sessions:

Writing the First Sentence: The Line That Earns the Reader (THURSDAY CRAFT DAY)

Agents, editors, judges, and readers all decide in seconds whether to keep going. But the first sentence is just the beginning—the first paragraph and page must hold that attention, too. This hands-on workshop focuses on crafting openings that not only hook but sustain curiosity, voice, and tension through the first page. Designed for fiction and nonfiction writers, the session replaces theory with practice. You’ll write, test, and revise multiple first sentences and paragraphs for your current project, learn what each version promises the reader, and explore techniques to reveal story, character, or stakes without relying on backstory. By the end, you’ll have stronger openings and a repeatable method to make every first page a page-turner. Bring a draft. Leave with a first page readers can’t put down.

Roundtable - Alan O’Hashi from Best Chance Media - The Best Chance: How Indie Writers Get Noticed Together

Michelle Obama sent one tweet and sold 750,000 books in a day. Most writers don’t have that kind of reach, but they can build something just as powerful by collaborating. This hands-on workshop helps writers of any form or genre to assess their author persona, platform, and promotional assets, then explore how collective effort creates visibility individual authors can’t achieve alone. Participants will evaluate their social presence, email lists, and collaboration strengths, and learn how curated networks connect indie authors with bookstores and readers. You’ll leave knowing what you bring, where you fit, and what’s possible together. Stop going it alone and give your book its best chance.

The 280-Character Pitch: Hemingway's One True Sentence 

You have one paragraph, or one conversation, to make someone care about your story. This hands-on workshop helps writers condense their project into a clear, compelling 280-character pitch, basically a tweet, that works for fiction and nonfiction alike. Hemingway said to write one true sentence. This will be yours. Participants will move from messy idea to focused invitation, identifying the core character or voice, central tension, stakes, and why the story matters now. You’ll draft, refine, and stress-test your pitch with real reader feedback. By the end of the hour, you’ll leave with a finished pitch you can use for submissions, emails, and conference conversations. Bring your project. Leave with language that opens doors.

TO Paine

T.O. Paine is an award-winning author of fast-paced thriller suspense novels. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and holds a master’s degree in computer information systems. His high-emotion novels focus on the consequences of his character’s choices, resulting in spine-tingling, suspenseful twist endings. He has written and indie-published over five novels in the past nine years, obtaining a wealth of intense craft and book marketing experience. When he is not writing, you can find him outside, working out in the Rocky Mountains. T.O. has run fifty marathons in fifty states, ridden his road bike hundreds of miles over 10,000-foot mountain passes, and completed an IRONMAN, twice. A father of two, he resides with his wife in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.

You can find out more about T.O. at https://topaine.com.

T.O.'s Sessions:

Amazon, Facebook, and BookBub Advertising: A 3-Pronged Attack

Like it or not, we live in a pay-to-play world that demands advertising to obtain visibility for our books. Over 11,000 books are published on Amazon daily, most of which are never seen by readers without some form of advertising. In this presentation, we will examine the strengths and weaknesses of three major advertising platforms: Amazon AMS, Facebook, and BookBub. By leveraging the strengths of each platform, you will learn how to reduce ad spend and increase visibility for your work.

Using Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power to Create a Villain

Well-written villains are believable, understandable, and, dare I say it, relatable. They use clever techniques to get what they want by exerting power over others and justifying their actions. By analyzing the real-life stories of notorious historical figures and their techniques for using power in Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power, we will learn to create the killer villain your readers will love to hate.

Revealing Plot and Emotion with Natural Dialogue (THURSDAY CRAFT DAY)

Let the movie play in your mind, observing word-for-word the things your characters say. Can you feel their desires, conflicts . . . their motivations? Dialogue is more than just conversation. It’s a powerful tool for revealing plot, developing characters, and conveying emotion. In this presentation, we’ll explore crafting natural dialogue, subtly advancing the plot with emotion. We’ll discuss techniques for using subtext, pacing, and word choice to shape dialogue that resonates with readers, driving the narrative forward without feeling forced. Whether you’re writing a novel, screenplay, or short story, this session will give you the tools to make every word of dialogue count.

Lindsay Schopfer

Lindsay Schopfer is the award-winning author of five novels and two short story collections, including his fantasy series, The Adventures of Keltin Moore, winner of the OZMA Award from the Chanticleer International Book Awards. His short fiction has received multiple honors and has been featured in a variety of anthologies. His nonfiction includes a series of articles for ParentMap Magazine chronicling his experiences as a first-time father of twin girls.

In 2024, Lindsay was nominated as Small Business Person of the Year through the Small Business Association for his work as an independent author. He served as the Science Fiction and Fantasy chair for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s literary contest for several years. He also served as a volunteer mentor for Educurious, a Gates Foundation-funded program connecting at-risk high school students with professional writers. His workshops and master classes are top rated at writing conferences across the western United States.

Lindsay teaches creative writing for Pierce College and is a freelance editor with the Northwest Editors Guild. He lives in western Washington with his wife and three daughters. In his free time, he enjoys tabletop and video games, playing guitar, meditation, boxing, cooking, and learning American Sign Language.

Lindsay will be offering one on one editor consultations for a limited number of participants.

Lindsay's Sessions:

The First Draft – Just Get It Down (THURSDAY CRAFT DAY)

No amount of dreaming will make a first draft happen. It takes effort, time, and dedication to create the raw material that will eventually become a finished story. Participants in this class will learn how to handle writers block, how to postpone the need to edit, and how to course-correct midway through the process.

 Telling a Story from the Inside-Out

Novels and short stories allow the writer to explore the inner thoughts of the protagonist in an in-depth, unique way. While a real person’s thoughts may be fragmented and confusing, a skilled storyteller will know how to distill the semi-random ramblings of the mind into an engaging, visceral character study. Participants in this workshop will learn how to show the character’s emotion through writing style, how to blend exterior descriptions and interior reactions, and how to avoid mental rambling from the protagonist.

 Breaking the Rules like a Pro

Writing is art, and sometimes art can’t be contained by rules. Come join award-winning author and freelance editor Lindsay Schopfer as you gain an appreciation for the rules while also understanding when to temporarily set them aside. Students will learn the difference between rules and trends, how to evaluate a proposed deviation from a rule, and how to work with an editor while breaking the rules.

Joanne Spence

Joanne Spence is a certified yoga therapist, author, and spiritual director whose work sits at the intersection of nervous system health, creativity, and contemplative practice. For more than two decades, she has helped people who spend much of their lives “in their heads” reconnect with their bodies through accessible movement, breath work, and rest. Her approach is shaped by her clinical background, her ministry training, and her belief that creativity is not just a cognitive act but a full-bodied experience.

Joanne is the author of Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Toolbox for Therapists and co-author of Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Responsive Yoga Teaching: A Universal Practice. Her work is used in yoga teacher trainings, mental health programs, and seminaries around the world. She holds a doctorate in ministry with a focus on creative writing and public theology, which informs her interest in embodied storytelling, meaning-making, and sustainable creative practice.

Known for her warm, grounded teaching style, Joanne creates environments where newcomers feel welcome and experienced practitioners feel invited deeper into their own experience. Her next book, How to Die Well: A Workbook for the Living, will be released in 2026. When she’s not writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her walking, reading, or staring out a window thinking about her next paragraph.

Her current book project, How to Die Well: A Workbook for the Living, will be released in 2026.

Joanne's Session:

Embodied Writing: Tools for a Sustainable Creative Life With Dr. Joanne Spence (THURSDAY CRAFT DAY)

If you’ve ever heard “get out of your head and into your body” and thought, “Why? My head is where all the good stuff happens!”—this session is for you.

As writers, we often treat our bodies as background players to our brilliant minds. But your body isn’t just a vehicle—it’s a partner in your creative process. In this experiential, practice-based session, author and yoga therapist Joanne Spence will guide you through gentle, accessible chair-based yoga, including breath work and mindful movement.

No yoga mat (or yoga experience) required. Come in your favorite dress, jeans, or whatever makes you feel most like yourself.

You’ll leave with simple tools you can use anytime—before a writing session, after a long day, or between chapters—to support calm, clarity, and creative resilience.

Matt Stone

Matt Stone, CEO of the world's largest book cover design company, 100 Covers, and co-Founder of 1000 Storybooks, is a Cheyenne, Wyoming resident and seasoned publishing professional with 25 years of experience in the industry. Having overseen the creation of more than 20,000 book covers, hosted over 5,000 book promotions, and managed millions of dollars of Amazon ad campaigns since 2013, he's got great insights and real data on what makes for writing and publishing success-particularly for self-published authors. 

Matt's Sessions:

The Science (NOT art!) of Bestselling Book Cover Design

Description: In this highly visual session looking at book covers in real time, Matt Stone, CEO of the world's largest book cover design company, 100 Covers, shares key insights his team has identified to radically increase the probability of your book's success on Amazon and beyond--especially in the biggest, most competitive mass market genres where cover design matters the most. You'll learn the true purpose of a book cover, how to identify the hottest trends in your genre, and how to properly test the performance of your book cover for game changing results in paid ad campaigns. 

The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing a Children's Picture Book

Description: In this session, Matt Stone, co-founder of 1000 Storybooks--a rapidly-growing children's book illustration service--goes over the advantages (and disadvantages) of self-publishing a picture book. In addition, he'll go over the step-by-step process to easily and affordably write and self-publish your very own professional picture book--getting into the highest grossing book segment in the entire industry.  

Nick Thacker

Nick Thacker is a USA Today Bestselling Author, with over 40 thrillers published to his name. He owns and runs Book Career In A Year. In addition, he's built businesses for authors: Author.Email, the only email marketing platform for authors, and RadioWrite.com, the 24/7 writing inspiration radio platform. He is currently the VP of Author Success with Draft2Digital, focusing on getting authors to the next level. His passion is to help authors figure out what their plan is — not just the “what,” but the “how” and the “why.” These are the missing pieces, the thing that will skyrocket your book career.

Nick's Session:

So You Want to Write a Nonfiction Book (And Actually Finish It This Time)

You have a great idea. You’ve told everyone about it. You may have even opened a blank document once or twice. Now what?

In this session, bestselling author and publishing insider Nick Thacker walks you through what it actually takes to turn a nonfiction book idea into a real, finished, published thing — without losing your mind in the process. From nailing your concept and surviving the messy middle of drafting, to understanding your publishing options and building a readership, this is the honest, practical overview nobody gave you before you started Googling “how to write a book.”

Fair warning: Nick has written around 50 books and still sometimes stares at a blank page wondering what he’s doing. But he’ll show you the systems, shortcuts, and mindset shifts that make the whole thing a lot less terrifying — and maybe even fun.

Click here to register!

Zoom Room Faculty

The following faculty members will present remotely in the Pathfinder Room of the hotel. 

J. Kevin Tumlinson

J. Kevin Tumlinson is an award-wining and bestselling author, and a well known personality in the indie publishing space. As the Chief Brand Officer for Author Anchor, Kevin teaches authors how to leverage an author assistant to take the work out of their publishing careers. Founded by the BookBrush team, Author Anchor services the author community by connecting you with highly trained author assistants. Find more at AuthorAnchor.com

J. Kevin's Remote Zoom Room Session:

Roundtable - Just Write: Accelerate Your Writing Success with an Author Assistant

Let’s face it—you didn’t start writing so you could manage social media and email, keep up a calendar, organize marketing campaigns, or do any of the thousands of tiny, time-consuming tasks that eat up your days. You got into this to write. In this talk, we’re looking at how you can hire an author assistant to help with marketing, social media, scheduling, and promotion, all for less than you pay for groceries. Join industry influencer J. Kevin Tumlinson as he tells you how you can “just write.”

ScribeShadow

ScribeShadow is your trusted partner in novel translation. Using advanced AI technology, we make translating your novel affordable, effortless, and efficient. ScribeShadow ensures smooth, high-quality translations, helping your stories reach a global audience with ease.

We’re a small, family-run team, indie at heart and not a big tech company. Before ScribeShadow, we ran a small publishing press, so we know the indie grind firsthand. That’s why we build tools that are practical, economical, and author-friendly, made to help indie authors reach new readers worldwide.

Let ScribeShadow help bring your words to the world!

ScribeShadow's Remote Zoom Room Session:

Join ScribeShadow for a practical, author-friendly session on how indie authors and small publishers can use translation to reach readers in new markets.

We’ll walk through how ScribeShadow helps authors translate their books quickly and affordably while keeping control of their words, rights, and royalties. You’ll get a look at the platform, learn how translation credits work, and see how tools like glossary review, metadata translation, and market-specific keyword suggestions can support a smoother translation process.

Whether you’re curious about translating your first book or planning a larger international strategy, this session will give you a clear starting point. We’ll also have 15-minute private appointments available from 2:45-3:45 MDT on Friday (6/5) afternoon for anyone interested in learning more or talking through their own translation goals.

Phil Marshall

Phil is the captain and visionary for Spoken, providing the scientific and strategic backbone for the platform’s technical evolution. A surgeon and clinical researcher by training, he has spent over two decades at the forefront of digital health and conversational AI, notably architecting the clinical personalization systems for WebMD and Conversa. Phil directs Spoken’s mission to set the global standard for high-fidelity, digital narration, ensuring that the platform remains the definitive choice for authors and professional storytellers.

Phil's Remote Zoom Room Session:

Creating Immersive Digitally-Narrated Audiobooks with Spoken

Ready to turn your book into an immersive audiobook experience – without the traditional barriers? Join our exclusive webinar for Wyoming Writers and discover how Spoken is transforming audiobook creation and distribution through digital narration. Learn how Spoken’s unique multi-voice approach lets you create custom voices for every character, bringing your audiobook to life in a way that’s dynamic, scalable, and built specifically with authors in mind.

You’ll also uncover how other authors are using Spoken as a powerful marketing tool, capturing attention, driving discovery, and ultimately reaching more readers across platforms. Plus, get practical tips on editing and production, and explore expanding distribution opportunities that can put your work in front of wider audiences. Whether you're just exploring audio or ready to produce, this session will show you how to grow your readership through innovative storytelling brought to you by our friends at Spoken. 

Want a sneak peek at Spoken before you join? Visit www.spoken.press and follow them on socials @spoken.press.

Humberto Cancio Jr. Esq

Humberto Cancio, Jr. Esq. & CEO of Asturian Book Company: Humberto was born in Cuba in 1953 and immigrated to the US when he was 6. At 12, he moved to Spain where he attended the American School of Madrid before attending Duke University and graduating in 1975. He then attended the University of Florida where he attained his JD and has practiced law for over 45 years (AV Preeminent Rated). Humberto is married to Alicia and has four children: Veronica, Jorge, David, and Amanda. He also has three grandchildren.

Humberto's Remote Zoom Room Session:

Reading Between the Lines: A Lawyer’s Guide for Authors and Publishing Contracts

In this seminar, Humberto Cancio, Jr. ESQ. (CEO of Asturian Book Company) takes writers and authors through the ins and outs of publishing contracts, providing the vital information in what to look for, what to avoid, and what to press on in signing the right publishing contracts.

Cameron Sutter

Cameron Sutter is a sci-fi/fantasy author and the creator of Plottr – the popular visual story outlining software. He lives on a couple acres near Oklahoma City, and is happily married with 6 kids, one of which is publishing her second novel. He's escaped death by explosion, rock slide, and a baseball bat, and believes his life mission is to serve writers.

Cameron's Remote Zoom Room Session:

Visually crafting your story: How Plottr will be your best writing investment

The creator of Plottr himself, Cameron Sutter, is going to be showing you how Plottr will be the best tool you could use for your writing career or hobby. It'll make the writing process smoother, more organized, more fun, and it'll help you take leaps and bounds to finally get that story written! I'll give you a walkthrough and answer any questions you have. I've got 2 free gifts I'll give you along with a discount on Plottr itself. Can't wait to talk to you there!

Click here to register!

Accommodations

We are working with two hotels this year to offer attendees some options.

Option 1:  Stay On Site at the Ramkota

Our conference venue, the Ramkota Hotel, has a block of rooms set aside for conference attendees.

Click here to book your room at the Ramkota.

Option 2:  The Hilton Garden Inn Just Up the Road

This lovely hotel about an 8 minute walk from the conference venue has also set aside a small block of rooms for us this year, including ADA rooms for attendees who need a room with mobility accommodations. 

Click here to book your room at the Hilton Garden Inn

bookstore

If you are published and attending this year's conference, you have the option to have your books for sale in the conference bookstore. The bookstore is open not just to conference attendees, but also the general public! Consignment is done on a 70/30 split in the author's favor. You may bring a maximum of 5 titles. 

Click here to enter your books' information for the conference bookstore

Conference Features

Our conference features a number of great benefits for attendees. Below are some of the features we offer every year! Features that are specific to this year will be added as they are confirmed! 

Click here to register!

**New for 2026**  Optional Thursday Programming!

In 2026 we are offering new craft-focused and student-focused options to our offerings! For a small additional charge, you can attend an extra day of conference programming on Thursday, June 4th, that's centered on helping you expand your craft and grow as a writer! 

**New for 2026**  Writer Roundtables

Writer Roundtables offer an engaging, interactive way to dive into focused conversations on a variety of writing and publishing topics. Each table is guided by a moderator who keeps the discussion flowing, ensures everyone has a voice, and creates an open, welcoming space for ideas to be shared.

We’re excited to debut these small-group sessions at this year’s conference, an energizing new way to connect, share, and explore topics that matter to writers.

Faculty Breakout Sessions

These workshops cover a range of topics from of the top minds in the field today. Find full class descriptions in the Faculty section of this page.

Pitch Sessions

Attendees get the opportunity to pitch their work to an agent or publisher accepting pitches for their agency or publishing house. This years pitch opportunities include:

• Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong from Marsal Lyons Literary Agency:

• • Represents romance in all categories except Science Fiction. In addition, she’s looking for  Book Club Fiction, Domestic or Psychological Suspense, Horror, and select non-fiction projects.
  • Click here to read Cathie's full bio.

• Alan O'Hashi from Best Chance Media:

• • He is most interested in manuscripts that have been previously rejected by agents and/or traditional publishers. Authors should be prepared to provide a story outline, synopsis, previous rejection letters, and an author's statement.
  • Click here to read Alan's full bio.

• Robert Lewis from Polymath Press:

• • He specializes in speculative fiction with dark twists, particularly horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery but is open to all genres of fiction. Also accepts non-fiction but NOT political or current events books. 
  • Click here to read Robert's full bio.

• Angie Hodapp from Nelson Literary Agency:

• • She is accepting pitches via Zoom on Sunday ONLY. 12 Slots maximum.

  • Angie is looking for novel-length fiction for adults and young adults (grades 9-12) only in the following genres

    • Action/Adventure

    • Chick Lit

    • Commercial

    • Contemporary

    • Crime/Detective/Police

    • Family Saga

    • Fantasy

    • Historical

    • Horror

    • LGBTQ+

    • Literary

    • Magical Realism

    • Multicultural

    • Mystery

    • New Adult

    • Romance

    • Science Fiction

    • Suspense

    • Thriller

    • Upmarket

    • Women’s Fiction

    • Young Adult

    • Young Adult Fantasy

  • Angie does NOT represent any of the following:

    • Poetry

    • Memoir or personal essay collections

    • Short-story collections

    • Novellas

    • Children's books

    • Middle-grade novels (for grades 5-8)

    • Nonfiction

    • Scripts or screenplays

    • Anything for the Christian or inspirational market

  • Click here to read Angie's full bio.

Editor Consultations

Get individual feedback on how you can best improve as a writer! Up to 20 attendees will have the opportunity to submit up to 5,000 words of their manuscript in advance of the conference to our attending freelance editor, Lindsay Schopfer. At the conference, attendees who sign up for this feature will then enjoy a 15 minute 1-on-1 consultation with Lindsay to discuss their work, how they can strengthen their craft, and the areas they would benefit the most from improving in. This feature involves a small extra fee.

The Paddle Panel

This perennially popular session involves a faculty panel who listen to the first pages of anonymously submitted works read aloud. When one of our faculty hears something that would make them stop reading, they hold up their paddle and the panel then gets to discuss what worked and didn't work for them about the piece.

All conference attendees can submit a single, double-spaced, first page of a fiction or non-fiction work to be read at the panel. Paddle Panel submissions are gathered at the registration table.

Critique Tables

Refine your masterpiece with feedback from your peers by attending one of our critique tables. Manuscripts are read aloud before being respectfully critiqued with constructive feedback by the others at the table.

Tables are broken up into the following categories:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• YA/Children's
• Traditional Poetry
• Free Verse Poetry

Tables happen on Friday and Sunday, you may bring a unique piece to each critique table opportunity. 

Read our advice on how to prepare for the critique tables, how to behave at the critique tables, and what to expect here!

Author Photos

Faculty member Heather Denton will be taking author photos for a limited number of attendees. Taking author photos can be daunting. These photos will be plastered on your beautiful book-baby, and it can be frustrating when the results miss the mark, so you throw your hands up and decide it’s “good enough”. Don’t settle for selfies and poor lighting. I’ll be at the conference taking photos. You’ll have a 10-minute session with Heather (be hair and makeup ready), where she will pose you and light you up for that back-of-the-book photo that is just as magical as the story inside its pages. 

What your session includes: 

-3 photos taken right on your own mobile device. No waiting, no wondering, no chasing down a photographer for weeks. 

-With Heather's knowledge of posing, composition, and lighting, quick, simple edits can be made by her, right on your phone’s photo app. 

-Heather will have backup equipment with her in the event of any device malfunction.

Click here to register!

Empowering Young Writers Day

What:  A free event for budding new authors to experience a professional workshop on the craft of creative writing from a best-selling and award-winning author, Todd Fahnestock. 

Following is an open mic opportunity, open for all to listen, where students can share their work, followed by a light meal.

The evening wraps up with a talk from Todd, open to the public of all ages. Because no matter who you are or what your age, the time to write is now!

Who:  Young writers grades 5-12, and college freshmen. Curated for ages 12-20.

When:  June 4th, 2026.

2:30 - 4:00 pm, Professional Writing Craft Workshop

4:00 - 4:45 pm, Snack and relax

5:00 - 6:00 pm, Open Mic (open for all to listen)

6:30 - 8:30 - Keynote Address (open to the public of all ages) by Todd Fahnestock - "You Are Ready, the Time to Write is Now!"

Where:  The Ramkota Hotel, Casper, WY

Meet Your Instructor!

Todd Fahnestock

Todd Fahnestock is an award-winning, #1 bestselling author of fantasy for all ages and winner of the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age Award. Threadweavers and The Whisper Prince Trilogy are two of his bestselling epic fantasy series. He is a founder of Eldros Legacy—a multi-author, shared-world mega-epic fantasy series—three-time winner of the Colorado Authors League Award for Writing Excellence, and two-time finalist for the Colorado Book Award for Tower of the Four: The Champions Academy (2021) and Khyven the Unkillable (2022). His passions are great stories and his quirky, fun-loving family. When he’s not writing, he travels the country meeting fans, talks philosophy with his son, plays board games with his wife, dissects movies with his daughter, and plays to the point of bruises with Galahad the Weimaraner. 

Visit Todd at toddfahnestock.com.

Sponsors:

Cody, Wyoming Club

Volunteer Opportunities

You may mark your interest in volunteering for these opportunities in your conference registration. If you are not attending the conference but would still like to volunteer, please email us at wyowriters@gmail.com to let us know! 

Room Host

Time Commitment = Less than an hour for each session (you decide how many sessions you're willing to host)

Assigned to a specific room for a specific session. Introduces the speaker and assists them with their set-up and other needs to help the session go smoothly. Room hosts are assigned to a session they would have wanted to attend anyway, to ensure they get the most out of their conference experience. 

Registration Table Volunteer

Time Commitment = Two hour shifts (you decide how many you take)

Assists with checking in conference attendees and making sure they have their name badges, goodie bags, and other conference materials. Answers basic questions about the conference and its layout as needed. 

Bookstore Cashier

Time Commitment = Two hour shifts (you decide how many you take)

Checks out shoppers at the conference bookstore. Requires handling money and running a Square register.  

2026 Conference Schedule

Click here to register!

Thursday June 4th (Optional Thursday Craft Day)

• 8:00 am - Registration Opens.
• 8:30 - 9:30 am - 
• • Gina Holder:  Slogging Through the Bog:  Writing the Middle of Your Novel
• 9:45 - 10:45 am - 
• • India Hayford:  Beyond the Revenge Novel:  Incorporating Personal Experience and Familiar Locations Into Fiction Without Making it All About You
• 11:00 am - Noon - 
• • Dr. Joanne Spence:  Embodied Writing:  Tools for a Sustainable Creative Life
• Noon - 12:45 pm - Box lunch provided
• 12:45 - 1:45 pm - 
• • Lindsay Schopfer:  The First Draft - Just Get It Down
• 2:00 - 3:00 pm - 
• • Alan O'Hashi:  Writing the First Sentence:  The Line That Earns the Reader
• 3:15 - 4:15 pm - 
• • T.O. Paine:  Revealing Plot and Emotion with Natural Dialogue
• 4:15 - 4:45 pm - Break and snacks
• 5:00 - 6:00 pm - Young Writers Open Mic (please come and support the next generation of writers)
• 6:30- 7:30 pm - Todd Fahnestock Keynote Address - "You Are Ready, The Time to Write Is Now!"
• 7:30 - 8:30 pm - Book signing with Todd Fahnestock

Friday June 5th

• 8:30 am - Registration Opens, Coffee and Pastries - Sponsored by Metro Coffee
• 9:00 - 9:30 am - Opening Ceremonies
• 9:45 - 10:45 am - 
• • Main and North Ballrooms -  Critique Tables and Writer Roundtables
  • Pathfinder Room -  Zoom Session - ScribeShadow:  Let ScribeShadow help bring your words into the world!
• 10:15 -11:00 am - Wyo Poets Meeting in the Teton Room
• 11:00 - Noon - Breakout Session #1
• • Main Ballroom - Todd Fahnestock:  Conquering the Con, Part 1 - Logistics & Presentation 
  • Wyoming Theatre - Matt Stone:  The Science (NOT Art!) of Bestselling Book Cover Design
  • Teton Room - Jomil Ebro: The Unconscious As Gold Mine: Poetry and the Art of Defamiliarization
  • North Ballroom - Andrew Buckley:  Twisted Tales:  A Horror Writing Workshop
  • Pathfinder Room - Zoom Session -Spoken: Creating Immersive Digitally-Narrated Audiobooks with Spoken
• Noon - 1:15 pm - Lunch on your own.
• 12:30 pm - Bookstore opens.
• 1:30 - 2:30 pm - Breakout Sessions #2
• • Main Ballroom - Todd Fahnestock: Conquering the Con, Part 2 - The Pitch
  • Wyoming Theatre - Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong:  Your Agent Meet-Cute:  Where Advance Preparation Meets Author-Agent Compatibility and Success
  • Teton Room - Jomil Ebro: Bodies Churning in the Moonlight: The Poetry of Love and Longing
  • North Ballroom - Cindy Gunderson:  Sustainable Social Media Strategies
  • Gazebo - Roundtable - Roger Carpenter:  Five Things to Know Before You Design a Book Cover
  • Pathfinder Room - Zoom Session - Asturian Book Company:  Reading Between the Lines:  An Author's Guide to Publishing Contracts
• 2:45 - 3:45 pm - Breakout Session #3
• • Main Ballroom - Andrew Buckley:  From Concept to Script - Screenwriting Essentials
  • Wyoming Theatre - TO Paine:  Using Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power to Create a Villain
  • Teton Room - Lauren N. Lipp:  Author Branding for Writers, Not Influencers
  • North Ballroom - Heather Denton:  Writing What You Know:  Transform Adult Adventures into Dynamic Children's Books
  • Gazebo - Roundtable - Alan O'Hashi: The Best Chance: How Indie Writers Get Noticed Together
  • Pathfinder Room - Zoom Session -ScribeShadow:  Office Hours, by appointment. 
• 4:00 - 5:00 pm - Breakout Sessions #4
• • Main Ballroom - TD Donnelly:  How to Win the Lottery:  Tips and Tricks for Selling to Hollywood
  • Wyoming Theatre - Nick Thacker:  So You Want to Write a Non-Fiction Book (And Actually Finish it This Time)
  • Teton Room - TO Paine:  Amazon, Facebook, and Bookbub Advertising:  A 3-Pronged Attack
  • North Ballroom - Lindsay Schopfer:  Telling a Story from the Inside Out
• 5:00 - 6:15 pm - Dinner on your own.
• 6:30 - 8:00 pm - Book Signing and Cocktail Hour - Sponsored by 100 Covers
• 8:15 - 9:30 pm - Open Mic. Tonight's event will kick off with a reading by Barbara Smith, Wyoming’s Poet Laureate, and winners of America's 250th Anniversary Writing Contest.

Saturday June 6th

• 8:30 am - Registration Opens, Coffee and Pastries
• 9:30 - 10:30 am - Breakout Sessions #5
• • Main Ballroom - TD Donnelly:  Deep Character:  Hollywood's Secrets to Amazing, Undeniable Characters
  • Wyoming Theatre - Cindy Gunderson:  Intro to Self-Narration
  • Teton Room - Todd Fahnestock:  The Author Marketer
  • North Ballroom - Fleur Bradley:  How to Write a MG or YA Mystery
  • Gazebo - Roundtable - Writing Heights Writing Association:  The Importance of Writing Communities
  • Pathfinder Room - Zoom Session - Plottr: Visually crafting your story:  How Plottr will be your best writing investment
• 10:45 - 11:45 am - Breakout Sessions #6
• • Wyoming Theatre - Matt Stone:  The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing a Children's Picture Book
  • Teton Room - Gayle Irwin:  Book Funnel:  An Author's Marketing Partner
  • North Ballroom - Lindsay Schopfer:  Breaking the Rules like a Pro
  • Pathfinder Room - Zoom Session - Author Anchor:  Just Write:  Accelerate Your Writing Success with an Author Assistant
• Noon - 1:30 pm - Awards Luncheon -Lunch sponsored by Grenier Ford of Casper; Awards sponsored by Security State Bank of Gillette
• 1:30 - 2:45 pm - General Membership Meeting
• 3:00 - 4:00 pm- Breakout Sessions #7
• • Main Ballroom - Panel:  How to Sell Yourself (Not Just Your Book)
  • Wyoming Theatre - Andrew Buckley:  Writers Unplugged - Prompt-Powered Chaos with Zero Overthinking
  • Teton Room - Cindy Gunderson:  Author Systems and Organization Tools
  • North Ballroom - Jomil Ebro: When Your Whole Being is Involved: Poetry As Gateway to the Flow-State
  • Gazebo - Roundtable - Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America:  Learn about Mystery Writers of America, the leading association for professional crime writers in the United States
  • Remington's - Alan O'Hashi:  The 280-Character Pitch: Hemingway's One True Sentence 
• 4:00 - 5:30 pm - Break
• 5:30 - 7:30 pm - Formal Banquet and Keynote Address by TD Donnelly:  Wired for Story:  Humanity's Long Love Affair with Narrative
• 7:45 - 9:00 pm - Open Mic

Sunday June 7th

8:30 am - Coffee and Pastries

9:00 - 10:00 am - 

• Main Ballroom - Critique Tables and Writer Roundtables

10:15 - 11:30 am - Paddle Panel - Main Ballroom

11:45 - Noon - Closing Ceremonies - Main Ballroom

Click here to register!

Industry Partners

Jackson Hole Writers

For thirty-five years, Jackson Hole Writers has been at the heart of literary life in the Tetons. In the beginning, we were a small group of writers living in Jackson Hole who banded together to organize an annual conference to bring the community of writers we wanted to be part of to our front door (tor to the rainfly of our tent). These days, Jackson Hole Writers work with writers and people who dream of being writers of all ages and who write in all genres to gain skills and knowledge and to celebrate the writing life. We are a community of writers. We build connections and create educational experiences for established and aspiring writers across genres. Jackson Hole Writers envisions a world where all writers are empowered to achieve personal success through opportunity and support.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) is a non-profit, volunteer-run corporation dedicated to supporting, encouraging, and educating writers seeking publication in commercial fiction.

Bookmarked Literary Arts Festival

The Bookmarked Literary Arts Festival is a sister partner of the Wyoming Writers Conference with heart-warming connections among writers and readers around the state. We give voice to the literary and poetic experience of living in our region of the Rocky Mountains by assembling authors for a weekend of reading a blurb of their material to a live audience of confirmed book lovers. Housed in Lander, Wyoming, the Festival weekend showcases artistic ability and storytelling, but perhaps most importantly new and returning dear friends who are cheering each other's journey. We have settled into the second weekend of October as our annual event gathering. This year, we are pleased to further enjoy our community with additional opportunities to meet Wyoming Authors. More info to come!

Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America

League of Utah Writers

The League of Utah Writers is Utah's largest and oldest non-profit writing organization, working to empower the writing and publishing goals of members through community interaction and dynamic educational opportunities from novice through professional levels. With roughly thirty chapters to choose from, the League offers opportunities to connect directly with authors writing similar genres and formats, or based on location, both from specific areas of Utah and in the form of online opportunities. Chapter offerings may include write-ins, critiques, classes, networking, and more. Many offer opportunities to attend classes and write-ins to make sure the chapter is a good fit before joining. We invite writers from across the world that are looking to expand their writing skills, knowledge, and networks to join us.

Writing Heights

Writing Heights (WHWA) is a primarily virtual professional writing organization with a strong regional focus. We support writers with education, resources, networking, collaboration, submission assistance, and promotion. Based in Northern Colorado, we embrace diversity and welcome writers and poets of all levels. We believe in connecting, even across the miles, through virtual forums, workshops, and classes. If you’re in the area, we offer in-person events that support and uplift local businesses along the Front Range.

Kingdom Creative Writers

Kingdom Creative Writers is a Christian writer’s group located in Casper, Wyoming. We meet monthly for workshops and critiques. We work together to support each other in our work and personal lives. This group is open to all writers of Christian and clean literature, regardless of experience or genre.

WyoPoets

WyoPoets is an organization of persons who write poetry for publication and/or as a hobby. Although most of our members are in Wyoming, we have several members located in neighboring states and other areas of the country. Our mission is to provide a base for mutual help and inspiration by encouraging interest in poetry throughout the state of Wyoming. This can be achieved by writing, publishing, studying, and sharing poetry in its many forms. WyoPoets is a 501(c)(3) organization as well as the Wyoming branch of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (www.nfsps.net).

Author Anchor

ScribeShadow

ScribeShadow is your trusted partner in novel translation. Using advanced AI technology, we make translating your novel affordable, effortless, and efficient. ScribeShadow ensures smooth, high-quality translations, helping your stories reach a global audience with ease.

We’re a small, family-run team, indie at heart and not a big tech company. Before ScribeShadow, we ran a small publishing press, so we know the indie grind firsthand. That’s why we build tools that are practical, economical, and author-friendly, made to help indie authors reach new readers worldwide.

Let ScribeShadow help bring your words to the world!

Spoken

Discover how Spoken is transforming audiobook creation through digital narration, empowering authors to craft custom voices for every character in their story. You can even support professional voice actors who license their cloned voices. Built with authors in mind, Spoken Studio enables you to deliver a compelling, multi-cast audio experience in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional production. By analyzing your manuscript and characters, Spoken helps recommend or generate voices tailored to your story, giving you full creative control while producing studio-quality audiobooks ready for distribution. Learn more at www.spoken.press.

Plottr

Asturian Book Company

Asturian Book Company (or ABC) is a hybrid publishing house for authors by authors, seeking to blend the elements of traditional publishing with the creative control and profits largely going to authors. David and Humberto started Asturian Book Company off of the success of their first two novels from the Gabriel Lock series: Bound by Law and Bound by Fate. Together, they seek to empower authors and push them forward, advocating for their authors and pulling books our of them, not forcing books into them.

100 Covers

With over 20,000 book covers design to date and a talented team of 55 and growing, 100 Covers has made more book covers for indie authors than any other book cover design service on the planet. They consider themselves book cover "scientists" rather than "artists" and have tracked the real-world performance of all of their book covers in the Amazon market to ensure their covers are not just pretty rectangles, but precise, well-researched, on-trend creations competing head to head against the bestsellers across a wide range of niches and genres. 

1000 Storybooks

Launched in 2020, 1000 Storybooks is a full-service, one-stop shop for authors looking to self-publish their very own children's picture book--from editing to illustration to book cover design and formatting--1000 Storybooks provides everything needed to turn a rough manuscript into a professional picture book published as an ebook, paperback, and hardcover on the global marketplace.  

Book Career in a Year

Creative Book Design

I founded Creative Books Design in 2018 with the award-winning title Atlantic City Wyoming: Voices from a Powerful Place, which earned first place in Non-Fiction from the Wyoming Historical Society that year. Drawing on decades of experience in marketing, branding, advertising, and packaging, I bring a strategic, creative approach to every project. I design book covers with purpose, creating covers that not only stand out but also draw readers in, spark curiosity, and leave a lasting impression.

- Roger Carpenter, Creative Books Design

2026 Awards Nominations

Wyoming Writers, Inc. gives four awards every year.

• The Western Horizon - Given to writers who have had their first major publication in the last year. Multiple writers may win this award in a given year. 
• The Milestone Award - Recognizes ongoing achievement in the careers of authors.
• The Arizola Magnenat - Awarded to a person, business, organization, or other entity who has given special encouragement and motivation to writers in the last year. 
• The Emmie Mygatt Award - Our highest honor, recognizing an individual who has provided outstanding service to the organization in the past year. 

See a full list of past award winners here.

Nominations are closed for 2026