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TBA

2026 Conference faculty

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lindsay Schopfer

More information forthcoming!

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.

Accommodations

We will be at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper this year. Reservation details will be released as they become available.

bookstore

TBA

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! 

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:

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

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

Example Schedule

Note:  Below is the schedule for our 2025 conference. It is here as an example of what you can expect, but is NOT the official schedule for 2026. 

Friday, June 6th

• 8:30 AM – Registration Opens
• 8:30 - 9:30 AM – Coffee/Breakfast
• 9:15 - 9:45 AM – Opening Ceremony

• 10:00 - 11:00 AM – Critique Sessions 1 (South & Central Ballrooms)

Breakout Session #1 (11:00 AM – 12:00 PM)

• Wyoming Theater – Mark Stevens: Don't Do What Gary Did
• Teton Room – Bernadette Soehner:  The Fine Line Between Indie and Traditional Publishing
• North Ballroom – Matt Daly:  New Maps to an Open Field

• 12:00 - 1:15 PM – Lunch on Your Own

• 12:30 PM – Bookstore Opens (Seminoe Room)

Breakout Session #2 (1:30 – 2:30 PM)

• Wyoming Theater – Mark Stevens: Write What You Don’t Know
• Teton Room – Lindsay Schopfer: From Body Language to Brawls
• North Ballroom – Nick Thacker: Marketing in 2025 (and Beyond)

• 1:30 - 5:00 PM – Pitch Sessions (Alcova & Pathfinder Rooms)

Breakout Session #3 (2:45 – 3:45 PM)
• Wyoming Theater – Amanda Cabot: Great Beginnings or How to Hook an Editor
• Teton Room – Lindsay Schopfer: Creating Original Worlds
• North Ballroom – Linda Rae Sande: Sex and Fiction Over 40

Breakout Session #4 (4:00 – 5:00 PM)
• Wyoming Theater – Amanda Cabot: Butterflies in Formation: Techniques to Tame the Fear of Public Speaking
• Teton Room – Hallie Guidry: Selling Out or Living the Dream? Freelance Editing and Ghostwriting
• North Ballroom – Linda Rae Sande: I Wrote a Book — Now What Do I Do?

• 5:00 PM – Bookstore Closes
• 5:00 - 6:30 PM – Dinner on Your Own
• 6:30 - 7:30 PM – Cocktail Hour – Meet & Greet – Author Signing
• 6:30 - 9:00 PM – Bookstore Open
• 7:30 - 9:00 PM – Open Mic

Saturday, June 7th

• 8:30 AM – Registration Opens
• 8:30 - 9:30 AM – Coffee/Breakfast
• 9:00 AM – Bookstore Opens
• 9:30 - 12:00 PM – Pitch Sessions

Session #5 (9:45 – 10:45 AM)

• Wyoming Theater – Mark Stevens: From Pulp to Meta
• Teton Room – Lindsay Schopfer: Investing in Your Writing Career
• North Ballroom – Linda Rae Sande: Fill Those Fields for Maximum Royalties

Session #6 (11:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
• Wyoming Theater – Amanda Cabot: The Balancing Act of Writing Historical Fiction
• Teton Room – Barbara Smith:  Mining Your Memories

• North Ballroom – Nick Thacker: Leverage Your Assets

• 12:00 - 1:30 PM – Lunch & Awards
• 1:30 - 2:30 PM – General Membership Meeting
• 1:30 - 3:00 PM – Pitch Sessions (continued)
• 3:00 - 4:00 PM – Publishers Panel
• 4:00 PM – Bookstore Closes
• 4:00 - 5:30 PM – Break
• 5:30 - 7:30 PM – Formal Banquet – Keynote Address
• 7:30 - 9:00 PM – Open Mic
• 7:30 - 9:00 PM – Bookstore Open

Sunday, June 8th

• 8:30 AM – Registration Opens
• 8:30 - 9:30 AM – Coffee/Breakfast
• 8:30 - 9:30 AM – Bookstore Last- Chance Hour
• 9:30 - 11:00 AM – Paddle Panel
• 11:00 - 11:30 AM – Closing Remarks

• 11:15 - 12:15 PM – Critique Table Round 2 (South & Central Ballrooms)

• 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM – New Board of Directors Meeting (New & Old Board Members)

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 Open:  TBA

Nomination Deadline:  TBA

Nom

Awards will be presented at the 52nd Annual WW, Inc. Conference