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Type: Skills Day clear filter
Wednesday, February 5
 

9:15am MST

From Idea to the End (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
(Part 1 of 2) A complete toolkit for building a novel.
Speakers
avatar for Kevin Ikenberry

Kevin Ikenberry

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek, bestselling science fiction and alternate history author, and teacher. With more than twenty-five novels published in multiple universes under his belt, Kevin continues writing stories uplifting the power of the human spirit in difficult... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
  Skills Day

9:15am MST

Making Your Scenes Three-Dimensional Through the Five Senses (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
White River I
(Part 1 of 2) This is an interactive workshop to deepen your scenes. You will be writing and we will review, live.
Speakers
avatar for Craig Martelle

Craig Martelle

Craig Martelle is a million-selling author of Sci-Fi and Thrillers. He runs the Successful Indie Author series of author-help videos, books, and group.
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
White River I
  Skills Day

9:15am MST

Outlining Mastery: How to Outline Books that Sell (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Arkansas
(Part 1 of 2) How to outline books that sell.
Speakers
avatar for Nick Thacker

Nick Thacker

I'm a USA Today Bestselling Author, with over 40 thrillers published to my name. I run Book Career In A Year, helping authors reach the next level.
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Arkansas
  Skills Day

9:15am MST

Playing God: Creating Planets and Peoples for Prose and Profit (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Manitou
(Part 1 of 2) The objective is to help you create the best—and most natural—planets on which to set your stories. We’ll start with a few key tricks of the planet-creating trade, move on to some familiar examples, but the real fun starts in the second half of the session, where we’ll give all that information a test run . . . in a workshop where you get to create (or enrich) the planet and people you want to use for your stories.
Speakers
avatar for Chuck Gannon

Chuck Gannon

Dr. Charles E. Gannon‘s best-selling books have won the Dragon Award, the ALA Choice Award (Outstanding Book), the Compton Crook Award, and have been nominated for four Nebulas. He is best known for the Caine Riordan series of hard sf novels, which have all been national best-sellers... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Manitou
  Skills Day

9:15am MST

Setting the Stage on the Page: Making the WHERE Matter (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Rio Grande
(Part 1 of 2) An overview of basic world-building issues to consider along with techniques for how to make setting more symbolic.
Speakers
avatar for Lisa Mangum

Lisa Mangum

Lisa Mangum is the Managing Editor for Shadow Mountain. She is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels, several short stories and novellas, and the nonfiction book Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published. She regularly teaches at writing conferences. She lives in... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Rio Grande
  Skills Day

9:15am MST

Supercharge Your Sales by Mastering the Customer Connection (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Colorado
(Part 1 of 2) Join us for an immersive 3-hour intensive class designed to empower authors with strategies to boost sales by building strong connections with customers. Learn from industry experts Lydia Sherrer and David Sherrer as they share insights on distilling emotional promises, mastering in-person sales and networking, and cultivating digital tribes.
Speakers
avatar for David Sherrer

David Sherrer

David Sherrer is a lifelong gamer and story teller, and is the Marketing Director of Chenoweth Press and Lead Game Designer of Chenoweth Games. His debut card game "Cat Magic: The Game" released in 2022 and was funded on Kickstarter within hours of launching.
avatar for Lydia Sherrer

Lydia Sherrer

Lydia Sherrer is the award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author of the Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe of books which have sold over three-quarters of a million copies worldwide. She has also published the TransDimensional Hunter series with NYT bestselling author John Ringo... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Colorado
  Skills Day

9:15am MST

Sustainable Project Management for Creatives (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Platte
(Part 1 of 2) The method taught in this class encompasses the Writers' Life and helps creatives to find the work-life balance using a custom, agile model designed with creatives in mind.
Speakers
avatar for Marie Whittaker

Marie Whittaker

Marie Whittaker enjoys teaching about publishing and project management for writers. She’s Associate Publisher at WordFire Press and Executive Director of Superstars Writing. She started her career writing horror. Marie created The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch, is published in Weird... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST
Platte
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

From Idea to the End (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
(Part 2 of 2) A complete toolkit for building a novel.
Speakers
avatar for Kevin Ikenberry

Kevin Ikenberry

Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek, bestselling science fiction and alternate history author, and teacher. With more than twenty-five novels published in multiple universes under his belt, Kevin continues writing stories uplifting the power of the human spirit in difficult... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

Making Your Scenes Three-Dimensional Through the Five Senses (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
White River I
(Part 2 of 2) This is an interactive workshop to deepen your scenes. You will be writing and we will review, live.
Speakers
avatar for Craig Martelle

Craig Martelle

Craig Martelle is a million-selling author of Sci-Fi and Thrillers. He runs the Successful Indie Author series of author-help videos, books, and group.
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
White River I
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

Outlining Mastery: How to Outline Books that Sell (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Arkansas
(Part 2 of 2) How to outline books that sell.
Speakers
avatar for Nick Thacker

Nick Thacker

I'm a USA Today Bestselling Author, with over 40 thrillers published to my name. I run Book Career In A Year, helping authors reach the next level.
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Arkansas
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

Playing God: Creating Planets and Peoples for Prose and Profit (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Manitou
(Part 2 of 2) The objective is to help you create the best—and most natural—planets on which to set your stories. We’ll start with a few key tricks of the planet-creating trade, move on to some familiar examples, but the real fun starts in the second half of the session, where we’ll give all that information a test run . . . in a workshop where you get to create (or enrich) the planet and people you want to use for your stories.
Speakers
avatar for Chuck Gannon

Chuck Gannon

Dr. Charles E. Gannon‘s best-selling books have won the Dragon Award, the ALA Choice Award (Outstanding Book), the Compton Crook Award, and have been nominated for four Nebulas. He is best known for the Caine Riordan series of hard sf novels, which have all been national best-sellers... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Manitou
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

Setting the Stage on the Page: Making the WHERE Matter (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Rio Grande
(Part 2 of 2) An overview of basic world-building issues to consider along with techniques for how to make setting more symbolic.
Speakers
avatar for Lisa Mangum

Lisa Mangum

Lisa Mangum is the Managing Editor for Shadow Mountain. She is also the author of four national best-selling YA novels, several short stories and novellas, and the nonfiction book Write Fearless. Edit Smart. Get Published. She regularly teaches at writing conferences. She lives in... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Rio Grande
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

Supercharge Your Sales by Mastering the Customer Connection (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Colorado
(Part 2 of 2) Join us for an immersive 3-hour intensive class designed to empower authors with strategies to boost sales by building strong connections with customers. Learn from industry experts Lydia Sherrer and David Sherrer as they share insights on distilling emotional promises, mastering in-person sales and networking, and cultivating digital tribes.
Speakers
avatar for David Sherrer

David Sherrer

David Sherrer is a lifelong gamer and story teller, and is the Marketing Director of Chenoweth Press and Lead Game Designer of Chenoweth Games. His debut card game "Cat Magic: The Game" released in 2022 and was funded on Kickstarter within hours of launching.
avatar for Lydia Sherrer

Lydia Sherrer

Lydia Sherrer is the award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author of the Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe of books which have sold over three-quarters of a million copies worldwide. She has also published the TransDimensional Hunter series with NYT bestselling author John Ringo... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Colorado
  Skills Day

11:00am MST

Sustainable Project Management for Creatives (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Platte
(Part 2 of 2) The method taught in this class encompasses the Writers' Life and helps creatives to find the work-life balance using a custom, agile model designed with creatives in mind.
Speakers
avatar for Marie Whittaker

Marie Whittaker

Marie Whittaker enjoys teaching about publishing and project management for writers. She’s Associate Publisher at WordFire Press and Executive Director of Superstars Writing. She started her career writing horror. Marie created The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch, is published in Weird... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST
Platte
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Automate to Dominate: Transforming Direct Sales with Email Automation (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Manitou
(Part 1 of 2) Create reader retention, boost sales, and increase customer lifetime value all with email automations that make you money while you sleep.
Speakers
avatar for Dana Claire

Dana Claire

Dana Claire, a marketing and sales expert, public speaker, and young adult author, founded The INKfluence, a specialized marketing agency for authors. The INKfluence offers special edition design & production, Kickstarter campaign management, and direct sales website build outs. Passionate... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Manitou
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Characterization and World Building (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
(Part 1 of 2) How to create believable characters in a dynamic world.
Speakers
avatar for Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and his new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Chasing Hollywood (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Arkansas
(Part 1 of 2) In today’s Hollywood the writer is king. Many of today’s hottest movies and TV shows are based on IPs (Intellectual Properties)—aka your published works. NY Times Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars, Rot & Ruin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Joe Ledger) discusses how to break in; options; becoming Executive Producers; crafting a pitch-deck; dealing with studio execs; and much more. This is the true insiders’ perspective on moving your work from print to screen.
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was produced as a Netflix original series. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Arkansas
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Sharpening Your Writer's Third Eye (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Platte
(Part 1 of 2) A hands on workshop on how to write better using techniques used by the top 1% of fiction writers
Speakers
avatar for Michael La Ronn

Michael La Ronn

Michael La Ronn (also known as M.L. Ronn) has published over 100 science fiction & fantasy novels and self-help books for writers.Michael also runs the award-winning YouTube channel “Author Level Up,” with over 40,000 subscribers and 2 million views. Writer’s Digest voted the... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Platte
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Strata: the Underlying Layers of Skillful Writing (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Colorado
(Part 1 of 2) There is more to writing skill than just avoiding typos and grammatical errors. Like a mountain, good writing is supported by countless layers of substance that may not be visible on the surface—dialog, pacing, theme, sensory images, micro-storytelling, and more. Do you know the strata of good writing?
Speakers
avatar for Kevin J. Anderson

Kevin J. Anderson

Kevin J. Anderson is one of the founders of Superstars, a #1 international bestselling author known for his work in the Dune, Star Wars, X-Files, Batman and Superman universes. He is also publisher of WordFire Press, and director of the Publishing Masters Degree program at Western... Read More →
avatar for Rebecca Moesta

Rebecca Moesta

Rebecca Moesta (pronounced MESS-tuh) is a freelance editor, co-publisher at WordFire Press, and bestselling author. She writes SF/F and nonfiction books for writers, both solo and with her husband, Kevin J. Anderson. Her work includes novels in Star Wars, Star Trek, and Buffy the... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Colorado
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

The Cover Story: A Workshop on Cover Design (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Rio Grande
(Part 1 of 2) In this workshop, James will discuss how to bring together all of the elements that make a successful, attractive cover, and then demonstrate by live workshopping up to four covers submitted by attendees. Anyone wishing to have their cover(s) considered needs to to submit a PDF by no later than January 20th. I'll choose up to four to workshop, and will probably comment on several more. No one is required to submit covers, since teaching attendees about what works is the point of the class – but if anyone wishes to, they may end up with all-new covers at the end of the session.
Speakers
avatar for James Artimus Owen

James Artimus Owen

James Artimus Owen is part artist, part writer, and all heart. He has written and illustrated the Mythworld series, two dozen Starchild comics, available as The Twentieth Anniversary Nearly-Complete Essential Starchild, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (and coloring books... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
Rio Grande
  Skills Day

2:00pm MST

Top 20 Mistakes (Part 1)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
White River I
(Part 1 of 2) Joshua Essoe, a professional editor, gives an in depth look at the top 20 mistakes he sees writers most frequently making in fiction writing.
Speakers
avatar for Joshua Essoe

Joshua Essoe

Joshua Essoe is a full-time editor who’s edited for NYT bestsellers, like David Farland and Piers Anthony, along with hundreds of independents. His books on writing, funded in just hours on Kickstarter cover the most-common issues he sees in fiction writing. Find him teaching at... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST
White River I
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Automate to Dominate: Transforming Direct Sales with Email Automation (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Manitou
(Part 2 of 2) Create reader retention, boost sales, and increase customer lifetime value all with email automations that make you money while you sleep.
Speakers
avatar for Dana Claire

Dana Claire

Dana Claire, a marketing and sales expert, public speaker, and young adult author, founded The INKfluence, a specialized marketing agency for authors. The INKfluence offers special edition design & production, Kickstarter campaign management, and direct sales website build outs. Passionate... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Manitou
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Characterization and World Building (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
(Part 2 of 2) How to create believable characters in a dynamic world.
Speakers
avatar for Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and his new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Amphitheater (EPR)
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Chasing Hollywood (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Arkansas
(Part 2 of 2) In today’s Hollywood the writer is king. Many of today’s hottest movies and TV shows are based on IPs (Intellectual Properties)—aka your published works. NY Times Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars, Rot & Ruin, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Joe Ledger) discusses how to break in; options; becoming Executive Producers; crafting a pitch-deck; dealing with studio execs; and much more. This is the true insiders’ perspective on moving your work from print to screen.
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was produced as a Netflix original series. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Arkansas
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Sharpening Your Writer's Third Eye (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Platte
(Part 2 of 2) A hands on workshop on how to write better using techniques used by the top 1% of fiction writers
Speakers
avatar for Michael La Ronn

Michael La Ronn

Michael La Ronn (also known as M.L. Ronn) has published over 100 science fiction & fantasy novels and self-help books for writers.Michael also runs the award-winning YouTube channel “Author Level Up,” with over 40,000 subscribers and 2 million views. Writer’s Digest voted the... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Platte
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Strata: the Underlying Layers of Skillful Writing (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Colorado
(Part 2 of 2) There is more to writing skill than just avoiding typos and grammatical errors. Like a mountain, good writing is supported by countless layers of substance that may not be visible on the surface—dialog, pacing, theme, sensory images, micro-storytelling, and more. Do you know the strata of good writing?
Speakers
avatar for Kevin J. Anderson

Kevin J. Anderson

Kevin J. Anderson is one of the founders of Superstars, a #1 international bestselling author known for his work in the Dune, Star Wars, X-Files, Batman and Superman universes. He is also publisher of WordFire Press, and director of the Publishing Masters Degree program at Western... Read More →
avatar for Rebecca Moesta

Rebecca Moesta

Rebecca Moesta (pronounced MESS-tuh) is a freelance editor, co-publisher at WordFire Press, and bestselling author. She writes SF/F and nonfiction books for writers, both solo and with her husband, Kevin J. Anderson. Her work includes novels in Star Wars, Star Trek, and Buffy the... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Colorado
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

The Cover Story: A Workshop on Cover Design (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Rio Grande
(Part 2 of 2) In this workshop, James will discuss how to bring together all of the elements that make a successful, attractive cover, and then demonstrate by live workshopping up to four covers submitted by attendees. Anyone wishing to have their cover(s) considered needs to to submit a PDF by no later than January 20th. I'll choose up to four to workshop, and will probably comment on several more. No one is required to submit covers, since teaching attendees about what works is the point of the class – but if anyone wishes to, they may end up with all-new covers at the end of the session.
Speakers
avatar for James Artimus Owen

James Artimus Owen

James Artimus Owen is part artist, part writer, and all heart. He has written and illustrated the Mythworld series, two dozen Starchild comics, available as The Twentieth Anniversary Nearly-Complete Essential Starchild, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica (and coloring books... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
Rio Grande
  Skills Day

3:45pm MST

Top 20 Mistakes (Part 2)
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
White River I
(Part 2 of 2) Joshua Essoe, a professional editor, gives an in depth look at the top 20 mistakes he sees writers most frequently making in fiction writing.
Speakers
avatar for Joshua Essoe

Joshua Essoe

Joshua Essoe is a full-time editor who’s edited for NYT bestsellers, like David Farland and Piers Anthony, along with hundreds of independents. His books on writing, funded in just hours on Kickstarter cover the most-common issues he sees in fiction writing. Find him teaching at... Read More →
Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST
White River I
  Skills Day
 
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