Superstars Writing Seminars 2025

Superstars Writing Seminars 2025

9:15am MST

Playing God: Creating Planets and Peoples for Prose and Profit (Part 1)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am MST

(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

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

11:00am MST

Playing God: Creating Planets and Peoples for Prose and Profit (Part 2)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm MST

(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

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

2:00pm MST

Automate to Dominate: Transforming Direct Sales with Email Automation (Part 1)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm MST

(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

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

3:45pm MST

Automate to Dominate: Transforming Direct Sales with Email Automation (Part 2)

Wednesday February 5, 2025 3:45pm - 5:15pm MST

(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

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

10:15am MST

The Literary Professional: 12 Pillars to Make You the Writer Every Publisher Wants

Thursday February 6, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MST

Do you wonder if you have what it takes to be a professional, successful author? Are you considering pitching to an agent or publisher? Do you have any idea what to expect from the publishing process if you’re actually accepted? Casey Cowan, co-founder and President of Oghma Communications, is here to answer all your questions and more with his workshop, The Literary Professional: 12 Pillars to Make You the Writer Every Publisher Wants. By the end of this session, your toolkit will be full to bursting with the implements it takes to pitch to anyone with confidence. You’ll discover what the life of a real author is like, learn the kind of research it takes to be successful in your genre, find tips and resources to help hone your craft, realize the commitment it takes to be a professional, and understand how and why you need to make a business plan for your writing career. Perhaps best of all, you’ll be able to get past the myths and skewed expectations of the publishing industry, so you know what to expect for yourself and your books in the future. Don’t miss your chance to take part in this insider’s view of today’s fast-moving publishing industry.

Speakers

Amy Cowan

Amy Cowan, a seasoned professional with nearly a decade of experience in publishing, excels in acquisitions, editing, and financial intricacies. Presently the Publisher at Young Dragons, an imprint of Roan & Weatherford Publishing Associates, she spearheads Children’s and Middle... Read More →

Thursday February 6, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am MST
Manitou

Session

11:30am MST

The Care and Feeding of your Cover Artist

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MST

How do you get the masterpiece you want while still giving your artist full artistic freedom?

Speakers

Chaz Kemp

I have been a professional illustrator for 25 years and I've done hundreds of book covers, interior illustrations and posters for clients in dozens of industries. In that time, I've studied marketing, branding and business. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge with the Superstars... Read More →

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm MST
Manitou

Session

2:00pm MST

It Shouldn't Hurt to Write: Ergonomics for Writers

Thursday February 6, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST

Writing can be physically taxing—even painful—but it doesn’t have to be. In this workshop Moesta will introduce the general principles of writing “ergonomically” no matter where you write—a desk, the park, a coffee shop, or even in bed. She covers the major ways that writing can hurt you physically, and how to prevent them, as well as symptoms to watch for, quick, easy fixes, and references for medical care when necessary. You’ll come away from this class knowing how to set yourself and your writing space up to nurture and protect your body while you write. Because writing shouldn’t hurt!

Speakers

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 →

Thursday February 6, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Manitou

Session

3:15pm MST

Mastering Book Formatting in Vellum

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MST

Join Kerrie Flanagan for an engaging workshop on mastering book formatting using Vellum.

Speakers

Kerrie Flanagan

Kerrie Flanagan, with 25+ years in publishing, is an accomplished author, consultant, and instructor. She’s written for top magazines, authored 24 books, and developed the Magazine Writing Blueprint. Kerrie supports authors through her expertise and dedication and through speaking... Read More →

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm MST
Manitou

Session

4:30pm MST

Author Assistants: The Secret to Avoiding Burnout

Thursday February 6, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm MST

Unlock the secret power of multiplying your efforts with author assistants!

Speakers

Adriel Wiggins

Adriel Wiggins provides a variety of services to authors from continuity editing and audiobook proofing to virtual assistant tasks and organizing your business. Find out more at AdrielWiggins.com

Thursday February 6, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm MST
Manitou

Session

8:45am MST

A New Take on Raising the Stakes

Friday February 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST

Once you understand—more accurately—the relationship between plot and stakes, you can create and raise them more easily and effectively.

Speakers

September C. Fawkes

September C. Fawkes works as a freelance editor and writing instructor and is best known for her award-winning writing tip blog, SeptemberCFawkes.com. She has edited for award-winning and best-selling authors as well as beginning writers. For seven years she worked with David Farland... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST
Manitou

Session

10:00am MST

Avoiding the Sophomore Novel Slump

Friday February 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST

Master the art of writing on deadline and avoiding the dreaded "sophomore novel slump"

Speakers

Jennifer Brody

Jennifer Brody (a/k/a Vera Strange) is a Bram Stoker Award Finalist and the author of A SACRIFICE OF BLOOD & STARS, DISNEY CHILLS, THE 13TH CONTINUUM trilogy, STAR WARS: STORIES OF JEDI AND SITH, and SPECTRE DEEP 6, prompting Forbes to call her “a star in the graphic novel worl... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Manitou

Session

11:15am MST

TribeTalks: “Ted Talk” Style Presentations from Tribe

Friday February 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST

Critical Community: How to Build an Excellent Critique Group (presented by Elise Stephens)
Harnessing Your “Starter” energy to become a “Finisher” (presented by C.L. Fors)
East Meets West: Exploring the Fusion of Storytelling Traditions (presented by Sammie Trinidad)

Moderators

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 →

Speakers

C.L. Fors

CL Fors, Cherrie Lynn to her friends, is an author, illustrator, and publisher hailing from the California desert where she lives with her author husband, four clever children, and a small menagerie of creatures. She is a recent Illustrators of the Future winner and author of the... Read More →

Elise Stephens

Elise Stephens (she/her) writes stories influenced by the themes of family, memory, and finding hope after a devastating loss. She also draws inspiration from her love for theater and a globetrotting childhood. She is a first-place winner of Writers of the Future (2019) and a finalist... Read More →

Sammie Trinidad

Sammie Trinidad likes to call herself the "Filipina Wonder Woman" - she even has the cosplay to prove it. Her stories include romance, both in SFF and contemporary, and her stories have been published in League of Utah Writer anthologies and the Eagle Con anthology. The three C's... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST
Manitou

Session

1:45pm MST

Elephants and Elevators: Demystifying Marketing

Friday February 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST

Focusing on marketing principles and how they apply to self-publishing and indie authors, this class will be an exploration of marketing and how to make it work for you. Advertising is only one small part of marketing and understanding what else it is will help you to be more a more effective promoter.

Speakers

Logan Uber

The Brothers Uber

Logan Uber, author, publisher, and presenter, has more than a decade of marketing and crowdfunding experience. He runs the Brothers Uber, a publishing house with a focus on telling great stories. He holds four master’s degrees and has been a guest lecturer at schools throughout... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST
Manitou

Session

3:00pm MST

Indie Author Book Services

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST

TBD

Speakers

Dave Sheets

Indie Author Book Services

Dave Sheets has spent more than 28 years in the publishing industry working with many of the top book publishers, distributors, and printers in the industry, followed by owning a publishing services company working with independent authors. He has served clients in various sales and... Read More →

Friday February 7, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Manitou

Session

8:45am MST

Write (or Revise) to a Theme

Saturday February 8, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST

Learn the secret ingredients for writing theme.

Speakers

September C. Fawkes

September C. Fawkes works as a freelance editor and writing instructor and is best known for her award-winning writing tip blog, SeptemberCFawkes.com. She has edited for award-winning and best-selling authors as well as beginning writers. For seven years she worked with David Farland... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MST
Manitou

Session

10:00am MST

Write on Time: Secrets to Staying Organized and Stress-Free

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST

Learn practical strategies to organize your writing projects, prioritize tasks, and create effective schedules to meet deadlines with confidence and reduce stress.

Speakers

Clark Rowenson

Fascinated by magic since pine cones could be fireballs, C. R. Rowenson (Clark) is an award-winning author, blogger, and writing coach that studies magic building like others study oil-painting. His prime directive is to help storytellers craft and repair unforgettable magic systems... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Manitou

Session

11:15am MST

Best Practices: Author Bio & Photo

Saturday February 8, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST

An easy-to-use system of "best practices" for creating an author bio and photo that really work

Speakers

Chris Mandeville

Chris Mandeville is an unrepentant coffee drinker, night owl, and binge writer. She’s been teaching writing workshops for 15+ years, and loves to attend reader/writer events alongside her service dog, Oski. Her publications include nonfiction for writers, as well as short and novel-length... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm MST
Manitou

Session

1:45pm MST

Agile for Project Management for Authors

Saturday February 8, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST

This workshop will demonstrate techniques for making use of your limited writing time using Agile Project Management techniques from the software development world.

Speakers

David R. Slayton

David R. Slayton (he/him) grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he writes the books he always wanted to read. His epic fantasy, Dark Moon, Shallow Sea, won... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm MST
Manitou

Session

3:00pm MST

Bringing Historical Fiction to Life (the Village Idiot Way)

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST

Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Take Your Historical Fiction to the Next Level

Speakers

Steve Ruskin

Steve Ruskin writes science fiction with a streak of rebellion, and historical thrillers with a hint of magic. He is also an award-winning historian, with a PhD in History of Science. He’s been a professor, a mountain bike guide, and a number of things in between.

Saturday February 8, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Manitou

Session

4:15pm MST

The Importance of Loglines

Saturday February 8, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm MST

Summarizing and Pitching Your Novel to an Agent

Speakers

JT Evans

J.T. Evans writes fantasy and urban fantasy novels. He’ll dabble with sci-fi and horror in short form as well. He is the former president of the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group and Pikes Peak Writers. When not writing, he secures computers at the Day Job, and plays way too... Read More →

Saturday February 8, 2025 4:15pm - 5:15pm MST
Manitou

Session