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August 7th - 10th, 2025

2025 Boot Camps and Workshops

*Please note, life sometimes happens.

Classes are subject to change. 

Boot Camps

Thursday, August 7th at 9am

Separate ticket required

Traditional Publishing Prep

Three working industry professionals, bestselling authors Michael A. Stackpole and Bryan Young, and Shadowrun and BattleTech editor Katherine Monasterio, will take you personally through your first chapter, query letter, and synopsis to get them ready for publication in this hands on, critiquing workshop.

Here are the things you need to have ready to submit by August 1st when attending this bootcamp (all .doc files in standard manuscript format) :

First chapter
Query letter
Synopsis

More information on how to submit these items and when will be provided via email when registration closes for this bootcamp.

Building Your Author Toolbox

No matter your publishing path, sharing your writing means you're also sharing yourself. Authors Christina Allen, Caryn Larrinaga, and Jodi L. Milner will help you build a public author persona so you can portray yourself to readers confidently and authentically.

You'll leave the session with a customized professional bio and press kit, choose a reader magnet, and learn how to start a website and newsletter.

Bring your own laptop

Three-Hour Workshops

Thursday, August 7th

Included with registration

The Worldbuilding Funnel

Cut down the overwhelm of worldbuilding with this intuitive process of creating a secondary world from the bottom-up. We will inspect the patterns and “rules” of our world as a jumping off point to the expand the world of your creation. This class also advises which wordbuilding aspects your novel may need the most focus and detail, and which may need less.

Presented by:

Callie Stoker

Cliches: Courage to play with words

In this workshop we will go over different Cliches and how to spice up your words when writing.

Presented by:

Sammi Walker

Building Deep, Complex Characters

Sometimes people talk about characterization, plot, and setting as distinct skills. This in-depth workshop talks about how to create deep, complex characters using setting and description to ground the reader in their point of view, while using plot to take them through significant, emotionally moving character arcs.

Presented by:

Courtney Milan

Writing and Publishing from End to End

A workshop that covers the full process of writing, editing, and publishing a work independently, including commissioning artwork, considering audio, and all the relevant steps along the path. In addition, we'll discuss traditional publishing pros and cons, and things to bear in mind depending on your publication goals.

Presented by:

Travis Baldree

Dial Up Your Dialogue

Dive into the nitty-gritty of what makes memorable, effective dialogue, all to drive character, propel the plot, and keep readers hooked. Bring some dialogue to edit!

Presented by:

Katherine Monasterio

The Wordsmith's Guide to Voice and Style

An author’s voice and style develop over time, with equal parts artistic instinct, attention to mastery, and awareness of genre and audience. In this masterclass, you’ll work to discover and develop your own unique writing style as it relates to the types of stories you want to tell.

Presented by:

Angie Hodapp

21 Days to a Novel

This set of 21 exercises is broken down to give you everything from character creation to world building, practical plotting devices, dialogue development and character voice creation tools. This program is a practical, kick-in-the-pants place to start your career.

Presented by:

Michael A. Stackpole

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Workshops
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