Conferences & Conventions

 

Upcoming Appearances

Storymakers Conference, Provo, Utah, May 9 - 11, 2024

Past Appearances

Conferences and Conventions:

"Raising the Stakes: Making Your Readers Care about Your Story" LTUE, Provo, Utah, February 16, 2024

Library Teen Virtual Convention, Discord, September 5 - October 27, 2023

"The Truth is Out There: 30 Years of The X-Files" FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 23rd, 2023

"Mooncalfs, Hippogriffs, and Gnomes, Oh My: Sorting Out the Creatures from the Harry Potter Universe" FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 22nd, 2023

"Love & Peace! The Trigun Panel" FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 21st, 2023

"'Be Ye Steadfast and Immoveable': Writing Protagonists without Change Arcs," Storymakers Conference, Provo, Utah, May 11 - 13, 2023

"Architect Tools: Drafting Tips for Planners and Plotters," LTUE, Provo, Utah, February 16 - 18, 2023

"Most Common Mistakes," LTUE, Provo, Utah, February 16 - 18, 2023

"Navigating Murky Waters: Taking the 'Muddle' Out of Your Middles,"  LTUE, Provo, Utah, February 16 - 18, 2023

"Finishing Strong: Pulling Your Plot Threads Together for an Explosive Finish," LTUE, Provo, Utah, February 16 - 18, 2023

"Structuring Your Cast of Characters," Storymakers Conference, Provo, Utah, May 12 - 14, 2022

"The Principles of Perfect Pacing," Be a Bestseller 3.0., Online, January 17 - 28, 2022

"Defining Your Writer’s Block — and Then Conquering It!" FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 16th, 2021

"20th Anniversary of Spirited Away, How Hayao Miyazaki's Vision Changed the World." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 16th, 2021

"Find and Unwind Your Theme," Write Your First or Next Book, Online, January 18 - 29, 2021

"Why We Love Neville Longbottom." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 7th, 2019

"By Grabthar's Hammer, What a Panel: Galaxy Quest 20 Years Later." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 7th, 2019

"20 Year of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 6th, 2019

"Toy Stories." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 6th, 2019

"He said, She said: How to Excel at Writing the Spoken Word." LDSPMA, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, November 3rd, 2018

"Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 8th, 2018

"Hamilton: The Room Where it Happens." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 8th, 2018

"20 Years of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 7th, 2018

"Creating Your Own Fantastic Beasts." FanX Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 7th, 2018

"Exactly How to Create and Control Tone." Storymakers Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 4th, 2018

"Searching for the Sorcerer's Stone: 20 Years of Harry Potter." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 23rd, 2017

"All Things Pokemon" (for kids) Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 23rd, 2017

"Harry Potter and the Cast of Unforgettable Characters." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 21st, 2017

"Harry Potter is My Bible: Fandom as Faith." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 21st, 2017

"'Dumbledore is What?' Harry Potter Fan Theories." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 3rd, 2016.

"What We Know and Don't Know about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 2nd, 2016.

"15+ Tactics for Writing Humor." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 1st, 2016.

"The Lasting Power of Harry Potter."  Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 26th, 2015.

"Harry Potter is In Your Head (In the Best Possible Way)." Salt Lake Comic Con, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 24th, 2015.

Podcasts:

"How to Craft Your Writing Voice." The Rebel Author Podcast. February 9th, 2022

"How to Use a Cliffhanger." Turning Readers into Writers. April 29th, 2021

Workshops:

"Poetry for the People," Writers of the Purple Sage Poetry Retreat, Kanab, Utah, October 22, 2011.

Honors and Awards

QueryLetter.com Top Writing Blog (2021)

Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers (2017)

Tanner Prize Winner (2011)

                        The Annie Atkin Tanner Memorial Poetry Scholarship Fund

Second Place, “Colonel Miller’s Mansion.”

 Mark Swain Award (2010-2011)

                        Department of English, Dixie State University.

Presentations

Creative Works:

“In the Corner of the Library,” “Colonel Miller’s Mansion.” The Southern Quill Bean Scene Reading, St George, Utah, 9 March 2011.

“Shadows.” The Southern Quill Tabernacle Reading, St. George, Utah, 6 November 2010.

“Considering the Pointe Shoes,” “Sweets,” “In the Corner of the Library.” Featured Dixie State College Poetry Reader, Storm the Mic, Dixie State College, St. George, Utah, December 2010.

Papers:

“‘Every Child in Our World Will Know His Name’: Why Harry Potter Appeals to Young Readers Worldwide.” Dixie State College, November 28, 2011.

If you would like to see me at your conference or convention, visit my contact page and get in touch.