Presenters and Workshops
Journalist, Author, Blogger, Photographer & Panelist MINDY PELTIER
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Workshop 1: Write Club—The Right Rules for Critique Group
A productive and supportive critique group with agreed upon guidelines transforms your writing and increases your chance of publication.
Mindy Peltier was the youngest known columnist, reporter, and photographer in the state of North Dakota. She has been blogging since 2007 and writes novels and screenplays. She has been directing and speaking for conferences since 2010.
Keynote Speaker, Author, Presenter & Panelist LESLIE BUDEWITZ
Workshop 2: Building Character
Compelling characters are the keys to a satisfying story. We’ll present ways to give your characters depth and bring them to life on the page.
Leslie Budewitz had her career skyrocket after winning an Agatha Award with her debut novel. She writes two cozy mystery series, the Spice Shop mysteries and the Food Lovers' Village mysteries. As Alicia Beckman, she writes standalone suspense. Her short story collection, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, brings to life a remarkable figure from Montana’s past. She’s a former president of Sisters in Crime and a three- time Agatha Award winner.
Playwright, Presenter & Panelist ROSS PETER NELSON
Workshop 3: Quality of Speech—How Dialog Informs Your Work
Dialogue is more than talking. The technical and artistic qualities of the language used expand the depth and theatricality of your work. Examples include imagery, rhythm, structure, abstraction, and formality.
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Ross Peter Nelson is a writer, director, producer, and current president of Raven's Feather Productions theatre company. Primarily a playwright, he has also written short stories, technical books, and dabbles in film. Ross earned a Creative Writing MFA at the University of New Orleans. He taught classes there and at Carroll College. His work has been performed on three continents and he served as playwright-in-residence at the Can Serrat Artists’ Colony in Spain.
Author, Presenter & Panelist DEBBIE BURKE
Workshop 4: The Hero's Journey vs. the Villain's Journey: How They're Different Yet Alike
A tour into the contrasting journeys of hero and villain. Why does one choose a positive path while the other descends into destruction? Discover motivations, drives, and goals that cause collisions between them.
Whether your antagonists are fictional (novels, plays) or drawn from real life (memoirs), understanding their journey makes them compelling characters that readers remember.
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Debbie Burke became a villain expert by writing mystery novels. She turned her research into a bestselling nonfiction craft guide, The Villain's Journey - How to Create Villains Readers Love to Hate. She's also a freelance editor, journalist, educator, and longtime contributor to The Kill Zone blog on crime writing. To unkink from hours at the computer, Debbie takes long walks during which she's usually plotting murders for her next thriller. debbieburkewriter.com
Author, Presenter & Panelist KIM VANDEL
Workshop 5: Five Keys to Creating Unforgettable Fantasy and Science Fiction
Topics include finding a unique story concept, reader expectations and tropes, and suspension of disbelief. We’ll also discuss the iceberg principle of worldbuilding and practical tips for bringing your imagined world to life on the page.
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Kim Vandel has proven successful in indie-publishing and marketing her novels. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in biology and worked in the field of environmental science before pursuing writing fulltime. Her novel Into the Fire won the Cascade Award for best unpublished young adult fiction and later won the Realm Award for best debut. Kim has taught workshops on speculative fiction and social media, and she’s currently working on the fourth and final book in her Under Fire series.
Montana Writers Rodeo Ticket Prices
$105: Conference Pass: Provides complete access to all conference events.
$50: Student Rate (with current student ID): Conference Pass.
$50: Friday Pass: Provides complete access to all conference events on May 15.
$65: Saturday Pass: Provides complete access to all conference events on May 16.
$35: Student Rate (with current student ID): One Day Pass to all conference events on May 15 OR May 16.
$20: Friday Evening Pass: (May15: Reception, Welcome, Keynote Address + Readings)
$20: Saturday Evening Pass: (May16: Panel Discussion + Readings)
$35: Dual Pass for both Evening Events + Readings: May 15 & 16.
PREMIER SPONSORS
Montana Department of Commerce Film Office
Since its creation in 1974, the Montana Department of Commerce Film Office has promoted Montana as a location for digital and print advertising shoots, films, videos, documentaries, and television shows and helps enhance local economies through the many productions that choose locations under the Big Sky.
Gates of the Mountains, Inc. operates a marina and boat tours on the Missouri River 20 miles north of Helena. The organization’s goal is to protect, educate, and allow visitors to explore one of the last best places in Montana. Their guided boat tours host approximately 30,000 visitors a year to explore what Meriwether Lewis saw over 200 years before. For information and tour schedules, call (406) 458-5241 or visit their website at gatesofthemountains.com.
GRANTORS
Montana Playwrights Network programs are supported in part by grants from the Montana Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support from coal tax placed into Montana's Cultural and Aesthetic Projects Trust Fund.
