Presenters and Workshops
Keynote Speaker, Author, Presenter & Panelist LESLIE BUDEWITZ
Workshop 1: 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 2: 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 KAREN HIGGINS
Workshop 3: Diving Deep into Point of View
We’ll wade into the different types of POV before immersing ourselves in the transformational power of deep point of view, with examples and exercises.
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Karen Higgins has always loved stories, but it wasn’t until she was married to her high school sweetheart and homeschooling their kids that the dream to write was born. Today she writes stories spun by faith, filled with surprises and struggles, whimsy and warmth, while listening to the surf in their small coastal town in Washington state. She is thrilled to have just launched her debut novel, A Garden Grows. Karen’s greatest desire is to bring strength for today and hope for tomorrow to her readers.
Author, Presenter & Panelist KIM VANDEL
Workshop 4: 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.
Author Readings
On Friday, May 15, there will be staged readings of script excerpts, and Saturday, May 16, there will be live author readings of submitted materials by registered writers attending the conference. Submissions are free with purchase of full conference pass to be eligible. Writers may submit sections of a play, novel, screenplay, fiction and non-fiction work.
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.