2027 is going to be a HUGE year as we’ll be celebrating 70 years as a conference. Plans are already under way with some fabulous faculty who will be teaching everything from nonfiction (devotions, articles, Bible studies), fiction (all genres), poetry, and Amazon publishing. Registration will open early 2027.
Workshops are being added for this year’s conference and are subject to change. Check back often!
Want to check out our faculty first? Click here.
KEYNOTE:
Cindy Sproles
WORKSHOPS:
Picture Book Bootcamp with Pam Halter and Kim Sponaugle (limited class size)
Writing picture books is hard work.
- Authors have to keep kids interested and entertain the adult who will be reading to them.
- Authors need to write in such a way as to inspire an illustrator they may never meet.
- Illustrators need stories that create pictures in their minds.
- Picture book competition is fierce!
In this three-day, 3-hour intensive bootcamp, award winning team, author Pam Halter and illustrator Kim Sponaugle, will break down the process of creating engaging picture books in great detail. This intensive is open to beginners and writers with completed manuscripts alike. If an author volunteers their story, Pam and Kim will use it in the class.
Pam will look at what makes a great picture book: word choices, characterization, story plot, humor, teaching/moral lessons, and more. She will also talk about critique groups and what kind of group is most helpful. And since we’re writing for kids, she has some fun planned!
Kim will explore the visual storytelling that transforms words into engaging page turns, showing how illustrations carry emotion, pacing, and meaning beyond the text. She’ll also demonstrate what an author can leave out of the story, allowing the art to do its job, and identify what she calls “Selah Moments.”
Pam and Kim have taught workshops together for many years and different conferences. They especially enjoy helping children’s authors take what they have and making it shine!
The class will also examine published picture books to study what made them great or not so great. Participants who choose this intensive will need to commit to attend all the classes and will receive one-on-one help and specific guidance for their story. Pam and Kim say, “Think of this as a Navy Seal Bootcamp. We’re going to work hard, but it will be worth it!”
Speaking for Writers, Part 1: Crafting a Signature Speech with Lisa Betz
Speaking events can be an effective way to market your books. Both fiction and nonfiction authors can use speaking to broaden their reach by delivering worthwhile messages and introducing their books to new audiences.
What this workshop covers:
- What to speak about (for fiction and nonfiction authors)
- What motivates your speaking and how you benefit your target audience
- Key components of a signature speech
Speaking for Writers, Part 2: The Business Side of Speaking with Lisa Betz
This workshop covers the practical stuff speakers need to know, from finding speaking opportunities to making a good impression on audiences and event planners.
What this workshop covers:
- How do I find speaking gigs?
- How to work with event planners
- The nuts and bolts: setting fees, contracts, travel, etc.
- Tips for preparing to speak and for delivering your speech
Become an Awesome Workshop Presenter with Lisa Betz
Become the workshop presenter who is invited back because attendees found your workshop useful and engaging. This workshop will help authors and speakers design dynamic, informational, relevant workshops that deliver what the description promises.
What this workshop covers:
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- How to design an effective workshop
- Best practices for delivery, slides, and handouts
Elements of Mystery and Suspense with Lisa Betz
Whether you write Romance, memoir, or political thrillers, adding mysterious or suspenseful elements will add depth, drama, and intrigue to your story. In this workshop you’ll learn the basics of mystery and suspense novels, and how to use mystery and suspense techniques in any form of writing.
Key topics include:
- Elements of a mystery novel
- Common mystery techniques to enhance your story
- Common suspense techniques to enhance your story
Amazon Boot Camp with Vincent B. Davis II
Amazon is where books are sold. Nearly 80% of all eBooks are sold on Amazon, and upwards of 40% of paperbacks are sold there as well. But if other online stores feel like barren deserts, sometimes Amazon can feel like attempting to sell in shark-infested waters. But there are tools and tricks available to all authors to improve their visibility on Amazon, and in this course we’ll be discussing some of the very best. We’ll go over the basics of metadata (keywords and categories), price points and price promotions, and the benefits of Amazon exclusivity. Whether you’re a bestseller or a first-time author, this course will give you additional tools to help your book become more discoverable on the world’s largest bookstore.
How to Revive a Dead Book with Vincent B. Davis II
You published a book. Maybe the launch went well, and you sold a lot of copies. Maybe you even won awards or hit a best seller’s list. However, in the days, weeks, months, and even years since then, the book has fallen into obscurity. That’s what some Amazon experts call the “Amazon Blackhole”.
But there are many ways to give new life to an old book. No matter how long it’s been, or how slow sales are, a book can have new life. There is nothing more valuable to authors than their published titles, but many authors and publishers abandon books that haven’t sold well or have grown stale.
Now, we no longer have to. With the strategies we’ll discuss in this class, you can make your book(s) relevant again, and achieve heights never considered possible previously.
How To Make Money Selling Books in 2027 with Vincent B. Davis II
Most authors would write full time if they had the ability to do so, but few have that option. With bills to pay, mouths to feed, and lifestyles to maintain, most authors don’t have the luxury to leave their day jobs. On top of that, getting a book self-published can also be very expensive and the publishing arena is consistently competitive. So, is there any way to earn an income with your writing?
In this class, author Vincent Davis will help you develop the proper business practices and foster the correct mindset to begin earning consistent royalties on your books. It’s never easy, with dedication and hard work, you too can begin your path to becoming a full-time author.
Fresh Eyes: A Hands-On Fiction Critique Workshop with Heather Kreke
Discover what’s working in your fiction and where revision can make it stronger. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll review participants’ first pages live in class, exploring point of view, characterization, dialogue, clarity, and those all-important opening hooks. Submissions will be presented anonymously, allowing everyone to learn from specific, constructive feedback.
If you plan to attend this workshop, please send the first page of your fiction manuscript to heather@heatherkreke.com with the subject St. Davids Hands-on Fiction Workshop before June 22, 2027.
Whose Story Is It? Mastering Point of View with Heather Kreke
Point of view shapes how readers experience your story. Learn the differences between first and third person, how to choose the right perspective, and how to recognize and avoid head-hopping. Then dive into deep POV, removing narrative distance so readers experience the story through your character’s senses, thoughts, and emotions. Through practical exercises, learn to spot distancing language and revise passages to immerse readers in your character’s world.
Beyond the Character Sheet: Creating Characters Who Feel Real with Heather Kreke
Memorable characters need more than a name, an appearance, and a favorite food. Explore how goals, motivations, fears, flaws, and personal history influence your characters’ choices and drive your plot. Learn to build believable characters whose struggles and growth keep readers invested.
Show, Don’t Tell: Bringing Your Fiction to Life with Heather Kreke
You’ve heard the advice, but what does “show, don’t tell” actually look like on the page? Learn how action, dialogue, sensory details, and character reactions help readers experience a scene. We’ll examine when showing strengthens your writing, when telling serves the story, and how to revise flat passages into engaging fiction.