Events.
Here's what I'm up to. Let's hook up.

OF CIVILIZED, SAVED AND SAVAGES
Now Available!!
Launch: Jan. 10, 2023

West Valley Farmer's Market Appearance
Thursday May 20, 2023
5:00-9:00 p.m.
Centennial Park
5405 W 3100 S
West Valley City, UT 84119

League of Utah Writers
88th Anniversary Mixer and Fundraiser
Saturday, July 29th, 2023
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Marriott University Park
Bonneville Ballroom
480 Wakara Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Quills
Aug. 10–13, 2023
Salt Lake City Marriott University Park
480 Wakara Way
Lake City, Utah 84108
Schedule:
Thursday August 10, 2023
7:00-9:00 p.m. — Bonneville Ballroom
Mixer - cash bar
Get to know other attendees and mingle with speakers. Come and go as you please. Mingle, relax, have fun, and always keep our Code of Conduct in mind. This event is for conference attendees only!
Friday August 11, 2023
8:00-8:50 a.m. — Ft. Douglas
Morning Meditation and Writer Wellbeing: The Mindful Author
Join author Johnny for discoveries in eastern philosophy with their application to the life of an author with its many disappointments. Sessions include directed mindfulness meditation and lecture on concepts that directly speak to the writer’s journey. Day one: Basics - the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Noble path. Each class meets in the morning before regular programming Though classes are meant as a three day seminar, attendees can come to any of them without prior or later attendance and still get useful information.
11:00-11:50 a.m. — Willow
Heinlein's 5 Rules of Writing
A discussion of Robert Heinlein’s (Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land) Famous “Five Rules of Writing.” These pragmatic, practical and practiced directives are for the working author and are the very career-enabling tips that steered a blue collar scribbler to becoming one of the seminal voices of his age.
1:00-1:50 p.m. — Bonneville Ballroom
Presenter Book Signing
Join the Quills presenters for a mass book signing event. Purchasing your books in advance from the bookstore in Summit is the best way to have a successful signing event!
9:00-9:50 p.m. — Connor
Horror After Dark
PANEL with: with C.R. Langille (moderator) Terra Luft, Willow Dawn Becker, Gabino Iglesias, Theresa Braun, Johnny Worthen
Horror: hard to define, harder to put down. Our panelists will keep you up at night (literally) with a discussion about the evolution of the horror genre, why horror is more popular today than it's ever been before, and where horror is headed next.
Saturday August 12, 2023
8:00-8:50 a.m. — Ft. Douglas
Morning Meditation and Writer Wellbeing: The Feeling Author
Join author Johnny for discoveries in eastern philosophy with their application to the life of an author with its many disappointments. Sessions include directed mindfulness meditation and lecture on concepts that directly speak to the writer’s journey. Day one: Basics - the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Noble path. Each class meets in the morning before regular programming Though classes are meant as a three day seminar, attendees can come to any of them without prior or later attendance and still get useful information.
Sunday August 13, 2023
8:00-8:50 a.m. — Ft. Douglas
Morning Meditation and Writer Wellbeing: The Thoughtful Author
Join author Johnny for discoveries in eastern philosophy with their application to the life of an author with its many disappointments. Sessions include directed mindfulness meditation and lecture on concepts that directly speak to the writer’s journey. Day one: Basics - the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Noble path. Each class meets in the morning before regular programming Though classes are meant as a three day seminar, attendees can come to any of them without prior or later attendance and still get useful information.
Murray B&N Author Celebration
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Murray Barnes and Noble
5249 S State St
Salt Lake City, Utah 84107
Lifelong Learning - University of Utah
Continuing Education Building
540 Arapeen Drive (Research Park)
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
Creative Writing 1 (LLWRC 780)
Tuesday Nights (6 sessions)
Aug. 29 - Oct. 3, 2023
6:30-9:00 p.m.
Creative Writing (LLWRC 780): How do we tell stories? What do we include in writing, and what remains unsaid? Build your voice as we focus on a group of specific techniques for shaping and informing your creative skills, including character, plot, point of view, description, dialogue, and setting. In class, we will read short selections of writing to see what techniques we can beg, borrow, and steal from them. We will experiment with in-class writing exercises and read and discuss each other's work. Writing can be inventive, illogical, chaotic, unexpected, strange, and wonderful. In this class, we will practice seeing the world in new ways and then recreating that experience on the page.
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
September 8-10, 2023
Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver
13200 East 14th Place
Aurora, CO 80011
Schedule:
Saturday September 9, 2023
9:00-9:50 a.m. — Aurora III
PANEL: Censored
WITH: Z.J. Czupor, Andre Gonzalez, Kelley Lindberg and Johnny Worthen
Censorship is on the rise. From sensitivity readers, to banned books, to sanitizing classics, the charged political climate is taking a toll on authorship. How is this affecting publishing? What does a writer need to know?
2:30-3:20 p.m — Boardroom A
Birds of a Feather: Young Adult
Birds of a Feather are casual sessions between writers of the same genre hosted by an RMFW member published in that genre. Attend to ask genre-specific questions, get ideas, and/or make friends.
4:30-5:20 p.m. – Conference Room IV
Writing Young Adult
Investigate what makes fiction young adult and also what makes great young adult fiction. From gatekeepers to theme, taboos and responsibilities, it’s a time of change and we must embrace it. A class for writers and fans of the genre.
Sunday September 10, 2023
10:00-10:50 a.m. — Aurora IV
Zen Lessons for Writers
Join author Johnny for discoveries in eastern philosophy with their application to the life of an author with its many disappointments. Sessions include directed mindfulness meditation and lecture on concepts that directly speak to the writer’s journey.
Horror Conclave Writing Retreat
Sep. 14-17, 2023
FanX
Sep. 21-23, 2023
I'm scheduled, but there are conflicts with Saturday. Stay tuned. Also, Unfortunately, I will not have a table this year.Lifelong Learning - University of Utah
Continuing Education Building
540 Arapeen Drive (Research Park)
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108
Horror Writing Bookcamp
(LLWRC 862)
Saturdays (3 sessions)
Sep. 23, 30 & Oct. 7, 2023
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Horror is more than a genre, it’s a physical sensation, the place where the unknown lurks, where nothing can be assumed, and anything can happen. Explore the nuances of creating levels of fear, and effective techniques that allow your writing to create a desired reaction – fear! dread! disgust! - from your readers. This intensive two week course of lecture presentation and workshop will give you an opportunity to write and present your work for critique and discussion (which isn’t as scary as it sounds!)
Authors Meeting Artists Event
Saturday, October 7, 2023
I'll be doing the keynote around 4:00 p.m.Kearns Library
4275 W 5345 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84118
Lifelong Learning - University of Utah
Continuing Education Building
540 Arapeen Drive (Research Park)
Salt Lake City, Utah 84108

A Study in Mystery (LLWRC 837)
Tuesday Nights (7 sessions)
Oct. 17 - Nov. 28, 2023
6:30-9:00 p.m.
Look behind the curtain of the formulaic, but eternally popular genre: the Mystery Story. Learn about the constructions, tropes, types and methods that make the modern whodunit. Designed for both writers and fans of the mystery genre, class will include assignments and activities on plot, character web, record keeping, suspense, tension and conflict. Refine your work as you're asked the questions: Did you hide the clue well enough? Does the audience care about the victim? Is the suspense tight enough? By the end of the course, if the crime is writing a mystery story, the "Whodunit" will be you!
Infinite Weekend
Oct. 19-22, 2023
The Infinite Monkey Writing Reatreat

Life the Universe and Everything
February 15-17, 2024
Provo Marriott Hotel
101 West 100 Street
Provo, UT 84601