Summer Words Writers Conference 2026 Panels
📅 June 21–June 26, 2026
📍 The Viewline Resort | 100 Elbert Ln, Snowmass Village, CO
Aspen Words is thrilled to welcome writers back to Snowmass Village for a week of craft, creativity, and community. If you want access to industry experts and award-winning authors, our $40 Panel Pass is your ticket to six extraordinary sessions.
👉 Purchase your $40 Panel Pass here
Summer Words Craft Talks & Panels Schedule
Monday, June 22
Inside Publishing: How It Actually Works | 1:30–2:30 PM
Description: From agents to editors to marketing, the publishing process can feel opaque. This panel offers a clear, candid look at how books move from manuscript to marketplace—what matters, what doesn’t, and where writers have more control than they think. Expect practical guidance, straight talk, and a few persistent myths put to rest.
Speakers: Ashley Lopez, Cece Lyra, Abby Walters, Rebekah Jett
Moderator: Ryan Harbage
Tuesday, June 23
Finding the Form: How Structure Unlocks Story | 3:30–4:30 PM
Description: Sometimes the problem isn’t the writing—it’s the container. This panel explores how structure shapes meaning, sharpens stakes, and guides the reader’s experience. When the form clicks, the story gains clarity, momentum, and depth.
Speakers: Jamel Brinkley, Meghan O’Rourke
Moderator: Julie Comins
Wednesday, June 24
The Art of Perspective | 3:40–4:20 PM
Description: The success of any work depends entirely on its narrative strategy. This talk defines narrative strategy and discusses its relationship to perspective, narrative distance, and the myth of “reliability” through the lens of contemporary texts.
Speaker: Christopher Castellani
Where Meaning Lives: The Hidden Power of Detail | 4:30–5:10 PM
Description: This talk explores how the scraps writers collect—objects, phrases, half-formed observations—become a training ground for metaphor. Learn why concrete detail carries more emotional weight than abstraction, and why meaning emerges when two things sit side by side.
Speaker: Hannah Pittard
Thursday, June 25
Characters That Carry the Story | 3:00–4:00 PM
Description: Plot moves the story forward, but character gives it weight. This panel explores how to create layered, specific, and surprising characters—people whose desires, flaws, and contradictions generate tension and keep readers invested.
Speakers: Lev Grossman, Jade Chang
Moderator: Mitzi Rapkin
Revision is Writing: Where the Work Becomes the Work | 4:15–5:30 PM
Description: The first draft gets something down; revision makes it work. This panel focuses on how to approach rewriting—what to cut, what to deepen, and how to recognize the story you’ve actually written.
Speakers: Brian Broome, Christopher Castellani, Hannah Pittard
Moderator: Adrienne Brodeur
🎟️ Don’t miss out on this exceptional week of programming.
Get your $40 Panel Pass today!
