When Words Collide 2026

When Words Collide 2026

A Festival for Writers, Readers, and Fans

Christine Pettyjohn

https://jclaccounting.ca/

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10:30am MDT

Opening Ceremony & Keynote Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 4+6Terry Brooks

12:00pm MDT

It's a Bird. It's a Plane -- Crafting Realistic Imaginary Creatures for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Shelly Campbell You're Write About It! Hyatt Regency Calgary - Stephen BMegan Baldrey • Kevin Weir • Erin Weir

4:30pm MDT

Bucket of Bones: Building the Skeleton of Your Murder Mystery Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Dave Sweet • Charlotte Morganti

9:00am MDT

What's Under the Bed - Creating monsters who'll haunt readers long after they've closed the book Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Shelly Campbell Writing Beyond the Self: Creating Characters Outside Our Lived Experience Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5James Downe • Robert J. Sawyer • Huck Kahng • Finnian Burnett

10:30am MDT

The Modern Hero - Virtues of Uncommon People Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Dave Sweet

12:00pm MDT

Quiplash With WWC Hyatt Regency Calgary - Stephen AKevin Weir An Author's Guide to Longevity and Adapting to the Changing Publishing Landscape Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5Mark Leslie Lefebvre • Robert J. Sawyer

1:30pm MDT

Query Slush Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 6Jennifer Sommersby • Erin Weir • Mira Landry • Bonnie Jacoby

3:00pm MDT

Workplace Horror - Something Smells in the Break Room Hyatt Regency Calgary - HeraldJason Pearce • Sarah L. Pratt • Rob Bose • Chris Marrs

10:30am MDT

Creativity & Chaos Hyatt Regency Calgary - DollAndrew Buckley • Finnian Burnett Inside the Villain's Mind: The Psychology Behind The Crime Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 5Pamela Donison • P.D. Workman • Dave Sweet • Dr. Cynthia Baxter

12:00pm MDT

When Dark Clouds Roll In Hyatt Regency Calgary - Imperial Ballroom 9Dave Sweet

3:00pm MDT

Strategies for Surviving Feedback - MASTERCLASS (pre-reg req) Hyatt Regency Calgary - BannermanFinnian Burnett • Christine Tsai Taylor