Writing Our History & Creating Our Future
Building Community Right
2026 Kansas Writing Convention
Building Community Right
2026 Kansas Writing Convention
Save the Date
October 2-4, 2026
Bonus Writing Retreat Day - October 1 (optional)
Rock Springs Ranch • 1168 KS-157 • Junction City, KS 66441
Rock Springs Ranch • 1168 KS-157 • Junction City, KS 66441
Reminder: We have gone to every other year conventions (full of workshops) and writing retreats (time for writing)! This year (2026) we invite you to join us for workshops and presenters. This is a convention year!
Important Dates:
Call for Workshop Proposals - Feb 1 to March 15
June 15 - Registration Opens *Early Bird Registration saves 10%
August 31 - Early Bird Deadline!
September 15 - Final Registration Deadline & Final Day to Cancel for a Full Event Refund.
Call for Workshop Proposals - Feb 1 to March 15
June 15 - Registration Opens *Early Bird Registration saves 10%
August 31 - Early Bird Deadline!
September 15 - Final Registration Deadline & Final Day to Cancel for a Full Event Refund.
2026 Kansas Writing Convention Schedule (tentative)
Just Like Selling Girl Scout Cookies: How to Create Your Community
Presented by: Ann Vigola Anderson
Remember selling Girl Scout cookies? You probably identified your audience (friends, family, teachers), practiced a little sales pitch for those Thin Mints, and closed the deal!
In this session, we will elevate those concepts to help promote you and your book.
Ann Vigola Anderson is a native Kansan. She has a BA from the University of Kansas and coaches tennis at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. Her first two books are Posts of a Mid-century Kid and The Adventures of Bottle Calf. She is also published in 105 Meadowlark Reader. Her third book will be published in 2026 by Meadowlark Press.
Ann lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with her two cats, Sweetie ToeBeans and Molly MAU Meow.
Presented by: Ann Vigola Anderson
Remember selling Girl Scout cookies? You probably identified your audience (friends, family, teachers), practiced a little sales pitch for those Thin Mints, and closed the deal!
In this session, we will elevate those concepts to help promote you and your book.
- Identify your target audience
- Create your wish list/goals
- Create your elevator speech
Ann Vigola Anderson is a native Kansan. She has a BA from the University of Kansas and coaches tennis at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. Her first two books are Posts of a Mid-century Kid and The Adventures of Bottle Calf. She is also published in 105 Meadowlark Reader. Her third book will be published in 2026 by Meadowlark Press.
Ann lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with her two cats, Sweetie ToeBeans and Molly MAU Meow.
1st Person Autistic: “Own Voice,” “I Voice,” and a Call to Action for Disabled Writers
Presented by: Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, PhD, MFA
In this session, we will review disability representation in children’s literature. As an autistic person and mom of two autistic people, I will use the lens of autism as the disability through which I can best understand and analyze literary craft, using published examples to demonstrate that “own voice” is necessary for an authentic perspective, particularly for first person protagonists. We will work through writing craft exercises which will support participants in writing from their lived experiences. Our goal as disabled writers is to offer mirrors in which disabled readers can see themselves.
Kimberlee Bethany Bonura has a PhD in Educational Psychology from Florida State University and an MFA in Creative Writing – Fiction from UT-El Paso. She is a Contributing Faculty member in the Walden University School of Psychology; a professor for The Great Courses; a yoga teacher (E-RYT), yoga therapist (CYT), and Reiki Master; and a student in the Hamline University MFAC, Writing for Children and Young Adults. She is a late-diagnosed autistic person and mom of two AuDHD (Autistic-ADHD) teens. Her work lives at the intersection of psychological research and creativity, and she writes to stay sane in a crazy-making world.
Presented by: Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, PhD, MFA
In this session, we will review disability representation in children’s literature. As an autistic person and mom of two autistic people, I will use the lens of autism as the disability through which I can best understand and analyze literary craft, using published examples to demonstrate that “own voice” is necessary for an authentic perspective, particularly for first person protagonists. We will work through writing craft exercises which will support participants in writing from their lived experiences. Our goal as disabled writers is to offer mirrors in which disabled readers can see themselves.
Kimberlee Bethany Bonura has a PhD in Educational Psychology from Florida State University and an MFA in Creative Writing – Fiction from UT-El Paso. She is a Contributing Faculty member in the Walden University School of Psychology; a professor for The Great Courses; a yoga teacher (E-RYT), yoga therapist (CYT), and Reiki Master; and a student in the Hamline University MFAC, Writing for Children and Young Adults. She is a late-diagnosed autistic person and mom of two AuDHD (Autistic-ADHD) teens. Her work lives at the intersection of psychological research and creativity, and she writes to stay sane in a crazy-making world.
Writing To Publish Without Selling Your Soul
Presented by: Maureen "Micki" Carroll
“Writing to Publish Without Selling Your Soul” is an engaging workshop for emerging authors led by a seasoned publisher. The session explores key topics including Hot and Cold Genres, Putting Your Best Foot (and Words) Forward, Writing for Your Reader, and Editing for Appeal—offering practical strategies for navigating the publishing world while staying true to your voice. Participants will take part in a collaborative activity identifying genres and audiences for sample book ideas, followed by a short writing exercise crafting a compelling opening hook or book pitch. Writers will leave with tools to strengthen their work, connect with readers, and approach publication with confidence.
Maureen Carroll is a writer, educator, photographer, graphic designer, and all-around cat herder! She founded Anamcara Press LLC to celebrate art and community and loves helping authors bring their stories to life. Her books include A Wyoming Cowboy in Hitler’s Germany, combining WWII correspondence and historic photos, and The Tree Who Walked Through Time, a collaboration with 17 artists. Carroll has also published children’s books, nonfiction articles, and training programs. A longtime Kansas Authors Club leader, she enjoys hiking, gluten-free baking, and studying quantum mechanics.
Presented by: Maureen "Micki" Carroll
“Writing to Publish Without Selling Your Soul” is an engaging workshop for emerging authors led by a seasoned publisher. The session explores key topics including Hot and Cold Genres, Putting Your Best Foot (and Words) Forward, Writing for Your Reader, and Editing for Appeal—offering practical strategies for navigating the publishing world while staying true to your voice. Participants will take part in a collaborative activity identifying genres and audiences for sample book ideas, followed by a short writing exercise crafting a compelling opening hook or book pitch. Writers will leave with tools to strengthen their work, connect with readers, and approach publication with confidence.
Maureen Carroll is a writer, educator, photographer, graphic designer, and all-around cat herder! She founded Anamcara Press LLC to celebrate art and community and loves helping authors bring their stories to life. Her books include A Wyoming Cowboy in Hitler’s Germany, combining WWII correspondence and historic photos, and The Tree Who Walked Through Time, a collaboration with 17 artists. Carroll has also published children’s books, nonfiction articles, and training programs. A longtime Kansas Authors Club leader, she enjoys hiking, gluten-free baking, and studying quantum mechanics.
Wild Words: Nature Writing Workshop
Presented by: Jeanice Eagan Davis
This workshop invites writers to bridge the gap between the human experience and the wild world. By blending personal reflection with deep observation, participants will use concrete, sensory details that breathe life into both prose and poetry. After examining the evocative styles of masters, writers, and poets, participants will transition into immersive, interactive activities designed to hone analytical and descriptive skills such as sound-mapping or sensory sit-spots, or engage in a Writing Walkabout. The session will conclude with a collaborative sharing circle, celebrating the diverse ways we witness and interpret our environment through the written word.
Jeanice Eagan Davis is a poet and writer whose writing voice was shaped by the open plains of Kansas. She has a proclivity for writing about nature, especially birds and trees. Her writings have been published in several literary journals, including Cantos, Lady Blue, The Talon, Writing from the Center: Literary Zine, and most recently, 105 Meadowlark Reader, among others. She is president of the Wichita Authors Club. When she’s not teaching students the joys (and frustrations) of writing, she’s walking through grasslands and woodlands, shooting photos, and writing poetry, essays, and short stories.
Presented by: Jeanice Eagan Davis
This workshop invites writers to bridge the gap between the human experience and the wild world. By blending personal reflection with deep observation, participants will use concrete, sensory details that breathe life into both prose and poetry. After examining the evocative styles of masters, writers, and poets, participants will transition into immersive, interactive activities designed to hone analytical and descriptive skills such as sound-mapping or sensory sit-spots, or engage in a Writing Walkabout. The session will conclude with a collaborative sharing circle, celebrating the diverse ways we witness and interpret our environment through the written word.
Jeanice Eagan Davis is a poet and writer whose writing voice was shaped by the open plains of Kansas. She has a proclivity for writing about nature, especially birds and trees. Her writings have been published in several literary journals, including Cantos, Lady Blue, The Talon, Writing from the Center: Literary Zine, and most recently, 105 Meadowlark Reader, among others. She is president of the Wichita Authors Club. When she’s not teaching students the joys (and frustrations) of writing, she’s walking through grasslands and woodlands, shooting photos, and writing poetry, essays, and short stories.
Where our Voices Meet: Writing Community Into Being
Presented by: Lisa Hase-Jackson
We will focus on the role storytelling has in building community by exploring how personal and collective histories work in tandem with creative writing to imagine, and experience, a connected and mutually supportive culture. Through prompts and collaboration, participants will draft poems that expound upon the emotional truth of lived experiences to discover meaningful and metaphorical narrative threads that invariably connect us all.
Lisa M. Hase-Jackson is the author of two poetry collections: Insomnia in Another Town (Clemson University Press) and Flint & Fire (The Word Works). In addition to acting as editor for such journals as South 85 Review, Hase-Jackson has facilitated writing and artistic workshops in academic and community settings and has has spent her adult years teaching and writing in such places as Kansas City, Missouri, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anyang, South Korea, and Charleston, South Carolina. Her current perch is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she is an Assistant Teaching Professor in creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
Presented by: Lisa Hase-Jackson
We will focus on the role storytelling has in building community by exploring how personal and collective histories work in tandem with creative writing to imagine, and experience, a connected and mutually supportive culture. Through prompts and collaboration, participants will draft poems that expound upon the emotional truth of lived experiences to discover meaningful and metaphorical narrative threads that invariably connect us all.
Lisa M. Hase-Jackson is the author of two poetry collections: Insomnia in Another Town (Clemson University Press) and Flint & Fire (The Word Works). In addition to acting as editor for such journals as South 85 Review, Hase-Jackson has facilitated writing and artistic workshops in academic and community settings and has has spent her adult years teaching and writing in such places as Kansas City, Missouri, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anyang, South Korea, and Charleston, South Carolina. Her current perch is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she is an Assistant Teaching Professor in creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
Campfire Algorithms
Presented by: Mark Landon Jarvis
Humans invented story algorithms long before computers did. For millennia, storytellers have relied on narrative patterns of tension, repetition, and transformation passed from ancient campfires to folklore to modern novels. As a novelist and teacher of children's literature, I use AI tools as creative partners to explore these same patterns. Come learn how ancient storytelling wisdom and modern AI can work together to spark ideas, break through blocks, and deepen craft while the human storyteller remains firmly in charge.
Mark Landon Jarvis writes science fiction for underdogs, dreamers, and anyone who's ever been told their story doesn't fit the mold. He is a Kansas State University graduate and a college instructor of children's literature. He is also an estate sale junkie, ephemera collector, Spam connoisseur, and relentless optimist. Jarvis believes stories can exorcise self-doubt and inspire the best in everyone.
Presented by: Mark Landon Jarvis
Humans invented story algorithms long before computers did. For millennia, storytellers have relied on narrative patterns of tension, repetition, and transformation passed from ancient campfires to folklore to modern novels. As a novelist and teacher of children's literature, I use AI tools as creative partners to explore these same patterns. Come learn how ancient storytelling wisdom and modern AI can work together to spark ideas, break through blocks, and deepen craft while the human storyteller remains firmly in charge.
Mark Landon Jarvis writes science fiction for underdogs, dreamers, and anyone who's ever been told their story doesn't fit the mold. He is a Kansas State University graduate and a college instructor of children's literature. He is also an estate sale junkie, ephemera collector, Spam connoisseur, and relentless optimist. Jarvis believes stories can exorcise self-doubt and inspire the best in everyone.
Unleash the Autobiographical Engines!
Presented by: Mark Landon Jarvis
Every writer possesses one: a remarkable engine powered by memory, observation, and lived experience. Turn the crank and even the most outlandish fiction casts the author’s shadow upon the screen. Some writers claim every character springs from some corner of their own life. Why not mine our personal histories for buried treasure? In this session we’ll fire up our Autobiographical Engines and explore practical techniques for surfacing memories, details, and life’s moments you can channel into richer characters, settings, and stories. Come turn your past into powerful fuel for your writing.
Mark Landon Jarvis writes science fiction for underdogs, dreamers, and anyone who's ever been told their story doesn't fit the mold. He is a Kansas State University graduate and a college instructor of children's literature. He is also an estate sale junkie, ephemera collector, Spam connoisseur, and relentless optimist. Jarvis believes stories can exorcise self-doubt and inspire the best in everyone.
Presented by: Mark Landon Jarvis
Every writer possesses one: a remarkable engine powered by memory, observation, and lived experience. Turn the crank and even the most outlandish fiction casts the author’s shadow upon the screen. Some writers claim every character springs from some corner of their own life. Why not mine our personal histories for buried treasure? In this session we’ll fire up our Autobiographical Engines and explore practical techniques for surfacing memories, details, and life’s moments you can channel into richer characters, settings, and stories. Come turn your past into powerful fuel for your writing.
Mark Landon Jarvis writes science fiction for underdogs, dreamers, and anyone who's ever been told their story doesn't fit the mold. He is a Kansas State University graduate and a college instructor of children's literature. He is also an estate sale junkie, ephemera collector, Spam connoisseur, and relentless optimist. Jarvis believes stories can exorcise self-doubt and inspire the best in everyone.
Per Aspera Poet Project: Building a Creative Community that Lasts
Presenter Name: Amanda L. Little
Per Aspera Poet Project: Building a Creative Community that Lasts explores the power of creative communities and their impact on artists. Beginning with a brief look at the history and influence of artistic communities, the session then shares the story behind the founding of the Per Aspera Poets of Salina and how shifts within that group shaped its growth. Drawing on these experiences, the program concludes with practical ideas for cultivating a thriving creative community—emphasizing the importance of actively inviting others into the creative process.
Amanda L. Little, Salina, is a former teacher turned librarian. She enjoys exploring the world through the windows and mirrors of words put on a page. Her work is published in several anthologies and won the KAC Poetry Performance Category in 2022. Most recently, she assisted in self-publishing the anthology Per Aspera: Poetry through Difficulties (2025) as an organizing member of Salina's Per Aspera Poets Group. When she isn’t writing poetry, she enjoys spending time with her family, serving at her church, and crocheting.
Presenter Name: Amanda L. Little
Per Aspera Poet Project: Building a Creative Community that Lasts explores the power of creative communities and their impact on artists. Beginning with a brief look at the history and influence of artistic communities, the session then shares the story behind the founding of the Per Aspera Poets of Salina and how shifts within that group shaped its growth. Drawing on these experiences, the program concludes with practical ideas for cultivating a thriving creative community—emphasizing the importance of actively inviting others into the creative process.
Amanda L. Little, Salina, is a former teacher turned librarian. She enjoys exploring the world through the windows and mirrors of words put on a page. Her work is published in several anthologies and won the KAC Poetry Performance Category in 2022. Most recently, she assisted in self-publishing the anthology Per Aspera: Poetry through Difficulties (2025) as an organizing member of Salina's Per Aspera Poets Group. When she isn’t writing poetry, she enjoys spending time with her family, serving at her church, and crocheting.
Community Through Ennegram:
Using Ennegram Energy to Create Authentic Characters
Presented by: Deborah Linn McNemee
The study of enneagrams comes from ancient sages. Enneagrams are navigational tools. Each person naturally navigates life using a specific type of life compass. Enneagram philosophy categorizes these compasses into nine numbers.
Using Enneagrams instead of personality quizzes or character questionnaires gives writers a deeper understanding of what moves characters beyond goal/motivation/conflict. Enneagrams drive human actions and reactions more so than even internal or external motivations.
By delving into the traits of each number attendees will have a more thorough understanding of their characters. (and maybe even their own approach to storytelling.)
Deborah Linn McNemee is the author of JUST DAISY, a YA, modern-day reimagining of The Great Gatsby from Daisy’s point-of-view. She manages a teacher blog, KeepingClassics.com, where she helps teachers engage students in the classics. For her day job, she facilitates a gifted education program. When not writing, she volunteers as the education director for the El Dorado World War II History Center. Her guilty pleasures include quoting Mark Twain to an annoying degree and secretly assigning Enneagram numbers to her friends and family.
Using Ennegram Energy to Create Authentic Characters
Presented by: Deborah Linn McNemee
The study of enneagrams comes from ancient sages. Enneagrams are navigational tools. Each person naturally navigates life using a specific type of life compass. Enneagram philosophy categorizes these compasses into nine numbers.
Using Enneagrams instead of personality quizzes or character questionnaires gives writers a deeper understanding of what moves characters beyond goal/motivation/conflict. Enneagrams drive human actions and reactions more so than even internal or external motivations.
By delving into the traits of each number attendees will have a more thorough understanding of their characters. (and maybe even their own approach to storytelling.)
Deborah Linn McNemee is the author of JUST DAISY, a YA, modern-day reimagining of The Great Gatsby from Daisy’s point-of-view. She manages a teacher blog, KeepingClassics.com, where she helps teachers engage students in the classics. For her day job, she facilitates a gifted education program. When not writing, she volunteers as the education director for the El Dorado World War II History Center. Her guilty pleasures include quoting Mark Twain to an annoying degree and secretly assigning Enneagram numbers to her friends and family.
Got Conflict? Think Sonnet.
Presented by: Kristine A. Polansky
The 250-year history of our country is one of conflict—from its revolutionary inception to today’s political turmoil. No doubt conflict will be part of our future, too. The sonnet format works well for exploring conflicts. Kris Polansky invites you to experience the unique power of sonnet writing. The word play sums up her approach: Play with topics. Play with images and details. Play with potential building blocks—quatrains, couplets, sestets, octaves. Play with sounds—rhymes, other “echoes,” iambic “taDUM’s.” Come experience the satisfaction of presenting a conflict and resolving it in 14 lines or less.
Kristine A. Polansky is the author of a poetry collection, Provocative Lines: Exploratory Poems, and a “how to” book, Provocative Lines: The Art of Breaking and Arranging Lines into Poetry, published by Meadowlark Press. Although she is a practicing attorney, her roots are in teaching, having taught middle-schoolers for ten years. She prefers the “discovery method” approach to teaching and utilizes it in her presentations about poetry. The Kansas Authors Club named her “Poet of the Year” four times, most recently in 2025.
Presented by: Kristine A. Polansky
The 250-year history of our country is one of conflict—from its revolutionary inception to today’s political turmoil. No doubt conflict will be part of our future, too. The sonnet format works well for exploring conflicts. Kris Polansky invites you to experience the unique power of sonnet writing. The word play sums up her approach: Play with topics. Play with images and details. Play with potential building blocks—quatrains, couplets, sestets, octaves. Play with sounds—rhymes, other “echoes,” iambic “taDUM’s.” Come experience the satisfaction of presenting a conflict and resolving it in 14 lines or less.
Kristine A. Polansky is the author of a poetry collection, Provocative Lines: Exploratory Poems, and a “how to” book, Provocative Lines: The Art of Breaking and Arranging Lines into Poetry, published by Meadowlark Press. Although she is a practicing attorney, her roots are in teaching, having taught middle-schoolers for ten years. She prefers the “discovery method” approach to teaching and utilizes it in her presentations about poetry. The Kansas Authors Club named her “Poet of the Year” four times, most recently in 2025.
The Power and Purpose of Memoir
Presented by: Anne Spry
You are already a writer. But have you considered the genre of memoir, either for your own personal history or that of a loved one? This workshop by author and publisher Anne Spry will outline an easy path to capturing personal life stories by furnishing a free system of writing prompts to get you started. She will also provide illustrations of the powerful effects of the genre of memoir in healing, self-discovery, perspective and purpose.
Anne Spry is the immediate past-president of Kansas Authors Club. Her first career as a weekly newspaper editor and publisher lasted 27 years. Her retirement career began in 2014 when she transitioned to an author and book publisher in the early days of print-on-demand. Since then she has published more than two dozen client books and in 2025 saw the publishing of three personal memoirs–one by her own firm of Personal Chapters Publishing and two by friend Thea Rademacher and her company, Flint Hills Publishing. Finishing those projects helped her heal and forgive herself for what she considered her many mistakes and missteps. She is now motivated to help others discover the powerful benefits of memoir.
Presented by: Anne Spry
You are already a writer. But have you considered the genre of memoir, either for your own personal history or that of a loved one? This workshop by author and publisher Anne Spry will outline an easy path to capturing personal life stories by furnishing a free system of writing prompts to get you started. She will also provide illustrations of the powerful effects of the genre of memoir in healing, self-discovery, perspective and purpose.
Anne Spry is the immediate past-president of Kansas Authors Club. Her first career as a weekly newspaper editor and publisher lasted 27 years. Her retirement career began in 2014 when she transitioned to an author and book publisher in the early days of print-on-demand. Since then she has published more than two dozen client books and in 2025 saw the publishing of three personal memoirs–one by her own firm of Personal Chapters Publishing and two by friend Thea Rademacher and her company, Flint Hills Publishing. Finishing those projects helped her heal and forgive herself for what she considered her many mistakes and missteps. She is now motivated to help others discover the powerful benefits of memoir.
Yikes! I'm Self-Publishing! (or The Self-Publishing Journey)
Presenter Name: Melanie Bonner Thomas
As an author-publisher, Melanie discusses her personal discoveries and the pitfalls encountered when deciding to self-publish after first trying traditional publishing options. This session addresses challenges for nonfiction writers, but the self-publishing experience applies to all genres. Melanie will share what motivated her and her decision to self-publish and what the outcomes were. A checklist of self-publishing steps will be provided.
A western Kansas native, Melanie Bonner Thomas is the youngest child of paleontologist Marion Bonner, the subject of her scientific biography / family memoir Old Man of the Fossil Beds, published in October 2025. Thomas spent most of her career as an editor and writer in Austin, Texas, and currently lives on the Texas coast. She has written biographies of famous people for young readers, as well as magazine articles on paleontology, archeology, and history for Texas Monthly and Hispanic magazines. A companion book, Fossils of the Rock Chalk, an introduction to Kansas paleontology, was published in April 2026.
Presenter Name: Melanie Bonner Thomas
As an author-publisher, Melanie discusses her personal discoveries and the pitfalls encountered when deciding to self-publish after first trying traditional publishing options. This session addresses challenges for nonfiction writers, but the self-publishing experience applies to all genres. Melanie will share what motivated her and her decision to self-publish and what the outcomes were. A checklist of self-publishing steps will be provided.
A western Kansas native, Melanie Bonner Thomas is the youngest child of paleontologist Marion Bonner, the subject of her scientific biography / family memoir Old Man of the Fossil Beds, published in October 2025. Thomas spent most of her career as an editor and writer in Austin, Texas, and currently lives on the Texas coast. She has written biographies of famous people for young readers, as well as magazine articles on paleontology, archeology, and history for Texas Monthly and Hispanic magazines. A companion book, Fossils of the Rock Chalk, an introduction to Kansas paleontology, was published in April 2026.