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Presentations

I am a frequent guest speaker at schools, writing conferences, and club meetings.

I'd love to speak to your group! Email me at cwallenbooks@gmail.com to get started.

Previous Hosts Include...

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Life, The Universe,
and Everything Symposium

Storymakers Guild

League of Utah Writers

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Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

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Utah Authors Day

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Pioneer Book

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Pikes Peak Writers

Upcoming Appearances

Pre-Quill Conference

March 29, 2025

West Valley City, Utah

Pikes Peak Writers Conference

May 2-4, 2025

Colorado Springs, Colorado

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Utah Authors Day

at the Springville Library

Saturday December 7, 2024

noon - 2:00pm

For Everyone

Comedy (seriously.)

No matter your audience, genre, or format, applying the principles that make comedy writing work can take any project from predictable to un-put-downable!

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This presentation is geared toward writers of any level of experience, with writing from laugh out loud to deathly dramatic.

A Crash Course in Critique

Every writer needs a good editing team. Learn how to get the advice that gets results, and how to help other writers make their work shine.

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This presentation is for anyone learning to write collaboratively, or with critique partners or beta readers. It can be tailored to the audience, from students to adults.

Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Messages

As long as humans have been sharing ideas, they've also been finding ways to conceal them. Learn the history of secret messages and the methods used to craft them, then create a new code of your own!

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This presentation can tailored to different audiences: history buffs, mystery writers, or students ages 8 and up.

For Grownups

Kid Lit 101

Children Reading

Want to write for kids? Here's everything you'll need to know to get started.

 

This overview of the current children's literature landscape, from picture books to YA, highlights unique considerations for writing, querying, publishing, and marketing kids' books.

Publishing Paths and Red Flags

Ready to Get Published

​Once you finish writing a book you have a lot of decisions to make. We’ll discuss next steps, how to decide which publishing path is right for you, and publishing scams to look out for.

The Secret to a
Pain-free Synopsis

A Young Man with a Notebook

Whether you’re a plotter or prefer to discover the story as you go, starting off with a solid synopsis will set you up for success and save editing time down the road. Learn best practices for formatting and submissions, what an effective novel synopsis looks like, and how to put your synopsis to work for you.

Wait, Can I DO That?

Judge Gavel

A beginner’s introduction to publishing contracts, copyright, public domain, fair use, and other legal concerns for writers. From fan fiction to brand names and everything in between, learn what’s allowed, how to stay out of trouble, and how to protect your rights as a creator.

Don't Look Like a Rookie

(Even If You Are!)

Young Woman

Every writer has to start somewhere, but that doesn't mean you want to be pegged as a rookie. Learn to avoid the most common beginner's mistakes in line editing, formatting, submissions, and curating your personal brand so you can present yourself like a professional in person and online.

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