Speaker Line-Up – NFiW 2026

Our 2026 Speaker Line-Up

When Aubrey started her degree in creative writing she assumed she’d, you know,
write. But now she polishes the work of many writers with her editing business Blue
Clover Editing, is the managing editor and podcast host for eMerge Magazine, reads
submissions for the literary journal Apple in the Dark, edits anthologies, judges contests,
and when she makes the time, still writes. Her poetry, short stories, and essays have
won various awards and appeared in a variety of magazines and journals. She’s a
Pushcart and Best of the Net nominee. She tries to ensure her family is fed periodically.

Guiding Beta Readers to Better Feedback
In this session, you’ll learn how to guide your readers so their feedback actually helps
you revise. Learn how to set expectations, ask better questions, and give readers
simple tools to point out what’s working, what’s confusing, and where your story might
be wobbling. Because “It’s great!” may feel nice—but it won’t fix Chapter Twelve.

The Editorial Escape Room
In this hands-on, fast-paced workshop, participants will work in small groups to solve a
series of editorial “puzzles” designed to rescue a story before time runs out.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned writer, you’ll sharpen your editorial instincts,
identify (and fix) common manuscript mishaps, and have more fun editing than you
thought possible.

RJ began his love for all things fantasy at the age of 5. In 1978, when his mother bought him the Rankin & Bass production of The Hobbit, a 24 page read along with the record children’s book, RJ’s imagination was opened to a new world.

RJ and his wife, Michelle, live on a small ranch where they maintain a modest heard of cattle, two horses, and five rescue dogs (Pinker, who is a deaf Great Dane, Rose who is a Great Dane and a bed-hog, Doc, Sunny, and June-Buggy).

Course Description: Roleplaying games have been described as a form of shared storytelling. This session will discuss how the creative process can be stimulated in various ways by RPGs.

Shannon Iwanski is an award-winning author who writes in multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery/suspense, and romance. He has been a member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (OWFI) for fourteen years and is currently serving as the 2026 and 2027 Conference Chairperson. To learn more, visit shannoniwanski.com.

Non-Traditional Characters: If “Write what you know” is leaving you with a cast who could potentially be interchangeable with one another or characters from other books, there are options! While writing about people who lack a common culture, ethnicity, or sexuality might seem daunting, there are ways to include characters who represent what the entire world has to offer. This will be a discussion of characters some authors may feel unqualified to include in their works and resources they can use to feel more comfortable with the process.

Williamaye Jones is an author, book editor, and writing mentor with over twenty-five years of experience in publishing. She works with writers across both traditional and self-publishing paths, helping them produce polished, professional books that connect with readers. Through her Lioness Press services, she helps authors prepare their books for publication, with a focus on editing, formatting, and final-stage readiness. Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, Williamaye guides authors through the most common (and costly) mistakes in the publishing process. She lives in Houston, Texas, and writes stories centered on strong women, reinvention, and transformation.

DESCRIPTION: In this eye-opening session, editor and author Williamaye Jones breaks down the five biggest mistakes writers make when self-publishing—often without even realizing it—and how to avoid them. You’ll walk away with a clear, practical understanding of what it really takes to publish your book well, so you can move forward with confidence and share your work without second-guessing every step.

Newsprint in her blood and staining her fingers, novelist BJ Sloan uses life experience for her latest work, The Secret Son. Her stories spring from the hard earth, painting a picture of the gritty reality of rural life. Texas native BJ and her husband Steve enjoy farm life surrounded by a menagerie of animals, including a boss cow named Zulu.

Brick House Chapter Building: Every chapter of a novel should have a firm foundation built on goal-conflict-outcome.

Turning the Knife Deep with Foreshadowing: Exploring the many types of foreshadowing, including Direct, Indirect, Prophecy, Red-Herring, and proven ways to use them for maximum effect.

You Think That’s Funny? Exploring the many styles and uses of humor, such as satire, dark humor, slapstick, and sarcasm. How and when each of these humorous style additions can add depth to make characters unforgettable.

Rick Treon is an author and publishing executive who’s been honored by organizations such as the International Thriller Writers, the Writers’ League of Texas, and the Texas High Plains Writers, which named him Writer of the Year in 2021.

His debut novel is an international bestseller, and two of his novels have won the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence in Suspense. He’s also been shortlisted twice for the Silver Falchion Award.

Rick is also the Director of Publishing for Amarillo-based imprint Blue Handle, whose books have been named Grand Prize winners by the Texas Authors Institute and Chanticleer International Book Awards.

The Art of Pacing

One of the highest compliments any author can receive—in any genre—goes something like this: “I could not put down your book!” There are a few techniques that will keep readers on the hook for hundreds of pages, and in this course we’ll look at these from a macro (story) and micro (line) perspective. By the end, you’ll have a firm grasp of the art (and the science) of writing page-turning prose!

Pat Tyrer is a Creative Writing Professor at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas where she teaches screenwriting, poetry, and fiction. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and includes three books of poetry. She is a frequent workshop presenter and is co-founder of the High Plains Poetry Project which promotes creative writing on the Texas Panhandle.

Workshop: This hands-on workshop is an introduction to screenwriting, adapting your own short work (story or novel excerpt) into a script applicable for film, television, gaming, or multimedia. Handouts familiarize participants with the elements, terminology, structure, and techniques of writing for the craft.

Our speaker line-up is subject to change without notice. New Frontiers in writing will make every effort to keep the website updated in a timely manner.