Colorado Writing Resources
Posted by David Duhr in 
Next up in our State Writing Resources series is Colorado, the good old Centennial State, and my home for several years in the mid-1990s. One of the things Coloradans like to argue about is whether they’re Coloradans or Coloradoans. One thing they agree on is that the worst Coloradan is better than the best Californian. And the best Alabaman, the best Alaskan, the best Arkansawyer, and so on ad finitum.
Among the many writers with Colorado ties are Kent Haruf, Hunter S. Thompson, and, yes, Sinbad.
Presented here in no particular order are ten Colorado writing resources, from conferences to local critique groups to literary magazines. If you live in Colorado or are planning a move there, these are some organizations you might want to take a peek at.
1) Lighthouse Writers Workshop
Lighthouse Writers Workshop is the largest nonprofit literary center in Colorado and the Mountain West. It offers high-quality writing instruction in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and many other genres.
The CAL’s objectives are to foster the art and craft of authorship, to promote the interests of Colorado writers, to advance the esteem and recognition of its members, and to keep members informed of important publishing trends, changes and events.
3) Crested Butte Writers Conference
An annual three-day mountain getaway workshop, offerings classes, seminars, readings, panels, pitch packages and more.
4) Wet Mountain Valley Writers’ Workshop
An annual conference in Westcliffe offering workshops, seminars, readings, and community.
5) Naropa University Summer Writing Program
A four-week-long summer convocation of students, poets, fiction writers, editors and others working in small press publishing. Programming includes workshops, lectures, panels, readings, special events, and more.
The purpose of NCW is to encourage and support writers of all levels and genres. Whether you are just starting out or are well established in your writing career, NCW can help you on your writing journey. Events held in Ft. Collins.
7) Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group
A nonprofit that welcomes writers of all levels to improve their skills through peer critique groups, lectures, seminars and retreats in a supportive setting in Colorado Springs.
A cutting edge poetry conference and literary magazine, the AWF is one of the nation’s leading literary centers and a stage for the world’s most prominent authors.
Boulder Writing Studio is a non-profit whose mission is to support emerging local voices and connect its community through the literary arts. Since 2010, the Studio has promoted and encouraged the art and craft of writing, the bold magic of self-expression, and the power of the written word to transform individual and collective lives.
A directory of writers who have published poetry and who live and work in Colorado or have strong ties to the state. This site contains Colorado poets’ biographical and bibliographical material, selections from published work, and availability for readings and/or working in schools.
Help us add to this list, Coloradans/Coloradoans! Do you run a local writing group or a lit journal we should be aware of? Feel free to share info and links in the comments section below.