Writers In The Lodge
A mini writers conference, part of the Writers in the Park Series
Saturday, March 7, 2026
10am to 1pm CT
Information and registration for Writers in the Lodge 2026
Registration:
Workshops are Free to Attend - Online and In Person - No registration required
For consultations or pitch sessions please register by clicking the buttons below.
Please fill out the form below to register for a consultation. SLWG Members use your Member’s Room Password to get 50% off - Under Promo Code enter the Member’s Room password.
All consultations are in-person at the event
Handouts for Writers in the Lodge - click the button to download the pdf
Calling All Writers
To A Mini Writers Conference
10am - 1pm CT | The Lodge Des Peres
1050 Des Peres Rd. 63131
Online and In Person
Three Workshops
Pitch Sessions
Consultations
Workshops are Free to Attend
Paid Consultations
10 a.m. Workshop - From Passenger to Pilot: Creating Protagonists Who Drive the Plot
Speaker - Editor Cori Laatsch of WP Editing
11 a.m. Workshop - Are You a Plotter or a Pantser? All Depends
Speaker - Author and Attorney Michael A. Kahn
12 p.m. Workshop - World Building
Speaker - Author Esme Symes-Smith
To view the workshops online, no registration is required, simply click one of the event buttons on the Home Page, Event Page, or below to join online, or participate in person at The Lodge Des Peres. Zoom meeting room won’t open until 9:45am CT on the day of the event.
Consultations and pitch sessions require registration
To watch online for free - click this button at 10am CT on March 7
Recordings from 2025!
(Available for a limited time) For those who missed parts of the workshops for pitch sessions and consultations. Recordings are also in the Workshop Archive. Click the button to watch.
Workshops will be posted after the event - not all workshops may be recorded.
The third workshop is only available in the Workshop Archive.
10am | Shawntelle Madison - Unlocking Emotions to Strengthen Your Story
11am | Gracie York - Editing That Meets Your Needs
Workshops at Writers in the Lodge
Workshops - 10am to 1pm CT - Free and Open to All - Online and In-Person at The Lodge Des Peres
10 a.m. Workshop - From Passenger to Pilot: Creating Protagonists Who Drive the Plot
Speaker - Editor Cori Laatsch of WP Editing
11 a.m. Workshop - Are You a Plotter or a Pantser? All Depends
Speaker - Author and Attorney Michael A. Kahn
12 p.m. Workshop - World Building
Speaker - Author Esme Symes-Smith
Consultations and Pitch Sessions
Consultations: $40 for Non-Members, $20 for SLWG Members - Material will be reviewed ahead of the conference and include a 20+ minute consultation during the event. All consultations are in-person at the Lodge.
1st 5 pages read with Kin Lozano
1st 5 pages read with Cori Laatsch
Promotional Planning with LaShaunda Hoffman
New this Year!
Author Headshots with Brittany Renee Photography
$25 for two photos
Pitch Sessions: $10 for 1 pitch session for Non-Members, $5 for 1 pitch session for SLWG Members
Jennifer Geist is the owner and publisher of Pen & Publish and its three traditional imprints: Brick Mantel Books, Open Books Press, and Transformation Media Books.
SLWG Members Promo Code - use the Member’s Room password to get the discount on consultations
Presenters & Consultants
Workshop Presenters
Workshops are Free and Open to All, No registration required.
From Passenger to Pilot: Creating Protagonists Who Drive the Plot
A strong plot starts with a protagonist who acts. Learn how to write a protagonist who generates momentum, tension, and emotional investment. You’ll walk away knowing how to spot passive protagonists with real techniques to transform them into driving forces that lead your story.
Cori Laatsch, WP Editing
Cori Laatsch is a full-time editor and the owner of WP Editing. She offers comprehensive editing for all genres of fiction, specializing in story development and line editing for debut authors. She has a BA in professional writing and a minor in business. In her spare time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym or drinking a vanilla latte at your favorite local coffee spot.
Are You a Plotters and Pantsers? All Depends
Techniques for writing novels range from those who create elaborate chapter outlines before typing Chapter One to those who compose by the seat of their pants, allowing the characters to chart the path. Mike will explore the benefits and detriments of each approach, including tales of hugely successful authors who have been plotters or pantsers.
Michael A. Kahn, Author and Attorney
Michael A. Kahn is a trial lawyer by day, an author at night, and a mediocre harmonica player whose fantasy is to become the next Junior Wells on the weekend. He is the award-winning author of fourteen novels, including eleven in the Rachel Gold mystery series, and several short stories. His latest novel is The Gourmet Club. Married to his University City High School sweetheart Margi, they are the parents of five and the grandparents of eleven. His proudest moment as an author: when his children took one of his books to school for show-and-tell.
World Building
Tips for creating your book’s world
Esme Symes-Smith, Author
Author of SIR CALLIE AND THE CHAMPIONS OF HELSTON, SIR CALLIE AND THE DRAGON’S ROOST, & more
After cutting their teeth on a steady diet of fanfiction in the South-West of England, Esme Symes-Smith wandered north to Wales for their degree in Literature and Creative Writing then promptly migrated to Missouri after meeting their wife on Tumblr.
Esme has been a ghostwriter, an editor, a frozen-yogurt seller, a caffeine dealer, and now wrangles preschoolers for a living.
They have a severe tea problem, and are a passionate advocate for the freedom to read.
https://esymessmith.com/
Consultants
Consultations are $40 for a 20+ minute review at the event
Kim Lozano, Editor and Writing Coach
First Pages Critiques
Developmental editor Kim Lozano is offering one-on-one sessions with writers to discuss feedback on the first five pages of their completed manuscript or work-in-progress. Authors are also welcome to provide a short synopsis of their book. Writers should submit the first five pages in 12-point font with 1-inch margins by February 21st. The synopsis should be no longer than 500 words. Feel free to include any specific questions you have at the end of your synopsis or in a separate document. Kim will provide brief written comments on the manuscript pages. Limited to 8 writers.
Kim Lozano is a developmental editor and writing coach who works with writers on their books, short prose, and poetry. She's a frequent workshop leader and summit speaker and serves as a mentor for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Her own work has been published in The Iowa Review, North American Review, American Life in Poetry, CRAFT, and many other places. She offers resources for writers at kimlozano.com. You can subscribe to her popular [Kim’s Notes] to receive craft instruction, revision tips, calls for submissions, and all sorts of writing-related goodness.
Please send your submission, the first five pages, to president@stlwritersguild.org
Cori Laatsch, Editor and Consultant
Editor Cori Laatsch is offering two types of 20+ min one-on-one editorial consultation.
Please submit your manuscript by February 21st.
When you submit your manuscript please say which you would prefer.
A Line Edit Deep Dive: a review of your first five pages with you and provide an in-depth line edit.
Your Self-Editing Checklist: a personalized self-editing checklist based on your manuscript's biggest hold-ups.
Cori Laatsch is a featured Writers in the Lodge speaker. See her biography in the presenters section.
Please send your submission, the first five pages, to president@stlwritersguild.org
Lashanda Hoffman, Author, Publisher, and Book Marketing Strategist
Brittany Renee, Photographer
Professional photographer Brittany Renee is offering an author headshot digital package. You will receive two poses, and files will be print suitable (300dpi). Don’t worry about blemishes, she will make you look fabulous in processing. Wear a solid, well-fitting shirt. Neutral or mid-tones work best. Avoid graphics and overly busy patterns.
Brittany Renee is a portrait photography with seventeen years experiences. She specializes in weddings and boudoir but can be versatile! Her favorite part of the job is seeing people fall in love with themselves through her lens.
Pitch Sessions
(1) pitch session, about 7 minutes
SLWG Members $5, Non-members $10
Jennifer Geist
Pen & Publish
Jennifer Geist, Owner and Publisher of Pen & Publish
Jennifer Geist is the owner and publisher of Pen & Publish and its three traditional imprints: Brick Mantel Books, Open Books Press, and Transformation Media Books. With over a decade of experience in editing, book compositing, photography, graphic and web design, marketing, writing, and more, she is able to see any book from acquisitions to publication and beyond. She received her bachelor’s degree in creative writing with a focus in small press publishing through Southeast Missouri State University.
Following are the descriptions and wish lists for Pen & Publish’s imprints:
Brick Mantel Books
Brick Mantel Books values literature as an art, and we publish literary fiction and thought-provoking poetry that leave a lasting impression.
Current Wish List for Brick Mantel Books:
• Character-driven literary fiction that is engaging and provocative
• Not currently accepting poetry manuscripts
Open Books Press
Open Books Press is dedicated to publishing quality fiction and nonfiction for adults and fiction for all ages.
Current Wish List for Open Books Press:
• Historical memoirs or biographies
• General nonfiction with higher education market potential
• Compelling full-length novels (no fantasy, science fiction, or romance)
Transformation Media Books
Transformation Media Books is dedicated to publishing innovative works that nourish the body, mind, and spirit, written by authors whose ideas and messages make a difference in the world.
Current Wish List for Transformation Media Books:
• Nonfiction titles focused on health and mental health
Past Writers in the Lodge
2024
2022
2025
2023
2021