The 360-Degree Story:

Name: The 360-Degree Story — one-day writers conference
Start: 2026-10-03T08:30:00
End: 2026-10-03T17:00:00
Location: The Reel Factory Conference Center

Every Angle. Every Character. Every Reader.

A one-day writers conference presented by

Illumify Media

October 3, 2026

The Reel Factory Conference Center

10488 W. Centennial Road

Littleton, CO 80127

Only $99

A Well-Told Story Makes Your Message or Story Unforgettable

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, every unforgettable book has one thing in common: a compelling story.

A well-told story captures attention, builds emotional connection, communicates truth, and inspires transformation. It's what readers remember long after they've turned the final page.

At The Illumify 360-Degree Story writers conference, you'll discover how to examine your story from every angle—your message, your characters, your readers, your marketing, and everything in between.

Join bestselling authors, publishing professionals, and industry experts for a full day of practical teaching, interactive Story Labs, networking, and inspiration designed to help you become a stronger storyteller.

Whether you're writing your first manuscript or your fifteenth, you'll leave with new tools you can immediately apply to your writing.

This Conference is Ideal for:

Aspiring authors

Published authors

Fiction writers

Nonfiction writers

Memoir writers

Business authors

Christian writers

Anyone who wants to communicate ideas through compelling stories

Get instant access

What You'll Learn

Build stories readers can't put down
Create unforgettable characters
Write authentic dialogue+
Incorporate story into your nonfiction writing
Avoid common storytelling mistakes
Build a community around your book
Use story to market and promote your work

Between sessions you'll participate in four interactive 360 Story Labs—short creative exercises that help you immediately apply what you've learned.

Plus, we’ll give you plenty of time to network with other writers.

Plus, our faculty will be available for one-on-one consultations!

Schedule

8:30 Registration

9:00 Welcome

9:15 Session I. The Power of Story with Michael J. Klassen

Discover why story is one of the most powerful communication tools ever created and why every great fiction or nonfiction author must understand its influence.

9:45 360 Story Lab

10:00 Session II. Identity, Culture, and the Hero’s Journey with Rick Killian

Learn the timeless principles of story structure that every successful writer can use to craft compelling stories—and know when to break the rules.

10:30 360 Story Lab

10:45 Break and Networking

11:00 Session III. Stories that Sizzle with Karen Bouchard and Keith Wall

Discover the essential ingredients that transform ordinary stories into unforgettable reading experiences—from compelling openings to satisfying endings.

11:45 360 Story Lab

12:00 Lunch—Jersey Mike’s subs

12:45 Panel discussion

1:30 Session IV. Building a Community Around Your Book with Erika Bryant

Turn casual readers into a thriving community of loyal fans who champion your message—and book sales!—long after your book is published.

2:00 Break and Networking

2:15 Session V. Storybranding Your Book Promotion with Valerie Morris

Stop selling your book and start inviting readers into a story where they become the hero and your book becomes their guide.

2:45 360 Story Lab

3:00 Session VI. Whose Story is it Anyway? Mastering Perspective and the Construction of Point of View with Charles Feldmann

Choosing the right point of view transforms your story by shaping every reader's experience, deepening emotional impact, and revealing truth through a unique narrative lens.

3:30 Break and Networking

3:45 Session VII. The Art of Compelling Dialogue with Deb Hall

Master the art of writing dialogue that reveals character, advances your story, and keeps readers eagerly turning the page.

4:15 Session VIII. Common Storytelling Mistakes: True Stories with Larry Yoder

Recognize the storytelling mistakes that cause readers to lose interest—and discover how seasoned publishing professionals identify and fix them before a book reaches the marketplace.

4:45 Last words with Michael J. Klassen

5:00 Dismiss

Conference Faculty

Jen Clark

Experienced as a ghostwriter, book coach, editor, and journalist Jen Clark understands the magnitude of the publication process. Completing a book project takes a team! She enjoys collaborating with the author and offers excellent project management, steadfast support and attention to detail.

Jen is the conference registrar.

Michael J. Klassen

The president and publisher of Illumify Media, Michael has ghostwritten, authored, edited, or contributed to 70+ traditionally-published books that have sold millions. He's worked with sitting presidents, former presidents, and bestselling authors to reach the masses with their message. Since founding Illumify Media in 2015, the team has released over 300 titles.

The Power of Story

Stories well-told stand the test of time. They capture history, embody meaning, and create a legacy. Michael J. Klassen explains how the 360-Degree Story fits into the 360-Degree author framework.

Rick Killian

Rick Killian began his professional career as an English teacher, then an in-house editor, and has been a developmental editor, ghostwriter, and publishing coach since 2001. Altogether, he has guided roughly eighty mission-driven manuscripts to completion that have sold more than 5.4 million copies, with three New York Times top-five bestsellers. For more information, visit his website at KillianCreative.com.

Identity, Culture, and the Hero’s Journey

We make sense of the world around us through stories. The stories we love are the basis of our culture, our values, and our identities. Stories also awaken us to new perspectives, shift paradigms, and broaden worlds. Stories that resonate tend to have a consistent structure and pacing, while those that don’t tend to have violated the basics of story in some way.

Because of this, every writer—regardless of your genre: fiction, memoir, or non-fiction—should be familiar with story structure. Story structure is a tremendously helpful outlining tool, but also an important editing framework to figure out why a story isn’t working or isn’t resonating with an audience.

Karen Bouchard

A bestselling author, ghostwriter, and national speaker, Karen has more than 30 years’ experience in publishing and has worked with many traditional publishers including Thomas Nelson, Revell, and Waterbrook Press (an imprint of Penguin Random House). Karen has also authored more than a dozen books of her own under the name “Karen Linamen,” including Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt, and The Chocolate Diaries.

Keith Wall

A bestselling author, ghostwriter, and national speaker, Keith has more than 30 years’ experience in publishing and has worked with many traditional publishers including Random House, Doubleday Books, Multnomah, David C. Cook and The Walton Family Foundation.

Stories that Sizzle

Why do some stories soar while others fall flat? Why do some sizzle while others fizzle? The difference isn’t luck or even talent—it’s the art and craft of storytelling. In this workshop, you’ll discover the essential ingredients that give stories irresistible energy: unforgettable openings, relatable characters, meaningful conflict, vivid details, emotional depth, surprising twists, and endings that leave readers wanting more.

Whether you’re writing fiction, memoir, or nonfiction, you’ll learn practical techniques for turning everyday ideas into unforgettable reading experiences. Come prepared to sharpen your storytelling skills, ignite your creativity, and transform stories that simply inform into stories that truly captivate.

Erika Bryant

A seasoned marketing strategist and business advisor, Erika's 20+ years of experience ranges across industries from entrepreneurs and small businesses all the way up to the Fortune 5. She helps businesses drum up innovative ideas and turns them into actionable steps so they can show up in a way that makes their business flourish. Helping others is one of the things that makes her happiest in life. She lives with her wonderful 10 year old daughter in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

Building a Community Around Your Book

Authors, like you, are really good at bringing a story to life by writing about something interesting and bringing the reader along on the journey. The twists and turns of the narrative become the reason people want to read what your imagination or lived experience have to offer.

That part might feel simple to deliver on. What’s often not simple is what comes next: getting the right people to pick up your book and read it.

As a marketing professional and an author, Erika has found innovative ways to build community around her book so she can enjoy a successful launch. Sure, traditional marketing tactics might work. But when one of your superfans looks at their friend and says “Hey, this is a must read” they pick it up and read it themselves.

In this session, you’ll learn about Erika’s strategy and walk away with a few action items you can do today to start heading in the right direction.

Valerie Morris

A book marketing and book launch strategist, Valerie helps authors build their author brand and become known as a trusted thought leader in their industry. She leverages her extensive marketing background to bring a comprehensive approach to publishing for authors. The author of two books, she understands both sides of book promotion.

Storybranding Your Book Promotion

Your book isn't the hero—your reader is. In this workshop, you'll learn how to apply Donald Miller's StoryBrand framework to clarify your message, connect with your ideal audience, and make your book impossible to ignore.

Learn how to position your book as the trusted guide that helps readers overcome a challenge, achieve a goal, or experience meaningful transformation. You'll explore practical ways to use this approach on your website, social media, book descriptions, speaking engagements, and promotional materials.

Instead of simply telling people what your book is about, invite them into a story where they see themselves and eagerly take the next step.

Charles Feldmann

Charles E. Feldmann is a published writer, former Marine JAG officer, international litigator, and former Colorado state judge. He has taught at institutions including the U.S. Naval War College, the National College of District Attorneys, Colorado's Law Enforcement Academy, and Colorado Mountain College. He is currently completing a master's degree in Creative Writing at Harvard University, where he continues to refine his craft through advanced study.

Whose Story is it Anyway? Mastering Perspective and the Construction of Point of View

Every story is told through a lens, and the point of view you choose can dramatically change how readers experience your narrative. In this interactive workshop, you'll explore the strengths, limitations, and creative possibilities of first-, second-, and third-person perspectives, including limited, omniscient, and objective narration.

Through engaging examples and hands-on writing exercises, you'll discover how shifting perspective influences tension, character development, and emotional resonance. You'll also learn when to follow the traditional rules—and when breaking them can make your story even more powerful.

If you've ever wondered whose story you're really telling, this workshop will change the way you write.

Deb Hall

Deb Hall began her editing career in 2014 and has enjoyed helping writers hone their skills and enhance their manuscripts ever since. A former high school and college English teacher, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and serves as Illumify’s Editorial Director.

The Art of Compelling Dialogue

Struggling with dialogue that helps tell your story? Dialogue that displays your characters in memorable ways? Dialogue that enhances the flow of your prose so your reader will want to keep reading? The goal is not to be fancy or flashy but strategic and fluid.

This workshop will help you understand what makes better dialogue in both fiction and nonfiction—yes, it belongs in both.

We will examine samples that display the variety of ways we can use dialogue, both in and around the actual words of our characters, and practice integrating that variety in our own writing.

You’ll walk away feeling inspired to hear your characters talk for hours!

Larry Yoder

Larry is a legend in traditional publishing. For twenty years, he represented the Macmillan Publisher Group to independent bookstores, regional chains, and wholesale distributors before managing The Bookies, a Denver area bookstore. He is credited with discovering bestselling authors Jim Fergus, Paul Atketer, and Brandon Sanderson. Mostly retired, he evaluates manuscripts for Illumify authors.

Common Storytelling Mistakes: True Stories

Even the best stories can miss the mark when avoidable mistakes weaken their impact. Drawing on decades of experience in traditional publishing, bookstore management, and manuscript evaluation, Larry Yoder will share real examples of storytelling pitfalls he has encountered throughout his career—and the lessons every writer can learn from them.

You'll discover why some manuscripts immediately capture attention while others struggle to connect with readers, and how small revisions can make a dramatic difference. From weak openings and underdeveloped characters to pacing problems and missed emotional opportunities, you'll learn how to recognize the warning signs before they derail your story.