Award-Winning Author and Presence Coach Marijke McCandless to Teach at the Las Vegas Writers Conference
Marijke McCandless, award-winning author, Presence Coach, and Playfulness Instigator, will teach three workshops at the Las Vegas Writers Conference, taking place April 23-25, 2026. McCandless is scheduled to teach on April 23 and April 25. Her book Naked in the Now: Juicy Practices for Getting Present (Collective Ink, 2024) won the Grand Prize at the CIBA Mind & Spirit Awards and a Gold Medal at Readers’ Favorite, and she brings a unique approach to writing instruction — one that blends mindfulness, authentic expression, and playfulness.
McCandless is the creator of the Naked Writing method, rooted in the contemplative writing tradition and her own decades of awareness practice. Her virtual writing community, Write Now Mind, draws participants worldwide and was featured by Arianna Huffington on Thrive Global as a life-changing habit. She also leads Write by Red Rock, a monthly in-person workshop in Las Vegas.
“What excites me most is the writers who show up not quite sure they belong,” says McCandless. “Those are often the ones with the most extraordinary stories inside them. The conference gives writers permission — to take themselves seriously, to be part of a community, to say out loud: I am a writer. And that permission can change everything.”
Naked in the Now has earned widespread recognition, including a “Get It” verdict from Kirkus Reviews, praise from Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Prize as “inviting, simple, and motivating,” and selection for Spirituality & Health’s “Books We Love” list. The book was also featured in New York Lifestyle Magazine’s January 2026 issue as one of twelve recommended Mindfulness Upgrades for 2026.
Her Naked Writing workshops have produced remarkable results. A student who had never written before joined one of her classes and, less than two years later, won first place for creative nonfiction at an international writers’ conference and literary festival with her first completed essay.
McCandless was recently featured as a cover story in Formidable Woman US magazine and will also moderate a panel, “On Love,” at the San Diego Writers Festival on March 28, 2026.
For more information visit https://marijkemccandless.com
