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Biography of Dan Chiras
Dan Chiras, Ph.D. is a man of many interests, talents, and pursuits. He is an avid reader, photographer, singer/songwriter, nonfiction and fiction writer, textbook author, an authority on and practitioner of self-sufficiency and sustainability, an accomplished teacher and public speaker, river runner, hiker, mountain biker, cross country skier, and a passionate nature lover. To read Dan’s full biography click here: |
Sustainable Systems Design, Inc.
Dan formed Sustainable Systems Design, Inc. in 1994 and continues to offer design services and consulting on super energy-efficient, passive solar and solar electric He also offers lectures, webinars, advice, and occasional workshops on self-sufficient and sustainable living, residential renewable energy, green building, Chinese greenhouses, and indoor LED hydroponic gardening. To contact Dan regarding services please call or text him at (636) 303-9884. |
| Wind River Music
Dan has written numerous songs and recorded demos and performs at various venues. For more information and a link to his website Wind River Music click here. |
Upcoming Lectures and Workshops
Good Grammar/Bad Grammar:
When Right is Wrong and Wrong is Right
May 20, 2026. 6:00 to 8:00 PM
ZU Gallery, Cortez, Colorado
Many people — even many well-educated professionals — speak and write like the backwoods characters on Swamp People or Duck Dynasty. In this talk, we’ll take a humorous look at the most common gaffes and blunders in the English language and ways to correct some of the most egregious mistakes we make in speech and writing to help you sound as intelligent as you really are. If you’re writing a short story or an essay or a novel or submitting a book proposal to an agent a little polish to your manuscript will help you go a long way. But there are also times when “bad grammar” makes perfect sense. We’ll consider those instances as well.
Dan Chiras is writer, teacher, and public speaker. Dan is author of nearly forty books and hundreds of articles on a wide range of topics. He’s taught writing courses at Colorado College and given numerous lectures on creative writing through Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mesa Verde Literary Festival, Four Corners Writers, and Cortez Public Library.
Past Lectures and Workshops
The Power of Pros to Transform the World
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference
October 12, 2025, Denver, CO
Writers help make us who we are. They often provide insights into human behavior, our thinking, and our beliefs. Such gems of wisdom not only edify, they entertain. They are one of a reader’s greatest prizes.
Writers also effect change on a much higher level. Just look at the effects of the writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Upton Sinclair. Writers expose social and economic injustice, inequities, cruelties, prejudices, and dangerous beliefs.
In this workshop, we’ll explore some examples of how the pros help to bring about change by looking at and analyzing examples from some of the world’s finest writers. We’ll discuss how this element of fiction enhances short stories and novels and how writers can weave their commentary into their works.
Creating Memorable Characters: The Key to Writing Great Stories
September 18, 2024. 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
ZU Gallery, Cortez, Colorado
One of the most important elements of writing great fiction is creating memorable characters. In this talk, we will see how great writers – past and present – describe their characters’ outward appearance and their inner character, making them real to readers. Great stories most often revolve around the inner character – who a character is, his or her personality, beliefs, ethics, and temperament. Exposing the inner workings of a character turns cardboard cutouts into real, living, breathing, and believable people that readers may never forget. We’ll end with a discussion of a key element of great fiction: predicament, challenging situations protagonists must overcome, the backbone of great stories.
What Makes Great Writing Truly Great?
The Power of Symbols, Similes, and Metaphors
10 Am – 11 Am
Saturday. July 10, 2025
Mesa Verda Literary Festival
Mancos, Colorado
In this presentation, I will discuss several of the many factors that make great fiction so rich, memorable, and noteworthy. We’ll discuss similes, metaphors, and symbols and study examples from some contemporary and classic authors.
Panel Discussion: Crafting Compelling Nonfiction
12 Am – 1:15 Am
Saturday. July 10, 2025
Mesa Verda Literary Festival
Mancos, Colorado
A lively discussion by four established authors on the art of writing engaging and compelling nonfiction. I’ll be talking about the kinds of things that I as a writer of environmental and sustainability books and articles do to create reliable and factual articles and books that are easy to read and understand and interesting.
Rescue Me from Hillbilly Nation:
A Humorous Look at Common Gaffes and Blunders in Speaking and Writing and How to Correct Them
May 5, 2025 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Conference Room — Cortez Public Library in Cortez, Colorado
American English has decayed. Many people — even many well-educated professionals — speak and write like the backwoods characters on Swamp People or Duck Dynasty. I think it’s time we apply a little first aid to our nation’s ailing language skills.
In this talk, we’ll take a humorous look at the most common gaffes and blunders in the English language and ways to correct some of the most egregious mistakes we make in speech and writing to help attendees sound as intelligent as they really are. If you’re writing a book, submitting a book proposal to a publishers, writing a report for your company, giving a speech, or applying for a job or college a little polish to your English language skills will help you go a long way.
Spice Up Your Writing: The Power and Beauty of Symbolism, Similes, and Metaphors
March 19, 2024. 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
ZU Gallery, Cortez, Colorado
Great writing results from many elements seamlessly knit into a unique and engaging story. In this talk, we will explore three elements that add enormously to writing: the use of symbols, similes, and metaphors. Carefully crafted, they can spice up your writing, turning drab fiction into exciting, colorful, and Imaginative works of art.
Lettuce in Your Living Room?
Grow Vegetables Year-Round Indoors
under LED Grow Lights
August 3, 2004 11 AM to 12:30 PM
Cliffrose Garden Center and Gifts on Hwy. 160
Learn how to grow all kinds of delicious vegetables from herbs and lettuce to tomatoes and carrots in a simple indoor passive LED hydroponics system. You’ll save tons of money and have year-round access to the freshest produce possible.
Admission $10.00
Limited Seating so Call (565) 899-4970 to Reserve a Spot
Creating Memorable Characters: The Key to Writing Great Stories
September 18, 2024. 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
ZU Gallery, Cortez, Colorado
One of the most important elements of writing great fiction is creating memorable characters. In this talk, we will see how great writers – past and present – describe their characters’ outward appearance and their inner character, making them real to readers. Great stories most often revolve around the inner character – who a character is, his or her personality, beliefs, ethics, and temperament. Exposing the inner workings of a character turns cardboard cutouts into real, living, breathing, and believable people that readers may never forget. We’ll end with a discussion of key elements of great fiction: predicament, challenging situations protagonists must overcome, the backbone of great stories.
Creative Writing Workshop – Learn to Write Like a Pro
September 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2024 – 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Cortez, Cultural Center, Cortez, Colorado
Want to learn to write like a pro? Learn how to create short stories and novels that intrigue literary agents and acquisition editors at publishing houses?
In this workshop, we will explore many of the key elements that make great fiction truly great. We will study examples from accomplished writers from earlier times like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe but focus most of our attention on contemporary award-winning writers of novels and short stories. We’ll explore the many factors that make stories rich and rewarding to readers including the creative use of language to spice up a work of fiction, the power of similes and metaphors to add deeper meaning, ways to paint pictures with words that stimulate a reader’s senses, the value of carefully crafted symbolism, the art of great opening lines, how characters are memorably portrayed, the art of crafting clever and meaningful dialogue, and much more. This is a hands-on workshop, so you’ll have plenty of time to practice what you are learning.
This course meets Saturday mornings at the Cortez Cultural Center on September 7, 14, 21, and 28 from 9:30 to 12:30 upstairs in the conference room. Bring paper and pen or your laptop. Seating is limited, so call Dan Chiras at 636-303- 9884 to reserve a seat. Some scholarships are available. Cost $200 if you enroll prior August 1, $250 if you enroll after August 1.
About the Teacher:
Dan Chiras, Ph.D. is a gifted teacher known for his ability to make learning fun and interesting and a highly accomplished writer who has published 40 books and hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including 60 articles in major encyclopedias.
Dan began writing and studying fiction at age 18 and has continued to pursue his passion for more than 40 years. He studied creative writing as an undergraduate and has written three novels and several dozen short stories. Dan has also written over 100 songs. Dan has taught creative writing workshops. His most recent (as-yet unpublished) book is The Finer Points of Fiction: Read the Best to Write Your Best.
The Power of Creative Wordsmithing – Sponsored by Four Corners Writers
May 15th, 2024 — 6 to 7:30 PM Colorado Mountain Time
Reading exceptional writing is one of the cornerstones of becoming a better writer. Reading with a careful eye, you can discover the many elements of fiction that synergize to create truly great works of fiction. In this workshop, we will explore the ways great writers paint pictures with words, how they stimulate their readers’ senses, and the importance of writing riveting opening lines that captivate a readers’ imaginations and draw them.
Location: The ZU Gallery, Cortez, Colorado
Creative Writing Workshop – Learn to Write Like a Pro
May 4, 11, and 25 and June 1, 2024 – 9 AM to Noon
Want to learn to write like a pro? Learn how to create short stories and novels that intrigue literary agents and acquisition editors at publishing houses?
In this workshop, we will explore many of the key elements that make great fiction truly great. We will study examples from accomplished writers from earlier times like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe but focus most of our attention on contemporary award-winning writers of novels and short stories. We’ll explore the many factors that make stories rich and rewarding to readers including the creative use of language to spice up a work of fiction, the power of similes and metaphors to add deeper meaning, ways to paint pictures with words that stimulate a reader’s senses, the value of carefully crafted symbolism, the art of great opening lines, how characters are memorably portrayed, the art of crafting clever and meaningful dialogue, and much more. This is a hands-on workshop so you’ll have plenty of time to practice what you are learning.
This course meets Saturday mornings at the Cortez Cultural Center in Cortez, Colorado on May 4, 11, and 25 and June 1 from 9 to noon upstairs in the conference room. Bring paper and pen or your laptop. Call Dan Chiras at 636-303-9884. Some scholarships are available.
About the Teacher
Dan Chiras, Ph.D. is a gifted teacher known for his ability to make learning fun and interesting and a highly accomplished writer who has published 40 books and hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including 60 articles in major encyclopedias.
Dan began writing and studying fiction at age 18 and has continued to pursue his passion for more than 40 years. He studied creative writing as an undergraduate and has written three novels and several dozen short stories. Dan has also written over 100 songs. Dan has taught creative writing workshops. His most recent (as-yet unpublished) book is The Finer Points of Fiction: Read the Best to Write Your Best.
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Dan’s most recent books include:
His most popular (best-selling) books include:
Dan has also written a handful of self-help books including:
For a complete list of the books that Dan has published CLICK HERE |
