Breaking News!

Writing coach, editor, and award-winning author John DeDakis brings his storytelling and editing know-how to CAC2025!

While telling a story is a feat that belongs to the creative mind, an editor relies on both his creative mind and his logical mind to shape a story. Finding strong and vulnerable points in a story isn’t always an easy job, especially when a deadline looms over your head, but when your career has taken you into a busy newsroom like Sr. Editor John DeDakis, you’ll find your story elevated to its highest level in no time at all!

The Path to Network Newsrooms

John DeDakis knows a lot about shaping a story into its finest form. He began his writing career in 1969 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, covering the 1970 anti-Vietnam war riot as a journalist for his campus radio station. He went on to receive his Bachelors of Arts in Journalism, then joined the U.S. Army as a Special Events Reporter at The American Forces Network in Europe where, from 1972-74, he had the opportunity to interview many notable people, including legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock.

DeDakis’s career in news reporting continued after his service when he became a reporter for a local NBC affiliate station in Madison, Wisconsin. That move led to the position of General Assignment Correspondent with CBN News in Virginia, and, eventually to his role as CBN’s White House Correspondent during the last three years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency from 1983 to 1988. Through that position he interviewed two Presidents, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Into the Editing Room and Onto the Bookshelves

In 1988, DeDakis took his skills to CNN for a 25-year stint as first a writer, then as the writing supervisor of CNN’s “Daybreak.” He also provided copy edits for the network’s major anchors and became the Senior Copy Editor for the Emmy and Peabody-Award winning news program “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”  

DeDakis hasn’t slowed down since leaving the business of broadcast news. Instead, he transitioned into a career as a novelist and turned his attention full time to creating high-intensity thrillers with his indomitable character Lark Chadwick. Introduced in his debut novel, Fast Track, she is the title character in the Lark Chadwick Mystery series that includes six books and counting.

A Beacon of the Writing Community

With a desire to share his knowledge and experience with other writers, DeDakis has become an invaluable asset to the greater writing community. His writing coach and editing services, his journalism and creative writing workshops, and his podcast offer advice for authors and journalists as they strive to elevate their own writing with the skills DeDakis learned over the course of his career. 

DeDakis has racked up a long list of achievements since becoming a published author. He served as the Writer in Residence at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta, taught university level writing courses, and was a guest lecturer at American University in Washington, D.C., joining an illustrious list of guest speakers that includes legendary White House Correspondent Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer of CBS News. 

Whether he is editing a news story or he’s making news with his growing list of thrillers, John DeDakis is dedicated to bringing clear and concise writing to his fans. Through his training at the news desk, he’s honed his editing skills to a fine point and gained an intuitive sense of how to tell a story that’s as compelling as any news flash you’ll find on the nightly news.

Chanticleer is excited that the accomplished novelist, journalist and editor, John DeDakis, will be joining us this year at CAC2025!

Chanticleer is thrilled to host John DeDakis at the Chanticleer Authors Conference (CAC2025) and the International Book Awards (CIBA) on April 3-6, 2025, to share her knowledge with Chanticleer authors.

Don’t miss out on this chance to learn from author, coach, editor, and podcaster John DeDakis!

Register now! Space is limited! 

Follow this link to reserve your spot at this special event!