2024 Colorado Gold Writers Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome, writers! If you have any questions about the schedule or the conference at large, please refer to the conference website at rmfw.org/conference or email conference@rmfw.org.

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8:00am MDT

Adrenaline Rush: How to Write Suspense Fiction - Master Class

Friday September 27, 2024 8:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Conference Room VI

John Gilstrap presents a four-hour-long seminar on the construction of intelligent suspense fiction. Through lively lectures and writing exercises, students get a peek at the skeleton that gives structure to the stories that keep us reading long into the night.

Speakers

John Gilstrap

NYT Bestselling Author

When John Gilstrap's first novel, Nathan's Run, hit the market in 1996, it set the literary world on fire. Publication rights sold in 23 countries, the movie rights were scooped up at auction by Warner Brothers, and John changed professions. A safety engineer by training and education... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 8:00am - 12:00pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI, Pre-pay Only

Topic Restricted Event
Subject Genre, Craft

1:30pm MDT

Horror Comedy: Make Your Readers Laugh & Scream

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT

Conference Room VII

Horror and comedy are both about tension, the build up and the payoff. When we meld the two together, we get the fear of the scare and the release of the laugh. Using recent TV and movies as examples, we’ll walk through how to write horror comedy. Learn to leave your readers terrified and giggling.

Speakers

Angela Sylvaine

Author

Angela Sylvaine is a self-proclaimed cheerful goth who writes speculative fiction and poetry. Her debut novel, Frost Bite, a ‘90s sci-fi horror comedy, and her debut short story collection, The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls are out now. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared... Read More →

Horror Comedy Make Your Readers Laugh and Scream Handout pdf

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Conference Room VII

Conference Rom VII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre, Craft

1:30pm MDT

Written in The Blood

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT

Conference Room IV

Blood spatter analysis reveals information. An investigator may detect participants’ locations, weapons, direction of travel of actors, suspect’s handedness, and the ‘excitement’ of victim. This workshop will primarily focus on the basics revealed to investigators via observation.

Speakers

Laura Manuel

Retired Law Enforcement Officer

Laura Manuel was a law enforcement officer (LEO) for 21 years in Virginia & Colorado. She was a patrol officer and later an investigator in Person's crimes. Her B.A. was from the University of Michigan, M.A. and Ph.D. from UNC in Psychology. She taught Psychology and Criminal Justice... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Conference Room IV

Conference Room IV

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Genre, Craft

1:30pm MDT

Stories in a Flash

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 3:20pm MDT

Conference Room V

Flash Fiction challenges writers to include all elements of a satisfying story but at a greatly reduced word count, leaving consumers with a whirlwind read and a memorable ending. By the end of this workshop, participants will create a work of fiction worthy of editing for possible publication.

Speakers

Laurel McHargue

Author

Laurel McHargue—a West Point grad raised near Boston—lives and laughs and publishes and podcasts in the breathtaking beauty of Colorado's Rocky Mountains. After years as an Army Officer, a mother of two sons, and an English teacher, Laurel abandoned paid employment to concentrate... Read More →

McHargue Flash Fiction Citation List RMFW 2024 Gold Conference docx

McHargue Flash Fiction Decisions to Make RMFW 2024 Gold Conference docx

McHargue Flash Fiction Genre Definitions RMFW 2024 Gold Conference docx

McHargue Flash Fiction Sentence Rewrites RMFW 2024 Gold Conference docx

McHargue Flash Fiction NYCMidnight Prompts RMFW 2024 Gold Conference docx

McHargue Flash Fiction Words to Avoid RMFW 2024 Gold Conference docx

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 3:20pm MDT
Conference Room V

Conference Room V

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Genre, Craft
Area Hybrid

1:30pm MDT

What Makes a Story a Romance? A Beginner's Guide to the Most Popular Fiction Genre

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 3:20pm MDT

Conference Room VI

What makes Romance a Romance, and why are stories like Gone With The Wind, Anna Karenina, and books by Nicolas Sparks not considered Romance? Join Beverly for an introductory deep dive into the genre, to include subjects like popular tropes, sub genres, characters, themes, readers, writers, the changes the genre has gone through since the early ‘90s, whether the genre is feminist or not, and why it’s the best selling genre in publishing.

Speakers

Beverly Jenkins

USA Today Bestselling Author

Although she was the editor of her elementary school’s newspaper in the 4th grade – The Myra Jones Elementary School COMET – Bev had no dreams of being a writer. Her dream job was to work in a library.She was living that dream when Avon Books called on June 3, 1993 – her husband’s... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 1:30pm - 3:20pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

2:30pm MDT

The Truth About Swords & Armory

Friday September 27, 2024 2:30pm - 3:20pm MDT

Conference Room VII

Swords too heavy to swing? Studded leather armor? Pop culture is filled with misconceptions about armored combat throughout the ages. Learn how to defeat these fallacies and create consistency in your worldbuilding when it comes to combat, weapons, and armor.

Speakers

J.E. Zarnofsky

Author

J.E. Zarnofsky is a writer, costumer, larper, and devotee of dark and heartfelt fantasy. Her debut novel, Tides of Blood, will be published in 2024 by Raven Canticle Press. Apart from her day job in software, she can be observed in her natural habitats of coffee shops, ice rinks... Read More →

Swords and Armor pdf

Friday September 27, 2024 2:30pm - 3:20pm MDT
Conference Room VII

Conference Room VII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

2:30pm MDT

Unleash Your Inner Young Muse: Crafting Middle Grade Magic – A Novel Approach to Writing for Tweens!

Friday September 27, 2024 2:30pm - 4:20pm MDT

Conference Room VIII

Bestselling authors like James Patterson, Rick Riordan, and John Grisham are flocking to write MG Books. Learn how it differs from adult books, get past gatekeepers, the essential rules for 8-12 years-olds, the art of choosing the right subject, characters, themes, AND MUCH MORE.

Speakers

Mariko Tatsumoto

Author

Mariko Tatsumoto emigrated from Japan at the age of eight and was detoured from her love of books by becoming the first Asian woman attorney in Colorado. But she found her way back to writing historical novels. AYUMI'S VIOLIN, her Middle Grade novel, and her YA novel, SWEPT AWAY... Read More →

RMFW HANDOUT how to write Middle Grade Book pdf

Friday September 27, 2024 2:30pm - 4:20pm MDT
Conference Room VIII

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Genre, Marketing

3:30pm MDT

Writing about Trauma Without Triggering the Victim

Friday September 27, 2024 3:30pm - 4:20pm MDT

Conference Room I

Reading about violence and sexual assault is difficult for readers. As authors, we hope to draw readers closer to our characters and their pain. But how can we create empathy with our readers without distressing them?In this workshop, we will discuss non-graphic approaches to triggering content.

Speakers

Nanette Gamily

Author

Nanette Gamily’s debut Native American crime fiction novel, CRY FOR THE CHILD, is represented by Josh Getlzer at HG Literary. She’s an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, a Tin House Finalist, a Regis University MFA graduate, and a guest blogger for Rocky Mountain Fiction... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 3:30pm - 4:20pm MDT
Conference Room I

Conference Room I

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft, Genre

3:30pm MDT

Order in The Court

Friday September 27, 2024 3:30pm - 5:20pm MDT

Conference Room III

Court proceedings are presented: Arrest, bail, preliminary hearings, voir dire, the actual trial. Also covered expert witnesses, cross-examination, when hearsay is allowable. One should avoid counterfactual situations, although there can be excitement and plot twists in the proceedings above.

Speakers

Laura Manuel

Retired Law Enforcement Officer

Friday September 27, 2024 3:30pm - 5:20pm MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

4:30pm MDT

Intimacy, Consent & Sex in Fiction

Friday September 27, 2024 4:30pm - 5:20pm MDT

Conference Room II

Are you interested in writing better romantic relationships? In this session, you will learn why love, intimacy, and consent go hand in hand to build healthier, happier characters your readers will care about.

Speakers

Rachael Bush

Author

Rachael Bush published her fourth book, Love on Location, with The Wild Rose Press in 2018 under her pen name, September Roberts. As September, she writes romance that's smoking hot and always happy ever after. As Rachael, she writes the Botany for Everyone series, because everyone... Read More →

Intimacy consent and sex in fiction handout pdf

Friday September 27, 2024 4:30pm - 5:20pm MDT
Conference Room II

Conference Room II

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Genre, Craft
Area Hybrid

4:30pm MDT

Keeping It Real: How Much Fiction Belongs in Historical Fiction?

Friday September 27, 2024 4:30pm - 5:20pm MDT

Conference Room IV

If your details are inaccurate, it will affect the reading experience for certain readers. But can’t some details be invented? How do you determine whether to fictionalize or be factual? Writers of historical fiction, mystery/thriller/suspense, or romance set in earlier times, let’s talk about it!

Speakers

Cynthia Swanson

NYT Bestselling Author

Cynthia Swanson is the Denver-based author of the psychological suspense novels The Bookseller (an Indie Next selection, New York Times bestseller, and winner of the WILLA Literary Award) and The Glass Forest (USA Today bestseller and noted in Forbes as being one of “Five Novels... Read More →

Handout RMFW 2024 How Much Fiction in Historical Fiction Cynthia Swanson pdf

Friday September 27, 2024 4:30pm - 5:20pm MDT
Conference Room IV

Conference Room IV

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Genre