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

Scene Construction

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room I

Scenes are the stepping stones of a story that keep the reader turning the page. A character acts and reacts to the other characters on stage, the place or the events to advance the plot and develop character. This workshop will break down all the elements needed to construct a strong scene.

Speakers

Peggy Waide

Bestselling Author

#1 Amazon bestselling author Peggy entered her first book in the Colorado Gold. The editor offered a contract. She has published four romances with Dorchester. Montlake now publishes her books. She is shopping an amateur sleuth and a romantic suspense. She’s also been a trainer... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room I

Conference Room I

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Craft
Area Hybrid

8:00am MDT

Emotional Intimacy in Fiction -- Your Key to Connecting with Readers

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room II

The emotional connection between your characters and the connection your reader forms with your characters make the difference between a story readers merely enjoy to one they can’t forget. In this workshop we’ll explore why emotional intimacy matters and how to build it into your stories.

Speakers

Cindi Myers

Award-Winning Author

Cindi Myers became one of the most popular people in eighth grade when she and a friend wrote and illustrated their first romance novel. It would be another couple of decades before Cindi saw her first novel published, but since then she has published over 100 novels -- historical... Read More →

Emotional Intimacy in Fiction Handout docx

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room II

Conference Room II

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft
Area Hybrid

8:00am MDT

Beyond Romance: Crafting Character Relationships That Win Readers

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room IV

This one-hour session will teach the skills to construct dynamic, multi-dimensional connections between characters. We’ll delve into leveraging relationships for plot development, creating suspense, emphasizing the role of dialogue, and establishing connections with readers.

Speakers

Sarah Reichert

Author

Sarah Reichert (S.E. Reichert) is a novelist, poet, blogger, writing mentor, and herder of cats. She’s the Youth Coordinator for the Writing Heights Writers Association. She is also the webmaster for WyoPoets and a member of Wyoming Writers, Inc. Her Sweet Valley Series, a contemporary... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room IV

Conference Room IV

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft

8:00am MDT

The Faceted Story

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room V

A presentation about those elements of narrative fiction that lend depth, value and resonance to writing. Examples and techniques will be offered to help shape niches and expand any story into new areas of interest for a greater chance to stand out from the slush pile.

Speakers

Johnny Worthen

Award-Winning Author

Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, multiple-genre author of novels and short stories.His best-selling science fiction series Coronam, beginning with Of Kings, Queens & Colonies, then Of Civilized, Saved & Savages and now complete with Of Heroes, Homes & Honey, is an epic tale in... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room V

Conference Room V

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Craft
Area Hybrid

8:00am MDT

Yoga for Authors

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room VI

Forget the sticky mat and special clothes! Everyone is welcome at this chair-based yoga flow, which will warm your body and your mind. Breathing and stretching will be followed by a short guided meditation specifically for writers.

Speakers

Kate Jonuska

Author

In addition to serving as current RMFW Conference Co-Chair, Kate is a freelance writer, indie author, and part-time yoga teacher based in Boulder, CO. Her novel, Transference, was a finalist for the BookLife Prize and a Denver Post Staff Pick, and she often teaches workshops based... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

8:00am MDT

Playing God for Fun and Profit - Building Worlds your Readers will Love

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room VII

Worlds are big, and building them can be daunting. Learn how to build a fantastic setting, whether modifying our world to include magic and dragons, building a new secondary world, or constructing an entire galaxy to explore. What pitfalls do many authors fall into, and how can one avoid them?

Speakers

Calvin Studzinski

Author

Calvin Studzinski is an award-winning aerospace engineer, amateur historian, role-playing game designer, and aspiring author. As a child, Calvin was an avid reader, consuming the works of Jules Verne and J.R.R. Tolkien with equal voracity, before reading everything he could get his... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room VII

Conference Room VII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

8:00am MDT

Horror Writing 666 (aka 101)

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room VIII

Horror is part of our real world, make it part of your fiction. Readers love to experience dread, gore, and terror, and you can be the one to deliver it. Learn why and how to write stories that terrify!

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 Writing 666 (aka 101) Handout pdf

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room VIII

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

8:00am MDT

NaNoWriMo Success and Beyond

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room III

Tips and tricks for succeeding at the challenge of NaNoWriMo that can be applied to any other writing deadlines.

Speakers

Veronica R. Calisto

Author

Veronica R. Calisto (she/her) is an alto, a writer of speculative fiction, and a big nerd. One of those rare Colorado natives, she has a degree in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and is a two-time American Idol reject. She is the author of several books, including Diary... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 8:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Productivity

9:00am MDT

Professional Marketing

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room I

Many authors are new to marketing but it is an established field for other products. Oliver brings his expertise in brand marketing to show how professional techniques that are used to sell anything from concerts to perfume can work for books too.

Speakers

Oliver Blakemore

Author

Oliver has been writing novels since he was twelve. He’s written fifteen books, and two of them may even be worth reading. He spent four years as a technical writer and six years in brand marketing as a content writer. His credentials include a hard head and nine Honorable Mentions... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room I

Conference Room I

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Marketing
Area Hybrid

9:00am MDT

Not Your Mother's Tropes: How to Subvert without Alienating Your Readers

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room II

Tropes are the building blocks of literary tradition, but the most exciting works of today are often subversive. Using examples and generative writing exercises, we’ll explore ways to balance reader expectations with innovation, how to make old familiar conventions fresh without alienating readers.

Speakers

Rachel Dempsey

Author

Rachel Dempsey is a writer of horror, mystery and thrillers living in Denver. Her short fiction has been published by Shacklebound Books, Brigids Gate Press, Timber Ghost Press and Twenty Bellows (Pushcart nominated, 2023). She holds a BFA in Drama and English from NYU'S Tisch, a... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room II

Conference Room II

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft
Area Hybrid

9:00am MDT

Comedy (Seriously.)

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room IV

No matter your audience, genre, or format, applying the principles that make comedy writing work can take any project from predictable to un-put-downable! This presentation is geared toward writers of any level of experience, with writing from laugh out loud to deathly dramatic.

Speakers

Christina Allen

Award-Winning Author

Christina Allen (publishing as C.W. Allen) is a Midwestern transplant to rural Utah where she serves as the President-Elect of the League of Utah Writers. She writes long stories for children and short stories for former children. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing... Read More →

Comedy (seriously.) pdf

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room IV

Conference Room IV

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft, Genre

9:00am MDT

Serial Fiction: If It Worked for Andy Weir, Can It Work for Me?

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room V

Serial fiction has been around for more than 200 years and is making a comeback with the emergence of technology from social media platforms to television streaming and comic books. This advanced program will explore serial fiction’s history, current opportunities, and how it might start or jump start your writing career.

Speakers

Z.J. Czupor

Author

Z.J. Czupor is immediate past president of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. In addition to writing monthly columns for Rogue Women Writers, his latest thriller, "Cut Right Through Me," and mystery... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room V

Conference Room V

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Marketing, Publishing
Area Hybrid

9:00am MDT

Professional Authors Alliance (PAA) Meeting

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room VI

A meeting of all members of RMFW's PAA.

Speakers

Andre Gonzalez

International Bestselling Author

Andre Gonzalez is the author of all things thriller and horror. He has penned the Wealth of Time series and the Insanity trilogy. You’ll likely find him buried under a long to-do list or his three young (and energetic) children.

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Restricted Event
Audience Everyone
Subject Networking

9:00am MDT

Writing with Chronic Illness

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room VII

Chronic illness has a way of making us feel like we aren’t doing enough, fast enough. This presentation will examine mental health while writing with chronic illness, as well as ergonomics and self-accommodations to keep you writing more often and for longer amounts of time.

Speakers

October K Santerelli

Author

October K Santerelli is a local author from Denver, Colorado. He identifies as queer and disabled, and writes characters that share his life experiences. His works are primarily fantasies, ranging from dark to epic and everything in between. His debut novel, City of Day (Nightfall... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room VII

Conference Room VII

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Productivity

9:00am MDT

True Crime to Novel: Turn Headline News into Page-Turning Fiction

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room VIII

Ever wonder how to turn an astonishing, newsworthy story into juicy crime fiction? In this workshop, we will talk about how authors turn true crime stories into fiction. Together, we will review examples of contemporary novels and the techniques authors use to make readers turn the page.

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 →

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room VIII

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre, Craft

9:00am MDT

Open Writing Space

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 11:00am MDT

Foyer

Sunday September 29, 2024 9:00am - 11:00am MDT
Foyer

Café Lounge

Topic General Event
Audience Everyone

10:00am MDT

How to Endure in Your Writing

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room I

The art and profession of writing can be a thrilling creative endeavor. It can also break you. What do you do when your writing dreams don’t come true? What do you do when you feel betrayed by your community and your art? This class will explore the real world issues around being a professional writer.

Speakers

Jason Evans

Author

Jason Henry Evans has been an active member in the Colorado Writing community for over ten years. He has published four novels, including his debut, the Gallowglass, which was released in July of 2019 to much acclaim. He has had a dozen short stories published and has taught writing... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room I

Conference Room I

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Productivity
Area Hybrid

10:00am MDT

How to Work With an Editor

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room II

Whether you’ve just signed with a publisher or you’re submitting to an anthology, this presentation will show you what to expect from your editor, the differences between the types of editors, and will remind you to be patient and professional through it all.

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 →

How to work with an editor handout pdf

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room II

Conference Room II

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Editing, Publishing

10:00am MDT

Is That Scary? Writing Horror in 2024

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room III

What scared people in the late 20th century was totally different than what scares most people today. Participants can expect to learn the current popular tropes of the genre, as well as how to build tension in stories meant to terrorize the reader and leave them shaken.

Speakers

Stephanie Reisner

Award-Winning Author

Stephanie Reisner makes her living as a full-time writer/publisher and is published both traditionally and independently, but with focus on her successful indie career. With four pen names, she has over 40 published novels in various genres to her credit and even more novellas and... Read More →

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

10:00am MDT

Techniques and Tools for the Prolific Writer

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room IV

If you want to write more, write better —and balance all that with a life outside of writing—this workshop is for you. An author of more than 100 published novels gives you tips, tools, and techniques for increasing productivity, and balancing the demands of writing with the rest of your life.

Speakers

Cindi Myers

Award-Winning Author

Techniques and Tools for the Prolific Writer Handout docx

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room IV

Conference Room IV

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Productivity

10:00am MDT

Generating Sales with Facebook Ads

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room V

Many authors believe Facebook Ads no longer work for generating sales. In reality, the platform has become highly competitive thanks to a flood of major corporations. Come learn how to efficiently carve out your space as an author and gain new readers on a platform that still has a billion users.

Speakers

Andre Gonzalez

International Bestselling Author

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room V

Conference Room V

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Marketing
Area Hybrid

10:00am MDT

Exoplanetary Exploration - Realistic Methods for Visiting Alien Worlds

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room VII

Science fiction often resorts to fantastical technologies to reach other stars, but could we do it in real life? Explore the real science we would use to explore exoplanets, the dangers involved, and how the restrictions of sub-luminal space travel should inspire gripping sci-fi narratives.

Speakers

Calvin Studzinski

Author

Exoplanet Exploration pdf

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room VII

Conference Room VII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

10:00am MDT

Unlocking Tween Book Marketing: Unique Tactics for Middle Grade Success

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room VIII

Is marketing Middle Grade Books the same as for Adult Books? While many strategies overlap, there are exciting opportunities exclusive to MG Books to boost sales—and have more fun! Join me as we explore the distinctive approaches that differentiate Tween Book Marketing from its adult counterpart.

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 →

Sunday September 29, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room VIII

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre, Marketing

11:00am MDT

Gold Rush Winners Brunch

Sunday September 29, 2024 11:00am - 12:30pm MDT

Aurora Ballroom

Cap off your conference experience at Sunday's brunch, which includes live readings from our Colorado Gold Rush Contest winners and a closing address from RMFW president Bernadette Soehner. Also, an impressive, final door prize: a free conference registration for 2025!

Speakers

Bernadette Soehner

President, RMFW

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie writes contemporary romances and believes in Happily Ever After. The married mother of five believes in love at first sight, quick love, and second chances. An avid martial artist, Bernadette Marie is a certified instructor and holds a second degree... Read More →

Mira Landry

Associate Literary Agent, Corvisiero Literary Agency

Mira Landry is an associate literary agent with Corvisiero literary agency, currently acquiring upmarket and literary YA and Adult fiction. After a decade building her own business as a photographer, she’s eager to help authors turn their art into a career. As a chair on the Rocky... Read More →

Rachel Dempsey

Author

Sunday September 29, 2024 11:00am - 12:30pm MDT
Aurora Ballroom

Ballroom

Topic General Event
Audience Everyone
Subject Networking