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. To view the conference floor plan, select or click on map from the menu.

8:00am MDT

Open Writing Space

Friday September 27, 2024 8:00am - Saturday September 28, 2024 10:30pm MDT

Cafe Lounge

Friday September 27, 2024 8:00am - Saturday September 28, 2024 10:30pm MDT
Cafe Lounge

Café Lounge

Audience Everyone
Subject Other

1:30pm MDT

Grant Writing for Authors

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

Conference Room VIII

Learn to craft compelling grant proposals to support and sustain a writing career. Participants will develop their understanding of how grants work in the art and literary world and receive guidance on the skills necessary to research, plan, compose, and submit successful grant applications.

Speakers

Leanne Haase-Goebel

Award-Winning Author

Leanne Haase-Goebel is an award-winning writer. She’s written and published two art books, sixteen exhibition catalogs, fifty-seven magazine articles, and more than 200 profiles and stories. She’s been awarded multiple Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism awards. She was... Read More →

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

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

2:30pm MDT

Kickstarter 101: What is it? And How Can I Use It?

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

Conference Room III

If you’re a budding (or experienced) author, you may have heard that Kickstarter is one of the best ways to launch a book. And you’ve heard correctly! In this workshop, we’ll explore what Kickstarter is, how it can fit into your author business, and resources for planning a campaign.

Speakers

Caitee Cooper

Author

Caitee Cooper is an author, mom, and chocolate enthusiast who loves all things artsy and outdoorsy. She studied psychology, music, and business management at the University of Wyoming and, together with her husband, has helped start and manage several small businesses, including her... Read More →

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

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Other

3:30pm MDT

Ask A Pro: PAA Panel

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

Conference Room VI

Have you ever wanted to ask a group of professional authors anything about writing/publishing? Join the Professional Authors’ Alliance for a casual conversation with four industry pros ready to answer any and all of your questions!

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.

Z.S. Diamanti

Award-Winning Author

Z.S. Diamanti is the award-winning author of the Stone & Sky series, an epic fantasy adventure and the result of his love for fun and fantastical stories. His short works have been published in magazines, literary journals, newspapers, and books. He went to college for a very long... Read More →

Mark Stevens

2023 Writer of The Year

Author of The Fireballer and five books in The Allison Coil Mystery Series. Short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, two RMFW anthologies, and others. Host of the Rocky Mountain Writer podcast. RMFW Writer of the Year (2016 and 2023). Previous RMFW President... Read More →

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 →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

4:30pm MDT

MFA Talk

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

Conference Room VI

Have you always wondered whether an MFA program is right for you? Not sure about residential versus low-residency options, your writing sample, cover letter, or letters of recommendation? Come to this info. session on all things MFA. We will discuss program models, benefits of an MFA, and more. Participants will have the opportunity to ask as many questions as they’d like.

Speakers

Dr. Andrea Rexilius

Program Director, Regis University

Andrea Rexilius is the author of Sister Urn (Sidebrow, 2019), New Organism: Essais (Letter Machine, 2014), Half of What They Carried Flew Away (Letter Machine, 2012), and To Be Human Is To Be A Conversation (Rescue Press, 2011), as well as the chapbooks, Séance (Coconut Books... Read More →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

8:00am MDT

How to be an Author on Substack

Saturday September 28, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT

Conference Room V

Jump start or refresh your writing career by publishing your novel or memoir on Substack.com. In this one-hour workshop, attendees will learn all about Substack, how to post your stories, and earn income. Plus, how using this platform can make you a better writer.

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 →

Saturday September 28, 2024 8:00am - 8:50am MDT
Conference Room V

Conference Room V

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Other
Area Hybrid

8:00am MDT

Critique Partner Speed Dating

Saturday September 28, 2024 8:00am - 9:50am MDT

Conference Room VIII

Whether you’re looking for a critique partner, a critique group or simply to network with other writers, the speed dating model is both a fun and effective way to meet new people. Spend five minutes getting to know another writer and their critique needs before moving on to the next in a safe space.

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 →

Amber Herbert

Conference Admin, Author

Amber Herbert is a (mostly) speculative fiction author living in Colorado Springs. She holds a BA in English Literature and has worked as a freelance editor for seven years. Lipstick Covered Magnet was her first novel. She is also the current RMFW technology chair and conference admin... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2024 8:00am - 9:50am MDT
Conference Room VIII

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other, Networking

10:00am MDT

Mastering The Art of Applying For Residencies For Writers

Saturday September 28, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room VIII

A deep dive into the process, expectations, and benefits of applying for writer’s residencies. Participants will understand the purpose of residencies, learn how to find and select suitable options, and develop applications that increase their chances of acceptance.

Speakers

Leanne Haase-Goebel

Award-Winning Author

Saturday September 28, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room VIII

Conference Room VIII

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

11:00am MDT

Help Me, Obi-Wendig You're My Only Hope

Saturday September 28, 2024 11:00am - 11:50am MDT

Conference Room VI

A Q&A where audience members come prepared with questions about their stories or their writing careers (or, one supposes, about LIFE ITSELF if they are so troubled) and Chuck Wendig attempts to answer their questions and grease the wheels of progress. So to speak.

Speakers

Chuck Wendig

NYT Bestselling Author

Chuck Wendig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: Aftermath, as well as the Miriam Black thrillers, the Atlanta Burns books, Zer0es/Invasive, Wanderers, and the upcoming Book of Accidents (July 2021). He’s also worked in a variety of other formats... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2024 11:00am - 11:50am MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Other

1:30pm MDT

Let's Get Down to Business: How to Start a Business For Your Writing/Editing

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT

Conference Room I

It may seem silly that you need to learn business, taxes, and finances as an author but it is crucial to understand business essentials. All self-published, traditionally published, hybrid authors, and editors must know how to register a business, licenses, and file with the IRS.

Speakers

Melissa Koons

Award-Winning Author

Melissa Koons has a passion for books and creative writing. She has won the Editor’s Choice Award for both her novel, Orion’s Honor, and her poetry. Melissa writes in various genres but primarily publishes historical fiction, short story horror, and poetry. Melissa works as a... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Conference Room I

Conference Room I

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Other
Area Hybrid

1:30pm MDT

Writer's Who Read: Layering & Symbolism

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT

Conference Room IV

We’ve all heard that reading improves our writing. But *how* we read is just as important as *what* we read. This 1-hour workshop covers Literary Forensics techniques to analyze language and grammar found in novels, with a focus on discovering techniques we can apply to our own writing.

Speakers

Gary McBride

Author

Gary McBride produces Writers Who Read, a podcast based on the novels covered at Writers Who Read LIVE!, a monthly workshop for writers in Boulder that Gary founded in May 2018. WwR applies Literary Forensics analytical reading on novels published within the past 18 months in order... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Conference Room IV

Conference Room IV

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Other

1:30pm MDT

Critiki Room: Live Critique

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT

Conference Room VI

Witness the magic of peer feedback in action as a panel of agents, authors and publishing professionals critique short pieces of fiction submitted in advance. Find out why critique is a valuable tool for writers of all levels — and how the process usually becomes a raucous good time.

Speakers

Kate Jonuska

Author

Amber Herbert

Conference Admin, Author

Mark Stevens

2023 Writer of The Year

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 2:20pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

2:30pm MDT

RMFW's '24 Anthology Panel

Saturday September 28, 2024 2:30pm - 3:20pm MDT

Conference Room VI

RMFW’s new anthology was just released, Without Brakes: Fingers Crossed. Want to learn to write, select, and edit short stories? How about self-publish, format, and market? Our panel of co-editors and authors tell all, from production details to how to craft a story destined for the next anthology.

Speakers

Linda Ditchkus

Author

Presenter and co-editor Linda (LV) Ditchkus is the award-winning author of The Sasquatch Series and was published in the 2022 Bizarre Bazaar anthology. She was a team leader and judge for the 2022 Self Published Science Fiction Competition (evaluating 50 of 300 submitted novels) and... Read More →

Paul Martz

Author

Panelist and co-editor Paul Martz has been an RMFW member since 2018, he was published in the 2020 Wild: Uncivilized Tales anthology. His past presentation skills include leading corporate training sessions and technology conference workshops.

Ryanne Glenn

Author

Ryanne Glenn started writing short stories when she was ten and was first published in Fruita’s local newspaper. She took her first creative writing class in high school, and was inspired to expand her writing into poetry and longer stories. After struggling with depression in her... Read More →

Justin Weaver

International Bestselling Author

J. Warren Weaver lives in small town Colorado, where he enjoys the bountiful great outdoors with his wife, daughter, and three dogs. When his infant child isn’t demanding his complete and undivided attention, he enjoys writing edge of your seat thrillers with thought-provoking twists... Read More →

Susan Schooleman

Author

Way back when shoulder-pads were in style, Susan Schooleman (pen name Cepa Onion) wrote for Roseanne Barr, was a member of the Denver Center Theatre’s Playwrights Group, was published by Self magazine and Samuel French. She then chucked it all for adventures in parenthood. Three... Read More →

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 →

Saturday September 28, 2024 2:30pm - 3:20pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Panel
Audience Everyone
Subject Other

3:30pm MDT

Going Pro With Your Mad Reading Skillz

Saturday September 28, 2024 3:30pm - 5:20pm MDT

Conference Room III

Do you demolish books? Are your friends constantly hitting you up for book recommendations? You might have superpowers that can lead to book review opportunities, reading for literary magazines and other amazing things. Best of all: these opportunities mean publication and free books.

Speakers

Amy Armstrong

Author

Amy Armstrong loves to dabble with ideas and occasionally gets a good story out of her dabbles. She loves to read and serves as a volunteer reader for The Masters Review. Amy managed social media for Pikes Peak Writers and received the Volunteer of the Year Award. She often moderates... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2024 3:30pm - 5:20pm MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Other

8:00am MDT

Yoga for Authors

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

Cafe Lounge

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

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

Café Lounge

Topic Workshop
Audience Everyone
Subject Other