2024 Colorado Gold Writers Conference

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2024 Colorado Gold Writers Conference

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

Novels 101 - Master Class

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

Conference Room III

Inspired by Discovering Story Magic, developed by Robin Perini and Laura Baker. Great stories have 12 elements this workshop identifies and draws together to create compelling fiction. Participants are encouraged to bring their own work-in-progress to use as a basis for applying the material.

Speakers

Sharon Migerney

Author

Sharon Mignerey is one of the founding members of RMFW, which has been her writing home since the beginning. She is the author of thirteen novels in romance and women's fiction, and one non-fiction title. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. A frequent presenter at local and... Read More →

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

Conference Room III

Topic Restricted Event
Subject Craft

1:30pm MDT

Worldbuilding Through Combat

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

Conference Room III

Conflict is the backbone of storytelling, and that building tension often erupts into fights. Learn how to utilize combat to reveal more of your world, its characters, and their values.

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 →

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

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Craft

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

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

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 3:30pm - 5:20pm MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

8:00am MDT

Deeper Reading for Deeper Writing

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

Conference Room III

Consciously or unconsciously meaning is hidden beneath signs and facades in literature, layered in word choice and focus. Authors can achieve deep depths of intent, layer after layer of meaning, to elevate text to literature. Through example we will explore the possibilities.

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 →

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

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Advanced
Subject Productivity

9:00am MDT

Conflict: The Art & Craft of Toll & Trouble

Saturday September 28, 2024 9:00am - 10:50am MDT

Conference Room III

All stories are about trouble and the toil required of characters to overcome it. Excellent trouble is at 2 levels: the external story that is measurable with a satisfying ending; the internal story based upon fears and motivations that sets this character’s trouble apart from all others.

Speakers

Sharon Migerney

Author

Sharon Mignerey is one of the founding members of RMFW, which has been her writing home since the beginning. She is the author of thirteen novels in romance and women's fiction, and one non-fiction title. She holds an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. A frequent presenter at local and... Read More →

Saturday September 28, 2024 9:00am - 10:50am MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft

11:00am MDT

Let's Get Cozy: Plotting Your Cozy Mystery Series

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

Conference Room III

Even if you’re not a plotter, get ready to learn how to plot a great cozy mystery and learn how to drop popular genre tropes into your story line to create a book and series the readers will return for again and again.

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 →

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

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

1:30pm MDT

Characterization Through Orientation & Identity

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 3:20pm MDT

Conference Room III

Writing different genders, gender identities, and sexual orientations can seem like a minefield. But writing LGBTQ+ representation in a respectful manner isn’t as scary as it seems. During this workshop, we’ll dive into identity spectrums, inherent gender bias in English, and more.

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 →

Saturday September 28, 2024 1:30pm - 3:20pm MDT
Conference Room III

Conference Room III

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Craft

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

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