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

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

Topic Restricted Event
Subject Genre, Craft

12:15pm MDT

New Attendees Welcome & Orientation

Friday September 27, 2024 12:15pm - 12:50pm MDT

Conference Room VI

Speakers

Kevin Wolf

Vice President, RMFW

Kevin Wolf needed to write a novel, but he didn’t know how. He attended his first Gold Conference in 2002, became a regular at Saturday workshops, entered contests, and critiqued with the Southwest Plaza Group. Wanting to give back, Kevin judged for the Gold, guided Conference newbies... Read More →

Friday September 27, 2024 12:15pm - 12:50pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Restricted Event
Audience New Attendee
Subject Networking

1:30pm MDT

What Makes a Story a Romance? A Beginners 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

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 Write Like a Martial Artist

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

Conference Room VI

Writers will learn basics of self-defense, what happens to a body in a fight, and how to write action that moves the scene and doesn’t feel redundant or unrealistic. This class will cover strikes, holds, targeting and basic Jujitsu techniques and how to incorporate them into fight scenes.

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 →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Genre

9:00am MDT

Developmental Editing Concepts

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

Conference Room VI

Editing isn’t just spelling and commas. Developmental editing looks at “big picture” concepts in your manuscript and tackles topics like plot, pacing, proportion, and POV, as well as character arcs and genre norms. Get an overview of these topics and a behind-the-scenes look at a developmental edit.

Speakers

Miranda Darrow

Author, Editor

Miranda Darrow is a freelance editor, #RevPit board member, and writer. After graduating with a degree in English (and then a law degree), she became a practicing attorney but never lost the urge to read and write fiction. Taking an in-house counsel position fifteen years ago allowed... Read More →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Editing

10:00am MDT

Illustrating & Publishing Your Book

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

Conference Room VI

In this session, I’ll talk about how to organize ideas, research your subject, and turn your idea into a finished project you can publish. Whether you’re writing and illustrating a children’s book, a textbook, or a comic, the creative process is the same.

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 →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre, Craft, Publishing

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

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

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 →

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 →

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

Secondary Characters Need Loving Too

Saturday September 28, 2024 3:30pm - 4:20pm MDT

Conference Room VI

Secondary characters complete a cast needed for depth in a novel. Each character has a role to play, often working with or against the main characters. Do they help, impede or motivate, or are they a lesser player? Discover how to develop their roles and relationships for a fun and dynamic read.

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 →

Saturday September 28, 2024 3:30pm - 4:20pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Intermediate
Subject Craft

4:30pm MDT

How to Write Compelling Villians

Saturday September 28, 2024 4:30pm - 5:20pm MDT

Conference Room VI

You can write great stories, but if you want to take your writing to the next level, you need a compelling villain. From intergalactic wizards to high school mean girls, a great villain will move your story like no other character can. Come and bring something to take notes with!

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 →

Saturday September 28, 2024 4:30pm - 5:20pm MDT
Conference Room VI

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Genre

8:00am MDT

How to Work With an Editor

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

Conference Room VI

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 →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Editing, Publishing

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

10:00am MDT

Precise Openings: A Study of What Makes an Iconic First Sentence

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

Conference Room VI

We know them when we read them, right? Those classic, compelling opening lines of lauded literary and commercial fiction alike. Together we’ll look at great, good, and just okay opening lines and see what makes one stand out and others forgettable.

Speakers

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 →

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

Conference Room VI

Topic Workshop
Audience Beginner
Subject Craft