If this will be your first time at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold writing conference, or you want to start your conference with an overview of the basics of novel writing, consider attending the Craft 101 track on Friday afternoon. Taught by some of RMFW’s best instructors, the track is designed to cover some basics while providing an opportunity for new attendees to get to know each other.
Kevin Wolf will kick it off at 12:15pm with a lunchtime orientation about what to expect from the conference, how to navigate the schedule and your time, and other pertinent information. This is a great way to meet other writers in a smaller group, whether or not you stay for all the classes.
Two-time RMFW Writer of the Year Shannon Baker will teach the first class of the day. Building the Ark: Bless pantsers (those who can write by the seat of their pants) and their magical powers. For Muggles, this workshop offers a plan. Learn to plot using a four-part structure, including eight milestone scenes. We’ll discuss what to put where, the scenes needed to create exciting beginnings, avoid sagging middles, and bring satisfying endings.
Sue Duff, best selling author of 11 titles, will continue the series with a class on setting. How to be the Architect of Your World: Many beginning writers struggle with making their worlds interconnect, be symbiotic with all the necessary elements, and overall make sense. A well built world can also help drive plot. This workshop will make them realistic and genuine.
No basic writing course would be complete without an examination of point of view. Historical novelist, short story writer and college English teacher, Laurie Marr Wasmund, brings us Point (of View) Taken: Choosing a point of view is a must for any author of fiction. Who is telling the story and why? It isn’t always simple to decide. We’ll look at the differences between points of view; how to understand the rhetorical situation of a piece; narrative distance; and the importance of voice.
The final talk of the series will be given by the RMFW instructor most likely to keep you awake on Friday afternoon, #1 Amazon bestselling author Peggy Waide. Create Motivated Characters: Ever want to throw a book at the wall because a character’s actions made no sense? Believable motivation (the why) is integral to character development. They infiltrate your character’s thoughts, decisions, choices and actions. Come discover how to write well-motivated characters for a great read.
The Craft 101 track is casual so you don’t have to sign up in advance and you can come and go as you wish; there are plenty of other intriguing options on Friday afternoon. Knowing that many people will be new might make it a little easier to follow up on shy eye contact with a smile and the conversation opener of the conference: “What do you write?”
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Dani Coleman has been learning the craft of writing since childhood and is a four-time finalist in the Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards. She works as a scientific programmer, karate instructor and mother, and has many hobbies that attempt to steal time from her writing.
[Title photo courtesy of Pexels.com]