Northern Colorado Writers Conference April 26-27

Time is running out to register for the Northern Colorado Writers Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, scheduled for Friday April 26th and Saturday April 27th. The event is being held at the Fort Collins Hilton on Prospect near the Colorado State University campus.

The keynote speaker for this conference is actor, traveler, and writer Andrew McCarthy. He is best known for his roles in the 80's classics, Pretty in Pink, Weekend at Bernies and St. Elmo's Fire, but has nowadded author to his list of accomplishments. His memoir, The Longest Way Home, One Man's Quest for the Courage to Settle Down, was recently released and has been well received by critics.

The workshops and instructors for this conference include:

Tap Into Your Creativity, Instructor Dr. Joan King
Write a Breathtaking Action Sequence, Instructor Bonnie Ranthum
Rejection is Not a 4-Letter Word, Instructor Mike Befeler
Successful Self Publishing, Instructor Teresa Funke
Dialogue and Setting: Letting Your Characters Speak and Live, Instructor Todd Mitchell
Jumpstart Your Rewrite, Instructor Trai Cartwright
When, If, Why, and How to Use Sex Scenes in Your Writing, Instructor Laura Pritchett
Top Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your Manuscript (And How to Keep Them Hooked), Instructor Anita Mumm

And many more. Check the full listing on the Northern Colorado Writers website conference pages. You can also find detailed descriptions of each session here.

Note that there are no agent-editor individual pitch sessions. This year NCW is featuring agent round tables. See the agent-editor page for details.

Your conference registration includes:

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

*Tote bag with a copy of Andrew McCarthy's memoir, The Longest Way Home.
*A certificate for a 30-minute consultation with Kerrie Flanagan
*Chance to win a weekend writing retreat at a cabin in Crystal Lakes
*Chance to win a registration to the Rocky Mtn Fiction Writers Gold Conference in Sept.
*All meals and snacks
*Choice of 27 workshops
*Opportunity to meet with agents and editors to discuss your project.
*Program booklet that includes all the handouts
*Access to the NCWC bookstore
*Inspiration, encouragement & knowledge
*3-hour preconference workshop from 9:00-12:00 on April 6, led by the conference director.


I hope you'll consider joining us in Fort Collins for the best little conference for writers in Northern Colorado. And check that faculty lineup again and notice how many of the instructors are published members of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

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*For non-conference attendees, there will be an Andrew McCarthy Book reading and signing of his memoir, The Longest Way Home, on Saturday, April 27, 10:15am-11:30am at the Hilton. There will be 100 seats available: 20 VIP 80 General. There were only a few seats left the last time I checked, so go here to confirm availability and register.

*Again, this event is meant for those not attending the conference.

Posted by Pat Stoltey who's looking forward to a great time at the conference.

Conventions, Conferences and Contests, Oh My!

Left Coast Crime – Award Nominations due by February 1st

There are oodles of mystery authors in Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, so those of you who attended Left Coast Crime in 2012 or plan to attend in 2013 (Colorado Springs March 21-24)  will hopefully take these 2012 mysteries from RMFW members into account when you fill out your nominations form for LCC 2013 awards. I know there are more eligible novels from RMFW members, so feel free to add your own book and award category in the comments below. I listed the ones I knew about here:

Eligible for The Lefty (best humorous mystery novel)

Mike Befeler – Cruising in Your Eighties is Murder
Chuck Greaves – Hush Money

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award (best historical mystery novel covering events before 1960)

Chuck Greaves – Hard Twisted


The Rocky (best mystery novels set in Left Coast Crime Geographical Region –Mountain Time Zone and all time zones westward to Hawaii)

David Freed – Flat Spin
Chuck Greaves – Hard Twisted
Beth Groundwater – Wicked Eddies


The Watson (mystery novel with the best sidekick)

So far I didn't find a novel from an RMFW member that worked in this category. I hope someone will help us out by leaving a comment.



Northern Colorado Writers Conference

The NCW Conference will be held at the Fort Collins Hilton April 26-27, 2013. The Keynote Speaker is Author and Travel Writer, Andrew McCarthy.

For complete information on the workshops, instructors, and visiting agents and editors and to register for this conference, go to the conference page of the Northern Colorado Writers website.




Top of the Mountain Book Award

In conjunction with the Northern Colorado Writers Conference, a book contest is offered in three categories (Fiction, Creative/Narrative Nonfiction, and Nonfiction). The submission deadline is March 1, 2013. For more information, visit the Top of the Mountain Book Award page on the NCW website.

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Posted by Patricia Stoltey, author of the Sylvia and Willie mysteries The Prairie Grass Murders and The Desert Hedge Murders, both now available for Kindle and Nook. When she is not writing blog posts, she writes and revises, writes some more, revises again, and so it goes.

Ten Ways to Get the Most from a Writers’ Conference

By Pat Stoltey

Since the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference is rapidly approaching (September 9-11 in Denver), it seems fitting to talk about how to get the most from your experience. Here are my ten suggestions:

1. Become a member of the organization sponsoring the conference. If that organization has a Yahoo! Group, join it as well. It’s the best way to make contacts before the event and find the volunteer jobs I mention in #3.

2. If you have an area of expertise useful to authors, send a workshop or panel proposal for the conference committee’s consideration. At Colorado Gold, some of the well-attended sessions are presented by unpublished writers or others with knowledge of marketing, firearms, critique groups, writing press releases, police procedures, digital publishing options, and more. It's too late for this year's Colorado Gold, but not too late if you're thinking about 2012 gatherings such as Northern Colorado Writers Conference in Fort Collins in March 2012 or Colorado Gold in September 2012.

3. Volunteer to work before and/or during the conference. Volunteers assemble registration materials, work at the registration tables, moderate panels and presentations (which includes introduction, timekeeping, Q&A moderating, and room cleanup), gather donations for the hospitality room, and other duties.

4. If there’s a critique workshop included with the conference you choose, and if you have a manuscript ready for critique, sign up for one of these sessions even if it costs a little extra. This is especially worthwhile if the workshop sessions are moderated by agents and editors, as are the Friday afternoon sessions at Colorado Gold.

5. If pitch appointments are available, and you have a completed manuscript, sign up. If it’s your first time, don’t be afraid. There are plenty of online and print resources to help you master the art of pitching. Agent Rachelle Gardner has a series of posts on her blog that are definitely worth your time. Secrets of a Great Pitch specifically addresses pitching at conferences (and Rachelle will be attending Colorado Gold this year, so she might be exactly the person you want to listen to). Do not pitch your book to editors or agents at inappropriate times, but don't be afraid to chat with them during social events.

6. Study the program and the workshop descriptions before you go to the conference so you have a good idea which workshops and panels will be most useful to you. At Colorado Gold, sessions are ranked beginning craft, advanced craft, special interest, etc. to help attendees decide.

7. Arrive at the conference with a smile. Pay attention to people. If you see someone wandering or sitting alone, start a conversation. Listen. Exchange business cards. Make a point of talking to at least one new person at every session you attend.

8. Find out where your conference hospitality room is and make an appearance there each day, even if you don’t stay too long. While some rooms will be non-alcoholic and open all day, others will be small and noisy late evening events with a bar. Either way, editors and agents may be present. Be on your best behavior.

9. Some conferences provide a book of handouts with the registration materials, which is helpful for note taking. Be prepared to take additional notes during a workshop or panel. This year's Colorado Gold will have the booklet on a jump drive included in the registration packet. In August, the booklet will be available online for downloading.

10. When you get home, follow up on the contacts you made. Read your contacts’ blogs and leave a comment, or e-mail them. If an editor or agent invites you to submit a partial, follow through.

Veteran conference attendees, do you have any additional helpful hints for those writers going to their first conference?

6th Annual Northern Colorado Writers Conference

The 6th annual Northern Colorado Writers Conference is scheduled for March 11-12, 2011, at the Fort Collins Hilton (near the CSU campus). Following the theme of Passport to Writing, “through workshops, connecting with other writers and interacting with agents and editors, you will be transported to new, exciting places in the writing world.”

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers members are well represented on the faculty of the conference. Sandi Ault will conduct two workshop sessions, “Killer Queries,” and “First 100 Words.” She will also participate in “Query Critiques.”

Killer Queries

Award-winning, Bestselling author of the WILD Mystery Series, Sandi Ault, will show you the three tools you need to create a query that will sell your book. And she has the skills to back it up. Sandi's first query went to 31 agents as cold-queries. Thirty responded with a request for the manuscript, and Ms. Ault found herself in the enviable position of getting to interview and then select her agent from among these thirty. Next, Sandi's chosen agent used the same query text to submit to publishers. The result? Twelve publishers requested the manuscript, they all showed an interest, and the book went to auction, with the editors bidding for the right to publish the book. The winner topped the bidding by buying TWO books and making it a series! The rest is history. And Sandi's agent now uses her original query letter as a model for teaching query-writing workshops. If you want to create a query that will work, this is the workshop for you.

Carol Berg is presenting “What is This Thing Called Voice” and “Unforgettable Characters.” She is also on an author panel.

What is This Thing Called Voice

Transform a character into a distinct, memorable individual by refining the character’s voice. Learn how an author can subordinate his or her own narrative voice to the persona of the point-of-view character, exposing the attitudes, beliefs, and intelligence unique to that character. Voice is created not only in dialog, but in narrative and description. Creating a vibrant, living voice incorporates everything from grammar and word choice to the character’s observations and emotional reactions. This workshop will involve brief writing exercises.

Linda Berry’s sessions are titled “Writing Winning Entries” and “Goddess of Fiction.”

Goddess of Fiction

Linda uses 8 line drawings (flatline, bell curve, sine waves, sunburst, spring, square, triangle, and outline) to illustrate some of the basics of good storytelling: choosing meaningful detail, pacing the introduction of events and turning points, weaving story lines together, brainstorming your way into fresh ideas, incorporating back story, fitting the pieces together, creating tension and conflict, and organizing the material. Her big finish is combining the line drawings into an odd—but recognizable—figure of a woman she calls The Goddess of Good Fiction.

The Northern Colorado Writers Conference also features opportunities to meet and pitch to agents and editors.

This year, the agents are Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary, Kelly Sonnack from Andrea Brown Agency, Michael Ebeling and Kristina Holmes from Ebeling and Associates, and Mike Nappa of Nappaland Literary Agency.

Spring Lea, editor at The Grumpy Dragon, will also be taking pitches.

Kerrie Flanagan, director of Northern Colorado Writers, will conduct a bonus pre-conference workshop on Saturday, February 26th, from 9:00 to 12:00 open to all conferences attendees at no additional cost. This is an opportunity to learn inside details about the event. Kerrie will also discuss how to effectively pitch to an agent.

Everything else you ever wanted to know about the conference and links to registration can be found at the Northern Colorado Writers website. There is a page detailing what the agents and editors are currently looking for, and another page with detailed information on each workshop session.

NCW is on Facebook as Northern Colorado Writers and on Twitter as @NCW_FortCollins.