Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers announces its summer writing events.
Instant Plot: How to Plan Out Your Novel the Easy Way
Laurence MacNaughton
Saturday, June 2
1:00 – 3:00
Arvada Public Library
7525 W. 57th Avenue, Arvada, CO 80002
Hate outlining? You’re not alone. Whether you’re plotting your novel, creating an outline or writing a synopsis, you need the fundamental skills you’ll learn in this class. Find out how to take charge of your plot, avoid the three dumbest plotting mistakes, spot the warning signs of a dead-end story and master the core principles of dramatic structure. Through classroom exercises, you’ll map out the spine of your story and walk out with a solid plan to get your novel finished.
Laurence MacNaughton is a suspense author and writing coach. He offers free tips on beating writer’s block, finding a literary agent, getting published and more at www.YouCanWriteANovel.com. His articles have appeared in Writers’ Journal and the Rocky Mountain Writer, and he’s represented by literary agent Kristin Nelson. Find out more at www.LaurenceMacNaughton.com.
Showcasing Voice in Dialogue
Bree Ervin
Saturday, July 21
Time and location TBA. Please check www.rmfw.org/events for updates.
We all hear over and over again how important it is to make our dialogue true, to make each character’s voice unique. We hear that if we’re writing our dialogue well, we shouldn’t even need dialogue tags, because the reader should be able to tell who is speaking. But how do we do that? I mean, "hello" is "hello," right? Maybe not. After all, in the days before caller ID we all knew how to recognize who was calling as soon as we heard that first "hello" come down the line. Tone, pitch, cadence–these all tell us who we’re speaking to. Face to face we add body language, gestures, and facial expressions to the mix. Toss in a unique accent or a light salting of slang and voila! Voice. Come to this interactive, hands-on dialogue workshop and learn how give your characters their voice.
Bree Ervin is a Colorado Native who was born with a gypsy heart. When not running away from home she can be found curled around a good book, or at her desk trying to write one. She has worked as a freelance editor, publicist and marketer for five years and runs Think Banned Thoughts LLC, a full-service author-care business where she holds the title of Word Slut.
Is Your POV Slip Showing?
Chris Devlin, Nikki Baird, and Kathy House
Saturday, August 18
Time and location TBA. Please check www.rmfw.org/events for updates.
Do you get critiqued on your point of view? Confused about the difference between third person close vs. third person omniscient? Ever wonder what "wandering point of view" really means? Join RMFW members Chris Devlin, Nikki Baird, and Kathy House for an interactive workshop on point of view. This session will cover the basics on different point of view options for your story: first person, third person omniscient, and third person close. We’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each, including the common pitfalls in creating each type of point of view, loaded with lots of published examples. Bring the first two pages of your work-in-progress for a chance at a group critique and discussion of point of view possibilities.Chris Devlin
Chris Devlin is a long-time RMFW member, active in critique groups and as a contest judge. This year, she’s co-chairing the CO Gold contest. Her novel, St. Vitus Academy: The Lazarus Rock, finalled in the Pikes Peak Writing Contest in YA paranormal. She is currently seeking an agent for one book while exploring self-publishing options for another.
Nikki Baird writes science fiction, fantasy, and horror, both long and short form. Her short horror story "Devastation Mine" was published as part of the anthology Broken Links, Mended Lives, which was Nikki Baird nominated for a Colorado Book Award. She has been a finalist in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold contest for the last two years in the speculative fiction category and is a regular contributor to both the aspiring writer’s blog www.writersonthebrink.comand the Southwest Plaza Critique Group, an open critique group in southwest Denver. She is currently trying to place her second fantasy novel with a publisher.
Kathy HouseKathy House, who writes mystery and fantasy, is a long-time member of RMFW and the Southwest Critique Group. She worked both in both public relations and technical writing for more than 25 years. Kathy has master’s degrees in English and psychology and completed a study of writing and personality types (http://yourwritingtype.info) for her psychology degree. She lives in Lakewood with her husband, Curt, and a beautiful but shy Bearded Collie, Samantha.
