Events & Appearances
2009
Colorado Gold Writers Conference
When: September 11-13, 2009
Where: Renaissance Denver Hotel, Denver, CO.
Join Eldon and a host of authors, agents, editors, and fellow writers at the
26th Annual Colorado Gold Writers Conference, hosted by the Rocky Mountain
Fiction Writers.
From the
Rocky
Mountain Fiction Writers conference website:
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers hosts an annual conference for all
writers featuring actively acquiring agents and editors whom you can
meet and pitch your projects to, guest speakers to encourage and
inspire attendees, and workshops on every topic under the sun
related to the art of writing and the business of selling commercial
novel-length fiction.
For more
information, visit
http://www.rmfw.org/conference.aspx.
Conference attendees will be able to catch Eldon at the following
scheduled events:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
6:00 PM
Ballroom A
Kick-off Address
Eldon Thompson
shares a personal tale of passion and perseverance to get things
started at the 26th Annual Colorado Gold Writers Conference.
(Approx. 15 min)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
1:00 PM
Ballroom A
The Same...But Different
Yes,
you need a fantastic world for your fantasy novel, but you also need
a society where people can relate to each other... and the reader.
Come learn a few tips for developing a fictional world that will
seem both fresh and familiar. (2 hours)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
1:00 PM
Ballroom B
Tackling Hollywood
Think
your story would translate well to film? Come look at the pros, the
cons, and the structure of writing for the silver screen. Fantasy
author and screenwriter Eldon Thompson offers basics on turning your
fiction into a screenplay. (2 hours)
NOTE: Events and
participants are subject to change. Please remember to check your
official programming guide for scheduling details.
Recap
Eldon had the following to say about the 2009 Colorado Gold Writers
Conference:
"I'm home from a trip to Denver, where I was invited to be
one of the guest speakers at this year's Colorado Gold Writers
Conference, courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. I hadn't
heard of either the organization or its conference prior to the
invitation—an admission that
seemed to offend some of those who heard it. But the important thing
was, I was impressed by what ended up being one of the most
well-put-together conferences I've attended. To any aspiring writers
out there, I highly recommend it.
I was greeted at the airport by Betsy Dornbusch, who, while standing
there with her sign, couldn't help but wonder where all my "groupie
fans" were. She confessed to further wondering what would happen had
her sign read "Neil Gaiman" instead of "Eldon Thompson." She
apologized for this, as if the thought might have wounded my pride
or something. I hardly noticed, as I was too busy glancing around in
eager anticipation: "Neil Gaiman? Where? Where?"
Betsy proceeded to escort me through the airport. Only when we
reached the luggage carousel did I realize that she was taking me
first to pick up my bags. She seemed surprised when I told her that
the duffel bag slung over my shoulder was the only thing I'd
brought. After all, the conference was only for three days, and I'm
a guy. As it turns out, I over-packed as is.
On to the hotel, The Renaissance, which turned out to be a beautiful
facility. Huge inner atrium, with encircling balconies ascending to
the pointed ceiling—sort of like
being in a giant, hollow pyramid. The front desk attendant asked me
how many keys I would need. I told her just one, that I had no
friends, and thank you for reminding me of it. She laughed (I guess
she thought I was joking) and found a card that had been left for
me... an invitation to a "cupcake dinner" following the presenters'
dinner that evening. Okay, so maybe I do have a friend or two
lurking somewhere out there. I mention the card because, later that
evening, when I was asking some of the organizers about this
so-called cupcake dinner, they told me that they had nothing to do
with it, that it was a private group that had invited me and one of
the other authors. At this point, I almost felt special. No, I
didn't attend, because I didn't know where the "barn" was (the
location listed on the card), and because I was still exhausted from
my drive (Oregon to L.A.) the day before. So I still don't know if
the invite was for real, or if I was just being punk'd.
My second day in Denver (the first day of the conference) saw me
deliver a workshop presentation on fantasy world-building. People
like to ask me after these things, "How did it go?" To which I
always reply, "I don't know. You'd have to ask the folks who
suffered through it." But the feedback always seems to be pretty
good, and I keep getting invited back, so evidently someone
is getting something out of it. Same goes for the kickoff
address (on the opening weekend of the NFL season, no less) I gave
that evening. I went on after an entertaining message from Writer of
the Year Mario Acevedo. Mario's talk was quite funny, complete with
props. When I got to the podium, I checked to see if he'd left me
any, but he hadn't. Instead, I had to make up some story about...
well, whatever it was I talked about. I remember saying "uh" a lot,
because I was trying to rush through it so people could get on with
more important tasks. That evening and the next few days, however,
people kept telling me how much they enjoyed and appreciated my
speech. Perhaps they were just being polite... although one woman
mentioned that several other instructors had referenced parts of my
speech in their own presentations. So, I guess that means it went
over well with at least some listeners. I find that gratifying...
for their sakes. Because we all know what it's like to be stuck
listening to some useless, boring lecture, and I never want to be
that guy.
For me, the real highlights were the talks from fellow authors
Mario, Joseph Finder, and James O. Born (who, as a Florida State
alum, gave me a hard time about being a Florida Gators fan). I also
enjoyed catching up with a few friends from past conferences and
meeting a slew of new ones. I'm one of those people who likes to
feel useful every now and then, and with no clear, functional skill
set, I usually have to resort to helping people move or driving them
to the airport (although I did help a friend sweep rat droppings out
of her garage once). At conferences such as this, however, folks
seem to appreciate hearing about some of the writing lessons I've
learned. I can only hope my advice helps at least a few of them on
their way."
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