Rocky Mountain (Colorado/Wyoming) Regional events

First Pages with Shannon Hassan, Literary Agent, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

This workshop will help you hone and revise the crucial opening pages of your manuscript. Shannon will critique your first 10 pages in a live group session where you will also receive feedback on your work from the other participants. In the group debrief session, each participant will have 15 minutes of time to discuss your feedback from Shannon, ask questions, and consider next steps for your manuscript.

Self-Publishing Connect: Join the Conversation!

Please join the ongoing conversation about our self-publishing projects. This group is a wealth of knowledge and everyone loves to share! All are welcome, come with questions and/or experience to share. Contact Ann Cunningham at ann@acunningham.com to get on the list for the zoom code. Hope to see you there! Future events scheduled for April 21st and May 20th.

WY Connect: Studying Success

This month, we'll look at some popular books and study what makes them work. We'll look at literary devices, hooks, arcs, etc. We'll also check in to see if everyone has met their goals and set new goals. If we have time remaining, we'll do critiques keeping in mind the ideas we gathered in our study. Contact karenlee at rmcwyomingconnect@gmail.com for more information or for the Zoom link if you are not on the WY list.

Metro Denver Connect & Critique: Book Dummies

Book dummies are helpful in figuring out many picture book details, including pacing, and where to cut/add words. We are lucky to have Author-Illustrator Brittany Cicchese to teach us the ins and outs of creating a book dummy. During the second half of our Connect, bring a work-in-progress to critique. For critiques, bring six copies of a PB manuscript; the first five pages of a longer work, a query letter, illustrations, or similar. Bring a snack to share if you'd like! Please use this form to RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfRq9JMh0cye6_xjzOHm-epJTLeGnppp5SmJlAdUhwzvGhoTQ/viewform?usp=send_form Contact Stacey Simmons or Jenny Johnson at rmcdsouthconnect@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

NoCo Connect: “Too Scary for Storytime” and our first Critique offer!

Zoom link will be shared to member’s list in early March. The link will be shared again in the ONE-DAY reminder-email on March 16th. Julie Rowan-Zoch will go over picture books that the Poudre Library deems too scary to read at storytime based on the closing event from a children’s librarian at the FC Book Fest 2025. AND for the first time, we are opening a critique opportunity to members to share 3-5 pages of text, be it a PB manuscript, a chapter from a MG/YA novel/chapter book, a query letter, or pitch. First come, first served: email me your intention (not the piece) so I can keep count. We will read the piece aloud then open for comments from the group, approx 5-10 mins per text. Contact: Julie Rowan-Zoch: jrzoch@gmail.com.

Between Us: An Intimate Q&A with Caldecott Honorees Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal (Session 1 of The Publishing Path Webinar Series)

To register for Session 1 ONLY:

RMC 2025 Webinar Series: The Publishing Path

STEM and SEL (formerly Non-Fiction) Connect: Writing Humor

Join Amy Law for an informal presentation about what’s funny, how to be funny, and who should be funny. Amy will give a brief presentation, and then will open the Connect up to hear from people about what they think is funny, and why. Contact Gina Soldano-Herrle at soldanoherrle.gina@gmail.com to be put on the invite list. Please note: although Amy will try to include some amusing moments in the presentation, this won't be a comedy session as such. Instead, it's all about how to write to make people laugh.

YA Connect: Writing Young Love

Romance in YA does more than make us swoon; falling in love plays a pivotal role in coming-of-age stories. Successful YA romance plots reveal characters’ emotional needs, push them to be vulnerable, and create page-turning stakes. Join Ellen O’Clover, author of Seven Percent of Ro Devereux and The Someday Daughter, for a workshop dedicated to developing compelling YA romance. Topics will include meet-cutes, propulsive romance arcs, tropes, and more. Questions: Contact the YA team at rmcyaconnect@gmail.com. RSVP: Please register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfp1imCJYcamVfQwcUkdm0sXVp5LaLVar4Mf_dp-V6gAN4bzQ/viewform

Colorado Springs Connect & Critique: Focus on Critiques

Critiques: Bring 8-10 copies of your work in progress (up to 5 pages or 1500 words) to share.

Brave Beginnings With Jo Knowles (Session 2 in The Publishing Path Webinar Series)

To register for Session 2 ONLY:

Writing the Story Only you can Create With Rajani LaRocca (Session 3 in The Publishing Path Webinar Series)

To register for this session ONLY:

Western Slope Connect and Critique

We will have a discussion about websites for both the published and unpublished. We will send links to some members’ websites prior so we can all test them for glitches. Send your website address if desired. After our discussion we will have critiques. You can submit up to 650 words. If interested email your submission and RSVPs to wendisilvano@gmail.com. First received will be first critiqued until time runs out.

Brand Yourself: Simplifying Author Marketing With Karen A. Chase (Session 4 in The Publishing Path Webinar Series)

To register for this session ONLY: