Wednesday, September 22, 2010

October 2010 Meeting

Monday October 4, 2010
7:00 p.m.
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Barnes & Noble
Lone Tree



Speaker: Leslie Pfeil
Medical Mayhem:
Strategies to accurately depict medical fact in your fiction


Come and learn all about the common mistakes writers make when depicting a medical scene in their stories. We will analyze published works and study where they went awry. We will also go over research strategies that will help keep writers on the right track.

Leslie Pfeil is a nurse specializing in critical care and emergency nursing for seventeen years and is currently employed as a pediatric emergency nurse at The Children’s Hospital in Colorado. She holds specialized certification for critical care nursing and has taught CPR and advanced resuscitation courses for over two decades. Leslie was published in 2006 in the medical textbook Abusive Head Trauma in Infants and Children: A Medical, Legal and Forensic Approach. Her chapter was the only nursing contribution and focused on caring for the abusive head trauma patient in the emergency and critical care settings. Leslie lectures extensively to medical professionals from EMS workers to physicians in the areas of pediatric assessment, management of pediatric emergencies and identification and treatment of child abuse injuries. In addition, she is a finalist in the 2010 ACFW Genesis Contest. She belongs to the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Christian Fiction Writer’s groups. She writes under the pen-name Jordyn Redwood.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

September Meeting

Tuesday, September 7
7:00 p.m.
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Barnes & Noble
Lone Tree

How to Make the Most of a Writing Conference

Join Mile High Scribes for an interactive discussion on how to make the most of a writing conference. During the evening, each participant will have the opportunity to share about his or her current projects as well as time to create and practice a pitch. Other discussion topics will include:

- What to bring
- Conference best practices
- Lessons learned
- Expectations
- Making the most of conference appointments

Even if you’re not planning to attend the ACFW conference in September, this will be a great opportunity to share ideas for conferences you may attend in the future. We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

August 2010 Meeting

Monday, August 2, 2010
7:00 p.m.

Barnes & Noble
Lone Tree
Speaker: Jan Parrish

Social Media Marketing for Writers
How to Expertly Manage Your Social Media in Twenty Minutes a Day!

Jan is a social media expert who runs her own consulting business. She will walk you through the basics of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and teach you how to make them work for you. Bring your laptop! There will be time for questions after the presentation.

Visitors welcome!


Monday, May 17, 2010

June 2010 Meeting

Monday, June 7, 2010
7:00 p.m.

Barnes & Noble
Park Meadows
Speaker: Jeff Gerke
Topic: "The Last Show vs. Tell Class You'll Ever Need"

You've heard "Show, don't tell" so many times...but what does it mean? How can you know if you're doing it? How can you stop? What's so bad about it? Is it possible to convert telling to showing? Is telling ever okay? Jeff's clear and memorable teaching on this topic will finally give you the handle you've needed on this fundamental fiction skill.

Jeff has been called the de facto gatekeeper of Christian science fiction and fantasy. From his own published fiction to his days at three major Christian publishing companies to his current endeavor as publisher of Marcher Lord Press, Jeff has been an unfailing champion of Christian speculative fiction. The weird stuff. Jeff's The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction has become a conference favorite across the country. His new fiction craft book from Writer's Digest Books, Plot vs. Character, releases in October of this year. He and his wife of 20 years live in Colorado Springs with their daughter and son and a special needs baby girl from China who they adopted.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

One Sheet Contest Update

Thank you to all who entered the Mile High Scribes’ one sheet contest! We were very impressed with the quality of the entries we received.

After careful deliberation, Anne Lang Bundy was selected as our winner. Her one sheet for Beside the Throne stood out in each of our three categories: creativity, visual impact, and ability to communicate a message.

Anne Lang Bundy’s debut fiction work caps 25 years of Bible education and 30 years of professional writing. She's received recognition for astute biblical insights (published on two blogs), for drama ministry, and as speaker and teacher to women and children (including preaching as a jail lay minister). Anne and husband John live in Michigan with their five children.

Congratulations, Anne! And thanks to everyone who helped make this contest a success!




Thursday, April 22, 2010

May 2010 Meeting

Monday, May 3, 2010
7 p.m.

Barnes & Noble
Park Meadows

Speaker: Elaine Clampitt
Topic: A Writer's Vision


Whether in writing or other areas of life, have you ever plunged in feet first without having a clear idea of your vision or mission? Is your vision God-given or about self-fulfillment? Is perfectionism halting your progress? What do you do when obstacles come up that seem to prevent you from fulfilling that vision? Join Elaine on May 3rd as she shares how to “write the vision” (Habakkuk 2:2) and discover how this can impact your writing journey.

Elaine Clampitt has owned her own company, worked for a well-known Christian singer/songwriter and fulfilled her love for numbers as treasurer of a local, private high school and helping with a local hockey organization. Her interests are encouraging others and watching as many Avs games as possible. A recent “empty-nester”, she is now pursuing her passion for writing and ice hockey through her website www.thewomenofhockey.com. She belongs to ACFW and is Mile High Scribes Secretary/Treasurer.

Monday, March 29, 2010

April 2010 Meeting

Monday, April 5, 2010
7 p.m.

Barnes & Noble
Park Meadows

Speaker: Denise Holmes
Topic: The Moral Premise

If you've been writing fiction for long, you've run into the words "theme" or "premise." What is a theme or premise of a story? How does a writer weave this premise into fiction? Should it be subtle or obvious? The fact is, all good stories have a premise, and the book, The Moral Premise: Harnessing Virtue and Vice for Box Office Success by Stanley D. Williams teaches a unique method for creating premise for your stories. Don't let the word "box office" fool you. This book applies to all stories, and on April 5, Denise will lead us in exploring building the correct premise for your fiction--a premise that will bring fire to your story and relevance to your audience. Premise is the foundation of all storytelling!

***

Denise Miller Holmes enjoys researching and communicating writing techniques, and teaching biblical topics--especially what Christians believe about the world around them. She sometimes turns established viewpoints on end. A graduate of the University of Southern California School of Journalism, Denise also has a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology. A Christian for over 35 years, she writes for Examiner.com as the Denver Christian Perspectives Examiner, and for her own website www.RedHotRead.com. She belongs to the writers’ groups Words for the Journey and American Christian Fiction Writers, and speaking guild Toastmasters.


Monday, March 1, 2010

One Sheet Contest

Mile High Scribes’ One Sheet Contest
Guidelines and Rules

This is your opportunity to prepare for conference season! Mile High Scribes, the South Denver Chapter of ACFW, is hosting a one-sheet contest. Use your creativity to develop a one-sheet that communicates the heart of your story, and you will be eligible to win a full manuscript edit!

PRIZE
One winner will be selected from the pool of entrants to receive a substantive edit of their full manuscript by Kristine Pratt of Written World Communications.

SELECTION PROCESS
All entries will be evaluated by the Mile High Scribes board members based on the following criteria:
- Creativity
- Visual impact
- Ability to communicate a message

Five finalist entries will be chosen. One winner will then be selected by Agent Andrea Heinecke of Alive Communications. (Please note that Andrea will not be considering any of the submissions for representation.)

RULES/ELIGIBILITY
- The contest is open to both published and unpublished authors.
- This contest is open to fiction manuscripts only.
- Each entry must be accompanied by a $15 entry fee.
- Entrants will not receive any feedback or advice on their entry.
- All proceeds from the contest go to Mile High Scribes.
- Your novel does not need to be complete in order for you to be eligible.
- Each entry will receive a confirmation e-mail shortly after their one sheet is received. If you do not receive an email, please contact us at contest@elaineclampitt.com to see if your entry was received.
- Multiple entries are permitted. Each entry must be accompanied by the $15 fee.

TO ENTER:
- Create a one sheet for your fiction manuscript that communicates the uniqueness of you and your story.
- To email your submission: Send the one sheet as an attachment to contest@elaineclampitt.com. In the e-mail, please include your name, e-mail address and phone number. To complete your entry, you must go to www.milehighscribes.blogspot.com and submit your $15 entry fee through the PayPal "Buy Now" button in the upper right column.
- To mail your submission: Print your one sheet and a coversheet with your name, e-mail address and phone number, and mail it along with your entry fee to Mile High Scribes, P. O. Box 271125, Littleton, CO 80127.
- All entries must be received (not postmarked) by April 9, 2010.
- Finalists will be notified by May 1, 2010 and the winner will be notified by May 5, 2010.

For questions please email contest@elaineclampitt.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

March 2010 Meeting

March 1, 2010
7 p.m.

Barnes & Noble

Park Meadows

Speaker: Sara Richardson
One-Sheet Workshop

Drawing upon her professional experience in public relations and marketing, Sara will teach writers how to create a one sheet that sells an author and their story. The first half of our evening will be devoted to learning about the critical elements of a one sheet. We’ll also discuss options for layout and design that communicate both professionalism and a unique sense of style. The second half of the evening will be spent working on our one sheets together as a group. Feel free to bring your laptops and/or printouts of your one sheets.

During this workshop, the Mile High Scribes board will also announce the details of a one sheet contest that will run through March.

***

A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University and a bachelor’s degree in writing from Bethel University.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

February 2010 Meeting

February 1, 2010
7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Park Meadows

Speaker: Kristine Pratt

Topic: “Gap Publishing: Written World Communications & Publishing into the Future”

Kristine Pratt has rattled around the publishing industry for a few years now. She started out as a writer, like most do. But it quickly became evident that helping others to get published was a great deal more fun and rewarding than seeing her name in print. She's apprenticed to Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency, and from there started pestering Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press to teach her everything he knows. Throughout this all, she's worked as freelance editor and writing mentor. In the fall of 2009 with the support of her husband and five children, Kristine banded together a dozen individuals and formed Written World Communications, a traditional publishing house with an emphasis on what she calls gap publishing. In 2010 expect to see several books and magazines going into print, as WWC explodes onto the publishing scene.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Monthly Meeting

January 4, 2010
7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Park Meadows

Speaker: Chris Richards

Writing God's Words
God has called all people to join him in creation. Our special part of creation is the world of writing. Some of that writing is fiction or non-fiction to share with others. Some is the writing of words to lift our souls closer to Him. This writing can be strictly for ourselves or it can be to share with others. This program will begin with my journey of writing the things God has shown me in His Word and how that journey has grown. This will be followed by a time to share the words God has given each of you along with discussion of how these words can be used to benefit others. Please bring something you have written to share.