2023 Conference Evaluation Forms
- 2023 Rappahannock Writers' Conference General Evaluation, opens a new window
- 2023 Rappahannock Writers' Conference Class Evaluation, opens a new window
Join us again next year!
Thank you to Platinum Sponsor Germanna Community College, opens a new window for supporting the 2023 Rappahannock Writers' Conference.
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Schedule for Saturday, November 4
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Morning Keynote: 9:00-9:45am
There’s Power in Releasing Your Pen!
Presented by Kim B. Miller, Poet Laureate of Prince William County
About Kim B. Miller
Kim B. Miller uses her words to connect people to their strength. She makes empowerment touchable so you can obtain it. She’s a speaker that cultivates growth and a poet who speaks bold truths. She gets people to explore hope and knowledge.
Check out Kim's Book: My Poetry Is the Beauty You Overlook
Midday Address: 1:00-1:45pm
WE ARE THE MYTH MAKERS
Presented by New York Times bestselling author S.A. Cosby
About S. A. Cosby
S. A. Cosby is an Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning writer from Southeastern Virginia.
He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Razorblade Tears, which was recommended on Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List and named a Best Book of 2021 by NPR, the Washington Post, TIME, Roxane Gay, and more.
His novel Blacktop Wasteland won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a New York Times Notable Book, and was named a best book of the year by NPR, The Guardian, and Library Journal, among others. When not writing, he is an avid hiker and chess player.
Presented by Ellie Whitney
In Sealy Auditorium
What are filter words? They’re “telling” verbs that inadvertently keep your readers at a distance from the story.
Learn to strike “filter verbs” from your writing vocabulary and draw readers inside your character’s head to experience the story simultaneously with the main character instead of being “told” about the experience.
Type: General Craft
Level: All Levels
Presented by Bill Blume
In Sealy Auditorium
Discover how to create characters readers want to journey with. Learn why some characters are just clichés and how to keep them active throughout your story.
Author Bill Blume shows how he built the cast for his Gidion Keep series and what he's gotten right (and wrong) to improve your stories.
Type: General Craft
Level: All Levels
Presented by Sarah Warburton
In Sealy Auditorium
What hooks a reader (or an agent or a publisher)? Whether you're writing a mystery, a romance, science fiction, or memoir, tension is the key to story.
We'll discuss what tension is, how it works in story, how to introduce it in your work, and how to maintain it on every page.
Type: General Craft, Advanced Craft
Level: All Levels
Presented by Lisa Swinton
In Sealy Auditorium
You're a good writer - except when you get feedback from your critique group. Or read your reviews. Or get unsolicited advice from Aunt Jane about how to improve your story. Then you want to drown your sorrows in a big plate of nachos or a tub of ice cream.
So, how do you grow a strong spine, thick skin, and fearlessly face down the mighty red pen? Come to this class and learn.
Type: General Craft
Level: All Levels
Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually resigning to raise her family. She has written more than forty best-selling novels and is a seven-time Whitney Award winner.
Char is a nonfiction writer of two books, including her recent book, 
Bill Blume discovered his love for the written word while in high school and has been writing ever since. His latest book 
Austin S. Camacho has authored eight novels about Washington, D.C.-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five novels in the Stark & O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the stand-alone detective novel, 
Carylee Carrington became a children's author because she couldn't find diverse books for her sons. Now, as a champion for diversity in children's literature, she has made it her mission to help children of diverse backgrounds see themselves in the books they read. Her journey as a children's book author started by accident, but has morphed into so much more.
Rich Follett, the Poet Laureate of Strasburg, VA, has authored 
J.S. Furlong is the author of The Unimaginables series (
Chandra Gore works with entrepreneurs to create foundations for success and understand how to gain visibility using media outreach with her consulting and public relations firm, Chandra Gore Consulting. She is the author of several books and a speaker on topics like business strategies, media relations, and entrepreneurship.
Having been in education for forty-seven years as a teacher, coach, counselor and administrator, Lewis has semi-retired and now works part-time as an online learning facilitator. He is an award-winning author and uses his psychology and counseling background to craft thriller/crime/detective mysteries.
Adam Meyer has written documentary series for Discovery, National Geographic, and others, as well as several TV movies. His short fiction has been selected for 
Tom Milani is a retired technical editor for a federally-funded research and development center. His short fiction has appeared in Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties and Black Cat Weekly.
James Noll has worked as a sandwich maker, a yogurt dispenser, a daycare provider, a video store clerk, a summer camp counselor, a waiter, a prep cook, a line cook, a security guard, a bartender, a librarian, and a teacher. Somewhere in there he played drums in punk rock bands, recorded several albums, and wrote dozens of short stories and a handful of novels. 
Brian Paone, a Massachusetts native, has been a published author since 2007. Brian has released eight novels, spanning sci-fi, horror, historical fiction, crime noir, and urban thriller. Brian has been a professional editor since 2014 and has edited almost 700 manuscripts for authors from all over the world, in all genres.
Thriller novelist Rick Pullen's first novel, 
Candice Ransom is the author of 175 books for children as well as more than 200 published articles and short stories. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MA in Children's Literature from Hollins University. She has taught in Hollins' Graduate Program in Children's Literature for 15 years.
David Anthony Sam lives in Virginia with his wife, Linda. His poetry has appeared in over 100 journals. Sam’s collection, 
Elizabeth Spencer Spragins has written for more than 80 journals and anthologies in 11 countries. She is the author of three original poetry collections: 
Lane Stone is the author of the art thriller trilogy The Big Picture. She has a post-graduate certificate in Antiquities Theft and Art Crime. Her other books are the Pet Palace Mysteries, the Tiara Investigation Mysteries, and standalones. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia and Lewes, Delaware. She blogs at 
Ksenya Swinton is a fanfiction aficionado, having spent several years reading and publishing in the community. She is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. She enjoys writing, art, cooking, and consuming and over-analyzing movies and TV shows.
Award-winning author Lisa Swinton loves romance, travel, Disney, Jane Austen, and tidying up, not necessarily in that order. When she's not writing and being a mom, you might find her singing on stage.
Sarah Warburton has a B.A. in Latin from the College of William and Mary, an M.A. in classics from the University of Georgia and another from Brown. Her first novel, 
After earning a master’s degree in teaching, Ellie Whitney spent over ten years as an English teacher and writing tutor. She has published in various local, state, and national newspapers and magazines. Ellie, an award-winning writer, lives in Virginia with her family and freelances as a line editor.