Pacing isn’t just about car chases and cliffhangers—it’s the rhythm that keeps readers engaged, whether you’re writing historical fiction, fantasy, an essay, or a poem. Our panelists will explore how to control the flow of information and how to create momentum that carries readers through your work. Learn techniques for varying sentence length, managing white space, balancing introspection with action, and other structural choices that shepherd your reader’s experience from the first line to the last.

Speakers: John Copenhaver, Nicole Glover, Alethea McCollin, and Moderator Melissa Scott Sinclair

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SPEAKERS

JOHN COPENHAVER John Copenhaver is an award-winning author whose latest novel, Hall of Mirrors, was named a New York Times Crime Novel of the Year and won the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery. His earlier books include Dodging and Burning and The Savage Kind, which won the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. He co-edited Crime Ink: Iconic and serves on the board of International Thriller Writers. A founding member of Queer Crime Writers, he teaches at VCU and mentors in the University of Nebraska Omaha’s MFA program. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.

NICOLE GLOVER

Nicole Glover is the author of the acclaimed historical fantasy series, Murder and Magic, which includes The Starseekers. Her books have received rave starred reviews for their unique blend of mystery, history, and fantasy and have been featured on NPR, in En Forme, and the Virginian-Pilot. She’s been a Library Reads pick, made the Locus bestseller list, and most recently won The Webster Award. She lives and works in Virginia plotting her next fictional murder.

 

 

ALETHEA MCCOLLIN Alethea McCollin is dope! As an English instructor, she revels in leading maturing scholars to critically examine diverse works. As a playwright whose works have been produced in various cities nationally, she remains focused on elevating her craft and on exploring fantastical female-driven narratives. As a woman, she continues to travel in the complexity and nuances of her woman-ness!  Alethea writes stage and screen plays. Her works include The Sacred Forest, The Stilettos Monologues, Styx and Gunz, Pastor Willie, and Renaming Shaim. Alethea is an award-winning director, consummate theatre artist, and founder of Orange Stilettos Productions. She is a member of  The Dramatists Guild and serves as executive secretary on the board of James River Writers.

MODERATOR

MELISSA SCOTT SINCLAIR

Melissa Scott Sinclair is a fiction writer, essayist and journalist. She is a 2025 Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow, as well as the recipient of the 2023 Lit/South Award in Fiction. Her deep-dive feature on hermit crabs and the people who love them was published in Slate and featured as a Longreads editor’s pick. Other bylines include The Washington Post, Audubon and the recent book Atlas Obscura: WILD LIFE.

 

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This program is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.