First Page Boot Camp

2 Parts | Tuesday, June 17 and Tuesday June 24 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

$70 JRW Members | $90 Non-Members

This program is designed to provide all you need to craft your perfect first page! First Page Boot Camp includes a 2-hour Master Class, ample time to apply what you’ve learned to craft your best first page, followed up with a 15-minute private consultation to get personal feedback on your finished product. You may choose to only attend the Master Class, or to only take advantage of the Private Consultation, but the pricing will be the same. Kindly let us know if you want to attend only one part of this two-part series, once you’ve registered, so we can plan accordingly.

Here’s what your First Page Boot Camp will look like:

PART 1 | Tuesday, June 17 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm | ONLINE Master Class

PART 2 | Tuesday, June 24 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm | ONLINE Private First Page Consultations

See details of each component below. Space is limited. If you are an All-Inclusive JRW member, please register if you plan to attend, to ensure you claim one of our available spots.

PART 1 | ONLINE MASTER CLASS | Tuesday, June 17 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm Eastern

First impressions matter. The opening page of a story, memoir, or novel must not only hook the reader, it should ground us in the world of the story—in place, in time, and in character. This Master Class will walk you through the essential elements of a first page that will make the reader (and possibly an agent!) keep reading and wanting for more.

After you’ve finished the Master Class, apply what you’ve learned, craft your best first page, and be prepared to submit it ahead of your one-on-one meeting so your First Page consultant can review your page before your meeting. This will allow you both to make the best of your time together.

LORI GOLD | Master Class Instructor

LORI GOLD is the author of Romantic Friction, one of Zibby Media’s “Most Anticipated Books of 2025” and was recently featured on NPR’s Here and Now. She is also the author of an adult historical novel and four novels for young adults (all under Lori Goldstein). She currently lives outside of Boston, where she fosters a writing community through her creative writing classes, book coaching, and writing retreats.

PART 2 | ONLINE Private First Page Consultation | Tuesday, June 24 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm

You will have 15 minutes to meet privately with a consultant to get personalized feedback on your First Page. We will provide instructions to registrants to submit their First Pages ahead of their meetings. Please note that we are unable to take requests for certain time frames or consultants. Private consultation appointment times will fall within the 5:30 – 7:30 pm timeframe and will be provided once registration closes.

First Page Consultants

Bill Blume

BILL BLUME‘s love for the written word started in high school with an addiction to comic books that was hijacked by Frankenstein and Dragonflight. The first book in his YA vampire hunter series, Gidion’s Hunt, was published in 2013. Like the father figure in his “Gidion Keep” novels, Bill has worked as a 911 dispatcher for more than two decades. He also spent ten years working as a board member for James River Writers.

Robin Farmer

ROBIN FARMER is a screenwriter, author, filmmaker and journalist specializing in coming-of-age narratives and psychological thrillers. Her work has earned her residencies at Hedgebrook, VCCA, Djerassi and the University of Michigan. Her Catholic upbringing in Philadelphia spurred tons of guilt and stories, including her debut YA novel Malcolm and Me, which she adapted from her own screenplay. She volunteers with organizations empowering writers. In her spare time she rollerskates backward with swagger.

MM Finck

MM FINCK is a niche editor specializing in queries, pitches, opening pages, and overall story analysis. She established her practice as the Query Quill in 2014. Among MM’s clients’ successes are chart rankings, bestsellers, and two adaptations to television series—one Apple, one Prime. Two-time Vice-President of Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Past-Chair Advisor for Rising STAR Award for Unpublished Women’s Fiction. Founder of Penning Suspense, a group for suspenseful and thriller fiction writers, and togetHER, a Facebook group for women. Also active in James River Writers, Sister in Crime, & Writer Unboxed. Represented by Katie Shea Boutillier. On social media as @MMFinck.

Sarah Glenn Marsh

SARAH GLENN MARSH has been an avid fantasy reader since the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life. She believes we all deserve happy endings and is an author of more than twenty-five published books for everyone, including many young adult, middle grade, and picture book titles. She lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family, including one sweet daughter, one slightly dull sword, and the chaos of many pets, like a turtle named Muffin who she definitely did not bring back from any haunted swamp. We Could Be (Anti)Heroes is her first adult novel, a gay romantasy for Lord of the Rings fans.

Melissa Scott Sinclair

MELISSA SCOTT SINCLAIR is a Pushcart-nominated fiction writer, essayist, and environmental 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 and the 2021 Michael Kenneth Smith Novel Fellowship. Melissa’s bylines have appeared in The Washington Post, Audubon, Richmond magazine, and the recent book Atlas Obscura: WILD LIFE.

Ran Walker

RAN WALKER is an award-winning author of over 35 books. He is a contributing editor with Writer’s Digest magazine, where he also teaches for Writer’s Digest University. Vice-chair of the James River Writers, he serves as an associate professor of creative writing at Hampton University. He lives with his wife, daughter, and puppy in the Hampton Roads area.

This programming is supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.