April News, Events & Links

PPW News

The April Write Brain will cover everything you need to know about PPWC 2013. Our wonderful conference leaders, MB Partlow and Bonnie Hagan, will talk about conference weekend, guide you through the hotel layout, and answer any questions you might have about conference in order to put any fears you might have at rest. It will be Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-8:30 PM, at the Colorado Springs Marriott, which is also the location of the conference. More information can be found on the "PPW Events" tab above.

PPW Writer's Night at Lofty's (note the new location), will be held Monday, April 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.  Come enjoy wine, coffee, sandwiches, and various goodies, and chat about writing.  Open to topics of discussion and questions.  More information on the Events tab.

PPW Open Critique Night will occur Wednesday, April 17, 6:30-8:30 P.M at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts.  The first 8 to RSVP may bring 8 pages of their manuscript to critique.  More information on the Events tab.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference is this month! Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21. You can add Thursday, April 18 or take it as a stand-alone. Registration is still open!

Other Local Events

Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District will be holding their annual free Mountain of Authors Event Saturday, April 13, from 12:30 to 6:00 PM, at East Library, 5550 N. Union Blvd. The keynote speaker will be Stephen Coonts, and there will be panels on Love & War and Publishing Advice from the Pros. This is a great place to discover new authors or get signed books from your favorites. PPW will have a table there, so stop by and say hi!

Pikes Peak Library District will host A Conversation with Andrew McCarthy Tuesday, April 30, 4:00 to 9:00 PM, at Stargazers Theater. There is a reception from 4:00 to 6:00 PM with a cost of $30 ($40 after April 20), a free presentation from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, and free signing from 8:00 to 9:00 PM.

The Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women will hold their monthly presentation  on April 20, from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM. This month's workshop is Poetic Pen, a poetry reading. It will be located at the Business of Art Center in Manitou, with a cost of $23.00 for non-members.

The Lighthouse Writers Workshop will have a full calendar this month, including workshops on plotting, poetry, the fiction toolbox, voice, and freelance writing. They're also holding their annual week-long retreat in July, but are taking registration now.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers will have their April workshop with the theme Indie-Pub Extravaganza. Saturday, April 27, 1:30 to 3:30 PM, at Belmar Public Library. They'll have eight writers talking about their independent publishing journeys, including Kenn Amdahl, Bonnie Biafore, Quincy Allen, J.A. Kazimer, Jay Barry, Dr. Shay Fabbro, Ellie Lothlorien, and Colleen Oakes. They will also feature their quarterly programming, Show, Don't Tell: How do They do That? presented by Jan Weeks on Saturday, April 20, 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM, at the Business Incubator Center.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America will host Dr. Kim Gorgens, who will discuss Forensic Psychology and the Criminal. Thursday, April 11. Cost is $25 for non-members. You are asked to RSVP.

Colorado Springs Fiction Writers has various meetings throughout the month for critique and discussion.  Visitors are welcome.

Black Cat Books and the BAC, located in Manitou Springs, have lots of programs for readers and writers alike.  Even knitters!  Check out the events page for more information.

The Pikes Peak Romance Writers will be meeting up at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference for their monthly meeting, but they've also rescheduled a big event with Barbara Samuel - O'Neal, entitled The Heroine's Journey. Sunday, April 14, 1:00 PM, at Black Cat Books in Manitou. Non-member fee is $5.00. Must RSVP.

Publications Open for Submissions and Contests:
Please note: Inclusion of links in this post does not equal sponsorship by Pikes Peak Writers or a relationship between the two entities.  Please always be sure to pursue due diligence before submitting anything to a publication or contest.

This is the last month for the Pikes Peak Branch of the NLAPW's annual flash fiction contest. Theme: Hidden Amongst These Worlds. Deadline: May 1. Entry Fee: $10. First Prize: $100.

A-Minor Press is looking for poetry collections or flash fiction and short story collections. One manuscript submission at a time. Simultaneous submissions accepted.

Escape Pod is looking for speculative/sci-fi short stories to be published online and to be presented via podcast by an actor. Paying market.

Riptide Publishing has two open calls for collections. This is typically an invitation-only submission company, but if you get in on the open submission call and are chosen for one of their anthologies, you are free to submit manuscripts to them in the future. The two themes open right now are Laying Down (With) the Law (May 1), and College Discovery (June 1). Payment unknown.

Anassa Publications is putting together their first charity anthology. Non-fiction or fictionalized non-fiction. Open until filled. All profits go to charity. Stories of animal relationships, rescues, and/or survival against all odds.

Imaginative Fiction Writers Association has a short story contest going, the Robyn Herrington Memorial In Places Between 2013 contest. Speculative fiction. $125 first prize. No entry fee.

The International Human Dimensions Programme on GlobalEnvironmental Change is holding a writing contest on sustainable development goals. First prize is $500. April 15 deadline.

The wonderful Barbara Samuel (who also writes as Barbara O'Neal) is offering a six-week intensive voice workshop for writers. Unsure of location, but you can email with questions. April 30th to June 4th or July 30th to September 3rd. $225. Scholarships available.

Chicken Soup for the Soul is accepting submissions for a multitude of possible titles. They pay $200 for your story or poem. Ongoing/no deadline.

Port Cities Review is seeking submissions for feature articles about great port cities of the world. Pays $50 per article. Ongoing/no deadline.

Dark Futures Fiction if looking for poetry and prose that fits the theme of dark futures. Pays a small amount based on length. Ongoing/no deadline.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, via Matter Press, is looking for compressed fiction, non-fiction, poetry, mixed media and visual arts. Pays $50. Will close for submissions April 15.

Cardinal Sins Journal has opened their annual flash fiction contest. The theme is "trespassing." No entry fee. First prize is $150 and publication.

Deadwood Publishing is accepting submissions for three different anthologies - Ruined Cities, The Death God's Chosen, and The Ways of Magic. Open until filled. Pays $.01/word. 5,000 to 20,000 words in length.

Bartleby Snopes would like to start releasing flash novels, books that feel like a full novel, but are only 3,000 to 10,000 words in length. No deadlines, but they hope to publish their first this summer. Pays 60% royalties. They will do editing and cover art.

Monster Corral has the image up for their monthly Flash Fiction Contest. 1000 words tops. Deadline March 31. First prize is $50, plus publication (chance for publication at usual pay for all entrants). No fee to enter. Any genre as long as a monster is featured.

The Waterman Fund is holding their 2013 Alpine Essay Contest on technology in the woods. Essays due April 15. $1500 first prize and publication in Appalachia Journal. No fee.

Running Out of Ink is accepting submissions of short fiction, any genre. Not a paying market.

Sword and Laser is accepting submissions for an anthology. Sci-fi and Fantasy themed. Deadline May 15. Pays $200.

About the Author:  Shannon Lawrence is a mom of two, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist.  She lives in Colorado Springs and is inspired by the beauty of Pikes Peak and the Rockies.  After years of letting her writing fall by the wayside, she has recently thrown herself back into it.  Her main focus is fantasy and horror and she has just finished a Young Adult Fantasy novel.  She has a flash fiction piece featured in the anthology Sunday Snaps: The Stories, due out in late 2012.  She has also discovered a love of photography and enjoys photographing the breathtaking Colorado scenery and wildlife, as well as her children.  She blogs about reading, writing and photography at www.thewarriormuse.com.