Why Come Back to the PPWC?

By MB Partlow

In the month of December, we held a New Year/New Books promotion, open to everyone who registered for the 2015 PPWC between Dec. 15 and 31. We threw all the names into a hat (or, you know, a random number generator), and now we’d like to congratulate our winner, Georgie Nelson.

Since it turned out that Georgie is a regular conference attendee, we thought we’d find out what keeps her coming back.

PPW: How many Pikes Peak Writers Conferences have you attended?

Georgie: 8-10 -- off and on since 1996

PPW: What keeps you coming back?

Georgie: There are many reasons for returning. A huge reason is because of the inspiration and camaraderie -- it is fantastic to be around other writers who share my passion. Also, no matter how many times I've been to PPWC, I am always learning VALUABLE information. The topics are always timely, in-depth, and address my needs as an evolving writer.

PPW: What's your favorite part of conference?

Georgie: That's a hard one. I want to say "everything," but I know that isn't helpful to you. The programs, of course; they are the heart of the conference. However, the lunches and dinners allow attendees to meet favorite writers and ask questions of editors and others, and that is very valuable, and enjoyable! I've also had many enriching conversations over my breakfast bagel and coffee -- building a sense of community and connection is vital -- we're often very isolated as writers.

PPW: Which keynote speaker are you looking forward to the most this year, and why?

Georgie: I signed up for the programs and for the soul-feeding mixing with other writers, but I'm also very excited about our guests. Mystery and suspense by Kathy Hogan Trochek and Andrew Gross are spot on to my interests, and I've always loved SF/Fantasy, so being introduced to Seanan McGuire is a treat. And who doesn't admire the Goosebumps series? -- bring on the creepfest!

PPW: And would you mind sharing with us one of your personal goals for this year's conference?

Georgie: My personal goal is to garner the inspiration, and re-hone the skills necessary, to cut and put a final polish on my novel (over 500 pages now, and needing a firm hand). I won 3rd place in the writing contest 3 years ago, but lost steam (well...after losing my mother, my beloved aunt and mother-in-law, and my twin sister all in the same year, it's been very hard to write). I'm hoping to recover my mojo and to re-embrace the passion for writing I've had since I was a child.

If you’d like to learn more about the 23rd annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference, please visit http://www.pikespeakwriters.com/ppwc/. We’ve got spectacular keynote speakers, insightful agents and editors, and a host of faculty who will help you further your writing adventure. And don’t forget to say hi to Georgie while you’re there!

MB Partlow's first paid writing gig was for the A&E department of The Independent. She wrote a parenting column for Pikes Peak Parent for several years, and freelanced for The Gazette. She’s a longtime volunteer for PPW, working her way up from chair stacker at Write Brains to Moderator Coordinator, Contest Coordinator, Director of Programming, and now Conference Director for 2015. A voracious reader across genres, she primarily write urban fantasy, although she ventures into space opera, mystery and magical realism. MB is physically unable to restrain her sense of humor, and her mouth occasionally moves faster than her brain. She blogs at PartlowsPool@wordpress.com, and can be reached at Conference@PikesPeakWriters.com.