PPWC15 - The Prequel

By Anastasia Storer 

I recently had the privilege of attending the Thursday Prequel at this year's PPWC under a scholarship. I cannot thank the organization enough, as otherwise I'd not have been able to attend. It's been a long time since I've been able to go to a convention. As I handle the final preparations before I leave the country for two years to volunteer with the Peace Corps in the small country of Moldova, I find myself looking back over the notes I took and once again being so thrilled I was given the opportunity to be a part of the conference.

I've been struggling over the last few months with my writing as other things took precedence. This led to my finding it impossible to keep my word count where I thought it "should" be. Getting the chance to spend a day surrounded by readers and writers, all with the same sorts of struggles, all with the same passion for the written word, really helped me get myself back on track and helped me to realize I needed to set more realistic goals for myself during what is a very hectic time of life for me.

It also cemented in my mind the desire to attempt to form a writing circle during my time in Moldova, to encourage Moldovan writers the same way the people at the conference encouraged me.

The sessions I attended on editing and on query letters might as well have been tailor-made for me in terms of where I am in my process of working on a writing career. Another few months, and I'll be able to take the amazing insights and advice Bree Ervin offered in her Read Like An Editor workshop (goodness, I've not taken so many notes so fast since my college days!) and put them to use. And if I'm lucky, before the year is out, I'll be ready to take what I learned in Andrea Somberg's Queries With Claws to start trying to find a home for my book.

Thank you again to the Pikes Peak Writers organization for giving me the opportunity to attend the 2015 prequel!