Showing posts with label free ppw events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free ppw events. Show all posts

Friday, May 5, 2017

Pikes Peak Writers May Events


Pikes Peak Writers Write Brain
May 24, 2017 — 6:15 to 8:15
Location: 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920
The Devil is in the Details
Who: DeAnna Knippling
When: May 24, 2017 – 6:15-8:15 p.m. – Please note both a day AND time change from the normal.
Where: Venue@21c (upper floor, to the right if coming in the upper entrance) of Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920
More Information: Are you struggling with the details in your story? Are readers and editors telling you that your details are too thin, your dialog clunky, and your characters not believable? Are you struggling to make the readers of your stories as inspired by the movies playing inside your head as you are? Your problems might go back to what details you tell in a story, how you tell them, and when you choose to tell them. Learn how to start identifying and decoding the details in fiction that you can use to bring the movie out of your head intact.
Handouts will be provided with the presentation. Come with your favorite writing utensil and be prepared for some fun writing assignments.
About the Presenter: DeAnna Knippling is a professional writer, editor, and book designer living in Littleton, Colorado. She has written over twenty-five novels, mostly published under other people’s names, and a lot of short stories, mostly published under her own. She has been published in Black Static, Penumbra, Crossed Genres, and more. She needs a hot cup of tea, a bath, and a nap, although probably not at the same time. She often writes best in the middle of a) reckless challenges, b) with a timer in the background, or c) while telling people that she’s a terrible writer and should be removed from the word pool. You can find out more about her work at www.WonderlandPress.com.


Pikes Peak Writers Writer’s Night – May 29

Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Location: Kawa Coffee, 2427 N. Union Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Writers’ Night is two full hours of discussion, laughter, and fun with other location members of Pikes Peak Writers.

The direction of the meeting is decided by the participants and can include discussions about query letters, obtaining and working with an agent, writing conferences, or other specific points of craft. If nothing else, we talk about books!

If you have any questions, or if there is a specific topic you’d like to get on the agenda, spend an email to the host, Damon Smithwick, e-mail to the host, Damon Smithwick or call him on his cell phone at (719) 464-5336.

Meeting are scheduled to start at 6:30 and run until about 8:30. These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to attend all or just part of them.

See you soon!


Friday, March 3, 2017

Pikes Peak Writers March Events

MARCH WRITE BRAIN 
Mar 21, 2017 — 6:30 to 8:30
Location: 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920
What: Hack Your Reader’s Brain
Who: Jeff Gerke
When: March 21, 2017 – 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Venue@21c (upper floor, to the right if coming in the upper entrance) of Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920
More Information: Bestselling fiction doesn’t happen because the writer gets all of the so-called rules of fiction right. It’s not about avoiding gerunds or -ly adverbs or head-hopping. People read a book from beginning to end because they’re carried away, fully engaged. They stay interested all the way through. In other words, they don’t get bored. But how do we do that? If only there were some way to tap into how to engage the reader’s brain. Well, there is! Come hear the neuroscience of reader engagement, and learn how to use it to catch your reader’s attention, utterly engage your reader, and keep your reader reading all the way to the end.
About the Speaker: Jeff Gerke writes fiction how-to craft books for Writers Digest. Past titles include “The First 50 Pages,” “Write Your Novel in a Month,” and “Plot Versus Character.” Jeff is a popular teacher at writers conferences across North America. He is a multi-published novelist and founder of an independent publishing house.

WRITER’S NIGHT
Mar 27, 2017 — 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: Kawa Coffee, 2427 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Writers’ Night is two full hours of discussion, laughter, and fun with other local members of Pikes Peak Writers.
The direction of the meeting is decided by the participants and can include discussions about query letters, obtaining and working with an agent, writing conferences, or other specific points of the craft.  If nothing else, we talk about books!
If you have any questions, or if there is a specific topic you’d like to get on the agenda, send an e-mail to the host, Damon Smithwick, or call him on his cell phone at 719-464-5336.
Meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 and run until about 8:30. These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to attend all or just part of them.
See you soon!


For this and all other Upcoming Pikes Peak Writers events, including the 2017 Pikes Peak Writers Conference check out https://www.pikespeakwriters.com/ 

Friday, February 3, 2017

Pikes Peak Writers February Events

Write your Heart Out!

Feb 04, 2017 — 1:00 to 5:00 pm

Location: 5580 Tech Center Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
What: Write Your Heart Out
Who:
Free with RSVP. Space is limited. Reserve your spot today by emailing: RSVP@pikespeakwriters.com – with first and last name of each person attending, and your phone number
When: February 4th, 2017, 1 – 5pm, doors open at 12:30
Where: Salon D – Marriott Colorado Springs – 5580 Tech Center Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
More Information: On the fence about going to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference or just looking for some great interesting and educational programming? Join us at the 5th annual Write Your Heart Out, a free half-day Conference Teaser event. Six of our local authors presenting at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in April will join us for an afternoon filled with fun and learning centered around the craft and business of writing. Take a sneak peek at our speakers and the topics they’ll be covering:
Laura DiSilverio – Using Setting to Reveal Character
JL Fields – The Nuts and Bolts of Non-Fiction Writing
Barbara Nickless – Say What? The Ins and Outs of Dialogue
M. H.  Boroson – Constructing the Great Action Scene
Lana Williams – 10 Tips to Keep the Middle Moving
KL Cooper – Today’s Marketing for Yesterday’s Author
Come join us for an incredible day to help further your writing career. We’ll have several drawings throughout the day.  Registrars will be on hand to help get you signed up for PPWC 2017.  Additionally, we’ll have the PPW Bookstore crew with books from our Keynote speakers, our Write Your Heart Out speakers, as well as popular and helpful books on the craft of writing.

Write Brain

Feb 21, 2017 — 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Location: Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920
What:  Writing Gay Romance/Characters
Who:  Andrew Burns & Nicole Godfrey
When: February 21, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Venue@21c (upper floor, to the right if coming in the upper entrance) of Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920

More Information: One of the most popular romance genres right now is Gay Romance, or as the folks in the genre like to call it, M/M romance. How does this differ from straight romance? That’s what we’ll take a look at. We’ll explore the popular tropes…it’s a lot more than just the hunky UPS guy falling in love with the lonely writer…Now there’s a story we might need to write! We’ll look at what it takes to make the characters look and feel authentic.

About the Presenter
s:
Andrew Burns has been writing since high school. His works have included short and long fiction. In the past few years, he’s taken major steps to improve his writing and has managed to get several books published under two pen names. He is currently a board member of Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group. As A.M. Burns he has published several Urban Fantasy books with different publishers along with numerous short stories.
Nicole Godfrey is a writer who calls beautiful Colorado home, along with her fury children.  Her writing started with poetry, leading to her first publication at the age of twelve. She has three short stories published through Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group; A Page Lost in An Uncommon Collection, and The Power of the Word in Remnants and Resolutions: Tales of Survival, and Trials of the Moon in Colorado State of Mind. Her first full length novel, Hoofbeats, released February 2016. Nicole actively participates in Amtgard, loves to play table-top RPG’s, and dabbles in artwork.

Writers Night

Feb 27, 2017 — 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Location: Kawa Coffee, 2427 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Writers’ Night is two full hours of discussion, laughter, and fun with other local members of Pikes Peak Writers. Join host, Damon Smithwick, a longtime Pikes Peak Writers attendee, who took over as facilitator in January.
The direction of the meeting is decided by the participants and can include discussions about query letters, obtaining and working with an agent, writing conferences, or other specific points of the craft.  If nothing else, we talk about books!
Meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 and run until about 8:30. These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to attend all or just part of them.


See you soon!

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Quote of the Week and the Week to Come

 “When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” ~ J.M. Barrie
 
Source: Google and Wikipedia
Sir James Matthew Barrie, (May 9, 1860 – June 19, 1937) was a Scottish novelist and acts inspired him to write Kensington Gardens and The Little White Bird, which led to Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Barrie was made a baronet by King George V in 1913. Before his death he gave the rights to Peter Pan works to Great Ormond Street playwright, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. Although he wrote a number of successful novels, after meeting and adopting the Llewelyn Davies boys, these Hospital for Children in London, which still benefits from them today.

This  week on Writing from the Peak: 

May 2           May’s Letter from the Editor         Donnell Ann Bell

May 4           The Writing Coach                       Deb McLeod

May 6           Pikes Peak Writers May Events 

Friday, April 1, 2016

Pikes Peak Writers April 2016 Events

April 6 Open Critique (reservations required)

http://www.pikespeakwriters.com/events/open-critique/



April 14-17 The 2016 Pikes Peak Writers Conference 




April Write Brain -- April 19, 2016  

What:  Fun and Relaxation with Improv Writing
Who:  J.T. Evans
When: Apr 19, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Venue@21c (upper floor, to the right if coming in the upper entrance) of Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920

More Information: Come join J.T. Evans, president of Pikes Peak Writers, for a post-conference Write Brain. Even though the conference will only be two days gone, many of you will be energized about what you learned! Others will be looking for a relaxing way to spend an evening. Instead of cramming two hours of vital information into a presentation for the potentially exhausted, J.T. will be leading everyone in an improv writing session. After a brief presentation on the goals and tools of improv, we’re going to crack open the dice, cards, and iPad apps to see what wonderful things we can come up with together. Make sure to bring something to capture your improv writing during the session. Great door prizes will be included from J.T.’s collection of improv toolkit.

About the Presenter:  J.T. Evans writes fantasy novels. He also dabbles with science fiction and horror short stories. He is the president of Pikes Peak Writers. When not writing, he keeps computers secure at the Day Job, homebrews great beers, spends time with his family, and plays way too many card/board/role-playing games.


Facebook Event: Want to see who else is coming? Check here.


April Writer’s Night

FREE Writer’s Night
Location: Kawa Coffee
Address: 2427 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909
Fourth Monday of every month (View Calendar of Events)
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Join fellow writers for PPW Night on the fourth Monday of every month.
PPW Night is two full hours of discussion, laughter, and fun with other local members of Pikes Peak Writers.

The direction of the meeting is decided by the participants and can include discussions about query letters, obtaining and working with an agent, writing conferences, or other specific points of the craft.  If nothing else, we talk about books!

If you have any questions, or if there is a specific topic you’d like to get on the agenda, send an e-mail to the host, Deb Courtney, or call her on her cell phone at 719-337-9049.

Meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 and run until about 8:30. These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to attend all or just part of them.
See you soon!

Friday, February 5, 2016

Pikes Peak Writers February Events



Write Your Heart Out: February 13, 2016 

On the fence about going to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference or just looking for some great interesting and educational programming? The 4th annual Write Your Heart Out, free half-day conference preview, will take place on Saturday, February 13, from 1 to 5 PM at the Colorado Springs Marriott. It will once again feature six local speakers who are faculty for PPWC 2016.

We will have a small bookstore at the event, just like last year, with books available from our WYHO speakers, as well as craft and PPWC 2016 keynote books, and our WYHO speakers will be signing at the event! And, once again, we will offer some great giveaways and specials for those attending WYHO.





The ever funny Becky Clark has agreed to be our master of ceremonies again.

Becky Clark

Jodi Anderson

Come explore opportunities available in today’s ever evolving writing market, from Jodi Anderson. Also, come to find new tools to raise your productivity and focus as she presents a sample of KEEPING ALL THE BALLS IN THE AIR: Multiple Streams of Productivity and Revenue.





Evangeline Denmark
Whether your story takes place in a supernatural urban scape, a dystopian future, or a slightly magical real world setting, the surest way to hook a reader is to engage their heart. Evangeline Denmark will take a look at key concepts and discuss making your story unique and emotionally engaging as she presents a sample of The Heart of your Speculative Novel.




Warren Hammond
Twenty-thousand words in, your story has died, and you don’t know how to break through, so you rewrite chapter one for the hundredth time. Sound familiar? Warren Hammond will help you bust through the roadblocks by analyzing scene and sequel, the building blocks of all stories as he presents a sample of SCENE AND SEQUEL: The Engine Of Story.



Michelle Major
While many authors are introverts, none of us can afford to ignore social media and marketing. Michelle Major will give tips and techniques for successfully engaging with readers using many popular platforms, as she presents a sample of Introverts Can Network Too! How To Succeed At Social Media Even When You’re Shy.



Judith Robbins Rose
Need help making your characters voice unique. Come learn from Judith Robbins Rose as she presents NAILING THE VOICE: The Difference Between An Accent And A Dialect.







Angel Smits

Kids say the darndest things, and the smart author realizes this is a useful tool for developing a story. Angel Smits walks you through how to create and use secondary characters that deepen the story without slowing it down, or letting them take over as she presents a sample of THE KID EFFECT: Strategic Use of Secondary Characters.


Free, but space is limited, so RSVP to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com – with first and last name of each person attending, and your phone number

For more information on Write Your Heart Out, visit the
WYHO tab at our website.



Write Brain: February 16, 2016
What:  Character Development: Questioning How Your Characters Drive the Plot

Who:  Kevin Hearne

When: Feb 16, 6:30-8:30 pm

Where: Venue@21c (upper floor, to the right if coming in the upper entrance) of Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920

About the Presenter: Kevin Hearne taught high school English for seventeen years but now writes books. He’s the author of the NY Times bestselling series The Iron Druid Chronicles and the forthcoming epic fantasy A PLAGUE OF GIANTS. He likes coffee and doggies. http://kevinhearne.com/

Facebook Event: Want to see who else is coming? Check here.


Writer’s Night February 22, 2016

FREE Writer’s Night
Location: Kawa Coffee
Address: 2427 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909
Fourth Monday of every month (View Calendar of Events)
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Join fellow writers for PPW Night on the fourth Monday of every month.
PPW Night is two full hours of discussion, laughter, and fun with other local members of Pikes Peak Writers.

The direction of the meeting is decided by the participants and can include discussions about query letters, obtaining and working with an agent, writing conferences, or other specific points of the craft.  If nothing else, we talk about books!

If you have any questions, or if there is a specific topic you’d like to get on the agenda, send an e-mail to the host, Deb Courtney, or call her on her cell phone at 719-337-9049.

Meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 and run until about 8:30. These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to attend all or just part of them.
See you soon!



Friday, January 1, 2016




January Open Critique

6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
January 6th
Cottonwood Center for the Arts
427 East Colorado Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

This FREE program provides a critique experience for a small number of writers who seek feedback on manuscript pages and who want to learn how to have positive critique group experiences.
PPW’s Open Critique program is facilitated by Donnell Bell with the occasional experienced guest critique partner. During Open Critique, Donnell and the guest critique partner will provide comments, criticism and suggestions on participants’ manuscript pages, as well as model positive behaviors, techniques and procedures for critiquing.
It is our hope that participants will not only receive valuable feedback on their writing, but will also learn how to create great critique groups of their own, or learn how to improve existing critique groups.
Each month Open Critique will accommodate up to eight participants with a maximum of eight manuscript pages (double spaced, one side) per person. Bring at least 8 copies. To request a slot to participate, email your request to critique@pikespeakwriters.com. Slots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and are only considered for the month in which they are received. Participants will receive confirmation and instructions via email.
PPW reserves the right to give priority to new participants over those who have attended multiple times.

 January Write Brain

What: Find Your Voice…Then Use It!
Who:  Michael Shepherd

When: Jan 19, 6:30-8:30 pm
NEW LOCATION Where: Venue@21c (upper floor, to the right if coming in the upper entrance) of Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80920


More Information: This topic is treated with near-reverence by those who seek the mythical ‘voice’, but a distinctive author’s voice is already within you. Find Your Voice…Then Use It will encourage writers to confidently allow their personality–their unique voice–to shine through in their writing. Writers often feel they must discover a distinctive pattern and tone to write in–usually on the heels of a best-seller’s style–but ‘voice’ can’t be contrived; it is an individual pattern of thinking, feeling, and expressing ourselves as writers. This workshop will explore the unique author’s voice in all of us.

About the Presenter:
 Michael Shepherd learned to write at an early age, and there are those who still say he hasn’t significantly advanced his craft in the intervening years.  He is a product of the State of Maine school system, where the official motto is: “If the minimum isn’t acceptable it wouldn’t be the minimum, now would it?” It’s on the state flag, you could look it up.


He survived a 29-year career in the military and, when they didn’t lock the back door after he retired, snuck back in and found a job as a government employee specializing in international relations. If that’s not enough to keep you up at night…
He has published two novels: Easy Street, about a private eye in the throes of a mid-life crisis, and Hell with a Gun, a Western. He is currently working on a Mexico-based novel about human trafficking, entitled Pieces of One.

 January Writers Night (free)

January 25, 2016
Location: Kawa Coffee
Address: 2427 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909
Fourth Monday of every month
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Join fellow writers for PPW Night on the fourth Monday of every month.
PPW Night is two full hours of discussion, laughter, and fun with other local members of Pikes Peak Writers.

The direction of the meeting is decided by the participants and can include discussions about query letters, obtaining and working with an agent, writing conferences, or other specific points of the craft.  If nothing else, we talk about books!

If you have any questions, or if there is a specific topic you’d like to get on the agenda, send an e-mail to the host, Deb Courtney, or call her on her cell phone at 719-337-9049.
Meetings are scheduled to start at 6:30 and run until about 8:30.  These are drop-in meetings, so feel free to attend all or just part of them.
See you soon!



For more detailed information about Pikes Peak Writers events, check out http://www.pikespeakwriters.com/ 

Monday, June 29, 2015

Throwing the Switch

By James P. Stuart 

I don’t remember the day I decided to become a writer. I get asked about that day quite frequently, perhaps because of the tremendous uphill battle we face in this industry. My family, friends and coworkers have all asked me at one time or another if there was a flash of light from above or a booming voice from a burning bush that set me on this path. But – much to the disappointment of many – there is no such grand event impressed on my mind. Luckily, after completing my first Pikes Peak Writers Conference this year, I am happy to report that while I may not be able to tell you when I chose to be a writer, I can absolutely tell you when I first felt like a writer.
reschoolyourself.com


Prior to coming to this year’s Conference, I had attended a handful of Pikes Peak Writers events. However, my participation in those events was considerably short of notable, and left me feeling like a bit of an imposter. This was due mostly to the fact that I was not investing my time and energy in any meaningful way to get the most out of those activities. Coming into the 2015 Conference, I was determined to break that cycle.

From the time I arrived at the orientation session on Friday until the time I (reluctantly) headed home Sunday afternoon, I immersed myself in everything the weekend had to offer. The most valuable thing I took away from the Conference was a tremendous burst of creative energy, stemming directly from the interactions I was able to have with so many aspiring and established writers. I was amazed at how quickly talking about my writing – no matter how casually – shed light on it and forced me to really know my stories and characters. Without having these conversations regularly, I had compartmentalized my work in a way that made it feel unreal. This was the root of my inability to feel like a true writer. The Monday morning following Conference, it was as if a switch had been thrown, and I was reintroduced to my own potential. For this, I am extremely grateful to everybody I interacted with in between sessions and at meals.

I cannot properly express how much I look forward to seeing you all next year, where I hope to have the opportunity to be inspired by even more of you. The sheer amount of talent in our community continues to astound me. I will do my best to be a large part of in the coming months until we are all back at Conference 2016!