Free PPW Events This Month

The Outer Limits of Inner Life: Bringing Characters to Life by Looking Within

Speaker: David Corbett

When: Tuesday, July 16, 6:30-8:30 PM (TODAY!)

Location: Online ONLY!! You must RSVP to get the link to the event site.

Cost: ALWAYS FREE!

More Information: Join award-winning author David Corbett, Pikes Peak Writers, and Delve Writing, for this free, exclusively online Write Brain workshop on creating characters with depth. You will learn how to build an intuitive connection with your characters through an informed understanding of your own past, and how to use that bridge to create compelling backstories that bring your tale to life. David will discuss the crucial role of both helplessness and willfulness in exploring character, and how these seemingly contradictory inclinations are crucial in creating complex and engaging characters. He will also explore ways to heighten conflict in your story through a better understanding of the emotional stakes. By the end of the class, you'll walk away with a healthy start on your next bestselling novel and a deeper understanding of your characters and your story. RSVP to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.

About the Presenter: David Corbett is the award-winning author of four novels: The Devil's Redhead, Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), and Do They Know I'm Running? His text on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character, was published by Penguin in January 2013. David's short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Mission and Tenth, The Smoking Poet, San Francisco Noir and Best American Mystery Stories (2009 and 2011), and his non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times, Narrative, Zyzzyva, The Writer, andWriter's Digest. He has taught both online and in classroom settings through the UCLA Extension's Writers' Program, Book Passage, LitReactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, and at numerous writing conferences across the US. He lives in northern California. For more information, visitwww.davidcorbett.com.

Open Critique - FREE 

Third Wednesday of every month (Wednesday, July 17)

6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Cottonwood Center for the Arts
427 East Colorado Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO

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 Mary Karen Meredith, with regular critique guest Deb Courtney, host of PPW's "Writers' Night" monthly gatherings. During Open Critique, Deb and Mary Karen, or another experienced criticizer 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 pikespeakopencritique@hotmail.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.

Thank you!

Hope to see you there!

Mary Karen Meredith & Deb Courtney

Writer's Night at Lofty's - FREE 

And next Monday, July 22, we have Writer's Night at Lofty's:

6:30-8:30 PM

Lofty's
287 E Fountain Blvd, Suite 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Free Wireless Internet!

Join fellow writers for PPW Night at Lofty's in the Historic Lowell School District of downtown Colorado Springs 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!

Feel free to bring a sample of your work-in-progress to share or discuss with others, if time permits.  NOTE: This is not a formal critique group or editing session.  Bringing your work with you does not guarantee it will be discussed.

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.

Lofty's offers a small selection of coffees, wine, beer and mixed libations, as well as a variety of juices and organic sodas. There is a small menu of mostly sandwich based items. Wi-fi is available.

See you soon!

June Letter From the Editor - New Beginnings

June! Fabulous, sunny, green, beautiful June! Soon it will officially be summer (though I tend to consider it summer once school lets out). Various libraries will be launching their summer reading programs (Pikes Peak Library District started theirs June 1, so if you've got kids, hit any PPLD branch to sign them up for some great reading incentives).

June completes the vibrant changes that began earlier in spring. It furthers the new beginnings taking place. And in spirit of June's new beginnings, I'd like to welcome our newest Writing From the Peak columnist, Donnell Ann Bell. You can find a link to her website with her fellow columnists in the right-hand sidebar. Welcome, Donnell! We look forward to your contributions to Writing From the Peak.

We also have some exciting news about our Write Brain programming. Pikes Peak Writers has teamed up with Delve Writing to record our Write Brains so they can be accessed online, in their entirety, within a few days of the Write Brain. If you live too far to come down, weather causes a cancellation, or any other reason you can't attend the Write Brains in person, you'll now be able to watch them online. Not only that, but about once per quarter we'll offer one Write Brain that is broadcast live and recorded entirely online, which means we can now bring in speakers from all over the country, rather than limiting them to Colorado only! And even if you aren't able to get one of the limited live slots to attend that night, you'll have access to it online within a few days.

Want to try this out and see exactly what I mean? Page Lambert's May Write Brain, Manifestation of Yearning: The Flesh & Blood Factor of Good Storytelling, is available online right now! You'll have access to her speaking and her PowerPoint notes, simultaneously. Try it out by CLICKING HERE!

As part of this partnership, Delve Writing will also be providing a quarterly post here on Writing From the Peak. They'll bring you more great content on the craft of writing, and tips and tricks for writers.

Finally, Pikes Peak Writers is now offering a quarterly email with information on upcoming events. The first one will come out soon, and will include details on our June, July, and August Write Brains, and on some exciting events we're offering at the end of June! This is a trial to see how people like it, but quite a few have signed up already. If you'd like to sign up for the quarterly email, send an email to events [at] pikespeakwriters [dot] com, with "Quarterly Event Email" in the subject line, and the email address you'd like it sent to in the body of the email.

Here's to a wonderful month of new beginnings of all kinds for you and yours!

~Shannon Lawrence
Managing Editor, Writing From the Peak
NCE Director, Pikes Peak Writers