Quote of the Week & Week to Come

"For a creative writer possession of the truth is less important than emotional sincerity." -George Orwell (born June 23)


This week on Writing From the Peak...

...DeAnna Knippling brings us "A Shift in Wonder."

...Cindi Madsen addresses whether "One Size Fits All?"

...and Stacy S. Jense tells us why "A Success Post is Good for Everyone."


And if you haven't RSVP'd for the Cabin in the Woods movie night this coming Friday and/or the Fear & Loathing in Any Genre workshop this coming Saturday, check them out HERE.

Updates to June Events!

There have been some changes to our movie night and workshop at the end of June (28th and 29th).

Don't worry, they're still occurring! We've just made a couple small tweaks.

The movie night will now have popcorn and candy available for the donation amount of your choice. Money from this will go to Tri-Lakes Cares, benefiting victims of the Black Forest Fire.  RSVP is appreciate, and will gain you early admission to grab a seat. RSVP to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.

For the workshop, the price has now been lowered from $75 to $25, with 100% of proceeds going to Tri-Lakes Cares. Both Tri-Lakes Cares and Pikes Peak Writers are waiving administrative costs for this and the popcorn/candy sales Friday night, so that 100% of the money will go to Black Forest Fire victims to help as they face the ramifications of the fire.

Lunch at the workshop is now optional, for an additional $10. Otherwise, there will be a lunch break so you can find lunch elsewhere, or bring your own. Total cost with lunch is $35.

You still register at pikespeakwriters.com, but there is now a pull-down menu to choose the price option you'd prefer. If you can't attend, but would like to donate, you can choose that option, as well.

We do need to know in advance if you'd like the optional lunch (soup, salad, bread, beverages, and a snack later in the day), so we can insure enough food is on hand.

You can find more information on Tri-Lakes Cares at their website: tri-lakescares.org.

If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Lawrence at events@pikespeakwriters.com.

Free PPW Events This Month

This month we have four free events! Be sure to read to the end to find out more about our Cabin in the Woods movie night with Stephen Graham Jones.

Don't forget about tonight's Write Brain, presented by Jennifer Lovett:

Twitter and Facebook for Writers

Speaker: Jennifer Lovett

When: Tuesday, June 18, 6:30-8:30 PM

Location: Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave., Carnegie Room

Cost: ALWAYS FREE!

Social media. You know you need to do it, but do you know how to do it effectively? When are the best times to post to Facebook and Twitter? What are the best posts that snag the most interaction? We'll chat about all this and more. How to set up Facebook and Twitter Profiles to gain the most followership, and the most effective posts for more likes, comments and retweets. Don't know a retweet from a tweet-tweet? No worries. We've got you covered.

About the Presenter: With a combined 12 years of active and Reserve time as a US Air Force Public Affairs Officer, Jennifer Lovett has marketed books, shows, concerts and more. She is currently an Air Force Reserve PAO at Patrick AFB in Florida and in her full-time life, pursuing a career as a fiction writer.

Open Critique - FREE 

Third Wednesday of every month (Wednesday, June 19)

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, June 24, 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!

Free Movie Night With Stephen Graham Jones!

What: A movie night fundraiser

Host & Speaker: Stephen Graham Jones, speculative fiction author and professor at CU Boulder

Location: Business of Arts Center, Spencer Hall, 515 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs, CO 80829

When: Friday, June 28th. The film will begin at 7:00 PM. Seating begins at 6:00 PM for those with RSVP's, 6:30 PM for those without.

Price: Free! Drinks will be available for purchase from Mabel's. Popcorn and candy will be available for donations to a fund for victims of the Black Forest fire.

More Information: Friday night we'll have a movie night and silent auction fundraiser, with Stephen Graham Jones providing commentary and discussion on the film Cabin in the Woods, and the horror tropes therein. Whether you've seen it before or this is your first time, he'll illuminate the horror conventions so lovingly examined, deconstructed and pieced back together by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard. Cabin in the Woods is rated R.

Seating is limited! Please RSVP torsvp@pikespeakwriters.com. Include your name, telephone number, and the number of people accompanying you.

I Write Because...

At the 2013 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, we put up a board and asked attendees to tell us why they write. Below, are some of the responses we got:

"I write because...I have to (and, because I can't make paper airplanes)."

"I write because...I am inspired by the goodness of my adult sons."

"I write because...I'd die without the release and escape it gives. Oh, and because the voices would drive me crazy if I left them in my head instead of on paper."

"I write because...I love it. It's fun to impact readers the same way I was impacted when I started reading."

"I write because...for my father."

"I write because...I can't not. :) "

"I write because...it is the only legal way that I can act out the thoughts in my head."

"I write because...it allows me the opportunity to be amongst a large crowd of people who would also be found insane if their thoughts entered the 'normal' world!"

"I write because...I love words."

"I write because...I like how I feel when I spin a good tale."

"I write because...I like writing and how it frees me to travel and meet new friends."

"I write because...I have one helluva' damn good story to tell!"

"I write because...it's more painful to not write than it is to write."

"I write because...I want to leave a legacy for my children, and it allows me to escape from them for a little while. :) "

We posted a piece by Stephen Graham Jones on why he writes this past Halloween. It's worth checking out if you didn't read it the first time!

So, tell us, why do you write?

Why I Write - A Piece by Stephen Graham Jones

By Stephen Graham Jones


I write because I can’t draw. I write because I can’t cut to the basket slick enough to go pro. I write because I eat too many Sixlets and drink too much tea and my fingers get all jittery, and I have to put them somewhere.

I write because, for a few pages at a time, I can make the world make sense. I write so I don’t end up trolling distant neighborhoods for pets. Not to pet. And not only pets. I write because a lot of what I read disappoints me. I write because a lot of what I read intimidates me. I write because I’m jealous. I write because I’ll drive my wife out of the house if I have to follow her around, tell her all the stories in my head. I write because I think sometimes that I know the truth. Not to say it, but how it feels. And I can sometimes glance off that if I’m not paying too much attention. I write because there’s nothing more honest that I can think of. I write because it’s not work. I write because I want more toys. I write because I don’t know what to say to people I know and love in prison. But I can send them books. I write because I love rollercoasters. I don’t write because I want to live forever. I write because I want to live now. I write because a teacher once read one of my pages, looked at me like maybe. I write because all the rest of the teachers didn’t even look at my pages before deciding about me. I write for revenge. I write because books are legal, and other things aren’t. I write because I can’t sing like Bonnie Tyler. I write because writing matters. I write because if I don’t, I get trapped counting and cutting and cutting and counting. I write because when I’m not writing, I go out and do things that land me in the emergency room. Because I want the world to feel like it should. Like it does on the page. I write because I can’t learn to play harmonica. I write because books have saved my life. I write because I’m petty. I write because lying is the best thing ever. I write because I hate to be lied to. I write because I want to run across the caliche, but that’s too secret to tell. Too terrible. Too almost wonderful. I write because I sometimes feel like I have too many secrets, too many almosts. I write because I don’t know what to do at dinner parties other than go inside my head, where it’s safe. I write because I’ve always been standing in the corner, even when I’m not. I write to scare people. I write to make people laugh. I write to let people cry. I write to hide. I write to see what I’m thinking. I write because the stories are coming out one way or another. I write because once upon a time I read the exact perfect book, and it changed me forever. I write because fiction is magic. You can reach across centuries to another person with it. Across galaxies. I write because my kids might not ever really know me the right way if I don’t. I write because I’m always afraid I’m about to die, because I always wake expecting to die and trying to do jittery little finger combinations to ward it off. I write because special effects are easy, in prose. Provided you’ve got those effects in your head. I write because I might luck on to something nobody else has ever even tried before. I write because I want so badly to just go the party, please. As a person. I write because if I don’t, then I can’t think of what else to try to do. People always ask me this, why I write. And it never makes the right kind of sense, that question. So I just stand there kind of squinting, looking around for when I can leave. Then they ask what inspires me. This makes a bit more sense, but not really. I’m never inspired. I’m always inspired. Inspire is the wrong word. I’m compelled. There are stories out there. There are stories in here. And I’m going as fast as I can, trying to trap them on a page in a way that they can still be alive. That we can still see them flying. That we can still hook on, go away with them. People sometimes write me and call me and tell me that this story I made up, I didn’t make it up at all. It’s their story. But it was mine too, for a little bit. I write because one life isn’t long enough. I write because I lost all my action figures long ago. The game went on, though. The game never stopped.

(Originally published in Stymie Magazine, April 30, 2012.)

About the Author: Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfeet Native American award-winning author of experimental fiction and science fiction. His work includes Demon Theory, Ledfeather, It Came from Del Rio, and the collection of stories The Ones That Almost Got Away.  His most recent release, Growing Up Dead in Texas, is based on his own life and has been met with much acclaim. He shares a fan base known as "The Velvet" with fellow authors Will Christopher Baer and Craig Clevenger, and you can find him on the Web at demontheory.net. In his day-job he's a professor of English at the University of Colorado at Boulder. When he's not teaching, spending time with his family, reading or writing, you might catch him shopping for knives, watching movies, or eating the retro candy Sixlets.

Author Fest 2012 - A Partnership

This Friday is the seventh annual Author Fest of the Rockies, held in Manitou Springs.  This is the first year Author Fest has been a standalone production, no longer associated with the Manitou Springs Public Library District.

Pikes Peak Writers is proud to be a partner in this year's Author Fest.  From behind the scenes help to speakers and special events, it's been a delight to be a part of this wonderful annual event.  Intended for both readers and writers, this is a unique event that takes a full conference and makes it friendly to anyone interested in books, not just those who write them (or hope to).

Author Fest will be held Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29, from 9am to 4pm both days.  The cost is $75, covering both days' programming, as well as breakfast and lunch.  It's located at the Business of Art Center, 515 Manitou Avenue.  See the website for more location information, including free parking locations.

The keynote speakers are Stephen Coonts, Stephen Graham Jones, Barbara Wright, Barbara Samuel O'Neal and Jessy Randall.  A phenomenal lineup!

As part of our partnership with Author Fest, Pikes Peak Writers is presenting three classes, free to the public.  You do not have to be attending the rest of the conference to attend these presentations.  These classes are as follows:

Friday 11:00 to 11:45am 
What Can a Writer's Conference Do for You? presented by: Bonnie Hagan 
Long-time member of the Pikes Peak Writers Board of Directors, Bonnie Hagan, will share tips, tricks and tidbits for getting the most out of a writer's conference. BONUS MATERIAL: as Director of the 2013 Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Bonnie has agreed to share a "sneak peek" and reveal exciting information about her plans for the next PPWC.

Friday 2:30 to 4:15pm
Get Ready for NaNo! presented by: Chris Mandeville
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is coming up fast. Are you ready to write 50,000 words in thirty days this November? This intensive workshop will help set you up for a successful NaNo experience whether you're a first-time participant or seasoned veteran. Topics include goal-setting, scheduling, plotting/planning techniques, character exercises, and a host of tips and tricks to keep you from getting stuck during your thirty-day writing spree. Bring a pen and paper to take notes and do writing exercises. 

Saturday 11:00 to 11:45am
Critique Groups: Discussion and Demo presented by: Deb Courtney and Mary Karen Meredith
Should you be in a critique group? What are the options? What are the dangers? Learn how to choose a group or create one, as well as the types of rules and safeties that should be in place to ensure the group stays positive and professional. After the discussion, Deb and Mary Karen will demonstrate appropriate, constructive critiquing in an “open critique” forum. Attendees are encouraged to bring the first page of their work-in-progress for the opportunity to receive feedback.

Finally, there is a free book signing on Saturday from 2:30 to 4pm.  You do not have to be a conference attendee to attend this signing, and it's free.  You can purchase books directly from the conference to get signed, if you like.

For more information, you can visit the official Author Fest of the Rockies website at www.authorfest2012.org.  

Will you be attending the Author Fest?

About the Writer:  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 October 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.