PPW NaNoTRYMo Events by MB Partlow

(Editor's Note: There's been quite a discussion going on over at PPW's Yahoo! discussion loop about how our writers prepare for NaNoWriMo.)

All this talk about getting ready for November got me thinking: at PPW,

we like to give people options.

So if you're participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month,

you're committing to writing 50,000 words in the month of November on a

new project. We not only support you, but several of us plunge in right

along with you.

But if that isn't quite right for you, you can take part in our

NaNoTRYMo, where you set your own goal. You can have a lower word count,

you can continue on a work in progress, you can edit a manuscript you've

already finished--the possibilities are limited only by what YOU want to

accomplish. (In fact, stay tuned to the website. We're going to have the

NaNo "contract," where you define your personal goal, available for you

to print out before Nov. 1.)

To support ALL of our NaNo-ers, we have several activities throughout

the month of November, all taking place at the Celebration Space at

Citadel Mall.

We're hosting write-ins every Tuesday in November, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Bring your laptop or your legal pads and pencils--your preferred

instruments of mass production. We'll have quiet space where you can

write, and also room to sit and talk with other writers if you're hung

up on a plot point or character, or if you just need to ask "why am I

doing this?" again.

At the WriteBrain on Nov. 15th, we'll have a special short

presentation by Chris Mandeville, "Plot Problems? No Problem!" to help

unstick your plot from 6-6:30 p.m., followed by the 6:30-8:30 p.m. open

writing time.

Best of all, on Saturday, Nov. 19, we'll host an all day write in,

approximately 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We'll have coffee and hot water for tea,

and we encourage people to bring snacks to share. Just think, an

entire, uninterrupted day of writing! Your kids won't be here, your dog

won't beg to be walked, your laundry won't be calling out to you--you

get to write!

Please feel free to refer to the website for more details, or email the

loop if you have any questions.

MB Partlow

2012 Contest Coordinator

(yes, I'm coordinating the Contest and entering NaNoWriMo. As DeAnna

pointed out, I'll do anything to avoid laundry for a month.)

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Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness.  One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.  – George Orwell

Sweet Success! - Marsha Lytle

Marsha Lytle's contemporary romance novel, Kylie's Song  (ISBN: 9781615724710, ~115K, softcover and ebook), was published on September 7, 2011, by Eternal Press.  It's available at www.EternalPress.biz and Amazon.com in both formats.  The author's website is at http://lytlem.wordpress.com. 

Kylie Martin knew her sister had good intentions when she turned their Montana ranch into a dude ranch, but she wasn’t sure how she fit into the picture as a horse wrangler. She was concerned about their first guests, a Northern Ireland rock band booked for a month, led by bad boy rocker, Danny Boy Campbell. She and Danny didn’t exactly hit it off, but Danny could be persistent and there was only so much a girl could do to resist that bad boy charm. Kylie had many reasons to regret that decision when Danny disappeared, shattering her dreams and hopes for a future together.

Marsha has worked in the library field in many settings, from medical, law, college, public to intermediate, and high schools. Writing interests include middle-grade, YA, historical, thrillers, and romance. She owes her success to her critique group, Novel Clique, which meets weekly and attends writer’s conferences together.

Marsha notes, "Since the book starts on a Montana dude ranch, I am incorporating a western theme in my book signings. My sister raises horses, so I got some items from her -  bridle, horse shoes, etc. - to use at my events. I also set up a Wordpress blog for my book early on and signed all my main characters up for an email account and had them talk to each other as well as take questions for people who logged on."  Her book blog is at http://kyliessong.wordpress.com/.

Letter from the PPW Executive Director

October 11, 2011

Greetings, Pikes Peak Writers Family!

Can you believe it is already October?  Where has the year gone?  Are you frantically working to complete the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year - both personally and as a writer?

Behind the scenes here at PPW, we have been working on many projects on your behalf.  From a distance we probably resemble a bunch of hummingbirds on double-shot espressos most days. In other words, we rarely sit and always have several projects on the burners working to bring you all we can to help you as writers.

This November PPW will reach the year mark since taking the unprecedented step of eliminating membership dues.  As a nonprofit, the community and some of our members wondered if this was too bold a move.  But, as a whole, the board led by our President, Chris Mandeville, and I agreed that we did not want a membership fee to stand in the way for anyone wanting to learn and grow as a writer. Our membership has swelled and many have contacted us to share their support of this step.

The Colorado Springs Independent has long been a supporter of PPW, and for the first time  this year PPW has been chosen to participate in the Indy Give! Campaign.  This honor has allowed us to meet many other nonprofit leaders and learn how to better serve the community we strive to touch.  The months of November and December will see the launch and fruition of this fund-raising drive. Watch for more info as it gets closer.

Also, PPW is pleased to be partnering with several local nonprofits to offer many free opportunities for writers and others.  This will include several 'write-ins' to mark our own version of National Novel Writing Month in November -- NaNoTRYMo.  These will take place at Celebration Place at the Citadel Mall in partnership with the Imagination Station.  All NaNoTRYMo and future Write Brains will be held in this fabulous venue.  In addition, we will be facilitating author book signings along the Front Range on November 12th and 13th, hosted by Barnes and Noble.

SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, December 3rd, there will be a FREE family-friendly fun day at the Imagination Space (across from Celebration Space in the Citadel Mall).  We would love to see you , your family and your friends there. 

Please watch and check the website www.PikesPeakWriters.com for details on how you can find these events and how you can help us to reach writers locally, nationally, and internationally. Remember that a major reason to check the website is to see how WE can help you to learn, grow and connect as writers.

You are PPW.

Have a brilliant day,

Jodi Anderson

Executive Director, Pikes Peak Writers

Quote

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. – Edgar Allan Poe

September Write Brain Report: The Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Writing Contest by Grant McKenzie

In 2010, Pikes Peak Writers Conference success story Kelsie Baltrusch told us a vital part of her success formula was entering as many contests as possible. She said having a submission deadline forces her to get her best ideas down on paper and into the hands of others. Now you have the opportunity to add this winning strategy to your writing endeavors with the Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Writing Contest, which was the topic for the September PPW Write Brain.

Beyond getting your work "out there," why should you enter the PPW Fiction Writing Contest? This year's contest coordinator, MB Partlow, gave the Write Brain audience many reasons to consider. First, the submission requirements mimic what you should expect to send into most any editor or agent. While each editor or agent will have their own submission quirks you must research and adhere to, the contest submission requirements give you a good taste of what to expect, including synopsis requirements and detailed formatting guidelines.

Second, the feedback you receive from the contest judges is completely anonymous. The contest coordinator goes to great lengths to ensure this anonymity because it allows for honest, non-personal critique. Since the judges don't know who you are, they can give you more honest feedback than your friends, family, or even your critique group. Everyone who enters receives their score sheets, but for a small additional charge, you can request a more detailed critique from each of your judges.

Third, the PPW Fiction Writing Contest has a strong reputation and history within the publishing industry. Winning, or even being a finalist, makes a great addition to your writing resume. Published authors Laura Hayden, Carol Berg, j.a. Kazimer, Robert Spiller, and many others are all contest winners or finalists. All finalists receive their choice of agent or editor pitch appointment at the 2012 Pikes Peak Writers Conference in addition to a monetary prize. Finalists are also recognized in front of the faculty and attendees at the conference's Saturday awards banquet.

Categories, prizes, submission requirements, and other instructions are available at http://www.pikespeakwriters.com/html/contest.html. If you have questions not answered in the website's information, you can contact MB at pgcontest@gmail.com. The contest draws about 200-300 entries per year. This year, make sure yours is one of them.

About the Writer:  Grant McKenzie is a renaissance man. A genuine rocket scientist and self-made chandler, Grant also enjoys writing poetry, fantasy, historical fiction, and non-fiction. He has ghostwritten a business/leadership book and is working on a YA fantasy novel for himself. Grant currently serves PPW as the registrar for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, as well as other non-conference events. 

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I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter.  – James Michener


The Secret is Out! (Plus a Book Recommendation) by MB Partlow

If you happened to miss the September Write Brain, you’re probably wondering what the Super Secret Incentive is for entering the Contest early. And I’m here to tell you. How fortuitous is that?

Let’s see, where to begin.

·      2012 marks the 20^th Pikes Peak Writers Conference. (Keep that number, 20, in mind.)

·      Many people use the Conference as the ideal vehicle for pitching their manuscript to an agent or editor.

·      People who don’t interact with agents and editors on a regular basis (and even some who do) have been known to get nervous when it’s time to pitch that piece of their heart and soul known as their manuscript.

Aha! Everyone who enters the Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Writing Contest BY Oct. 15, 2011, will be entered in a very special drawing. The 20 lucky winners will each get a 20 minute one-on-one pitch coaching session with one of our experienced pitch coaches at the 2012 20^th anniversary Conference.

Isn’t it nice how that all falls together?

But wait! What if you win the pitch coaching session but for some reason can’t attend the Conference? We’ll still do the pitch coaching session via telephone, at a time mutually agreeable to you and your coach.

And what’s this about a book recommendation? At the Write Brain, the subject of Point of View came up. In the course of that discussion, I mentioned the “first person, plural” POV, which is written in the “we” voice.

This is probably the rarest POV, not to mention the hardest to write well. Someone asked for an example. I said, oh, I have the perfect example, a wonderful urban fantasy set in London. I then proceeded to forget the author, the title and even the main character’s name. But I did say I would find the information and make it available. The first book in the series is A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin, and it’s the first book in the Matthew Swift series. I don’t want to give away any plot details, because I thought the story was unique and impressive. But I will tell you the author uses both “I” and “we” POV for the same character, and by the end of page three I wasn’t sure where I was going but I knew I wasn’t going to stop until I found out. Since then, I’ve read books two and three in the series with equal enjoyment. If you’re looking for something unique, you might want to give this a try.

     -- MB Partlow, 2012 PPW Fiction Contest Coordinator