Hello ... my name is

By: Victoria Fox-Phillips

1994

Hello…

My name is “Karen’s Daughter.”  I volunteer in the book store.

1998

Hello...

My name is “Karen’s Daughter – ask me about my mom’s book.”  I work in the pitch room.

2012

Hello!

My name is “Torie – you know, Karen’s Daughter.”  I’m in the query room.

2015

Hello!!!

My name is Torie. I run the Green Room at the Pikes Peak Writer’s Conference, and my mother is Karen Fox – published author on bestseller lists, award winner, Rita nominee, and a part of Pikes Peak Writers Conference from the very beginning.

Yup, it took about a decade for me to have a name that didn’t involve my mother.

Though in all fairness, my mother is the one who volunteered me as a child. And I was the most painfully shy kid you ever did see, so if my mom didn’t tell people my name, they didn’t know it. So I was “Karen’s daughter” for years.

I started volunteering at PPWC because I was “volun-told.” I think part of it was my mother saw how much I liked writing, and wanted to begin working me into that world.  Another part was probably trying to socialize me a bit, bring me out of my shell. And yet another part was I was free labor. Whatever the reason, my mom brought me to PPWC as a kid and more than twenty years later, I’m still around.

As a kid, I liked the cash register and the food and the pool. As a high schooler, I liked the food and the fact that it looked good on my college application. But I also started sitting in on conference sessions here and there. I very distinctly remember one workshop on poetry that helped me through my AP English assignments. And I sat in a few that my mom and her friends presented. That was when the idea of being a real-life writer took root.

My mother has been a writer for as long as I can remember — so I thought I’d do it too. She published her first book in her late thirties — and so I thought I’d do it too. And silly, silly me, I thought it was as easy as “well she did it, I can do it too.” It’s not that easy, and it’s not going particularly well thus far.

When I started writing, I had no idea what to do with my finished manuscript — which was more than 89,000 words for a YA novel.  Already, there was obviously some knowledge that I was lacking. Bless her heart, my mother still read that beast and gave me good, constructive feedback. But with it came the gentle push to look over the session agenda for that year’s conference. Always a mother, my mom was suggesting in her kind-hearted way that there was still a lot I needed to learn. 

I took her hint, and I rolled with it. I sat in more sessions that year, ones that were more specific to my genre and how to publish in general. I talked to people of all walks of life — editors, agents, published authors, bloggers, keynote speakers, and more. I set up pitch or query sessions every year since then, where I’ve gotten some great advice.

I’m now on version 5.1 of my query letter, I’ve edited 5,000+ words out of that one novel, written four more novels, and have started a website and a blog. My mom taught me what it meant to have the heart and soul of a writer, and PPWC taught me the business end.

Now I’m thirty-two, and I’m still a volunteer at PPWC. I still like the food and the pool, but more so these days, I love the company. PPWC has become my Writing Family.  Everything I’ve learned about truly being a writer, I’ve learned from this amazing group of people. There is no one more supportive than a group of people all trying to do exactly what you’re trying to do.  No one who knows the struggles and heartaches better than people who have already survived them. No one who will celebrate your small successes more than people who know how to find them.

The crew at PPWC is a part of my life now. I see them every year. I stalk them on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. I read their books, I write reviews, I take their advice. It is through this group of people that I have made any progress. I firmly believe that when I do publish, it will be thanks to some wonderful human being from Pikes Peak Writers.

And no matter when that is, and how it happens, I will only have two words to say…

Thanks Mom!!!

About the Writer: Torie Fox-Phillips is a Loan Intelligence Associate Analyst, more commonly referred to as “The Excel Guru” at the FirstBank headquarters in Denver. An aggressive multi-tasker by day and a social moth by night, she has been a PPWC volunteer and a writer since she was eight years old – though the illustrious title of “Author” still eludes her.  With five complete YA novels, and a plethora of paranormal short stories, Torie continues the hunt for an agent. Crikey!

Check out her blogs and flash fiction at http://toriefox.freeblog.site/

Psst. You. Hey, You! Wanna Have a Good Time?

By: MB Partlow

If you like the idea of having the legal limit of fun while doing something for the writing community, Pikes Peak Writers has an offer you won’t want to refuse.

We are looking for people to fill four positions, that are neither board positions nor conference positions. Neither fish nor fowl, if you will.  

First, our Most Esteemed Blog Editor, Donnell Bell, is looking for people who would like to contribute to the PPW blog on an insanely broad variety of topics. If you’re a blogger (or would like to be), contact Donnell directly at editor@pikespeakwriters.com.

Next up: We need a Contest Director for the Zebulon Writing Contest, only the finest writing contest in the history of the written word. The contest is highly automated, and responsibilities include yearly review and updates of categories, rules and judging instructions; recruiting judges; coordinating with our traditional and social media mavens; and, of course, handing out the awards at the conference banquet. If you have questions or are interested, please drop a note to contest@pikespeakwriters.com.

Following on the heels of Contest Director, we’ll need judges for this year’s contest. Keep your eyes on the website and social media, because that’s where the call will come out!

Is anyone here a fan of Writers’ Night? Held the fourth Monday of every month, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Writers’ Night is a time to hang out with your fellow writers and ask the burning questions. How do other people deal with writer’s block? Where do you find short story markets for romance? How can you find the kind of agent you want to work with? This is an informal gathering. All are welcome, and all types of questions about writing are welcome. You can pick the brains of your peers and solve your latest writing dilemma. Our current host, Deb Courtney, is looking for someone to co-lead the group, and possibly eventually take over. If you’re interested, contact her at Deb.Courtney@comcast.net.

Source: gratisography.com

The final position is that of Volunteer Coordinator. This is the bane of every nonprofit group’s assistance—a way to keep track of volunteers, stay in touch with them, and get them connected to the people who need them. We’re in the process of building a volunteer database, but we need the human part of the equation to manage it. This position is wide-open right now—you’d be creating your own job description as you figure it out. This does require someone to be cheerfully and politely able to work with a wide variety of people. If you think this sounds like a groovy challenge, please contact J.T. Evans: president@pikespeakwriters.com.

Don’t keep this a secret! Please pass the information along to anyone you think might be interested.

About the Author: MB Partlow tries to inject her off-center sense of humor into everything she does. She writes mostly in the speculative fiction world, with forays into mystery and women’s fiction. Her first paid writing gig was for the A&E department of The Independent. She has also written a parenting column for Pikes Peak Parent and spent years writing restaurant reviews for The Independent and The Gazette. She’s a longtime volunteer for PPW, having done everything from stacking chairs to Conference Director to serving on the board, currently as the Vice President. She reads voraciously across genres, and thinks making up stories for a living is the greatest job in the world.

Open Call for Board Members

By: M.B. Partlow

Are you driven by curiosity? Do you want to know how things work?

You can delve into the deep inner workings of Pikes Peak Writers, let your voice be heard, and make a difference!

Five PPW Board positions need to be filled in September. Two have incumbents running, but the rest are wide open, waiting for someone with the interest, skills and desire to be part of the group that steers the course of Pikes Peak Writers.

THE PRESIDENT is the public face of the organization when possible. This includes at events and conference. The president organizes date/time location for quarterly board meeting, along with the agenda (VP often assists), while facilitating communication among board members when a topic must be discussed (and potentially voted on) via email between board meetings. With the Secretary, they organize the annual election slate.

The President answers the PPW Google Voice number (traditionally forwarded to the President’s personal cell phone), and reviews, negotiates and signs all contracts not explicitly tied to a single conference.

The President appoints each year’s conference director and the Zebulon Contest Coordinator. He or she also appoints committee chairs and approves committee members. In addition, he or she attend committee meetings when possible, and is a de facto member of each committee.

For bonus points, the President may participate in awards committees and/or the scholarship selection committee for each year’s conference.

The job is currently filled by J.T. Evans who is running again.

THE TREASURER is the money person. The Treasurer keeps tabs on the bank accounts and PayPal account, and reconciles bank records and credit card records each month, with an established QuickBooks account. The treasurer is responsible for handling cash and records for the bookstore, the conference and for NCE events. In addition, he or she files quarterly taxes, files with the Secretary of State, and works with the accountant to get annual Federal taxes completed. The treasurer presents a general statement of income and expense at each quarterly board meeting. The treasurer also checks the PO Box, located in the Briargate area of Colorado Springs, near the Chapel Hills Mall.

Shannon Lawrence has done a wonderful job as treasurer, but needs someone else to take the job.

THE SECRETARY attends the board meetings, takes the notes, compiles and cleans up the notes after the meeting and gets them out to the rest of the board. Needs to track motions, seconds, votes, passage or failure of motions, too. If bylaw changes are made, the official documents need to be updated and filed accurately on Google Drive.
He or she also works with the president to put together the slate of nominees each year for the September elections and disseminating the slate and attendant documents to the board.

The job is currently filled by Stacy S. Jensen who is running again.

NCE DIRECTOR (Non Conference Events) is in charge of monthly free Write Brain programming, as well as additional free and for-fee programming throughout the year, such as Write Your Heart Out in February.

The NCE Director plans events, contacts the speakers, locates venues and caterers (if necessary), and runs the events the day of. He or she also keeps an eye out and coordinates some outside relationships with other groups, such as PPLD, the BAC, Friends of the PPLD, and other writing groups. In addition, the NCE Director handles coordinating advertising and outreach for NCE, and answering questions that may arise. [come to them]
You don’t need to have a database of Colorado authors in your brain to do this job. We have a proposal portal that will help you find interested presenters, as well as an NCE committee that helps with planning and execution. This job can easily be shared by two people who want to work together, but only one will sit on the board.

Jennifer LaPointe has been doing an excellent job with NCE, but needs to relinquish the position to focus on her duties as Conference Administrator.
 
MEMBER AT LARGE  The MAL role represents the general membership of PPW at the board meetings. This is a great position to get acquainted with the board and how it works. It offers the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects. MALs are generally expected to take on at least one other role, such as heading up a committee to accomplish a specific goal.

ALL BOARD MEMBERS are expected to attend quarterly board meetings, which typically run 2-3 hours, usually on a weekday evening, at a public location. We try to avoid weekend meetings, but they do occasionally happen. We also sometimes have a longer, half- to full-day board meeting to catch up on board business, but this occurs every 12-18 months.

Everyone is expected to participate in the board mailing list. Volume of email can fluctuate from a few to a lot, depending on what is going on. Not every email requires a response from every member, but every member is expected to read them. 

If you are interested in becoming a board member, we ask that you submit a 1- to 2-page letter of interest to the president (president@pikespeakwriters.com) no later than Sept. 19, 2016.  The letter should include

·       Why you are interested in this position

·       A summary of your history with PPW

·       A summary of any PPW volunteer efforts

·       Any non-PPW volunteer experience that are applicable

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact JT Evans via email: president@pikespeakwriters.com.

About the Author: MB Partlow tries to inject her off-center sense of humor into everything she does. She writes mostly in the speculative fiction world, with forays into mystery and women’s fiction. Her first paid writing gig was for the A&E department of The Independent. She has also written a parenting column for Pikes Peak Parent and spent years writing restaurant reviews for The Indpendent and The Gazette. She’s a longtime volunteer for PPW, having done everything from stacking chairs to Conference Director to serving on the board, currently as the Vice President. She reads voraciously across genres, and thinks making up stories for a living is the greatest job in the world.

Raise your Hand: An Open Volunteer/Feedback Meeting

Want to be more involved with Pikes Peak Writers? We're looking for a few good volunteers, both conference and non-conference, from chair stacker to board member, and everything inbetween. We'll have specific roles we're looking to fill, and an overviewof opportunities. Pikes Peak Writers is an all-volunteer organization,and we need your help to fill these roles!

For the second half, we'd like to hear from you! What do you want from
Pikes Peak Writers? Aside from conference and non-conference programming, such as Write Brains, Open Critique, and Writers' Night, what would you like to see offered? What do you want from a writer's group? No idea too big or too small! Help us move forward and create new opportunities.

Meeting will be held on Tues., Aug. 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Library
21C. If you have any questions, please feel free to check the FB page
(https://www.facebook.com/events/545429112323823/) or contact your
hosts MB Partlow (programming@pikespeakwriters.com) or Shannon Lawrence (treasurer@pikespeakwriters.com). No RSVP necessary.

The 2016 Pikes Peak Writers Conference: Getting Involved

EDITOR'S NOTE: We interrupt our normally scheduled blog dates and times to bring you this special invitation and request from Jason P. Henry, 2016 Conference Director.  Are you looking for ways to get involved? Here's your chance. 

By: Jason P. Henry

I have been involved with Pikes Peak Writers on some level for a few years now and it has been a fantastic experience. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned, the confidence I’ve built within myself, are all direct benefits from volunteering with an amazing group of people. As the current conference director, perhaps I am biased, but Pikes Peak Writers Conference is an amazing event every year. The reason is simple. There is a devoted and passionate group of volunteers who work their butts off to make it that way.

I love each and every person who is helping me with conference this year. But, the reality is that sometimes life's dictates are more important than volunteering. Jobs become more demanding, people move, some simply decide to take a break and focus on other things. These are all more than acceptable, but doesn’t change the need for volunteers to fill vacant rolls. In fact, bringing in new faces can be a great thing. They arrive full of energy and with new ideas that help keep Pikes Peak Writers moving forward and evolving with the times.

So, how do you get involved? There are many ways, but this is not where I direct you to the website and ask you to fill out a form. This year, we decided to make the chance to volunteer a little more personable. The 2016 Pikes Peak Writers Conference committee is inviting any person interested in volunteering to an open meeting.

At this meeting, we will discuss the many different roles within the Conference. You will meet some of the volunteers who are currently doing the work, get to ask questions to see where you might fit in, and I will try to help you find a path that is right for you. Even if it doesn’t happen for 2016, there is a conference every year that needs people to help make it happen.

We all started somewhere; in fact, my first role was with the A/V team. I helped set up projectors and screens in the workshops, and sometimes help find audio solutions. I changed Power Point slides for faculty and helped address any tech issues they may have. That role led to much more in the following years. I was faculty coordinator, programming director, and now I am the conference director.

Every job is important. Every person, no matter their role, is instrumental in making Pikes Peak Writers and Pikes Peak Writers Conference a success. Join us on September 18^th and find out how you can get your foot in the door. Whether you have volunteered in the past or are just now considering getting involved for the first time, we will welcome you with open arms. No, you don’t have to be at the meeting to volunteer. We are all busy and schedules don’t always permit us to do the things we want to do. So, e-mail me at  conference@pikespeakwriters.com and we will try to find a place for you. No matter how it happens, I look forward to meeting you and perhaps working with you some day.

Cheers to all,
Jason P. Henry
Conference Director

2016 Pikes Peak Writers Conference: Dare To Dream


About the Author: When he's not working with the dedicated and passionate people of Pikes Peak Writers, Jason P. Henry is lost in a world of serial killers, psychopaths, and other unsavory folks. Ask him what he is thinking, but only at your own risk. More often than not he is plotting a murder, considering the next victim, or twisting seemingly innocent things into dark and demented ideas. A Suspense, Thriller and Horror writer with a dark, twisted sense of humor, Jason strives to make people squirm, cringe, and laugh. He loves to offer a smile, but is quick to leave you wondering what lies behind it. Jason P. Henry is best summed up by the great philosopher Eminem “I'm friends with the monsters beside of my bed, get along with the voices inside of my head.” Learn more about Jason at www.jasonphenry.com.
 

A Giant Thank You to the Creativity of Becki Davis

By MK Meredith

The past couple of years we've had some wonderful logos and designs created just for Pikes Peak Writers and Pikes Peak Writers Conference.

We are so fortunate to have such talent right here in our very own membership.

Becki Davis has generously donated her time, her creativity, and her skill. We are so thankful for the wonderful gifts Becki has bestowed upon us.

Thank you, Becki!

A Bookmark Created by Becki for PPWC

A Logo Created by Becki for Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2014

A Logo Created by Becki for Write Your Heart Out 2014

Becki Davis is not a native of Colorado, but she’s the next best thing, as her roots here go back to the 1880s. She is co-owner of Davis Creative, a graphic design and advertising studio, specializing in brand identity design, print collateral, and marketing.

 

While doing a stint in Chicago, she worked with the Wrigley Gum Company and a small design studio whose clients included Samsonite Luggage and Meadow Gold Dairies.

 

Locally her work includes logo and monument signs for First and Main Town Center, Cedar Heights, Mountain Shadows, Southface, Springs Ranch, Interquest, and the biggest challenge ever, graphics for a jet airliner.

 

Throughout the years, she and her husband, John, have won numerous awards from Pikes Peak Advertising Federation, the Home Builders Association MAME awards as well as “Print Magazine” and the International Association of Public Relations.

 

Becki lives in a 115-year old Victorian in Colorado Springs with her husband, two sons, four dogs, a pond full of koi, several gangs of squirrels and one ghost in the basement. (Hey, they don’t have an attic).

 

She has several published magazine articles, including a little blurb in “All You” magazine. Beck’s love for copywriting has led her back to her dreams of being a writer. She has completed a Middle Grade book, “Magic Before Mayhem,” which placed second in a rather prestigious writing contest you may have heard of (and yes, it was a while ago) and is ¼ way through a YA.

About the Author: MK Meredith writes single title contemporary romance with manuscripts under consideration at several publishing houses. MK  is Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2014 director and has been a member of Pikes Peak Writers since 2011. A member of RWA since 2005, and a member of several more writing groups, she believes the best route to success is to never think you’re finished learning.