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.

 Want to Connect:  https://www.facebook.com/events/634569913381386/

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 Presenters:
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!

February PPW News and Events

Compiled by Debi Archibald

Welcome to February, Writers.

Valentine's Day looms and depending on your current relationship status, that may stir up butterflies, anticipation, dread or out and out depression. But Pikes Peak Writers has an event perfect for writers who find themselves anywhere in the romance spectrum.

Saturday, February 14
Write Your Heart Out
1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The Marriott Hotel: 5580 Tech Center Drive, Colorado Springs

This is a FREE event. Becky Clark will be emceeing the event and featured speakers will be Julie (J.A.) Kazimer, Fleur (F.T.) Bradley, Mike Befeler, Jennie Marts, Kevin Ikenberry and Cara Lopez Lee. Stay tuned to the PPW Facebook page for a little surprise the organizers are working on.

Space is limited so you must RSVP to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com in order to attend.


Tuesday, February 17
February Write Brain
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Penrose Library: Carnegie Room, 20 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs

Debbie Maxwell presents this workshop. Scrivener software is an increasingly popular tool for writers, yet there's a steep learning curve. Many writers own the program, but don't maximize the use of the best features. Others shy away from having to learn 'another thing.' This workshop will familiarize you with Scrivener, and get you writing on your manuscript the same day. Learn to navigate the software, import your manuscript and very last scrap of research, plus how to take advantage of Scrivener's most helpful features. Bring your computer with Scrivener already downloaded (you can download it and try it free for 30 days).


Monday, February 23
Writer's Night at the Ritz
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The Ritz: Elbo Room, 15 South Tejon, Colorado Springs

Join fellow writers on the 4th Monday of each month for writerly discussion, laughter, and socializing. The direction of the discussion is decided by the participants.


Wednesday, March 4
Open Critique
6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Cottonwood Center for the Arts: 427 E. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs

February Open Critique has come and gone but mark your calendar for next month and check the Events Tab for details.

Other News

Shannon Lawrence has been a familiar face at Pikes Peak Writers events. She is now moving into the position of Treasurer and Jennifer LaPointe will assume the role of Non-Conference Events Director. Welcome to your new role, Jennifer!

Writing Events in the Community

Colorado College Visiting Writer Series

Tuesday, February 10th, 7:00 pm
Gates Common Room, Palmer Hall
Nate Marshall: An important new voice emerging from Chicago’s Southside, the author of “Blood Percussion,” co-editor of “The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip Hop,” and the star of the award-winning poetry documentary “Louder Than A Bomb.”

Thursday, February 19th, 7:00 pm
Gates Common Room, Palmer Hall
Jim Moore: Beloved CC faculty member and poet, the author of six collections of poetry, including “Invisible Strings,” “Lightning at Dinner,” “The Long Experience of Love,” and “The Free-dom of History” reading from his latest book, “Underground: New and Selected Poems.”

Coming Up

In April: Mountain of Authors and PPWC15: Choose Your Writing Adventure. Watch for details next month and as always, check the EVENTS tab for complete detail on any of the PPW events.

February Letter from the Editor

By Debi Archibald

Hello, Pikes Peak Writers.

As I sit down to write this on Super Bowl Sunday, I discover that I find February to be a particularly uninspiring month. Winter is starting to lose its charm. I want to run outside without worrying about ending up in urgent care. I want to garden. A little happy hour on the back patio would be heavenly.

And I'm not an especially enthusiastic fan of Valentine's Day. However, the last two years have brought a mid-February event that helps put some spark back into this month that tends, at least for me, toward doldrums.

Write Your Heart Out is a talent-and-information packed event that happens to fall right on Valentine's Day this year. It's a free, four-hour (1:00-5:00 p.m.) opportunity to get a little taste of Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2015. You can interact with some of the conference faculty at the Marriott, where conference will take place in April, and you might even break the ice with some fellow conference attendees. See the "Events" tab on the website for more detail.

Conference is now less than three months away. Many of the speakers and faculty have graciously responded to a set of interview questions, allowing you to get to know a little bit about them before you start making decisions on which workshops to attend. Watch for those Q&A posts on Writing from the Peak as we step up the frequency of blog posts.

And look forward to a slightly more upbeat editor in March!

Debi Archibald is a Colorado Springs native but spent most of her life wandering both the Arizona desert and healthcare administration. She is now blissfully reestablished at the foot of Pikes Peak. She has two completed novels in various stages of editing. In addition to fiction, she ventures into humor and short memoir. A recovering foreign language geek, she is also passionate about hiking, cooking, reading and being a grandmother, the role she is sure she was born for. She shares her home with the world’s most human Siberian Husky, Sasha. You can find her at pikespeakpen.com.

3rd Annual Write Your Heart Out

By Jennifer LaPointe

On the fence about going to Pikes Peak Writers Conference, or just looking for some great interesting and educational programming? The 3rd Annual Write Your Heart Out will take place next month on Saturday, February 14, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. This free half-day conference preview will once again feature six local speakers who are faculty for PPWC 2015. This is a popular event with limited seating, so an RSVP is required. Be sure to send your full name and phone number to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com to grab your seat for this free half-day workshop!

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 2015 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. Even better, this year we're offering a limited number of headshots due to heavy demand at PPWC. These are $50 each, complete with CD of your retouched photos. Every author needs a headshot! We have a limited number of slots available, so headshots will need to be booked in advance via rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.

Not to be outdone, the Marriott, home of both Write Your Heart Out and PPWC, is offering a special Valentine's package for the evening of the event. $214 will get you a junior suite, champagne dinner, and breakfast for two, taxes and gratuity included. Come for the event, stay for the romance!

For some reason recent Non-Conference Events directors have been introverts, so this year we’ve arranged for the ever funny and outgoing Becky Clark to be our master of ceremonies.

Mike Befeler 

Avoid Dejection from Rejection
The world of writing is fraught with rejection and bad reviews. How do we writers keep a stiff upper lip and deal with these negative forms of feedback? How can we turn a negative into a positive? Come learn from Mike who will relate his own experiences and those of famous authors who have all suffered the same types of indignities. Come prepared to chuckle and share some of your own experiences.

 

Fleur (F.T.) Bradley
How To Plot Your Novel Using Plot Points
So you have a great idea for a novel, or maybe you have a messy rough draft in that writer’s drawer. Find out how to transform your novel manuscript from a wimpy doughboy with a flabby middle into a novel fit for submission. Author F.T. Bradley will show you how to take a logline/concept and characters, and build to a strong outline, while still leaving pantsers plenty of room to color outside the lines.


Kevin Ikenberry
Kindle Worlds: Letting Fan Love Shine

Have you ever watched a movie, television show, or read a book and had that flash of a brilliant story idea only to learn than because of licensing and copyright you’d never be able to sell it? Kindle Worlds is a publication platform where an author can choose a licensed World, write a story, and sell it with full approval. Kindle Worlds bridges the gap between professionally written fan fiction and the media tie-in. In this short program, we’ll discuss what sets Kindle Worlds apart and highlight the unique opportunity it provides authors at every level.


 

Julie (J.A.) Kazimer

Destination: Author
With one destination in mind, Author, how many roads will it take to become one? The answer is easy. As many as it takes to get you there. So just what are the paths to authorship? Are you on the right path for your career or even your specific book? How do you navigate the publishing industry in an ever twisting landscape? Join me in a discussion of the various paths open to authors, both with and without tolls.

Cara Lopez Lee 

Flash, Not Fiction: Apply Flash Fiction Forms to Nonfiction Why should fiction writers be the only ones who flash? The flash storytelling form has plenty to excite creative nonfiction writers. Author Cara Lopez Lee will share her take on how to pack a truckload of personal experience into a tiny suitcase of a story. There's a lot you can say in just 100 to 1000 words when you focus on what a truly telling detail can do. You may even walk away with a first draft of a story in under 100 words!

    

Jennie Marts 

Creating an Author Brand and Marketing Your Book
Have you heard you need to build your author brand but aren’t sure how to start? Jennie Marts will give you concrete tools to help you create your own author brand and then use it to promote your most valuable tool…YOU! Learn creative ideas to build your brand and market yourself and your book.

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

Quote of the Week and Week to Come

"True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision."

edithwharton.org

Edith Wharton (January 24, 1862 - August 11, 1937)

The Age of Innocence (Pulitzer Prize)

The House of Mirth

Three-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature

This week on Writing from the Peak:

* What Beginning Writers Need to Know    DeAnna Knippling

* Say Yes and Write                                          Stacy S. Jensen

* Everything you need to know about Write Your Heart Out

January 2015 PPW News and Events

Compiled by Debi Archibald

Welcome to 2015, Writers! Is this your writing year? Resolve to take advantage of all the resources Pikes Peak Writers has to offer. This is how the year starts out:

January 7, 6:00 to 8:30 PM (Wednesday)
Open Critique

Join us at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts at 427 East Colorado Avenue in Colorado Springs. The first 8 to RSVP to pikespeakopencritique@hotmail.com will have the first eight pages of their manuscripts critiqued.

This month's guest critiquer is R.T. Lawton, a retired federal agent and well-published author. 

January 20, 6:30 to 8:30 PM (Tuesday)
January Write Brain

Meet in the Carnegie Room of Penrose Library downtown at 20 North Cascade Avenue in Colorado Springs. This month's topic is Write on Fire! with presenter Anne Randolph. Anne will tap into her Kitchen Table Writing program to help muzzle your inner critic and inspire you to get words on paper. This is an interactive event so bring your writing materials and your imagination. 

January 26, 2015 6:30-8:30 PM (Monday)

PPW Writer's Night at the Ritz

Find us in the Elbo Room at the Ritz at 15 South Tejon in downtown Colorado Springs. This gathering is on the fourth Monday of every month with the direction being driven by the attendees. It's a good opportunity to laugh, socialize and commiserate with other writers. 

February 14, 2015 1:00 - 5:00 PM (Saturday)

Write Your Heart Out  

This is a FREE half-day event at the Marriott at 5580 Tech Center Drive in Colorado Springs. If you haven't yet attended PPWC, this is the perfect opportunity to get a peek at the venue before conference. And if you are a past attendee, you know the value of this preview to Conference. Becky Clark will be emceeing so laughter is guaranteed. Featured speakers will be Julie (J.A.) Kazimer, Fleur (F.T.) Bradley, Mike Befeler and Jennie Marts. Stay tuned to the PPW Facebook page for news on the final two speakers and a little surprise the organizers are working on.
Space is limited so you must RSVP to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com in order to attend.

PPW CONFERENCE
Remember that registration for PPWC2015 is open. Don't let April sneak up on you without signing up for this three-day gold mine and for the Thursday prequel.

See the EVENTS tab on the pikespeakwriters.com website for full detail on all these events as well as specifics on registration. 

In the Community....

January 28th, 2015  7:00 pm (Wednesday)

Richard F. Celeste Theatre, Cornerstone Arts Center

The Colorado College Visiting Writer series continues with Robert Pinsky, former poet laureate of the United States, Pulitzer Prize nominee, winner of the Lenore Marshall Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, as well as the Howard Morton Landon Translation Prize for his best-selling translation of “The Inferno of Dante,” author of “Democracy, Culture, and the Voice of Poetry,” as well as “The Figured Wheel: New And Collected Poems, 1966-1996,” lecturing as part of the Cornerstone Arts exploration of lineation on “The Mighty Line.”

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.

February Letter From the Editor

February means we're finally getting comfortable with the new year, maybe even remembering to write the correct year on our checks or other dated items. Hopefully, it also means that everyone has had a month to get into a new routine (if one was needed), and to have a plan for meeting any goals or plans for the upcoming year.

And if the year hasn't started out so great, it means one month down, eleven to go. Even so, this year will surely hold many ups and downs for all of us. Hopefully, it will mean more ups than downs, more positive memories formed than negative. If keeping the positive at the forefront is something you struggle with, you might consider keeping a jar for positive experiences that you can pull out when you're having a rough day. When something good happens, write it on a slip of paper and put it in the jar. This can work many different ways, including keeping a notebook for the same purpose. The hope is that the positive experiences will help to battle the negative, allowing you to move forward with your goals.

To help you with your writing goals for the year, we're offering our Write Your Heart Out event this coming Saturday, February 8. A pre-conference preview, the event is completely free, but requires an RSVP due to limited space. More information can be found at the "Events" tab above. Please note: If you have emailed an RSVP in and have not heard back from someone to confirm receipt, we haven't received it! Please re-send to rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.

If you can't make WYHO, we will still have our regular free monthly programming. For more information on that, check back on Friday when we share Pikes Peak Writers events, as well as upcoming events by other area writing groups.

Before this post comes to a close, I'd like to welcome Kathie Scrimgeour to the team. She has accepted the Sweet Success Columnist position here on Writing From the Peak. If you have good writing-related news you'd like to share with your fellow Pikes Peak Writers members, shoot an email to ppwsweetsuccess@gmail.com.

Most of all, have a wonderful, productive, and inspired month. Take a moment to play in the snow and to appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. February can be a gorgeous, albeit cold, month here in Colorado. And it brings us one step closer to spring.

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

2nd Annual Write Your Heart Out Event Teaser

By Shannon Lawrence


As the Pikes Peak Writers Conference Committee is hard at work getting interesting, educational programming together, paired with phenomenal, knowledgeable faculty, PPW wants to give you a tiny window into what's to come in April. Last year we put on the first ever Write Your Heart Out, a free half-day series of workshops featuring local upcoming conference speakers. Last year was a success, so we've decided to make this an annual event. The best news? We're keeping it free!

The 2nd Annual Write Your Heart Out, free half-day conference preview event will take place next month on Saturday, February 8, from 1 to 5 PM. It will once again feature six local speakers who are faculty for PPWC 2014. 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 2014 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.

Do you need help injecting humor into your writing, no matter the genre? Does it feel forced when you attempt to write comedy? Do you have a snarky character you want to flesh out? Becky Clark can help with that with "Dying is Easy. Comedy is Difficult." - Writing Humor for Every Genre. (Quote by Edmond Gwenn)

Are you seeking a fresh way of looking at your characters? Would being able to put yourself in their shoes do the job? Are you a fan of Whose Line is it, Anyway, and wonder how you could translate that to your writing? Playwright Todd Wallinger can help with that in Whose Story is it, Anyway? Using Improv to Make Your Characters Pop.

Do you find yourself distracted, finding excuses not to write? Do you itch to write, but then allow yourself to get caught up in other things instead, unable to get words down on paper? Aaron Michael Ritchey can help with that in Winning the War to Write.

Is emotion sometimes lacking in your work? Do you feel like it needs a little something more to bring your readers into the characters' stories? Do you want them to cry with your characters, laugh with them, throw the book across the room with shared rage? Cindi Madsen can help with that with Breathing Heart and Emotion Into Your Stories.

Are you holding something back in your writing? Do your characters seem more shallow than you'd like them to be? Are you writing until you fingers bleed, but finding that something, somewhere, is still missing? DeAnna Kippling can help with that with Adding Richness and Spontaneity to Your Writing by Owning Your Flaws.

Do you write crime fiction or have scenes that involve a crime having occurred? Are you seeking a way to convey a realistic crime scene in your work? Would it be helpful to hear from someone who has worked in forensics and is a writer, the best of both worlds? Tom Adair can help with that with Through the Eyes of a CSI.

This event is held at the Colorado Springs Marriott, 5580 Tech Center Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80919, the home of the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. We'll open the doors to Aspen Leaf at 12:30 for seating. However, there's a bar, coffee shop, restaurant, and gift snack with snacks off the lobby, and lots of comfy chairs to wait in until that time.

Unfortunately, seating is limited. Only those who have RSVP'd will be able to attend. Send your name, email address, and phone number (reachable on a Saturday) to RSVP@pikespeakwriters.com. You'll get a confirmation within a few days. We will let you know if you've gotten a definite seat or if you will be on the wait-list.

If you have any questions on this event, please send them to events@pikespeakwriters.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!

~Shannon Lawrence
PPW Non-Conference Events Director
events@pikespeakwriters.com

January News, Events, & Links

PPW Events

The January Write Brain is Against the Clock, presented by Jax Hunter. Tuesday, January 21, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, at Penrose Library, Carnegie Room. Jax Hunter will help you jumpstart your new year by sharing tips for getting your work done and increasing your productivity. Topics will include scheduling, goal setting, writer's block (or lack thereof), and getting yourself going when you're stuck. More information can be found on the Events Tab.

Open Critique is Wednesday, January 15, 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, at Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Get the first 8 pages of your manuscript critiqued. RSVP required. More information can be found on the Events Tab.

Writer's Night will be Monday January 27, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, at Ivywild. Open forum. Come discuss whatever writerly topics you'd like. More information can be found on the Events Tab.

This is not a January event, but the next events email will only precede it by one day, and seating is limited. We'll have a free half-day event on Saturday, February 8, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, at the Colorado Springs Marriott. Write Your Heart Out is FREE to attend and will feature six PPWC 2014 speakers, leading short workshops. There will be giveaways! Must RSVP to reserve a seat. rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com. More information can be found on the Events Tab.

Other "Local" Events

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers will feature Shannon Baker, presenting Writing the First Pages of Your Novel, January 11, 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM. Free for all attendees. They also have an online presentation and a presentation that is for members only. Also, be sure to check out their writer's retreat and their anthology call.

Colorado Springs Fiction Writers has various meetings throughout at the month at different locations. Visitors are welcome. 

The Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America will host Greggory LaBerge, Director of Forensics and Evidence Division of the Denver Police Department. Thursday, January 10. Doors open at 6:30 PM. $25 for non-members, dinner and program included in price.

Pikes Peak Pen Women's president, Virginia Campbell, will present A Look at the Bayeux Tapestry on January 18, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. $23 for non-members, lunch and program included in the cost.

Publications Open for Submissions and Contests:
Please note: Inclusion of links in this post does not equal sponsorship by Pikes Peak Writers or a relationship between the two entities.  Please always be sure to pursue due diligence before submitting anything to a publication or contest.

Jamais Vu-Journal of Strange Among the Familiar is seeking dark fiction short stories, book reviews, film reviews, poetry, and non-fiction. They pay $.05 per word in most cases, plus a contributor copy. Current submission window open through January 15.

The Kenyon Review is seeking short fiction, essays, poetry, plays, excerpts, and translations of poetry and short prose. Submission window closes January 15. This is a paying market, but specific pay is not mentioned.

Lamplight Magazine is seeking dark fiction in short and flash forms. They pay a flat fee of $150 for short stories, $50 for flash. Current submission window closes January 15. Also, they accept reprints.

Chicken Soup for the Soul has several editions open for submissions. They pay $200 per accepted story. While I am going to list several deadlines for specific topics they're looking for, please note that they accept your heartfelt stories that are not geared toward one of the suggest book titles. Reboot Your Life closes January 30. The Cat/Dog Did What ends January 5. Check their website for specifics.

Lethe Press has several anthology calls out. Daughters of Frankenstein: Lesbian Mad Scientists closes January 31. 2500 to 12,500 words. Pays $.05/word. They are also looking for lesbian and gay fiction published in 2013 for their Best of Compilations.

Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly is looking for romantic sci-fi short stories. They only publish one quarterly. Must include steampunk elements, as well. Pays $25 per story. Current deadline January 31.

ChiZine Publications is putting out their Imaginarium 2014: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing collection. Deadline January 31. This is a best of anthology, seeking submissions of your work that was published in 2013. Pay is not listed.

Buttontapper Press seeks haiku. Cat & Dog Lovers Haiku closes January 31. Pays in royalties. Futuristic haiku closes same date, same pay. They are also reviewing novella-length ninja-themed manuscripts.

Great Old Ones Publishing is looking for horror. Can be other speculative fiction genres, but must contain an element of horror. $25 flat fee, plus contributor copy and discount on further copies.

Crossed Genres Magazine's current issue theme is "Food." Deadline January 31. Pays $.05/word. 1000-6000 words. Must be sci-fi and/or fantasy.

For the Love of Murphy is an anthology for Roane Publishing. They seek sweet romance stories with a twist born of Murphy's Law. Deadline January 31. Their erotic romance anthology, Bad Boys Rock, is open until filled. Payment not mentioned.

Mash Stories will hold a contest every quarter. This competition is about mashing randomness into stories, so they give you three words/terms that you must wrap into your story. This cycle's are tennis ball, animal rights, and bunker. 500 word maximum. No submission fee. Deadline January 15. $100 reward, with shortlisted stories being published on the website.

Odd Contest, held by OdysseyCon annually, is open for submissions through January 15. Accepting speculative fiction poetry and prose. Adult first prize is $500, youth first prize is $50. Winners pieces will be read a the Con and published in the program and on their website.

Commonwealth Writers and the British Council are holding the BBC World Service International Radio Playwriting Competition. The winner will receive 2000, a trip to London to see your play being recorded, and an awards ceremony. Must be 53 minutes long, any subject welcome. No entry fee. Closes January 31.

Cecile's Writers Magazine is open for submissions year-round. They seek authors with intercultural voices (see the link for an explanation of this). They accept flash fiction, short stories, novel excerpts, personal essays, and memoirs. I didn't find mention of payment, so you'll want to look into that.

Essence Magazine is looking for stories. Must send proposals first, not actual stories. Payment is not mentioned. See link for descriptions of types of articles.

Mystichawker Press has reopened their anthology, Campfire Howls, for submissions until it is full. Combine the mystique of the cowboy with the terror of the werewolf. Pays $5, plus a contributor copy.

American Style Magazine accepts articles from art lovers. Fee is negotiable upon acceptance of article.

Submission and Contest links originally posted on The Warrior Muse.

About the Author:  After years of letting her writing fall by the wayside, Shannon Lawrence 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, and her short horror story "The Blue Mist" will be in the March 2014 issue of Nightfall Magazine. 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.  

Letter From the Editor - Make it Snow

We've nearly made it to spring. Around here that can mean gorgeous, sunny days and rising temperatures, or more snowfall than we've had collectively for the entire winter. Usually it's a combination of both.

Now is a good time look at your writing habits and see if they're working for you. Are you accomplishing a blizzard of writing? Or are you basking instead? Somewhere in between? Look at what's working for you, and what isn't, and change the things that aren't. Spring cleaning doesn't just have to apply to dust bunnies and winter clothing. Then again, it probably wouldn't hurt to do a little office spring cleaning. After all, if your writing space is cluttered, that may distract you from getting anything done.

Writing distractions and space were addressed at the Write Your Heart Out event we hosted in February, but the good news is that the presentations given at WYHO were miniature versions of workshops that will be presented at conference in April. If you need help figuring out beneficial changes to your work space, be sure to look up the workshops having to do with the topic. JT Evans and Chris Mandeville spoke on space and time, so you'll want to look them up in the program.

With conference fast approaching, we will have profiles of faculty, keynotes, editors and agents going up 2-3 times per week, most Tuesdays and Thursdays, and occasional Saturdays. It's worth stopping by on those days to see who you might be interested in seeing at the conference, and which agent or editor you might want to pitch to. If you intend to pitch, you should definitely know the background of the editor or agent you'll be selecting. Your genre should always match up with what they're accepting, and especially with what they've specifically said they're interested in. Do your homework for the best results! We hope to help you a bit with that by doing these profiles, but a short profile cannot take the place of in-depth research.

If you aren't attending conference, no worries! We will have plenty of content that has nothing to do with conference, whether that's a piece on ghostwriting, tips for writing fantasy, or an essay on reading. While conference is our big event each year, it is by no means our sole focus, and we hope to bring you great monthly content of both conference and non-conference interest.

Have a wonderful month, enjoy the warm days and the snowy days, and work on turning your writing into a blizzard of accomplishment. In like a lion!

Shannon Lawrence
Managing Editor, Writing From the Peak
Director of Non-Conference Events

February News, Events & Links

PPW News

Pikes Peak Writers is presenting a free half-day writing workshop February 23rd at the Colorado Springs Marriott.  PPW invites you to "Write Your Heart Out" with presentations by multiple PPWC 2013 presenters.  Whatever "writing your heart out" means to you - whether that's banishing the inner editor, organizing your schedule/writing space, or putting "heart" in your prose - this half-day event will have something for you.  Appropriate for fiction writers of all genres at all levels of ability/experience.  Start your writing year off right with this FREE half-day workshop from Pikes Peak Writers!  

Saturday, February 23rd, 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. (doors open at 12:30).   Colorado Springs Marriott - Library, 5580 Tech Center Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

Space is limited -RSVP required: rsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.  For attendees under 18 years of age, pre-authorization and parental permission slip are required.  Please inquire at administrator@pikespeakwriters.com.

This month's Write Brain will be a free online MP3 recording, presented by Stephen Coonts: Common Craft Mistakes of Beginning Writers. Stay warm and cozy in your home while you listen to bestselling author Stephen Coonts as he addresses common mistakes made by writers, and how to address them.  

PPW Night at Lofty's (note the new location), will be held Monday, February 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M., in the bookstore.  Come enjoy wine, chocolate and coffee, and chat about writing.  Open to topics of discussion and questions.  More information on the Events tab.

PPW Open Critique Night will occur Wednesday, February 20, 6:30-8:30 P.M at the Cottonwood Center for the Arts.  The first 8 to RSVP may bring 8 pages of their manuscript to critique.  More information on the Events tab.


Other Local Events

The Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women will be presenting a Writer's Workshop February 13, 2013, from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. at the PEO Chapter House on West Cheyenne Road.  Cost is $23. Workshops will address memoir writing, publishing on the internet and blogging for writers.  There will also be a special experience dealing in the interconnectivity of the arts.

Lighthouse Writers has their usual great lineup of workshops, including 4-week ones starting the first week of February, and one-day ones scattered throughout the month.  Example workshops include: Poetry 101, Novel Bootcamp, Nonfiction 101, Screenwriting Style, POV Clinic and Quentin Tarantino-Balancing Originality with Influence.  There are many more, so be sure to check out their website.  They also now offer a writer's space, so you can have writing time and interaction with other writers.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers will host Don Callaway at the Lighthouse Writers Workshop on Saturday, February 16, from 2:00-4:00 PM.  He will speak about Writing and Revising with the Six Core Competencies.

The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America will host Judy Green Matheny, a retired FBI agent, on Thursday, February 14.  Cost is $20 for members, $25 for non-members, and includes the workshop and dinner.

Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group has various meetings throughout the month for critique and discussion.  Visitors are welcome.

Black Cat Books and the BAC, located in Manitou Springs, have lots of programs for readers and writers alike.  Even knitters!  Check out the events page for more information.


Publications Open for Submissions & Contests
Please note: Inclusion of links in this post does not equal sponsorship by Pikes Peak Writers or a relationship between the two entities.  Please always be sure to pursue due diligence before submitting anything to a publication or contest.

The Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women is holding their annual flash fiction contest.  The theme is Hidden Amongst These Worlds.  Cash prizes.  Entry fee $10.  Optional critique.

Severed Press is accepting submissions for horror novels and novellas for adults and young adults.

Less Than Three Press is accepting submissions for two different anthologies.  One has to do with vicious vampires (not glittery ones), the other with messages received too late.  Paying market.

Chuffed Buff Books is accepting submissions for novellas and novelettes in science fiction or science-based fiction.

Scriptapalooza is a contest for screenwriters.  Any genre.  $10,000 first prize.

The Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts has announced the New Rocky Mountain Voices 2013 Competition.  They are looking for one-act and ten-minute plays.  The winning plays will be performed onstage at the Historic Jones Theater.

Massacre Publishing is accepting horror and dark fiction novel-length submissions. 

Samhain Publishing is seeking manuscripts in horror, urban fantasy, romance and erotica. 

Kraken Press is seeking novellas and novel-length fiction in horror and weird fiction. 

Marion Margaret Press is accepting submissions for the anthology Confederation of Steam vs. Zombies.  Deadline is March 31, or when filled.  There are very specific requirements.  $10 payment, plus e-book and print copy of the book.

Rough Writers is a new playfest presented by the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.  Write a script inspired by one of the provided works of art.  $10 fee for entry.

Grinning Skull Press is open for submissions for an anthology with the theme B-Movie Monsters.  Paying market.  Deadline is March 31, or until filled. 

Pantheon Magazine is seeking submissions for short fiction, poetry, reviews, art/photography and interviews. Reprints accepted. All genres. Paying market. 

Monster Corral is seeking stories about monsters in 2013. Any genre, as long as there are monsters. Paying market.

Angelic Knight Press is putting together an urban fantasy anthology. Short fiction. Deadline is May 15. Shared royalties.

Winning Writers is holding their Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, closing April 1. No submission fee. First prize is $1000 and publication online. 

The London School of Liberal Arts is holding a competition, wherein they want you to tell your story of one thing that needs to change. Submissions deadline February 28. Free entry. Open to everyone. Cash prize. 

Any questions on these events or links?  If you belong to an organization that is taking submissions, hosting a writing contest or presenting a workshop or other enrichment for writers, locally, please email the editor at editor [at] pikespeakwriters [dot] com.

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 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.