I don’t write novels. I’d be too scared. I write two pages a day.—Linda Sue Park

From the Editorpage 2

Blaze the Write Trailpage 2

The PPW FictionContestpage 3

Insights from aWriting ContestJudgepage 3The Business of Writingpage 4

July Write Brainpage 6

10 Ways to Make theInternet Work for Youpage 7American Icon 6page 8BeckyLandpage 9Lucky Ladypage 9Upcoming Eventspage 10Sweet Successpage 11

My Life as a Writerpage 11

Happy Trails Timepage 12

Easy Streetpage 12

VOLUME IX, ISSUE 5September/October 2010

”

CCOONNTTEENNTTSS

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By Fleur Bradley

If you’ve been keeping up on publishing trends, you’veprobably heard the scuffle over the emergence ofe-books. Analysts, publishing insiders, and writers all

argue about where things will go—is print dead? Will we all be toting e-readers in five years? No one knows, is thehonest truth. Time will tell how publishing evolves to meettechnology.

I’m resistant to this kind of change—to any change,really. I get upset when they move my favorite TV show toFriday, or when the grocery store shifts stuff around. I likemy things the way they are. Change is overrated, I say.

A year or so ago, I talked to my sister, who works for astruggling newspaper on the other side of the world. She’shad to change the way she works, providing online content,since that’s where things are headed when it comes to thewritten word. I joked about my resistance to technology,and she responded very seriously that if you don’t keep upwith the tech, you risk becoming obsolete.

She called me a dinosaur—sisters can get away with thatkind of brutal honesty, which is a nice thing. And she wasright. For all the writing I did, and stories of mine that hadbeen published on the Web, I was digging my heels in thesand, resisting technology and change. I write for teens—atechie audience if ever there was one—meaning I had toget in the game to reach my audience. Learn the tech, blog,Twitter, social networking, whatever. No excuses.

So I learned. I became a member of various socialnetworking sites, including the ones where teen readershang out. I subscribed to all the publishing newsletters, likePublishers Weekly, Mediabistro’s GalleyCat, School Library Journaland lots of others—which are delightfully free. I started ablog, YA Sleuth, where I would report on YA news, particu-larly the news related to YA mysteries, which is my genre. Ijoined Publishers Marketplace, posted my blog page, and kepton top of the latest in everything publishing, and every-thing online. I would not become obsolete.

This kind oflearning has away of evolving.My blog gets a healthyamount of traffic now.Some publishing folk,including agents and editors, know who I am. And amongwriter friends, I’m the person with information on allthings online—who woulda thunk it? Today, I know howto research just about everything, and I’ve even been ableto carve a nice freelance writing career out of this web-savviness. Not bad for a former dinosaur.

So what brought on this bit of philosophicalmeandering? The NewsMag as you know it will be goneafter this issue; no more pdf for you and me todownload—and it’s a change that gives me pause. Sincejoining PPW, I’ve spent many an afternoon sitting back toread the great stuff the NewsMag brings: informativecontent, interviews, quotes, and advice. But the best partabout this volunteer-driven magazine, I’ve always found, ishow inspiring it is. The NewsMag always lifts up the writerin me.

Starting in November, I’ll be spearheading the change toan online PPW NewsMag, where content will be on theWeb, with regular postings during your week. I hope you’llfollow me as we evolve. It’s new—it’s a big change—andchange is never easy. But we’ll take all the good stuff withus: the reports on Write Brains, the sweet successes, andthe great advice—plus you’ll see some new features andvoices that will keep you motivated, and keep you postedon all the great things happening with Pikes Peak Writers.

I’ll miss this version of the NewsMag, and I’m sure youwill, too. But I hope you’ll join us as we go online—Ipromise, it’ll be fun and painless. Even if you’re anevolving dinosaur, like me.

Pondering Evolution

From the EditorWriting the letter

from the editor isalways a bit of adaunting task for me.How do I capture theessence of the issue,encourage readers toread on, and provide abit of inspiration, all insuch a short space?

This issue isespecially daunting—not only is it my lastissue as editor, but it’s our final NewsMagin this format. Fleur’s cover article,“Pondering Evolution,” explains what’s newand what’s next.

My first inclination is to be a bit melan-choly. I have truly loved my tenure aseditor. I have loved working with the PPWlegend, Martha (check out her piece in thisissue on persistence). Her professionalism,talent, and attitude are unparalleled. AndI’ve gotten to know and work with manyother PPW members, all because I settledmyself into this editor’s chair. I’ve benefitedfrom their wisdom, enjoyed their humor,and cherished their friendship. So I feel awee bit pouty that it’s all coming to an end.

But then I think of what’s next—for me,and for the NewsMag’s e-version.

Personally, I’m excited to have moretime to focus on polishing my novel, whichis just about ready to send out to agents.After all, that’s the main reason I decided itwas time to get out of the aforementionedchair. I’m happy to say that the NewsMaghas helped me get as far as I’ve gotten, and

it’s prepared me for what’s to come. But atsome point, it all comes down to the limitednumber of hours in the day.

As a PPW member and NewsMagreader, I’m excited to see where Fleur takesthe e-version. From my conversations withher over the past several weeks as she’sbeen building the framework, I’ve beenimpressed with her vision and her passion.I’m convinced that the e-version will makeit even easier for PPW members to get up-to-date info on PPW happenings, keep trackof trends in the industry, and continue toimprove their craft.

And, of course, to get on with pursuingthe dream.

Happy Writing!

The Steering Committee is hard at workplanning the 2011 Pikes Peak WritersConference. An enthusiastic group of

volunteers is busy reviewing faculty, evalu-ating programming, and discussing theschedule, all to bring you a jam-packed

adventure in the world of commercial fictionwriting. Conference attendees have sharedtheir ideas and the committee is geared up tobring you what you want in new and excitingways.

SpeakersSome amazing talent is already lined up for

the event. Conference goers will hear fromseveral bestselling authors, including mysterysensation John Hart, as well as Linda LaelMiller, the First Lady of the West. Somereally fun YA authors will also be on thescene, like David Macinnis Gill, award-winning author of Soul Enchilada.

EditorsEditors will be on hand from Viking

Children’s Books, Tor, Bell Bridge Books andmore. A fresh group of acquiring agents willbe available for pitches, too.

This year’s theme, “Blaze the Write Trail,”will get you ready to fire up your writingproject and get on the career path you’vealways wanted. Mark your calendar for April29, 30, and May 1, 2011, because this is thewriter’s conference you won’t want to miss.

Bimonthly NewsMagazine of the Pikes PeakWriters, a 501(c)3 non-profit with membersacross the United States

PO Box 64273Colorado Springs, CO 80962(719)244-6220E-mail: info@pikespeakwriters.comWeb site: www.pikespeakwriters.com

PPW Officers

Pikes Peak Writers operates as a nonprofit, taxexempt organization incorporated in November 2001 asthe Pikes Peak Writers. PPW NewsMagazine is abimonthly publication serving members of Pikes PeakWriters group. The opinions expressed in PPW

NewsMagazine don’t necessarily reflect those of theeditorial staff/board of directors. Articles in PPW

NewsMagazine may not be reproduced without thewritten consent of PPW.

©2010 Pikes Peak Writers.

Blaze the Write Trail

PresidentRon HeimbecherVP of OperationsChris MandevilleVP of ProgrammingBarb NicklessWorkshops DirectorMaria FaulconerSecretaryBonnie HaganTreasurer Charlie RushPhotographerJared Hagan

Graphic DesignMartha Lancaster

Conference DirectorBonnie HaganContest CoordinatorChris ScenaFaculty DirectorSusan MitchellMember at LargeEllen PhillipsEditorMandy Houk

Editorial TeamFleur BradleyBonnie HaganGrant McKenzieRobin Widmar

2 Pikes Peak Writer

Bonnie Hagan, Pikes Peak Writers

2011 Conference Director

By Robin Widmar

If you’ve ever entered a writing contest,you know the emotional ride that canaccompany the process. You’ve woven a

fabulous story with words, heart, and soul.You passed it around your critique group,edited and re-edited, polished the manuscriptuntil it gleams and your brain has rotted intoa clump of mush. After going over thecontest submission checklist one last time,

you click the “Send” button, confident thatyour literary prowess will soon be recognizedand rewarded.

Time passes. The contest scores arrive.Moments later, you are either grinning like aCheshire cat over sky-high scores, or yourwriting dreams lie crumpled at the bottom of awastebasket stuffed with coffee grounds andused tissues. In the case of the latter, you mayalso believe that writing contest judges arenasty ogres who live to crush the hopes and

dreams of aspiring writers everywhere.My friend, I feel your anguish. I’ve ridden

that horse from the highs of “Fantasticstory!” to the lows of “Writer probablyshouldn’t give up the day job. Ever.”

For the same manuscript.But contrary to what writers may want to

believe, the writers, editors and agents who

Insights from a Writing Contest Judge

Pikes Peak Writer 3

By Chris Scena

Looking back over some ofthe previous years of thecontest, the theme seems

to be change. Change in the rules,change in who is running it,change of dates, even change offormat. Well, this year, we’regoing reverse Obama: no change.Same dates, same format, same peoplerunning it. While Dawn, our illustriousdirector, will be moving on to other PPWpastures due to term limits, she will still beinvolved as an advisor.

For those new to the contest, read on tofind out the details and how you can enter.

An online contestThe 2011 contest will remain electronic.

There were a few snags here and there in2010, but the overall impression fromentrants and judges was positive. All entrieswill be submitted and returned via e-mail, andthe entry form (with instructions) will beonline at www.ppwc.net. Our brochure iselectronic again this year, though you can stillhave one delivered to your mailbox if youprefer. Just call (719)244-6220. Otherwise,visit the PPW Web site at www.pikespeak-writers. com/media/2011contest.pdf

We have three ways to track that you haveentered. First, when you submit your entryform on the PPW Web site, we’ll get an e-mail. Second, when you pay via PayPal, we’llget an e-mail. (If you pay through the mail bycheck or money order, we’ll get a hard copy.)And third, when you send your entry topgcontest@gmail.com as an attachment,we’ll—you guessed it—get an e-mail. On that

last step, you will get a replywithin three business days. Ifyou don’t, call (719)244-6220and leave a message so we candouble check.

But remember, you can’t doany of this until the contestopens, which is…

September 15, 2010 The opening day of the

contest remains September 15th. Writers maysubmit their entries from then untilNovember 15, 2010. Entries received afterthat date will not be accepted. Qualifiedentries will be processed and judged over thefollowing four months, with winnersannounced by early April 2011.

A few tips for entering thecontest

Use the checklist found in the brochure tomake sure you’ve done everything.

Submit early. You don’t have to submit asearly as September, but if you plan to submita week or two before the deadline, you won’tfind yourself rushed for time when delaysinvariably come up.

Double check every page of themanuscript and synopsis or target market tomake sure your name does not appear. Onepast entry had the writer’s name in the headeron pages 3, 7, and 8.

Read the scoresheet(s) on the Web site forthe category or categories you wish to enter.

Come to the Contest Write Brain onTuesday, September 21. There you can askspecific questions about your entry and hearmore tips on how to make this a great contestexperience.

If you think your novel or short story is

award quality, or if you want to get impartialfeedback on your work, this contest is for you.

—Chris Scena is the Contest Coordinator forthe 2011 Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Contest.

The Pikes Peak Writers Fiction Contest

Contest Schedule

September 15: Contest opensSeptember 21: Contest Write Brain,6:30-8:30 p.m.November 15: Last day for entries tobe electronically submittedMid to late November: Entries areprocessedNovember 26-December 25: HappyHolidays!Last week of December: Entries aree-mailed to the first-round judgesJanuary 31: First round of judgingends; second round beginsMid February: Second round ofjudging endsLate February: VIP judges receive thefinalist entriesMarch: Entries are returned electronicallyLate March/early April: Winners areannouncedApril 30, 2011: The Paul GilletteAwards banquet at the Pikes PeakWriters Conference

continued on page 5

By Linda Rohrbough

You can make a number of mistakes infiction. I see them in the works ofbestselling authors all the time. But the

most common misstep writers make, and theone that keeps most from being published, iswhat I call the Big Mistake. And it’s the onethat knocks even the most talented writers outof the box for publication.

The Big Mistake is to not have a highlymotivated character overcoming obstacles toachieve a goal. This is essentially a storytelling(plotting) problem. And it’s a doozy.

What’s interesting to me is how simple thissounds. I was one of those people whonodded my head agreeably, yah, yah, yah,about what I thought was a restatement ofthe obvious. Only I didn’t get it either. Thefeedback I received on my first novel was thatafter my reader trudged through 50 pages,they couldn’t put it down. But that first 50was a death march.

I tried everything I could think of to fixthe beginning: critique groups, contests withfeedback, asking bestselling friends, and myown rewrites. An experienced writer advisedme to cut the first 50 pages, then sprinkleinformation from the cut portion into the restof the book. But it wasn’t a plot where Icould do that. I thought about shelving thebook and writing another, but my readers saidthe book was too important and needed to beout there. Finally, I got into a workshopwhere a scriptwriter who became my writingbuddy said, “Linda, it’s all here. Just rearrangeit like this...” And from there, I landed afiction agent.

But I was still lost because I didn’t knowwhy the last rewrite worked. How could Ireproduce this success if I didn’t know how Igot it to begin with? I realized then why somany authors have a pile of books under thebed. Instead of rewriting a book until itworks, they write another. And another. Atsome point, they hit on what works byaccident, then go with their instincts.

Which is probably why so many of my

critiquers, including my New York Times best-selling friends, couldn’t help me. It’s like apainter who knows when it feels right, butcan’t teach anyone else how to paint. OnlyI’m not the kind of gal who can do hit-or-miss. Those of you who’ve been in myworkshops know I like to work by principles Ican apply in any situation.

In those first 50 pages, my character didwant something, but I never came out andsaid what it was. And she wasn’t verymotivated. I knew enough to throw conflictand obstacles at her, but she was bumpingalong fine in the beginning. As I think back, Ibelieve I was trying to be subtle, somethingmy university creative writing training instilledin me. (By the way, I have a whopping 40hours of creative writing education, most ofit at a graduate level, with a 4.0 grade pointaverage, and I never learned any of this inthose classes.)

Before the rewrite, what my characterwanted stayed the same, and stayed hidden,until page 50. Then I finally let the reader seeher say, “I’m done crying, I’m going to dosomething about this crummy situation I’min.” By the way, that’s also where the bookbecame much easier to write. Before that, itwas torture. The point is, I rewrote the bookso that my protagonist was never withoutclear motivation, clearly shown to the reader.

Now this sounds simple, yes? Andobvious. But notice I never said it was EASY.Because it isn’t.

This big mistake is no secret. DebraDixon’s GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict wasone of the books I bought at the bookstoreduring my first Pikes Peak Writers conference.James N. Frey, author of How to Write a DamnGood Novel and one of the keynote speakers atthe 2009 conference, talked about writingwell-motivated characters overcomingobstacles to achieve a goal. The late DwightSwain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writerasked this question in the 1960’s, “What doesyour character want and what is in the way ofthem getting it?”

Before that, in the 1940’s, there was LajosEgri’s classic, The Art of Dramatic Writing, abook Jim Frey said his mentor made himreview a whopping 40 times before he gotthis concept. Jim said he even made a taperecording of himself reading Egri’s book and

played it over and over as he drove arounddoing his day job as an insurance adjuster.Bestselling Western author and two-time Spuraward-winner Dusty Richards once told meyou cannot remind your reader too manytimes of your character’s goal. I own andhave read all the books I’ve mentioned, but Ididn’t absorb what they were teaching. Ilistened to Dusty, but I didn’t hear him.

Then I spent eight days last summer in abrutal, intensive, invitation-only workshopwith Jim Frey in the California mountains. Itwas there that I really saw this principle forwriting fiction for the first time. I got it onthe first day, watching Jim coach otherauthors. (We spent eight twelve-hour days in asprawling house isolated on the side of asteep hill, working non-stop the whole time.)I remember Jim fervently complaining that hewas tired of “teaching rocks to fly.”

Now I am constantly surprised by unpub-lished but extremely, and I mean mega-talented, writers who make the Big Mistake.They seem to understand the craft. There’s astrong sense of place. They have a distinctivevoice. I start to get a feel for the charactersright away. I can follow what’s happening.There are interesting events. Most of thesewriters can write those one-liners I go back tore-read because of the way they turn a phrase.They’ve obviously been practicing their craftfor a while, but the story isn’t goinganywhere. Of course, you can tell too muchtoo soon. Brain dumps are to be avoided. ButI see very little of that in writers who cometo me for coaching.

I tried to explain this to a writer I wascoaching on her manuscript. She objected,saying she wanted her wealthy teenagecharacter to be a slacker. I knew then I’dmissed the mark. I said sure, have him be aslacker, but have him be a highly motivatedslacker, and let the reader see that. Howwould someone behave who was committedto slacking? What lengths would they go to?Take us there. No reader wants spend theopening pages watching an unmotivatedteenage boy eat pizza and talk with a friendabout how much he dislikes Dad. But takethat same kid and let us see he’s going to doas little as possible in order to annoy Dad—now that’s interesting.

The Business of Writing:The Big Mistake

4 Pikes Peak Writercontinued on page 5

Perhaps the boy could manipulate a poorerfriend into spending the last of his cash forpizza, just because he knows it would annoyhis father, who isn’t even there. You don’thave to reveal he’s angry with Dad. It’senough to know his goal for the scene.

Goals can start small and change over thecourse of the novel. Do keep in mind thatreaders like things to connect, so it’spreferable that the opening scene goal relatein some way to the overall story goal.

During a meal at the last conference, I wastelling my story about how I got a grasp onthis principle to a group of PPW writers. Toillustrate, I reached over and picked up arandom book off the table. It happened to be

a mystery novel getting “buzz” because it wasnominated for a major award. I opened to thefirst page and started reading. I didn’t have tofinish the first page to prove my point. In thefirst THREE sentences I knew what thecharacter wanted badly and what the obstacleswere. I saw the light bulb go on for thewriters at my table. Of course, when I turnedto pick up the book at the end of the meal, ithad already been snatched up. (Drat.) I’veforgotten the title and the author, but thosefirst three sentences stayed with me.

I hope this rushed treatment of the BigMistake helps you have your lightbulbmoment. From experience, I know it is noteasy to grasp the concept of always havingthe character’s goal in front of the reader(especially in the beginning). But once you getthat down, your writing will take a quantumleap forward.

—Linda Rohrbough has been writing profes-sionally since 1989, and has more than 5,000articles, seven books, and numerous awards for herfiction and nonfiction. Linda’s latest book isWeight Loss Surgery with the AdjustableGastric Band (Da Capo Lifelong Books, March2008). Visit her Web site:www.LindaRohrbough.com

Pikes Peak Writer 5

judge writing contests are not monsters of anysort. They may be a little grumpy beforethey’ve had their first shot of caffeine (aren’twe all?), but they are, in fact, quite human. Andthey really, really want to see writers succeed.

I’ve had the privilege of being a contestjudge for the annual Pikes Peak WritersFiction Contest. Having been on thecontestant side of things, and still bearing thebruises of size 12 footprints on my ego, I washesitant at first to join the judges’ pool. Ididn’t want to be responsible for crushinganyone’s hopes, inadvertently or otherwise.Eventually, I mustered the courage to plungein, and I’m glad I did. The experience hasbeen interesting and enlightening. Here issome of what I’ve learned:

1. Judging and critiquing someone else’swriting is hard. It’s not enough to simply say,“I liked this story” or “It didn’t work for me.”A judge must be able to explain whysomething worked or didn’t work, and do soin a constructive manner. This requiresknowledge of story craft as well as tact anddiplomacy. One careless criticism, one poorly-chosen turn of phrase in a critique, and anovice writer might give up on The Dream.

Or he might become one of those super-villains you see in the movies, and all ofhumankind will suffer his wrath. It reallycould go either way.

2. There are some awesome stories underconstruction out there! The best works arethe easiest to score, but are often the most

difficult to critique. How much can you sayabout something that is quite likely only asubmission or three away from publication?

“Writing contests are agreat way to get

objective feedback about your work.”

3. Along with the good is the not-quite-so-good: stories that may be encircled by orangetraffic cones and concrete barricades for awhile longer. Evaluating such a story is likeholding a fragile egg. With proper care, bothegg and story can evolve into somethingmarvelous. Mishandle either one, and you’llhave a scrambled yolk—or a fledgling super-villain on your hands (see Number 1 above).

The best part of critiquing these stories,however, is being able to offer encour-agement and advice to up-and-comingwriters. Many writers have shared theirwisdom with me, so I try to pay it forward byproviding positive and constructive critiques.Which brings me to...

4. No matter how helpful you try to be, orhow tactful your critique, someone will alwaystake exception. Let’s face it: Some writers’egos are so intertwined with their story thatthey cannot—will not—accept that theirmanuscript still needs work.

Thankfully, they are in the minority. Mostwriters appreciate honest feedback, listen to

advice, use what works for them, and filethe rest for future reference. These folks arealready succeeding in their craft and will one

day reap the reward of being published.5. A judge must be aware of his/her own

mental state when reading contest entries. Allof us are susceptible to fits and snits whenour day isn’t going well, and it’s easy to letfrustrations creep into judging comments.When I encounter an entry that makes mewant to buy stock in red ink, I step back andask myself: Was the story that bad? Or was Ihaving a mood? Either way, I set the storyaside and come back to it later, after the snithas passed, to make sure I am providing a fairevaluation of the work.

6. Judging, like the decisions made byagents and editors, is subjective. One personmay think a story is simply fabulous; anothermay see it quite differently. Everyone whoreads your work has different tastes. Yourstory may well be The Next NYT Bestseller, butsome readers will like it and some will not.That’s just the way it is.

I can still recall a fantastic story I judged,and the disappointment I felt when it didn’tplace in the top three of its category. Justbecause the story didn’t place doesn’t mean itshouldn’t have. Scores can be very close, andplacing may hinge on a single point difference.

Writing contests are a great way to getobjective feedback about your work. Thecomments and critiques you receive areintended to help you learn and grow as a writer.Remember, judges aren’t ogres. Keep writing,keep honing your skills, and never give up.

And don’t become a super-villain. Thepath to world domination is overrated.

Insights from a Writing Contest Judgecontinued from page 3

Books to Help You Avoid theBig Mistake:

GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflictby Debra Dixon How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. FreyTechniques of the Selling Writerby Dwight V. SwainThe Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri

Business of Writingcontinued from page 4

By Cathy Dilts

My good friend Elvis and I attendedthe July 20 Write Brain, Putting onthe Moves: A Writer’s Guide to

Body Language & Styles. Writers should applytheories about human communication to theirfictional characters to bring them to life,sociologist Morgen Leigh Thomas told theaudience.

Morgen reminded us to “show, don’t tell.”If you rely solely on the words spoken byyour character, you’re missing out oncharacter development opportunities in yourfiction. What our characters say—theirwords—is a small part of communication.How they say it is more important, while thenon-verbal elements such as facial expres-sions, posture, hand gestures, and the use ofpersonal space account for the lion’s share ofhuman communication.

I’d like to write a story about my friendElvis. If I hadn’t heard Morgen’s Write Braintalk, I might make the mistake of merelyrecording his words. This is the “what hesays” part of communication.

“Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes,”Elvis said.

Boring.How does Elvis feel? How serious is the

perceived threat to the beloved shoes? Justreporting his words doesn’t tell the readermuch. Only 7%, according to Morgen. I’ll tryadding the “how he says,” or the delivery.

“Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes,”Elvis whimpered.

By adding how he delivered the words, welearn a little more. Elvis is in a state ofanxiety and fear.

I might want to spice up his dialogue evenmore with symbolic gestures. These are oneaspect of the non-verbal element of humancommunication. Symbolic gestures includeraising your hand to ask a question, crookingyour finger to request that a victim followyou, giving a thumbs up sign to showapproval, or flipping a certain finger toindicate disapproval.

Symbolic gestures are dependent upon ashared cultural understanding. A hand gesturein America may mean something different—or have no meaning—in another country. Youcan use this to your advantage in your writing.Imagine the possibilities, as characters fromdifferent cultures, generations, or planetscome into contact.

“Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes.”Elvis shook his index finger in warning.

Now Elvis is on the offensive, giving anon-verbal symbolic gesture to warn thepotential shoe-stomper.

Body language is another part of non-verbal communication that writers can use tomake fictional characters come to life. Unlikesymbolic gestures, body language may beunintentional. “We think we are payingattention to our words,” Morgen said, but wemight be saying something else with ourbodies.

“Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes,”Elvis sang, his lip curling in his trademarksneer, and his hips swiveling suggestively.

Now the reader realizes that Elvis is notfearful or angry, nor is he requesting politelythat you refrain from treading on his shoes.That’s not seriously his concern because he’s

clearly in control of the situation. Whichbrings us to the second half of the WriteBrain.

Morgen introduced the Four Styles ofBody Usage. People define themselves interms of their bodies’ varying capacities forcontrol.

You may know the Disciplined Style—thatannoying friend who would rather go to thegym to lift weights than hang out with friendsat the pizza parlor. He is all about routine andregimentation. Athletes aren’t the only folksin this category. You’ll also find theDisciplined Style in a monastery, wherephysical deprivation of another sort takesplace. Both the jock and the monk are big onself-control.

The Mirroring Style is so named because itreflects the dominant cultural values. Theperson is concerned with surfaces andappearances, and aligns him or herself withwhat is desirable in order to be desired. Thisstyle includes those struggling to keep upwith the Joneses, or starving to fit into size 0jeans.

The Dominating Style, as might beexpected, seeks to subjugate the world aroundhim or her. This style doesn’t really exist inthe absence of other people to dominate.

The Communicative Style is prevalent incaregivers. This person is a good listener,because he or she is seeking mutual satis-faction in a relationship.

Finally, Morgen reminded us that people—and our characters—don’t exist in a vacuum.There is cultural context to consider. The factthat people don’t look at the same items thesame way can enrich our writing. Is thedandelion a weed, a salad ingredient, winematerial, or a pretty flower? The differencesin how our characters view the world can leadto compelling conflict.

Don’t tell Elvis, but I really think thoseblue suede shoes are hideous and impractical.And yet Carl Perkins chose to write a songabout them, which Elvis made into a hugehit. I suspect it had more to do with thedelivery and body language than the words.

July Write BrainPutting on the Moves: A Writer’s

Guide to Body Language and Styles

6 Pikes Peak Writer

Human communication is:

7% words38% delivery—how those words arespoken55% non-verbal—symbolic gesturesand body language

Morgen Leigh Thomas

By Fleur Bradley

You’ve worked on your craft, editedyour manuscript, and polished it to ashine. Maybe you’ve attended PPW

Conference (fun, huh?), and worked on yourpitch or query letter. As much dedication as allthose things take, your work as a future authoris far from done. Today, agents and publishersexpect you to know your way around theWeb—and it can help you in ways you maynot have thought of. Here are 10 ways you canget the Internet to work for you:

Research Agents and PublishersIf you’re ready to query agents or

publishers, the Web is your best friend. Websites like Agentquery.com, Preditors andEditors (to find those bad apples in thebunch), Writers Digest, and PublishersMarketplace are your best sources of infor-mation. You can find query preferences,clients, projects sold—whatever data mighthelp you narrow your search for the righthome for your manuscript. And don’t forgetto simply Google an agent or editor’s name;there are often blogger interviews you canread to get a better idea of the individual’spersonality and reading preferences.

Build a Resume So maybe that gorgeous manuscript you

wrote is all you’ve got. Think of short storiesyou might be able to write to get a fewpublishing credits; you could use one of thecharacters from your latest work as a lead, ifyou’re unsure of what to write. Or maybethere’s an excerpt of your novel that standsalone that might make a good short story.Look at Duotrope.com or Ralan.com formarkets to submit to. Check the publicationout before submitting, to make sure itmatches the image you want to project to thepublishing world.

Keep Up with the LatestAre you up-to-date with the latest develop-

ments in your genre, and publishing ingeneral? You should be—once you sign withan agent, you should know who differentpublishing houses represent and what they’reabout, so you’ll understand where yourmanuscript is going. Publishers Weekly,Mediabistro’s GalleyCat, and Writers Digest aregood places to start; these sources all havefree newsletters you can sign up for to keepup with the latest news. There are also genre-specific organizations that have free

newsletters, like Thriller Writers of America,as well as genre-specific blogs—I keep trackof YA news on mine, for instance.

Find Your HomeDo you know where your book might go

on the bookstore shelf ? You should—agentsand publishers expect you to know yourcompetition. Try to fill in this blank: “readersof ____________ will likely enjoy my novel.”Search Amazon, B&N and Borders online toget an idea of where you might fit in.

Get Your Records Straight Chances are that you already use an e-mail

account, but that Yahoo or Google inbox candouble as a handy filing system. Keep copiesof those query letters, submissions, andfollow-up e-mails in separate folders. Youmay think you’ll remember those dozenqueries you sent last week, but they’ll be afaded memory a year from now. Let the nethelp you keep your office clutter-free (but doback those files up, just in case).

“The Web can be the best(nearly free) resource youhave as a writer, so lookat it as an opportunityrather than somethingthat intimidates you.”

Get a JobMaybe you’ve never thought of finding

freelance work, but you should if you’relooking for some credits on your resume (andextra income). There are a host of opportu-nities for writers with some experience (writingfor the NewsMag can be a great credit) online.Craigslist.com, journalismjobs.com, andAbout.com’s freelance writing gigs listings are agreat place to start—just make sure you under-stand the tax implications and job expectationsbefore you dive in.

Get a Web siteWant to show that agent or editor that

you’re serious about this writing thing? Getyourself a Web site. You don’t have to spendmuch; many Web hosting providers also haveWeb site templates to make the job prettypainless. A Web site, even a simple one (withWeb sites, clean and simple rule), showsagents and editors that you’re a professional.

And you’ll need one anyway once you signthat book contract!

Make a FriendWriting can be a lonely job, sitting behind

your computer for hours and hours. The Webcan be a great place to make friends. TryFacebook, Twitter, and Yahoo groups to findpeople with the same interests. Read some blogsthat fit your interests. You don’t have to be veryactive or spend hours on the Internet; just checkto see which of these social networking oppor-tunities work for you. Don’t spend too muchtime promoting yourself; just be nice, and youmay find you’ll have a host of friends tosupport you once your book comes out.

Build a Platform A platform is like stage: a place where you

have followers who want to hear what youhave to say. Platform used to be the buzzwordfor nonfiction writers, but fiction folk are nowexpected to build a platform too. You can stopsweating—it’s easier than it seems. Think ofwhat your book is about: does it have amagical component, or does it have a strong(e.g. Colorado) locale? Find something you’reexcited about that relates to your novel, andgives readers valuable information. You canblog about that, or write a newsletter if youdon’t feel you have enough content to keep ablog updated. Read others’ blogs and postcomments to build a presence. Platforms taketime to grow, which is why it’s better to workon it now, before you sign that book deal.

Go Google YourselfEver Google yourself ? You should—

editors and agents will before they commit toyour manuscript. Even if you think there’snothing out there about you, check anyway.You might be surprised to find that someonemet you at a conference and blogged about it.Google even lets you set up alert notifica-tions. They’ll send you an e-mail when yourname pops up on the Web—a great way tofind out where you are.

The Web can be the best (nearly free)resource you have as a writer, so look at it asan opportunity rather than something thatintimidates you. If you’re a bit of a dinosauror are strapped for time, try committingyourself to improving just one Web-component a week or month. Before youknow it, you’ll be that Web-savvy writereveryone looks to for information and advice.

Pikes Peak Writer 7

10 Ways to Make the Internet Work for You

By Barb Dyess

Were you one of the 19 contestantswho chose to stand up withknocking knees before an audience

and read aloud from your written work fortwo whole minutes—and then endurecomments given by three professionals in thewriting business? If so, kudos to you!

Our judges, Trai Cartwright, Ange Tysdal,and Carolyn Sobczak, offered their impres-sions with big-hearted and upbeat doses ofskill, intelligence, and insight. All three judgesreported later that they were very pleased withthe quality of work seen at Icon.

“And now I want to know: what about thefirewood?”

“The internal life of men is always inter-esting...”

“Multi-Dimensional is going to be every-where in the next few years. I mean, it is goingto be hot.”

“Cannibalism is hard to sell. People don’tlike to read about eating other people, butpersonally…I love it!”

“Easily-read sentences mean the writing isgood.”

Emcee Jodi Anderson offered her usualquirky charm, and M.B. Partlow’s cowbellkept the contestants on schedule. The rangeof material covered multiple genres; the rangeof the writers was even more diverse. Anadded bonus was that about one-third of thereaders—several of whom won prizes fortheir jaw-dropping talent—were youngerwriters.

“Jumping right into the story/action givesyou a ton of leeway; to go forward in thought,to go back in remembering.”

“It’s mimetic for me.” “Transcendence is memoir, which also

needs a ‘story conceit.’” “Your descriptions are kind

of Virginia Woolf-y…” Lynde Iozzo, an English

teacher and first-timecontestant, was thrilled to “getcomments live and in-person”since she lives in a remotelocale and has limited access tocritiquing. Dylan Thompsonthought the judges were “a littletoo nice,” and wanted to hearmore of what was wrong with hiswork. A happy Anita Romero saidit was “an incredible difference”from her Icon feedback of fouryears ago.

“You write physicality very well!” “Dystopian worlds fascinate

me…”“Intriguing logline…loved your

Voice…pacing is just right.” “I don’t mind a slow build, if the voice

intrigues me and the writing is good.” While the judges conferred, departing

PPW President Rom Heimbecher washonored for his many contributions to theorganization. The winning contestants thenscored big in generous prizes, including a freenight’s hotel stay, gift certificates, a “hot” paidadmission to Mile High Con, and covetedprofessional critiques.

American Icon 6 Winners• Audience Favorite: Easy Street, Michael

Shepherd• Best Overall: Easy Street, Michael

Shepherd• Best First Line and Best New Voice:

Inhale. Exhale., Michon Lartique• Best Use of Humor: My So-Called Unlife,

Lynde Iozzo• Best Opening Scene: Apex Predator, Matt

Bille• Most Promising Concept: Queen of Fly

Island, Chris Kobayashi• Best Forward-Looking Concept: The

Marc-Paul View, John Lewis• Best Logline: Flight, Kaleena Kovach• Best Imagery: The Things We Leave Behind,

Mandy Houk• Best Voice and Title: Anonymous Pranks

the Boards, Dylan P. Thompson• Best Showmanship: Angel King, Oliver

Brainerd

—Barbara Dyess writes multiple-genre fiction,poetry, and creative nonfiction, with a white dognear her feet and plenty of tea and chocolate athand. She enjoys mentoring and teaching, andstories featuring unforgettable love relationshipsagainst impossible odds.

The Smokin’ Hotness of American Icon 6

8 Pikes Peak Writer

A few more intriguingquestions:

a. How can one best schmooze ajudge? b. What on earth does “mimetic”mean? c. If a judge laughs so hard that shemust cover her mouth, is it good/bad? d. What “dirty little secrets” did Jodireveal about the judges?*

*Answers:

a. Buy them their favorite drink. b. Look it up! (thanks to Ange Tysdalfor the word) c. Good, in this case. d. Wouldn’t you like to know? Let’sjust say ‘any kind of fish.’

Barb Nickless, VP of Programming,

Judges Ange Tysdal, Carolyn Sobczak,

Trai Cartwright, and Workshops Director,

Maria Faulconer

These brave readers entertained us

And the winners were ...

By Becky Clark

Of Library Cards and FurtiveGlances

September is Library Card Sign UpMonth, and it reminded me of my earlylibrary adventures. My dad took us

almost every Saturday to the downtownbranch of the Colorado Springs public library.If he was feeling the love, he’d also let us playon the big orange slippery lump a few blocksaway. I lived a full life back then.

But this particular branch had thechildren’s section upstairs, so I always headedup there. With my new library card I wasallowed to check out five books at a time,which I always finished by the end of theweek. My selections leaned heavily towardNancy Drew mysteries, and everything

written by Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume.One day, however, when backs were

turned, I snuck downstairs and found secretdelights everywhere. A cornucopia! A treasuretrove! A buttload of good reading!

After several stealthy Saturday visits, Ifinally screwed up the courage to pluck oneof these adult treasures off the shelf. Ishoved it in the middle of my four children’stitles and hurried to the check-out desk.

Sweat trickled the length of my spine. Myhands shook as the librarian took the NancyDrew mystery on top and opened it. I wipeda sweaty palm as she inked her rubber stamp,rocking it back and forth for optimum inkycoverage, then smacked it—hard—on thewhite slip glued inside the cover.

I trembled as she set it aside and picked upthe next Nancy Drew. Down went the rubberstamper with a wet smack.

Uh oh. The forbidden book was next. Areyou there, God? It’s me, Becky. I licked mylips and glanced at the glass doors. It wassimply a matter of time before burly securityguards rushed through, weapons drawn,shoving me against a wall yelling, “Hold itright there, Missy! This book is not from thechildren’s section! That’s a clear violation ofPublic Library Code 82-954/29B. Take heraway, boys, lest she ever make a mockery oflibrary rules again!”

Smack, smack, smack.“See you next week. Enjoy your books,”

the librarian chirped. Yes. She actuallychirped.

What?! I did it? I got away with it? Oh,how I relished that book. It emboldened meand I did the same thing the next week and

the next. It wasn’t long before I snuck twobooks from the adult section in between aNancy Drew and a Beverly Cleary. And I gotaway with THAT too!

O frabjous day.It solidified a life-long love of libraries that

I’ve passed along to my kids. My onlyrequirement for them to receive their librarycards was the ability to sign their namesneatly.

Yes, I had ulterior motives. In the sameway that I told them they had to be potty-trained to go play at their friends’ houses.Because all the toys at our house sucked, ittook them about eight seconds to gaincontrol over their bodily functions. I’m a verypractical mom.

They practiced writing their names untilthey were issued their very own library cards,long before they were anywhere near schoolage. They were proud and delighted with theirnewfound status. I remember one of themrushing home from school to inform me thatseveral kids in their class didn’t even havelibrary cards! They were as incredulous as ifthey had discovered that some parents didn’tallow their children to eat breakfast.

So, don’t let overzealous readers like mykids pity your poor, deprived non-library-cardkids. Get them a library card. They’re free,they’re portable, and they open minds.

And let ‘em check out what they want.They’ll think they’re getting away withsomething.

http://beckyland.wordpress.comI’m Just Sayin—come visit me in BeckyLand. Bringyour own coffee.

BeckyLand

Lucky LadyBy Michael Shepherd

It’s not often that a woman begins aconversation with, “So, you wanna getlucky?” It’s even less frequent that she

encourages audience participation. Yet for astanding-room-only crowd of Pikes PeakWriters at the August Write Brain session,Deborah Coonts, author of the breakoutnovel, Wanna Get Lucky?, did exactly that—tothunderous applause.

A longtime friend of many Pikes PeakWriters members, Deb focused her lecture onhelping writers discover their own writingstyles. She outlined her personal writer’sjourney, bouncing from genre to genre,looking for the story she wanted to tell.Along the way, her first manuscript, an inter-national espionage thriller with a splash ofromance, never made it past her desk drawerand, in her heart, it will never leave there. As

she stated, “I would rather have nakedpictures of myself on the Internet than haveanyone read it.” Contrary to this procla-mation, she politely declined all photographicrequests.

Deciding to follow the sage advice “writewhat you know,” she next leaned upon herexperience as a tax law attorney and penned alegal thriller. While she was happier with thequality of her second effort, she knew in herheart it wasn’t her true calling. It wasn’t untilshe relied on her experience writing a humorcolumn for an aviation magazine that shefinally hit her stride—and found her muse inthe form of wise-cracking, tough yetvulnerable Lucky O’Toole.

She urged other writers to do the same.

Pikes Peak Writer 9

continued on page 10

The Sizzling Summer SeriesContinues…

September Write BrainSeptember 21, 6:30 p.m.Cottonwood Center for the Arts

First Place: Reach forthe Heights with YourPikes Peak WritersFiction Contest Entry

PPW ContestCoordinator Chris Scenawill talk about contests ingeneral, the rules andguidelines of the PPW

contest, how to make this a successful contestexperience, and “judging your judges.”

Chris writes fantasy short stories andnovels when not taking care of his threeboys, three cats, dog, and loving wife. Helives in Littleton and works as a TechnicalAnalyst by day.

Nonmembers may attend one WriteBrain session for free. Subsequent sessionsare $10.

Write Brain Sessions are held atCottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E.Colorado Avenue, Studio A. Visitor’sparking is in the large lot on the east sideof the Cottonwood building. For moreinformation and a map, go towww.pikespeakwriters.com.

If you would like to participate in any WriteBrain session, PLEASE RSVP ANDINCLUDE YOUR DAYTIME CONTACTINFORMATION. This does not commityou to attending, but enables us to prepareenough materials for expected attendees, andimportantly, it gives us a way to contact you ifwe have an emergency change to the WriteBrain session, such as a postponement due toweather. We will make every attempt to postchanges to the PPW Yahoo loop and our Website, but to be ensured of notification youmust RSVP torsvp@pikespeakwriters.com.

Pikes Peak Writers Night Monday, September 27 and October 25 at6:30 p.m. (Fourth Monday of the month)Location: Poor Richards Bookstore320 N. Tejon, Colorado Springs

Come and hang out with other writers andbring friends interested in PPW. We eat, wedrink, and we talk about the writing life.

Upcoming PPW EventsSeptember

continued from page 9

“Don’t just follow someone else’s guide-lines, or what they believe you should write.Learn who you are and know what you’redrawn to, and write that. Find your voice, andtell your story the way you want it told. Thentrust your gut—and find a good critiquegroup. With Lucky, when I started writingabout her, her voice rang in my ear, and Icouldn’t wait to get to the computer everyday. Sometimes it even hit in the middle ofthe night, and I couldn’t help but write whenLucky and the gang whispered to me.”

While crafting Lucky, Deb bound andgagged her inner-critic/editor and threw herin a closet. “I didn’t want to censor myself. Idecided to let myself fly and allow my senseof humor to dribble onto the pages. Lucky isa smartass. I like that. She talks to thereader—I like that, too. I have a maleromantic lead who wears a dress for a living.For that alone I was sure I would get alifetime ban from the romance genre, but Iguess finding a guy who is all man but whoalso is sensitive and kind and fluent in JimmyChoo isn’t only MY fantasy.”

People often ask Deb if she is like Lucky.“I guess we all have had misadventures oncewe reach a certain age, and Lucky is nodifferent. I find it interesting to dissect

Lucky’s relationships. Obviously, heradventure isn’t mine, nor her friends andlovers patterned after real people. However,some of her thoughts and the choices shemakes are based on my experience. In someways Lucky is who I want to be. She is kind,non-judgmental, hardworking and loyal.However, I don’t want her sex life. Her jobmaybe, but not her sex life.”

Deb reminded listeners that writing guide-lines are really no more than suggestions, andonce they understand point of view and basicwriting skills, they should throw away thehow-to book. “As a writer, all of us started asvoracious readers. As such, we havedeveloped an intrinsic understanding ofstories, their pacing, when suspense is right,and when the narrative gets in the way of thestory. This is how we develop our craft.”

“Don’t just followsomeone else’s

guidelines, or what theybelieve you should write.Learn who you are and

know what you’re drawnto, and write that.”

As she developed her own craft, she alsolearned to re-shape her definition of success.

Initially, it wassimplystringing a fewsentencestogether into areadablechapter.Subsequently,successbecame theability toconnectmultiplechapters

together. Then she raised the bar to writing acomplete novel. The next qualifier becameproducing a novel others would read withoutresorting to guilt trips and arm twisting. “Then,finally, I was able to define success by writing agood story in the best way I knew how. Whenit was done, and I held the manuscript in myhands, I knew I did my best. That was successto me.”

Her hope for her readers is simple. “Iwant them to have had a fun time. I wanttheir load to be a bit lighter. And I wantthem to feel they have met some folks andmade some friends they would like to spendmore time with.”

Given the warm reception she received,the full house at Pikes Peak Writers felt thesame way about Deb Coonts.

10 Pikes Peak Writer

Lucky Lady

Terry O’Dell has a new release, Nowhere toHide. It’s a romantic suspense novel from TheWild Rose Press, and has been getting greatreviews.

She also has a short story, “CopingMechanisms,” available at the Kindle storeand at Smashwords, featuring the hero andheroine of her Cerridwen Press books,Finding Sarah and Hidden Fire.

Terry will be presenting her workshop,Plotting for Non-Plotters, at the Emerald CityWriters Conference, October 1-3, 2010, inBellevue, Washington.

Visit Terry at her Web site(http://www.terryodell.com) or her blog(http://terryodell.blogspot.com).

Deb Courtney will be presentingworkshops at the Douglas County Libraries’2010 Writers Conference. The conference ison Saturday, October 2nd, from 8 to 4, atCastle View High School in Castle Rock.Deb’s workshops are titled Flash Fiction andThe Conversational Shoplifter. http://douglas-countylibraries.org/events/2010-writers-conference

Rod Summitt’s fourth novel, Return toParadise, has just been released by Multi-MediaPublishers. It is available via their Web site(www.mmpubs.com), via Amazon, or byspecial order at any bookstore. Rod plans tobeat the bushes, pound the pavement, etc., totry and get it into at least a couple ofColorado stores. He’s working on a several

signings and will get that info out to the PPWloop if/when that happens.

This is MMP’s last fiction release—maybeit will become a collectors item!

Ron Heimbecher is presenting twoworkshops at the 2010 Rocky MountainFiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference,September 10-12, at the Denver Renaissancehotel. The workshops are Playing Spider:Enticing Your Web Audience (a previous PPWfavorite, updated for modern technologies)and Lights, Camera, Interview.

DeAnna Knippling will have Choose YourDoom: Zombie Apocalypse (Doom Press, LeagueEntertainment), a comedic choose-your-favorite-death book for teens and (somewhat immature)adults, published on October 26, 2010.

Bonus zombie question: What kind ofunderwear do zombies wear? Haaaaanes.

SweetSuccess

By Martha Lancaster

Graphic design has been myprofession for the past 25 years. It’sjust as formidable as becoming a

published author.My story: At age 37, I was tired of boring

secretarial positions and needed to use mycreative mind to finally be happy at a job.When my kids were in elementary school, Iwaded through college catalogs to decide on amore interesting career. I enrolled in a localcommunity college, and between taking thekids to their sports events and school, holdingdown a part-time job, and being a loyal wife, Imanaged to come away with all A’s in the fieldof graphic design. I left the last day of myclasses in tears, thinking that no one wouldhire a 40-year-old in this very competitivefield. But three months later, with my pastexperience as a secretary and my newlyacquired Associates Degree, I landed theperfect job. I was hired to work in a Christianorganization’s advertising department as asecretary/production artist. The organizationheld annual bookselling conventions aroundthe country and was attended by thousands ofbooksellers and artists, publishers, and giftcompanies in the Christian industry. A coupleof years into the job, I was asked to createthe cover for their convention-issue magazinethat would be given to attendees inWashington, DC. The illustration was a cut-

paper interpretation of the capital building,and I still have it hanging in my home office.I’ll never forget the feeling of accom-plishment when I walked around thatconvention hotel and noticed so many peoplecarrying the magazine with my art on thecover. I was so proud.

I tell this story to emphasize the mostimportant lesson I’ve learned in my 18 yearsof association with Pikes Peak Writers: persis-tence. I’ve had numerous opportunities to rubshoulders with many highly successful writers,and I’ve come away with the determinationthat I, too, can be a successful writer.

A few years back, my hero, RupertHolmes, was the opening speaker at PPWC. Iwas in awe of him, because I loved the songthat made him famous, Escape (The Pina ColadaSong). For some reason, it always made mecry. He explained how this silly little songcame about, and that it was the one recordingthat he was remembered for, even thoughhe’d written music for the widescreen andBarbara Streisand. His message that eveningbefore he entertained us with his famoussong in the Great Ballroom at the Marriott,was PERSISTENCE. He shared this quotefrom President Calvin Coolidge: “Nothing inthis world can take the place of persistence.Talent will not; nothing is more commonthan unsuccessful people with talent. Geniuswill not; unrewarded genius is almost aproverb.”

Holmes went on to say that the world isfull of educated derelicts. Persistence anddetermination alone are omnipotent. Theslogan “Press on” has solved and always willsolve the problems of the human race. Healso said that a writer should say ‘yes’ to everywriting opportunity. “Try to do somethingdifferent, even if you might look foolish. Andwhen you say ‘yes’ to anything, do every jobas if it’s important.”

At this point, my writing life has consistedof creating catchy headlines, writing photocaptions, and editing lots of NewsMags beforethey hit your mailbox (after all the othereditors have done their jobs). I also write asmall article of encouragement for a seniorsocial group’s newsletter and edit lots ofwrite-ups for their monthly activities.

But I’ve worked long and hard for PPW,volunteering in many behind-the-scenes,thankless jobs, and what an education it’sbeen. I hope now that I’ve retired, I can seemy little middle-grade action adventure novelfinished. This story has been stewing longenough, and now it needs to be served or it’sgoing to burn.

I’m a little sad that this is the last issue ofthe PPW NewsMag that I’ll be involved with,but folks, it’s been my favorite project ever!And now I’ll retire to my computer foranother reason—that persistent, nagging storythat is begging to come alive on the page.

PERSISTENCE—remember thatabsolutely nothing can take its place.

Pikes Peak Writer 11

MY LIFE AS A WRITER(Or My Persistence Until I Am One)

PIKES PEAK WRITERS PO Box 64273Colorado Springs, Colorado 80962

Happy TrailsTimeBy Ron Heimbecher

The past four years has been a greatride, but it’s time to put away thesaddle for a while. I’ve really enjoyed

my leadership positions in PPW, and I hopethat I’ve been able to give as much as I’vegotten back. As I wrote earlier this month onthe PPW blog (http://blog.pikespeakwriters.com/?p=147), the American Icon contestbrought me full circle within the organization.

For the next year, I’ll be around in aconsigliere capacity as Immediate PastPresident. Meanwhile, I’ll turn my focus to anumber of projects that have floundered for awhile. Who knows what might happen withinthe next year? I could even be—like the littlegirl in Poltergeist says—“baa-a-a-a-ack.”

Write often, write copiously, and write well.By the end of each and every day, maysomething exist that never was before.

Easy StreetEnjoy the following excerpt from PPW member

Michael Shepherd’s novel, Easy Street. This excerptwon Best Overall and Audience Favorite atAmerican Icon 6.

When I was a kid my Ma always told me,“Wear clean underwear, Paul. You never knowwhen you’re going to get hit by a car orsomething.” I always figured if I got hit by acar, the cleanliness of my underwear wouldbe the least of my problems. But it was oneof her rules to live by.

And that’s how we attempt to get throughour days unscathed. By following freaking rules.

Usually someone else’s.Stop here. Stay off the grass. Pay your

delinquent taxes. And could you just one timeput the toilet seat down when you’re done?

Rules. Everybody’s got ‘em.But not everybody follows ‘em. Like me.

Today. In a fit of unrivaled brilliance, I chose toignore Paul Doyle’s Third Rule For Being aSuccessful Private Investigator: never let yourselfget shot in the butt by a pissed off client.

As it is with most epic failures, it’s easy, inhindsight no less, to find the tipping pointjust preceding said event and say, That’s themoment right there. That’s when I zigged

when I should have zagged, and look where itgot me. Shot.

Embarking on this happy trip downInsightful Lane, I quickly realized I alsoviolated my Fifth Key to Surviving AMentally Unstable Client: never show himphotos of his wife fooling around with hisbrother, especially if he’s a crazy bastard likeFrenchy Paquette.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m one tough SOB.I can live with getting yelled at, spit on,flipped off and cried to, but oh, this duckinglead stuff got my goat.

Yet that’s where I found myself as Frenchykept throwing lead my way, cowering behindmy beat up Nova and shaking like a schoolgirlon her first trip to second base.

Now, any other nut job pulled a gun onme, I’d have popped him in the chops andmade him eat teeth for the fun of it. But itwas my old buddy Frenchy. Shoot, I had myfirst drink with him at fifteen when he cameby the house with a bottle of Mad Dog underhis coat and two more in the car. Later Ipuked my guts out while he laughed his assoff, and how the hell can you bust up a guylike that?

Apparently he didn’t hold me in the samehigh regard.

12 Pikes Peak Writer