Why Attend the Pikes Peak Writers Conference 

Published March 24, 2026

By Jenny Kate, PPWC Director

If you’ve been writing in the in-between spaces of life — early mornings, stolen lunch breaks, late-night bursts of inspiration — there comes a moment when you want more than progress. 

You want momentum. 

You want clarity. 

You want to feel like you’re not doing this alone.

That’s exactly what the Pikes Peak Writers Conference is designed to deliver: 

• a welcoming, high-energy weekend where you can level up your craft, 
• learn the business side of publishing, 
• and connect with writers and industry professionals who get it. 

If you’re a member, you know PPWC is a three-day fiction-writing conference for writers at every stage, offering craft and business workshops, plus access to acquiring agents and editors and established authors across genres.

If you are a newbie, trust me. THIS is the conference for you!

The 2026 conference is scheduled for April 17–19, 2026, hosted at the Colorado Springs DoubleTree, with registration closing April 10, 2026.

Below are some of the biggest reasons writers come to PPWC and why so many leave energized, encouraged, and ready to write their next chapter (literally).

• You’ll Get a Clear Path Forward (Not Just a Burst of Inspiration)

Trad or Indie? Hobby or career?

A great conference doesn’t just hype you up. It helps you move. 

PPWC is designed to support writers with both the creative side (craft) and the practical side (career strategy). 

If you’re new, that structure is gold because it helps you stop guessing and start building a plan.

You’ll walk away with things like:

• A better sense of what your next revision step actually is,
• New tools for stronger scenes, character arcs, dialogue, pacing, and voice,
• A clearer view of publishing routes (traditional, indie, hybrid),
• A realistic “what to do next” roadmap for the next 30–90 days.

Instead of leaving with a vague “I should write more,” you leave thinking, “Okay, this is what I’m doing when I get home.”

• Real Access to Agents & Editors (With Support Built In)

One of the most exciting parts of PPWC is that it doesn’t keep the industry behind glass. 

The conference offers Pitch plus Read & Critique appointments with real life agents and editors. 

Do these! (even if you’re nervous)

A pitch appointment as a six-minute one-on-one meeting with an editor or agent where you pitch your manuscript. 

Read & critique is where your work is read (yes, it an be anonymous) and you get immediate feedback. 

If you’re new, these options are great confidence builders because you’ll learn to:

• Talk about your story clearly (without spiraling into “well, it’s complicated…”),
• Understand what professionals mean by fit,
• Practice presenting your work with calm, professional energy,
• Learn what makes your book stand out in your genre.

Even if you don’t pitch your first year or have your work read, just watching how other writers approach it and learning how the process works makes the publishing world feel a lot less mysterious.

• The People Are the Point (And You’ll Find Yours)

Writing can be lonely. 

Even when you have supportive friends, most people don’t understand the particular brain-chaos of drafting a book, revising a book, querying a book, and trying not to throw your laptop across the room.

At PPWC, you’re surrounded by people who immediately “get it.” That does something powerful to your motivation and your identity as a writer.

And PPWC builds in natural connection points. 

For example, you can sit with faculty members at meals. This way you can have real conversations with authors, agents, and editors in a low-pressure setting. 

You can hang out in Zeb’s Lounge with other writers. 

You’re not just meeting people. You’re building your writing ecosystem:

• Critique partners
• Writing friends who keep you accountable
• Genre buddies who swap resources
• Supportive friends who get it

• The “Newcomer Advantage” Is Real

Here’s a little secret: first-time attendees often have an edge. 

Because you’re showing up with fresh eyes, big energy, and a willingness to learn. You’re not stuck in old habits or jaded expectations. 

You’re open. That’s a superpower.

If you’re new, PPWC is a fantastic place to:

• Get oriented fast (craft AND business in one weekend), 
• Ask questions without feeling like you “should already know,”
• Hear what agents/editors want in plain language, 
• Build community connections early, before you’re deep in querying or launching.

• Membership Makes the Conference Experience Even Better

If attendance is the spark, membership is the fuel that keeps your writing life burning all year long.

Pikes Peak Writers membership includes conference-related perks like a reduced registration fee for the annual conference, reduced fees for additional paid conference activities, and even exclusive access to select PPWC recordings. 

But the bigger magic is that membership connects you to ongoing education and community outside of conference weekend.

What members get (and why it matters for new writers)

You can find your people at PPWC and you can become a member. You’ll receive perks like:

• A buddy discount code to bring a friend along
• Free regular monthly nonconference events and social events 
• Free critiques (Open Critique) 
• Reduced registration fees for quarterly nonconference paid workshops 
• Exclusive access to select NCE recordings 
• Opportunities like contributing to the PPW blog and inclusion in member directories/submission opportunities 
• Discount at PPWC

For a newer writer, this is huge. 

It means you don’t have to wait until “next year’s conference” to learn more, meet people, get feedback, and stay engaged. 

Membership turns writing from a solo hobby into a supported practice.

• A Quick “Should I Go?” Checklist

PPWC is a great fit if:

• You want to improve your writing craft and,
• You want to learn the business side in the same weekend, 
• You’d love a chance to pitch and/or get professional feedback (or at least learn how it works) 
• You want writing friends and community that doesn’t disappear after one event
• You’re ready to take your writing seriously but you don’t want to do it alone

Final Thoughts: Come for the Weekend, Stay for the Community

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference is a bright, high-energy reset button for your writing life.

It provides learning, encouragement, strategy, and the kind of connections that make you want to go home and write.

A thriving writing community isn’t built by “someone else.” 

It’s built by writers who decide to show up, participate, and grow together. 

And we’d love to see you there!

PPWC 2026 runs April 17–19, 2026, with registration listed as closing April 10, 2026, but prices go up April 1, so register now. 

Jenny has been a communicator and public relations professional since 2001. She has been quoted by the New York Times, CNN, FoxNews, and Time Magazine, and wrote her first novel in the second grade. She is a member of  Sisters in Crime, judges contests for the Utah League of Writers, and freelanced for New York literary agent Ethan Ellenberg.  She co-founded Writer Nation and is the author of the “Marketing for Writers Who’d Rather Write” book series.