Writerly Community: A Chat with Torie Fox-Phillips

Published May 6, 2025

An Interview by Deborah L. Brewer

One of the best things about writing is the long hours of solitude in our minds. But sooner or later, one needs some advice, or another set of eyes, or a boost of confidence. That’s where a writerly community comes in—other folks, your special peeps, who care about stories and the written word as much as you. Those who celebrate your success and commiserate with your disappointments, with whom you feel as a writer you belong.

Meet Torie

Torie Fox-Phillips is a Financial Planning and Analysis Data Analyst, more commonly referred to as a “data nerd” at a local bank headquarters in Denver, CO.  An aggressive multi-tasker by day and a social moth by night, she either traverses the world or ignores it entirely, with her husband and small army of pets. When she’s not writing, or re-writing, or re-writing the re-writes, she is devouring books of all genres. With her main inspiration for writing being R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, she’s as shocked as you are that she’s now writing cutesy RomComs with happy endings and adorable meet-cutes—but, hey, when the muse speaks, she listens. Regardless of what muse it is.

Q & A

Debby: Welcome, Torie. You’ve done everything from bookstore aid to transportation to green room to faculty to contest (and most things in between) for PPWC over the years. Thank you for that. We so appreciate you sharing your insights with Writing from the Peak.

It’s my understanding that you grew up with Pikes Peak Writers. Tell us about that. How has that influenced your writing pursuits?

Torie: I started with PPWC when I was only about ten years old. I grew up around writers and books of all kinds, so I was “one of them” before I even knew what that meant. I was writing stories since I could spell – some I even illustrated myself. Since I had so many amazing published authors around me all the time, I always thought being published was just part of life. But when I found out how truly difficult it was, I had a massive cushion of support and encouragement for this community. I know there’s so much that I don’t know, but because of this group of word-humans, I know I have someone in my life who can help me.

Debby: Writerly community—I’m sure it looks different for everybody. How much of yours is experienced online versus in person? Large groups versus small? Has that changed over the years?

Torie: Over the years, my community has grown exponentially. It started with my mom and my “aunties” (who are all published authors), and grew year by year to include more individuals from PPWC, and more contacts I’d made online, and more friends of friends that are now my friends. Most of these connections started with an in-person meeting somehow, but they are maintained by social media and messages.

My “aunties” are the top tier writers that make up my critique group and most trusted group of word-humans, but they are mostly based in the Springs, whereas I’m a Denver girl. So a fair amount of our interactions are online or through messaging. But the group makes it a point to work out in-person activities that I can attend. I’ve also got my writers conferences that each year feel like a large, ridiculous family reunion, or a homecoming. 

Debby: There are writer character types often featured in romantic comedies and murder mysteries—they have writer’s block, are super nosy, or don’t want anyone to know their real names. You’ve met so many writers, are the stereotypes warranted? What about writers do you love?

Torie: Sure, I think there are certain elements to putting words on paper and giving life to made-up characters that all writers experience – so I can see how the stereotypes were created. But do I know anyone that I would categorize into one of those stereotypes? No, not really.

Writers are all gloriously unique creatures with whizzing minds and continuously active imaginations. Most are friendly, despite a lot of them being introverted. Most are as eager to share advice as they are to receive it. Most are willing to give the shoes off their feet to help a fellow wordsmith out. 

Are they mostly easily distracted? Yes.

Are they mostly working on more than one WIP at a time? Yes.

Are they mostly quirky and endearing in some way? Yes.

But they are all as different and wonderful as flavors of ice cream.

Debby: For a writer who has been working in isolation up until now, hanging out with other writers might sound risky. What’s an easy way for them to get started?

Torie: Go to a conference.

I know, I know. That probably sounds intimidating as heck. I get it. But really, it’s a fantastic way to start. You can be as active and engaged (or not) as you can handle. You can sit silently in a corner and just watch. Or you can go to every session, and every meal, and every activity the conference offers. It’s entirely up to you. But you’ll be in amongst your people. Even silently absorbing the energy and optimism can be enough. 

My recommendation though would be to make just one new friend: someone that works at the conference. They’re the ones that know the things and the people. They’re the ones who have been around the block a few times, and love it enough to involve themselves even more in the world of words and books. And if they’re working a conference full of people, they are friendly and kind, and they would love to talk to you.

Trust me, I know.

Debby: Tell us a little about your books and stories. What inspires you? What’s your latest project?

Torie: I currently have two full novels and several shorts stories published – all in the RomCom world. And the best part, it started as sort of a FanFic. My critique group – before they were my critique group – were writing stories in this dog community they’d all made up together. I loved the world and I loved the stories, so I wrote a short story in their world because I wanted to be there too. And they liked it enough that they published it alongside their own stories in an anthology.

So all three of my short stories published, and my first full novel, #KissMeKieran, are all Dogwood stories. Think, Hallmark movie with dogs, that’s the Dogwood world.

My second full novel, Third Night Stand, is completely my own, written and shared with the world thanks to all the encouragement I received. And my third is currently working its way through critique, with a hopeful publish date before the end of the year.

I also have a YA action-horror quadrilogy that I’m trying to figure out what to do with. They’re all four written, and two and a half are edited, and I love these stories. So the goal is to have some kind of plan by the end of the year on how to get them to the world.

My inspiration? Life.

I’m an avid people-watcher. I love putting people I know into stories, and they love it too (even when it’s in one of the YA stories and there’s a high likelihood they’ll be killed off). I know so many interesting people, it’s easy to write stories around what they say or do or want to do. Or I write a lot of “what if this had happened instead” kind of stories based on my real life.

For Further Reading: https://janefriedman.com/building-your-literary-community/

Find Torie at: 

TorieFox.net

Facebook: @TorieFoxtheAuthor

Insta: TorieFoxtheAuthor

Twitter: @TorieFoxP

Deborah L. Brewer joined Pikes Peak Writers a decade ago, seeking help with a cozy mystery. When the novel was completed, she stayed for the camaraderie. Now she’s writing short stories. An editor for the PPW 2022 anthology, Dream, Deborah contributes to Writing from the Peak to help fellow PPW members write better with more enjoyment, and ultimately, achieve their writing dreams.