Willamette Writers Chapters are local writing communities where writers improve their craft and acquire the career skills required in today’s publishing world.
Willamette Writers Chapters are local writing communities where writers improve their craft and acquire the career skills required in today’s publishing world. They also provide opportunities for local writers to hone their leadership, presentation, and teaching skills.
Willamette Writers on the River serves writers in Corvallis, Albany, and Linn-Benton County. We welcome members from other chapters and all writers aged 18 and older (unless otherwise stated).
Read on to learn about our chapter, and join our mailing list to keep in touch.
Become a Willamette Writers Member today to enjoy membership benefits such as free meetings for all WW chapters and reduced conference registration fees.
Upcoming Meeting
Online: Crafting the Wildlife Essay with Rick Lamplugh
Willamette Writers on the River in Corvallis and our Southern Oregon Chapter Presents Rick Lamplugh - Crafting the Wildlife Essay
Zoom Link
Click on the link to register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArde2urjooE9xpV_wJuLxoEZh4XI-e3Spq Willamette Writers on the River serves writers in Corvallis, Albany, and Linn-Benton County. Our Eugene Chapter serves Southern Oregon. We welcome members from other chapters and all writers aged 18 and older (unless otherwise stated).About your chapter
Willamette Writers meetings are open to all writers, 18 and up. Young writers are encouraged to join our Young Willamette Writers meetings. Guests are welcome to make a donation to help support the cost of the meeting (we believe in paying our speakers for their time and skills). This meeting is run by volunteers. We look forward to seeing you there! MASKING: Willamette Writers continues to require mask-wearing at our in-person, indoor meetings. If you are unable to mask, we invite you to join us at one of our online Chapter Meetings. Here is a link to our policies.Find out more »About the Meetings
Willamette Writers on the River offers monthly meetings normally held on the fourth Monday of each month at the First Presbyterian Church (Allison Room) in Corvallis. No meeting in August when we head to Portland for the Willamette Writers Conference. No meeting in December due to proximity of holidays.
In March, June, and September, we use our meetings for open mic readings.
Meeting Time
6:30-8-30 p.m., Fourth Monday of each month
Meeting Location
All meetings are currently held online.
Meeting Format
Open-Mic Readings in March, June, and September give writers the opportunity to test their work on an audience of their peers. The readings are free and open to the public.
Meeting Format:
- 6:15-6:30 — Sign-up for a 7 minute slot.
- 6:30-8:30 — News and Announcements followed by Readings
Programmed Meetings in which WWotR presents a speaker/workshop/panel discussion to help writers learn more about writing.
Meeting Format:
- 6:30-6:45 – Networking & social time
- 6:45-8:15 – WWotR News and Announcements followed by the Program
- 8:15-8:30 – Q & A, Networking, and Speaker’s Book Sales
Meeting Cost
Monthly meetings at all the chapters are free for members of Willamette Writers. The three open mic readings are free and open to the public. Guests are asked to consider donating $5.
Thank you for your support!
Would you like to be a speaker?
We are always looking for new speakers from around the region and around the country. Do you have a topic of interest to present to writers in our region?
Please contact us for scheduling and details.
The Chapter Co-Chairs
The Willamette Writers on the River Chapter is run by co-chairs who create a program to fit the needs and interests of the Willamette Writers members around Corvallis.
Nancy Ballard
Nancy Ballard is a retired emergency manager with a previous life in natural resources management. She now writes poetry and science-fiction cowboy stories after years of environmental assessments and operations manuals. She has written and collaborated on adaptations of several plays for community theater including a wild west Taming of the Shrew, a murder mystery for dinner theater, and an historical drama on the Modoc Indian War. As Nan C. Ballard, she self-published her novel, Carico Trails, in 2014. The sequel, Carico Canyons, is scheduled for release by Not a Pipe Publishing in 2021. Her poetry has been published in Willawaw Journal, the anthology Mount Shasta Reflections, and The Modoc Independent newspaper. She joined Willamette Writers in 2014 after moving from far northern California and was on the support team for Willamette Writers on the River before accepting the Co-Chair position in 2020.
Connect with the Chapter
- Join our meetings and workshops if you’re a writing enthusiasts from the Corvallis area, if you happen to be in the area, or if you are interested in a specific topic/speaker.
- Follow Willamette Writers on Twitter, and on Facebook where you can subscribe to our events.
- Join us on MeetUp to receive meeting updates
- Join our chapter’s mailing list to receive updates by email.
- Contact us if you have a specific inquiry or something you’d like to share with the chapter co-chairs.
All writers welcome. Join us!
Volunteer with the Chapter
Are you a local writer and want to be more involved with the Corvallis Chapter? Volunteer!
How would you like to be involved? Get in touch and let us know how you’d like help.
2019 Year-at-a- Glance
January 28th
Louise Cary Barden
Writing to Sell: Commercial Non-Fiction
February 17th, 2-4
Kim Stafford
Newport Public Library
February 25th
Maren Anderson
Alternate Writing Tools
March 25th
OPEN MIC
April 22nd
Terri Thomas
Reading your work as performance
May 11th
Write Here Write Now with Eric Witchey
Join us at our writing conference
May 18th
Stafford/Sears Memorial Rdg.
Co-sponsored by WWotR and Library
May 27th
Phillip Kenney
The Writer’s Crucible
June 24th
OPEN MIC
July 22nd
Hazel Denhart
The Grammar of Story
August
Willamette Writer’s Conference
September 23rd
OPEN MIC
October 28th
Brenna Crotty (Calyx)
Notes from the Editor
November 25th
John S. Williams