Interview by Kathleen Colvin We’re delighted mystery writer Mia P. Manansala will be the Saturday night keynote speaker at the 2024 Willamette Writers Conference. We asked Mia about her thoughts about publishing, as well as her love of cooking, which plays a prominent role in her series, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries. WW: When you approach…
The Willamette Writers Conference
Your 2024 Willamette Writers Conference Guide: Part Two
By Allison Wallace The 2024 Willamette Writers Conference begins soon, and the big question is–what to do? What to attend? In the last Conference Guide, we went through the early days of #wilwrite24, July 27th through August 1st. Saturday, August 3rd is the biggest day of the conference! There are workshops, readings, talks, socials and…
Obstacles as Inspiration A Conversation with Jess Walter
By Gail Pasternack Earlier this week, I had the chance to meet with award winning author Jess Walter—a keynote speaker at the Willamette Writers Conference 2024. Walter believes that if we look at the lives of writers we love, we can see the hardships each of them has had to overcome. Norman Maclean, known for…
Your 2024 Willamette Writers Conference Guide: Part One
There’s just over two weeks left before the 2024 Willamette Writers conference begins, and the big question is–what to do? What to attend? This year’s Willamette Writers Conference is packed with compelling ideas and great professionals ready to help you on your writing journey–wherever you might be on your path and whatever your genre of…
Indie Publishing Paths with Michael La Ronn and Matty Dalrymple
“The most successful authors are those who bring an indie mindset to their writing and publishing careers, regardless of their publishing path.“ That is the belief held by Matty Dalrymple—author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinnear suspense novels—who has found success in her writing career following her own indie publishing path. Michael…
Deep Imagining with Molly Gloss
By Avis M. Adams To help a story draw closer to what the writer intended, we ask: What is this writer doing, how is she doing it, why is he doing it, what is their story about? As a national bestselling author and winner of the PEN West Fiction Prize, Molly Gloss is no stranger…
Willamette Writers Conference – Save the Date
Save the Date for the 2024 Willamette Writers Conference! We are proud to announce the 2024 Willamette Writers Conference will be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Portland, Oregon on July 31 – August 4, 2024! Save the date for a weekend of connecting with your community, developing craft, and expanding your career with Willamette…
Conference News: Agent Katie Reed at #wilwrite23
Katie Reed began her career in publishing with Andrea Hurst Literary Management while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in English and has worked in the publishing field for over a decade. As a literary agent, Katie loves discovering new talent, building lasting connections with her authors, and working diligently to represent books readers will love.…
In Her Cultish YA Novels, Kelly McWilliams Blends the Personal and the Historical
To author Kelly McWilliams, writing is about asserting valuable truths. With her 2020 novel, AGNES AT THE END OF THE WORLD, she “felt [she] needed to send a message into this world: a message about feminism and patriarchy and how we can survive oppression.” That sense of survival and hope is key to both of…