Our 2020 Conference is Going Entirely Online!
This year, you can SHARE YOUR STORY and LAUNCH YOUR CAREER, all from the comfort of your own home! We will be meeting entirely online this year. Here is what you can expect:
- Wilwrite20 will be live-streamed. We will have workshops, pitches, critiques, and networking -- all from the comfort of your own home.
- You will be able to connect one-on-one with agents, producers, managers, and industry professionals -- and the slate will be growing in the coming weeks.
- There will be film roundtables where you can meet and talk shop, as well as virtual happy hours where you can relax and make new friends.
- You will also connect with colleagues in virtual hallways, readings, open mics, and evening events.
- Plus, you will enjoy some special opportunities online that we couldn't before, so expect some REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS in the coming weeks.
Wilwrite20 will be HALF THE PRICE. We want you to join us, and we think it's important to make the conference accessible during this challenging time. Many of our faculty are even donating their time so you can come. We are a community, and we are here to help each other.
We are so excited to share this conference with you -- our keynotes include Cheryl Strayed, Mitchell S. Jackson, Rosanne Parry, Zoraida Córdova, Alex Dang, and oh boy, a really big one coming up soon!
So sign up now! Join your friends online and launch your career this July 31 - August 2, 2020.
Our 2020 Conference Keynotes!
We are proud to announce the speakers at our 51st Annual Conference on July 31 - August 2, 2020! Our conference theme is SHARE YOUR STORY, and we know these keynotes, authors, and industry professionals will help you share your own story. On the main stage this year, we will be joined by slam poet Alex Dang, New York Times bestselling author Cheryl Strayed, young adult and romance author Zoraida Córdova, New York Times bestselling middle grade author Rosanne Parry, and award-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson. But that's not all! Click here to find out more about who you'll see at #Wilwrite20!
Member News
Member News: Debut Novel Release – But for the Mountains
Erin Riha is the author of the debut young adult novel, But for the Mountains. Arden Thatcher wasn’t meant to be chosen, but chosen she was, and she will now receive Nordania’s highest honor: studying with other elite candidates to become leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors on the world stage. But as she’s paraded around in…
Member News: My Cemetery Friends Release
My Cemetery Friends: A Garden of Encounters at Mount Saint Mary in Queens, New York. My Cemetery Friends is timeless. Walk with renowned author, poet Vincent J. Tomeo through garden pathways of life. Along the way, encounter other travelers, trekking a similar trail, embrace new acquaintances, and this will make all the difference. My Cemetery…
Member News: Marilyn Sewell reading
Marilyn Sewell will do a virtual reading from her new book, In Time’s Shadow: Stories About Impermanence, on June 2 at 7:00 PM. Minister, author, and activist Marilyn Sewell reflects on the everyday, the places we live and work, the thoughts we all have but hardly ever share, though they may carry the most profound…
Member News: New Memoir on the Power of Women in Midlife
How I Made a Huge Mess of My Life (or Couples Therapy with a Dead Man) is the new memoir by Portland resident, Billie Best, just released in paperback and ebook by Widowspeak Publishing, and available at libraries and wherever books are sold. Known for her weekly blog, Beyond 60—Loving Life, Staying Relevant at billiebest.com,…
Catherine A. Hamilton’s Debut Novel Victoria’s War Launches June 2, 2020
Victoria’s War book launch and reading at Annie Bloom’s Books on Saturday, June 6, at 6pm. In Victoria’s War, Hamilton gives voice to the courageous Polish Catholic women who were kidnapped into the real-life Nazi slave labor operation during WWII. Inspired by true stories, this lost chapter of history won’t soon be forgotten. POLAND, 1939: Nineteen-year-old…
Member News: Book Release — Day Trips to the Oregon Coast
Book Release: Day Trips to the Oregon Coast: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler, 1st Edition By Kim Cooper Findling “Some kids dream of leaving home and never looking back; others spend a lifetime trying to return home. I’m in the second category, and this book is my homecoming.” So reads the dedication in Kim…
Member News: Online Member Critique Groups
Members are forming online critique groups limited to 8 people, where everyone must read a least once every 6-8 weeks or leave the group. The online group will be long term, even after the quarantine is lifted, with writers actively participating at each session. The groups will be divided by skill level/experience. Please note, these…
Member News: Book Launch — Mary Keliikoa’s Derailed
Perfect for fans of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone series comes Derailed, featuring single mom PI Kelly Pruett. “Keliikoa’s debut novel is an important addition to the PI genre – strong with voice, a compelling protagonist, and unforgettable family secrets. Derailed was hard to put down. I can’t wait to read the next book in this…
When Heroes Flew release April 28, 2020
When Heroes Flew, a novel by H. W. “Buzz” Bernard, will be released April 28. Dispatched to Benghazi, Libya, on mysterious orders in WWII, bomber pilot Al Lycoming, a young officer from Oregon, finds nearly 200 other bombers being assembled…and a top secret assignment that will catapult them all into seemingly impenetrable Nazi defenses. But…
Sherry M. Joiner Interview
Portland author and artist Sherry M. Joiner is interviewed by the Clackamas Review’s Ellen Spitaleri (March 25, 2020), about her book, Last Miracle for Maria: A Story of Suicide, PTSD, and Schizoaffective Bipolar Disorder. From Sherry M. Joiner: “It will help lots of people during these times when life is so serious and there is…
Join a Meeting or a Workshop Near You
All Writers Welcome! Members & Full-Time Students Attend for Free!
The Write Place: An Online Meeting for Productivity
Southern: Monthly Chapter Meeting – Pitch Practice
Online: Coffee at your kitchen table
Online: Coffee at Your Kitchen Table
Vancouver Online: The Seven Layers of Scene Analysis with Daryll Lynne Evans
Newport & Corvallis: June Open Mic
Portland: Monthly Chapter Meeting
Online: Self-Publishing Bootcamp Redux
On Writing from Willamette Writers
Ten Words To Keep In Mind For A Writer’s Conference
by Chip MacGregor As you begin preparing for this year’s Willamette Writers Conference, I’d like to suggest you keep ten words in mind… • READ. Don’t just show up and wonder who the speakers are. Read the blog of the…
Screenwriting Tips
Willamette Writers encourages writers of all genres to enter the FiLMLaB Competition–even those who have never written a screenplay before. Screenwriting has generally accepted conventions and guidelines. Below are some valuable resources as well as links and screenwriting tips to make…
What Can You Learn From Oscar Shorts?
by Ruth Witteried It is not easy to find the Oscar Nominated Shorts on Comcast Pay Per View. I found them once, then they seemed to disappear from cable and the internet. In fact, they had been pulled from the…
Script to Screen Tips and Trips
by Ruth Witteried As the Willamette Writers kick off their second Script to Screen short screenplay competition, several writers have requested tips for creating successful entries, or at the very least that we share the ‘trips’ of previous submissions; the…
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The Willamette Writers Conference
2019 Willamette Writers Conference Pitch Professionals We are proud to announce the industry professionals accepting pitches this year at our 50th annual Willamette Writers Conference. You will find a list of all our current industry professionals here. We are welcoming a fantastic group of agents, editors, manager, and producers, and the list will continue to…
Julie Whipple Book Signing at Powells
Julie Whipple will be reading and signing copies of her new book, Crash Course Join Julie Whipple at Powell’s downtown flagship store on West Burnside on Monday, August 20 at 7:30 (http://www.powells.com/book/-9780692070406#product_details) and award-winning audiobook narrator Heather Henderson for a special performance of excerpts from the book. Long-time Portland residents vividly recall the crash of…
HOW TO WIN THE SUBMISSION WAITING GAME
We’re excited that Erick Mertz is a member of the faculty at the upcoming Willamette Writers Conference. Erick is a Portland-based ghostwriter and fiction/memoir manuscript consultant. Over the last five years as a full-time freelancer he has written manuscripts for a variety of clients. In a blog he posted this past December, he shares advice…
The 7 Things Writers Need to Make a Living by Sonia Simone
Written by SONIA SIMONE Reprinted with permission from Copyblogger. If you’re a writer, you might have heard this most of your life: People don’t make a living writing. You should find something practical to do with your life. Smart, capable writers grimly pass around war stories on Facebook. Penny-a-word assignments, clients who don’t pay, disdain for our…
Open Mic Night at the Willamette Writers Conference
Open Mic night started at the Willamette Writers Conference in 2013, when I mentioned to the conference chair that I attended a really fun Open Mic Night at another writing conference. This launched us into a talk about how we could make one for Willamette Writers and how we could make it even better than…
What’s New at the Willamette Writers Conference
Welcome to our 2018 Conference! This year, our theme for The Best Three Days in Writing is “Celebrating Diverse Voices in Writing.” The whole team is really looking forward to what we’ve got in store for you all this August 3rd -5th. As you know, the conference has grown and changed much over its 49-year…
Experiences at The Willamette Writers Conference
“A writers conference can be an empowering and uplifting experience,” according to Scott Myers, a producer, writer, and assistant director. Myers presented at the Willamette Writers Conference this year, and said it was a “special experience.” He explains on his website about his conference experience that he met so many writers and old friends, and his classes were packed. His…
Writing Through the Tough Times by Julie Fast
New Conference Opportunity for Members: Sell Your Books at the Consignment Booth
Thanks for checking out this opportunity. We are finalizing the details and should have them for you this week. In the meantime, please let us know you’re interested by completing the short form below or via this link (same form, use whatever works better for you). We will let you know when we have more…
Our News
C.C. Humphreys, Best-Selling Author of Historical Fiction, Joins the Willamette Writers Conference
TV Development and Production with Grant Rosenberg
Willamette Writers Authors at the Portland Book Festival
We are proud to be supporting these Willamette Writers member authors at this year’s Portland Book Festival on November 9th! 9AM-9:30AM Dede Montgomery Sue Fagalde Lick Sharleen Nelson Tasche Laine 9:30AM-10AM Kerry Blaisdell Kay Jennings Phillip Kenney Deni Starr 10AM-11AM Paula Butterfield Charley Descoteaux Marilyn McDonald Holly Manno 11AM-12PM Mazarine Treyz Marilynne Eichinger Rick George Jo Sparkes 12PM-1PM Ruby Lee Cornelius Holly Manno Bob Ferguson Kim Hester 1PM-2PM Anne Hendren Jeff Stookey R. Gregory Noakes Heather Ames 2PM-3PM Dawn Prochovnic Julie Dawn…
FiLMLaBtv 2019 Writer’s Room The 2019 winning script is “Stripes,” written by Alexandra Keister. Keister, an executive assistant and screenwriter, has written two feature-length screenplays, both romantic comedies, and a handful of short screenplays that range from dark sci-fi to the classically uplifting my-dog-is-dead story. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2012 with a BA…
Willamette Writers Authors Sign Books at The Portland Book Festival
by Ari Mathae Willamette Writers, the Portland literary community, and book lovers near and far will meet again Saturday 10, 2018, for the largest celebration of books in the Pacific Northwest: The Portland Book Festival. The event starts at 9 A.M. at the Portland Art Museum and continues there and at other neighboring venues in the…
Member News: Mary Andonian & David Poulshock launch ISA Third Thursdays
Mary Andonian & David Poulshock launch ISA Third Thursdays Members Mary and David are launching the local chapter of the International Screenwriters Association(ISA). It’s a monthly mixer for screenwriters on Third Thursdays, where you can mingle with fellow screenwriters, meet film and television industry professionals, and win door prizes — including a free Willamette Writer’s…
How To Happily Write A Query Letter
We’re excited that Bill Kenower is a member of the faculty at the upcoming Willamette Writers Conference. Bill is the author of Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence and Write Within Yourself: An Author’s Companion. In a blog he posted this past June, he shares his perspective on how he learned…
HOW TO WIN THE SUBMISSION WAITING GAME
We’re excited that Erick Mertz is a member of the faculty at the upcoming Willamette Writers Conference. Erick is a Portland-based ghostwriter and fiction/memoir manuscript consultant. Over the last five years as a full-time freelancer he has written manuscripts for a variety of clients. In a blog he posted this past December, he shares advice…
Attend FiLMLaB.tv workshops and get all the value without even attending!
Attend FiLMLaB.tv workshops and get all the value without even attending! Well, not really. Eventually you’ll have to “attend.” But thanks to space-age technology, Willamette Writers is presenting two valuable workshops online that you will be able to access 24/7 AND multiple times right up until the conference. That means that even if you’re not…