The 2022 Willamette Writers Conference was a wild success thanks to your help! With over 300 attendees, online and in-person, and 70 year-round volunteers, we celebrated a wonderful weekend of writing at our first hybrid conference! Scroll below for more pics, quotes, and stories about this year's Willamette Writers Conference (and save the date: August 2-6, 2023)!
What did you think of #wilwrite22?
"Had such an amazing time talking about being a debut author, kidlit, and moving through writers block at the #wilwrite22 conference. What a wonderful place to get inspired and build your writing community! Already looking forward to next year!"
- Sonja Thomas, author & presenter
"The Willamette Writers Conference is one of the best I've had the pleasure of speaking at. The sense of community and support among the attendees and staff made the experience enjoyable from beginning to end."
- Vinnie Kinsella; publisher, author & presenter
"This is the friendliest, more supportive conference I know."
- Melissa Hart, author & presenter
"Willamette Writers is such a terrific resource for writers at all levels of their career. From the big summer conference to the regular meetings, the organization provides such a safe and welcoming community. We all need a place to belong that will encourage us to grow and thrive as creators -- I'm so glad Willamette Writers is here to be that place!"
- Wendy N. Wagner, author & presenter
Want to be more involved? Become a member!
A community of writers supporting and learning from each other. We strive to provide members with everything they need to thrive—community support, networking opportunities, continuing education, inspiration, publicity, and much more.
Here’s all you get for just $57 a year:
Willamette Writers Membership benefits:
Weekly Chapter Meetings: with talks and inspirational, educational presentations on the craft and business of writing from leaders in the writing world
Online Coffee Hours: socialize with other writers twice a week
The Write Place: weekly productivity meeting, an opportunity for mutual support and accountability towards achieving your writing goals
The Timberline Review literary journal: free submissions and discounted subscriptions or copies
WilWrite Conference: early registration and discount on our acclaimed yearly writers conference
Kay Snow Writing Awards: Discounted submissions to our writing contest
FilmLab Contest: discounted submissions to our filmmaking contest
Critique groups: We help connect members to critique groups for various genres.
Post your writing news free: on our website, in our weekly Dispatch email, in our quarterly Newsletter, and on our social media. We want to celebrate YOU!
Join today!
We’d love for you to be part of the community.
WW Events
Tuesday Coffee at your Kitchen Table
Portland: Write Your Way to Meaning with Armin Tolentino
Salem Chapter Meeting
Online: The Write Place Productivity Meeting
Saturday Coffee at your Kitchen Table
Beaverton: Horror Author Meet & Greet
Online: Learn to Make Graphics with Canva
Hybrid Eugene: Critique Groups with J.C. Geiger
Your writing community NEWS
Members News: New Release – 1 Last Betrayal
Award-winning author Valerie J. Brooks’ new thriller, 1 Last Betrayal, number three in her Angeline Porter Trilogy, has just hit the bookstores and garnered rave reviews. Heather Gudenkauf, NYTimes bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and The Overnight Guest, writes, “The explosive third installment in the Angeline Porter Series brings the heat, intrigue, and…
Member News: New Release — Flyboy and the Light-Speed Rangers
Wayne Edward Hanson’s new novel, Flyboy and the Light-Speed Rangers, has just released. Ambrose Biggle — weeding his artichokes one afternoon — was hit by lightning. He floundered in what appeared to be warm snow, struggling to put white thoughts together as strange ideas leaked in. One of those ideas became the Biggle Drive –…
Member News: New Release — Frigg’s Journey to Anasgar
Vancouver author Deb Cushman is excited to announce the release of her debut children’s middle-grade novel Frigg’s Journey to Anasgar available September 8, 2022. Frigg’s Journey to Anasgar is the first book of an exciting new middle-grade fantasy series, Chronicles of Nadavir, that will follow a group of magical friends on journeys of adventure and…
Member News: Award Winner — H. W. “Buzz” Bernard
H. W. “Buzz” Bernard was awarded a Gold Medal by the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) for his novel When Heroes Flew: The Shangri-La Raiders. The award was presented August 27 at the MWSA’s annual conference held this year in New Orleans, Louisiana. The novel is set against the legendary Jimmy Doolittle bombing raid…
Member News: New Release — Seal Rock Sound
Sue Fagalde Lick, co-founder of Willamette Writers’ coast chapter, has published Seal Rock Sound, the sequel to her novel Up Beaver Creek. PD is back! Both novels take place on the central coast between Newport and Waldport. PD Soares survived the death of her husband, relocation to Oregon, and the disasters that occurred shortly after…
Member News: New Release — Darts and Flowers
Dean Backus’ novel Darts and Flowers is a new release from Torchflame Books. When Zack Standish heads to his first day of junior year at Watson Academy, he’s stunned that his childhood best friend Josh has returned to Seattle. He’s even more shocked when Josh reveals he’s gay, and has his eyes set on Brian,…
Member News: New Release — Hawkeye Ridge
Author G. D. Covert extends a huge thanks to Kathy Saviers and the Willamette Writers. A recent revision of Covert’s novel Hawkeye Ridge is now available. Kathy’s encouragement and guidance helped move Hawkeye Ridge and the upcoming series to a more professional look. Other books in the series follow soon. U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Commander…
Member News: New Release — Writer’s Guide to Medicine Vol. 2
The second volume of the Writer’s Guide to Medicine series, Illness & Injury, by Natalie Dale, MD, is here! Published by Ranunculus Press, the anticipated second volume launched on July 31, 2022. Volume 2: Illness & Injury is packed with straightforward, practical, and sometimes hilarious advice that will transform your writing about medicine from a…
Member News: Author Event — Character Transformation Masterclass with Eric Witchey
On Friday, August 5th, Eric Witchey will be teaching a Master Class at Willamette Writers Conference 2022. The topic is character transformation. Participants will walk away with an understanding of character resistance to change, reaction to epiphany, how resolution of cognitive dissonance demonstrates theme, and a set of executable tools for managing these crucial elements…
Member News: New Release — Dark Secrets
When light shines on something, it casts a shadow. This novel is about the shadow cast on a family and a country when light shines on its past. Lena Larsson, a young American student and aspiring writer, at the Sorbonne in Paris, was raised by her domineering Swedish Grandmother, Helga, and her stoic seamstress mother,…
Writing Resources from Willamette Writers
Revise with Jill Kelly | Writing Tips and Tricks
Willamette Writer member and writing instructor Jill Kelly knows how to revise. An award-winning author and editor and a former professor of grammar and literature, she’s helped hundreds of writers move their work to excellence. This month, she’ll be leading two…
How to Submit to Literary Journals
At Poets and Writers Live in Portland, several literary journal editors offered their perspectives on how to submit to literary journals. Travis Meyer of the journal Poor Claudia got right down to business: “Put your name in the top right…
Pre-Launch Machinations
You wrote a book. It’s been acquired! Now what in the world do you do with yourself?
Every writer has heard the axiom that penning a book is only the first in a long run of hurdles, and if we’re honest with ourselves every last one of us has believed that must be a mendacious proposition. Writing is hard work.
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…
Get The Most Out of Your Book Event
Authors sometimes don’t do all they can do to get the most out of their book events. A small turnout can feel discouraging, but in fact, small readings are a great opportunity to connect personally to convert readers into loyal…
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…