We inform, support, encourage & promote writers
Writers talk about inspiration and where story ideas come from; characters and their names and quirks and personalities; locations and locales, whether they are gritty or exotic; where the story is going and how to get there. Writers talk about agents and publishers and query letters and pitches; self-publishing versus traditional publishing; their blog or…
For about a year now, I’ve been trying to do this online program for critiquing unpublished work. It’s called Book Country under the label of Penguin. This is a program that promises that you’ll get honest and supportive feedback on your current WIPs and maybe even pick up an agent or publishing contract. If only…
It’s that time of year again! Our member news and biographies need updates. If you are new to our association, or if you would like to change your biographical information, then NOW is the time! You can do this several ways: 1. You can click on the link below and email a brief biographical statement…
A writer rarely has the opportunity to just wallow in the writing, to enjoy it like chocolate covered strawberries. Most of us feel obliged to our writing, serving the story or poem, and each effort requires a ‘product,’ an outcome that serves a purpose. Maybe it will be the next scene or chapter, maybe we’re…
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, following a routine mammogram. Two days later, I finished my first book. Great timing, huh? I’m sharing this because sometimes life sneaks up behind you and pounces. It doesn’t have to be an excuse to set aside your burning passion for publication. If you have the…
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”—Oscar Wilde Comparing your writing to others is a fast-track to a killer case of the blues. Don’t subject yourself to this downward spiral; it’s a waste of your precious time. Concentrating on sharpening your craft, educating yourself and building a platform are much better uses of your effort….
We’re so proud of KWA member Joyce Markley for making the front page of East Wichita News! Check out the April issue here. The newspaper’s story is about Joyce’s collaboration with Ken Gale to create the musical Save Me a Dance, inspired by the statue of a little girl seen in Wichita’s Maple Grove Cemetery….
I sat at my mother’s kitchen table, surrounded by loved ones. We spent the afternoon sharing memories from their childhood, about growing up in a small town in Missouri. The only thing that interrupted this enjoyable visit was when I had to turn over the tape. I was doing research on a story. Good and…
There is an urban legend that the great German-born inventor, Albert Einstein, dreamed up his Special Theory of Relativity while riding his bicycle in circles, arms crossed, as he smoked his pipe. It was said that this was his favorite way to ponder a problem. While most regard Einstein as a scientific or mathematical…
Registration is open for our Scene Conference, March 16-17 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita! We kick things off Friday night with a rollicking PITCHAPALOOZA event with The Book Doctors, Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, and a panel of publishing experts including an agent and two publishers. You’ll have the chance to give a short…