New Writers Network Forming in Linn-Benton Area

I spent last Sunday afternoon with perhaps the most diverse group of writers I've ever seen in one place outside of a conference. There were fiction writers (literary and genre), poets, nonfiction writers (memoir, essay, and article); professional writers, beginning writers, and people just writing for themselves; young writers, old writers, and everything between; writers who started in elementary school and writers who started in their 50's; writers on five or more social networking sites and writers who don't use email. This is one of the things I love about living where I do. There are a tremendous number of writers from all walks of life. Seeing so many of them in one place was downright exciting.

As we began discussing our interests, one theme emerged right away. Our local writers want to connect with one another. Whether looking for someone who writes what they do or looking for someone who doesn't, there was a unanimous agreement that regularly scheduled events for writers are needed in our community--and our community already has a great deal of expertise to offer.

This is at once daunting and exciting. As my co-conspirators (my beloved writing group partners who helped organize this first gathering) and I discuss the next steps, I find myself wondering if I'm ready for this kind of task. Then I remind myself of how far I've already come and I realize that I've always been a trial-by-fire learner. And no one ever accused me of shying from a challenge. Here's to another section of the journey!