Our Mission

The Vision

To build a thriving writing community in Southern Oregon through the work of connecting local writers with one another, identifying and creating opportunities to hone their craft, and removing any roadblocks that stand between them and their writing goals.

The Problem

Southern Oregon is home to a diverse community of creatives, but writers in the area suffer from a dearth of opportunities to hone their craft and connect with a broader writing community. Issues impacting this underserved region include but are not limited to inadequate access to educational resources, ability to connect with other writers, and financial instability. Even the minority of local writers who are financially stable or well-off currently work in siloes, connecting only with the same few people, inhibiting the growth of a larger writing community. Published authors living in the area must travel out of the region to benefit from guidance and instruction on the same level, and in conversation with, the state of the publishing industry at large.

Existing opportunities and organizations for local writers, including sporadic community college offerings, private writing groups, and remote chapters of organizations headquartered elsewhere don’t have the resources for broader advertising, outreach, or removal of these obstacles. Additionally, many lack the time and resources necessary to help this area become the central writing hub it has the potential to become.

Our Objectives

(short term and long term)

  • Build a supportive community among writers so they can learn from each other and study their craft.
  • Remove the economic barriers that prevent writers from advancing their careers by offering educational opportunities at little to no cost.
  • Introduce writers to the larger creative writing world beyond Southern Oregon and help them develop their goals and ambitions for their work.
  • Establish a central location in Southern Oregon where writers can gather to attend workshops and classes to advance their writing skills and achieve publication.
  • Provide a technical library (computers, printers, books on writing, internet access, professional journals/magazines) authors can use to create their work and advance their knowledge.
  • Offer scholarships for writers to attend conferences and workshops such as the Tin House Workshop, Wordcrafters, and Literary Arts and assist writers in applying for residencies such as Hedgebrook.
  • Sponsor higher education scholarships for writers to pursue a degree in writing.
  • Launch a literary journal publishing fiction and creative non-fiction from writers in Southern Oregon.
  • Pay accomplished writers and instructors to come to Southern Oregon to teach and lead writing classes and workshops.
  • Partner with schools, college prep organizations, churches, family shelters, and other community organizations to provide specialized educational opportunities for their students, members, and clients.

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