A Note from the Directors’ Desks
As we sit here in the cozy Writing Center looking out at the whites and greys of winter settling in, we are reminded of all that we have to be thankful for, despite the difficulties of 2020. At the top of that list is you, our Write On family. We are grateful for your support as we experimented with furthering our mission in 2020; we are warmed by the participation in events like our online Grand Opening to launch our Writing Center; and we are humbled by the financial support that was and is exhibited during our Annual year-end Funds drive.
We want you to know that the Writing Center is open and available for you to safely visit. Visit our website to schedule private time to write, to browse our book collection, and to carve out time for your creativity.
We hope you’ll keep scrolling to see all of the upcoming opportunities available to you at Write On: everything from free poetry readings to a master class in poetry. 2020 has come to end, and it is with eagerness that we all set our minds and hearts to turning over a new leaf in 2021.
Here at Write On, we are making new commitments to ourselves to prioritize making time for writing and reading, and to look upon the coming year with gratitude; we’ve made it through a difficult time and we can’t wait to share all the good things happening here!
Book Time at the Writing Center
Schedule a free, private two-hour block of time in Write On, Door County’s Writing Center. Alone, or with a few others in your bubble, you can spend time in our Discovery Library or Classroom. Give yourself the gift of focused time, tranquility, and access to books by Door County and Wisconsin authors, Write On residents, craft and writing volumes, and more. Spaces are sterilized in between visitors. Masks are required at all times during your visit. Organized groups, like book clubs or writing groups should contact Write On directly at (920) 868-1457.
Register Now for February’s Craft of Writing: Young Adult Fiction
Join acclaimed novelists Swati Avasthi and Kim Johnson’s they lead this three-week program on the craft of writing a novel in the young adult genre. The Craft of Writing series takes place virtually the first through third Thursdays of each month. Read more.
Screenwriting for the Novelist with Jeff Pfeiffer
Are you a fiction writer or novelist looking for a new approach to your stories? You might imagine the world of the screenwriter to be as far from the novelist as Hollywood is to Lake Huron. In fact, there are many places where the two coincide, and it’s within these intersecting spaces we find the tools to enhance our writing in both mediums. Read more.
Jeff Pfeiffer is a playwright, television writer, and instructor with more than 10 years experience in entertainment and writing. Pfeiffer’s credits include dramatic television, documentary, produced stage, and games. He holds an MFA in playwriting from New York University-Tisch, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America.
Virtual Fiction Writing Workshop with Miriam McMamara
A lot of young adult (YA) fiction writers start with character, and struggle when it comes to plot, but there are ways to use a deep understanding of your main character to develop plot from their desires and create a meaningful story that resonates with readers. Read more.
Miriam McNamara was born in Ireland, raised in the Southern United States, and now lives in the Midwest. She has an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has never flown a biplane, but she loves to dance. She is the author of two queer historical novels, An Impossible Distance to Fall and The Unbinding of Mary Reade. She lives in Minneapolis, but also calls Asheville, North Carolina home.
Register for Free Online Poetry Readings
Through This Door: Wisconsin in Poems,editedby Angela Trudell Vasquez and Margaret Rozga. January 16 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Register now.
God of Nothingness,by Mark Wunderlich. January 28 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Register now.
Advanced Poetry Master Class with Mark Wunderlich
In this four-week online course, participants will be introduced to a number of strategies meant to revivify your writing practice and push your poems in surprising ways. The class is intended for people with experience writing poetry and taking part in poetry workshops. Class is by application and limited to 10 students. Early application is recommended. For more information and to apply, click here.
NEA Big Read: Door County Kick-off
Write On is proud to be a presenting partner with Door County Library on the 2021 NEA Big Read: Door County. The book selected for this year’s program is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. A variety of online events are planned from January 28 through February 13, including book discussions, writing workshops, panel conversations and a visit by the author. Read more.
Submit Your Writing
Write On, Door County, in collaboration with the weekly publication Peninsula Pulse, seeks stories, essays, poems, and other pieces of creative writing to appear in a weekly literary page. Writers of all ages and experience levels with an affinity for the Door Peninsula are invited to submit work for consideration. Read more.
Welcome New Board Members
Mauricio Kilwein Guevara was born in Boyacá, Colombia and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He has taught literature and writing at the college level at Bowling Green State University, Marquette University, Vermont College, Universidad de las Américas (México), La Universidad Javeriana (Bogotá, Colombia), and Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia). He’s the author of four books (verse and prose fiction) published in the United States, a collection of translations published in Madrid, Spain, and a comic play that received a staged reading Off-Broadway. His writing has appeared internationally in Argentina, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, México, and the UK. He divides his time between the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee and Egg Harbor with his sweetheart, poet and teacher Janet Jennerjohn, and their rescue dog, Django Reinhund.
Alessandra Simmons Rolffs and her husband came to Washington Island to grow vegetables for Hotel Washington in the summer of 2015. After their first two seasons, they decided to move to the Island full-time and started Hoot Blossom Farm, growing veggies, herbs and flowers for residents and restaurants. They also helped found Gathering Ground, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating community and learning in partnership with the generous earth through agriculture.
Alessandra holds a PhD in English from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and an MFA in poetry from Indiana University. She has poems published in anthologies and literary journals such as Rewilding: Poems for the Environment, Smartish Pace, Spillway and others. She writes a column for the Washington Island Observer called Everyday Nature that mixes two of her loves — poetry and nature.
Meet our Newest Staff Member
Kim Schumacher joined Write On, Door County in December of 2020 as an intern. Originally from De Pere, Wisconsin, Kim relocated to Door County from South Florida to reconnect with family, friends, and nature. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from UW-Madison and spent most of her 20-plus-year career in advertising. Currently, she is an editor in the travel industry. Working part-time during the pandemic, Kim is happy to share her time and talents with Write On. When not working, reading, or cooking, she can often be found hiking the trails of Door County with Mabel, her beagle/hound mix.