Do you work with words from home? Do you enjoy spinning tales and weaving words into poetry? Perhaps your friends and family say you should really do something with all that talent you have. Maybe you have been longing to tell your story for future generations of your family. If this sounds like you, we invite you to join us.
Here’s our story
We are a Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild, a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose purpose is to support, encourage, and promote writers and their craft in our community. Our Columbia Chapter has served the writers of Central Missouri since 1959. Our membership is diverse, representing many literary genres and levels of both ambition and accomplishment. Writers who want merely to write for their own enjoyment and self-expression are as welcome as those who regularly find publishers for their work. We enjoy synergistic relationships with many literary and cultural groups and that keeps us energized and involved in our community.
Our modest funding comes from generous donors, membership dues, and paid events. 100% of it goes to support writers like you and our craft. We are grateful for our hard working volunteers and board members who generously give of themselves to serve our guild.
Our goal is to offer support for every skill level from the “wannabe” just starting out to the accomplished, published author. You do not have to be published or have any experience in joining us and learning alongside us.
Besides participating in many local events, such as Unbound Book Festival and Art In The Park, among others, we produce a couple of major events annually. They include:
- Well Versed, an anthology of prose and poetry wherein we receive submissions from both members and non-members, which are reviewed and judged and, if accepted, published. (See guidelines in the Members Section) We offer a modest payment for every published submission and we give prize money to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. If your submission is accepted and published, you qualify as a “published author”, making you eligible to join the http://www.missouriwritersguild.org. That’s the statewide “Mother” organization.
- In the summer, we host a flash fiction writing contest for guild members. Each month, members receive a prompt and have five days to complete a flash piece of writing based on that prompt. Guild members and winners judge anonymously the pieces eligible for publication in Well Versed.
- Our regular monthly meetings feature guest speakers, mini workshops, networking, and more!
- Other Member Benefits include:
- Curated list of resources for writers
- Opportunities to sell your books, both online and in person at events
- Members only writing contests
- Blogging (Article submission) on our website which can link to your own site
There are sub-groups within the broad membership that meet separately. These are special interest groups, such as non-fiction, fiction, and poetry.
Meetings
Our December 2023 meeting will be held on December 3rd at the Cambridge Place Clubhouse (1925 Scarborough Dr, Columbia).
This meeting is Open Mic. No business meeting. Come and share your writing with us. This will be a party so bring snacks!
January’s meeting will be January 7th, 2024, Location pending.
Normally, we meet on the 1st Sunday of the month, 2:00 to 4:00PM. For months with holidays surrounding that weekend, we will meet on the 2nd Sunday.
Typical meeting format includes a brief business meeting followed by announcements and introductions, then a speaker, workshop, critique group, or other special event.
Meetings are open to the public. Exceptions: Non members may not take part in mini-classes or have their work critiqued.
Poetry Open Mic and Slam Bake
We meet every 2nd Wednesday evening on Zoom from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm CST. The event now begins with a Featured Reader and then the Open Mic and Slam Bake follows.
It is open to both Guild and Non-Guild members to read or participate in this event as audience members.
Here is the current line-up of Featured Readers so far:
November 8, 2023 – Terry Allen
December 13, 2023 – Walter Bargen
January, 10, 2024 – Nancy Jo Allen
February 14, 2024 – Sharon SingingMoon
March 13, 2024 – Ken Gierke
Also, every 4th Wednesday of the month, we do a Zoom Poetry Critique Group from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm CST. Each participant has one poem ready to put up on screen share.
Membership
Membership in the Guild is $25 per year. For students, membership is $15. Checks can be mailed to the Guild at CCMWG P.O. Box 7795 Columbia, MO 65205-7795