Author Archives: WOTA

A nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting writers and promoting the literary arts in and around Muscatine, Iowa.

May Madness

WOTA will meet in room 17 of Musser Public Library on Tuesday, May 21 from 6-8 pm. Note that room 017 is the Makerspace room on the bottom basement floor (elevator accessible). As usual, bring a pen, bring a friend, bring a short work to share!

If you need a writing prompt why not take another crack at the April challenge: GAZEBO, BLOOM, GRANDILOQUENCE, LIGHTBULB, QUIETLY, DOWNHILL, CONNECT, ERRATIC, TUNNEL. We didn’t get to hear these last time.

Pearl City Press is thrilled to announce the publication of Penny and the Woodland Fairies, the first in Farmer Bob’s Fairy Tales series, by WOTA member Bob Bancks. Many of us have heard these tales come together during meetings; now you can have the whole book! Tales for the young and young at heart.

Author events

Misty Urban will be signing books at The Artsy Bookworm @ Skeleton Key from 1-3 pm on Saturday, May 26. Stop by to get signed copies of her historical romances, contemporary novels, or literary short fiction. Skeleton Key Arts & Antiques is located at 520 18th St, Rock Island, Illinois.

Check out events at the Midwest Writing Center

Check the MWC website for information on the David R. Collins Writers Conference and Young Emerging Writers summer events. Deadlines are coming soon.

April is for Poems

Monthly Meeting

WOTA will meet in room 301 of Musser Public Library on Tuesday, April 16 from 6-8 pm. Bring a pen, bring a friend, bring a short work to share!

The March group challenges you to compose something using these words: GAZEBO, BLOOM, GRANDILOQUENCE, LIGHTBULB, QUIETLY, DOWNHILL, CONNECT, ERRATIC, TUNNEL

Local Author Shelf at Musser Public Library

The librarians and Friends of the Musser Public Library came together to organize an entire shelf to local authors, located on the first floor next to New Nonfiction. We’re very lucky that our library staff is so dedicated to supporting local literature. Authors, I hope you will donate a copy of your work to appear on these shelves, and readers, I hope you will browse this shelf and take a local author home with you each time you visit the library! Circulation of these works will show the library that local authors’ books are in demand, and you’ll make authors happy knowing their books are being read.

Fairmount Library Publishing Panel

The third in a series of publishing panels hosted by the Davenport library at Fairmount and the Midwest Writing Center will take place starting at 6:00 on May 1 at the Fairmount library. The panelists will field questions about dealing with agents and traditional publishers. Sessions are free but registration is recommended. Find out more and register at the library’s website, here.

Book Release Party

Contributors to SHATTERED CONSTRAINTS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF RADICAL HOSPITALITY will read their work at a book release event at St. Ambrose University’s Galvin Fine Arts Center on 4/18. The first 100 people to attend the event will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology. There will be copies available for purchase during the event and via the MWC Press online bookstore after the event. The book can be preordered here: https://www.mwcqc.org/books/shattered-constraints/. Find out more information through the Midwest Writing Center.

Book Signing Series

Submit to Wandering Words!

The Wandering Words contest sponsored by the Muscatine County Arts Council is now open! Write a poem that fits the guidelines and see your winning entry carved into sidewalks around Muscatine. Several WOTA members and friends have been part of this contest as winners and as judges! For details on prizes and how to submit, view the Muscatine County Arts Council page.

March Mayhem

Join us for the monthly WOTA meeting on Tuesday, March 19 from 6-8 pm in room 301 of Musser Public Library. Bring a pen, bring a friend, bring a short work to share!

If you want a writing prompt, try using these word: VIEW, MOVING, CONGEALED, SANDY, IMPERCEPTIBLE, PENGUIN

Local authors on the shelf

Check out the new Local Authors shelf at Musser Public Library! Featuring the productions of local talent, including WOTA members. If they don’t also have the full collection of recent WOTA anthologies, we’ll make sure those go on the shelf! Come add your own work, or show love for local artists by checking out their book.

If you’re in the mood for a writing retreat

Only Books in the Building is a writer’s retreat running from March 28-30 at Honey Creek Resort in Moravia, IA. Published authors will speak on writing romance, mystery, and nonfiction, and other panels will talk about paths to publishing. There will also be breakout sessions to work one-on-one with authors and excursions to nearby Centerville to round out the fun. Find out more information and register here

Looking for ways to publish your work?

The second and third panels of a three-part series on publishing, hosted by the Davenport Library and Midwest Writing Center, will take place on April 3 and May 1 at the Fairmount Library in Davenport. Meetings start at 6 pm and are free, though registration is encouraged.

February Fabrications

Monthly meeting

Join us on Tuesday, February 20 from 6-8 pm in room 301 of Musser Public Library! Bring a pen, bring a friend, bring a short work to share.

Writing contests

Register now for the IRON PEN — a 24-hour writing competition that will test your creative skills. You can choose poetry, nonfiction, or fiction, or enter all three, for the chance to win a cash prizes AND free registration to the David R. Collins Conference this summer! Register through the MWC website

The Iowa Poetry Association’s 79th annual contest is open now! You have until February 28 to submit a poem that could be featured in the next Lyrical Iowa. Click here for contest rules and categories

Publishing panel

The Davenport Library at Fairmount is hosting, in concert with the Midwest Writing Center, a three-part series of publishing panels. Register for any or all 3 of the sessions on submissions-based and independent publishing, self-publishing, and traditional, agent-based publishing. It’s free!

Save the date

January Joy

Happy new year, writers! Wishing you joy, & may all the new year’s resolutions stick–or at least the ones related to writing.

Monthly meeting

Join us for the regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 16 from 6-8 pm in room 301 of Musser Public Library. The words for the January word challenge, should you choose to accept, are:

SIMPLY, SINCERE, LUMINESCENT, GASTROPOD, LOLLIGAG, STINKY, ABSTRUSE

(As you might guess, the holiday party had left us feeling a bit silly.)

Writing contests

Send your poem to Iowa Poetry Association’s annual poetry contest and see your work published in Lyrical Iowa! Contest rules and categories here

Register now to take part in the fastest writing contest in the Midwest–the Iron Pen–brought to you by the Midwest Writing Center. Registration and rules are available on the website.

May your pen never run out of ink!

December doings

Join us for a holiday party & open mic on Tuesday, December 19 from 6-8 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 211 Walnut St. in Muscatine. We’ll enjoy holiday cheer and share short works. Family, friends, and any other guests are welcome! No treat will be turned away from the table, but all that’s necessary to bring is your holiday cheer. Hope to see you there!

If you need some writing inspiration, here’s the list for the December word challenge:

ROLLING, DANCING, TREPIDATION, DELECTABLE, CRYSTAL, CRECHE, DIDDLE-DADDLE

Publication news

Congratulations to WOTA President Misty Urban for three new publications:

  1. a contemporary romance, MY THING WITH TIMOTHY KAY, which is a sequel to her award-winning bodyswap fantasy, MY DAY AS REGAN FORRESTER
  2. “Deep Dive,” a contemporary romance holiday novella appearing in A TROPICAL HOLIDAY DUET
  3. VISCOUNT OVERBOARD, a historical romance set in 1799 Newport, Wales, featuring an English lord who loses his memory and the Welsh healer who decides not to tell him who he is for very risky reasons.

If you have publications you’d like to share, drop into the Facebook group or email WOTA and let us know!

Nestle into November

Monthly Meeting

Join us for our regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 21 from 6-8 pm in room 301 of Musser Public Library. As always, bring a pen, bring a friend, bring a short work to share.

Word Challenge

Looking for inspiration to get you writing? Try composing something using these words:

RIDE, TURNSTILE, IMPRESS, GRATEFUL, VOLUME, FEATHER, DARKNESS, PEANUTS

November Events

So much is going on this month!

Nov 4, Sterling, IL

Nov 11, Rock Island, IL

Nov 16, Muscatine

Save the Date

Congratulations to WOTA member Mike Bayles on the publication of his seventh book, The Siouxland and Other Dreams!

Spooky October

Writers! Join us for the WOTA monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 17 from 6 – 8 pm in room 301 of Musser Public Library. Bring a friend, bring a friend, bring a work to share! Writers of all ages, styles, genres, and levels of experience are welcome.

Need a jolt of inspiration? Write something incorporating these words:

WATERFALL, SPOOKY, BLURB, GHOST, RAISIN, SUBLIME, MELON

Do you know a young writer who would benefit from having some dedicated writing time in the company of equally dedicated writing colleagues? The Midwest Writing Center is hosting Wednesday night write-ins for middle school and high school writers every week in September and October. Visit the MWC at the Rock Island Public Library between 4 – 6 pm. It’s free!

Speaking of the MWC: submissions are now open for the Foster-Stahl chapbook series! Find more information about length, other requirements, entry fee, and past winners at the MWC website.

October 1-7 is Banned Books Week and this year, more than ever, writers need to stand up for the freedom to write, share, publish, and READ books that will teach us, uplift us, speak to our hearts, and broaden, not limit, our horizons. Show your support for intellectual freedom at the Banned Books Reading to be held October 5 from 5:30 – 8 pm at the Watts Midtown branch of the Rock Island Public Library. We can lift our voices in many ways in the liberation of the written word: here’s one.

Enjoy the fall, and write on!