The Jefferson County Writers Club

06/17/2026

Hello, Writers! We have a monthly meeting scheduled for 5:00 tomorrow (Wed. 6/17), and the community room at the library is still on reserve for us. I (Ashley) won't be able to attend this month, but don't let that stop you from gathering and sharing your works in progress and seeking inspiration from some fellow creative minds! There's real power in putting our work before an audience, and you'll have a hard time finding a more supportive one than our group!
I look forward to returning for July's meeting (Wed. 7/15) and hearing how your works have been going. In the meantime, if you're looking for some entertainment over the next two weekends, you might enjoy the musical that Jefferson College's theatre department is putting on this summer: The Producers. (We have dress rehearsals this week; that's why I can't attend our June meeting).
https://www.jeffco.edu/theatre-events/

I hope your summers are off to great starts, and I look forward to seeing you all again in July (if not at the show!). Happy writing!

05/20/2026

The JCWC meets at 5:00 this evening to discuss, among other things, writing query letters.
Below are some resources to help you on the journey to publication!
https://janefriedman.com/query-letters/
https://janefriedman.com/how-to-find-compelling-comps-for-your-book/
https://thejohnfox.com/2021/05/100-query-letter-examples-that-got-authors-an-agent/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbdTJbIzL04

The query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only: to seduce the agent or editor into reading or requesting your work. You can learn the formula.

06/17/2025

Hey, writers! We have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 5:00 in our usual location, the Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library. I (Ashley) am going to be in a Teaching Creative Writing course until 4:30 at UMSL, so I'll likely be QUITE late to the meeting, but I hope you'll still attend and share what you've been working on over the past month. We won't have a specific topic to focus on for June and July's meetings, so take this time to share your work and receive some real-time feedback if you'd like!
Our normal meetings (with a consistent host and a specific focus) will resume on August 20th, but don't be shy about dropping in to the less structured sessions on June 18th and July 16th. We'd love to have you!

02/18/2025

NOTICE: The JCWC's February meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, 2/19, will be cancelled for weather. We will meet again in person on March 19th.
Keep warm and keep writing!

12/30/2024

Happy Monday, Writers!
What comes to mind when you think of New Year's Resolutions? Does you reach for new beginnings or just want to roll your eyes? Maybe one of YOUR resolutions is to spend more time on creative pursuits, like writing!
The club's current writing prompt is simply "Resolutions," and what better time to tackle it than the week of the New Year? Write a poem, a paragraph, a plot outline, a short story, or even a personal essay, and feel free to share it at our January meeting!
Happy New Year, and see you in 2025!

12/18/2024

National Amateur Poetry Competition!
This contest is free to enter and offers poets the chance to win up to $2000 in cash and prizes!

Enter your poem for a chance to win up to $2,000 in cash and prizes! Our semi-annual poetry contests award a multitude of prizes to deserving poets.

12/18/2024

2025 is bound to be a creative year!

The Club will continue meeting on the third Wednesday of the month at 5:00 PM. Those dates are below, along with a tentative list of themes of discussion.

January 15, 2025: Imagery in Poetry and Prose

February 19, 2025: Making the Abstract Concrete: Authorial Voice

March 19, 2025: "Says You": Creative Non-Fiction

April 16, 2025: National Poetry Month!

May 21, 2025: Compelling Characters: The Motivational Continuum

June 18, 2025: TBD

July 16, 2025: TBD

August 20, 2025: Fiction Forward: World Building, Myth Making

September 17, 2025: A Writer's Life: Revision and Editing Strategies

October 15, 2025: Ghost Stories

November 19, 2025: Fiction Forward: Effective Endings

December 17, 2025: Celebration Season!

We're always open to your interests. If there's a topic you want to cover in a meeting, feel free to let us know by commenting below or contacting Ashley at [email protected].