Friends:
I'm packing a lot of information into this issue of the Area 5 newsletter for our new and returning members. If you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to support your efforts, please don't hesitate to reach out!
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Your Pennwriters membership was up for renewal on July 1. Thank you for renewing! If you haven’t yet renewed, please check the PW website for renewal instructions.
WRITER’S ROAD TRIP
Registration is now open for Area 1’s annual Writer’s Road Trip. It will be held Saturday, October 4, at the Zem Zem Shrine Club in Erie. This is their “lucky 13th” time holding the mini-conference! Visit the Pennwriters website for more information and to register.
2026 CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PROPOSALS
The next annual conference will be held in Lancaster on May 15-17, 2026. The theme is “The Writer’s Path.” The conference coordinators are accepting workshop proposals now through September 30. Send proposals to conferencecoordinator@pennwriters.org with your name, the workshop title, a working description of 300 words or less, and your bio of 300 words or less.
SOCIAL MEDIA
You can follow Pennwriters on the following social media platforms:
Facebook: Pennwriters
Pennwriters Presents
Instagram: penn_writers
Twitter: @Pennwriters
Blue Sky: @pennwriters.bsky.social
MEMBER NEWS
Please send me your good writing news to be included in upcoming newsletters. I know we have a talented group. Do you have a new book coming out? Have you won a writing award? Let us share your joy!
PENNWRITERS ONLINE COURSES
If you have not taken a Pennwriters online course, I highly recommend you sign up for one that interests you. Here is the schedule for the rest of the year:
July--From Page to Screen: Crafting Visual Stories--Tuesdays 7-9pm--Diana Botsford
August--Long Story Short: The Fundamentals of Crafting a Short Story--Wednesdays 7-8:30pm--Derek Tyler Attico
September--The Way of All Flash--Tuesdays 7:30-9:30pm--Timons Esaias
October--Sit & Write: Begin--Tuesdays 7-8pm--Kate Brenton and Claudine Wolk
November--"The Things They Carry"--Settings and Props--Tuesdays 7-9pm--Diana Botsford
December--no course, enjoy the holidays!
If you are interested in teaching a course, contact the online courses coordinator.
CRITIQUE GROUPS
The following Area 5 critique groups are accepting new members:
4th Wednesday Writers Group – virtual subgroup
Amy Gunarich
amybgunarich@gmail.com
Monthly exchange and review via Google Docs
Online only: contact coordinator for instructions and link
Mystery/Thriller
Critique Group
Jennifer Ericson
jericson@ezsolution.com
Monthly in person:
Third Tuesday of the month, 6:00 p.m.
Panera Bread
130 Rohrerstown Road
Lancaster
In addition, Pennwriters offers the Critique Partner Program:
Looking for feedback on your latest work in process? Pennwriters offers the Critique Partner Program to match authors up with fellow writers. We want to know what you're looking for. Then, we'll find the most compatible partner based on genre, progress, and other factors. We can also handle articles, essays, or other nonfiction. Our goal is helping to create a mutually beneficial partnership for both parties. So whether you have a finished work you'd like a beta reader for, or a work in progress that you'd like critiqued, please email D. J. Stevenson at PennwritersCritiquePartners@gmail.com for more information.
Write well. Be well.
Rob Teplitz
Area 5 Representative