Women's Fiction Writers Association

The Women's Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) was established in 2013 by six women, Orly Konig (Past Presidential Adviser), Kerry Lonsdale, Laura Drake, Linda Avellar, Marilyn Brant & Maggie Marr. The current Presidential Adviser is Tasha Seegmiller and the organisation is currently in its 6th year of business.

A brief description of the founders, their publications and history are listed below, their contact details and further professional and personal information is provided in the links/references in the next section.

Founders

• Orly Konig

Originally employed for a number of years in the corporate world, predominantly that of the space industry, Orly Konig was persuaded by her partner to take her chances in the world of writing and fiction. She was the founding president of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and a current participant of the Writers in the Storm blog. Orly Konig currently resides with her family in Maryland and The Distance Home is her most recent novel. Orly Konig supports and promotes numerous charities with her writing, such as Alzheimer's Association, Star Gazing Farm and Room to Read.

• Kerry Lonsdale

Kerry Lonsdale is a featured writer in Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, and listed as an Amazon Kindle bestselling author. Writing series and single story narratives. Kerry Lonsdale's novels are based on emotionally charged drama's, family suspense and women’s fiction. Her books are published and purchased globally with 24 language translations available in over 28 countries. Kerry Lonsdale is a Co-Founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, an international organisation with over 1,000 members and writer's. Kerry Lonsdale resides in Northern California with her husband, two children, two cats and a Golden Retriever.

• Laura Drake  

Laura Drake was raised outside Detroit, Michigan. She originally worked as a CFO before leaving the occupation to pursue writing as a full time occupation. Laura Drake's series Sweet on a Cowboy, which were based on romance set in the world of professional bull riding, were published in January 2012.^[1] Prior to the release of this series, Laura Drake wrote and published a novel for the Harlequin SuperRomance in June 2012 with an additional three published in March 2013.^[1] Drakes debut novel, The Sweet Spot, was released in 2013 and won a RITA for Best First Book. Laura Drake is one of the Co-Founders of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, which was established in 2013.

• Linda Avellar

Linda Avellar is the Director of Development and Communication at The Ferguson Library in the greater New York city area. She pursues fictional writing in the hours that are not dedicated to this full time occupation and has a history of reporting and media from prior career pursuits. Her charity and fundraiser contributions are known as 'A Novel Affair' and have been running since 2010 with Ferguson Library New York. Linda Avellar is one of the Co-founders of the Women's Fiction Writer's Association and contributes good book recommendations, guidance and critique to members within the organisation. Her Published novels are The World as We Once Knew It The story of a missing husband, stricken with catastrophic amnesia with no memory of the past. The Thicket of Happiness A novel of tragedy, forgiveness and acceptance. Walking Backward Off a Cliff A Novel that details the fractured relationship between a mother and her son, the trials and tests the relationship faces and its development. Linda Avellar is originally from California,and currently resides with her husband and children in Connecticut.

• Marilyn Brant

Marilyn Brant is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, she is also listed as a top Kindle and Nook Bestseller with her writing on both contemporary and romantic fiction. Her debut novel won RWA's prestigious Golden Heart Award in 2007 and she was named the 2013 Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. Her Novel's include According to Jane, published in 2009, it's the story of a modern woman who receives dating advice from the spirit of Jane Austen. Friday Morning's at Nine, a tale about three suburban mothers, their marriages and what happens a decade or two after the "Happily Ever After". This novel was nominated as a Doubleday Book Club and Book-of-the-Month Club pick in 2010. A Summer in Europe, a novel about a woman's journey of self discovery as she travels through Europe with her adventurous aunt's Sudoku & Mahjongg Club. This novel became a Literary Guild feature in 2011 and a Rhapsody Book Club Top 20 Bestseller in "Fiction & Literature" in 2012. Marilyn Brant is a former teacher, library staff member, freelance magazine writer and national book reviewer for Romantic Times. She lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her family. Her publishing company is known as Kensington Books and she is a Co- founder of the Women's Fiction Writers Association.

• Maggie Marr [1]

Maggie (Margaret) Marr, is USA today Bestselling Author of romance and women's fiction, with a career history in the motion picture industry. An established writer and film producer, Maggie Marr works for Six Mile Ridge Productions and Dhaooma Productions. Marr worked as an attorney for four years prosecuting and defending cases for abused children and as a prosecutor in domestic violence cases in Denver. Maggie Marr is most known for her series Hollywood Girls Club, which is based on four starlets, breaking into Hollywood and detailing all its drama, sacrifice and romance in a contemporary setting. This novel was published in 2007 by Crown Publishers (New York, NY) and is the first of Marr's fictional writing. Marr is married to Chad Henderson and has two children, she is also the Co-Founder of the Women's Fiction Writers Association.

About the Organisation

Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) is an organised society of writers, at all levels of experience, which aim to create detailed fictional narratives that are governed by their protagonist’s emotional journey. These journey's may include romance, however that is not a mandatory inclusion to writing women's fiction with this organisation. Narratives can be contemporary, historical or post modernistic. They can include magic, mystery, drama and all elements that come to mind, both real and imaginary. Women's fiction is driven by the protagonist's journey toward fulfilment and self awareness or acceptance. This fulfilment is not limited by romance or any other genre and can be one or many kinds.

The Women's Fiction Writers Association and their focus on emotive styles of writing is due to their belief that human connectivity and empathy is enhanced through fictional reading and writing. This theory is supported by Psychologist and novelist Keith Oatley in his Berkeley Education publication ‘A Feeling of Fiction’, 2005 & more recently in Psychologists David Comer Kidd and Emanuele Castano’s study and publication ‘Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind’ 2013.  The association’s aim is to promote and support this belief by providing creative resources such as workshops, webinars and informative sessions, all taught by the fictional writing industries professional leaders. They also assist by generating public recognition and reward through reputable competitions and events.

Programs  

The programs that the Women’s Fiction Writers Association offers are as follows;

An Annual Retreat, where members are encouraged to congregate, interact and participate in communal activities and presentations with guest speakers. They are given time to reflect, write and recharge. The location and date of this retreat changes from year to year and is influenced through member votes and suggestions.

Author Happy Hour, introduced in 2018 is the most recent addition to the WFWA programs. Online videos are conducted at a premeditated hour, in which renowned authors converse and discuss topics that members have requested. They currently have a 60 minute time frame however this can be prolonged or shortened by member or founder request.

Critique Programs which offer feedback on aspiring and published authors written work are conducted year round, their frequency depending on member requests. This is exclusive to members and connects writer to writer through an online platform. Ongoing critique groups are offered and writers with similar interests are matched.

Mentorship Programs, these offer experienced writers or mentors the opportunity to assist and guide other writers in their work and careers. The work of a mentor is described as focused and individualized. Men-tees are provided with the beneficial influence and advice of professional authors that can provide insight and support with the process of drafting and publishing processes.  

Workshops & Webinars, these programs provide a learning opportunity in which members submit their writing for analysis and discussion among leaders and classmates. Majority of these workshops are online with the entirety of the ‘Webinars’ presented online, making their content record able and re-playable.  

Contests  

The competitions, awards and prizes that the Women’s Fiction Writers Association hosts are accessible to members only. They are publicized events that attract and advocate authors and their material to publishing agencies around the world.

There are two major contests, the ‘Rising Star Award’ & the ‘Star Award’.

The ‘Rising Star Award’ is designed exclusively for unpublished writers of women's fiction. It provides the opportunity for amateur authors to compete and present their work before published author and agent judges. The outcome of this competition can be potential publication, recognition and agency interest for those that succeed and feedback or directives for those that do not.  

The ‘Star Award’ is for writers who have created manuscripts of women's fiction, both agency and self published pieces. The award has two categories. The General category has no limitations regarding a narratives' time period, plot element or genre so long as it is women's fiction. The Outstanding Debut category takes into consideration the era, plot and genre of a narrative. Judging is divided into rounds and scored on a scale of 1 to 10. The early rounds are conducted by leaders and readers of women’s fiction, while the final round is judged by librarians and publishing agents.

Neither of these contests offer monetary prizes, however the winner of each category receives recognition in publishing agencies, agent and publisher access and the STAR Award trophy. Finalists receive certificates of participation and feedback. Winners and finalists are permitted rights of use to the digital badge for website and eBook publications that can be presented upon book covers as ‘STAR Award Winner’ or ‘STAR Award Finalist’.

Authors of Note

The authors that have achieved finalist status for the 2018 ‘STAR Award’ contest are as listed;  

General Category - The ‘Star Award’ Finalist

The Distance Home by Orly Konig

"Sixteen years ago, a tragic accident cost Emma Metz the loss of her two best friends, one human and one equine. Now, following her father’s death, Emma has reluctantly returned to the Maryland hometown she’d left under a cloud of guilt"

General Category - The ‘Star Award’ Finalist

The Tiger in the House by Jacqueline Sheehan

"Two sisters on the coast of Maine are swept up in the dark underworld of the heroin highway. Their family’s past complicates the efforts of one sister to save a child who is the survivor of a drug crime".[2]

General Category - The ‘Star Award’ Finalist

Last Christmas in Paris by Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor,

"A love story set during the Great War in which a female journalist in London struggles to make sense of the propaganda at home and her place in this changed world, while her brother and childhood friend grapple with the devastation of war at the Front".

Outstanding Debut Category - Finalist

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber

"When a mega-hit podcast reopens the long-closed case of Josie’s father’s murder, Josie’s world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, the unexpected death of Josie’s long-absent mother forces her to return to her Midwestern hometown where she must confront the demons from her past and the lies on which she has staked her future".

Outstanding Debut Category - The ‘Star Award’ Finalist

The Winter Loon by Lori Henriksen

"Coming of age in the 1930s, long before LGBTQ advocacy, Ruth Thompson risks dangerous social repercussions in order to live her authentic truth".[3]

Contact Details

The Women's Fiction Writer Associations' website is https://www.womensfictionwriters.org

The WFWA Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/WFWritersAssociation/

The WFWA Membership fees are listed on the website as $48 per annum. Subscription is applicable online.

External links

This article "Women's Fiction Writers Association" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Women's Fiction Writers Association. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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