Heartland Writers Guild: Local organization promotes and supports writers

What if there was a place right here in our community that afforded writers the support they need to get their work published? What if, through this meaningful local organization, there has been a myriad of writers who have successfully had works published and experienced great success in their writing careers? Would you believe it?

Turns out, there is a local organization like this, and its mission is summed up in the three words that give it its name: Heartland Writers Guild (HWG).

According to member Carol Fisher, a resident of Kennett, Mo., the organization came about like this: During Lent in 1988, Robert Vaughan, a published author who lived in Sikeston, Mo., who has written more than 300 books, hosted a series of Sunday afternoon writing sessions at his church for those interested in writing. After the initial meetings, attendees decided to continue the Sunday afternoon meetings. According to their website, for over a quarter of a century, they’ve kept the tradition going with Sunday afternoon HWG meetings, which are at the core of the guild. Additionally, they’ve hosted Friday night and Saturday morning workshops, open mic coffeehouse events and a writing retreat. The guild has also organized book signings at writing conferences and local venues, which enables its members and area writers to market their books.

“Joining the Guild opened a whole new world for me,” says Mary Koeberl Rechenberg, current president of the Heartland Writers Guild and resident of Jackson. “I soon realized that the main goal of the Heartland Writers Guild is to provide encouragement and guidance to support professionalism in published and unpublished writers and guide all members toward successfully marketing what they write.”

Typically at each meeting, a presenter discusses topics pertaining to the writing and publishing process, encouraging members to share their successes and obtain answers to any questions they have. Members also discuss advice about publishers, editors, formatting, pitching and query letters. Periodically, the organization offers a one- or two-day conference with workshops. According to Rechenberg, the Guild is made up of members from diverse occupations and writing backgrounds ranging from first-time writers to writers who have published numerous works, from Southern Illinois, the Bootheel and across Southeast Missouri.

“These people all had one passion: the desire to write and get published and the willingness to help anyone else who wanted the same thing,” Rechenberg says. “They immediately made me feel like part of the group.”

Fisher agrees: learning from others has benefited her own writing career.

“We have maintained an enthusiastic group of diverse writers,” Fisher says. “A very positive feature of our group is the addition of several young writers who are very aware of the current changes in the publishing industry. They are actively writing and promoting their projects. They are focused on the benefit of social media in the writing and publishing process, as well. They are eager to share their knowledge and energy with our writing group.”

Many attribute their success to the HWG. Numerous writers have been published, including Rechenberg, because of the support of this writing community. Not only has Rechenberg had many poems and articles published in “The Best Years (TBY)” and other publications, she’s also developed a writing business.

“At one of the first workshops I attended, the speaker talked about the satisfaction of submitting articles and essays to magazines. I felt like that was something I could do and took off from there,” she says. “Since then, I have had over 60 poems, articles and essays published in magazines, newspapers and anthologies. In November, my third self-published children’s book, ‘Andy’s Bubblegum Adventure,’ became available. It’s all because of the Heartland Writers Guild.”

Other success stories include members acquiring agents through research and networking opportunities at writing conferences, with their manuscripts currently in the pipeline to publication. Amanda Flinn, an agented, traditionally-published author, is one of those writers who found community at the HWG. So is Mary Ann Featherston, who has self-published a cookbook. And Bill and Sharon Hopkins are members who self-publish local crime thriller novels.

It all comes back to community.

“When I started attending these group meetings, I instantly felt encouraged and supported by people walking alongside me in my dreams. That’s a priceless benefit you’ll get from this group, along with practical writing tips, laughter and, of course, delicious food and drinks at our gatherings, too,” says Sarah Geringer, Heartland Writers Guild member and speaker, podcaster, artist, author of “Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus” and resident of Jackson. “All writers need supporters who ‘get’ them, and HWG is that group for me. Though we write in many different genres and are at different stages of our writing journeys, we all understand the pain of rejections, the inherent isolation of writing and the difficulty in coming up with fresh ideas.”

Are you interested in being a writer and getting your work published? The Heartland Writers Guild offers support for these goals and can help lead you down the “write” path. The HWG meets the third Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m., temporarily at the St. John’s Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Pocahontas. To join, visit their website at heartlandwriters.org, click “Join HWG,” download the membership form and send the completed form and payment ($24/year) to P.O. Box 652, Kennett, Mo. 63857. Email heartlandwriters@yahoo.com with questions.