At Much Ado About Writing, play is key. It unlocks learning, engages imagination, connects members, and builds story.
Curious about our writing community? Check out below or…
Our writing community is venturing into its 4th year!
Come celebrate with us and Write for Kids (now in their 35th year!) as we bring more events and coaching opportunities each month to our new Insiders Coaching Club.
Around the Community:
Our guest speakers bring so much expertise to the group.
NYT Bestselling author Matt McMann
We appreciate being vetted as an online writing center others recommend.
Conversations with co-founders Kate and Valerie:
Author Joyce P Uglow on Much Ado About Writing
Authors Showcase on writing
Meg Eden Kuyatt on The Girl in the Walls
Testimonials
Write for Kids webinar: 6 Modes of Narration
Much Ado About Writing Members:
Just wanted to thank you for another invaluable editing call. I always learn so much, not just from my pages but the others. Your comment to one of the members about her dialogue or narration being something that the characters already know hit home. I have been told that in one area where I was trying to put in history or backstory I was using “soap opera” dialogue — the characters already know about these events so why would they be discussing them? I had it in because the READER needs to know! lol! But the person who told me this did not give me any suggestion of how to correct it other than take it out….but I still need to let the reader know about this!
You not only pointed out the problem but you supplied a solution, a way to pass on the information that makes more more sense. That was a major Aha moment for me. It shouldn’t have been, since I’ve been stretching my interiority muscles lately, but it still was. I just need figure out how to get my POV character to be thinking about these things I need the reader to know.
— Ann Lozier
As an aspiring picture book writer, I have sampled a variety of writing “communities”, looking for a place to learn craft, get honest and helpful feedback, connect with other writers and have fun in this challenging but passionate process. I have found all this and more within the community that Kate Penndorf and Valerie Heller have created. I feel challenged, supported and encouraged…I’ve found my writing home.
— Catherine Claar Crawford
I’ve only been part of Kate and Valerie’s group for a few weeks, but I’ve already learned *so much* from this lovely team! Their calls are so warm and engaging, and they are so skillful at fostering a supportive community that it feels like we’re all sitting in a living room sipping warm beverages and discussing writing haha. Their feedback on our writing is so supportive and creates such a safe space for making mistakes and learning how to correct them, even though writing a first novel feels like such a vulnerable venture overall. I’m so impressed with their teaching style, the way they have their calls mapped out with a craft concept supported by examples from published works, and I love their fun dynamic and repartee lol. I’m excited to keep learning from them as they lay out, step-by-step, the art of writing.
— Katie Mabry-Rairigh
I so love these calls because I learn so much from Kate and Valerie’s analysis of our submissions. I know I “stumbled” on the group, and I’m SO glad I did.
— Nancy A. Kolb
I love the sense of community Kate and Valerie have created. I have grown a lot, and you’ve made this “shy” person feel very welcomed and comfortable.
— Leah Schanke, Children’s Book Author
As a member, I can honestly recommend membership. In this thriving world of publishing, there is an increasingly large number of organizations that sell one-off sessions with the intention of improving the craft of writing. I’m a member of many lovely writing communities and happily participate in learning alongside other creatives.
As writers, we know all about the concept of a through line. In this community, Kate and Valerie use anecdotes, examples, metaphors (and much more) to create the continuity structure that supports learning. Their intentional week to week and month to month consistency connects the parts to the whole. The week one teaching call speaks to a designated element. And the following weeks, well… they follow up!
As an educator, I know that learners of all ages may need 7 to 10 versions, iterations, or repetitions of a concept to fully learn what’s being studied. It works beautifully in learning the craft of writing, too. Bravo! Hooray! Huzzah!
— Joyce P. Uglow, children’s book author, poet, speaker, and forever team education cheerleader
Much Ado About Writing 