Coming Out to Write In the Valley

With nearly 60 participants and eight authors, Saturday's Write In the Valley: Chapter 3 was proclaimed a hit.

“We are real pleased with the turnout this year since you never know how many people are going to show up,” said Judy Kimball, organizer, writer and member of the Sumner Arts Commission. 

Chris Weigand of Puyallup said she has attended the event every year. Along with Kimball, she is a member of the critique group that started the year after the inaugural event.

“It is a really good place to get writers together to mingle and hear what each other is doing,” she said.

Weigand said she enjoys meeting the authors, hearing their advice and networking with other writers, especially since she is shopping around to get her second book published.

She self-published both her first book and an e-book Bible study.

Ronda Bishop, a member of the Sumner Arts Commission, started Write In The Valley three years ago. At the time, there were lots of writers in the South End, but not many events for them to attend, Kimball said.

Now, every year the Sumner Arts Commission invites different authors to be on a panel. Some are self-published; some write non-fiction; others write fiction, or romance; children's books and those focusing on the outdoors.

“We try to mix it up so it is an ecliptic-across the board that way we can try to reach out to everybody,” Kimball said.

This year, the event included the authors reading excerpts from their books, Q&A sessions with the writers, a writing contest, drawings, handouts, critiques and a book sale.

There were 14 entries for the writing contest this year and the writing was so good that the committee was unable to pick just one winner, Kimball said.

Instead, the members decided to have a first, second and third place.

Kimball is in charge of the critiquing and holds meeting with participants during the event. She said she talks with the writers on what they can improve or what they are doing well.

“I have two or three that are absolutely great writers, and are really ready to be published,” she said.

The Sumner Arts Commission charges $10 to attend the event; the entire cost goes to hosting the event. Participating authors volunteer to be part of the panel.

“It is something writers just gravitate towards because it is really fun to be in a room with a lot of people with like interest,” Kimball said. 

Kimberly Derting of Bonney Lake said she was happy to support the local event.

“Since it was local, it made sense for me to come support the Sumner Arts Commission,” she said of being on the author panel.

Derting, the author of two books and the upcoming "The Pledge," said she also enjoys helping new writers navigate through the publishing process because there tends to be misguided information.