The middle of the novel can be the most challenging. We know how our story starts and how it ends, but getting from A to Z is sometimes the problem. Join Pam Binder as she helps make that journey easier.

Join best selling author and PNWA President Pam Binder as she talks about how to avoid a sagging middle, using three key scenes. In this pre-recorded session, we recommend watching it all the way through, then going back and doing the exercises Pam puts forth for you to work on.

In-depth story structure techniques for building a page-turning romance. You have done the hard part! You have created a good working draft of your romance novel. Now it is time to switch into editing mode and shape that draft into an effective page-turning romance that readers will love. We will be working on the structural foundations of your story before developing the plots points for the external and emotional conflicts which drive the romance relationship. The structure of the opening chapters of your manuscript will be covered in-depth to ensure that your readers are hooked from the start!

Our keynote speaker for Young Author's Day is New York Times and bestselling author, Jason Reynolds, the 2020 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Reynolds is the author of thirteen books for young people, including his most recent, Look Both Ways: A tale told in Ten Blocks. 


This workshop breaks down the first page components and allows time for participants to re organize so that they can develop their first page. If there is time a student can read the page made in the class.

Writing a book series is challenging, and it's a great way to create an enthusiastic, loyal readership. Attendees will learn what you need to create your own book series. Your planning begins with your first book. Then we'll review the key concepts to creating a successful series and some tools to help you make it happen.

Our lives are interconnected webs, and everything in them seems essential. Choosing which events warrant inclusion is the first step in creating powerful, engaging narrative. When writing memoir or narrative non-fiction, the choice of where to start, what to include, and when to stop is often more difficult than in fiction. Through the use of literary examples and writing exercises you will learn how to sort through a myriad of events to find the ones that expand on the theme of your memoir.

Our keynote speaker for Young Author's Day is New York Times and bestselling author, Jason Reynolds, the 2020 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Reynolds is the author of thirteen books for young people, including his most recent, Look Both Ways: A tale told in Ten Blocks. 
An inspiring speaker, we were all moved to tears.

How can authors create realistic multicultural characters? Author Eliana West will explain the basic tools needed to write characters from different racial backgrounds without falling into many of the common pitfalls that create characters who are stereotypes instead of real people. Tap into this growing new market and reach new readers by adding diversity to your story.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~ Stephen King

Welcome to PNWA's Writer's 2020 Contest Award's Celebration for published and unpublished authors.
Our unpublished contest is designed to help authors shape their story and improve their craft with the goal of publication.
Authors receive two critiques, and as finalists, the opportunity to have their entry read by agents and editors.


Our published contest is the Nancy Pearl, named for the renowned librarian and award winning author, Nancy Pearl. Nancy Pearl received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association for her support of readers. All entries in the Nancy Pearl contest are read, and judged, by local librarians.

The winners in both contests receive monetary prizes.

Join us as we celebrate our contest finalists and winners. Find us on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/pacificnorthwestwritersassociation

"I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in."
--Robert Louis Stevenson