About SLWG
History of St. Louis Writers Guild.
Founded in 1920
St. Louis Writers Guild is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to further Missouri's literary heritage, connect, support, and promote writers and literary organizations in the community.
Celebrate a century
On October 2020, St. Louis Writers Guild will be 100 years!
St. Louis Writers Guild was founded by members of Missouri Writers Guild who wanted to meet more than twice a year. Sam Hellman, a newspaper columnist and screenwriter, hosted the first meeting as president. About thirty people attended a presentation about novels at the home of SLWG’s 2nd President, Shirley Seifert.
By the end of the decade, St. Louis Writers Guild was one of the preeminent writers organizations in the Midwest. In 1935, a young Tennessee Williams won the short story contest with Stella for Star, he won $10. In the 1940’s and 1950’s SLWG held a great yearly writers conference. Each year the Mayor would be the keynote speaker.
Since the mid-2000s SLWG has grown to its largest membership ever, and has expanded programing, benefits, and opportunities for its members. SLWG still holds on to that core belief that we are an organization of writers sitting back in those living rooms trying to help one another.
Past Presidents of
St. Louis Writers Guild
1920 – Sam Hellman
1921 – Shirley Seifert
1923 - Louis Dodge
1924 - Ralph Mooney
1925 – no record
1926 – Irving Mattick
1927 - no record
1928 – Elizabeth Allen Satterthwait
1929 – Dr. Alfred F. Satterthwait
1930 – Elinor Maxwell McCord
1931 – Elinor Maxwell McCord
1932 – Rebeka A. P. Deitz
1933 – Rebeka A. P. Deitz
1934 – Mable H. Malone
1935 – Mable H. Malone
1936 – Elinor Maxwell McCord
1937 – Dr. Harvey J Howard
1938 – Anita Knight
1939 – Robert Hereford
1940 – Bert Hoffman
1941 – Ralph Mooney
1942 – Emily Pope
1943 – James Worsham
1944 – Clare Fleeman Alger
1945 – Claire Fleeman Alger
1946 – Ruth Rodgers Johnson
1947 – Norah Morgan
1948 – James A. Worsham
1949 – Frank Poindexter
1950 – Ruth Grosby
1951 – Ruth Grosby
1952 – Florence Armstrong
1953 – Dr. Jerome S. Grosby, DDS.
1954 – Marion O’Brien
1955 – Marion O’Brien
1956 – Charles Norton
1957 – Nicolette Stack
1958 – Caroline Ward
1959 – Charles Guenther
1960 – Bernice Roer
1961 – Lois Rea
1962 – Devere Stephens
1963 – Merna Lazier
1964 – Janet Neavles
1965 – Bessie Megee
1966 – Mrs. Norman Peukert
1967 – Marcella Thum
1968 – Dorothy Sappington
1969 – Richard Lynch
1970 – King McElroy
1971 – Elizabeth Mulligan
1972 – Antonio Betancourt
1973 – Art Hogland
1974 – James H. Nash
1975 – Virginia McCarthy
1976 – Charles Guenther
1977 – Charles Guenther
1978 – Joyce Flaherty
1979 – Mary Gorman
1980 – Dorothy Nash
1981 – Ron Lightle
1982 – Gwen Lowder
1983 – Marcella Holloway
1984 – Linda Madl
1985 – N. Paul Dusseault
1986 – Carolyn May
1987 – Linda Sage
1988 – Cynthia Georges
1989 – Sandy Palmer
1990 – Chuck Hardwick
1991 – Frank Foley Jr.
1992 – Julie Keleman
1993 – Jan Shafferkoetter
1994 - Mary Schirmer
1995 – Mary Schirmer
1996 – Terry Gibson
1997 – Terry Gibson
1998 – Terry Gibson
1999 – Terry Gibson
2000 – David Motherwell
2001 – David Motherwell
2002 – David Motherwell
2003 – David Motherwell
2004 – David Motherwell
2005 – David Motherwell
2006 – Robin Moore (formerly Theiss)
2007 – Robin Moore (formerly Theiss)
2008 – Robin Moore (formerly Theiss)
2009 – Dr. Rebecca Carron
2010 – Dr. Rebecca Carron Wood
2011 – Dr. Rebecca Carron Wood
2012 - Brad R. Cook
2013 - Brad R. Cook
2014 - Brad R. Cook
2015 - David Lucas
2016 - David Lucas
2017 - David Lucas
2018 - David Lucas
2019 - Jessica Mathews
2020 - Jessica Mathews
2021 - Jessica Mathews
2022 - Jessica Mathews
2023 - Jessica Mathews
2024 - Jessica Mathews
Sam Hellman, the 1st President of St. Louis Writers Guild
and some photos of St. Louis in the 1920s
The Classic Version of the SLWG Logo. Created in the mid-1990s, it was in use until 2015.
New SLWG Logo, in use since 2015, created by combining the two winning designs from Steven Langhorst and Brad R. Cook. The Illustration was made by Jennifer Stolzer.
Thank you:
Photos on the website are used with permission.
Photography by Steven Langhorst, and Brad R. Cook
Graphics by Brad R. Cook, and Jennifer Stolzer
2021
1/9/21 — The Amazon Mindset: What Self-Publishing Authors Need to Know About the World’s Largest Bookseller with Matt Davids
2/6/21 — Five Steps to Having a Strong Query with Catherine Bakewell & The New Rules for Pitching with Brad R. Cook
3/6/21 — Writers on Zoom special online event: Workshops by Andrew Lound, Jody Feldman, Zack Jodlowski, Linda Joy Myers, Jane Ellen Ibur and Bob Baker, plus optional pitches to publishers
4/3/21 — How to Self-Publish Like a Pro: The Parts You'll Hate, but Have to Do! with Meghan Pinson
5/1/21 — Nicole Lanahan: "Social Media Marketing: How to build a platform, engage readers authentically and turn followers into sales”
6/5/21 — Special YA Event: Lynn Stevens: “YA in the 21st century,” plus a Teen Panel “What YA authors get right and wrong”
7/10/21 — Jessica Mathews and Jennifer Stolzer: “The Con Experience”
8/7/21 — Cherie Postill: “How to Train Your Beta Readers”
9/11/21— Pitchfest: special event featuring three workshops and optional editorial consultations and pitches to publishers
10/2/21 — Mark Lasswell, Washington Post, "Writing Opinion Journalism"
11/6/21 – Amanda Jakle (Worldbuilding Basics for Authors) and Nicole Evelina (Worldbuilding for Historical Fiction, Sci Fi & Fantasy)
12/4/21 - Holiday Book Party with readings from the Winners of the Young Writers Awards.
2020 - The 100th Anniversary for St. Louis Writers Guild
1/4/20 - The Writing Techniques of Jules Verne with Reginald Van Stockum Jr.
2/1/20 - Perfecting Your Pitch: Get Conference Ready with Brad R. Cook
3/7/20 - Writers in the Lodge special event! Featuring presentations by Kortney Price, Guy Anthony De Marco, Andrew Doty, C.L. Postill, plus editing consultations and pitches to agents. Co-sponsored by the St. Louis Publishers Association
4/4/20 — Freedom in Form: The Poetics of Haiku and Ghazal with Ben Moeller-Gaa and Jennifer Lynn (Online webinar)
5/2/20 — Contract Clauses: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly with Michael Kahn, in cooperation with Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA) — (Online webinar)
6/6/20 — What Not to Do — Book Marketing Experiments with Warren Martin, in cooperation with St. Louis Publishing Association (SLPA) - (Online webinar)
7/11/20 — Research For Writers (Or How to End Up On A Watchlist in 20 Minutes or Less) with James Young (online only)
7/13-7/17 - Summer Writers Camp for young writers in 4th-8th Grades
8/1/20 — “How to write about encounters with the extraordinary”with Karen Cavall (online only)
8/22/20 - The Publishing Evolution - A day of online Workshops
”Write, Publish, Promote & Profit in the Digital Age” with Nicole Evelina, Vivian Gibson, Esme Symes-Smith, and LaShaunda Hoffman, moderated by Marie Chewe-Elliott
“Empowering Your Writing: Using Conscious Language for Inclusiveness and Representation” with Crystal Shelley
”Art for the Cause: Writing for Advocacy, Healing & CommUNITY Building” with Marie Chewe-Elliott, Antoinette Crayton, and Kate Moore-Freeman
”Locksmiting for Writers” with author, Arianne “Tex” Thompson
9/12/20 — Editing Extravaganza 2020, “Get Known Everywhere Using Publicity” with Jill Lublin and editing consultations with Andrew Doty, Meghan Pinson, Catherine Bakewell
10/10/20 - Pitchfest: part of the Gateway to Publishing Conference Series with Ask the Experts Workshops and Pitch Sessions with Publishers and Literary Agents.
10/24/20 — SLWG 100th ANNIVERSARY special event! Paul Guyot: “Everything You Know About Screenwriting is Wrong”
11/7/20 - “Tax Tips for Writers and Other Creative Professionals” with Dan Connors in cooperation with Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA)
2019
1/5/19 - Book Descriptions that Sell with Karen Sargent
2/2/19 - Improving Characterization Across Gender and Sexuality with J. Rachel Clay and Kathleen Kayembe
3/2/19 - Freelance Your Way to Success with Linda O’Connell
4/6/19 - Get Conference Ready: Perfecting Your Pitch to Literary Agents and Publishers
5/4/19 - What to Expect When You’re Expecting (A Book) with Jennifer Geist and Cynthia A. Graham
6/1/19 - “Fundamentals of Book Marketing” with LaShaunda Hoffman & Tabitha Caplinger
7/13/19 - Bad Book Covers with Jennifer Stolzer and Brad R. Cook
8/3/19 - Audiobook Production for Authors with George Sirois and Jennifer Jill Araya
9/14/19 - Editing Extravaganza - Two one-hour workshops on editing with Catherine Rankovic and Andrew Jobling; sign up for 20+ minute editing consultation
10/5/19 — How to use Wattpad & Social Platforms to Kickstart Your Writing Career with Shelly X. Leonn & LL Montez
11/2/19 — Navigating the Wild, Wild West of Publishing with Cathy Davis
12/7/19 - Holiday Party! Featuring readings by Young Writers Contest award winners and dessert potluck
2018
1/6/18 – Landing an Agent (query letter, relationships, and more!) presented by Justin Wells – Remote Workshop
2/3/18 – Novel Revision 101 presented by Meghan Pinson
3/3/18 – “Finish that book!” presented by Allie Pleiter
4/7/18 – Get Conference-Ready: Perfecting Your Pitch to Literary Agents and Publishers presented by Brad R. Cook
5/5/18 – Perspectives on Writing Historical Fiction with P.A. DeVoe and Ed Protzel
6/2/18 – The Seven Deadly First-Page Sins presented author, Arianne “Tex” Thompson – Remote Workshop
7/14/18 – Working with an Illustrator presented by Illustrators Jennifer Stolzer and Craig Skaggs
8/4/18 – Resources for Indie Authors at St. Louis County Library presented by Sarah Steele SLCL Reference Specialist for Reader’s Advisory
9/8/18 – Delve into Genres with Camille Faye, Jo Hiestand, and Mia Silverton
10/6/18 – Writer Beware: “How Not to Get Published” Richard C. White of the publishing watchdog group, Writer Beware
11/3/18 – “Surviving the Hike and Planning the Aftermath” NaNoWriMo workshop presented by Amanda Wells
12/4/18 - Holiday Party with YWA Readings
2017
1/7/17 – Pulp Fiction Isn’t Just a Tarantino Movie presented by author, Van Allen Plexico
2/4/17 – Poetry/Fiction: The Artistic Language of Horror presented by Mary Genevieve Fortier and David Schultz II, founders of the St. Louis Area Horror Writers Society
3/4/17 – How to Pitch & Query Literary Agents & Publishers presented by Brad R. Cook
4/1/17 – Step 1: Write, Step 2: ???, Step 3: Profit presented by McKenzie Johnston Winberry
5/6/17 – Poisons You Personally Know presented by Fedora Amis, historical mystery author
6/3/17 – Making Biography Readable, Salable, and Absorbing presented by author, Peter Green
7/8/17 – Writing a Book is Hard. Publishing is Even Harder. Presented by Rick Miles, Red Coat PR
8/5/17 – Strategies for Critique Partners and Groups presented by Jennifer Stolzer, Secretary of SLWG and Critique Group Coordinator
9/9/17 – Writera, Tap into your Intuitive Creativity presented by Deborah Terra Weltman
10/7/17 – Taking Your Self-Publishing Career to the Next Level presented by Liz Schulte
11/4/17 – Crafting a Successful Synopsis presented by author, Shawntelle Madison
12/2/17 – Holiday Gathering and YWA Readings