Mission & Vision

The Oklahoma Writers Society’s mission is to foster creative connections and help writers in the OKC area reach their goals. The Oklahoma Writers Society’s vision is to leave a lasting, positive impact on the world, evoke meaningful change, and help others feel connected, heard, and understood. We want to give writers the tools and skills to make their voices heard and to share their stories with the world.

Values

The Oklahoma Writers Society values creativity, inclusivity, community, authenticity, curiosity, kindness, vulnerability, integrity, compassion, and respect. We strive to embody these values in our work everyday and exemplify them at our workshops and critique sessions. Every member is treated with patience, kindness, respect, and dignity, and each of our individual works are better off for it.

Our Goals

  • Attend monthly writing, reviewing, and critiquing events to help each other strengthen writing and editing skills.

  • Form an encouraging and supportive tight-knit community for new and seasoned writers to publish their books.

  • Help writers reach their goals by motivating each other and holding each other accountable.

  • Grow as writers by practicing skills such as brainstorming, writing, revising, editing, critiquing and collaborating.

  • Learn more about the facets of the publishing industry and understand how to navigate self-publishing.

  • Establish an enduring connection group for writers for years to come.

  • Build a connected, action-based online community for our writers far and wide.

Oklahoma Writers Society (OWS)

The Oklahoma Writers Society (OWS) is an encouraging and supportive group for writers in the OKC area.

We meet every two weeks to encourage accountability, hone writing skills, strengthen our craft, and help fellow writers finish their stories. The Oklahoma Writers Society was formed in 2022 and provides free meetings and workshops for writers in the OKC area. Writers of all ages and writing experience are welcome, though we ask that parents accompany any attendees under 18 years old.

 

Here are our meeting locations for 2024:

  • Metropolitan Library, 8143 E Reno Ave, Midwest City, OK, 73110

  • Metropolitan Library, 4330 SE 15th St, Del City, OK 73115

  • Metropolitan Library, 327 SW 27th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73109

  • Metropolitan Library, 10 S Blvd, Edmond, OK 73034

If you’d like to see your library added to this list, contact us below! We are open to meeting at co-working spaces, coffee shops, restaurants, and other venues at the group’s discretion. Likewise, please reach out if you have any event ideas, activities, or conventions you’d like to invite us to!

How to become a member of the OWS

Becoming a member of the OWS is easy! To join, simply sign up via the newsletter form below and join our Facebook Group and Google Calendar to stay connected and up-to-date about all things OWS!

 
 

Community Workshop Guidelines

  • Members critiquing other member’s writing should provide clear, concise, constructive feedback in a kind, helpful manner. Irrelevant, condescending, rude, or hurtful feedback will not be tolerated.

  • Members receiving critiques from other members should accept criticism with an open mind. Not all advice will be right for you and your story. Ultimately you decide what feedback you will keep and what feedback you will discard. We’re all here to learn and grow together, so let’s approach each workshop with an open mind and a desire to learn from one another.

  • Advanced writers should be knowledgeable about formatting, grammar, and sentence structure. Please do not provide incorrect information or advice on topics in which you are not 100% knowledgeable.

Manuscript Guidelines

Please ensure that your work meets the following guidelines so that our workshops can be as efficient and as effective as possible.

  • Manuscript must meet basic Manuscript Formatting Requirements and should be free of any glaring grammar or formatting errors. For poetry, do your best to stick to these guidelines. We know that poetry is subjective and takes on many forms. As long as the poems are paginated and titled, feel free to experiment with all other formatting, structural, aesthetic, sonic, and literary elements of the work.

  • Manuscripts must be double spaced and no longer than 4,500 words. (If your work is longer, just know that we will only be able to read and critique up to the limit. However, cutting your work down and working on it in segments is perfectly fine).

  • Manuscript must be an original and recent-ish work. (We’re talking last five years recent, but preferably work that was completed in the last year or so).

  • Manuscripts must be group appropriate and must not contain any of the following: racial slurs, discrimination, derogatory names or words, excess sexual or explicit content, strongly offensive topics written in a non-tasteful manner. If your work deals with sensitive subject matter, please include a content warning before the start of the piece.

*Community Guidelines are subject to change and will be designed to fit the group as it grows and evolves. These guidelines are to put all writers on an even playing field and to hold each other accountable. If you have any suggestions for improving our guidelines or need clarification on anything, please reach out anytime.

OWS Frequently Asked Questions

  • Of course! The purpose of the workshop is to improve our writing skills together and refine our work into the very best iteration that it can be. We’re not specifically looking for perfectly polished, final drafts, though if it hasn’t been published feel free to bring it in. Please do not bring in work that has been previously published.

  • We are committed to supporting all writers, including those who require additional accommodations due to disabilities. Our aim is to create an inclusive environment where everyone has the necessary resources to succeed and express their creativity.

    We can provide materials in accessible formats such as electronic documents, color-blind-friendly or print handout, braille translations, and audio recordings. We also try to meet at venues with assistive technology including screen readers, speech-to-text software, and adjustable workstations. We can also discuss options to support you in setting up similar accommodations at your remote location if you are unable to attend meetings in person due to a disability.

    We believe in providing a supportive and accessible platform for all writers to share their voices. Additionally, we are open to exploring how we can best support your unique requirements. If you require personal assistance or specific accommodations not mentioned here, please feel free to discuss them with us.

  • No, typically refreshments will not be provided unless otherwise stated (on a case-by-case basis for each workshop). The group may decide to meet at a restaurant or venue with food and drink available, as well. Dietary restrictions and accommodations will be taken into consideration when deciding on meeting locations.

  • While many writers enjoy pairing their writing practice or leisurely poetry reading with a nice glass of wine, we ask that you leave and 21+ substances at home. If you're unsure about what to bring with you, check with the venue or reach out to us directly via the contact form below.

    For any events or venues where alcohol is allowed, all members will be notified prior to the workshop and it will be up to each individual's discretion. For our sober attendees, please feel free to let us know if you require any accommodations (we will maintain your anonymity if you wish).

  • We are looking for volunteers to help set up each event and run the Facebook group for the Oklahoma Writers Society! If you’re interested in helping, please contact us below!

Contact the OWS!

If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to us directly via email (hello@paytonhayes.com) or via the form below.