What’s happening in the Alabama writing world…
The 2025 Alabama Writing Workshop is an annual one-day writers conference held in Birmingham on Friday, March 14, 2025: https://alabamawritingworkshop.com/
The full-day “How to Get Published” writing event will be held at the Embassy Suites Birmingham.
This writing event is a great opportunity to:
get intense instruction
pitch a literary agent or editor
get your questions answered
and more!
Seats are limited to 140, so Register Today!
The Alabama Writers’ Forum is planning to give this award out to organizations and individuals who have followed Jeanie’s example in promoting the literary arts in our state.
Jessica Jones Langston, President of AWC, will accept the award on behalf of AWC at the Alabama Writers’ Forum Gala on March 7, 2025 at the Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Cheers to an incredible night celebrating the AWC, the AWF, and all that Jeanie Thompson has done for writers throughout Alabama and beyond. Congratulations to the 8 inductees to the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame! The 2025 class inductees include Ace Atkins, Frye Gaillard, Joy Harjo, Janice Harrington, Robert McCammon, and Dr. Sue Brannan Walker. Authors C. Eric Lincoln and Brad Watson will be inducted posthumously.
AWC’s 2024 Journal is here and just in time for Christmas! Get your copy of the Awarded Writers’ Collection for 2024 today! Here is a link to the publication on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQLC3647
We hope you enjoy reading through the great pieces submitted by our 2024 AWC Writing Competition winners! Join us again in congratulating them on all their hard work.
Let’s also not forget the hours of time given by our Publications Committee members and the editors who brought us our newest journal edition! We appreciate them so much for all their hard work and expertise!
Don’t miss this workshop with editor, writer (The Bluegrass Standard) and Teaching Artist and past Fellow (Mississippi Arts Commission) Richelle Putnam! It’s free to paid AWC members.
This workshop explores how creative writing can enhance marketing and branding efforts. Participants will learn to apply storytelling techniques to build their brand’s identity (them as authors; their writing as products), engage target audiences, and write effective marketing content. It’s ideal for writers looking to incorporate creative writing into business or promotional materials.
Key elements:
- Understanding the role of storytelling in building a brand.
- Crafting persuasive and emotionally resonant marketing copy.
- Writing for various media platforms, including social media and print.
- Hands-on exercises in writing advertisements and creating brand narratives.
Use the below form to register. Be sure to scroll down, fill out the entire form, and click the “Submit” button.
Don’t miss this workshop led by a successful published author. It’s free to paid AWC members!
Use the below form to register. Be sure to scroll down, fill out the entire form, and click the “Submit” button.
In case you missed it, or if you didn’t miss it but you want to relive it, AWC member Emma Fox’s workshop on engaging all five senses in your writing is now available for streaming. Check it out—so many good tips from a published author.
Engage your vision! Watch the full-motion video with sound here.
Engage your hearing! You can enjoy just the audio here.
And, for the fully-immersive experience, relive the lively chat exchanges here.
Author Claire Datnow
I invite you to embark on a journey to explore Eco fiction as a writer. When I began my Eco Fiction Adventure series, I did not expected it to be so challenging yet so rewarding. Your journey will reveal a genre that offers inspiration and a clear purpose to authors. It provides a unique avenue for writers to delve into critical ecological issues through the power of storytelling and intertwines imagination with science and advocacy that inspires hope and action.
I started with “The Lone Tree: An Eco Adventure,” more than two decades ago— and more recently Cli-fi (Climate fiction) trilogy—for upper elementary and MG. Along the way I encountered inspiring students, wondrous endangered animals, and outstanding scientist-conservationist dedicated to saving them.
Eco-fiction, in essence, is fiction that revolves around ecological themes and environmental issues. What sets Eco-fiction apart is its deep connection to the natural world and its exploration of humanity’s relationship to it.
Eco-fiction also includes “cli-fi” (climate offers the writer a chance to choose from a wide range of narratives styles—from realism, magic realism, to dystopian visions of a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by climate change or utopian tales of harmony between humans and nature.
What are the rewards of writing Eco-Fiction and Cli-Fi or Climate Fiction? Through vivid imagery and thought-provoking narratives, this genre helps readers gain insight into the impact of human activity on our planet and inspire them take action to protect and live in harmony with the natural world.
As writers, we have a wonderful opportunity to use the power of storytelling to spark conversations, evoke empathy, and inspire change. By weaving environmental themes into our work, we can contribute to a broader dialogue about the urgent need for ecological stewardship and collective action. In a world grappling with unprecedented environmental challenges, Eco-fiction inspires hope and a call to action. Through our words and imaginations, we have the gift to tell narrative that envisions the future on this planet by building a more sustainable and just world.
As writers, let us embrace the transformative potential of Eco-fiction and harness the power of storytelling to educate and to inspire positive change. Together, we can build a brighter, greener tomorrow—one page at a time! Remember, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword, and in our hands, it becomes a beacon of hope for a planet.
Resources for Eco-Fiction Writers
For authors interested in exploring eco-fiction, there is a wealth of resources available to guide and inspire your creative journey:
Claire Datnow: mediamint.net and https://wiki.creativecommons.org/images/3/39/How_to_Become_an_Eco_Detective.pdf
clairedatnow.com books and blogs on environmental fiction and climate fiction.
Dragonfly.eco: This online hub is dedicated to eco-fiction and offers a resources, including book recommendations, author interviews, and articles exploring the intersection of literature and the environment.
The Cli-Fi Report: Stay up to date with the latest news and developments in the world of eco-fiction through the Cli-Fi Report, a comprehensive online publication covering everything from new book releases to academic research on climate fiction. #clifi
Eco-Lit Books: Discover a curated selection of eco-fiction titles and environmental literature recommendations on Eco-Lit Books. Whether you’re looking for dystopian thrillers or lyrical nature writing, this website has something for every eco-conscious reader.
The Nature of Cities: This online platform brings together writers, artists, and activists to explore urban ecology and imagine sustainable futures for cities. Writers interested in eco-fiction set in urban environments will find a wealth of inspiration and community here
Explore these resources to deepen your understanding of eco-fiction and connect with a community of like-minded writers passionate about exploring environmental themes through literature!
Eco-Fiction: Crafting Nature-Inspired Narratives (Claire Datnows #2)
Dive into the exciting realm of eco-fiction; Discover how contemporary writers craft narratives that reflect our connection with nature, addressing pressing issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. Unlock the techniques authors employ to weave environmental themes into gripping tales. Craft your own eco-inspired work, aiming to spark critical reflections on our role in the natural world. Learn how our stories contribute to the dialogue on our planet's future
Links to Claire Datnow Books:
Links to Additional Resources and to Articles by Claire Datnow:
The Art and Craft of Climate fiction by Claire Datnow—published in Climate Fiction Writers League:
Climate Change Fiction: Multicultural, Diverse, Global, and with Animals, Too! a guest blog by author Claire Datnow published Teen Librarian ToolBox
The Winds of Change: Children’s Environmental Climate Fiction published in the Alabama Writers Cooperative and in Dragonfly.
Additional Resources::
Weaving In Climate Change: A Cheat Sheet
"Climate Change Education” Infuse art, writing, and experiential learning into your climate science education with teachers and informal educators.
Claire Datnow
The Adventures of The Sizzling Six series
The Climate Fiction Trilogy Series, The Four Elements
This is a free Zoom workshop for AWC members.
Click this link now and fill out a short form to register.
Read more about presenter and author Emma Fox at her website.
