Author: Nicole Phelon

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In The Media News

Seeking Art Submissions | Words Meet Art

Seeking Art Submissions – Words Meet Art

Call for Submissions | DEADLINE Aug 15

The Ames Writers Collective is seeking “two-dimensional original art” submissions for an exhibition at Fifth Street Writers located at 612 5th Street in downtown Ames, Iowa.

Media can be oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, or photography. Pieces chosen for the exhibition will be featured at Fifth Street Writers Art Meets Words events.

At Words Meet Art events, writers come together to write in community prose memoir or poetry in response to the art or photography submissions. A public event will feature both the art work and the writers reading their responses written at FIFTH STREET WRITERS. These in-person events will happen on Friday evening (writing), November 14th, Saturday morning (writing), November 15th, and an Open Mic featuring the writers and artists on Saturday evening, November 15th.

WE ARE ONLY ACCEPTING ART SUBMISSIONS AT THIS TIME – NO WRITING!

Words Meet Art is a literary arts event demonstrating through words how art evokes feelings, triggers memories and stories, and inspires conversations across divides and demographics.

Fall 2025 Exhibition date November 15th.
Each artist may submit ONE (1) PIECE for consideration.
Submission DEADLINE is AUGUST 15 at 5 PM.

Interested in submitting your 2-dimensional art. Click here to FILL OUT OUR SUBMISSION FORM. 

Thank you, Discover Ames for your grant supporting our event.

 

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In The Media News

New Membership and Donor Platform is Now Open!

Exciting News: Our New Membership & Donor Platform is Now Open!

We’re thrilled to announce that Membership Registration and Donor Support for Ames Writers Collective are officially open!

Why Become a Member? Joining Ames Writers Collective’s Fifth Street Writers isn’t just about membership, it’s about belonging to a creative community that thrives on connection, inspiration, and growth. Become a member, and enjoy:

  • 10% Discount on all classes, expand your skills while saving.
  • Exclusive Access to our Writer Portal, connecting you to genre-specific writing groups, announcements, and more.
  • Your Name in Lights on our Members Page, celebrate your role in our community.
  • Invitations to special members only programs and events.
  • Advance Registration for conferences and events, get first dibs on the opportunities you love.

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS

Youth & Students under age 22 ($15/Year)
One year membership for a student under the age of 22
Individual ($55/Year)
One-year membership for an individual
Family ($75/Year)
One-year membership for a family of two adults, plus 2 youth writers 6th thru 12th Grade
Writing Group ($125/Year)
One-year membership for a Writing Group (must be open to accepting new members). This membership provides group members with free, reservable access to a Fifth Street Writers boardroom or library for group meetings.
Author ($245)
One-year members in this category are given key-fob access to the facility during open hours, and the opportunity to reserve space for book launches.

Sign up! 

Support Us Through Donations! Your donations fuel our mission to heal and inspire communities through the art of writing. Every contribution, big or small, makes a lasting impact. Consider becoming a:

  • The Dabbler – $50
  • Publisher – $100
  • NY Times Best Seller – $250
  • National Book Award – $500
  • The Booker Prize – $1,000
  • The Pulitzer Prize – $2,500

Not ready to register or donate? No problem! Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on all things Ames Writers Collective, events, programs, member spotlights, and more.

Name:
Email:

Join us, support us, and grow with us. Learn more about Fifth Street Writers here.

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Author

Tony Moton

What’s your genre?
Fiction

Are you published?
Self published

What inspired you to become a writer?
My grandmother and aunt gave me a typewriter for my 8th grade graduation. The rest is the proverbial history.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Gay Talese. His 2006 book A Writer’s Life helped crystallize my belief that writing is a vocation to be cherished. At their core, writers and journalists are educators who just happen to be wordsmiths. I find none more enthralling that Mr. Talese, who can weave a tale finer than his custom-made suits.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
A Writer’s Life by Gay Talese
Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America by Nathan McCall
Tracy Flick Can’t Win by Tom Perrotta

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I joined my high school newspaper the first week of my freshman year and they assigned me varsity football. That event—and my Apollo GT electric typewriter—changed my life forever.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Write when you want to. Write when you have to. Write when you need to. Just write.

Author Bio
Tony Moton is an assistant professor of sports media, journalism and broadcasting in his second year at Iowa State University. An award-winning journalist and screenwriter, the native of Chicago holds master’s degrees in both fields from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and UCLA, respectively. He has worked as a sportswriter, entertainment columnist, magazine writer and investigative reporter across the country, including his hometown, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, Las Vegas and the Quad Cities. To learn more about Tony, click here.

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Member

Doug Gentile

Douglas A. Gentile, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University, the leader of Ames’ premiere jazz band the Indigo Monks, and is a Zen monk with the Ames Buddhist Mahasangha. He writers primarily nonfiction, with books published by Penguin, Oxford, Cambridge, and Praeger.

He often writes with a fountain pen which

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Member

Rachel Gantt

Rachel Gantt was the Ames Writers Collective’s first intern. She writes content for the website and socials. She also enjoys writing creative fiction and poetry.

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In The Media News

1st Saturdays | Write Together at Fifth Street Writers

Join us at Fifth Street Writers on the 1st Saturday of each month from 10 AM to Noon. Together we’ll write in community on our writing projects.

What’s a Write Together?

  1. Bring your laptop or whatever you write with to work on your creative writing projects—novels, memoirs, poems, project outlines, your to-do list for the coming year if need be
  2. We have seating areas spread throughout the building at Fifth Street Writers that run the gamut from comfy club chairs to benches with tables, to larger tables with chairs—some tables are shared spaces
  3. We’ll write in community for ~2 hours after sharing a brief comment about our creative project
  4. We have wifi
  5. We write, write, write in silence
  6. RULE: Cell phones MUST BE SILENCED, as well as laptop “dings”

Each month, we’ll open our doors at 9:30 am. Grab a coffee or tea and mingle with fellow writers. There’s plenty of street parking (metered) with a CyRide stop in front of our building at 612 5th Street in downtown Ames, Iowa.

While the event is free and open to all, we’re asking everyone to pre-register because space is limited. To register, click here.

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In The Media News

Missed Our Founder on IPR’s Talk of Iowa?

On January 7th, Ames Writers Collective founder, Ana McCracken spoke with Charity Nebbe, host of Talk of Iowa. Talk of Iowa is presented by Iowa Public Radio.

During their conversation, Ana shared with Charity the exciting plans for the Ames Writers Collective newly opened Fifth Street Writers—a physical space that serves as a hub and vital resource for writers in Ames and Central Iowa. She shared how Fifth Street will help build connections within the Ames community.

If you missed the live broadcast, you can stream the conversation online at IPR. Search for the  Jan 8, 2025 episode titled, A Dubuque museum celebrates 150 years. Ana’s segment is the last 20 minutes. Additionally, episodes are available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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In The Media News

Ames Writers Collective hosting Poetry Slam Qualifier Feb. 28

Mark your calendars, for the rescheduled Iowa Poetry Association Slam Qualifier to be held on February 28 from 7 to 9 PM at Fifth Street Writers.

The winner will not only represent Ames at the Iowa Poetry Palooza but will also compete for a $100 prize and a spot in the national competition!

Poets must be 18 years or older by June 2025 to enter.

 Learn more and register today!

Check out last year’s talented participants and champions below!

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In The Media News

Claire Kruesel hosting the Generative Writing Workshop on Jan. 25!

Screenshot

Discover your inner writer with Claire Kruesel at the Generative Writing Workshop on Jan. 25! Whether you’re dreaming of writing someday or looking to reignite your creative spark, this free monthly workshop offers a supportive and inspiring space for writers of all levels. Guided by guest host Claire Kruesel, an accomplished poet and passionate advocate for storytelling, you’ll explore prompts to help inspire your writing.

Join us upstairs in the PEO Room at the Ames Public Library on Jan. 25th from 10 to 12

These workshops are inspired by the Amherst Writers & Artists Method, which believes that everyone is a writer.

4th Saturday of the month | 10 to Noon Email [email protected]

Presented by the Iowa Center for the Book and Ames Public Library in partnership with the Ames Writers Collective.

ameswriterscollective.org | (515) 708-4694

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In The Media News

Founder Ana Hays McCracken on Talk of Iowa

The Ames Writers Collective is thrilled to announce that our founder, Ana McCracken, will be a guest speaker on Talk of Iowa! Hosted by Charity Nebbe and presented by Iowa Public Radio, Talk of Iowa is a platform where Iowans come together to share ideas and learn from one another.

Ana will discuss the exciting plans for our upcoming physical space, Fifth Street, and how this new hub will serve as a vital resource for writers in Ames. She’ll also share how Fifth Street will help build connections within the Ames community.

Tune in to Ana’s session at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7th. You can listen live on News & Studio One (FM) or stream it online at ipr.org. If you miss the live broadcast, the episode will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and under “Latest Episodes” on Talk of Iowa.

We hope you’ll join us to hear Ana’s inspiring vision for the future of Ames Writers Collective!