FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR >>>

From the Bronte sisters to Maya Angelou to J.K. Rowling, women writers have oft changed the face of the literary world.

In Tacoma, the Hilltop Women's Writing Collective seeks to build a community of women from all backgrounds, all ages and all writing levels into a once-monthly mingling of talent and ideas. The group has met on the third Sunday of each month since November 2012 - the brain child of 2011 UPS graduate Olivia Weitz and Mary Fox of Write@253.

Girl power!

"Because The Hilltop Women's Writing Collective provides a variety of workshops that are free to all women who enter 1310 MLK Way, I hope women from various stages of writing development and expertise will come to share their ideas, their processes and will feel supported as we continue to transform our imaginations into physical structures," says Necashaw Montgomery, coordinator of the writing group.

Saturday, Feb. 16 the Collective will have its first workshop of the year. Each meeting starts off with an introduction and story from one of the members and then moves into a workshop session. February's workshop will be led by Renee Simms, a visiting assistant professor of African American Studies at the University of Puget Sound, who has taught creative writing in many settings. Montgomery says exactly what Simms will teach is a "pleasant mystery," but will focus on interpretations of good and evil/morally complex issues for readers.

Women of any writing skill level are welcome and the event is free to the public, but do RSVP.

Keep an eye out. There may even be meets that allow men in the future.

@WRITE253, SATURDAY, FEB. 16, NOON TO 2:30 P.M., 1310 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAY, TACOMA, RSVP HILLTOPWOMENWRITE.253@GMAIL.COM