Women Who Write | A Place, A Space, A Voice | Louisville, Kentucky Our Story
Women Who Write is a non-profit organization for women writers in the Louisville area. We welcome, educate and support all women who aspire to write. Our vision is to be the “go-to” place for women writers. All women interested in writing, in any genre, at any level, are invited to our meetings. Women Who Write was co-founded in May 1992 by local playwright and historian, Carridder (Rita) Jones.
What Our Members Say
The Women Who Write community sets free one of a writer’s inner demons. The one that tries to convince you you’re not ready. It’s the voice that says, ‘I need a crisp new journal to write in, a better laptop, my idea stinks, or I need my favorite coffee shop to be open for business. Without those things, I simply can’t begin to write.’” WWW helps every writer realize all you need is pure intent and a bit of inspiration to begin creating. The intent is provided by you, the inspiration is provided by the insight and generosity of our members.”
—Terri—
“My favorite aspect of Women Who Write is the wealth of experience found in the group. Journalists, poets, novelists, memoirists – each kind of writer contributes something that will make me a better writer.”
—Pam—
“The solitary nature of writing often makes me crazy! Through Women Who Write, I have found a community of women with common interests, as well as a place, a space, a voice. I have found people who understand it is important to choose the right word, build complex characters, create tension, include terrific details, create vivid scenes . . . We can all be a bit crazy, together!
—Kim—
Board Members
Megan Oliver Thompson,
Director
Megan Oliver Thompson practiced law in Chicago and San Francisco for over seventeen years before hitting the pause button and moving to the Louisville area with her husband and two daughters in 2020. She took a brief hiatus from the legal world, during which she read A LOT of those novels she’d been meaning to get to, experienced Disney World for the first time, assistant-coached her younger daughter’s soccer team, and got back into creative writing with NaNoWriMo 2021 and Women Who Write. She’s currently a Content Development Manager with Continuing Education of the Bar, a non-profit associated with University of California – and if she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing.
Elizabeth Holtsclaw,
Membership Coordinator
Elizabeth Holtsclaw has a degree in history and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago. She weaves her improv comedy background with these experiences to channel strong character voices and inserts comedy into even the hardest of subjects. Elizabeth is a voracious reader, storyteller, a true lover of social history and historical fiction. In 2024 she quit her toxic job and started her own consulting group with a few friends to support health focused coalitions. This life change allowed her to devote more of her time to writing and creative based flings. Which all sounds terribly fun and romantic until she starts to think about adult things such as a retirement account and health insurance.
Holly Hinson,
Co-Assistant Director
Elizabeth Roach-Smith,
Treasurer
Elizabeth Roach-Smith has loved writing stories and poetry since shewas a little girl perched in a treehouse with her notebook. Professionally, she works in communications and has channeled her writing skills into roles such as speechwriter and press secretary. Her published work includes freelance nonfiction articles about food and bourbon (her favorite is an article pairing Girl Scout cookies with bourbons), and her appreciation for good food often spills into her work. Currently, she is focusing on poetry and short fiction, with the goal of completing a novel. She holds a degree in English from Furman University and a graduate certificate in publishing from Columbia University.
Irene Sulyevich,
Public Relations
Irene Sulyevich came to Louisville from Ukraine 32 years ago. IT professional, seasoned Toastmaster, fitness nut and a culinary Goddess, she never cheated on her biggest passion—her writing. She has a collection of personal essays published on medium.com, and she is also a contributor to multi-genre literary anthology The Boom Project: Voices of a Generation (Butler Books 2019). Trilingual, multicultural, her voice gives her writing unique dimension that always sets her work apart.
Nancy Wynn,
At-Large
Nancy Wynn is a writer and mother of two teenagers, and works full time as a nurse practitioner. She joined the 5am club to squeeze in time to write and is in the pursuit of writing a personal memoir. She is a lover of trees and you will often find a tree metaphor mentioned in her essays.