About US

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to inspire and engage writers and readers of all ages, at all stages.

We do this through events and workshops at our Writing Center and within the community, through our residency program, and by offering support to our writers.

OUR HISTORY

Write On, Door County started in the spring of 2012 as a way to encourage people of all ages to share their stories. In the spring of 2013, an anonymous gift of property provided the organization a place to call home, and to create a home for writers. The first staff person began in the fall of 2013 and in January 2014, the organization received its nonprofit status. The first writers-in-residence came in April of 2014.
Since then, we have hosted hundreds of writers from around the world through our residency program. Classes and workshops have been offered to all ages in every part of the county. Readings and talks have been given by celebrated authors such as United States Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, New York Times best-selling humorist Michael Perry, and internationally-acclaimed writer Naomi Shihab Nye.
Over the years, programming expanded throughout the community. The first Write On, Door County conference, focusing on Children's Literature, was an enormous success. Annual programs like Kids WOW and Recharge Your Creative Battery became traditions and hallmarks of Write On. In April of 2019, a second conference was held at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor, called Paths to Publication. Write On was growing and the vision for the future became clear.
In July of 2019, Write On broke ground on the northern Juddville property to begin building the vision of creating a Writing Center for the Door County community. Designed by the Kubalo Washatko Architects of Mequon, WI and built by Carlson Erickson Builders of Sister Bay, WI, the Writing Center took shape over winter 2019-2020, and in October of 2020, the Write On offices were moved across the street. The Writing Center became the new home and heart of Write On, Door County. In 2022, the Write On campus grew as 20 acres to the northeast was gifted to the organization, adding to the beautiful woods and paths of the land, and expanding the campus to 59 beautiful acres.

Visit Our Writing Center

The Writing Center is located at 4210 Juddville Road, Fish Creek, WI.

A home for writers and readers, the Writing Center invites you to find sanctuary, community, and peace in our Atrium, Classroom, or on the 59 acres of beautiful trails.

Come to write but also to wander the beaches, visit neighboring islands, hike a wooded trail, bike, sail, kayak, or snowshoe. Summer and fall are peak times for visitors, but the "off-season" is spectacular too.

Learn More

OUR VALUES

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Write On, Door County is a diverse, inclusive, and equitable place where all participants, resident writers, employees, and volunteers - whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability - feel valued and respected. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are heard. To that end, we uphold a commitment to a diverse community by nurturing an inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment.

Health Safety Statement

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Write On, Door County is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy place for all participants, staff, and volunteers. If you have been fully vaccinated, you are not required to wear a mask. If you have not been vaccinated, please continue to mask in order to protect yourself and others.

As the situation continues to evolve, we will continue to follow the recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control, the Wisconsin Department of Health, and the Door County Health Department.

We encourage all of our program participants to follow current protocols.

Discrimination Policy

Write On, Door County is dedicated to the creation and nurturing of an environment in which everyone feels welcomed as a dignified member of our community, regardless of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, age, national origin, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, or genetic information. This applies to employment, our residency program, and all of our programming.

Code of Conduct

Write On, Door County is committed to providing a supportive and nurturing space for all residents, program participants, staff members, and volunteers. We expect participants to treat each other with respect in all interactions.

Expectations of Program Participants, whether online or in-person:

Listen carefully
Respond thoughtfully
Act respectfully
Avoid harassment in both actions and words

Harassment takes many forms and may include:

Deliberate intimidation
Repeated disruption of classes or programs
Unwelcome physical contact
Unwelcome sexual attention
Verbal comments or displayed images that harmfully reinforce structures of oppression
Written contact, such as sexually suggestive or obscene letters, notes, invitations
Verbal contact, such as sexually suggestive or obscene comments, threats, slurs, jokes about identity-specific traits, such as gender, race, or national origin
Visual contact, such as leering or staring at another's body, gesturing, displaying sexually suggestive pictures or objects
Continuing to express sexual or social interest after being informed directly that the interest is unwelcome
Using sexual behavior to control, influence or affect the career, salary, or work environment of another

Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or critique in good faith. By their nature, reading and writing include exposure to controversial, challenging, and sometimes offensive language.

At the core of Write On's mission is the belief that reading and writing create a deep understanding of ourselves and others, thereby encouraging empathy and compassion in our society.

Land Acknowledgment

Write On, Door County is located in Fish Creek, Door County, Wisconsin. We acknowledge the First Nations people who are the original inhabitants of the region, having ancient historical and spiritual connections to the land where our organization now resides. We acknowledge the First Nations People of Wisconsin, specifically the Potawatomi, Winnebago (Ho-Chunk), Ojibwe, Sauk, Noquet, Menominee, and Ottawa people. We acknowledge this space as their land and home.

Black Lives Matter

Write On, Door County mourns with our community for lives lost to violence and racism and stands with all people striving for a just society.

There is a place for everyone in anti-racism work. No one person or organization can do it all, but together, our collective power is transformative.

Please stand with us as we say, unequivocally: black lives matter. Black lives matter in every city, in every neighborhood, in every rural town, and every village in Wisconsin. We invite you to work in partnership with us to make this statement a reality.

Immigrants

As a member organization of the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission, Write On's board of directors approved this statement on immigrants and affirms it as one of our core values:

The rise in angry rhetoric against immigrants, particularly immigrants of color, the policy of child separation, and the treatment of children in detention camps on the Southern Border of the United States point to a climate of xenophobia, in the United States, that is as dehumanizing as it is inhumane. Because we understand that the role of the arts involves education and because we affirm its responsible function in working for justice, with this statement, the Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission stands with immigrant communities and asserts that immigrants are vital contributors to the social fabric and promise of the United States of America.

#StopAsianHate

We at Write On cannot stand idly by while the violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community continues. The tragic murders on March 16, 2021, of eight people-all but one of them women-in their workplace were horrific and unimaginable. We offer our condolences to their families, and we extend our support to those facing discrimination and living in fear of similar acts every day. We strongly believe every person deserves to feel safe and live peacefully, and we are committed to being an ally for those fighting racial and social injustice.

We'd like to share some resources to help all of us bring about real change. To report an incident of harassment or violence against members of the AAPI community, please visit www.stopaapihate.org and learn ways you can show your support. We also recommend:

Time magazine's "Donating, Volunteering, Reporting Hate Incidents: Here's How to Help Combat Anti-Asian Violence"

Cathy Park Hong's recent article in the New York Times "The Slur I Never Expected to Hear in 2020"

Texas Book Festival's "Recommended reading about racism against Asian Americans"

We encourage you to visit Kundiman's list of "Literary Organizations that Serve Writers of Color" and consider donating to some of the arts organizations on the list working to support Asian American communities and voices.

Please join us in raising awareness and standing against the hate however you can. If you see something, please say or do something. Together we are stronger.