Welcome all ye human forces of phantasmic imagination, world-building wordsmiths, and
architects of the abnormal to The Violet Realm!
The Violet Realm (VR) is our IWH room dedicated to fantasy fiction and science fiction-- truly for all writers who are interested in creating magical worlds within their works. The Violet Realm meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 6-8pm at the Iowa Public Library in meeting Room B. If you've attended a Violet Realm write-in and would like to stay connected with other sci-fi/fantasy writers, request to join our Facebook group.
All are welcome at whatever stage of the writing journey you are in!
Questions? Email welcome@iowawritershouse.com
“We want to hear from you!”
ROOM CONCIERGES
ERIN CASEY
Erin is a Room Coordinator for the Violet Realm and is helping to put together additional Rooms for IWH. She is also the blog and story writer for Blue Jasmine Studios in Colorado. She recently attended the Pikes Peak Writing Convention and was asked to submit her first novel to an acquiring editor.
ALEX PENLAND
A child of the Washington, DC museums, Alex’s passion for humanity and literature led her to Iowa City in 2015. She uses her degree in English and Anthropology to write silly books about alien geologists and magic letters in her spare time. When not working with the Iowa Writer’s House, she is a member of Next Issue Media’s mobile optimization team.
ABOUT THE VIOLET REALM
On January 12th, The Violet Realm made its debut at the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL). Led by co-concierges Erin Casey and Alex Penland, this room brings fantasy and science fiction writers together to discuss their craft. The community meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month in ICPL Room B between 6:00 and 8:00 P.M. Each session is a little bit different, but always provides the group with news from IWH and the regional community, a short lesson, a group discussion, a prompt, and then an hour to free write.
In between meetings, the community continues its discussion through its private Facebook group. So far the room has discussed character creation, world building, language creation, and maps. This community highly encourages writers of any age or level of experience to attend; members range from teenagers to senior citizens, with more and more joining every day. Erin and Alex are working to create a Cedar Rapids version of the Violet Realm, but they are still looking for volunteers to help lead the Concierge volunteer effort. If you are interested, please contact them at iowawritershouse@gmail.com.
From the Violet Realm Blog
Original illustration by Jane Mount
In April, 2015, the Iowa Writers’ House peeked through the woodwork of Iowa City’s literary community and saw an opportunity to build something special. The growth we have experienced in just one year has seen a mixture of trial and error, celebrated successes, and most importantly, a perseverance among our members to build a writing community that we can be proud to call home. As we celebrate our one-year anniversary, join us in looking back on the events of 2015!