IWL empowers writers. What’s Your Story?
Member Event* 3rd Tuesday Each Month
(except August)
February: Zoom Workshop
2/16/2021 6:00 PM PST
Members attend FREE. Join today at New Member Price ($25).
Genre Twins: Where Fiction Ends and Nonfiction Begins
by Paula Coomer
The line between fiction and nonfiction is pretty thin. In fact, authors of nonfiction are obligated to the same craft elements as fiction writers, including characterization, setting, mood, tone, plot, dialogue, narrative arc, etc. What then distinguishes the two? Where do the rules cross and where can they be bent? Poet and author Paula Coomer discusses these points and more with tips for helping writers decide which mode best fits their writing goals.
*IWL hosts online member-only events. Join us today to attend all 2021 monthly member events.
Meet Our February Workshop Speaker

Paula Coomer is a poet and literary fiction writer who occasionally writes about food and health. Her writing has appeared in many journals, anthologies, and online publications. Books include the novels Jagged Edge of the Sky and Dove Creek, short story collections Somebody Should Have Scolded the Girl and Summer of Government Cheese, poetry collectionsNurses Who Love English and Devil at the Crossroads. A food memoir, Blue Moon Vegetarian, was followed by the much-loved cookbook Blue Moon Vegan. A long-time teacher of writing, Ms. Coomer has been a nominee for the Pulitzer, the Pushcart, and others. She lives with her husband Phil in the tiny town of Garfield, Washington, where she coaches writers and organizes and facilitates Clearwater Writers, a retreat program on the Wild and Scenic Clearwater River near Syringa, Idaho.