In light of the current state and national discussion around the recent Indiana legislation, we wrote the below statement to affirm our commitment to the inclusiveness of our conference: 

As always, if you are human and write words, you are welcome to the Midwest Writers Workshop.

(If you aren’t human and write words, you are welcome to our conference as long as you agree to allow us to videotape you writing so we can win YouTube, especially if you are a cat.)

Regardless of your title, cover, genre, or translation, you are welcome to our conference.

If you are gay or straight or somewhere in between, you are welcome to our conference.

If you are a grammar guru, someone who will fight against the Oxford comma, or someone who will fight for it, you are welcome to our conference.

Regardless of your race, creed, religion, immigration status, political- or planetary-affiliation, you are welcome to our conference.

Our point is that EVERYONE is welcome, and we consciously work to make our conference more diverse and inclusive. Last year we were excited to have Daniel José Older lead a session titled Fundamentals of Writing “the Other” and this year Christa Desir is leading a session titled: Everything You Want to Know About the World of Gay Romance But Were Afraid to Ask. (see our full list of sessions)

Even though Muncie, Indiana, might not be the most diverse city in the United States, the MWW committee believes that diversity of people, thoughts, and opinions, make us stronger as a community and as writers.