“Writers are such chickens.”
JoJo Jenson of Willamette Writers is daring Eugene pencil pushers to step outside of their comfort zones.

“You got to come out,” she said.
“It will make writing way more enjoyable, and it will make you braver. If you’re not getting rejection letters, you’re not putting yourself out there.”
Jenson, who is a published author and co-chairperson of Willamette Writers’ Mid Valley chapter, is inviting writers, especially student writers, to participate in the group’s monthly events.
“We love writers. It doesn’t matter if you are someone who never has picked up a pencil before or if you have published four books and just want to hang out with other writers,” Jenson said.
“You cannot do it alone, and Eugene is awesome; it’s an entire community full of amazing writers.”
Today, the group will host a Q&A session with screenwriter Larry Ferguson.
Ferguson wrote the screenplays for “The Hunt for Red October,” “Alien 3” and “Beyond the Law.”
If aspiring writers want to know anything about working in Hollywood, they should ask him, she said.
“He’s an actor, and he has been a producer, a director and a writer. He’s a quadruple threat,” she added.
“He can talk about how to structure a screenplay, how to deal with finicky movie stars or how to get financing for a movie.”
Ferguson is a family friend of Jenson. Inviting him to speak was one of the first things she did after becoming co-chairperson of the writers group last year.
“Writing and selling scripts is a tough damn business, and this guy has succeeded in spades,” she said.
“He is so talented, and he has massive street cred. I would be some kind of idiot not to ask him to speak.”
Willamette Writers has been around since 1965 and is one of the largest writers organizations nationwide, according to its Web site.
Aside from Eugene, there are several chapters throughout the state, including Salem, Newport, Medford and Portland.
Jenson said that the group can help with anything from the craft of writing to the process of how to creatively do something to the business side of things.
“My favorite concept of writing is the only part that you should do alone is the actual writing. For everything else, you need people,” she said.
“It really takes a group of people to help you get your vision realized.”
The organization hosts monthly meetings, social mixers and an annual statewide conference. This year’s conference will be held the weekend of Aug. 1 at the Sheraton Hotel in Portland. The three-day event is pricey, but Jenson said it’s worth it.
“You can pitch your movie ideas and your book ideas to agents and editors who fly in from all across the country,” she said.
“You learn a ton, but you also get to rub elbows with people you want to sell to.”
Willamette Writers offers 10 scholarships to student writers who want to attend the conference.
“Regardless of what genre you write, there’s always something to learn,” Jenson said. “It’s a lifetime commitment to learn how to be a good writer.”
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