The Bay Area Writers League (B.A.W.L) was started in late 1986 by ten writers who lived in the Clear Lake, Texas, area (south of Houston, near the Johnson Space Center). The majority were NASA engineers and their spouses. They dreamed of "honing their writing skills and visualizing their names in print, but to step by step building a lasting vehicle for themselves and similar folks to share ideas, to polish skills, and to receive critical information from experts in the field."
These are the words of two BAWL founders, Michele and Gary Hegler, who, among others, set plans in motion for BAWL in December 1986. They posted flyers throughout the community, detailed the first bylaws, assumed officer and support positions within the club, and spent countless hours contacting speakers and convincing them to address the little-known writers' group.
The first formal meeting was held in April 1987. B.A.W.L.'s first conference was held in March 1989 at the Holiday Inn, Nassau Bay, where it continued for the next several years. Speakers included editors, agents, and published authors. A manuscript competition, covering all genres and open to registrants only, was instigated at the same time. In 1995, the conference was moved to the University of Houston-Clear Lake and cosponsored by the University of Houston PACE (Professional and Continuing Education). Agents, editors, and a cadre of workshop leaders hold forth. A two-day conference was initiated in 1996 and has been held every year since.
Early on, BAWL met at various buildings in the Bay Area before settling in its current location. Writing experts from throughout the greater Houston area present diversified programs at no charge. Several critique groups meet separately. Members pay minimal dues and receive a monthly newsletter. Membership varies from year to year but the number hovers around 125. Media notices, along with the conference, continually draw new members.
In 1997 B.A.W.L. became a 501(C)(3) educational group. This qualifies it to receive tax-deductible contributions and to conduct business without paying taxes that individuals and for-profit corporations normally pay.
Copyright © 1999 The Bay Area Writers League, All Rights Reserved.