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LoginMWA Quick Notes, August, 2026: Events, Publishing Opportunities, and More!
Welcome to August 2026, Maryland Writers!
Whew! It’s getting hot out there, and I’m not talking about the weather. Every day that I think I’ve seen or heard the weirdest possible news, the planet turns around and BAM! Something just got weirder.
So, let’s forget about all that nonconsequential malarky and focus on what really matters. Writing! I think this has something to do with the name of our fantastic Association, but it’s also a timely topic across the world, actually, and it’s a big part of what’s weird out there.
Why? I’m glad I asked.
It’s because a big part of my professional life – I’m an elite AI systems engineer – has become a new kind of writing! I always wrote for a living, but that was mostly PySpark, Python, TypeScript, SQL, C#, C++, HTML, Java, and a dozen other languages we’ve forgotten by now – all of them esoteric and little understood as forms of art.
These days, the kind of writing I do is much more narrative! We call it “natural language” in the biz. The better and more succinctly that I can write an AI prompt, the better the resultant system will be. Sometimes, I even get it right the first time, which is miraculous given the hallucinatory state of AI at the moment.
Now you want to know why I mention it. First, it’s a lucrative business and it’s only going to seem more so until it doesn’t. I think this horizon is about five years away – at least three. Second, I thought about something quite profound that I wanted to mention here specifically. We might be the LAST generation of real writers!
Being the last of anything is kind of creepy, but this is a really scary idea. Think about that for a few minutes and ponder the past. What typically becomes of similar endings and beginnings? So much to unpack there!
Get your MWA swag! That's right, MWA has a RedBubble site that vends branded gear! Use it for yourself or in promotion of your outstanding authorship. Visit today here:
Shop for MWA Swag on RedBubble
Apply for your own personal podcast interview! Did you know that all MWA constituents can participate in these multimedia broadcasts? Check out our offerings and volunteer yourself here:
MWA Podcasts and Author Interviews
MWA hosts, sponsors and supports a regular slate of interesting and informative internal and events every month of the year. Keep up with it all via our helpful calendar and events roster.
To inspire your creative ideations or help you wile away a lovely hour or two, MWA's constituents produce several useful and entertaining resources, to include our outstanding journal, "Pen in Hand", numerous anthologies, and a regular distribution of news and announcements.
MWA QuickNotes from the President
If you're looking for something fun to do, MWA provides multiple outlets that are certain to entertain or return valuable feedback. First Fridays is always stimulating, a contest entry is certain to rouse your creative ambitions, and our critique groups provide practical feedback as well as a rousing good time for all who attend.
MWA First Friday's Open Mic Night
Support your peers! MWA celebrates local authors in many ways, so take time to enjoy Maryland's authors by supporting our Teen Writers Anthology.
If your profile requires a bit of grooming, tend your Association business via our website. If your membership expires this month, be certain to renew it to continue enjoying all these wonderful resources.
Finally, when you enjoy all that MWA has to offer and you feel someone needs a shout-out, you can always nominate your local Leadership Superstar.
MWA Leadership Superstar Nominations
May the gods of our artform visit you prolifically this month. Most importantly of all, be well!
--Stephen Donald Huff, PhD (Executive Committee President)
