We might not have a Writers' Club
​if it weren't for Doug Fortier

A year or so after the founding, the club was floundering. Doug held it together with determination and his conviction that getting together once a month to share our craft made us all better writers and might get us published. He had an amazing ability to network. Every writer who moved to the Mendocino Coast and showed the slightest interest was met by Doug. Almost always they joined WMC. Each month he welcomed new faces, until today in this tiny community, the club has grown to 85 members.

Doug loved learning and believed there was always more to learn about writing.  He wanted our WMC speakers to teach us something new. At Board Meetings, evaluating the past month's program, his greatest criticism was: "Not enough craft."

We are one chapter of a state-wide organization, the California Writers' Club. Until he got too ill to travel, Doug journeyed faithfully to the Bay Area to attend these meetings. Mercifully, he kept the political shenanigans of what went on to himself. "How was it?" we would ask. "Nothing much to report," he'd say.

He was WMC's social media guru, posting news on our website, keeping up with member publications, and programs to come.  He designed the cover of every year's anthology and, with Amie McGee's help, put out a beautiful volume.  For Ekphrasis, he photographed every artist's work and put together a wonderful slide show to accompany our readings.

He was our person; we were his tribe. We will all miss him terribly.
Norma Watson 2022.

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