Northwoods Writer's Group Resumes Meetings at Laporte Town Hall

The Northwoods Writer's Group is restarting regular in-person meetings this month, restoring a twice-monthly opportunity for area authors, poets and aspiring writers to meet and workshop material. Sessions are scheduled from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays each month at Lakeport Town Hall, 155 County 39 NW in Laporte, with the first upcoming dates on Jan. 12 and Jan. 26. Organizers say the schedule will continue into February and March on the same pattern.

For Beltrami County residents, the revived gatherings offer more than a space to share drafts. Local cultural activities such as writing groups help sustain community networks and provide pathways to small-scale economic activity: participants who publish or stage readings can boost demand for local venues and retail, and workshops can seed paid instruction or events that support nearby businesses. The twice-monthly cadence also provides steady opportunities for residents who work standard daytime hours to attend.

The meetings are open to all skill levels, from beginners exploring craft to experienced writers seeking critique and accountability. Lakeport Town Hall’s central location in the Laporte area makes the sessions accessible for Northwoods participants; the two-hour length is pitched to balance concentrated feedback time with travel and family obligations. Those seeking more details or planning to attend can contact organizer Winnie DauSchmidt at (218) 224-2516.

Regular civic and cultural programming can be a low-cost way for small towns to strengthen social capital, and the Northwoods Writer's Group fills that niche by offering recurring, face-to-face creative engagement. For individual writers, the group provides deadlines, peer review and local connections that can accelerate manuscript development. For the wider community, resumed meetings restore a predictable calendar event that can be tied to readings, school collaborations and local promotion as the group reconvenes this winter.