Story Circle

by, for, and about women

Publications

Sharing Our Stories

“I’d always known storytelling was important to me, but I’ve finally realized that it’s central to who I am—it’s how I understand myself and the world, how I learn, how I pass on what I know. I feel that I know myself in a new and deeper way—that I have knowledge I can use to bring deeper meaning to the various parts of my life.”

— Sherry Wachter

Currently or Soon Open for Submissions

Members only.

Story Circle Network offers many opportunities for members (join here) to submit their work for publication. Watch the following pages, and your My Membership page, for the latest. 

Quarterly in the Journal

Annually in the Real Women Write anthology

Special Opportunities: In 2022, we took submissions for Kitchen Table Stories 2022

Three times per year in various writing contests

Anytime to one of our blogs

Read Our Blogs

One Woman’s Day

Read about the ordinarily extraordinary lives of real women, recorded by Story Circle members.

Read More

Telling HerStories: The Broad View

Authors and teachers share their knowledge and passion for helping women tell the stories of their lives.

Read More

Read Our Quarterly Journal

In celebration of SCN’s 25th anniversary, click here to read a complimentary edition of the June 2022 Story Circle Network Journal and check out the multitude of activities and opportunities we offer, along with our organization’s her-story.

The Story Circle Journal is a quarterly members-only newsletter, published in March, June, September, and December. It is written by and for women with stories to tell and designed to encourage readers to become writers, guide women to set down their true stories, support women’s creativity, and make possible the sharing of women’s lives. Each issue of the Journal includes ideas for writing chapters of your life’s story, reviews of helpful books, readers’ writings, news about SCN activities, and a calendar of coming events. Read a sample issue.

Read Our Newsletter

The Flash, our monthly newsletter, is filled with breaking SCN news and the latest scoop on Story Circle events meant to inspire your creative side. Best of all, it’s free to the public and our members. 

Read Our Anthology

Real Women Write is an annual anthology by SCN members showcasing the talent and creativity of our own writing women. SCN values every woman’s story, and in Real Women Write we publish writing about both the individual life in all its uniqueness, and a woman’s life as it is understood by all women.

Beyond COVID: Leaning Into Tomorrow, the 2021 volume, reveals common human experiences, ideas and dreams of 21st century women, as all of us grow through an evolving era. This one-of-a-kind collection significantly expands the herstory and literature of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The selections in the 2020 volume, Living on Covid Time, capture moments as COVID-19 moved from rumor to life-altering reality, and together they form a small chapter in a humanity-sized story.

Read Our Books

Our Books

Our Editors

  • Susan Schoch
    Susan Schoch
    Editor and Books Coordinator
  • Jo Virgil
    Jo Virgil
  • Robin Wittig
    Robin Wittig
  • Paula Stallings Yost
    Paula Stallings Yost
    Periodicals Editor
Susan Schoch
Editor and Books Coordinator

A member since 2002, Susan has edited books and periodicals for SCN since 2014. A member of the Board since 2016, she edits the annual Real Women Write anthology, as well as special books such as Kitchen Table Stories 2022. Susan coordinates all SCN book publications. She is also a frequent reviewer at Story Circle Book Reviews. She has been a freelance writer and editor for over 30 years, specializing in personal history and biography. Her work for the American Museum of Ceramic History is currently available – The Clay Connection: Jim and Nan McKinnell. Susan shares SCN’s commitment to women’s growth through the empowering focus of writing and recognizing women’s stories.

Jo Virgil

Jo Virgil has been a Story Circle Network member for many years and now serves as editor for True Words and as a SCN Board Member (Publication and Program member). Jo has a Master's Degree in Journalism and has worked as a reporter, as a writing workshop teacher, as Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble, and as Community Outreach Coordinator for the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities. One of her favorite messages was from one of her journalism professors who said, "Stories are what make us matter."

Robin Wittig

Robin is the editor of the SCN Journal and Senior Director of Community Programs at Pikes Peak YMCA. She lives in Woodland Park, CO. In addition to her work with the Journal, Robin does the layout for the annual anthology, Real Women Write, and creates the print program for "Stories From the Heart."

Paula Stallings Yost
Periodicals Editor

Paula is a former and current board member. She has presented at conferences and Writing From Life events; taught in the online class program; served as co-editor of a couple of Story Circle anthologies; and volunteers as the coordinator of the Sarton Award Program. She also is a personal historian who helps families and individuals write and publish their life stories. Visit her website.