Do you think you have to write the Great American Novel the first time you set your pen to paper in order to be a writer? That's not how it happens.

Find out more about the writing world at the first-ever Federal Way Writer's Retreat at the Dumas Bay Center on April 27 and 28. The Center is located at 3200 SW Dash Point Road in Federal Way.

The event opens with a wine and cheese reception at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27.

At the reception, winners of the local high school writing competition will be honored.

The evening will also include a lecture by Henriette Anne Klauser, Ph.D., an author, teacher, and writing coach, who will discuss "Writing From Both Sides of the Brain."

Saturday workshops will be held throughout the day. They will help you "Find Your Voice," "Write a Novel From Beginning to End," discover how to "Get Published," and much more.

At the Writer's Retreat Klauser will tell you how to write on both sides of your brain and, even when writing gets difficult, you need to remember the impact your words will have on other people. You can make a difference.

Dr. Klauser was first published in the Baby Diaper News, a newsletter that was sent to people who subscribed to the diaper service.

Now she has six non-fiction titles to her credit, including the very popular "Writing on Both Sides of the Brain" which is now in its 29th printing.

Klauser started writing in elementary school where she won a medal for her essay on safeguarding the home from fire.

In high school and college she edited the school newspapers. When she had children, she wrote about them, and activities she did with them for parenting publications. To get free meals, she wrote restaurant reviews.

Writing about her children made it much easier to balance her parenting and writing time.

"I was a mother who wrote," says Klauser. "When my work eventually took me to national and international destinations, I took the children with me."

Klauser and her children wrote letters to each other, even when she was home, and worked through some heavy problems that way.

"I'll never forget my first fan letter. I framed it," says Klauser. "It was from a man in Virginia who was stuck in his writing and after he read my book, Writing on Both Sides of the Brain, he couldn't write fast enough."

Klauser marveled that what she wrote in a coffee shop in Edmonds affected someone across the country in Virginia.

Writing is hard work, it can get lonely and discouraging at times, but it brings such amazing joy to write something and have it published.

For more information, call 253-835-6900, or visit the City's website to learn more or register online: http://www.cityoffederalway.com.