Kacey Carpenter, Writer & Community Education Instructor
Welcome! I’m Kacey Carpenter, and I teach Nature-Inspired Writing through PCC Community Education.
I believe everyone has stories to tell. Sometimes we just need to slow down long enough to notice them.
In my classes, we learn the craft by reading other authors, then get outside and use all our senses to experience the world around us. We take what we notice to the page and write. Then we come together in writing circles to share our work, listen, and support one another on our writing journeys.
Whether you’ve been writing for years or are just getting started, you are welcome.
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I’m an author, educator, and community builder. I write fiction and nonfiction and publish , my newsletter about travel, nature, community, family, and the people and places I encounter along the way.
My own life has been a journey. I was born in Colorado and grew up inspired by the Rocky Mountains, where I learned to love hiking, camping, and being outdoors. I raised my family in Northern California, with the mountains, coast, redwoods, and wild places never too far away. Eventually, my journey brought me north, and I found my home here in Oregon.
The outdoors is still where I spend a lot of my time. Today I lead outings with the Sierra Club in Oregon, and I love to hike, paddle, camp, and travel. Being outside is also an important part of my health and well-being. Time in nature helps me slow down, clear my head, pay attention, and be creative.
These days, many of my adventures include Wilbur, our Chiweenie. We travel around Oregon in ViVi, our camper van, hike trails, paddle lakes, and explore new places together. Many of those adventures become stories in Life is a Journey and sometimes make their way into my books.
I’m also the author of the National Park Mystery-Thriller Series. My first novel, Do Not Die Today, is set in Joshua Tree National Park. My newest, Murder in Vacationland, takes readers to the Maine coast and Acadia National Park. I’m now working on the next mystery, set here in Oregon.
Community building has been another thread throughout my life. I coach and train nonprofit leaders and organizations, volunteer and serve in my community, and look for ways to bring people together around work that matters. I’m especially interested in building communities for writers, where we can connect, learn from one another, and support each other’s work.
I serve as a Portland Chapter Ambassador for the Authors Guild and Secretary of the Oregon Chapter of the National Writers Union, and I’m a member of Willamette Writers. For me, being a writer isn’t only about sitting alone at a keyboard. It’s also about being part of a community.
My professional journey has taken a few turns, too. I studied Math-Engineering at UCLA and earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. I spent much of my career in technology and non-profit community building before writing and teaching became the focus of my work.
All those places and experiences find their way into my writing and teaching. We all come to the page from different places. That’s part of what makes sitting together in a writing circle so interesting.
Find out more
Read my newsletter and learn more about my books, travels, teaching, and community work.
Connect with me and learn more about my professional journey.