They come from all walks of life. The legal profession. Published authors.

Nursing. Academia.

But it was their love of writing that brought them together last year to form the new multicounty Indiana Writers' Consortium.

"I tried to start a Writers' Center 10 years ago," says Sharon Palmeri, writing teacher and author of more than 200 newspaper and magazine articles and stories. "But the writers' community showed no interest."

However, when she brought up the idea again last spring at a meet-and-greet session before an IUN-sponsored writers' brunch, she got a different response.

"This time they embraced it," she says.

Palmeri, who founded Write-on-Hoosiers Inc., in 1989 and served as director and executive editor for Hoosier Horizon Literary and Children's magazines, then networked with area writers and writing consultants at Indiana University Northwest, Purdue University Calumet, Calumet College of St. Joseph and St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer.

"The mission of the Indiana Writers' Consortium is to unite, network, inspire and support writers and aspiring writers, as well as to foster a community that is actively engaged in intellectual discussion and encourages both lifelong advancement and a standard of excellence in the creative writing discipline," Palmeri says.

Together with Connie Wachala, of Highland; Myron Nidetz, of Munster; and Connie Kingman and John Groppe, of Rensselaer, Palmeri drew up a list of writers, leaders of writing groups and professors to invite to a brainstorming meeting last fall at the Valparaiso Public Library.

More than 30 people attended the meeting, representing the counties of Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, Newton and Pulaski. Since then, the consortium has met three more times, with the next meeting planned for 1 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Valparaiso Public Library, 103 Jefferson St.

"The Indiana Writers' Consortium will not only further network and fortify the state's creative writing community, but also publicize that such a community thrives outside of Chicago," says Janine Harrison, creative writing instructor at PUC.

"As an academic, I hope to see the consortium's efforts serve as an invitation to the writing community for students and to help build upon our wealth of area talent."

Harrison also is faculty advisor for the campus' student creative-writing organization, First Friday Wordsmiths.

She, PUC English lecturer Gordon Stamper Jr. and Palmeri have worked with members on a mission statement and the organization's bylaws in preparation for applying for nonprofit status by the end of the year.

The group also is working on designing an identifying logo for the consortium, with the help of John Boufis, English teacher at Calumet High School in Gary, and a member of Write-On Hoosiers.

"I like the idea that writers and prospective writers have a resource place available," Boufis says.

"More importantly, I like the idea that IWC could be the place where people who need a writer can actually find one."

Being able to find a writer is only one of the benefits the consortium hopes to provide. Prime among its goals is to set up a Web site that will publicize the consortium's members and activities, as well as offer area writers a place to network and a venue to find needed resources.

Long-term plans include bringing in national and internationally renowned keynote speakers and writers for conferences, as well as sponsoring events for student writers.

Helping young writers is one of the reasons Stamper joined IWC.

"I would like to eventually work to establish a foundation that would include a scholarship fund for student writers." Stamper says.

Anyone interested in joining the group should contact Palmeri at indianawritersconsortium@comcast.net.