LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Former Lake County Poet Laureate Mary McMillan, with the support of the Lake County Arts Council, has again been awarded a grant to fund her work as leader of the Writers Circle, a free public writing workshop held at the Main Street Gallery in Lakeport at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.

The grant supporting the Writers Circle comes from Poets and Writers Inc., through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation.

Many emerging writers, as well as more seasoned authors, depend on the Writers Circle to help them build their skills and connect with other writers.

Some people come only a few times, and others show up every month.

Many participants have been sharing parts of books and other long works they've been writing; others share short stories, memoirs, essays or poems.

The writers are between 16 and 80 years old, and come from all over the county.

Visit McMillan's Web site at www.marytmcmillan.com/ .