Laura Kepner is Rewriting the City of Safety Harbor

Asking Laura Kepner what she’s working on is like asking a kid what he wants for Christmas – you’re going to get a lot of answers, and you’re never sure what’s going to come next.

A freelance writer who moved here from the Seattle three years ago, Kepner has immersed herself in the Safety Harbor culture, and she is working tirelessly to help foster a love and respect for writing in the community.

“Safety Harbor is a neat place, and I love living here,” she says. I just want this town to be writer friendly, which it already is.”

To help fulfill her wish, Kepner currently has no fewer than four major writing projects/workshops that she is spearheading, and she has more planned for the coming months and even into next summer.

Oh, and she also freelances for Destination Tampa Bay and other local publications in addition to being a wife and mother.

The schedule is enough to give a party planner a migraine, yet Kepner handles it all with relaxed ease.

“It sounds corny, but I always believed if you can help people, you should,” she says.

Here is a brief rundown of Kepner’s projects:

• Safety Harbor Writers and Poets Group – A weekly writing roundtable for people who are serious about their work. It is currently closed off due to maximum membership. The group meets every Monday at the Community Center.
• Open Mic – This offshoot of the writer’s group meets every third Thursday at Café Orlando and is more relaxed and low-key than the main group. Participants take the floor for five minutes, and then the audience gives positive feedback on index cards.
• Words Are Art Bench – A project inspired by the Safety Harbor Public Art Committee, entrants may submit a short story or poem (no more than three paragraphs) that is positive, engaging, thought provoking or inspiring. Those selected will be permanently placed on two new benches being installed in Elf Tree Park at the Safety Harbor Public Library
• Safety Harbor NaNoRiMo – A nationwide contest designed to inspire writers to write, the Safety Harbor offshoot is being organized by Kepner through the . Participants must complete a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. The free contest runs from Nov. 1-30, and although it sounds daunting, Kepner says it helps you “find out how you can work under pressure. Once you force yourself to do it, it’s like opening a door.” 

As if that isn’t enough, Kepner will be teaching a class at the library on how to start a writers group, running workshops at the new , and conducting seminars to encourage teens write more. 

And she does it all for free. 

“One guy asked me how I find the time to do all this. I told him it’s my love," she confesses. "I’m living my dream.”

For more information on any of Laura's projects, contact her at safetyharborwritersgroup@gmail.com or call her at 727-269-9719.