Yes, we’ve opened a store where you can find all sorts of WPA items, and here’s why …
In 2022, the Writers’ Police Academy (WPA) will enter its 14th year of presenting exciting, hands-on training for writers. Those of you who’ve attended experienced first-hand the heart-pounding rise of adrenaline when faced with dangerous situations, even when those scenarios were simulated. Those who have not yet participated in our law enforcement, forensics, EMS, crime scene investigation, and firefighter training, well, you owe it to yourselves and your readers to take advantage of this unique opportunity to train at an actual police academy, in classes taught by police academy instructors and other renowned experts.
WPA training is an adventure that immerses the author directly into the action, resulting in the sights, sounds, touch, tastes, and smells associated with the world of first-responders, detectives, and forensic/crime scene investigations. The event also activates a sort of 6th sense called proprioceptionis, the sense of movement and position of our limbs and muscles. This is the sense that allows officers to focus on, for example, drawing their weapon without having to look away from an armed suspect while doing so. It’s the same sense that allows us to perform simple tasks, such as using a finger to touch our noses, even with our eyes closed, or to climb stairs without watching our feet engage with each step.
With this valuable experience tucked away in a writer’s toolbox, they are then able to draw on their very own personal knowledge to help create realistic scenes with intricate details. Their characters rise above those in other books, the characters that lack the wisdom and expertise, proper dialog, and behind the scenes know-how of those created and written by writers who who’ve driven a patrol car during a pursuit, fired an AR-15, kicked in a door to locate a dangerous criminal, handcuffed a suspect, been in a gunfight, etc. Yes, those are merely three of dozens of hands-on training classes that take place at the Writers’ Police Academy.
Each year, during registration, the WPA offers the opportunity to purchase a couple of sought-after WPA products—t-shirts and/or hats.
The items display the official registered trademark of the Writers’ Police Academy, the Gun/Pencil logo.
Year after year people have requested that we make available a larger variety of items and that they’re available throughout the year by means of online purchases.
Our web designer built an online store into this site a few years ago, but I couldn’t seem to muster the energy or time needed to design products, have them made and shipped to me, store them, package the items, ship them to customers, collect and pay sales taxes to different states, and so on. So the store sat dormant in a far back corner of the website, quietly collecting dust and cobwebs.
Well, after tons of research, and it only took me nearly 14 years to do it, I’ve finally taken the plunge and opened an online store using Zazzle. It’s easy. I simply design the products and the Zazzle folks take it from there.
Now everyone, everywhere, has the opportunity to purchase WPA, MurderCon, and The Graveyard Shift limited edition collectibles, clothing and numerous other items.
The store “Official_WPA_Merch” is now live and active, with a few items posted for sale, such as t-shirts, mugs, hoodies, etc. More items are on the way. A few items are available for a limited time, such as the mugs featuring original artwork, the quirky cartoon characters from The Graveyard Shift (this blog).
Here’s a preview of some of the items that are available. Please visit the store to see more fun items. Oh, and please do send me photos of you wearing, holding or displaying your purchases. Feel free to hold up a copy of your latest book while wearing a WPA Merch t-shirt or displaying other items purchased from the store. We’d love to help you advertise your work while advertising ours!
As always, I greatly appreciate your support. Without it we couldn’t continue to produce Writers’ Police Academy events and all that’s involved. The WPA online store profits go directly into the WPA operating fund.
Click the items or links below to view the products and their descriptions. Then continue browsing throughout the store.
