Join us for our monthly programs.
(scroll down for list of speakers and topics)
Meeting Times and Locations
Two regular membership meetings with a presentation by an expert on some aspect of writing are held each month:
- The second Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to noon MST (in person at UNM Continuing Education Building and via Zoom). (Starting in 2026, workshops will be held on the third Saturday of the month via Zoom. See the workshops page for more information.)
- The fourth Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm MST (via Zoom only). There is no Wednesday meeting in December.
See a schedule of all our events, and visit our YouTube Videos page for a listing of the recorded speakers from 2016 to the present.
Visitor/Guest Policy
We encourage visitors and guests to experience what our award-winning writers’ association has to offer. We request non-members limit their attendance to three meetings, after which we hope they will join SouthWest Writers. Visitors are welcome beyond their first three visits at a cost of $10 per meeting.
ZOOM MEETING Procedure: Read about SWW’s Zoom Meeting procedure on this page.
Read our Zoom log-in policy. ALL ATTENDEES are required to have their zoom screen show either their name or phone number. SWW Members sign into the Members Only portion of the website (request a username and password from info@swwriters.com if you haven’t already done so). Once in the Members Portal, follow the Zoom log-in directions posted prior to the meeting. Non-members are required to contact our office (505-830-6034 or info@swwriters.com) or sign up for Elerts to receive a link to our upcoming meetings.
Need help signing into an SWW Zoom meeting? Watch this video.
2026 SWW Meeting Information
(For workshop information, go to the Workshops page.)
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
6:30pm – 8:30pm — via Zoom only
Speaker: Christopher Locke
The IBPA Advantage: Your Roadmap to Self-Publishing Success
Book publishing can be overwhelming and rigorous, and to make matters more difficult, when an author publishes their own books, they’re suddenly taking on all the responsibilities of an entire publishing house, which is normally run by tons of people with years of experience in their specialized field.
In this session, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Director of Membership & Member Services, Christopher Locke, breaks down the proven best practices that successful author-publishers use at every stage—from pre-publication planning to launch and beyond. You’ll walk away with practical strategies, insider guidance, and a clear path forward, along with a helpful look at how IBPA’s invaluable resources, education, and book marketing support can help you publish smarter, reach more readers, and grow your publishing business with confidence.
Christopher Locke is Director of Membership & Member Services at IBPA, leading membership strategy for 4,000+ independent publishers and author-publishers worldwide, as well as overseeing member benefits and vendor partnerships. As an author-publisher of The Enlightenment Adventures, he brings firsthand insight into publishing.
Saturday, August 8, 2026
10:00am – Noon — In Person at UNM-CE and via Zoom
Speaker: Jonathan Miller
Location, Location, Location. Creating compelling locations for fiction and non-fiction. From the Fellowship of the Ring to the latest Stephen King, setting a location is crucial in non-fiction and fiction.
Did you know that locations can have character arcs?
Jonathan will talk about how techniques involving a “sense of place” can be used in creating compelling fiction. These techniques can be used for non-fiction writers as well. He will also discuss the worst presentation of all time and how to avoid it. Jonathan will use many of his professional photos to punctuate the talk. Jonathan’s books and photos will be available for sale
Jonathan Miller is the author of the award-winning Rattlesnake Lawyer. He has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal. He also travels around New Mexico taking photos. His first book of photography was recently published.
Wednesday: August 26, 2026
6:30pm – 8:30pm — via Zoom only
Speaker: Ace Nations
Scams, Scammers, and How to Notice
Computer Programming expert, Ace Nations will give a breakdown of some common scams and some examples of real-life scams of different varieties so that you can become familiar with what attacks are common and what they look like. He will also provide information on warning signs and best practices to protect against scams. There will be a Q&A section where people can ask questions, so bring your questions!
“I’m just a computer guy who gets personally hurt when people get taken advantage of. A good majority of my professional computer repair experience has been helping people recover from falling victim to scams; I now work just as hard to equip others to defend against scams.”
Saturday, September 12, 2026
10:00am – Noon — In Person at UNM-CE and via Zoom
Speaker: Chris Eboch
Keep the Pages Turning: Pacing Techniques
Learn how to make your stories more dramatic line by line! Understand how the proper use of scene questions can keep every chapter dramatic. Control your pacing through sentence and paragraph length. A cliffhanger chapter ending can add impact and leave the reader desperate to find out what happens next. Even in quieter scenes, you can drive the story forward by leaving your character—and the reader—with a sense of anticipation or worry. It’s all in these simple but underused techniques.
Chris Eboch is the author of over 100 books for young people and has published 30 mystery and romance novels under the name Kris Bock. Chris is a popular writing teacher and developmental editor, and the author of Advanced Plotting. Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ and www.krisbock.com.
Wednesday: September 23, 2026
6:30pm – 8:30pm — via Zoom only
Speaker: Judy Castleberry
What Did You Say?
Without giving a resume for each character, how do you get to know them in a story? Dialogue is one of the most effective ways to show characters. Who is this person? How do they relate to other people? How do they use language to express their thoughts and emotions? What is their role in the plot of the story? All of these can and should be revealed in your dialogue.
We will explore how good dialogue adds to the story and methods to make your characters sound like real people. This will be an interactive talk, so feel free to bring your own examples of dialog that sings or thuds.
Judy Castleberry, MA Creative Writing, is a prize winning playwright. She is also the author of The Caregiver Zone, numerous articles on senior care and business, short stories, creative nonfiction, and grants for nonprofits. She worked in healthcare administration and entrepreneurial support, assisting baby businesses and senior adults, listening to people in some of their best and worst moments leading her to believe that how people say something is often as important as what they say.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
10:00am – Noon — In Person at UNM-CE and via Zoom
SWW Annual Meeting and Awards !
Wednesday: October 28, 2026
6:30pm – 8:30pm — via Zoom only
A Panel Discussion with Horror Writers
Saturday, November 14, 2026
10:00am – Noon — In Person at UNM-CE and via Zoom
Rose Marie Kern
The Basics of Publishing with KDP
Rose will walk the audience through the basics of working with Amazon KDP – including how the system works. She will walk through the basics of setting up your amazon account, how you get paid royalties, what information is required for the sales-search pages, what options you have for book size, paper type, and cover creation, and how the sales-to-royalties process works.
The owner of RMK Publications, Rose Marie Kern has assisted over 40 authors with navigating the world of self-publishing. Her company, RMK Publications offers authors assistance with formatting book covers, and manuscripts for both print and e-books.
- November 18 — Steve Bowling — Choosing and Working With Illustrators
- December 12 — A Panel Discussion with YA writers
Previous Speakers and Topics
Most presentations were recorded and are available on the SWW YouTube channel.
2026:
♦ Kathleen A. Hessler, We All Have a Story to Tell: Memoir Musings and Mistakes
♦ Glory St. Germain, From Pages to Profits: How to Monetize Your Book and Make Your Words Work for You
♦ Dan Wetmore, To Free, or Not to Free (Verse): The Pros & Cons of Formed & Unformed Poetry
♦ Kimberly Rose, Tips for Success in Writing Contests
♦ Suzanne Stauffer, What’s Your Genre?
♦ Cait West, Writing from Trauma: How to Write and Publish Your Story of Abuse and Healing
♦ Sara Frances, Joy, Death, and Memoir in Short Form Poetry
♦ Debbie White, What Makes a Compelling Story?
♦ Irene I. Blea, Writing Poetry as a Civil Right
♦ Jim Tritten hosts readings/discussions for the 2026 NMA SWW Outreach Program
♦ Sherri Burr, How to Mine Family History for Literary Gold
♦ Lisa Haneberg, Substack for Authors: A Primer
♦ Nancy McGuire, Freelance writing that pays the bills
2025:
♦ Layla Milholen, Publishing with McFarland
♦ John Roche, Freeing Your Free Verse from Flabbiness
♦ Dorinda Wegener, From Pitch to Launch: Publicity steps Authors Can Take to Maximize Book Exposure
♦ Judy Castleberry, What Judges Want You to Know BEFORE You Enter a Writing Contest
♦ Mary Lou Dobbs, Learn to Love Marketing & Sales
♦ Christopher Upton, Film Adaptation
♦ Dan Wetmore, The Building Blocks of Prose
♦ Irene Blea, From Poetry to Memoir
♦ Jim Tritten, Plot and Story Arc
♦ Geoff Habiger, Fantasy Gaming Scripts
♦ James Wilson, Mystery Writing
♦ Léonie Rosenstiel, Should You Shun Books with Footnotes?
♦ Jonathan Miller, The Ancient Secrets of the Three Act Structure of Storytelling
♦ Chris Eboch, Improve Your Pitch
♦ Suzanne Stauffer, Using Library Resources to Add Authenticity to Your Writing
♦ Laura Carney, How I Finished My Late Dad’s List of Life Goals and Wrote a Successful Book About It
♦ Gail Rubin, End-of-Life and Your Literary Legacy
♦ Krista Soukup, Marketing and Publicity for Writers
♦ Leonie Rosenstiel, AI Revisited: Should We Be Very Afraid?
♦ Readings from Unbreaking the Circle: Stories of Service
♦ Phillip Marshall, Digging Deep: Investigative Reporting and the Guardianship Crisis
♦ Saleema Ishq, Social Media Marketing for Authors who’d rather be writing
2024:
♦ Jonathan Miller, Completing Your Manuscript under Challenging Circumstances
♦ Chuck Greaves, The DIY MFA, Or: How to Teach Yourself to Write (Or to Write Better)
♦ Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos, Hybrid, Self or Conventional Publishing Pros, Cons and What is Right for YOU?
♦ Parris Afton Bonds, Writing Romance Novels — Then and Now
♦ Charlene Bell Dietz, Why Your Characters Misbehave, and Why AI Isn’t the Answer
♦ Marcia Rosen, Memoir Detective: Writing Your LifeStory
♦ Mary Collins, Creating Writers, Creating Citizens
♦ Shirley Blackwell, Contest Castles of Limerick and Haiku: How to Get Past the Moat Dragons
♦ Donna Pedace, Public Presentations
♦ Kathy Louise Schuit, Editorial Guidelines: NOT a Suggestion
♦ Irene I. Blea, Ph.D., Integrating Ethnic Characters into Your Writing
♦ Rose Marie Kern, Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing
♦ Carlyn Montes De Oca, In Conversation: Junkyard Girl
♦ Zachry Wheeler, How to Write Good Science Fiction
♦ BR Kingsolver, Writing in Series: Getting the Most out of an Idea
♦ Léonie Rosenstiel, How Jack Canfield Came to Write the Foreword for Legal Protection
♦ Laurel Goodluck, Vaunda Nelson, Khadijah VanBrakle, Natalie Linn and moderator Chris Eboch, Kid’s Lit Panel
♦ Neill McKee, From International Film and Media Maker to Award-Winning Creative Writer
♦ Sara Frances, What Judges Look for in Book Contests
♦ Antonio Weiss & Jacqueline Murray Loring, On Making SYMPHONY IN C-NOTE
♦ Léonie Rosenstiel, AI—Your Best Hope or Your Worst Nightmare?
2023:
♦ Jamii Corley, Introduction to Website Building
♦ Jim Jones, From Songs to Books and Back Again
♦ Joseph Badal, Two Important Writing Rules
♦ Cornelia Gamlem & Jacqueline Murray Loring, Publishing Paths
♦ Geoff Habiger, Newsletter Basics
♦ Jim & Bobbi Jean Bell, Be the Star of Your Online or Radio Interview
♦ C. Daniel Miller, Copyrighting, Rights and Permissions
♦ NM State Poetry Society, Poets and Writers: Why the Distinction?
♦ Sherri Burr, Wills and Trusts for Writers and Authors
♦ Robert Kidera, The Writer’s Tool Kit
♦ Dan Wetmore, Poetry, Focus and Form
♦ Stephen Kurkjian, The Greatest Art Theft in World History
♦ Kirt Hickman, Bring Your Settings to Life
♦ Ellen Byerrum, Comic Mysteries; or, What’s so funny about murder?
♦ Kathy Louise Schuit, Don’t Make Your Friends and Family Read Bad Stuff
♦ Diane Dimond, How to Investigate and Write about a Secretive System
♦ Phil Mills Jr., Challenges of Writing for Children in a Video Game World
♦ Sonja Dewing, Making Dollars and Sense out of Amazon Ads
♦ Michael Arnzen, The Transformation Scene
♦ Jim Tritten (host), Stories from the Veterans Anthology
♦ Ernie Witham, Finding Humor in Everyday Situations
♦ Christie Lowrance, A Writer’s Quest: Non-fiction, History, and Biography
2022:
♦ John Gilstrap, Whose Story Are You Telling?
♦ Stephanie Chandler, Build Your On-line Marketing Plan
♦ Jayne Ann Krentz, Reinventing Yourself: Tips for Finding Your Voice and Core Story
♦ Lauren Wolk, The Art and Business of Writing for Young Readers
♦ Jodi Thomas, Why Write a Series?
♦ Nancy Rubin Stuart, Using Fiction Techniques to Shape Non-fiction
♦ Jonathan Miller, How to Turn Your Life into a Novel
♦ Ellen Meeropol, Evil Characters We Love to Hate
♦ Kristin Owens, The Personal, Personal Essay
♦ Susan Katz, Why Every Writer Needs an Editor
♦ Melody Groves, Writing Westerns: The Good, The Bad, The Beautiful
♦ Jim Tritten, Short Stories are Fun
♦ BR Kingsolver, How and Why to Write a Series
♦ Margaret Shannon, You Can Write Your Family History
♦ Johnny Boggs, Making Dialogue Sing
♦ Ronn Perea, Public Speaking for Authors
♦ Anne Hillerman, What I Wish I’d known before I Wrote my First Novel
♦ B. Marika Flatt, PR by the Book
♦ Dan Klefstad, DIY Book Promo
♦ Robin Perini, Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
♦ Judith Avila, Writing Your Memoir, An Act of Courage
♦ Parris Afton Bonds, First, The Plot
2021:
♦ Jonathan Miller, A Novel for the New Year
♦ Marcia Rosen, Podcast Marketing for Authors
♦ David Morrell, Thoughts and lessons from 48 years as a published novelist
♦ Natalie Goldberg, The Way of Haiku
♦ Susan Elizabeth Phillips, The Writing Life: Craft, Characters, Creativity, and Career
♦ Darynda Jones, Humor & Heat: How to Write Funny Without Sacrificing Sexual Tension
♦ David L. Robbins, The Art and Craft of the Narrative
♦ Gerard Hanberry, Geraldine Mills, Luke Morgan, Pete Mullineaux, Moya Roddy, Readings by Irish Poets
♦ Raffi Andonian, Controversial Historical Sites
♦ Debra W. Englander, Why You Need a Book Coach
♦ Dean Wesley Smith, Writing into the Dark: Writing Clean, One-draft Stories Without an Outline
♦ Sheryl Brown, Screenplay from Stakeholder Perspectives
♦ Jeffrey Candelaria, Artists, Writers, and a Business Mentality
♦ Paige Wheeler, Agents and Authors
♦ Fauzia Burke, Author Platforms
♦ Robin Cutler, The Power of Self-publishing
♦ James McGrath Morris, Researching Your Book
♦ Loretta Hall, Elements of Nonfiction
♦ Benjamin Percy, The Ninth Metal, Reading and Craft Discussion
♦ Rob Spiegel, Using Scenes to Build Your Story
♦ David J. Corwell, On the Edge of Their Seats: Horror and Suspense
♦ Lynn Miller, Writing like a Reader: Your Audience and Story
♦ Robert Kidera, Taking the Mystery out of Mystery Writing
♦ Lynne Sturtevant, Writing for the Web