Join us for our monthly programs.
New Meeting Schedule
Beginning in January 2022, our Regular Meetings will be held on the second Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to noon and the fourth Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (no Wednesday meeting in December).
New In-Person Location
Our new location is at UNM Continuing Education (UNM-CE). Our Saturday meetings will still include a Zoom component, and our Wednesday night meetings will be strictly online. Go to SWW Meeting Location for more information about UNM-CE.
Visitor/Guest Policy
With the new year comes a return to SWW’s previous policy concerning meeting attendance. We encourage visitors and guests to experience what our award-winning writers’ association has to offer. Since membership dues pay for our outstanding speakers, 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.
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.
ZOOM MEETING Procedure
Read about SWW’s new Zoom Meeting procedure on this page.
Wednesday, September 28
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: B. Marika Flatt
PR BY THE BOOK
The world of book publicity is a crowded market. Learn from this 25-year veteran of literary promotion how to rise above the noise. What it takes to get the media’s attention and what you can be doing on your own, now, to be set up for book publicity success. We will discuss the blend of traditional publicity tactics with online and digital promotion, while tapping into social media and influencers as well.
Marika Flatt, 2021 Outstanding Austin Communicator, has been a book publicist since 1997. In 2022, she and her husband launched PR by the Book. A connector by nature, she is a past president of Women Communicators of Austin, and serves on numerous advisory boards and committees. She has been a regular speaker at notable book industry events, including Book Expo America since the 1990s and contributes to the statewide NPR show “Texas Standard.”
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – September 2022
Time: September 28, 2022 at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Our Zoom log-in policy has changed due to disruptions to our meetings. 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. SWW Members sign into the Members Only portion of the website (request a username and password from webmaster@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.
Wednesday, October 26
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: Dan Klefstad
DIY Book Promo: Getting Your Book Into Readers’ Hands
No budget? No problem. In this discussion, Dan will explore ways to promote your book for free on social media and in interviews. He will focus on getting reviews and convincing bookstores to add your book to their shelves – then using bookstore photos to get excellent engagement on social media.
Dan Klefstad is a longtime radio host at NPR station WNIJ. His novel, Fiona’s Guardians, is about humans who work for a beautiful vampire named Fiona. It was adapted by Artists’ Ensemble Theater for their podcast. This October, Fiona’s Guardians will be released in a hardback edition with new chapters. http://www.danklefstad.com
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – October 2022
Time: October 26, 2022 at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Our Zoom log-in policy has changed due to disruptions to our meetings. 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. SWW Members sign into the Members Only portion of the website (request a username and password from webmaster@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.
Saturday, November 12
10:00 am – noon
In Person & Zoom
Speaker: Robin Perini
Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
Curious how to move from a wannabe to an author of fiction that Publishers Weekly called “refresh[ing]romantic suspense” and RT Book Reviews called “riveting and remarkable?” In this practical, hands-on presentation, Robin Perini will explains the skills that did just that for her writing career. This presentation will explore:
- Craft tips for taking your book from good to great;
- Treating writing as a business, including levels of effort, continuing education, investment of time and resources, support;
- Balancing business expectations and reality through goal setting and self evaluation;
- Marketing tips and tricks such as high concept, marketing fragments, branding, and circles of interest.
After many years and a plethora of rejections trying to sell her first book, Robin Perini (www.robinperini.com) broke out in a big way. She sold 14 books in two years, became a Publishers Weekly bestseller and an Amazon Top 5 Kindle bestseller. Robin gives her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventures mixed with poignant family drama.
In-Person Meeting: Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – November 2022
Date & Time: November 12 at 10:00 am to Noon Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Our Zoom log-in policy has changed due to disruptions to our meetings. 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. SWW Members sign into the Members Only portion of the website (request a username and password from webmaster@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.
Wednesday, November 23
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: Judith Avila
Writing Your Memoir, An Act of Courage
Story is powerful. The future of our planet hinges upon our understanding of each other’s stories. But telling your own story isn’t easy. It’s an act of courage.
Judith Avila will talk about the three essentials that make for a stunning memoir. First, isolate your core truth, your message. A list of questions to aid in this self-examination will be discussed. Second, choose the events from your life that support that truth. Be ruthless in triaging these events. Each must add to the tapestry of your story. And third, develop your characters, with an emphasis on you, the protagonist. Keep in mind that no one is perfect and no one likes a perfect character—but nearly everyone can relate to flaws. So be honest. Resist the inevitable temptation to make yourself the good guy in every scene. Follow these guidelines, and embark on the road to a great story.
Judith Avila is the NYT, WSJ and USA Today bestselling co-author of Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII. Judy, inspired by New Mexico’s cultural mix, lives in Albuquerque’s East Mountains with her partner Latham Nez and four dogs. www.JudithAvila.com
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – November 2022
Time: November 23, 2022 at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Our Zoom log-in policy has changed due to disruptions to our meetings. 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. SWW Members sign into the Members Only portion of the website (request a username and password from webmaster@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.
Upcoming 2022 Meetings-Details listed above
♦ Wednesday, September 28, 6:30 pm
Marika Flatt: PR by the Book
♦ Saturday, October 8, 10:00 am
Annual Meeting – No Speaker
♦ Wednesday, October 26, 6:30 pm
Dan Klefstad: DIY Book Promo: Getting Your Book Into Readers’ Hands
♦ Saturday, November 12, 10:00 am
Robin Perini: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
♦ Wednesday, November 23, 6:30 pm
Judith Avila: Writing Your Memoir, An Act of Courage
Previous Speakers and Topics
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
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
2020:
♦ Melody Groves, 10 Dialogue Tricks to Make Your Characters “Talk Good”
♦ Jacqueline Murray Loring, International Publication Opportunities (or My Magical Tour of Ireland)
♦ Sherri Burr, Synchronicity and Perseverance: Two Elements to Finishing a Project
♦ Chris Allen, Brenda Cole, Charlene Dietz, Mary Therese Ellingwood, Evelyn Neil, Jim Tritten, Readings from the 2019 SWW Winners Anthology
♦ David Morrell, Getting Through It: How To Create A Storyline
♦ Chris Eboch, Myths about Writing for Children
♦ Rose Marie Kern, Niche Markets: A Pathway to Multiple Streams of Income
♦ Bennett R. Coles, Inside the Mind of a Publisher
♦ Sarah Baker, Jacqueline Loring, Kathy Schuit, Writing Through Lock Down: Importance of Literature in the Face of Fear and Uncertainty
♦ Kathy Louise Schuit, Illustrative Ideas For Standout Memoir, Poetry, and Prose
♦ Dan Wetmore, The Skinny on the Short-line Stuff
♦ Hakim Bellamy, “Flash” Fiction: Pictures and Poems
♦ John Rember, Writing, Teaching Writing, and Worrying about Happy Endings at Three in the Morning
♦ Corrales Writing Group, Building and Sustaining an Effective Writing Group
♦ Steve Brewer, Using Humor to Hook Readers
♦ Kathy Kitts, NaNoWriMo: How and Why You Might Want to Participate
♦ Geoff Habiger, What Do Publishers Really Want?
♦ Elizabeth S. Layton & Jacqueline Murray Loring, Screenplay Writing as Creative Magic
♦ Panel: Loretta Hall, Carolyn Carlson, Robert Kidera, Writing Contests from the Judges’ Perspective
