Join us for our monthly programs.
In-person meetings are normally held on the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to noon and the third Tuesday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Albuquerque Center for Spiritual Living located on the northwest corner of Louisiana and Claremont — two blocks north of Menaul — at 2801 Louisiana Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. Go to the map on the bottom of this page for directions. If you’d like to check out one of our in-person meetings but you’re not a member yet, please read our visitor policy.
Until it’s safe to meet in person again, we’ll schedule meetings using the Zoom platform. 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.
2021 Zoom Meetings
♦ January – March meetings took place via Zoom.
♦ Our April 3rd meeting took place via Zoom.
♦ Saturday, April 17, 10:00 am: Special Meeting: Readings by Irish Poets
♦ Tuesday, April 20, 6:30 pm: Raffi Andonian: Controversial Historical Sites
♦ Saturday, May 1, 10:00 am: Debra W. Englander: Why You Need a Book Coach
♦ Tuesday, May 18, 6:30 pm: Dean Wesley Smith: Writing Into The Dark: Writing Clean, One-draft Stories Without an Outline
♦ Saturday, June 5, 10:00 am: Sheryl Brown: Screenplay from Stakeholder Perspectives
♦ Tuesday, June 15, 6:30 pm: Jeffrey Candelaria: Artists, Writers, and a Business Mentality
♦ Saturday, July 3, 10:00 am: Paige Wheeler: Agents and Authors
♦ Tuesday, July 20, 6:30 pm: Fauzia Burke: Author Platforms
ATTEND a ZOOM MEETING in 2021!
Saturday, April 17
10:00 am – noon
Special Meeting
READINGS by IRISH POETS
We’ll have discussions with and readings from:
- Geraldine Mills, award-winning author of five collections of poetry, three collections of short stories and a children’s novel for middle-grade readers.
- Luke Morgan, award-winning Irish writer and director. His debut collection Honest Walls was published by Arlen House in 2016.
- Pete Mullineaux, author of four collections including Session and How to Bake a Planet. His work has been featured on Ireland’s public radio.
- Moya Roddy, novelist, short story writer, screenwriter and poet. Her debut collection Out of the Ordinary (Salmon 2018) was shortlisted for the Strong/Shine Award.
- Gerard Hanberry, poet, writer, musician and teacher. To date he has published four collections of poetry and is currently working on his fifth. A stone plaque of his poem The Kasbah on Quay Street was erected on Quay Street, in Galway, Ireland.
To learn more about the poets, go to Meet the Poets.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – April 2021
Time: Apr 17, 2021, at 10:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Tuesday, April 20
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Speaker: Raffi Andonian
CONTROVERSIAL HISTORICAL SITES
Statues are falling around the world. Monuments that have long honored historic figures are being boxed up, spray-painted, or beheaded. All over the world, as protests against racism and police violence have renewed attention on legacies of injustices. So people have been asking: Does this monument still need to be here in my town? Public Cultural Sites expert Raffi Andonian says there are four simple key questions every community must answer when it comes to public historic sites today:
1. Why remember?
2. What is the history to be remembered?
3. What does it mean to remember?
4. How to remember?
Raffi Andonian is the #1 bestselling author of Creating Space for Conflicted Histories, and a frequent speaker on the topic of Public Cultural Sites. He has worked as a Historical Guide at the Gettysburg battlefield, at Civil War sites around Richmond, Virginia, at the birthplace of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and at the childhood home of Martin Luther King, Jr. Raffi holds a master’s degree in history and another master’s degree in historic preservation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Atomic Museum Foundation (Smithsonian affiliate). Visit his website at RaffiAndonian.com.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Tuesday Meeting – April 2021
Time: Apr 20, 2021, at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Saturday, May 1
10:00 am – noon
Speaker: Debra W. Englander
WHY YOU NEED a BOOK COACH
The publishing business has changed dramatically. There are many options to getting your book published. A book coach can walk you through the process, explaining the industry jargon, and helping you navigate the various options. For example, self-publishing doesn’t mean DYI. Instead, it means you can assemble a team of experts to help you edit, design, print or you can use a one-stop service that will handle these details for you. Or you might consider a hybrid publisher where you’re responsible for paying for some services, whether in buying books or in paying for marketing or other services. A book coach can also:
• Help craft your book idea then help you write and refine a book proposal
• Suggest agents and publishers
• Help you understand publishing agreements and guide you through the process
• Provide support as you wait for responses from agents and publishers
Debra W. Englander is a New York based writer, editor and author coach. She’s written and ghosted several books and contributed articles to Poets&Writers, USA Today, Money Magazine, and other publications. She was manager of the Fortune Book and editorial director for business books at Wiley for nearly 17 years.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – May 2021
Time: May 1, 2021, at 10:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Tuesday, May 18
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Speaker: Dean Wesley Smith
WRITING into the DARK:
Writing Clean, One-draft Stories Without an Outline
Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith has published two hundred novels and countless short stories in forty years across many genres. His series include the time travel Thunder Mountain set in the old west, the galaxy spanning Seeders Universe, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy. Visit his website at DeanWesleySmith.com.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Tuesday Meeting – May 2021
Time: May 18, 2021, at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Saturday, June 5
10:00 am – noon
Speaker: Sheryl Brown
SCREENPLAY from STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES
Writing a screenplay is very different than writing a novel or short story. Sheryl will share her screenplay experience from a variety of perspectives including the producer, director, and actor perspectives. Learn what to consider when taking your narrative concept to visual concept.
Sheryl Brown is President of Real to Reel Productions LLC. She has produced spec commercials and TV trailers. a web series, short films, and two feature films (one narrative and one documentary). In addition to film production, she enjoys screenwriting and directing.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – June 2021
Time: June 5, 2021, at 10:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Tuesday, June 15
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Speaker: Jeffrey Candelaria
ARTISTS, WRITERS, and a BUSINESS MENTALITY
In sales and business, “YOU” represent the products and services you sell and promote. Your personal brand or Your Brand Triad: Ethos (ethics, values, trust), Pathos (emotions, vision, people commitment), and Logos (credibility, skills) is tied to all aspects of the sales process. “YOU are YOUR Brand.” How do you sell your books? Is it based strictly on content or does it reflect YOU, your Character and your Personal Culture? Jeffrey Candelaria will discuss ways writers should focus on Behavioral Economics and “You as a Living Brand.”
Jeffrey Candelaria is the owner of Konnection Now, LLC and host of the Gauntlet of Truth — the Jeffrey Candelaria Radio Show which airs Saturdays 2:00 – 5:00 pm on News Radio 770 KKOB AM and 96.3 FM in Albuquerque. His novel TORO: The Naked Bull tells the story of a famous family of bullfighters in Spain, and brings to light the traditions and mystic of a spectacle dating back almost 2,000 years.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Tuesday Meeting – June 2021
Time: June 15, 2021, at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Saturday, July 3
10:00 am – noon
Speaker: Paige Wheeler
President & Agent, Creative Media Agency, Inc.
AGENTS and AUTHORS
As the founder of Creative Media Agency, Inc., Paige Wheeler has artfully merged her creativity and business savvy to create an agency that is dedicated to maximizing author potential. With over twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, she is propelled by an entrepreneurial spirit, ignited by the thrill of discovery. Paige is proud to represent bestselling and award-winning authors, and she has launched the careers and built the brands for many New York Times, USA Today, Agatha, Rita, Shamus, and other notable award-winning and top-selling clients. Visit her website at CMAlit.com.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – July 2021
Time: July 3, 2021, at 10:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Tuesday, July 20
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Speaker: Fauzia Burke
AUTHOR PLATFORMS
Fauzia Burke, author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors, is the founder and president of FSB Associates (an online book publicity firm), co-founder of Pub Site (a platform for building author websites), and a consultant and coach for authors who need help navigating the book marketing and publicity landscape. Before starting FSB, she worked for book publishers Henry Holt and John Wiley. Fauzia has promoted books by authors such as Alan Alda, Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra, Melissa Francis, S. C. Gwynne, Mika Brzezinski, Charles Spencer and many more. She is based in San Diego, California. Visit FSB Associates at FSBassociates.com. For more information on Pub Site, go to Pub-Site.com.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Tuesday Meeting – July 2021
Time: July 20, 2021, at 6:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
Click here to join the meeting. (Meeting ID: 446 372 3340, no password required.) For all sign-in options, go to the Zoom Meeting Sign In page.
Previous Speakers and Topics for 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
Previous Speakers and Topics for 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 (watch on Youtube)
♦ 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
Speakers and Topics for 2019:
♦ Steve Brewer, I’ve Looked at Books from Both Sides Now
♦ Kirt Hickman, Write Realistic Dialogue
♦ Jacqueline M. Loring, Creating the KiMo Book
♦ Sarah H. Baker, Critique Groups: How and Why
♦ Dan Wetmore, The Pros and Cons of Non-Prose
♦ Jeanne Shannon & Rob Spiegel, Great Poets of New Mexico
♦ Don Bullis, Adventures in Research
♦ Rose Marie Kern, How to Copyright Your Book
♦ Johnny D. Boggs, The Modern World of Publishing
♦ Judith Avila & Patricia Conoway, Memoir Panel
♦ Brian Stinar, WordPress for Writers
♦ Betsy James, Evoking and Organizing the Fiction Draft
♦ Jonathan Miller, Planning Your Own Epic Series
♦ Robert Vardeman & Melody Groves, Writing Authentic Historical Fiction
♦ Jeffe Kennedy & Robin Perini, Romantic Elements and Tropes
♦ Bob Kidera, Margaret Tessler, & Patricia Smith Wood, What Makes a Mystery Writer?
♦ Gail Rubin, How to Market Your Expertise
♦ Loretta Hall & Susan C. Cooper, Writing Nonfiction
♦ Elise McHugh & Bryce Emley, UNM Press Panel
