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.
2022 Meetings
♦ Wednesday (Zoom), January 26, 6:30 pm
Stephanie Chandler: Build Your On-line Marketing Plan
♦ Saturday (In Person & Zoom), February 12, 10:00 am
Jayne Ann Krentz: Yes, You Can Reinvent Yourself: Tips for Finding Your Voice and Your Core Story
♦ Wednesday (Zoom), February 23, 6:30 pm
Lauren Wolk: The Art and Business of Writing for Young Readers
♦ Saturday (In Person & Zoom), March 12, 10:00 am
Jodi Thomas: Why Write a Series?
♦ Wednesday (Zoom), March 23, 6:30 pm
Nancy Rubin Stuart: Using Fiction Techniques to Shape Non-fiction
♦ Saturday (In Person & Zoom), April 9, 10:00 am
Jonathan Miller: How to Turn Your Life into a Novel
♦ Wednesday (Zoom), April 27, 6:30 pm
Ellen Meeropol: Evil Characters We Love to Hate
Wednesday, January 26
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
via Zoom
Speaker: Stephanie Chandler
BUILD YOUR ON-LINE MARKETING PLAN
With so much competition, it is critical to build a marketing plan that leverages the many opportunities available online. In this content-rich presentation, Stephanie Chandler shares proven content marketing strategies. They include: Understanding and attracting your ideal audience; getting visibility with online media opportunities; producing and promoting videos, webinars, and online events; connecting with online resources for massive exposure; leveraging podcasting, blogs, and video that get results; and promoting with Facebook strategies you haven’t heard anywhere else (really!) Whether you’ve been an author for years or you’re just getting started, an effective marketing plan can have a dramatic impact on your book sales.
Stephanie Chandler is the author of several books including The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan. She is CEO of NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com, a vibrant educational community for experienced and aspiring writers, and NonfictionWritersConference.com, events conducted entirely online since 2010. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, and Wired magazine.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – January 2022
Time: January 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, February 12
10:00 am – noon
In Person & via Zoom
Speaker: Jayne Ann Krentz
YES, YOU CAN REINVENT YOURSELF:
Tips for Finding Your Voice and Your Core Story
In this engaging talk with author Jayne Ann Krentz, she’ll explore tips and provide advice for discovering your core story and telling it through that inner voice every author possesses but doesn’t realize. Jayne will allow plenty of time for your questions.
Jayne Ann Krentz writes contemporary romantic suspense under her Krentz name, historical romantic suspense under her Amanda Quick name and futuristic romantic suspense as Jayne Castle. She has had over 50 New York Times bestsellers.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – February 2022
Time: February 12, 2022 at 10:00 AM 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, February 23
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
via Zoom
Speaker: Lauren Wolk
THE ART and BUSINESS of WRITING for YOUNG READERS
Lauren Wolk will speak about writing for young readers and share her experiences with agents, publishers, and editors. She will give a brief writing assignment for those who intend to take her workshop on March 12.
Lauren Wolk is the New York Times bestselling author of the adult novel Those Who Favor Fire (2019, Random House), and three novels for young readers: Newbery Honor-winning Wolf Hollow (2016), Scott O’Dell Award-winning Beyond the Bright Sea (2107), and Echo Mountain (2020), all published by Dutton/Penguin Random House.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – February 2022
Time: February 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.
Saturday, March 12
10:00 am – noon
In Person & via Zoom
Speaker: Jodi Thomas
WHY WRITE a SERIES?
In today’s market, there are many benefits for pitching, selling, and writing a series. Here are the secrets…
With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels and countless short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world. Her website is: JodiThomas.com.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – March 2022
Time: March 12, 2022 at 10:00 AM 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, March 23
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
via Zoom
Speaker: Nancy Rubin Stuart
USING FICTION TECHNIQUES to SHAPE NONFICTION
“Using Fiction Techniques to Shape Nonfiction” explains how the narrative and descriptive skills often associated with fiction helped shape Nancy’s latest work, POOR RICHARD’S WOMEN: Deborah Read Franklin and the Other Women Behind the Founding Father. In this presentation, Nancy will review the challenges she faced while attempting to shape historical nonfiction material into a compelling but factual story. Among the questions she will address in this session are choosing themes, creating a narrative arc, engaging character descriptions, back story, setting, and the unique challenges they presented to her and the reader. A Q&A will follow Nancy’s talk.
Nancy Rubin Stuart’s acclaimed nonfiction books focus upon women and social history. Beacon Press will publish POOR RICHARD’S WOMEN; Deborah Read Franklin and the Other Women Behind the Founding Father in February 2022. Nancy, who directs the Cape Cod Writers Center, has written for the New York Times and national magazines.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – March 2022
Time: March 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.
Saturday, April 9
10:00 am – noon
In Person & via Zoom
Speaker: Jonathan Miller
HOW to TURN YOUR LIFE into a NOVEL
Everyone has a story to tell. Especially you. This program will focus on how to take your everyday experiences and turn them into a novel that will be interesting to the wider world. No matter what you do, or the genre in which you write, you can get published somehow, somewhere. As Jonathan is also a lawyer, he will briefly discuss how to avoid getting sued.
Jonathan Miller is an attorney and award-winning author in New Mexico. His novel Luna Law was a co-winner of the 2017 Hillerman award for fiction, and The Shakespeare Incident recently won in the best science fiction category in the 2021 contest. He started writing while at Albuquerque Academy, and in addition to his professional degrees he also has an MFA from American Film Institute. In his travels, he has also become serious about photography. His website is Rattlesnakelaw.com.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – March 2022
Time: April 9, 2022 at 10:00 AM 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, April 27
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
via Zoom
Speaker: Ellen Meeropol
EVIL CHARACTERS WE LOVE to HATE
Novels and stories often demand a villain. Evil characters help create conflict and tension; they make it harder for other characters to get what they need. In addition, fully developed bad guys can deepen the novel by exploring the nature of evil in our world. This program looks at strategies to write evil characters that both frighten us and reflect something of our own imperfect humanity.
Ellen Meeropol is the author of the novels Her Sister’s Tattoo, Kinship of Clover, On Hurricane Island, House Arrest, and the forthcoming Lost Women of Azalea Court. Her work has been honored by the Women’s National Book Association, the Sarton Prize, and the Massachusetts Center for the Book.
In-Person Meeting:
Go to the SWW Meeting Location page for information about our new meeting place.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – April 2022
Time: April 27, 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.
Previous Speakers and Topics
2022:
♦ John Gilstrap, Whose Story Are You Telling?
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
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
