Join us for our monthly programs.
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)
- The fourth Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm MST (via Zoom only). There is no Wednesday meeting in December.
Visitor/Guest Policy
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 Zoom Meeting procedure on this page.
Need help signing into an SWW Zoom meeting? Watch this video.
UPCOMING MEETING PRESENTATIONS
No Wednesday Meeting in December
2025 MEETING PRESENTATIONS
Saturday, January 11, 2025
10:00 am – noon
In Person & Zoom
Speaker: Layla Milholen
Publishing with McFarland
This presentation will focus on the manuscript proposal stage, the various ways authors can submit to McFarland, what we publish and what we don’t, etc. She can discuss their contract in general. Authors can go to the web page for McFarland & Company, Inc, Publishers at https://mcfarlandbooks.com/ and look at Author Resources to find information on: Sample-McFar-Standard-Contract.pdf, Preparing Your Manuscript, Delivering Your Manuscript, After Delivery, and an ms checklist 10_2018.
Layla Milholen is the executive editor of operations at McFarland Books. She graduated from Appalachian State in 2004 with a BA in applied anthropology, then spent five years in Washington working in the field of education. She joined the staff at McFarland as an editorial assistant in 2010. Her areas of interest include society and culture, media studies, and women’s studies.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – January 2025
Time: January 11, 2025 at 10:00 am pm Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
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.
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: John Roche
Freeing Your Free Verse from Flabbiness
How do we keep our Free Verse from getting flabby? What tips have other writers proposed? First off, it might be helpful to have a brief history of the Free Verse genre, arising out of traditional Blank Verse through the inspiration of Walt Whitman; popularized by poets such as Carl Sandburg and Vachel Lindsay; surprisingly transformed by Modernists like H.D., E.E. Cummings, or William Carlos Williams; and starring in the 1950s poetry revolution led by the Beats, NY School, and Black Mountain (or Projectivist) Poets. Each of these movements created new ways to write Free Verse that is disciplined, exacting, and exciting. Unfortunately, as anyone who has attended open mics can attest, many beginning writers confuse Free Verse for mere freewriting, and believe there is nothing needed beyond their journal’s first draft. Even if one agrees in principle with Ginsberg’s dictum “First Thought, Best Thought,” there’s a bit more to it.
John Roche lives in Placitas, New Mexico, helping run Jules’ Poetry Playhouse and edit Poetry Playhouse Publications. Along with editing the five-volume Poets Speak series, his poetry books include On Conesus, Topicalities, Road Ghosts, The Joe Poems, Joe Rides Again: Further Adventures of Joe the Poet, and the latest, Tubbables.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – January 2025
Time: January 22, 2025 at 6:30 pm Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
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.
Saturday, February 8, 2025
10:00 am – noon
In Person & Zoom
Speaker: Dorinda Wegener
Get it Together: Organizing a Submission Packet and/or Manuscript and Tips on Submitting It
Her presentation will cover:
- How to organize a submission packet (individual packets or a manuscript/anthology)
- Where to Submit
- Guidelines: to follow or not to follow (individual packets, contests, manuscript/anthology)
Dorinda Wegener was selected as a Poets & Writers Magazine 2024 Get The Word Out Poetry Cohort Participant. Her debut collection, Four Fields, was published by Trio House Press in July 2024. She is a Perianesthesia Certified Registered Nurse in Virginia, who holds an MFA in Poetry from New England College.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Saturday Meeting – February 2025
Time: February 8, 2025 at 10:00 am Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
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.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: Judy Castleberry
What Judges Want You to Know BEFORE You Enter a Writing Contest
What should you know before you push the SUBMIT button? Judges for any writing contest will tell you there are red flags in some submissions. Like any writing submission process, there are things that will result in your entry not reaching the top of the list and may even disqualify it altogether. Based in part on feedback from the 2024 SWW Contest judges, this talk will help you turn your losing entry into a winner! This will be a hands-on presentation where you get to be the judge.
Judy Castleberry, MA Creative Writing, is the author of numerous articles on senior care and business, the book The Caregiver Zone, award-winning stage plays, short stories, and creative nonfiction. She has worked in entrepreneurship support and healthcare administration assisting baby businesses and senior adults. She was the chair of the 2024 SouthWest Writers Contest.
Zoom Meeting Information:
Topic: SWW Wednesday Meeting – February 2025
Time: February 26, 2025 at 6:30 pm Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join the Zoom Meeting
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.
Saturday, March 8, 2025
10:00 am – noon
In Person & Zoom
Speaker: Mary Lou Dobbs
Marketing and Visibility for Writers
More information will be posted as it is received.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: Christopher Upham
Adapting Stories to Screenplays
More information will be posted as it is received.
Saturday, April 12, 2025
10:00 am – noon
In Person & Zoom
Speaker: Dan Wetmore
The Building Blocks of Prose
Being ‘basic’ might be bad, but having the basics is crucial.
To position yourself for success, come get a refresher in—or be introduced to—prose’s elemental pitfalls.
We’ll discuss punctuation and proper dialogue formatting; tags versus beats and clear points of view; tenses and keeping them consistent; transitions (sentences, paragraphs and section breaks); information management faux pas (illogical flow, redundancy, non sequiturs, info dumps, off-topic work).
- Sound boring? Only if mastering the craft holds no interest.
- Think you know it all? Listen to the presentation, and then decide!
I guarantee I’ll give you reason to reconsider at least one thing you thought was cut and dried.
Dan Wetmore joined SWW in late 2016 and is the current vice president of the organization. He’s served on the Board of Directors for over five years, having worked on the Nominations Committee, chaired the annual writing contest, and edited the By-Laws and the Policies & Procedures Manual. Dan is the editor of Ramblings & Reflections, SWW’s 2021 contest anthology, and has authored two books of poetry: My Mother’s Gentle Unbecoming and Phoboudenopanophobia.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Via Zoom
Speaker: Irene Blea
Bringing Passion to Your Poetry
More information will be posted as it is received.
Previous Speakers and Topics
Most presentations were recorded and are available on the SWW YouTube channel.
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