January 2026 News
Thank you, News about Events, New Sage Challenge.
Message from the Prez
Happy 2026!
The new year, of course, means new things for us all—having to hastily turn a five into a six every time you write the date for two weeks, resolutions for improved writing habits that hopefully last beyond January, and shiny new things on the horizon for SouthWest Writers members.
This also means you get me as the new president. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Kim Rose, and my background is in English, emergency medical services, and, to a degree, SouthWest Writers. I’ve been a member for a little over 15 years (more than half my life!), and I’m both excited and honored to have been passed the torch for leading the organization that has benefitted my life so richly. I have the footsteps of many great presidents to follow, but I hope that 2026 will be SWW’s best year—until 2027, that is, which will be even better!
We’re always looking to offer new programming and events to best meet the interests and needs of a vast and varied writing community. This year we’re planning on hosting a literary festival for members, to set up mentorships for members who desire one-on-one guidance, to expand our relationships with other writing organizations, and to offer our members even more great resources, to list just a few of our “new” pursuits.
I could write all day about things we want to make happen, but I’d rather hear about what YOU would like to see SWW do to best support you. If you have any suggestions, or would like to be involved in making grand things happen, please contact me at president@swwriters.com.
May your 2026 be filled with many successes, in all that you do.
Kim Rose
Holiday Giving Campaign - Celebrate YOU!
We are thrilled to share that the Holiday Giving campaign yielded $2,521. That’s $1,121 over our target of $1,400. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who made it happen. SWW appreciates your generosity and dedication.
Upcoming SWW Events
Please note that we’ve made a couple of changes to our meetings to improve our offerings and provide more opportunities for writers to network and socialize including:
Workshops have been moved to the 3rd Saturday of the month and may be held at the SWW office or by Zoom only. Times may vary, so be sure to check the listings.
Saturday meetings: Because we’ve moved our workshops to the 3rd Saturday of the month, you will have time after our Saturday meetings to chat and plan. The room will be open and available until 2:00 p.m.
You can find information about upcoming events on the SWW website here. Here’s what’s on tap this month.
Saturday January 10: Presentation (in-person or Zoom) from 10:00 until 11:45 a.m. We All Have a Story to Tell will be presented by Kathleen Hessler. More information here.
Saturday January 17: Workshop (in-person or Zoom at the SWW Office) from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Creating and Using Outlines in Fiction will be presented by Holly Day. More information here and register here.
Wednesday, January 28: Presentation (Zoom only) from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. From Pages to Profits will be presented by Glory St. Germain. More information here.
Saturday, January 31: Writers’ Coffee from 10:00–11:00 am, at Books on the Bosque. Socialize with other writers, no speaker/no program.
Last Month’s Writing Challenge - The Results
Last month we challenged you to look up to the skies. Seven SWW members contributed to last month’s Challenge including:
Ed Johnson Under a Half Moon
Larry Kilham The Message
Wanda Whittlesey-Jerome Astronomical Inspiration from the Pleiades
Dita Dow Footprints in the Sky
Sam Moorman Starstruck
Heidi Marshall The Rings of Earth
Rosa Armijo-Pemble The Bucket List Item I Almost Checked Twice
Check out the submissions here.
This Month’s Writing Challenge for SWW Members
The monthly challenge is a terrific opportunity to write and submit short pieces based on a prompt. Entries we select for publication will appear on the SouthWest Writers Sage Challenge webpage and will be eligible for inclusion in upcoming anthologies. For more information and our submission guidelines, click here. Email your entry in MS Word or TXT format to info@swwriters.com by the 25th of the month.
This month’s challenge: New Beginnings
The New Year is traditionally a time to reflect on our lives and figure out what challenges are ahead, or what changes we want to make. Do we like our living environment? Our jobs? Is our health on track or should we get a membership at a health spa? Are we happy with the progress of our writing careers? Do we feel comfortable with our progress, or is it time to shake things up a bit by taking some workshops? Is it time to start a new book or a new series? Do you have a drawer full of perfectly good first draft stories that need to be edited, finished and released?
Send up to 800 words to info@swwriters.com by January 25 and put SAGE CHALLENGE in the subject line.
Welcome to SouthWest Writers!
The following writers joined our community last month. We hope to see you at one of our events in person or online. Write on!
Deborah Alexander, Elizabeth Burgert, Julie Hartig, Sophia Minetos, Megan Shaw, and Lukas White.
If you’re not yet a member, learn more about the benefits here.
We have resources for writers across our platforms and additional content on our members-only section of the website. Visit our website, ask to join our Facebook Group, check out our blog, see what we’re saying on X (Twitter), check out the session recordings on our YouTube channel, or find our page on Goodreads.