July 2024 News
Join the board! The SWW writing contest, July challenge, and more.
The SWW Prez Says…
Greetings, SWW members!
I’d like to share an exciting and important opportunity with you. Take my place!
Non-profit organizations run on the dedication of its members - their belief in the group's purpose and the energy they are willing to put into its activities. We in SWW are lovers of literature and believe everyone has a right to write. We’re proud of the programs and support we provide to our members and attendees. We serve over 400 members and 1,400 subscribers.
Learning how to be a successful writer is challenging. Never has there been a greater need than in this era where ideas once whispered are now shouted, and those who would quiet them again burn books. We need to encourage individual human expression and rail against the threat of libraries being overrun with cardboard AI driven cutouts.
In order for this organization to exist, we need members and guest speakers to reach out to each other and to pass along what they have learned. We need authors who are leaders and who have the heart to give some of their time and expertise to our mission of helping each other succeed.
I have been president for several years and it is time for me to step back. It is time for new leadership and new visions. As a small non-profit organization, we’re lucky we have an office coordinator to handle the daily activities. This allows the board to concentrate on overseeing our programs and setting up presentations and classes vital to our members’ evolution as authors.
We’re searching for a president and president-elect for 2025. Contact me if you’re interested and I’ll share how things work and answer your questions (president@swwriters.com). If you wish to donate time but cannot take on the presidency, contact membership chair Jacqueline Loring (membership@swwriters.com). Several key positions need to be filled. Help shape the future SWW!
Rose Marie Kern, Future Lame Duck President
The 2024 SWW Contest Closes in days!
Time is running out. Have you submitted? The SouthWest Writers 2024 Contest submission window will close on July 7th. Find more details here: https://www.southwestwriters.com/annual-writing-contest/.
Upcoming SWW Events
You can find information about upcoming events on the SWW website here. Here’s what’s on tap this month.
Saturday, July 13: Meeting presentation (in-person or zoom) from 10 a.m. until noon. Join author Carlyn Montes De Oca for a candid In Conversation about her multi-award-winning book, Junkyard Girl: A Memoir of Ancestry, Family Secrets and Second Chances. Carlyn will also share about her writing process and some invaluable tips for marketing a memoir. More information here.
Saturday, July 13: Workshop (in-person or zoom) from 12:30 until 2:30 p.m. Copyrights, ISBNs & Barcodes will be presented by Rose Marie Kern. More information here and register here.
Wednesday, July 24: Meeting presentation (zoom only) from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. How to Write Good Science Fiction will be presented by Zachry Wheeler. More information here.
June’s Writing Challenge - The Results
Last month, we challenged you to send us a submission that takes place at the farmer’s market. You delivered! See contributions from Rosa Armijo-Pemble, Cornelia Gamlem, Bonnie Hobbs, and Heidi Marshall on the SWW Website here.
July’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 July 19, 2024.
July’s writing challenge: Four Vowels
Write a short story or poem with words containing only four out of five vowels (a, e, i, o, u). Choose one vowel to omit from the entire selection. Make sure that you omit the same vowel throughout the piece. So, if you don’t use the vowel ‘a’ then no words should contain an ‘a’. No more than 1,000 words. Have fun!
Anthology Recognition
We’re proud to announce that Woven Pathways was announced as a finalist in the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards! The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is a literary awards program that recognizes authors and publishers of exceptional independently published books in 70 categories. Established in 2007, it is the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers and is presented by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group.
2023 contest Chair and Editor, Debbie White, commented “I’m humbled and thrilled that Woven Pathways was a finalist in the anthology category of the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards! It takes a team to create an anthology. The team of writers, editors and artists who worked on Woven Pathways were truly extraordinary. It was a privilege to work with them. Kudos to the entire team!”
Woven Pathways is a collection of the award-winning stories and poetry from 2023’s Annual Writing contest. The award recognizes Debbie White, the contest chairwoman, and the other committee members Christina Allen, and Evelyn Neil, as well as the cover art by Kathy Schuit. For more information, click here.
Email sage@swwriters.com with links to anything you think we should share with Sage subscribers.
Welcome to SouthWest Writers!
The following writers joined our community in April. We hope to see you at one of our events in person or online. Write on!
Dan Ellerton, Ramesh Gopal, Helen Jack, and Tammy Wilkerson Hill-Fisher.
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.