May 2024 News
The SWW writing contest, May challenge, and much, much more.
The 2024 SWW Contest Launches!
Are you going to submit? We’re excited to read your best short stories and poems for this year’s contest. Click here for more details. We’ve heard many reasons writers want to participate - staying active, winning is fun, excuse to go on a five-day writing retreat - but what’s your WHY?
SWW YouTube Videos Are A Hit
SWW has been recording our speakers as they impart pearls of literary wisdom during our twice monthly meetings. Each presentation is about an hour in length. Our YouTube expert, Kimberley Rose, takes the raw zoom footage and adds titles, dates, topics and names and posts them to the dedicated SouthWest Writers YouTube Channel. Each month, our YouTube channel reports approximately:
376 to 400 views
50 to 60 hours of total watch time
We have 380 subscribers and about 250 “Unique” viewers.
Kim noted that last month we garnered some comments on various videos. The Dean Wesley Smith video has been our most popular of recent, with 239 views, with the next most popular one being the Charlene Bell Dietz video with 14 views. Videos of speakers Dean Wesley Smith, Marcia Rosen, and David Morrell were viewed more than ten times.
While there is not enough demographic data to show the age/gender breakdown of our viewers, it is interesting that 93% of the views have come from people who are not subscribed to our channel. We have over 100 topics and speakers available to our members. Although non-members can view the most recent videos, becoming a SWW member gains access to all of them going back to 2016! The breadth of topics and noted speakers will resonate with those interested in learning the craft of writing. For more information, go to: https://www.southwestwriters.com/youtube-videos
Upcoming SWW Events
You can find information about upcoming events on the SWW website here. Here’s what’s on tap this month.
Saturday, May 11: Meeting presentation (in-person or zoom) from 10 a.m. until noon. Public Presentations will be presented by Donna Pedace. More information here.
Saturday, May 11: Workshop (in-person or zoom) from 12:30 until 2:30 p.m. Writing Award-Winning Fiction/Nonfiction for Children/Teens will be presented by Chris Eboch. More information here and register here.
Wednesday, May 22: Meeting presentation (zoom only) from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Editorial Guidelines: NOT a Suggestion will be presented by Kathy Louise Schuit. More information here.
April’s Writing Challenge - The Results
Last month we challenged you to send us a poem that best represents your voice as a poet. Eleven SWW members contributed poems to last month’s Challenge including Mary Therese Ellingwood, Jessica Bloome, Don Boyd, John B. Cornish, Alissa Dickey, Mark Fleisher, Reza Ghadimi, Larry Kilham, Irvis Macy, Kristin Middleton, and Wanda Jerome. Long and short, serious and amusing, lovely and disturbing. Check out the submissions here.
May’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 May 15, 2024.
This month’s challenge: Landscape
Weave a regional form of landscape (Sandia Mountains, Mount Taylor, Rio Puerco, Sawtooth Mountains, etc) into a short story or poem as its central setting. No more than 1000 words.
Let’s Learn From Each Other
We’re excited to share your sage perspectives about how to hone our craft, cultivate a fruitful writing life, or work with publishers and vendors.
SWW Member and prolific author Sherri Burr offers a Writing Life essay about REJECTION over on the SWW Blog here.
Speaking about the SWW blog… have you checked it out lately? You’ll find author interviews, news, and member updates. Great stuff! Check out the blog here.
If you’ve recently written and posted a piece on your blog, website, Facebook Page, or other social media platform that fits this section, email Lisa a link to the piece along with a two-sentence introduction to sage@swwriters.com.
Regional and Online Literary Happenings
Military Veterans, caregivers, and spouses: Check out this online opportunity lead by Veteran and author Kevin Basl. Held every first and third Thursday at 1:30 p.m. mountain time. There is no cost to participate but you must register. More details here.
Are you over 55 and writing speculative fiction? If so, check out this opportunity for a $1,000 grant to support your writing project(s).
SWW member and Taos residents Tania Casselle and Sean Murphy will be leading a nine-month online course called, Write to Finish. It begins June 5, 2024. Find more information here.
We love book stores! Have you been to Treasure House Books & Gifts? Sage contributor and SWW member Rosa Armijo-Pemble recently checked out this ABQ literary gem. Here’s what she had to share.
Tourists and locals gather to marvel at the storefront window of Treasure House Books and Gifts. Owners John and Susan Hoffsis provide visitors and locals a delightful and interesting selection of handpicked books. The family-owned store devoted to New Mexico authors offers a weekly-lineup of readings and book signings. Visit their website to find your next New Mexico or southwest title and learn about the Hoffsis’ rich, longtime history beginning as two separate mom and pop shops. This independent bookstore has been thriving for twenty-five years. Register to receive updates here.
The adobe structure is located within Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza. Parking during peak hours and weekends is limited near the store, however, pay lots are within walking distance.
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!
Mario Calderon, Bob Churchill, Traci Hales, Lauren Henley, Clarissa Hoover, Rolf Janson, Lisa Page, and Dave Tedlock.
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.