May 2025 News
2025 SWW contest, $50 gift card raffle, and more.
Message from the Prez
Happy May! When I taught entrepreneurship, I asked budding entrepreneurs “What problem or need are you solving for your customer?” If customers don’t need or want your solution, then the brightest, shiniest, new thingamabob doesn’t have a market. And entrepreneurs must keep asking that question because problems and needs shift over time. SouthWest Writers is YOUR organization, but we can’t meet your needs or offer solutions to your problems if we don’t know what they are. We are asking for your feedback so we can best plan the future. We want to understand the needs of our members and potential members, including our newest members so our offerings remain fresh and relevant. See below for the survey link. Incentive: When you complete the survey, you will be entered to win a $50 bookstore gift card.
We’ve heard from several of you that you’d love more opportunities to connect with other members. One way to meet writers (and improve your craft!) is to sign up for a critique group on our website here. Another idea that we are going to pilot is a Writer’s Coffee. We will meet for coffee at a restaurant or bookstore. No program, just a chance to talk with other writers. The first Writer’s Coffee is planned for June. Watch your email and this space for announcements.
And don’t forget, it is CONTEST SEASON! Polish that piece of writing and be ready to enter the annual contest in June! Click here for more information.
Happy Writing!
Judy
Message from the VP and Contest Chair
The contest committee has eaten their Wheaties and are eager to review your submissions!
The biggest change we're making this year is that we will be using a submission platform to help manage and review entries. The program is called Zealous (zealous.co/register), and you will need to make an account on the platform to be able to submit to the contest. Creating an account is easy; all you need is your name, email address, and a password. If you need help creating your Zealous account, check out this short tutorial I created with screenshots.
Key dates to remember: The period for submissions will open on June 1st and close on July 8th.
Find all of the rules, categories, and guidelines for submitting your entries on our website here.
Happy submitting!
Kim
Score! Complete this survey for a chance to win a $50 bookstore gift card.
As Judy shared above, the SWW board is looking for your feedback as they work on the strategic plan for the organization. What offerings should we prioritize? What kind of support do our member/subscriber writers most crave/need? Your input will help the board make the best decisions. This information is very important to us, so we’re going to raffle off ONE $50 gift certificate to a local bookstore (with shipping options for those of you who live outside the Albuquerque Metro). You must complete all items on the survey (with real answers) to qualify. One entry per person. Here are the details:
Complete this survey: Click here to complete the survey.
Deadline: May 21, 2025
Results: We will share the results at a future meeting and in the Sage.
Drawing: The drawing will be completed, and the winner notified, by May 31, 2025.
Upcoming SWW Events
You can find information about upcoming events on the SWW website here. Here’s what’s on tap in the coming weeks.
Saturday, May 10: Meeting presentation (in-person or Zoom) from 10:00 a.m. until 11:45 p.m. Plot and Story Arc will be presented by Jim Tritten. More information here.
Saturday, May 10: Workshop (in-person or Zoom) from 12:00-2:00pm. Finding Your Unique Voice will be presented by Lynn Doxon. More information here and register here.
Wednesday, May 28: Meeting presentation (Zoom only) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Writing for Role-Playing Games will be presented by Geoff Habiger. More information here.
April’s Writing Challenge - The Results
Last month we challenged you to tell us about a grade school experience. See contributions from Rachel Bate, Irene Blea, Dita Dow, Mark Fleisher, Carolyn Hardisty Ruiz, Molly Houston, Ed Johnson, Rose Marie Kern, and Eva Newman on the SWW Website 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 20, 2025.
April’s writing challenge: A Vacation to Remember!
Give us up to 750 words about a vacation you have taken, would like to take, or can only imagine taking. It can be real or imaginary. It can be fiction, or non-fiction, and any genre.
Welcome to SouthWest Writers!
The following writers joined/re-joined our community in February and March. We hope to see you at one of our events in person or online. Write on!
Myron Beard, Marcia Butler, Kay Cordtz, Thérèse d'Auria Ryley, James Dillehay, Tammi Dorsey, Pat Hodapp, James Janko, Wendy Johnson, Jack Matthews, Efrem Razumny, Charlie Slover, Dirk Van Hart, James Wilson, Astrid Winegar, and Lynne Zotalis.
If you’re not yet a member, learn more about the benefits here.
We have resources for writers across our platforms and additional content in our members-only section of the website. Visit our website, ask to join our Facebook Group, check out our blog, check out the session recordings on our YouTube channel, or find our page on Goodreads.