September 2024 News
September 2024 News
September events, August challenge results, and voting is open for SWW leadership.
The SWW Prez Says…
Is it fall already? This summer seemed to just blow by…quite literally from all the trees that were uprooted in my neighborhood by one of the storms that barreled through.
As labor day passes, kids settle into school and many people settle back into their fall-to-winter slow down mode. But this is when SWW members gear up! We have the big 40th anniversary party/annual meeting coming up October 12th and many of our members are hurrying to get books published in time for the holiday season.
We are excited because the annual meeting is also when we will be announcing the awards for this year’s writing contest and releasing the Mosaic Voices anthology featuring the award-winning entries. A lot of folks are bustling about to get everything ready for a great party. We hope you can join us at UNM if you are in town for food, music, and a delightful gathering of like minds.
Don’t forget that we are also voting for next year’s SWW leaders this month. We encourage all members to go to the website and show your support by voting. I’m thrilled with the talented and dedicated individuals who have volunteered and are committed to ensuring the continuity and growth of our community. See you Oct 12th!
Rose Marie Kern, President
Upcoming SWW Events
You can find information about upcoming events on the SWW website here. Here’s what’s on tap this month.
Saturday, September 14: Meeting presentation (in-person or zoom) from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Kid’s Lit Panel moderated by Chris Eboch and including Laurel Goodluck, Natalie Linn, Vaunda Nelson, and Khadijah VanBrakle. Meet local children’s books authors and learn how they got published. More information here.
Saturday, September 14: Workshop (in-person or zoom) from 12:30 until 2:30 p.m. A Gentle Goodbye: Life-Affirming Stories will be presented by Andrea Penner. More information here and register here.
Wednesday, September 25: Meeting presentation (zoom only) from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Transitioning from an International Film and Media Maker to an Award-Winning Creative Writer will be presented by Neill McKee. More information here.
Save the Date! Saturday, October 12: Annual Meeting. The 2024 SWW Annual Business Meeting will take place during the regular membership meeting. The agenda will include results of the Executive Committee election and announcement of the winners of the 2024 Annual Writing Contest. A celebration of SWW’s 40th anniversary will follow the meeting and will take the place of the normal Saturday workshop. More information here.
August’s Writing Challenge - The Results
Last month we challenged you to send us a poem or short story under 1,000 words about bodies in motion. See contributions from Kathleen Hessler, Ed Johnson, Carol Kreis, and Dan Wetmore on the SWW Website here.
September’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 September 20, 2024.
September’s writing challenge: Mid-life Crisis
In honor of SWW’s 40th anniversary, write a piece no longer than 1,000 words about a mid-life crisis or mid-life epiphany.
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.
Check out SWW Member Suzanne Stauffer’s latest writing craft blog posts about authorial voice, show don't tell, characters' voices, and the challenges of writing historical fiction here.
New on the SWW blog. We congratulate five SWW members who won big at the VA Creative Writing Contest including Mark Fleisher, Walter “Butch” Maki, Raymund Tembreull, Jim Tritten, and Dan Wetmore.
Have you checked out the SWW blog 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
Here’s what’s happening at SCBWI New Mexico.
SCBWI-New Mexico Handsprings Hybrid Conference
November 1 on Zoom | November 2 in Santa Fe | November 3 on Zoom
All sessions will be available to both in person and online attendees, and recordings of all sessions will be offered to all those registered for 30 days after the conference. Five literary agents will accept submissions from attendees, and one-on-one critique and pitch opportunities are available. Tuition starts at $150. See the SCBWI website for full pricing details and to register.
Email sage@swwriters.com with links to anything you think we should share with Sage subscribers.
Welcome to SouthWest Writers!
The following writers joined/re-joined our community in August. We hope to see you at one of our events in person or online. Write on!
Laura Beltemaccai, Ava Dellaira, Dita Dow, and Nikki Bozek.
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, see what we’re saying on X (Twitter), check out the session recordings on our YouTube channel, or find our page on Goodreads.