Meetings and Events
MONTHLY MEETINGS
Guild meetings take place on 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5:30-7:30PM. We feature guest speakers, panels, member readers, and small group interaction with topics of interest to writers at all skill levels. Meetings are free and open to the public
WORKSHOPS
In line with our mission to advance growth and success of individual writers, COWG offers several workshops per year—typically on a Saturdays for half or full day. Professional speakers impart their writing craft expertise, followed by the opportunity for participants to share their work in a small group critique session. Information about workshops will be posted on this page as they are offered.
Join Now!
Guild meetings take place on 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5:30-7:30PM. We feature guest speakers, panels, member readers, and small group interaction with topics of interest to writers at all skill levels. Meetings are free and open to the public
WORKSHOPS
In line with our mission to advance growth and success of individual writers, COWG offers several workshops per year—typically on a Saturdays for half or full day. Professional speakers impart their writing craft expertise, followed by the opportunity for participants to share their work in a small group critique session. Information about workshops will be posted on this page as they are offered.
Join Now!
Central Oregon Writers Guild Meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 5:30PM in The Brooks Room at the Bend Downtown Library
April Meeting 4/9/24
Kerry Chaput "History With a Side of Action: How to Write Historical Fiction That Keeps Readers Hooked" Great historical fiction transports readers to a fantasy-like world they won't want to leave. Join award-winning author and longtime history nerd Kerry Chaput to learn tips and tricks that can be applied to all genres, and will set you up to create a winning historical adventure. Kerry Chaput is a best-selling historical fiction author who's been featured on Jane Friedman's blog and Mutha magazine. Born and raised in California, she now lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she can be found on hiking trails and in coffee shops. Connect with her at www.kerrywrites.com. In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK May Meeting 5/14/24
Shelby Little “How To Shout About Your Work (Without Losing Your Voice)” Let’s explore how you can get the word out about your writing while staying true to yourself, your voice, and your audience. We’ll survey the online presence of established authors who are using modern media to enhance their material. Plus, Shelby will provide a big-picture perspective on planning your marketing approach so you don’t lose sight of your goals or lose your voice amongst all the noise out there. Shelby Little is a voicy writer who works as a marketer in Bend, Oregon. With more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications, she founded Yarrow Creative Agency in 2019. Shelby recently completed The Forge Writing Program, blogs at TheShelbyLittle.com, and is a nominee for The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses. In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK June Meeting 6/11/24
Julie Swearingen & Erik Frank "Building Your Author Platform" Details coming soon! In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK COWG Quarterly Workshop
Saturday June 15, 1-4PM in The Brooks Room, Downtown Bend Library Julie Swearingen "Build Your Author Website" In this workshop, we will build and complete our author website in Squarespace from start to finish. COWG Members $50, Nonmembers $75 July Meeting 7/9/24
Michael Steven Gregory "Writers' Conferences: The Good, Bad, and Muddly" SUMMARY: Beloved children's writer Avi wrote a little book some years back about writing, A BEGINNING, A MUDDLE, AND AN END (2008). He cited in the forward that a young reader wrote him that a good story consists of "a beginning, a muddle and an end." I couldn't agree more, as the observation also applies to writers' conferences. There are so many; so varied; so inconsistent and questionable in what their ultimate endgame is for attendees. This talk will address the variety of writers' conferences out there, how to set realistic expectations for benefiting from them without being bilked on registration fees, yet get you and your work the maximum benefit of participation. Michael Steven Gregory is Executive Director of the Southern California Writers’ Conference, and forthcoming Central Oregon Writers' Conference. An award-winning filmmaker, he has scripted network TV, directed television and features, and been involved as a writer, producer or director in over 150 short films. His projects include the doculogues We, The Writer and We, The Screenwriter, romantic-comedy A Valentine Carol, and groundbreaking Don King Presents: Prizefighter, for 2K Games. In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK August Meeting 8/13/24
Lorin Oberwerger "Unstuck in the Middle" This presentation will explore strategies to help keep promising early chapters from melting into a mushy middle. Topics include: vetting your premise to make sure it’s sound and can carry a story filled with escalating stakes and complications; developing fully formed characters whose backstories, desires, and motivations are powerful enough to support a compelling narrative; deepening and expanding conflict so that it’s capable of driving a novel; making certain the story operates at varying dramatic temperatures to ensure a vivid emotional experience for the reader; and more! LORIN OBERWEGER is a highly sought-after independent book editor and ghostwriter with more than twenty-five years experience in publishing. As an award-winning author, Lorin has eight traditionally published books, including BOOMERANG, REBOUND, and BOUNCE, under the pen name Noelle August. Her latest is THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK, written with TED director, Chris Anderson. https://www.free-expressions.com/ In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK September Meeting 9/10/24
Irene Cooper "How Writing & Reading Poems Can Make All Your Writing Better" Poetry brings so much to the table when it comes to enriching your creative writing—music, concision, and sure, lyricism. Join Irene Cooper in an exploration of how to read and write poems with an eye toward making all your writing sing. Irene Cooper’s writings appear in Beloit Poetry, Denver Quarterly, The Rumpus, Witness, and elsewhere. She wrote the feminist noir novel Found, Committal, poet-friendly spyfy about family, and spare change, finalist for the Stafford/Hall award. Irene teaches at OSU-Cascades and in community, and currently serves as an editor for Airlie Press. https://irenecooperwrites.com/ In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK COWG Quarterly Workshop
Saturday September 14, 1-4PM in The Brooks Room, Downtown Bend Library Irene Cooper “Forms of Revision: Poetic Tools to Hone Your Writing” You've got a first draft—well done! Now let’s go deep and ask the questions of your work that will help you discover what it really wants to be. Revision IS work, yes—the best kind. Join Irene in exploring how poetic tools can make your writing sing. Irene Cooper’s writings appear in Beloit Poetry, Denver Quarterly, The Rumpus, Witness, and elsewhere. She wrote the feminist noir novel Found, Committal, poet-friendly spyfy about family, and spare change, finalist for the Stafford/Hall award. Irene teaches at OSU-Cascades and in community, and currently serves as an editor for Airlie Press. https://irenecooperwrites.com/ COWG Members $10, Nonmembers $25 October Meeting 10/8/24
Kristin Dorsey "The Healthy Writer: Writing for Health and Healthy Writing Habits" As a community of writers, we talk about the mental aspects of the writing life, but tend to ignore or minimize the impacts of writing on emotional and physical health. There is a world of research that shows how a writing practice can support physical health (body and brain) and how healthy writing habits can be cultivated and practiced. In this presentation, we will review some of that research, explore its implication for both casual and professional writers, consider best practices for supporting the body and mind during writing, and develop a personalized plan to integrate healthful techniques into your writing process. Come prepared to learn a few new fun facts, do some low-stakes writing, and move your body a little. Kristin R. Dorsey is a Professor in Humanities at Central Oregon Community College, teaching academic and creative writing, a broad spectrum of literature courses, and even a little film. Sometimes, when she’s really lucky, she gets to teach workshops in the community. Oh yeah! And she’s the mom of 5-year-old twins, who she suspects will eclipse her creatively by the close of the decade. In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK November Meeting 11/12/24
OSU MFA Instructor TBD In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK COWG Quarterly Workshop
Saturday November 16, 1-4PM in The Brooks Room, Downtown Bend Library OSU MFA Instructor TBD COWG Members $10, Nonmembers $25 Registration Coming Soon December Meeting 12/10/24
Holiday Potluck and Member Reading! Join us for our annual Holiday Member Reading and Potluck. Come in person and bring your favorite holiday snacks to share, or sit back and relax at home (with your own snacks) as you listen to several of our members share their prose and poetry. We'll also give you a sneak peek at the 2025 COWG Presenters and Workshops. See you there! In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK |
Writing Events
in Central Oregon (Click on links for more information) Quiet Writing with Community Quiet Writing Time at DPLS -Downtown Bend Library: Mondays 9-10:30 Shut Up & Write -Wednesdays 3-4:30 at Kevista Coffee March 2024 Events March 1: Submissions open for the Oregon Poetry Calendar March 1 (Bend High) Author Stephanie Land March 6 (Bend Library) Author Rebecca Locklear March 6 (Paulina Springs Books) Community Open Mic March 6 (Sisters Athletic Club) Author Lauren Fleshman March 9 (COCC Zoom) Poetry Workshop: Spring into Form with Irene Cooper March 10 (Spork) Raging Writers/Spoken Words March 12 (Bend Library) COWG Monthly Meeting: Catherine Malcynsky: "Self-Centered: First Person Narration in Fiction" March 13 (Becky Johnson Community Center) Author Rebecca Locklear March 13 (In-Person/Zoom) Poetry Playshop with Krayna Castelbaum March 14 (Roundabout Books) Authors/Illustrators Jerome & Jarrett Pumphrey March 16 (Bend Library) COWG Quarterly Workshop: Catherine Malcynsky: "Talking to Ourselves: Crafting Compelling First Person Narrators" March 16 (Zoom) Blank Pages Writing Salon March 16 (Lone Pine Downtown) Poetry Night 5-8PM March 19 (Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture) Moving into the Duplex: A Formal Invention Masterclass March 19 (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship) Authors Kara Goucher & Lauren Fleshman March 21 (The Commons) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night March 21 (High Desert Music Hall) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night March 21 (Roundabout Books) An Evening with Ellen Waterston & Friends March 21 (Paulina Springs Books) Author Michelle Davis March 26 (Zoom) Memoir Book Club with Jessica Hill April 2024 Events April 2 (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship) Author Brianna Madia April 3 (Paulina Springs Books) Community Open Mic April 4 (Cafe Des Chutes) Author Charlie Stephens in conversation with Irene Cooper 5-6:30PM April 4 (Downtown Bend Library) Bob Balmer "Characters Who Resonate" April 9 (Bend Library) COWG Monthly Meeting: Kerry Chaput "History with a Side of Action: How to Write Historical Fiction That Keeps Readers Hooked" April 10 (In-Person/Zoom) Poetry Playshop with Krayna Castelbaum April 11 (Paulina Springs Books) Author Wendy Williams April 12 (COCC) Poetry Slam! April 14 (Spork) Raging Writers/Spoken Words April 14 (Bend Downtown Library) High Desert Poetry Cell April 16 (Paulina Springs Books) Author Sandy Grubb April 18 (The Commons) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night April 18 (High Desert Music Hall) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night April 18 (Roundabout Books) Author Rene Denfeld April 20 (Zoom) Blank Pages Writing Salon April 20 (Lone Pine Downtown) Poetry Night 5-8PM April 22 (Bend Downtown Library) Krayna Castelbaum "Finding Poems Where You Least Expect Them" April 24-May 29 (COCC) "Get Your Novel or Memoir Published" with Kat Mattingly April 25 (COCC) Imagine and Empower: An Evening With COCC Student and Alumni Poets April 25 (Paulina Springs Books) Author Karen Spears Zacharias April 25 (Roundabout Books) Author Matt Wastradowski Upcoming Conferences, Events, Workshops, and Classes: ~The Forge 10-Month Writing Program September 2024-June 2025 |
Previous Virtual COWG Meetings (Recordings):
Click Here to See the March 2024 Meeting with Catherine Malcynsky “Self-Centered: First-Person Narration in Fiction”
Catherine's Slides
Catherine's Slides
Click Here to See the September 2023 Meeting with Amanda and Aaron Johnson: "What if Story is the Answer?"
What if Story is the Answer
What if Story is the Answer
Click Here to See the August 8, 2023 Meeting with Julie Swearingen: “How To Create and Run and Author Event”
Successful Author Events
Successful Author Events
Click Here to See the July 2023 Meeting with Ginger Hanson: "Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Your Story"
Ginger's Dialogue Checklist
Ginger's Dialogue Handout
Ginger's Dialogue Checklist
Ginger's Dialogue Handout
Click Here to See the September 2022 Meeting: "Reimagining Research Across Genre" with Erica Berry
Erica's Slide Presentation
Erica's Creative Research Worksheet
Erica's Slide Presentation
Erica's Creative Research Worksheet
Click Here to See the March 2022 Virtual Meeting: Mind Your Words: A Workshop for Self-Editing with Debra Froese
And Here are Deborah's Slides and Handout
And Here are Deborah's Slides and Handout
Click Here to See the February 2022 Virtual Meeting: Images that Shimmy and Shake with Krayna Castelbaum
And Here is Krayna's Worksheet
And Here is Krayna's Worksheet
Click Here to See the January 2022 Virtual Meeting: Editing Panel Discussion
Links to Editorial Freelancers Association and Northwest Editors Guild rates for comparison
Links to Editorial Freelancers Association and Northwest Editors Guild rates for comparison
Click Here to See The October 2021 Virtual Meeting: What's it All About with Ellen Santasiero
And Here is Ellen's Blurb Template
And Here is Ellen's Blurb Template
Click Here to see the July 2021 Virtual Meeting: Pulling In To Branch Out: Using the Hermit Crab Technique in Your Writing with Kristin Dorsey
Kristin's Presentation Notes
Kristin's Presentation Notes
Click Here to see the March 2021 Virtual Meeting: Young Adult and Middle Grade Writing Panel
Websites for YA/MG Panelists: cidney@cidneyswanson.com - catwintersbooks@gmail.com - amber.j.keyser@gmail.com - rosanneparry@comcast.net
Websites for YA/MG Panelists: cidney@cidneyswanson.com - catwintersbooks@gmail.com - amber.j.keyser@gmail.com - rosanneparry@comcast.net
Click Here to see the November 2020 Virtual Meeting with Ginger Dehlinger: Submit! Submit! Submit!
Submit! Submit! Submit! Handout Ginger's Blog: www.gdehlinger.blogspot.com
Submit! Submit! Submit! Handout Ginger's Blog: www.gdehlinger.blogspot.com
Click here to see the August 2020 Virtual Meeting with Denice Hughes-Lewis: 10 Screenwriting Tips for All Authors
Additional Reading (Click on links):
Denice Lewis COWG Screenwriting Presentation - 10 Screenwriting Tips - Resources - Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet - Character, Subtext - Description Example
Additional Reading (Click on links):
Denice Lewis COWG Screenwriting Presentation - 10 Screenwriting Tips - Resources - Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet - Character, Subtext - Description Example
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