2024	Speaker	Topic	EZine	Critique	Other
Apr 21	Carolyn Martin	poetry, setting, inspiration	Nora What have I done?		writing workshop
May 19	Eric Witchey	character, emotion, word choice	Sheila Plot (challenge genre)		writing workshop
Jun 16 (Fathers’ Day)	Hilary & Alan Deeth	agents, editors, publishers	Matthew School Days		homework for July
Jul 21	Walt Socha	turn good writing into better	Jean Relationships in a flash		deadline for anthology submission is 1st Sunday in August!
Aug 18	Group discussion Minnette Meador (rescheduled)	Who are we and How can we help each other?	Clayton Scheming		Anthology edits begin
Sep 15	Nancy Linnon	writing workshop	Robin Telling yourself the truth (challenge – dialog or sensory detail)		Anthology format begins
Oct 20	Rudy Schur	“author services” and other scams	Lyndsay It came to Life!		Anthology final checks
Nov 17	Sheila Deeth	upload (y)our book to Amazon
Dec 15	Sheila Deeth	review of the year
2025
Jan 19	Erika Giles	Memoir writing and working with a publishing consultant.
Feb 16	Minnette Meador	POV and Research
Mar 16

Speakers and Topics – look at https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/category/guest-speakers/

• Writing:
  • Cindy Brown. What novelists can learn from movies
  • Jan Underwood Climate fiction, fantasy, magical realism
  • Joshua Williamson Comics, Graphic Novels, Words and Images
  • Erick Mertz short stories, monsters, threats
  • Mollie Hunt (December) Writing and publishing in multiple genres
  • Maryka Biaggio: history, fiction, & imagination
  • Carolyn Martin poetry, setting, inspiration
  • Mollie Hunt. Writing mysteries, catwriter
  • Steve Pitzel (Steve Zell) Horror/mystery/humor novels.
  • Cindy Brown. Mystery writing. Author of “Ivy Meadows” series.
  • Erik Nebel. Graphic novels. Inspiration and marketing
  • Kate Ristau. YA, middle-grade books.
  • Deborah Hopkinson. Non-fiction picture books and YA books
  • David Porter. Mystery author. Writing about real people. Memoir. Research
  • Elisabeth Christison. Middle-grade fantasy. writing, getting published and everything in between
• Writing Prompts:
  • Ruth Leibowitz. Using Writing Prompts
  • Carolyn Martin, poetry workshop
  • Mollie Hunt. Changing the world through fiction.
  • Cindy Brown. 2-hour workshop, mystery and novel writing.
• Writing Tools:
  • Sheila Deeth Efficient use of WORD
  • Jim Elstad. Using Pro-Writing aid
  • Sheila Deeth. How to create and publish an anthology just using Word
• How To Write Better
  • Eric Witchey character, emotion, word choice
  • Nancy Linnon writing workshop
  • Teri Brown. Intersection of plot and character
  • Sheila Deeth. Narrative voice
  • Joe Biel. Head of Microcosm Publishing. How to write for readers.
  • Jim Mockford. Bilingual children’s book. Promotion, publishing, marketing.
  • Sheila Deeth. Passion, purpose, procrastination… Research and writing
  • Lyndsay Docherty. Language heritage, etymology, morphology, Shakespeare, rhetoric and more
  • Natalie Dale. Fiction and non-fiction. Getting the medical aspects right in writing
• Editing:
  • Sheila Deeth Different types of editing and when to stop
  • Walt Socha Turning good into Better
  • Sheila Deeth and Normal Wall. Workshopping paragraphs
  • Sheila Deeth. Editing for yourself, for others, for novels, for anthologies…
  • Donna Reynolds. Editing and tips for self-editing
• Websites:
  • Zita Podany Making a Google Website
  • Zita Podany. Creating a Weebly website
• Research:
  • David PorterResearch and what to do when you’ve written your book
  • Mayka Biaggio. Published novelist. Research for historic novels.
• Getting Published:
  • Sheila Deeth How to upload a book to Amazon
  • Maren Anderson. Editor, Timberline Review. Editor’s perspective.
  • Hilary and Alan Deeth agents, editors, publishers
  • Rudy Shur “author services” and other scams
  • Matt Haynes. Audiobook narrator
  • Sheila Deeth. How to create and publish an anthology
  • Erick Mertz. Self-publishing consultant.
• Writers’ Life
  • Joyce Cherry Creswell. Winner of Oregon Book Award 2017
  • May   Robert John Hoover. Publishing and marketing
  • June, Aug., Oct.  Beth Jusino. Seattle author and editor.
  • Robert John Hoover. Best-selling author’s perspective
  • Steve Campbell. Author question and answer

Other topics

• PUBLISHED PANEL: We didn’t manage to get this together, though guest speakers/authors answered most of our questions
• WRITING CONTESTS: We added challenges to some contests, for the benefit of writers who want something more of a challenge. We also changed the format, emphasizing the role of readers in our contests, and pointing out that the submissions for a free ezine for our members.
• WRITING EXERCISES: We managed to include a few of these.
• GROUP CRITIQUES: We used to do these regularly in meetings, but they tailed off. Should we work harder to encourage group critiques this year?