| 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 | David F – other side of the world | Anthology upload. Rapid Write | |
| Dec 15 | Sheila Deeth | review of the year | Lyndsay -Spaces in between | group discussion | |
| 2025 | |||||
| Jan 19 | Erika Giles | Memoir writing and working with a publishing consultant. | Gary – what if the other person won | Critique or writing prompt | |
| Feb 16 | Minnette Meador | POV and Research | Ric – they were the perfect couple but… | critique or writing prompt | |
| Mar 16 | Ria Russell | Dramady! | group discussion, group writing | ||
| Apr 27 (because Easter is the 3rd Sunday) | Carolyn Martin | Poetry month and the poetry of words | workshop | ||
| May 18 | Cindy Brown | Draft2Digital and self-publishing | Critique or writing prompt |
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 Stuff
What do we do when a speaker only uses 1 hour of a 2-hour session?
Meetings usually open with housekeeping – reminders for zoom etiquette to keep our hybrid sessions going smoothly.
Next comes news of our monthly ezines – announcements of favorite submissions for the latest month, and reminders of prompts for upcoming months.
Then the speaker.
Then the “other stuff.” We decided this should include:
- Group critique of a single piece – this would involve the whole group in critiquing a single piece from one of our members. We used to do these regularly and everyone (not just the authors being critiqued) found them helpful. The author sends a piece (maybe 2,500 words max) to admin, who then sends it to all our members a week before the meeting. A (willing) volunteer then leads a half-hour critique during the writers’ mill meeting.
- Critique questions – this would be a time made available for anyone in the group to ask questions about something they’re working on. Bring your work and your questions, and when there’s time you’ll get to benefit from the thoughts of all the group. Questions might be something like “does this work for young adult?” “Does this dialog sound real?” “Is this a good place to start my story?” etc.
- Writing prompt from story dice – A roll of the dice, together with the following month’s writing prompt, can inspire various story ideas. Quarter of an hour’s quick writing brings up lots of fun pieces to share.
- Writing prompt from other sources.
- Group discussion – say, about the next anthology; topics we want covered; general questions brought up by members, etc.