September 16, 2023 presented by S. Kay Murphy Why in heaven's name is it that, as alleged "writers," we can find time to do all the other things we want to do--except write? S. Kay Murphy will explore the answer to that question, offering insight into how the subconscious mind can both derail us but also guide us back on track if we learn how to harness its power. S. Kay Murphy is a poet, freelance writer, and the author of four books, published both traditionally and independently. She holds a master's degree in British and American literature, has taught both high school and college English as her day job, but is also known as Mom and Nana to her kids and grandkids. Her fur kids include two rescue dogs and one black cat. If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

October 21, 2023 facilitated by Jessica Bruce Wrap up another amazing year of meetings with our annual prose reading. Just like August Poetry, this is an opportunity to share your hard work and creativity with the entire guild. Word count limit is 1800 words and must follow the “3-Ps” … No Politics, Proselytizing, or Pornography Click here to view the full submission guidelines. Submissions open September 16th at noon and close October 7th at 11:59PM . Due to time constraints, slots are limited and will be considered on a first come first serve basis, with paid members receiving priority at the meeting. Elections will also be held for President and Treasurer positions on the Board of Directors. If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

January 20, 2024 presented by Karen DeBonis Have you written and published a book but have no idea how to market it? Are you working on a book, dreading the time when you’ll have to sell it? Do you have a small publisher for your book who provides no marketing support? This workshop is for you. With zero experience in PR or selling, Karen DeBonis wilted at the thought of marketing her memoir. But she soon realized that, in the process of studying the craft of writing, she had absorbed a wealth of information about marketing which laid the foundation for the secrets she’ll share with you. Karen DeBonis writes about motherhood, people-pleasing, and personal growth, inspired by the experience of raising her son, Matthew. Her debut memoir Growth: A Mother, Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They Survived was released by Apprentice House Press in May 2023. Karen’s work has appeared in The New York Times , Huff Post, Today.com , Newsweek.com , and others. A happy empty-nester, Karen lives in upstate New York with her husband of forty years. You can see more of her work at www.karendebonis.com . If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

February 17, 2024 presented by Debby Johnson Writing for children is a lot like writing for adults, with one exception: Kids won’t let you get away with anything. Debby will share how to navigate the ins and outs of various types of books for children while entertaining your audience. Debby Johnson is a proud mother and karate instructor who gets plenty of inspiration for her stories from having survived raising five children and teaching middle-grade karate students. Residing in Southern California with her amazing husband, two dogs, and a turtle, she writes literary fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and children’s stories. Her published works includes Rock, Paper, Scissors (a picture book), Wendi’s Wabi (an early reader), Suburbia and other Signposts Pointing West (a book of poetry), as well as her stories appearing in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Debby is currently querying her second novel and a middle-grade book. If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

March 16, 2024 presented by Laurie Cooper Join award-winning speaker and marketing coach, Laurie Cooper, for her workshop on the Top 10 Tips for a Successful Promo Push! Learn 10 tips to help you have your most successful book promotion yet! This webinar covers pre-release, release week, and post-release tactics. Laurie Cooper is an award-winning speaker who launched her online business, Pub-Craft: Marketing for Books and Brands , in October 2013. She helps fiction authors go from struggling, feeling invisible and not knowing what to do next, to finding and connecting with their ideal readers. In her first year of business, Laurie went from 1 to over 200 clients and helped 100+ authors hit the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Lists. While she works as a marketing coach with authors from around the world, Laurie calls Ottawa, Canada her home. Laurie and her course, The Visible Author Method, have allowed hundreds of clients to simplify their marketing efforts, leading to more time to write. If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

April 20, 2024 presented by Clay Stafford Heard about the newest writing method? There isn’t one. But there are plenty of slick players who’d like to sell you their latest spin. Avoid them. The best way to write is to write. In this presentation, we will be discussing the time-tested methods writers have used for hundreds of years to write the world's great fiction...or nonfiction. There are no gimmicks, no formulas, no tropes, and nothing to buy. The only thing you need to bring is your imagination. Clay Stafford is an American bestselling and award-winning author, poet, screenwriter, and playwright; film and television producer, director, showrunner, actor; book, film, and stage reviewer as well as public speaker. He has sold nearly four million copies of his books and has had his work distributed in sixteen languages. He is founder and CEO of the annual Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference and a contributor to Writer’s Digest magazine with his online column, “Killer Writer”. For more information visit, www.claystafford.com . If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

May 18, 2024 presented by Allyson Adams We all have stories to tell. So many ideas, so little time! What project excites you and why? With a series of exercises, we will discover the creative spark that brings your story to life. Allyson Adams is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and costume designer who made her acting debut at two years old playing opposite Elizabeth Montgomery. She has had over 30 plays produced, and her most recent musical Howl with music by George Winston and Kali Armstrong, played to sold-out audiences in Big Sky, Montana. Adams wrote, directed, and acted in the Montana PBS docudrama, Peace is a Woman's Job , about first Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin and toured the one-woman show for a decade. In 2012, Allyson published The Rebel & The King written by her late father, Oscar-nominated actor Nick Adams, about his friendship with Elvis Presley, and launched the book at Graceland, and has recently completed the short film Lana Turner's Eyes . For more information visit, www.allysonadams.com . If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

Jun 15, 2024 presented by Dennis K. Crosby From the Noir to the Cozy, mystery novels and short stories have relied on the Private Investigator to solve crimes in a logical, methodical, and sometimes comedic way. But how do you create a PI with intelligence and charm without falling into big screen cliché? How do you keep them authentic? In this workshop writers will learn some tricks and tips from a former Private Investigator that will add authenticity to your PI without dragging your story into the weeds. You’ll learn the best places to collect information, the best methods to follow someone (on foot and otherwise), tips on how to gather information from the subject of your investigation without revealing who you are, and more. We’ll explore investigative techniques to keep your protagonist true to their craft, your antagonist unaware, and your readers anxiously turning the page. Dennis K. Crosby is the award-winning author of the Kassidy Simmons novels, DEATH’S LEGACY , DEATH’S DEBT , and DEATH’S DESPAIR . Since 2020, he has published three urban fantasy novels and nine short stories in the horror and supernatural thriller genres. Dennis holds a Master's Degree in Forensic Psychology and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing. With experience in retail sales, private investigation, and social service, Dennis uses his knowledge and experience to craft compelling characters experiencing real world challenges against the backdrop of magical, supernatural, and mythological phenomena. He's been the subject of several interviews and podcasts, a guest speaker at multiple conferences, and a panelist at both WonderCon and Comic-Con International. If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

August 17, 2024 facilitated by Lynette Tucker The DVWG tradition of celebrating beautiful words and phrases continues with our ninth annual poetry event. Guild members will have an opportunity to read up to two poems and share why their selections are meaningful to them. Pieces can be original or the work of a favorite poet. Join in the readings and discussion or just sit back and enjoy the experience. If you’re interested in sharing your work or the work of your favorite poet, please email DVWritersGuild@gmail.com Can’t make it to the live meeting? No problem. We have readers available, so send your work in to be shared. Join in the discussion or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience. Perhaps you'll find your next favorite poet or special poem! NOTE: Poetry month will be moving to April next year to coincide with National Poetry Month. If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

September 21, 2024 presented by DiAnn Mills The purpose of a story is for the reader to hook arms with a character and walk together into an adventure—to imagine, envision, care, and feel. The writer journeys a character from an ordinary world into an extraordinary tale, one in which a challenge is accepted, paving the road for potential growth in one scene after another. The problems encountered along the way initiate a desire for the character to rectify a situation. The writer uses a character to persuade readers to experience life from a different point of view. Not only does the reader enter the character’s personality, but also finds a bit of him/herself in the character’s pursuit to solve a problem or reach a goal.  In this workshop, utilizing hands-on exercises, the writer will learn how to develop unique, three-dimensional characters. DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists, won two Christy Awards, Golden Scroll Awards, Selah Award, and finalist in the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing all over the country. Connect with her at diannmills.com If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

January 18, 2025 presented by Benjamin Spada Whether you're working on your first manuscript, trudging through second or third draft edits, or already published many times over and looking to improve your process, this presentation will help you kick your writing year off on the right foot and with the right mindset. Push back against universal writing obstacles like the mythical writer's block, dreaded imposter syndrome, and the perpetual cycle of unending revisions to ensure you reach 'The End' in 2025. Four-time award-winning thriller author of The Black Spear Series, Benjamin Spada is a proud Fil-Am, dedicated taco and lumpia aficionado, avid sci-fi and horror movie fan, tattoo collector, comic enthusiast, and two-time holder of the Platinum Trophy in Elder Scrolls: Skyrim . For the past decade, Benjamin has served in the United States Marine Corps where he’s taught martial arts, operated as a section leader in the Wounded Warrior Battalion, and served overseas to help train our foreign military allies in defense against chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. He has trained Marines, sailors, federal agents, and other friendly forces in individual survival measures. Despite these grim assignments, he has carried on with equal amounts of sarcasm and stoicism, all the while managing to retain his lifelong passion for storytelling. Born and raised in California, Benjamin lives in Fallbrook with his wife Jacqueline and their four daughters. Connect with him at benspada.com If you watched or attended this meeting, let us know what you thought of it in the comments below. You must be logged in to post comments.

Meeting called to order by President Michelle Bassett at 7:09 pm PDT.