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 Anthologies (2024, 2023, 2022) Available at Roundabout Books or at Amazon 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
March Meeting Tuesday 3/11/25
“Ditch Rider: Reflecting on the First Six Months as Oregon’s Poet Laureate” with Ellen Waterston Six months into her two-year term as Oregon’s eleventh Poet Laureate, Ellen Waterston will share anecdotes, examples of writings that have emerged from workshops by youth and elders across the state, and a sampling of recent commissions for official functions. She will also invite those present to participate in her poet laureate project...more on that on March 11! Bio: Award-winning poet and author Ellen Waterston has dedicated herself to writing and advocating for the literary arts in the high desert region of Oregon, all the while continuing to write poetry and nonfiction works that have evolved into essential reading about Oregon and the West. She has published four poetry and four literary nonfiction titles, including, most recently, We Could Die Doing This (2024) and Walking the High Desert (2020) and is founder of the Writing Ranch and of the annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize. 2024 was a banner year for Waterston who, that year, received Soapstone’s Bread and Roses Award, the Stewart H Holbrook Award and was named the eleventh Poet Laureate of Oregon. For more information visit www.writngranch.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 March 15th 1-4PM Ellen Waterston “Down to the Studs: The Essentials” Supplemented with handouts and using a variety of in-class approaches, this three-hour intensive will explore what’s essential in landing a poem, from inside out and outside in. Limited to 20 participants. In person in The Brooks Room Bend Downtown Library COWG Members $10 Nonmembers $25 
April Meeting Tuesday 4/8/25
“How to Write the Killer Crime Novel, or How to Up Your Odds of Getting Published” with Joe Ide The presentation will discuss the gatekeepers, what they look for. Also, advances, royalties, and movie options. We’ll cover creating vivid characters, sharp dialogue, pacing, rewriting, and answers to practical questions. How do I start? What if I’m stuck? How much money will I make? How do I develop my voice? Bio: Joe Ide grew up in South Central LA. His IQ series won the Anthony, Shamus and Macavity Awards, and were included in Best Books of the Year for the NY Times, NPR, LitHub, the Washington Post and the Guardian. His Phillip Marlowe novel, Goodbye Coast, was an Apple Best Book and Wall Street Journal Best Mystery of the Year, earning starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher’s Weekly. 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 Tuesday 5/13/25
“Incorporating Real-World Issues into Fiction” with Kim Johnson This interactive presentation focuses on integrating real-world social, political, and environmental issues into your fiction. Discover methods for researching current and historical topics and weaving them seamlessly into your storyline. We’ll cover how to balance fact and fiction, ensuring your story remains compelling while addressing important topics. Offers essential tips and strategies for refining your writing. Bio: Kim writes social thrillers tackling some of society’s most compelling issues. Her bestselling novel, This Is My America, won numerous accolades. Her second novel Invisible Son, was a 2023 LA Times Book Award Finalist. She holds an MFA from Oregon State University Cascades and lives in the Washington D.C area. In Person at the Bend Library (Brooks Room) 601 NW Wall St. 5:30-7:30PM Or you can watch remotely: ZOOM LINK 
COWG Bonus Workshop
Saturday May 17th 1-4PM (East Bend Library) Bola Gbadebo “Haiku with You: Embracing the Art of Less” This workshop invites you to explore daily observations, universal experiences, and complex thoughts, transforming them into impactful, concise poetry. By presenting ideas in a digestible and memorable way, haikus encourage readers to pause, reflect, and be fully present. Participants will learn the history of haiku, practice crafting traditional 5-7-5 syllabic haikus on randomly chosen topics, discuss the concepts they convey, and share their creations with fellow participants. Bola Gbadebo is a journalist, filmmaker, and poet, passionate about fostering empathy and connection through creative expression. With a background in journalism and a love for thoughtful storytelling, she brings a unique perspective to the art of haiku. Her workshops inspire participants to explore their relationship with the world and discover the power of meaningful, simple communication. In person in The Community Room at the East Bend Library COWG Members $10 Nonmembers $25 
June Meeting Tuesday 6/10/25
“The Keys to the Castle: A Primer on Developmental Editing” with Laura Stanfill Editing is often performed at the sentence level, but detailed work can hide bigger issues with structure and character arcs. Laura Stanfill will describe why it’s important to slow down and look at the big picture through a developmental edit instead of just revising sentence by sentence. Bio: Laura Stanfill is the author of Imagine a Door, about the craft of writing, and Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary, a novel. She is the publisher of Forest Avenue Press, which she founded in 2012 in Portland, Oregon. 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
Sunday June 15th 1-4PM Laura Stanfill “What’s Your Book About?” The elevator pitch. The description. Jacket copy. Whatever you call it, how you explain your manuscript is essential—and arguably the most important writing you’ll do as you work on your book. These sentences that help you find an agent or publisher, if you’re hoping to get published. If you are the DIY type, your description will be what helps your work find its readers. In this workshop publisher Laura Stanfill will explore what makes great jacket copy, how to use existing book descriptions as brainstorm fodder, and how to trick yourself into a new perspective. Often with marketing language, we get stuck on the same structure or concepts, and new drafts just repeat the same patterns. It’s important to be able to scratch the whole paragraph and try again—not because the new way will be better, but because each attempt brings you closer to understanding what, exactly, you want to communicate to readers and why you are writing the project in the first place. Laura will invite participants to share their working descriptions for feedback. Writers should be working on a full-length project to get the most out of this session. Novels, memoirs, poetry collections, short story collections, zines, novellas, and plays all are welcome. We’ll pull some books out to look at descriptions, talk about specifics for genres and how to learn best practices, and invite writers to share their drafts. Workshop participants will leave with new description starts, ideas of how to continue the work at home, and hopefully some polished gems to drop right into their query letters or conversations. Limited to 20 participants. In person in The Brooks Room Bend Downtown Library COWG Members $10 Nonmembers $25 
July Meeting Tuesday 7/8/25
"Voice: Who's Telling Your Story?" with Meg Fancher Whether a story has a first-person narrator, an invisible one, an attached third, or detached objectivism, everything on the page is mediated through voice. Voice constitutes the idiosyncratic language of a story, which affects how all other techniques appear to us and tells us what kind of story the story it’s telling is going to be. We’ll explore how a distinct voice can construct reader expectations for characterization and the emotional parameters of a story itself. Bio: Meg Fancher is a PhD candidate in English at Georgia State University, where she has taught for four years. She obtained her MFA at Oregon State and her BA at Hollins. Her criticism and archival research has been published by the Digital Library of Georgia, 45th Parallel, and American Book Review. She is currently writing a crime novel. 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 Tuesday 8/12/25
“Finish That Draft” with Grace Bialecki This course is designed for writers of all genres who are great at starting projects and…less great at finishing them. By working with a combination of prompts and writing activities, we’ll explore different avenues of getting a piece to completion. Attendees are invited to bring a work-in-progress and will leave with a clear writing plan to finish that draft. Bio: Grace Bialecki is a writer, workshop facilitator, and meditation teacher who helps people be present in their lives and with their art. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including The Millions, Catapult and Epiphany Magazine. Grace is the co-founder of the storytelling series, Thirst, and the author of the novel, Purple Gold. 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 Tuesday 9/9/25
“Finding the Freedom in Form” with Jennifer Perrine Formal constraints can help us shake off our usual writing habits, nudge our writing in a new direction, or find language for what seems unspeakable. We’ll examine and experiment with several playful forms—such as lipograms and bout rimés—to discover what happens when we write our way through tricky restrictions. Bio: Jennifer (JP) Perrine is the author of five award-winning books of poetry, including their latest collection, Beautiful Outlaw. Their other recent writing appears in Best Small Fictions, A Mouth Holds Many Things: A De-Canon Hybrid Lit Collection, and Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, and Poetry. Perrine lives in Portland, Oregon. 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 13th 1-4PM Jennifer Perrine “Contents Under Pressure: Using Constraints to Stretch Your Creativity” Putting constraints on writing can feel like a challenge, but sometimes pressure is what’s needed to unearth new ideas and inspiration. We’ll write through extreme constraints inspired by everything from music to math, from dictionaries to daily walks, and invent our own constraints to help us when we’re feeling stuck. Limited to 20 participants. In person in The Brooks Room Bend Downtown Library COWG Members $10 Nonmembers $25 
October Meeting Tuesday 10/14/25
“The Fully Human Writer: Keeping it Real in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” with Deborah Froese Artificial Intelligence developers socked it to creatives by training their models on copyrighted work—without compensation. Most creatives are horrified. Maybe even terrified. But AI is here to stay. How can we learn to live with it fearlessly while addressing ethical concerns? Let’s explore and discuss options. Bio: As a child, Deborah Froese lay awake at night imagining story details and making them fit together believably. Now she brings ideas to the page and helps other writers do the same. Deborah is the executive editor for Indigo River Publishing and produces the weekly podcast, Write, Writer, Write! 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 Tuesday 11/11/25
“The Secret of Writing Memoir” with Cherie Kephart A memoir is more than just a personal story—it's a craft. The secret to writing one lies in how you shape your life experiences into a compelling narrative. How do you do this effectively? That's what we are going to explore. Bio: Cherie Kephart is a writing facilitator, editor, and award-winning author best known for her inspiring memoir, A Few Minor Adjustments, which Publisher’s Weekly called “a story of gut-wrenching determination and perseverance.” She is a two-time winner of the San Diego Memoir Showcase and teaches at several writers’ conferences and retreats. 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 15th 1-4PM Cherie Kephart “Slice of Life: Sculpting Your Memoir's Story” Memoir is a slice of life. Identifying your story is just the start—how do you shape it? What do you include, omit, and where does it begin/end? Through interactive discussions and exercises, we’ll tackle these questions. You’ll leave with concrete tools to navigate the challenges of the rewarding craft of writing memoir. Limited to 20 participants. In person in The Brooks Room Bend Downtown Library COWG Members $10 Nonmembers $25 Registration Coming Soon 
December Meeting Tuesday 12/9/25
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. 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 Bend Downtown Library (Hutchinson Room) -Tuesdays 9:30-11AM COCC (Barber Library, South Oregon Room, 2nd floor) -Tuesdays 12:30-2PM Shut Up & Write -Wednesdays 2-3:30PM at Kevista Coffee January 2025 Events January 28 (COCC) Western Genre Writing Workshop February 2025 Events February 3 (Paulina Springs Books) The Pause Button: A Monthly Poetry Gathering February 4-25 (COCC): Write, Publish, and Market Your Children's Book with Dani Nichols February 5 -March 12 (COCC): Short Stories with Kat Mattingly February 6 (Bend Library): What's So Funny? with Bob Balmer February 6 (Paulina Springs Books): Author Alexi Byrnes February 6 - March 13 (COCC Redmond): "Get Your Novel or Memoir Published" with Kat Mattingly February 8 (Bend Downtown Library) Love and Book Deals February 8 (Roundabout Books): Local Author Saturday February 9 (Spork) Raging Writers/Spoken Words February 11 (Bend Library) COWG Monthly Meeting: "Constructing Memeorable Characters" with Charlotte Chipperfield February 12 (In-Person/Zoom) Poetry Playshop with Krayna Castelbaum February 15 (Zoom) Blank Pages Writing Salon February 15 (Lone Pine Coffee) Poetry Night 5-8 February 16 (Bend Library): Author Gordon Nagai February 16 (Paulina Springs Books): Images that Shimmy & Shake with Krayna Castelbaum February 20 (The Commons) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night February 20 (SCP Redmond Hotel) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night February 24 - March 17 (Hybrid) Writing Through the Senses Memoir Workshop February 24-28 (online) Publish That Picture Book with Kristen Riggle March 2025 Events March 3 (Bend Library): Author Matthew James Friday March 4 (COCC): Publishing with Substack with Dani Nichols March 9 (Spork) Raging Writers/Spoken Words March 11 (Bend Library) COWG Monthly Meeting: "Ditch Rider: Reflecting on the First Six Months as Oregon's Poet Laureate" with Ellen Waterston March 11 (COCC): Delicious Food Writing with Dani Nichols March 12 (In-Person/Zoom) Poetry Playshop with Krayna Castelbaum March 15 (Bend Library) COWG Quarterly Workshop: "Down to the Studs: The Essentials" with Ellen Waterston March 15 (Zoom) Blank Pages Writing Salon March 15 (Lone Pine Coffee) Poetry Night 5-8 March 15-22 (COCC Online): Write Like a Dog: A New Point of View with Debra Merskin March 20 (The Commons) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night March 20 (SCP Redmond Hotel) Third Thursday Spoken Word Night Upcoming Conferences, Events, Workshops, and Classes: ~June 15 COWG Workshop: Laura Stanfill “What’s Your Book About?” ~September 13 COWG Workshop: Jennifer Perrine “Contents Under Pressure: Using Constraints to Stretch Your Creativity” ~November 15 COWG Workshop: Cherie Kephart “Slice of Life: Sculpting Your Memoir's Story” |
Previous COWG Meetings (Recordings):
Click Here to See the February 2025 Meeting with Charlotte Chipperfield "Creating Memorable Characters"
Charlotte's Slides
Charlotte's Slides
Click Here to See the November 2024 Meeting with Irene Cooper "How Writing & Reading Poems Can Make All Your Writing Better"
Irene's Slides
Irene's Slides
Click Here to See the October 2024 Meeting with Kristin Dorsey "The Healthy Writer: Writing for Health and Healthy Writing Habits" (coming soon)
Kristin's Slides
Kristin's Slides
Click Here to See the August 2024 Meeting with Lorin Oberwerger "Unstuck in the Middle"
Lorin's Slides
Lorin's Slides
Click Here to See the June 2024 Meeting with Julie Swearingen & Erik Frank "Building Your Author Platform"
Sample Questions for an Author Interview
Sample Questions for an Author Interview
Click Here to See the May 2024 meeting with Shelby Little: "How to Shout About Your Work (Without Losing Your Voice)"
Shelby's Slides
Shelby's Slides
Click here to see the April 2024 meeting with Kerry Chaput "History With a Side of Action: How to Write Historical Fiction That Keeps Readers Hooked"
Kerry Chaput's Slides
Kerry Chaput's Slides
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