Schedule for Upcoming Events
While we will continue to do occasional workshops online, our monthly meetings will be in-person at the GSU-Dunwoody Campus, Bldg. NC, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. (with a 12:45 p.m. mixer), unless otherwise noted below (in June and July, the campus is closed, so we will meet at the Duluth Branch Library). Our meetings are always free for first-timers who want to see if the AWC will be a good fit for them. Join our mailing list to receive the meeting details each month. These meetings will be recorded when possible; a link to the recording will be posted in the following month’s eQuill newsletter. Conferences are held at airport-adjacent hotels to accommodate our numerous out-of-town guests and participants; details are on the conference website.
As part of our meetings, we host a pre-meeting “network and nosh” mixer from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. with beverages and snacks so you’ll have time to get to know each other, find critique or accountability partners, get your questions answered about writing topics, and more.
ALL TIMES BELOW ARE U.S. EASTERN
STORY 360 WITH LORIN OBERWEGER – Online- AWC members can register for Lorin’s webinar series by emailing AWC Executive Director George Weinstein
PART FOUR: OCTOBER 18, 2023 at 7 pm Eastern – THE END IS THE BEGINNING (WITH BONUS EMOTIONAL QUERY AND REVISION CONTENT)
October 21, 2023 – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody – Click for Details
- Speaker #1 – Sarah Pekkanen: From Book to Screen: Writing Novels that Grab Hollywood’s Attention
- Speaker #2 – Member Moment: 12 AWC Members Sharing Their Journeys and Their Work
October 26, 2023 at 7 pm Eastern – Online
- Speaker – Olga Jackson: Query Letter Class – AWC members can register for Olga’s workshop by emailing AWC Executive Director George Weinstein
November 3-4, 2023 Atlanta Writers Conference – Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel
- See website for details
November 18, 2023 – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody – Click for Details
- Speaker – Peter Selgin: Your First Page Workshop
December 13, 2023 at 7 pm – Michael Lucker’s Quarterly Screenwriting Online Workshop, Part 4 (Developing Your Protagonist) – AWC members can register for Michael’s webinar series by emailing AWC Executive Director George Weinstein.
December 16, 2023 – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – John Stamp: Crime Scene Processing & FBI Casework
- Speaker #2 – Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Kay Andrews: Authors’ Evolutions
Map and Directions:
Unless otherwise noted on the schedule above, the Atlanta Writers Club meets at Georgia State University: Perimeter College – Dunwoody Campus, 2101 Womack Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338, Building N-C auditorium.
- From I-285 (Northern Arc):
Take Exit 30 (N. Peachtree Rd./N. Shallowford Rd./Chamblee Dunwoody Rd.) and go north on N. Peachtree Rd. Turn left on Tilly Mill Rd. and then left on Womack Rd. Turn left into campus. - From GA-400 South:
Take Exit 6, Northridge Rd., turn right at top of ramp, and turn right on Roberts Dr. (If heading north on GA-400, take Exit 6 and go straight through the light onto Roberts Dr.). From Roberts Dr., stay on it as it turns into Chamblee Dunwoody Rd and then take a left on Womack Rd. Campus will be about two miles down, on the right. - From Highway 9 / Roswell Rd. in Sandy Springs:
Go east on Mount Vernon Rd. Turn right on Chamblee Dunwoody Rd and left on Womack Rd. Campus will be about two miles down, on the right.
We meet in the auditorium of Building N-C, which is located near the top of the circular drive and close to a large student parking lot. You can park directly in front of Building N-C or in the nearby student lot. We will have signs posted on campus to direct you.
General Meeting Agenda
- Pre-meeting Network and Nosh (12:45-1:30). Get to know your fellow writers and their projects while enjoying snacks and beverages.
- Club Business (1:30-1:45). Announcements about upcoming events.
- Program #1 (1:45-2:45). First guest speaker presentation. Please see above for a list of planned speakers.
- Networking/Book-signing (2:45-3:00). A brief break between programs.
- Program #2 (3:00-4:00). Second guest speaker presentation. Please see above for a list of planned speakers.
- Meeting Adjourn/Book-signing.
You can see photos from each Atlanta Writers Club event–including our monthly meetings, periodic workshops, and our twice-yearly Atlanta Writers Conference–by going to https://atlantawritersclub.smugmug.com/ and opening the folders to view each event posted.
2020-2022 Past Events
January 11, 2020 – Free Talk, Open to Public in GSU-Dunwoody, Bldg. NB Cafeteria
2:00-4:00 p.m.
- International bestselling author Brad Taylor discusses his writing process; proceeds from book sales to benefit Books for Heroes charitable foundation
January 18, 2020
12:45-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Lynn Cullen (“Keeping Nimble While Staying True to Yourself”)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Joshilyn Jackson (“Follow Your Heart or Follow the Market?”)
February 15, 2020
12:45-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Amy Deuchler (“Get Heard: Benefits of and Strategies for Breaking into Audiobooks”)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Trudy Nan Boyce (“Build Your Story Like a Criminal Investigator”)
March 21, 2020 (Canceled due to Coronavirus)
12:45-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Valerie Fraser Luesse (“Finding Stories Everywhere–Writing for Magazines”)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – March Member Minute (12 AWC members present their books)
April 18, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Colleen Oakley and Ricki Cardenas (“Writing Women’s Fiction”)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Mayra Cuevas (“Young Adult Fiction and #OwnVoices”)
April 25, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- AWC Members-only Workshop: Dana Wildsmith on writing poetry
May 16, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Rebecca Heyman (First Sentence Frenzy: An Editor Offers Critiques about Your Opening Line”)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Adam Ragusea (“The Magic of Cross-Pollination: How News-writing Helped Me Become a Famous YouTube Cook”)
June 20, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Jonathan Haupt (“Importance of Writing Community & Pat Conroy Literary Center”)’
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Book Ends Book Club (“Get Inside Readers’ Minds: What They Love–and Don’t Love–about the Books They Read…and Why”)
July 18, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Workshop: Margaret McMullan on memoir writing and its broader lessons for all nonfiction and fiction
August 15, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Travis Hunter
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Rona Simmons
September 19, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Chris Negron (Rejection and revision)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Karen White (Friends with benefits – Writing in collaboration)
October 10, 2020 Online
1:30-4:30 p.m.
- Workshop: Danielle Kiowski on story development for fiction and creative nonfiction
October 17, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Christopher Swann (The origins of a novel)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Member Minute Talks
November 21, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Valerie Fraser Luesse
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Mystery Writers of America Southeast Region Panelists: “The Long and Winding Road to Published Crime Fiction“ (Maggie Toussaint, Roger Johns, Steven Cooper, Debra H. Goldstein)
December 19, 2020 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Jack Grossman (Writing about touchy topics & preserving history)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Alex Larned & Chayenne Skeete (Positioning your book: fitting in and standing out in the market)
January 16, 2021 Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Critique Group Panel (Why join them, how to start one, and what benefits you’ll find)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Ron Rash (A good story is hard to find: Writing short stories)
February 20, 2021 Online Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Namina Forna (Writing middle grade and young adult fantasy)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Celebrating Terry Kay: A Panel Discussion with Lauretta Hannon, Rona Simmons, Philip Lee Williams, and Renea Winchester
March 20, 2021 Online Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Gail Evans (Georgia Tech professor, author, and former CNN executive): Writing about women’s issues
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Bernette Sherman (multi-genre author, game creator, and nonprofit founder): Writing about family history
April 3, 2021 Online Workshop
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Bren McClain – Deepen the River: The Key to Revision
April 17, 2021 Online Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Ben Coles (science fiction author and instructor): Writing sci-fi
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Rob Suggs (freelance writer, illustrator and cartoonist): Collaboration and ghosting
May 15, 2021 Online Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Scott Thomas Outlar (poet, author, editor): Writing poetry
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Jorjeana Marie (script writer, actress, comedian): Script writing and dialogue
June 19, 2021 Online Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Liz Atwood: Biography–The Prequel. Research and Finding Your Story
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Keisha Bush: New Twist on Classic Fiction
July 10, 2021 Online Workshop for AWC Members
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Grace Wynter: Editing
August 21, 2021 Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Viana Siniscalchi: Finding the Story You’re Meant to Write
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Markus Burns: Telling All–Transparency in Memoir-Writing
September 7, 2021 Webinar for AWC Members only (open to first 25 AWC members to RSVP; email Jill Evans at Jill(at)JillEvans(dot)com)
7:00-8:00 p.m.
- Ben Coles: “Crafting Your Elevator Pitch”
September 18, 2021 Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Jim Hamilton: Writing a Novel from a Script and Using Work Experience as Research
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Ray Dan Parker: Speed-Dating to Get to Know Your Characters
October 16, 2021 Meeting
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Justine Cowan: A Pathway to Success – Writing and Pitching Your First Book
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Authors Featured in Viral Literature: Alone Together in Georgia Anthology: Roger Johns, Judy Aust, Anna Schachner, Amy Cox, Clay Ramsey, Ginger Eager
October 30, 2021 Fall Workshop
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Peter Hildick-Smith – Judging a Book by Its Title & Cover & More
November 20, 2021 Meeting – in-person at the Computer Museum of America/Roswell
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Anjali Enjeti: How to Write and Sell a Compelling Personal Essay
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Suzanne Litrel, Ph.D.: Truth and Fictions: on Writing Biography
December 18, 2021 Meeting – Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Charles McNair: Three Novels In…and What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Leanna Renee Hieber: Writing Fantasy Fiction
January 15, 2022 Meeting – Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Will Leitch: Contemporary Fiction: Capturing the Way We Live Today
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Chris Joyner: Unearthed: Finding the Hidden Stories that Make Non-Fiction Sing
February 19, 2022 Meeting – In-person
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Wanda Morris: Writing Thriller Fiction
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Sanjena Sathian: Writing Literary Fiction
March 5, 2022 Workshop – Online
11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (note the earlier start time!)
- Softwood Self-Publishing: Paths to Publication
March 19, 2022 Meeting – In-person
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Megan Volpert: How to Write about Objects
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Saundra Henderson Windom: Identity – Lost and Found
March 26, 2022 Workshop – Online
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Steven James – The Story Cube: Rethinking Story from the Ground Up
April 16, 2022 Meeting – In-person
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Joshilyn Jackson and Lydia Netzer – Game On: How to Use Roleplaying to Electrify Your Story (2-hour workshop with Q&A)
May 21, 2022 Meeting – In-person
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Georgann Eubanks: Write What You Don’t Know
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Samantha Jayne Allen: Writing Home: A Strong Sense of Place in Fiction
June 18, 2022 Meeting – In-person at the Duluth Branch Library (3180 Main St, Duluth, GA 30096)
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- 1st Guest Speaker – Buzz Bernard: From AWC to the Roof of the World (via Benghazi and Shangri-La)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Vanessa Riley: The Truth about Historical Fiction
July 16, 2022 Workshop – In-person at the Duluth Branch Library (3180 Main St, Duluth, GA 30096)
1:30-4:00 p.m.
- Guest Speaker – Carmen Agra Deedy: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Writing Children’s Picture Books
August 20, 2022 Meeting – In-person back at GSU-Dunwoody
- 1st Speaker – Daniel Black: You Can’t Tell It, Let Me Tell It (The Power of the Epistolary)
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Carolyn and Bill Curry: Writing Mystery Novels
September 17, 2022 Meeting – In-person
- 1st Speaker – Kimberly Belle: Tips to Perk Up Your Prose
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Kim Brock: Blending Genres
October 15, 2022 Meeting – In-person
- 1st Speaker – William Walsh: Writer Pitfalls to Avoid
- 2nd Guest Speaker – Member Moment: 5 minutes per writer, reserved in advance (spots full, with a waitlist)
October 22, 2022 Workshop – Online
- Speaker – Matthew Dicks: The Instruction Manual to a Successful Writing Career
November 19, 2022 Meeting – In-person
- 1st Speaker – John Pruitt: Journalistic Take on Historical Fiction
- 2nd Guest Speaker – C. Matthew Smith: Finding the Right Fit: Publishing with a Small Press
December 17, 2022 Workshop – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker – Steven James: Dusting Off Your Memories—How to Tap into Your Life to Elevate the Stories You Tell
- Potluck Holiday Party with treats contributed by members and the AWC
January 10, 2023 Workshop at 7:00 p.m. – Online via Zoom
- Speaker – Alex DiFrancesco: The Shape of the Short Story
STORY 360 WITH LORIN OBERWEGER – Online
PART ONE: JANUARY 18, 2023 at 7 pm Eastern – MAXIMIZING YOUR PREMISE FOR STORY SUCCESS (AND MAKING SURE YOUR PROTAGONIST IS THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB)
January 21, 2023 Meeting – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – Lisa Weldon: Memoir Writing
- Speaker #2 – Michael Lucker: Screenwriting 101
January 28, 2023 Workshop at 1:30 p.m. – Online via Zoom
- Speaker – William E. Burleson: The Publishing Ecosystem
February 18, 2023 Meeting – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – Brynn Barineau: Creating Character through Culture
- Speaker #2 – Jeff Justice: Writing Humor
March 18, 2023 Meeting – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – Brandon Massey: Writing Thrillers
- Speaker #2 – Member Moment – 5 minutes per writer; 12 writers total
April 13, 2023 – Townsend Prize for Fiction Award Ceremony – Click for Details
April 15, 2023 Meeting – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – Ilya Kaminsky and Katie Farris: Poetry – A Reading and Craft Discussion
- Speaker #2 – Jillian Medoff: Finding the Balance: The Long View on Life, Work, and Writing
April 29, 2023 Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference – Click for Details
May 5-6, 2023 28th Atlanta Writers Conference – Click for Details
May 20, 2023 Meeting – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – Patty Dann: Ten Rules to Write By
- Speaker #2 – Tim Johnston: Lessons Transitioning from Short Stories to Novels
June 17, 2023 – In-person at Duluth Branch Library (3180 Main St, Duluth, GA 30096)
- Speaker #1 – Daniel Black: Rhythmic Writing
- Speaker #2 – Meg Leader: World Building for All Genres
July 15, 2023 – In-person at Duluth Branch Library (3180 Main St, Duluth, GA 30096)
- Speaker – Kim Conrey & Patrick Scullin: Marketing for Writers – You Don’t Have to Spend a Fortune, but You Do Have to Invest in Yourself
August 19, 2023 – In-person at the Lilburn Library Branch/City Hall meeting room (4817 Church Street, Lilburn, GA 30047-6827)
- Speaker #1 – Emily Carpenter, Susan Crawford, Milton Davis, Roger Johns: Managing Author Career Pivots
- Speaker #2 – Piper Huguley: How to Write Biographical Historical Fiction
September 14, 2023 at 7 pm Eastern – Online
- Speaker – Jennifer Lawler: Diving into Development: Revising a manuscript and working with a freelance editor – AWC members can register for Jennifer’s workshop by emailing AWC Executive Director George Weinstein
September 16, 2023 – In-person at GSU-Dunwoody
- Speaker #1 – Paige Wheeler: A Primer on the Writing Life
- Speaker #2 – Robert Bailey: Lessons Learned from Wannabe to Published Author