Disclaimer: We thrive to provide a variety of speakers to engage and encourage our members no matter where they are in their writing journey. In accordance with the mission and purpose of Oklahoma City Writers, Inc., all our events are uncensored. Neither Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. nor the host venue is responsible for any of the words that spill from the pages or mouths of the artists who share their talent and thoughts with us.
This page is archived. Speaker information is available on the Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. Facebook page
2024 Speakers and Meeting Information
December 21, 2024:
Marcia Preston winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for her novel The Piano Man. She will describe how to create a mystery series including the growth of her Chantalene Mystery series. https://www.marciapreston.com
November 16, 2024: OCWI Annual Writing Contest
Mark Edward Jones, 2024 OCWI Contest Chair, will preside over a meeting to reveal this year's winners. You will also be treated to a sample of the winning entries.
October 19, 2024: Sonia Gensler - An introduction to Body Horror in Fiction and Film
Sonia taught literature and writing to young adults for ten years: She is the award-winning author of Ghostlight, The Dark Between, and The Revenant, all from Alfred A. Knopf/Random House Kids.
September 21, 2024: Dr. Lisa Marotta - Creativity and Madness
Dr. Marotta is a clinical psychologist, registered yoga instructor, and the author of Suki and Sam, a children’s book about grief. For the past fifteen years, she studied the psychobiologies of artists at the “Creativity and Madness” New Mexico conference.
August 17, 2024: MetroLibrary Annual Litfest
Fieldtrip to the main downtown Library for a day long writers’ conference sponsors by Oklahoma City MetroLibrary System. Maurice Johnson will speak on a panel about Paths to Publishing.
July 20, 2024: Maria Polson Veres - Feature Articles and Nonfiction
Veres is a content marketing writer who pays her bills with her earnings from nonfiction. Writing clients include GoodRx, Edmond Outlook, Make a Living Writing, and more. She will provide an overview of the state of nonfiction in 2024.
June 15, 2024: Trait Thompson - Restoration of the Oklahoma State Capitol
Thomas is Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS). He published The Oklahoma State Capitol. The royalties go to the OHS. If you want more information, check out: https://www.okhistory.org/
May18, 2024: Dana Tramba - Save Your Life, One Story at a Time
After teaching memoir classes for over twenty years, Dana wrote and published Making Peace With the Pieces of My Life (available on Amazon). To find more information about Ms. Tramba and her work, check out: https://dandystories.com
April 20, 2024: Kelly Bristow - The Next Generation of Writers
Bristow is a Language Arts teacher of English IV, Creative Writing, and Advanced Creative Writing. The speakers for this meeting are young readers and writers from Edmond Memorial High School. who help organize and judge a writing contest, and create a literary arts magazine,
March 16, 2024: Cameron Sutter - Plottr Software for Writing
Sutter is a YA sci-fi/fantasy author, and software developer. In this interactive session Sutter will demonstrate how seeing a story visually changes the process for writing a book. He will provide examples of how Plottr’s templates can unlock an easier mode for writing.
February 17, 2024: Robyn Conley - A Romantic Journey into Writing
Join Book Doctor, Robyn Conley, as she takes us on a journey into our writing world. She'll question our definition of romance and challenge us to lead more romantic lives as writers. In a fun, interactive workshop. Robyn Conley will speak about writing, editing, and marketing your work.
January 20, 2024: Maurice Johnson
Between 1996 and 2003 Maurice authored three nationally published music related books with Mel Bay Publishing, Mix Books and Artist Pro Press. He would go on to self-publish several other books as well as nationally published articles in Realtor, and Musician Magazines.
2023 Speakers and Meeting Information
December 16, 2023: Shel Harrington - Humor
Fat-Bottom Fifties Get Fierce began when Shel Harrington and her Best Friend Forever decided to celebrate being over 50 by getting even fiercer. Less stress, more sass, with healthy doses of coffee and humor thrown in the mix! Of course, you don’t have to have a fat-bottom or be over 50 to join the celebration as she describes different techniques for adding humor to writing. In her alternative life, Shel is a seasoned Family Law attorney who writes and speaks about how to put her out of business by doing marriage better.
Fat-Bottom Fifties Get Fierce began when Shel Harrington and her Best Friend Forever decided to celebrate being over 50 by getting even fiercer. Less stress, more sass, with healthy doses of coffee and humor thrown in the mix! Of course, you don’t have to have a fat-bottom or be over 50 to join the celebration as she describes different techniques for adding humor to writing. In her alternative life, Shel is a seasoned Family Law attorney who writes and speaks about how to put her out of business by doing marriage better.
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November 18, 2023: Contest Chair Susan Kite - The winners of our 2023 contest!
Congratulations to everyone! For a list of the winners, go to our CONTEST WINNERS page |
October 21, 2023: Jeff Provine - Haunted Oklahoma
Jeff Provine will share his background with folklore, research techniques, and of course a few ghost stories. He serves as a Professor of English at Oklahoma City Community College. In addition to his teaching, he leads ghost tours in Oklahoma City and Norman, creates comics with Okie Comics, and does plenty of writing. His works include nonfiction such as Haunted Oklahoma City and Secret Oklahoma City, and the speculative fiction series, the Celestial Voyages
Jeff Provine will share his background with folklore, research techniques, and of course a few ghost stories. He serves as a Professor of English at Oklahoma City Community College. In addition to his teaching, he leads ghost tours in Oklahoma City and Norman, creates comics with Okie Comics, and does plenty of writing. His works include nonfiction such as Haunted Oklahoma City and Secret Oklahoma City, and the speculative fiction series, the Celestial Voyages
September 16, 2023: Marla Jones - Publishing
As the Senior Editor at Doodle and Peck Publishing Marla Jones pairs great writers with awesome illustrators in order to create fun, family-friendly books. She’s a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Oklahoma Writers Federation Incorporated, and the Independent Book Publishers Association. Jones combined past experiences teaching first grade with experience illustrating and writing picture books to create a publishing company that brings the two together .
As the Senior Editor at Doodle and Peck Publishing Marla Jones pairs great writers with awesome illustrators in order to create fun, family-friendly books. She’s a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Oklahoma Writers Federation Incorporated, and the Independent Book Publishers Association. Jones combined past experiences teaching first grade with experience illustrating and writing picture books to create a publishing company that brings the two together .
August 19, 2023: Alicia Dean - Increase your productivity and form a daily writing habit
Ally Robertson has been an editor with The Wild Rose Press since they opened in 2006. She is also a writing coach, freelance editor, and author, under the name Alicia Dean, with more than twenty-five published titles. This workshop will provide tools and tips on writing faster and writing daily, even if it’s only for five minutes, in order to produce words and stay connected to your story. During the workshop, attendees will do a five-minute writing sprint and gauge how many words they can produce
Ally Robertson has been an editor with The Wild Rose Press since they opened in 2006. She is also a writing coach, freelance editor, and author, under the name Alicia Dean, with more than twenty-five published titles. This workshop will provide tools and tips on writing faster and writing daily, even if it’s only for five minutes, in order to produce words and stay connected to your story. During the workshop, attendees will do a five-minute writing sprint and gauge how many words they can produce
July 15, 2023: Stacey Mauney - Building Blocks of Writing
Stacy is a professional freelance editor, the author of a series of devotionals, and the first in her series of cozy mysteries, Death by Dice, which is soon to be followed by Stalked by Dice. She is a member of local writing groups that include OCWI, Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild, and Tornado Alley Sisters in Crime; and is a past president of the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc. She described the basic building blocks of genre, plot conflict, character, setting and theme, and provided exercises in creating these.
Stacy is a professional freelance editor, the author of a series of devotionals, and the first in her series of cozy mysteries, Death by Dice, which is soon to be followed by Stalked by Dice. She is a member of local writing groups that include OCWI, Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild, and Tornado Alley Sisters in Crime; and is a past president of the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc. She described the basic building blocks of genre, plot conflict, character, setting and theme, and provided exercises in creating these.
June 17, 2013: William Bernhardt - Writing a Series
William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Ben Kincaid series, two other legal thriller series, three historical novels and three books of poetry. He is also the president/owner of Bernhardt Books, which publishes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Mr. Bernhardt describes why a series character is a good way to break into the writing business. Having a series provides a better chance for have an audience that will follow you which makes it easier for publishing houses to promote your book.
William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Ben Kincaid series, two other legal thriller series, three historical novels and three books of poetry. He is also the president/owner of Bernhardt Books, which publishes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Mr. Bernhardt describes why a series character is a good way to break into the writing business. Having a series provides a better chance for have an audience that will follow you which makes it easier for publishing houses to promote your book.
May 20, 2023: Kathryn White (Fogleman) - How Do Your Characters Deal With Trauma?
Kathryn White, who writes under Kathryn Fogleman has published two fantasy books about dragons. She will describe how character portray defense mechanisms to protect themselves from trauma while they are not even aware of it. Although others might think the character is not well, the character is oblivious of their own behavior. “When you write a character with trauma do your homework. Small or continuous traumas can have the same outcome as a single horrible event.”
Kathryn White, who writes under Kathryn Fogleman has published two fantasy books about dragons. She will describe how character portray defense mechanisms to protect themselves from trauma while they are not even aware of it. Although others might think the character is not well, the character is oblivious of their own behavior. “When you write a character with trauma do your homework. Small or continuous traumas can have the same outcome as a single horrible event.”
April 15, 2023: Rene Gutteridge - Interviewing Your Character
Rene Gutteridge has an impressive resume that includes 24 multi-genre novels, one that was turned into a Hallmark movie, Love’s Complicated, 15 screen plays and has a movie on Amazon Prime called Family Camp whcih she co-wrote with Brian Cates. Gutteridge is the head writer of the Skit Guys Studios. Novelists are missing out on the “inner journey” of their characters. They are “directing” their character to move from this place or that, but there is no substance why they are going there. Write more how they see the world.
Rene Gutteridge has an impressive resume that includes 24 multi-genre novels, one that was turned into a Hallmark movie, Love’s Complicated, 15 screen plays and has a movie on Amazon Prime called Family Camp whcih she co-wrote with Brian Cates. Gutteridge is the head writer of the Skit Guys Studios. Novelists are missing out on the “inner journey” of their characters. They are “directing” their character to move from this place or that, but there is no substance why they are going there. Write more how they see the world.
March 18, 2023: Lisbeth L. McCarty - Let's Talk Poetry
Lisbeth L. McCarty has a B.A. in Journalism and a J.D. in Law, from the University of Oklahoma. McCarty is featured, along with four other Oklahoma authors, in an article titled “Cozy Up With a Good Book” in Caregiver magazine. Her feature “Legal History: The Insanity Defense” is published in the March issue of Q&A, the newsletter of the Criminal Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association. In February 2023, Lisbeth was the featured poet in the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas newsletter News ‘N’ Notes.
Lisbeth L. McCarty has a B.A. in Journalism and a J.D. in Law, from the University of Oklahoma. McCarty is featured, along with four other Oklahoma authors, in an article titled “Cozy Up With a Good Book” in Caregiver magazine. Her feature “Legal History: The Insanity Defense” is published in the March issue of Q&A, the newsletter of the Criminal Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association. In February 2023, Lisbeth was the featured poet in the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas newsletter News ‘N’ Notes.
February 18, 2023: Nicholas Lyon: Out of the Box - What to Expect at the 2023 Conference
Nicholas Lyon is the author of the historical novel The Baptist Bootlegger and the current president of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. For his day job, he teaches English to high school students who would rather be on TikTok. He is also a woodturner and musician. He lives with his wife and two kids in Guthrie, OK.
Nicholas Lyon is the author of the historical novel The Baptist Bootlegger and the current president of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. For his day job, he teaches English to high school students who would rather be on TikTok. He is also a woodturner and musician. He lives with his wife and two kids in Guthrie, OK.
January 21, 2023: Betsey Kulakowki - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Author Betsey Kulakowski has been writing and telling stories since she was a young child. Her first writing gig was with KEBC Radio in Oklahoma City where she conducted interviews and wrote reviews for Country Music's rising stars. She went on to write in professional safety and health journals and trade magazines. All the while, she was honing her craft, writing several genres of fiction and eventually going on to pen numerous manuscripts. The Veritas Codex Series is currently available.
Author Betsey Kulakowski has been writing and telling stories since she was a young child. Her first writing gig was with KEBC Radio in Oklahoma City where she conducted interviews and wrote reviews for Country Music's rising stars. She went on to write in professional safety and health journals and trade magazines. All the while, she was honing her craft, writing several genres of fiction and eventually going on to pen numerous manuscripts. The Veritas Codex Series is currently available.
2022 Speakers and Meeting Information
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December 17, 2022: William Bernhardt - Audio Book Bootcamp
Bernhardt will discuss, first, why you need an audiobook and, second, the best way to get one. He will cover various means for creating an audiobook, distributing an audiobook, tips on narrating audiobooks, and related audio productions (like podcasts and vlogs) to expand the reach of your book. William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books. In addition, he founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. November 19, 2022: Contest Chair Dee Dee Chumley presents - The winners of our 2022 contest! Congratulations to everyone! For a list of the winners, go to our CONTEST WINNERS page October 15, 2022: Terry Godfrey-Selling Books at Events Come learn about how to have successful sales at an event. Bring your thinking hats! We will break into groups to solve common situational scenarios. Terry Godfrey was born west of Binger, Oklahoma, on a peanut farm, attended OSU and SWOSU before working for Caddo Electric Cooperative, and worked at Caddo Electric for over forty-two years. Godfrey is a self-published author on Amazon and Kindle eBooks. Titles include: A Tough Row to Hoe, Bitsy’s First Deer Season, The Day the Earth Stopped, To Run with the Big Dogs, Murder at Medicine Creek, Legend of Indian Head Rock, and Skyfish. September 17, 2022: Shelley Pagach - Critique Groups Past president of OKC Writers and OWFI, Shelley Pagach has been a part of the critique group, Gypsy Writers, for 10 years. This group has produced several award winners and published authors, both indie and traditional. Shelley Pagach is the current past president of OWFI, and also the former past president (2016-2017) of our Oklahoma City Writers Inc. affiliate. She has won several awards in both organizations and is currently working on her first children's book, while still learning the how-to's of writing romance. August 20, 2022: Metro Library LitFest 5th annual LitFest for Writers of all ages, skill levels, mediums and genres were welcomed. Enjoyed the opportunity to learn from industry professionals on a variety of topics ranging from editing, pitching, and publishing. All designed to help you take writing to the next level. July 16, 2022: Dee Chumley - What Your English Teacher Was Saying When You Weren't Listening This review of some grammar basics will help you create precise, concise, and compelling writing. In 2008, Dee Dee Chumley retired from teaching high school English and “re-fired” to pursue her passion for creative writing. Since then, the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. named her YA novel Beyond the Farthest Star Best Juvenile Fiction. In 2017, she was a Finalist in Southern Writers Magazine short story competition. In 2021, OCWI awarded her the Creme de la Creme Award for her essay My Life in Shoes. www.deedeechumley.com June 18, 2022: Kat Lewis - How to Write Diverse Characters Kat Lewis is an up-and-coming thriller author and recently launched her career with her electrifying debut novel, Rogue Defender. She is a passionate advocate for those escaping the horrors of human trafficking and uses her writing an avenue to spread awareness. Kat Lewis has always had a penchant for pulse-pounding adventures and sassy characters, all of the things she fulfills in her debut thriller novel Rogue Defender. She's a member of Oklahoma Christian Fiction Writers (OCFW) and served as the 2020 President. https://www.katlewisauthor.com May 21, 2022: Maurice Johnson - Staying Motivated as You Write Maurice Johnson started his career as a professional jazz guitarist in 1985, shortly after forming the Oklahoma City-based, “After Five” band. Between 1996 and 2003 Maurice authored three nationally published music business books with Mel Bay Publishing, Mix Books and Artist Pro Press. He later self-published over 10 more books and wrote articles for Realtor Magazine and Musician Magazine. During this time, he developed and marketed Gigorama, a booking software for musicians. Today, Maurice owns and operates “Self Publish Me,” pre-publishing services for authors. April 16, 2022: Mary Nhin - How to Create Life Changing Success Using the 4 P's is the best way to succeed at anything in life - marriage, health, parenting, and business endeavors including publishing. Mary Nhin loves being the guinea pig for all her husband's kitchen creations. She is a mom of 3 boys, serial entrepreneur, and author. Her books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide. She has been awarded the Forty under 40 and Inc 5000. [email protected] and follow @marynhin on IG/FB/TT March 19, 2022: Marty Ludlum - Legal Landmines for Writers Writing is fraught with potential legal problems: copyright, libel, incorporating, being sued, and many others. A seasoned lawyer (that means old) will present these topics in easy to understand terms (no Latin). Marty Ludlum is a law professor at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. He is a frequent guest speaker and legal writer on several topics. Marty is a former criminal defense lawyer and most of his friends are criminals. February 19, 2022: Dr. J Hall - Podcast Interviewing from Pitch to Promotion J Hall covers strategies for authors interested in promoting their work through guest interviewing on podcasts,. Dr. J Hall is host of The Okie Bookcast - a podcast celebrating books and writing in and about Oklahoma. Each episode includes an interview with a contributor to the reading life of Oklahoma and a review from an Oklahoma author about a book they love. His love of learning and education led him to earn a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Oklahoma. The idea for the Okie Bookcast woke him up early one Saturday morning and he's been chasing it since. You can find the show at okeibookcast.com and follow us on social media - @okiebookcast. January 15, 2022: Shel Harrington - Promoting Your Book Shel Harrington is a humorist who writes for a (chronologically!) mature audience at FatBottomFiftiesGetFierce.com and has over 475,000 followers on her smile-inducing Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce Facebook page. Shel is a seasoned Family Law attorney who writes and speaks about how to put her out of business by doing marriage better. Shel and her husband, Steve, live in Oklahoma on a little plot of earth called Dragonroost with their two cats, Moxie and Homer. |
2021 Speakers and Meeting Information
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December 18, 2021 John J. Dwyer - Building Your Street Army
John J. Dwyer grew up in Duncan and taught History and Ethics at Southern Nazarene University from 2006-2021. His state history, The Oklahomans: The Story of Oklahoma and Its People, Vol. 1 is now followed by Vol. 2, covering Statehood to 2021.. Both The Oklahomans and Shortgrass, John’s Dust Bowl/World War II novel, won the national, Fort Worth-based Will Rogers Medallion Award literary contest for Western literature. The Oklahoman newspaper ranked his latest book, the World War II epic Mustang, sequel to Shortgrass, the best-selling fiction book in the state last summer. Oklahoma hall of fame journalist Patrick McGuigan and the City Sentinel newspaper called it, “The greatest American war novel since The Red Badge of Courage.” November 20, 2021 Contest Chair Dee Britt - The winners of our 2022 contest! Congratulations to everyone! For a list of the winners, go to our CONTEST WINNERS page Oct. 16, 2021 Sabrina A. Fish- Writing Fantasy: Essential Elements, Exposition & Tips Award-Winning Fantasy Romance Author, Sabrina A. Fish discussed the 5 elements essential to every fantasy story, how to write exposition that doesn't bore you reader, and other fantasy writing tips she's picked up along the way. Sabrina A. Fish l& her husband own a trophy company, where she collects names for her novels from lists of award recipients. September 18, 2021 Chrissy L. Whitten - Walking Around the Chair Have you ever found your thinking one-sided? Are you stuck in your writing and/or life? Chrissy L. Whitten shared a part of her story and gave some wisdom from walking around a chair.The Fight: Journals from a Warrior's Mother is the first in a series about a family's faith journey through extraordinary circumstances. Chrissy benefited from the education, inspirations, and connections through joining OCWI and OWFI. Chrissy L. Whitten holds a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Educational Psychology, REMS, and leisure service management from Oklahoma State University (OSU). She has over thirty years’ experience working in youth programming and teaching fitness. August 21, 2021 Lea Tran - I Did Not Miss the Boat In her memoir I Did Not Miss the Boat: Memoir of a Vietnam Hoa Refugee, Lea Tran shared the story of the coming of age of an adolescent girl who struggled to help her family’s assimilation into a new country while searching for her own identity. From surviving the vast South China Seas, pirate raids, and uninhabited Indonesian islands to surviving high school and family life, Lea Tran did not experience a typical American upbringing. Despite this, Lea graduated from Villanova University and pursued a career as an organic chemist. She then went on to build a successful business of custom window treatments for ten years. As a speaker and a coach, Lea's mission is to inspire others. |
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July 17, 2021 Dee Britt - Lessons Learned as a Debut Indie Author: Find Your Passion and Find Your Way
Dee Britt grew up in the small town of Anadarko, Oklahoma. When she wasn't playing basketball and running track, she was active in the United Methodist Church, where her parents were youth group leaders. As a young adult, Dee fronted various bands. Her songwriting revealed a passion for story writing and eventually led to her first book, Fireside: The James Johnson Story. The setting for Fireside, and the flavor of its characters, rose out of Dee's experiences with her “day job” as a physical therapist to countless assisted living center patients. To her patients who have taught her about the important things in life, Dee sends a big thank you. |
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June 19, 2021 Alicia Dean - Knowing the Difference Between Synopsis, Blurb, Log Line, and Pitch
Alicia Dean hails from Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. She is originally from Moore, but now lives in Edmond. Alicia writes in a wide variety of romance genres, including paranormal, fantasy, and suspense. Some of her titles are Ruined and Precarious , Nothing To Fear, Once Upon a Gothic, Blood and Breakfast, Cupid's Beau, Heart of the Witch, Soul Seducer, Dying to Love You, and Without Mercy. |
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May 15, 2021 Mary Coley: Taking Your Draft from Mess to Mystery
Curious about how to edit a manuscript with mystery in mind? Mary Coley provided some tips to reconstruct a so-so manuscript into a thrilling mystery using cliff-hangers, red herrings and clues only the sharp-minded will detect. A native Oklahoman, Coley has worked as a journalist, a park planner, a communications officer and an adjunct professor focusing on environmental education before pursuing her life-long passion for writing as a mystery/suspense author. Her writing reflects a devotion to mystery, regional history and her love of nature, animals and the study of relationships. Currently, she is working on her eighth mystery and a book of short stories, roughly based on personal experiences. April 17, 2021 Vickey Malone Kennedy - The ABCs of Story Structure Vickey Malone Kennedy writes Short Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Erotica. She has won numerous awards including OWFI's Crème de la Crème Award, Writer's Digest Short Story Award, and the Darrell Award for best Mid-South Short Story. Her fiction has been published online and in print. She is a full-time author, full-time Granny, and a part-time movie extra. |
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March 20, 2021 - Publication: From Idea to Liftoff Workshop
Jennifer McMurrain has won numerous awards for her short stories and novels, including hitting #1 on the Amazon Best Seller list with, Quail Crossings. She has 22 novels and collaborations published. www.jennifermcmurrain.com. Staci Mauney is a freelance writer and editor and indie author from Oklahoma. She is the co-owner of Prestige Prose, a freelance writing and editing company. She is the past president of the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI). As an author, she has written four devotionals in the Echoes of Joy series, based on her blog. https://stacimauney.com/ Amy M. Le’s debut novel Snow in Vietnam was written as a tribute to her mother's heroic decision to flee Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. Since that time, she has published two more books. She calls both the Pacific Northwest and Oklahoma her home. https://www.facebook.com/authoramymle |
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February 20, 2021 Nikki Davis Gragg (Martha Henley) - Creating the Horror Novel Thriller and horror author, Martha Henley is one who can't stay away from not-so-happily ever after endings. Life isn't perfect, so the stories we tell don't have to be either. The good guys in her Death and Donuts Thriller novel series prevail over the serial killers, but the horror series, Live Your Life, Die Your Death are creepy, twisted tales of fate. If you like odd characters, eerie situations, and a touch of humor, you'll enjoy at least one of Martha Henley's series. Martha wants to hear from you. Sign up for her newsletter and receive exclusive content, available only to subscribers. MarthaHenley.com |
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January 16, 2021 Marty Ludlum - Learning from a Reviewer's Rejection
Marty Ludlum is an active writer with over 60 publications. Marty is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, an attorney and a Professor of Business Law at University of Central Oklahoma. He has often given presentations on legal issues for writers at OWFI. UCO Professor Ludlum is the editor for several journals and reviewer for many more. The same principles work in prose and fiction. Marty will explode the three myths of reviewer's rejections and explain three positive steps you can take to improve your writing. No fancy talk, just plain language for real improvement. |
2020 Speakers and Meeting Information
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December 19, 2020 Laci Liter - On Writing and Worldbuilding.
Laci Liter is a fiction and nonfiction writer who studied English Literature at Eastern Washington University, and is a current Cell and Molecular Biology student at Oklahoma City University. She primarily writes apocalyptic science fiction, short stories, and biological nonfiction and has served as the Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. President from 2019 to the present. She is a Washington state native but has lived in Oklahoma for 11 years with her husband and three children. |
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November 21, 2020 OKCW President, Laci Liter - The winners of our 2020 contest!
Congratulations to everyone! For a list of the winners, go to our CONTEST WINNERS page. |
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October 17, 2020 Maria Polson Veres - Writing in Tough Times
Maria Polson Veres will talk about why it can be hard to do creative work right now, how to take good care of ourselves as artists, and how technology can help us stay afloat in these uncharted waters. Her most recent poetry collection, Church People, was an Oklahoma Book Award finalist and received the OWFI Best Book of Poetry award in 2018. She writes monthly business profiles for Edmond Outlook magazine and owns a content writing business. Maria teaches adult creative writing classes at Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City, as well as leading private workshops and retreats. mariapolsonveres.com. |
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September 19, 2020 Susan Kite - Book Trailers: Do it yourself with PowerPoint
Susan Kite began seriously crafting stories over twenty-five years ago. Fan-fiction was the main focus at first, but a visit to the Mission San Luis triggered her first YA novel, My House of Dreams. Speculative fiction novels including The Mendel Experiment (and winner of Royal Palm Literary Award), Blue Fire, Power Stone of Alogol, and the fantasy novel Realms of the Cat followed. Her latest book, Moon Crusher is first in a series of YA speculative fiction. Susan Kite has an award-winning children's tall-tale in pre-publication with Doodle and Peck. |
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August 15, 2020 Lara Bernhardt - Where Women Meet Fiction
Lara Bernhardt is a Pushcart-nominated writer, editor, and audiobook narrator. She is Editor-in-Chief of Balkan Press and also publishes a literary magazine, Conclave. Her debut novel, The Wantland Files, was a finalist for the 2017 Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction. The sequel, The Haunting of Crescent Hotel, was a 2019 semi-finalist for KBR awards Horror/Suspense category. Shadow of the Taj, her first women’s fiction, was a 2020 Oklahoma Book Award finalist. She lives in Oklahoma with her family. You can follow her on all the socials: @larawells1 on Twitter and @larabern10 on Facebook, BookBub, and Instragram. |
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July 18, 2020 Desiree Webber - Buffalo Tales: Saving the Buffalo from Extinction.
Desiree Webber will present how she researched and crafted a tale of individuals who placed fifteen bison into train cars to start the nation’s first bison refuge. Webber is author of two nonfiction middle-grade books, The Buffalo Train Ride (Doodle and Peck - 2019, 1999), and Bone Head: Story of the Longhorn (Eakin Press - 2003). Both were named Oklahoma Book Award Finalists. In addition, she received the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Author’s Award for The Buffalo Train Ride, and a “Storytelling World Honor Title” award for Travel the Globe: Multicultural Story Times. www.desireewebber.com |
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June 20, 2020 Staci Mauney - The Editing Process: Revising Your Work for Publication
Staci Mauney will discuss the differences among developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading. We’ll dive into the self-editing process and discover tips and tricks for revising and editing your own work. Staci Mauney is a freelance writer and editor and indie author from Oklahoma. She is the co-owner of Prestige Prose, a freelance writing and editing company found at prestigeprose.com. As an author, she has written four devotionals in the Echoes of Joy series, where her Yorkshire terrier, Lilly, is the main character. She volunteers for a variety of organizations in her local community, and is a member and past president of the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI). |
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May 16, 2020 Lisbeth McCarty - Crime and Publishing
Lisbeth L. McCarty, a graduate from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in Journalism and a J.D. in Law, is an award-winning writer. She has been published in local, state and national journals, newsletters, and magazines, as well as online. She has also written numerous books. Including: I Cooked; Therefore, They Ran, Ours Was the House and Mental States of Murderesses: Women Who Kill. Lisbeth will be speaking about various lessons she had learned from being a writer. |
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April 21, 2020, Julia Kolchinsky - Poetry Reaching into the Future While Reflecting on the Past
Julia Kolchinsky will read poems about inter-generational motherhood. Her poetry hovers around history, trauma, and absence--from ancestral histories of anti-Semitic discrimination in the former Soviet Union to the poet's travels, while pregnant with her son, to death camp sites in Poland. She will discuss how form informs her composition and lead you in a creative writing exercise. Julia holds an MFA from the University of Oregon and is completing her PH.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of 3 poetry collections. Her poetry won the 2019 Idaho Poetry Prize. |
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March 21, 2020 Meeting Cancelled
As much as we wish circumstances could be different, we have decided to cancel the March 2020 meeting. We do not wish to put anyone at risk, especially our members who are immuno-compromised, by gathering at our monthly meeting. |
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February 15, 2020 Marcia Preston - Fifty Shades of Crime Fiction
The world of mystery/suspense/thriller fiction includes many sub-genres that an aspiring author needs to understand. Marcia Preston will define these categories, along with examples, and offer a modus operandi for the actual writing. Marcia has edited two national magazines, served as PR and publications director for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage museum, and freelanced for a long list of publications. Her six previous novels earned a Mary Higgins Clark Award, an Oklahoma Book Award for Fiction, and four Best Fiction Book awards from OWFI. Her newest novel, The Spiderling, deals with the struggle of 11-year-old Kiwi and her mother to build a new life after Kiwi’s father is killed in the Iraq War. |
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January 18, 2020 Ken Hada -The River White: An Ekphrastic Poetry Reading & Workshop.
Ken Hada will introduce us to The River White: A Confluence of Brush & Quill, demonstrating the accompanying watercolors that make the ekphrastic narratives of the book. Ken Hada has published seven volumes of poetry, including Not Quite Pilgrims and Bring an Extry Mule (Chicago: VACPoetry, 2019 & 2017). His work has been featured and/or awarded by the National Western Heritage Museum, SCMLA, Western Writers of America, Oklahoma Center for the Book, and the NPR program, The Writer’s Almanac. He teaches at East Central University and has directed the annual Scissortail Creative Writing Festival for over 15 years. (kenhada.org) |
