Please join us for our Monthly Meetings! These meetings are always the second Tuesday of the month at 7 PM (unless otherwise described below), and are free and open to the public. They may be virtual, in-person, or a hybrid. If it’s not listed below, please check our Facebook Page or search under our Latest News for the most up-to-date information on where the meeting will be held for a specific month. Our Meetings are great opportunities to meet other writers in your community. Come share what you’ve been working on!
Our Monthly Meetings usually include a Program. We invite established writers, educators, networkers, editors, promoters, publishers, and other professionals to share their tips for success with us. This is a service we offer to anyone who wishes to improve their craft or learn more about different aspects of writing and the writing industry.
Workshops are usually held on Saturdays, and have a small fee. CWG members receive a discount. Workshops are led by the same quality presenters listed above, but include the opportunity for attendees to practice the craft with the presenters. There is usually time to share and receive feedback, as well.
November 9, 2021 – The Intersection of Music and Writing (Arts Collaboration). Panel with Jennifer Daniels Neal, songwriter and guild member, Peggy Douglas, a musician and playwright who has produced four musicals, and Kathy Veazy, a musician who has turned some local poets’ work into song. See The Intersection of Music and Writing – Chattanooga Writers’ Guild (chattanoogawritersguild.org) for more information
December 14, 2021 – Virtual Holiday Party. No presentation.
January 11, 2022 – The Intersection of Writing and Graphic Art. A panel by the Chatt Comix Co-op.This group has been featured in podcasts and on National Public Television. They are a talented group of artists and writers who produce graphic stories and comics. Virtual only.
February 8, 2022 – A Craft Talk on Writing Romance, featuring Kelle Z. Riley. Virtual only.
March 2022 – We are planning something special for our Monthly Meeting on March 8th – our first ever New Member Meet and Greet! We will meet at the Rib N Loin in Hixson at 5:30 PM. We will also hold an open-mic that night. On March 26th, we will hold a Workshop from 11 AM to 1 PM – A Spring Trio: Writing Your Life in Three Parts by Sonja Livingston. The focus will be on crafting short pieces that offer readers vibrant snapshots of your life. Sonja Livingston is the author of four books of nonfiction, including the memoir Ghostbread which won an AWP Book Prize for Nonfiction and has been widely adopted for classroom use. You can find more information here: Home | Mysite (sonjalivingston.com)
April 2022 – In celebration of National Poetry Month, our Monthly Program on Tuesday, April 12th will feature Wendy Dinwiddie, who will give a craft talk on “What is Prose Poetry?” Then on Saturday, April 16th, Ms. Dinwiddie will give a Workshop entitled “Flash Fiction for Hoarders: A Flash Prose Workshop.”
May 10, 2022 – We will have another barbecue social at the Rib & Loin in Hixson. There will be a short presentation on how to get the most out of your membership which will cover how to navigate the website and the services available to members. We will also have an open-mic.
June 14, 2022 – Join us at 5:55 PM Eastern for a Zoom presentation with poet and author Connie Green. This meeting will consist of exercises in finding concrete images that convey an abstract idea (such as love, despair, sorrow, gratitude, etc.), looking at examples of how other poets and prose writers use concrete objects as detail to convey abstract ideas, doing one or more writing exercises, and discussing the use of detail in our writing.
Connie Jordan Green is the author of novels for young people, poetry chapbooks, and full-length poetry collections. Her poetry has been nominated for Pushcart prizes.
July – On Tuesday, July 12th from 7 – 9 PM we will have our Monthly Meeting, with a program called “Tapping the Keg.” Natalie Kimbell will lead a spirited workshop where participants will work as individuals and play as a group to generate a brew of ideas, finding perhaps a fictional starter for a fictional draft, the froth of a poem, or the suds of memory to take home to craft something of their own. This will be an in-person meeting at Abuelo’s Restaurant on Hamilton Place Blvd. We have secured the private room. On Saturday, July 23rd from 1 – 4 PM join us at The Game Shack in Dunlap for a fun Saturday Social. More details TBA. We will also have a “soft” book launch of our latest anthology before open mic at Barnes & Noble on Friday, July 29th. Join us at 6:30 to hear the winning authors read, and then share your open material starting at 7:30.
August 9, 2022 – Official book release party for our CWG Anthology at Barnes & Noble! Join us from 7 – 9 PM Eastern in the private room for author readings and signings, then pick up your own copy of our sixth anthology! The CWG will provide drinks and desserts. All are welcome to come celebrate! On August 20th we will have a table at the Soddy Daisy Community Library’s WILD event at Veteran’s Park. It is going to be a fun evening with all sorts of vendors and entertainment. Come stop by and say Hi! On August 19th a large group will be getting together at Nightfall to hang out and listen to music, and we will be back on August 26th as a vendor. If you are a published author, this would be a great opportunity to sit with other writers and sell your books.
September 13, 2022 – Annual Meeting & Election of a new Board. In person at a Ft. Oglethorpe location. On September 28th we will be at the Soddy Daisy Community Library from 6:30 to 8:00 Eastern for a cozy evening of reading, sharing, and community. A few of our authors published in our latest anthology will be available to answer questions and discuss their winning short stories and poems.
October 11, 2022 – Calvin Beam will lead a program about how to get the most from your critique group.