Sonja Dewing

Short Storyathon - June 10 to 12
2022-06-10 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Denver)
Every year I hold 4 Short Storyathons. I facilitate a community of writers in writing a short story and publishing it to Amazon in a weekend. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it.

For more details you can find event information on my business webpage here: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/event/write-a-short-story-short-storyathon-june/

Short Storyathon - March 4 - 6
2022-03-04 17:00 - 19:00
Every year I hold 4 Short Storyathons. I facilitate a community of writers in writing a short story and publishing it to Amazon in a weekend. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it.

For more details you can find event information on my business webpage here: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/event/write-a-short-story-short-storyathon-march/

How to Market Your Book
2022-02-15 18:00 - 19:30
This is my five week course on book marketing. For all the details, please go to my business website: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/event/how-to-market-your-book/
And, make sure to check out the discount option listed in the details.

How to use Scrivener
2021-12-29 18:00 - 19:00
Have your Scrivener coupon from NanoWrimo and want to know how to use Scrivener – aka this book writing program? Or maybe you’ve had the program for a while and want to get to know it better?
We’ll cover:

How to organize your chapters
How to organize your research
How to organize your characters
How to use it for editing
How to prep your novel for publishing
The fun bells and whistles

Can’t make the live event? Sign up and you’ll receive a replay link.
Find Your Tickets:
You can buy your ticket on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-use-scrivener-tickets-226170721717
Or at my website for the Women’s Thriller Writers Association: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/event/how-to-use-scrivener-virtual/

Your Facilitator:
Sonja Dewing – Is a full-time writer and book writing coach with years of experience using Scrivener to write, edit, and publish her novels.

Short Storyathon - October 7 to 9
2021-12-26 08:00 - 17:00
Every year I hold 4 Short Storyathons. I facilitate a community of writers in writing a short story and publishing it to Amazon in a weekend. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it.
For more details you can find event information on my business webpage here: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/event/write-a-short-story-short-storyathon-october/

Short Storyathon - August 12 - 14
2021-12-26 08:00 - 17:00
Every year I hold 4 Short Storyathons. I facilitate a community of writers in writing a short story and publishing it to Amazon in a weekend. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it.
For more details you can find event information on my business webpage here: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/event/write-a-short-story-short-storyathon-august/

Castoffs of the Gods ebook release!
2021-10-17 08:00 - 08:30
Sonja Dewing will be reading the first couple of chapters live on Zoom, and answering questions. Register here to get the Zoom link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/castoffs-of-the-gods-ebook-release-tickets-174821916057

Adventurer Leslie Kicklighter and Mystery Sleuth AJ Bluehorse reluctantly head back into the Amazon jungle in search for their friend John Holbrook. They’ll face hungry caiman, treacherous teammates, and a demi-god with anger issues.

Along the way AJ must deal with her growing powers and ego given to her by an Inca god and Leslie has to maneuver through it all.

Will they make it out alive? And if they do, will they ever be the same?

Select “interested” or “Going” and we’ll update the page with the link to the ebook when it’s ready! Purchases the day of the release will go a long way toward putting into a best seller!

The long wait is over! But I’ve really enjoyed writing this book and I hope you love where it takes Leslie and AJ.

Haven’t started with book 1? You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Toy-Gods-Idol-Makers-Book-ebook/dp/B07P71ZKGB/

Or, sign up for Sonja Dewing’s email and receive two free short stories that get you started into the Idol Maker universe! http://eepurl.com/cAzV5v

Short Storyathon- Become a published author in a weekend! October
2021-10-15 17:00 - 2021-10-17 17:00
Become a published author in a weekend!
This virtual short story event will take you from idea creation (on Friday night) all the way to your published short story on Amazon by Sunday! This is a fast-paced, hard-working weekend, but so rewarding.
Many attendees, even first time authors, hit the top rankings in their genre and a few have even become best sellers!
Why a short story?
Because it’s a quick way to get writing and see the process of publishing a quality product (because you can produce something good in a weekend and we’ve seen it happen every time).
If you’re building an author platform, this is a good way to create an introduction to your other novels. If you’ve never written, it’s a good way to start getting readers.
Your Facilitator
Sonja Dewing is a best-selling author and award-winning creative writer. She has several books on Amazon as well as a wealth of short stories. She brings that experience here to help you get publishing.
Ready? Buy your tickets and let’s get writing!
Reviews
“I enjoyed the challenge of creating with a deadline in mind and I deeply appreciated the generous and supportive environment created by the instructor and participants alike.” -Elisabeth Loya
“I participated in the Oct 2018 short story-a-thon! It was an awesome supportive experience that got me through the story and the publishing process in a weekend!! I will be doing this again. Thank you!!” -Winter Flack
“I had a terrific time at this workshop. We began Friday with a brief lesson on creative writing, then a walking tour of downtown Albuquerque where we sought inspiration for our writing. Saturday was devoted to creating pieces with the assistance of professional editors. Today was about publishing our stories on Kindle Direct, complete with story cover. It was a marathon session, inspiration to publishing in three days. It certainly spurred me to complete my tales and taught me it is possible to get them out there for others to enjoy.” – Chris Allen
About Pricing
The cost per person to hold the workshop is $99 for virtual – this includes a professional editor, and the time of the facilitator in helping you get to publishing. I never want finances to be a barrier. So I ask you to pay the amount you can afford (you’ll see 3 different ticket options) – and if you can contribute extra to support someone else, I thank you in advance.
Keep in mind, if you’re a Women’s Thriller Writers Association member, you get 50% off the standard ticket. Not a member yet? You can join here: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/be-creative-with-the-womens-thriller-writers-association/
Our Schedule
Friday night 6pm – meet on Zoom
We’ll discuss how to write a short story and how to find ideas for your story (if you don’t have one already).
Saturday 8am – meet on Zoom (we’ll be working all day on our story)
We’ll start with some writing sprints to get us going.
We’ll check in every hour and have a Facebook group to connect in between check ins.
Then take a quick break while we talk about book covers and consider hiring a book cover artist (they run $60 to $250) Or if you don’t want to hire an artist, I’ll show you how to use Canva.
Then keep writing all morning.
After lunch we’ll sit down and review each other’s work, so we can get ideas on what needs to be improved. Then, it’s editing time.
In the evening, your stories will be sent to our professional editor(s). They will edit the first three pages of stories you started that weekend (this is so everyone gets some professional editing on their story). Also, this is paid as part of your purchase.
Sunday 11am – meet on Zoom
(We’ll work up until around 5 or 6pm)
We’ll sleep in a little after all that work. Then it’s back to work. We’ll polish our stories in the morning.
Then, I’ll go over how to set up your story on Amazon by covering details like title, categories, blurb, etc.
Then, we’ll celebrate when we hit the publish button!
Limited spaces:
I’m limiting this event to only 25 attendees, so you probably want to buy your ticket now, and before the super early bird prices go away.
Check out some of our author’s stories that they’ve published:
The Glass Stiletto: A Fractured Fairy Tale – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W4TYNJ1
Jane – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KQF4JD9
Getting Out – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KPRLSYG
Walk Right – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KPLDP65
Alma de Santa Fe – https://www.amazon.com/Alma-Santa-Fe-Elisabeth-Loya-ebook/dp/B07DZTC9H6
The Short Storyathon is held once a quarter – 2021 schedule:
June 25-27
August 27-29
October 15-17
Looking forward to working with you! Don’t forget to buy your ticket.

Marketing Your Book Workshop
2021-09-06 18:00 - 20:00
This five week course starts with the basics. Not only is this a place for you to find out more about each step, but I’ll show you how to do it and you can do it along with me. You’ll also receive homework each week. So that in five weeks, we’ll have a marketing plan and strategy in place.
Your most important asset is your email list. We’ll dive into the details so by the time your done, you’re rockin with your shiny email with automated systems that get you new readers.
First class is on Monday, Sep 06. We’ll start with precontent and your list sign up options (what to offer, how to create it, how to share it.) And why it’s so important to have an email list.
Second class is on Monday, Sep 13. We’ll review what we’ve done and move onto landing pages and the sign up process.
Third class is on Monday, Sep 20. We’ll review what we’ve done and move onto post content for your book. What call to action should you have in the back of your book? How to create the links? Etc.
Fourth class is on Monday, Sep 27. We’ll review what we’ve done and move onto advertising and PR for your book.
Fifth class is on Monday Nov 04. We’ll use this night to go over a review and get through any other steps you need help with.

What Participants are saying
“I took Sonja Dewing’s Self-Publisher’s Marketing Course, and I no longer feel as if advertising and reaching new readers is beyond my scope of understanding. I learned how to create and maintain an email list, how to recruit readers to be included in the list, how to update my readers on all of my latest work with little effort, and how to use Sonja’s optimizing processes to get my current readers to read more. This is just the beginning. With what I learned I can now successfully market my short stories and books independently, and increase my ratings to help boost future sales. My next goal: 100 sales in under 100 days!”
-Ronin Romero, Self-Published Author
Your Facilitator:
Sonja Dewing is an award winning creative writer and published author. Her book Toy of the Gods was her first novel and she continually strives for marketing perfection. She’s also a certified professional instructor and former instructor for the University of New Mexico’s Continuing Education Department. She knows not only how to give you the right information, but make sure it makes sense to you.
Sign up today and let’s get going on a marketing journey.
Want a discount? Share the link to this event on your Facebook or other social media, send a screen shot to sonjadewing@gmail.com, and I’ll send you a discount code for $20 off the full course.
Keep in mind, if you’re a Women’s Thriller Writers Association member, you get 10% off the standard ticket. Not a member yet? You can join here: https://womensthrillerwriters.com/be-creative-with-the-womens-thriller-writers-association/

Short Storyathon-Become a published author in a weekend! August
2021-08-27 17:00 - 2021-08-29 17:00
Become a published author in a weekend!

This virtual short story event will take you from idea creation (on Friday night) all the way to your published short story on Amazon by Sunday! This is a fast-paced, hard-working weekend, but so rewarding.

Many attendees, even first time authors, hit the top rankings in their genre and a few have even become best sellers!
Why a short story?

Because it’s a quick way to get writing and see the process of publishing a quality product (because you can produce something good in a weekend and we’ve seen it happen every time).

If you’re building an author platform, this is a good way to create an introduction to your other novels. If you’ve never written, it’s a good way to start getting readers.

Your Facilitator
Sonja Dewing is a best-selling author and award-winning creative writer. She has several books on Amazon as well as a wealth of short stories. She brings that experience here to help you get publishing.

Ready? Buy your tickets and let’s get writing!

Reviews
“I enjoyed the challenge of creating with a deadline in mind and I deeply appreciated the generous and supportive environment created by the instructor and participants alike.” -Elisabeth Loya
“I participated in the Oct 2018 short story-a-thon! It was an awesome supportive experience that got me through the story and the publishing process in a weekend!! I will be doing this again. Thank you!!” -Winter Flack
“I had a terrific time at this workshop. We began Friday with a brief lesson on creative writing, then a walking tour of downtown Albuquerque where we sought inspiration for our writing. Saturday was devoted to creating pieces with the assistance of professional editors. Today was about publishing our stories on Kindle Direct, complete with story cover. It was a marathon session, inspiration to publishing in three days. It certainly spurred me to complete my tales and taught me it is possible to get them out there for others to enjoy.” – Chris Allen

About Pricing
The cost per person to hold the workshop is $99 for virtual – this includes a professional editor, and the time of the facilitator in helping you get to publishing. I never want finances to be a barrier. So I ask you to pay the amount you can afford (you’ll see 3 different ticket options) – and if you can contribute extra to support someone else, I thank you in advance.

Our Schedule
Friday night 6pm – meet on Zoom
We’ll discuss how to write a short story and how to find ideas for your story (if you don’t have one already).
Saturday 8am – meet on Zoom (we’ll be working all day on our story)
We’ll start with some writing sprints to get us going.
We’ll check in every hour and have a Facebook group to connect in between check ins.
Then take a quick break while we talk about book covers and consider hiring a book cover artist (they run $60 to $250) Or if you don’t want to hire an artist, I’ll show you how to use Canva.
Then keep writing all morning.
After lunch we’ll sit down and review each other’s work, so we can get ideas on what needs to be improved. Then, it’s editing time.
In the evening, your stories will be sent to our professional editor(s). They will edit the first three pages of stories you started that weekend (this is so everyone gets some professional editing on their story). Also, this is paid as part of your purchase.
Sunday 11am – meet on Zoom
(We’ll work up until around 5 or 6pm)
We’ll sleep in a little after all that work. Then it’s back to work. We’ll polish our stories in the morning.
Then, I’ll go over how to set up your story on Amazon by covering details like title, categories, blurb, etc.
Then, we’ll celebrate when we hit the publish button!

Limited spaces:
I’m limiting this event to only 25 attendees, so you probably want to buy your ticket now, and before the super early bird prices go away.

Check out some of our author’s stories that they’ve published:
The Glass Stiletto: A Fractured Fairy Tale – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W4TYNJ1
Jane – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KQF4JD9
Getting Out – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KPRLSYG
Walk Right – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KPLDP65
Alma de Santa Fe – https://www.amazon.com/Alma-Santa-Fe…/dp/B07DZTC9H6
The Short Storyathon is held once a quarter – 2021 schedule:
June 25-27
August 27-29
October 15-17

Looking forward to working with you! Don’t forget to buy your ticket.

Killer Nashville
2021-08-19 17:00 - 2021-08-22 13:00
Are you in Nashville? You can come by the book store, buy my book and I’ll sign it for you!
I’ll be there happy to learn and share information about writing, publishing, and marketing.
Happening at Embassy Suites Cool Springs Franklin.

Registration Open for the Self-Publishing Course
2020-10-17 08:00 - 2020-10-31 17:00
Want to know how to self-publish a book but don’t know how to start?
I’m here to help! I had a publisher take my first novel, but I took it back after a year and had to figure out this self publishing process. It took lots of hair pulling, yelling at the screen, and plenty of coffee. Luckily, you don’t have to go through all that.

The truth is that self publishing is easier than you think – you just need the tools to get there.
This course is full of tips, including how to format for ebook and print, how to start your email list, and the things to watch out for.
All you need is a 5 minute lesson a day for your daily inspiration, then you work for 20-30 minutes.

It’s time to learn how to self-publish that novel because your story is worth sharing.
Purchase one course and you’ll have access to all my courses as they are published.
Prices:
$272 One time payment for basic course
$600 One time payment for VIP – includes 3 30 minute virtual meetings with me over 3 months
$72 per month for 4 months – Basic course
$25 per month for 12 months – Basic Course
$99 per month for 4 months – VIP includes 3 30 minute virtual meetings with me over 4
Register Here
Next open enrollment will be January 15 to 30.

Rather have just a book to take you through the steps? You can find the Kindle and spiral bound version here.

Covid safe & Virtual Short Storyathon August
2020-08-09 08:00 - 17:00
We have a virtual event available!

Also, our in person event will be limited to 5 participants! If you want in sign up soon. Attendees must self-monitor their health and only attend if they feel well and must wear masks while inside FatPipe ABQ.

Either way you attend, make sure you clear your calendar for the full weekend!

Go from idea creation (on Friday night) all the way to your published short story on Amazon by Sunday! Start making money from your creative ideas.

Virtual Version:

Friday night 6PM – 9PM

6 – 6:10 PM

Meet me online with Zoom. Zoom link will be shared with ticket holders.

Have on Hand:

Donation for Albuquerque Reads – either $5 or more per person or new/gently used early elementary book (If you want to be in the drawing for a free cover design)

6:10 PM to 7:00 PM

“How to Craft a Short Story”

Laptop or something to take notes

Saturday 8AM – 6PM (Usually wrap up around 5, but just in case we leave it open until 6)

Writing a good story takes a lot of work and no one is going to want to read something that is sloppy or poorly written. This is where it all happens.

FYI: I suggest a minimum goal of 1,000 words or a maximum of 5,000 words but the final decision is up to you.

8AM get coffee, get settled

8:15AM Meet me online on Zoom

talk about the process for the day

Start writing our short story. I’ll have some sprints to get us writing fast.

Have on hand:

Snacks around to keep you writing

Premise for your story

Laptop to write your story

9:30 AM

Book Cover Break. I’ll talk about how to design your own book cover. Or, if you want to hire someone, I’ll share my list of graphic designers willing to design a cover within 24 hours. We’ll also talk about copyright.

Designer prices run $60-250 per cover.

I’ll also draw a name for free cover design contest from those who donated.

Sunday 11AM – 5pm

It’s time to publish!

First, sleep in a little. You’ve earned it!

11 AM

Join me on Zoom.

Follow along as I publish my short story – and everyone submits theirs as well. Those steps include putting copyright wording in your story, creating your Amazon author account, etc.

Then I’ll share a little bit about how to sell you story and talk about author platforms.

Then, we’ll eat cake!

Have on hand:

Sorry, you’ll have to get your own cake!

Electronic photo of you for your Author page on Amazon

The electronic cover designed by you or your designer

Laptop

Live version at FatPipe ABQ:

Friday night 6pm – 9pm

Bring your walking shoes! And be ready for any weather. We’ll start out at FatPipe ABQ, a coworking space. We’ll discuss how to write a short story and how to find ideas for your story (if you don’t have one already). Then, we’ll take a walking tour of downtown to collect those ideas.

Saturday – 8am – 8pm

We’ll start with some writing sprints to get us going. Then take a quick break while we talk about book covers and consider hiring a book cover artist (they run $60 to $250). Then keep writing all morning. After lunch (lunch is on your own, but we have plenty of places nearby) we’ll sit down and review each other’s work, so we can get ideas on what needs to be improved. Then, it’s back to writing.

In the evening, your stories will be sent to our professional editors. They will edit the first three or four pages of stories you started that weekend (this is so everyone gets some professional editing on their story). Also, this is paid as part of your purchase.

Sunday – start at 11am – 5pm

We’ll sleep in a little after all that work. Then it’s back to work. We’ll polish our stories in the morning. Then, I’ll go over how to set up your story on Amazon.

Then, we’ll celebrate with cake!

Limited spaces:

I’m limiting this event to only 25 attendees, so you probably want to buy your ticket now, and before the super early bird prices go up.

Win a story cover!

Everyone who brings a cash and/or book donation for Albuquerque Reads will receive a chance to win a free story cover design ($60 value) by Leslie Reilly. Leslie Reilly is the designer behind all of Sonja Dewing’s book covers!

The Facilitators:

Sonja Dewing is a published author and award-winning creative writer. She has an adventure novel, Toy of the Gods, published by Creativia (available on Amazon), and a couple of self-published short stories on Amazon.

Elisabeth Loya is a published author and member of Querque Quills.

Ready? Buy your tickets and let’s get writing!

Reviews:

“I enjoyed to challenge of creating with a deadline in mind and I deeply appreciated the generous and supportive environment created by the instructor and participants alike.” -Elisabeth Loya

“I participated in Oct 2018 short story-a-thon! It was an awesome supportive experience that got me through the story and the publishing process in a weekend!! I will be doing this again. Thank you!!” -Winter Flack

“I had a terrific time at this workshop. We began Friday with a brief lesson on creative writing, then a walking tour of downtown Albuquerque where we sought inspiration for our writing. Saturday was devoted to creating pieces with the assistance of professional editors. Today was about publishing our stories on Kindle Direct, complete with story cover. It was a marathon session, inspiration to publishing in three days. It certainly spurred me to complete my tales and taught me it is possible to get them out there for others to enjoy.” – Chris Allen

Celebrate the Print Release of Gamble of the Gods
2020-04-30 08:00 - 17:00
Purchase before May 1.
Gamble of the Gods — AJ Bluehorse, a software developer who has inherited powers from an Incan god, never counted on having to solve a murder on the Navajo reservation. If she doesn’t find the malevolent skinwalker soon, she might be the next victim and the old gods will have to find someone else to save the world.
Purchase the paperback book, Gamble of the Gods, through us, now through April 30th for $9. You will receive 25% off the cover price of $12 AND a free ebook copy (pdf, epub, and mobi)!
So, you can start reading right away while practicing social distancing! Then, at Title Wave Book’s anniversary party (date TBD, after the shutdown is lifted), author Sonja Dewing will have your books, ready to be signed.
Contact Title Wave Books, Revised by phone at 505-294-9495 or through instagram or facebook to place your order!
You can also download the first book in the series, Toy of the Gods, from Amazon for $2.99!
Fine print:
-Purchase requires email address for ebook to be sent.
-Ebooks will be emailed at 6pm each evening. Any sales after 6pm will be processed the next business day.
-Purchase will add you to author’s email subscriber list unless you opt out at time of purchase.

Virtual Flash Fiction Workshop
2020-04-19 10:00 - 14:00
Hello everyone! I’ll help you get writing again! This will be a Zoom, online event.
The Plan
We’ll talk about Flash Fiction, what it is, how to come up with ideas for flash fiction, as well as what contests and journals are looking for flash fiction. If you’d like writing prompts, I’ll have a few ready for you to use.
Then we’ll take an hour to write – while we watch some slow TV, as if we’re sitting on a train. 🙂
Then we’ll go for a short walk, get some coffee from our kitchens, then exchange our stories via Google Docs.
Then, we’ll split into groups and groups will review each others work.
Then, we go back to editing and connecting via Zoom.
By the end of the day you’ll have a finished flash fiction story.
Flash fiction is very short fiction that tells a tale in 1,500 or fewer words (sometimes as few as 250 words)!
Your facilitator:
Sonja Dewing is a published author and won third place in the Alibi’s flash fiction with the story “something” that she wrote while she was on the train. She’s also a certified professional instructor and has experience encouraging creativity in others.
About Pricing:
The cost per person to hold the workshop is $30; Because of so many people are out of work, I’ve made this event inexpensive. We never want finances to be a barrier. So we ask you to pay the amount you can afford – and if you can contribute extra to support someone else, we thank you in advance.

And don’t miss out on the Flash Fiction Contest (in events)

Wordcamp ABQ 2020
2020-03-20 08:00 - 2020-03-21 17:00 | CNM’s Smith Brasher Hall, Albuquerque, NM, United States
Coming up in March, I’m speaking at Wordcamp ABQ 2020. I’ll be speaking on Friday about Social Media and WordPress.
The event is perfect for anyone who uses WordPress and wants to know more.
If you use WordPress, you should definitely consider registering/attending this great event!

Flash Fiction Workshop
2020-03-14 12:30 - 21:00 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
Here’s the schedule, so far!
12:30 PM meeting at FatPipe ABQ to discuss flash fiction Share a list of flash fiction contests or places to use your fiction so you have some ideas as you write. We’ll also talk about how to come up with ideas for your fiction.
walk over to train station downtown
Take Train – write our flash fiction stories
arrive in Santa Fe
at Sky Coffee or O’Hori’s coffee (near the train station) – finish writing, exchange stories/read and review stories
Take a break for dinner – lots of places to choose from
Edit our stories – coffee shop.
Discuss next steps for flash fiction.
You’re on your own time – Take the free shuttle to see the plaza, take an uber to visit Kakawa chocolate house, or check out the many shops and places around the train station.
The next trains back to Albuquerque are:
8:10 PM
10:14 PM (Last Train)
Walking level: Moderate
The price ($40.00) includes:
~Use of FatPipe ABQ in the morning
~Morning coffee
~Morning Snacks
~Train Ticket
~Afternoon train snacks
~Handout to include current journals, contests, and other opportunities to use your flash fiction
~Expertise of your facilitator
Flash fiction is very short fiction that tells a tale in 1,500 or fewer words (sometimes as few as 250 words)!
Your facilitator:
Sonja Dewing, Author is a published author and won third place in the Alibi’s flash fiction story “something” that she wrote while she was on the train. She’s also a certified instructor and has experience encouraging creativity in others.
What participants are saying:
The Flash Fiction writing workshop I attended on October 24th aboard the RailRunner Commuter train between Albuquerque and Santa Fe was a very creative way to force me, as a writer, to focus on creating a complete, short piece of fiction in a little over an hour. Our leader, Sonja Dewing, CEO of Plot Duckies organized the event and offered us some writing prompts before boarding the train. The time on the train passed very quickly as we wrote our stories. Once we arrived in Santa Fe, we stopped for coffee, e-mailed our stories to the other participants, and wrote critiques. We even enjoyed that always-magical first snowfall of the season, though brief. After eating lunch at another restaurant, we shared our critiques. It was a delight to have a dedicated writing time, focus on a story, and have it critiqued. Effective and fun. – Patricia Walkow, Author. Member of Southwest Writers

Flash Fiction Workshop on Rail Runner! Holiday Edition-Saturday
2019-12-14 07:45 - 21:00 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
This is a special version. You don’t have to stay until 9pm – but the idea is to work hard in the morning and then take the evening to enjoy Santa Fe by checking out Canyon Road during their Block Party, maybe check out the Botanical Gardens Glow, etc. This is a lot of walking, so please be ready for lots of steps.
7:45 AM meeting at FatPipe ABQ to discuss flash fiction Share a list of flash fiction contests or places to use your fiction so you have some ideas as you write. We’ll also talk about how to come up with ideas for your fiction.
8:15 AM walk over to train station downtown
8:30 AM Take Train – write our flash fiction stories
9:30 AM arrive in Santa Fe
9:30 AM at Sky Coffee or O’Hori’s coffee (near the train station) – finish writing, exchange stories/read and review stories
11:30 AM Take a break for lunch – lots of places to choose from
1:00 PM Edit our stories – coffee shop.
2:30 PM Discuss next steps for flash fiction.
2:50 PM You’re on your own time – Take the free shuttle to see the plaza, take an uber to visit Kakawa chocolate house, or check out the many shops and places around the train station.
Or come with me and we’ll see some fun places, shops, then head to Canyon Road for beautiful views, art, and more!
The next trains back to Albuquerque are:
3:15 PM
8:10 PM
10:14 PM (Last Train)
Walking level: Moderate
The price ($40.00) includes:
~Use of FatPipe ABQ in the morning
~Morning coffee
~Morning Snacks
~Train Ticket
~Afternoon train snacks
~Handout to include current journals, contests, and other opportunities to use your flash fiction
~Expertise of your facilitator
Flash fiction is very short fiction that tells a tale in 1,500 or fewer words (sometimes as few as 250 words)!
Your facilitator:
Sonja Dewing, Author is a published author and won third place in the Alibi’s flash fiction story “something” that she wrote while she was on the train. She’s also a certified instructor and has experience encouraging creativity in others.
What participants are saying:
The Flash Fiction writing workshop I attended on October 24th aboard the RailRunner Commuter train between Albuquerque and Santa Fe was a very creative way to force me, as a writer, to focus on creating a complete, short piece of fiction in a little over an hour. Our leader, Sonja Dewing, CEO of Plot Duckies organized the event and offered us some writing prompts before boarding the train. The time on the train passed very quickly as we wrote our stories. Once we arrived in Santa Fe, we stopped for coffee, e-mailed our stories to the other participants, and wrote critiques. We even enjoyed that always-magical first snowfall of the season, though brief. After eating lunch at another restaurant, we shared our critiques. It was a delight to have a dedicated writing time, focus on a story, and have it critiqued. Effective and fun. – Patricia Walkow, Author. Member of Southwest Writers

Facebook live - Author Reading and Giveaway
2019-12-12 19:00 - 19:45
I’ll be reading on Facebook live the first chapter of Gamble of the Gods, answer your questions, revealing where my live signing event in Albuquerque will be, and one lucky listener will win a free copy of the book!

You can find the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/506083786674660/

Short Storyathon
2019-10-25 18:30 - 2019-10-27 17:00 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
Go from idea creation (on Friday night) all the way to your published short story on Amazon by Sunday! Start making money from your creative ideas.

Brought to you by Plot Duckies.

The basics:

Friday night 6pm – 9pm

Bring your walking shoes! And be ready for any weather. We’ll start out at FatPipe ABQ, a coworking space. We’ll discuss how to write a short story and how to find ideas for your story (if you don’t have one already). Then, we’ll take a walking tour of downtown to collect those ideas.

Saturday – 8am – 8pm

We’ll start with some writing sprints to get us going. Then take a quick break while we talk about book covers and consider hiring a book cover artist (they run $60 to $250). Then keep writing all morning. After lunch (lunch is on your own, but we have plenty of places nearby) we’ll sit down and review each other’s work, so we can get ideas on what needs to be improved. Then, it’s back to writing.

In the evening, your stories will be sent to our professional editors. They will edit the first three or four pages of stories you started that weekend (this is so everyone gets some professional editing on their story). Also, this is paid as part of your purchase.

Sunday – start at 11am – 5pm

We’ll sleep in a little after all that work. Then it’s back to work. We’ll polish our stories in the morning. Then, I’ll go over how to set up your story on Amazon.

Then, we’ll celebrate with cake!

Limited spaces:

I’m limiting this event to only 25 attendees, so you probably want to buy your ticket now, and before the super early bird prices go up.

Win some Goodies!

The Plotfinder Package!

To celebrate the launch of our new audiobook and accompanying box (to help you write your novel), We’ll be giving a box and audiobook away to one lucky attendee ($60 value)!

Win a story cover!

Everyone who brings a cash and/or book donation for Albuquerque Reads will receive a chance to win a free story cover design ($60 value) by Leslie Reilly. Leslie Reilly is the designer behind all of Sonja Dewing’s book covers!

The Facilitators:

Sonja Dewing is a published author and award-winning creative writer. She has an adventure novel, Toy of the Gods, published by Creativia (available on Amazon), and a couple of self-published short stories on Amazon.

Elisabeth Loya is a published author and member of Querque Quills.

Ready? Buy your tickets and let’s get writing!

Reviews:

“I enjoyed to challenge of creating with a deadline in mind and I deeply appreciated the generous and supportive environment created by the instructor and participants alike.” -Elisabeth Loya

“I participated in Oct 2018 short story-a-thon! It was an awesome supportive experience that got me through the story and the publishing process in a weekend!! I will be doing this again. Thank you!!” -Winter Flack

“I had a terrific time at this workshop. We began Friday with a brief lesson on creative writing, then a walking tour of downtown Albuquerque where we sought inspiration for our writing. Saturday was devoted to creating pieces with the assistance of professional editors. Today was about publishing our stories on Kindle Direct, complete with story cover. It was a marathon session, inspiration to publishing in three days. It certainly spurred me to complete my tales and taught me it is possible to get them out there for others to enjoy.” – Chris Allen

Flash Fiction Workshop on the Rail Runner - Weekday
2019-10-24 08:30 - 17:00 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
Here’s the schedule, so far!

8:30 AM meeting at FatPipe ABQ to discuss flash fiction Share a list of flash fiction contests or places to use your fiction so you have some ideas as you write. We’ll also talk about how to come up with ideas for your fiction.

9:00 AM walk over to train station downtown

9:35 AM Take Train – write our flash fiction stories

11:16 AM arrive in Santa Fe

11:20 AM at Sky Coffee or Coffee shop near the train station – Exchange stories/read and review stories on the patio

12:00 PM Take a break for lunch – lots of places to choose from

1:30 PM Meet again to edit our stories – coffee shop.

3:00 PM Discuss next steps for flash fiction.

3:30 PM You’re on your own time – Take the free shuttle to see the plaza, take an uber to visit Kakawa chocolate house, or check out the many shops and places around the train station.

The next trains back to Albuquerque are:

4:15 PM

5:04 PM

5:30 PM

6:46 PM

9:00 PM (Last Train)

Walking level: Moderate

The price ($40.00) includes:

~Use of FatPipe ABQ in the morning

~Morning coffee

~Morning Snacks

~Train Ticket

~Afternoon train snacks

~Handout to include current journals, contests, and other opportunities to use your flash fiction

~Expertise of your facilitator

Flash fiction is very short fiction that tells a tale in 1,500 or less words (sometimes as few as 250 words)!

Your facilitator:

Sonja Dewing, Author is a published author and won third place in the Alibi’s flash fiction story “something” that she wrote while she was on the train. She’s also a certified instructor and has experience encouraging creativity in others.

Your lunch: We’d rather you have the choice of what to have for your meal instead of digging up a set menu somewhere.

Prep for National Novel Writing Month
2019-10-12 10:00 - 13:00 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
Want to get ready for writing your novel in November with National Novel Writing Month?

We will workshop all the things we need to think about for our novel.

We’ll look at story ideas, building character, building plot, world building, organizing information and scheduling our writing.

This free event is sponsored by Plot Duckies.

Story Writing & Tour with Author
2019-10-06 15:00 - 18:00 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
Bring your notebook, pen, and good walking shoes!

We’ll start out in FatPipe ABQ, a coworking space that was once a historic library for the old Albuquerque High School.

We’ll cover ‘How to Craft a Short Story’, and how to find ideas for your story.

Then, we’ll head into downtown Albuquerque for a walking tour of some of the most interesting places, find ideas for our stories, and explore.

Have received numerous 5 star reviews for this event.

Latest Review:

Dawn · August, 2019

Sonja provided a unique experience and lense through which to see the city of Albuquerque. Her approach provided insight and inspired and encouraged creativity. She offers a great way to explore a new place and ones own creativity at the same time. Sonja’s talent and passion for writing and desire to share it with others created an easy, natural connection. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who even remotely thinks about writing of any kind. ❤

Presales-Gamble of the Gods
2019-09-18 08:00 - 2019-09-30 17:00
Gamble of the Gods is available for presales – get it on sale ($2 off) now before the official launch.

Haven’t read Toy of the Gods? Get it for sale during this presale launch too!

Get $2 off each paperback.
Or, order your ebook copy on Amazon.

All the details are on the website: https://sonjadewing.com//gamble-of-the-gods/

Duke City Roller Derby Bout!
2019-09-17 08:00 - 17:00 | The McDermott Athletic Center, 01 Loma Colorado Dr NE, Rio Rancho, NM, 87124, United States
Duke City Roller Derby is having a special Whip It anniversary game! Doors open at 1:30 PM
No fee for parking! Buy your tickets for only $10 online today. $12 at the door.
Come see:
First game at 2pm: The Hurl Scouts (Dooms Dames) vs the Holy Rollers (HoBots)
Second game: Juniors play – Duke City Marionettes vs the Los Alamos Cherry Bombs
By your tickets online: http://www.dukecityrollerderby.com/buy-tickets/fnsjc0zjtiapjzdn64144spbghvmak
Sign up for chuck a duck and win prizes at half time!

Marketing Panel Discussion
2019-09-14 13:45 - 14:45 | Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest, Albuquerque, NM, 87104
A panel discussion about marketing for authors – Digital, Guerilla, Social media.

Panelists include:

James Rosone, Marc Liebman, Dane Zeller

Moderator:

Sonja Dewing

To attend, purchase your ticket to the joint MWSA-SWW Writers Conference.

Publishing options Panel Discussion (Amazon, Traditional and non-traditional)
2019-09-14 11:15 - 12:00 | Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest, Albuquerque, NM, 87104
A panel discussion about the options available to authors – Amazon, Traditional and non-traditional

Panelists include:

Sonja Dewing, Marc Liebman, Pat Walkow

Moderator:

Chloe Rachel Gallaway

To attend, purchase your ticket to the joint MWSA-SWW Writers Conference.

Small Business Marketing Workshop
2019-07-31 18:00 - 20:30 | Fatpipe ABQ, 200 Broadway Blvd Ne, Albuquerque, 87102, United States
A lot of people have asked me to host an evening workshop, so here you go! This workshop will be over the course of three Wednesdays.

Wednesdays (3)
July 31-August 14
6 PM – 8:30 PM

Get detailed actionable steps to increase sales, connections, and your audience through your website and social media from this Small Business Marketing Workshop.

$75 to buy now, or subscribe to pay $25 a week for 3 weeks. Both options are at the bottom of the page.

Registration closes on July 29, or once we have 12 participants. Which won’t take long!

The workshop:

Each participant will have your existing accounts (website and social media) reviewed during class and you’ll receive actionable items to update as well as details on how to make your outreach work better. You’ll learn from the direct review as well as information and reviews of the other participants.

You’ll walk away with step-by-step details on:

Making your website easier for users
How to use your social media posts more effectively
How to grow your audience
What to post when on what social media channels
Dos and Don’ts
What the right platforms are for your business
Getting email marketing right

Event is being held in FatPipe ABQ – a coworking space in the historic library of the old Albuquerque High School.

Who should attend:

Who is this for? Small businesses only! This isn’t for someone who works for a large company. If you run your own website and/or social or you have a small team for your business, this is for you.

Minimum and Maximum attendance:

Minimum 5

To put this class on, it will need a minimum of 5 participants, so if you know someone who needs this please share it with them. If 5 participants don’t sign up by July 28, all those who signed up will receive a full refund.

Maximum 12!

I can’t take any more than 12 participants since this is a very focused and hands-on workshop. If you want in, sign up soon.

Payment Options

The class is $75 per person. You can pay the full amount now, or you can pay $25 a week for 3 weeks. Both options are at the bottom of the page.

Your Facilitator:

I’m a social media influencer, a professional instructor, and I teach at the University of New Mexico’s Continuing Education Department. I know how to focus content and I know how to help you grow your audience.

I’ve used my expertise on panels, and workshops to help participants get the most out of their marketing strategies.

Learn how to put your online presence to work for you without being a reptile:

Social media is about making a connection and being authentic to your brand. It’s a way that customers can engage with what you and your business is doing. It’s also not about being a predator or a reptile.

However, if you aren’t keeping up with your posts and connecting with your customers, you may be doing more harm than good. Don’t let your company develop a bad reputation.

Register today and I’ll see you on July 31.

What people say about my training:

“Marketing is something I’ve learned a lot about over the years. In the process of learning about it, I’ve learned that it demands the kinds of skills that are really hard to come by if you haven’t internalized them. Sonja has the skills.

But more than that, she has patience, a dry sense of humor, and more generous bones than I’ve got. In each of our meetings thus far I’ve learned something that made me say “it’s that easy? Really?” I’ve learned social media skills that I use every day now—little tips and tricks, it’s true—that also came along with some magic: internalizing the Heart/Mind of this thing called Marketing. Thanks, Sonja!” – Andrew Fearnside

Full Class Payment $75

OR
Three-week payments of $25

Using Instagram to Grow Your Fanbase
2019-07-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Westgate, Las Vegas, Nevada
This event is happening at RollerCon – a conference for roller derby.

The great news is that being a roller derby league you should have plenty of great photos for Instagram. I’ll show you how to use that and other useful content and we’ll talk about the all-important hashtags.

Author of Pain is a freelance writer, published author, and loves social media. She’ll get you to that next level of social media knowledge and help you make your goals for your league.

Twitter for Media Attention
2019-07-19 11:00 - 12:00 | Westgate, Las Vegas, Nevada
This event is happening at RollerCon – a conference for roller derby.

Press releases are almost a thing of the past. Instead, use Twitter to connect and gain media attention. Come find out how!

Author of Pain is a freelance writer, published author, and loves social media. She’ll get you to that next level of social media knowledge and help you make your goals for your league.

See you at RollerCon!
