Texas High Plains Writers

New Publishing Opportunity! 

Through Karen Benckenstein’s contacts on the Arts Council, we have been made aware of a unique opportunity. This year celebrates the 100th anniversary of Route 66. There will be a major celebration in June commemorating the milestone on 6th Street. The Board would like to put together a special edition mini-anthology of short stories that mention, feature, take place on, or describe anything to do with Route 66. Use your imagination! Mystery, murder, thriller, romance, comedy, memoir…just get it written and in to the website by May 1st so we can get it published and ready to go for the big celebration. There will be a $10 fee to help defray expenses, which is separate from our big anthology due out later this year.

We will follow the same rules and guidelines as our regular Anthology, just submit with the Subject Line: Route 66.

Don’t miss this opportunity to feature your work and help Amarillo celebrate the Centennial of Route 66.

Let’s all “Get our kicks on Route 66”!

Our next program is on January 17th, and it will be great. We’ll meet back at the Edward Davis Room on the 9th floor of the First Bank Southwest building to hear KJ Waters and Lauren Cassel Brownell offer a program on Second Draft Magic.

Your first draft is simply getting the story down on the page.

Your third draft is for line edits, polishing, and tightening.

But the second draft?
That’s where the magic happens.

In this interactive workshop, KJ Waters and Lauren Cassel Brownell will explore how to get out of your own way, trust your inner voice, and create real magic as you write. 

KJ Waters is the bestselling author of the Stealing Time series & owner of KJ Waters Consultancy. 

Lauren Cassel Brownell crafts both fiction and non-fiction and specializes in using writing as a tool for becoming happier and healthier.

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Reminder: January is the perfect time to pay your THPW dues. Only $40 will get you lots of great programs about writing, discounted book booth opportunities, anthology publishing opportunities, and more. Please attend and become an active member of Texas High Plains Writers.

Please join us at the Readiculous Book Fair to meet other area writers, sell your books, and sell THPW Anthologies. We’ll have a triple booth for THPW, and we’ll need several volunteers to help!

Paid members are invited to sell their own books (with their own POS equipment) for a suggested $20 donation per author. This will help us pay for our booth and other expenses.

Contact Kim Black through the THPW Facebook Page to sign up to help and/or sell books.

AFTER the Book Fair, we’ll all meet for dinner for our Annual November Social. We’ll meet at X- Steakhouse (in Towns Square) at 5 PM, and each person will pay for their own meal.

Join us for the New Frontiers in Writing Conference, September 26 through September 28, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Downtown in Amarillo, Texas.

There will be no other September Program for our organization.

Sensory Detail: Charging Your Prose Using the Five Senses

Invite your readers into your narrative through shared sensory experience to create a vivid setting they can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. Learn appropriate application of the senses, what role they play in supporting a scene, and how seamless integration of all five deepens your story.

S.G. Baker is a writer and editor of fiction who penned the Hopeful Wanderer web series, forthcoming as a novel-in-stories. She has authored climate fiction, fantasy, and horror shorts in Freelancer, The Legacy, Little Blue Marble: Warmer Worlds, With Words We Weave: Hope, and Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers, Vol. 2. Her newest short story, “Well Being,” will be released in Beneath the Bluebonnets: Tales of Terror by Texas Women in 2026. Find out more at summergbaker.com!

NOTE: We will take 10-15 minutes from our schedule for our 2025 Anthology authors to sign the new copies for our members. Please bring your copies or purchase an anthology that day.

Lauren Cassel Brownell is an award-winning author and playwright based in Lubbock, Texas. She is best known as the author of the self-help book Zen and the Art of Housekeeping and the cozy mystery Dying to Donate, the first book in her “Murder U Mystery” series. In addition to her books, Lauren has also written two produced plays, Leave It to Me and Swimming the Witch, as well as articles and essays for publications around the world. 

Her latest passion project is a course and accompanying workbook titled Happier, Healthier Aging Through Writing. It focuses on the mental and physical health benefits of writing for mature adults and provides a path for developing your own writing journey.  Lauren is a dynamic, engaging speaker who brings topics to life through storytelling, humor, and creativity. When not writing, Lauren serves as the marketing director of the College of Education at Texas Tech University. She lives in Lubbock with her family. 

Lauren will present a variation of her “Happier, Healthier Aging Through Writing” program.

Have you ever taken a moment to consider how you and your writing can evolve as you age? In this unique, research-informed presentation for experienced writers, we’ll explore how writing can be a powerful companion in the aging process: increasing resilience, reducing stress, improving cognitive function, and connecting you to community and purpose. 

 🧠 Learn the science behind the importance of creativity and aging—and how writing strengthens the brain
🔥 Rekindle creative fire by reframing your current practice
🔍 Consider your life, legacy, and purpose
📚 Reconnect with the why behind your writing  

Jody Holland will speak to us regarding speaking opportunities as a writer today.

Jody is a graduate of Angelo State University with a B.A. in Communications and M.S. in Applied
Psychology. He has received specialized certifications in Team building, Leadership,
Management, Fundraising, Personality Assessment, Physiognomy (Face Reading) and Conflict
Management. He has worked with companies from Fortune 50 to small organizations. He
measures the success of his programs by increasing performance for his clients’ companies and
decreasing turnover.
Jody has worked in 14 countries to develop leadership, interpersonal skills, sales success,
service excellence, and the right attitudes. Jody is the author of 23 books, eight on Audible, and more
than 30 training programs. He is a master trainer in Team-Building, Leadership Development,
Entrepreneurship and Behavioral Sciences. He has delivered the keynote speech for more than 300
conferences, conducted hundreds of break-out sessions, and trained more than 200,000 leaders from all industries.
Jody has a unique style of bringing both education and entertainment to his lessons while
inspiring others to see their own potential.

Our meeting will be on the 9th floor in the Edward Davis Room at the First Bank Southwest Building. Parking is available in the lot at 6th and Harrison. Registration will start at 9:30 am, the brief business meeting will begin at 10:00 am, and the program will follow.

What is Flash Fiction? What purposes does it serve? How do I write Flash Fiction? Why do I want to?

Flash Fiction can be a fantastic way to get your creative juices flowing and to practice writing tight stories with high impact and low word counts.

We will all engage in a short Flash Fiction exercise, so come prepared to write and share. The skills developed in writing Flash Fiction are priceless and can help every writer, from beginner to pro.

Bring a friend, and we’ll start the year off write right!

We’ll be in the Edward Davis Room of the First Bank Southwest Building, 600 S. Tyler, at 10:00 am (9:30 am registration). Kim Black will facilitate the program.

This month, Texas High Plains Writers will enjoy a social gathering where we can connect with our fellow writers, hear a summary of the year to date, and learn what 2025 will bring to Texas High Plains Writers. We will also install our 2025 Board of Directors.

We’ll meet at the X- Steakhouse, in the Party Room, at 9181 Town Square Boulevard, Ste. 1311. Our meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 1 p.m.

Lunch is included in the social at no extra cost. The menu for our group includes a 6 oz. Top Sirloin, Grilled Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, or Chicken Strips. Each meal comes with a side of your choice. Sides include Baked Potato, Potato Casserole, Mixed Vegetables, Cream Corn, Cream Spinach, Mac & Cheese, Rice, or Fries.

We will also have board games available, a fun group game, and we will select the theme for our next anthology. Plus, LOTS more exciting news for the year to come.

Please join us for our social and take the opportunity to pay your 2025 dues. We hope to see you there.