Central Oregon Writers Guild

10/20/2026

This Poem Came to Me: Cultivating Inspiration from Everyday Moments
with poet Francine Rockey

Saturday, October 24, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Redmond Library, Community Room 2
827 SW Deschutes Ave, Redmond

Do you wait for inspiration to strike? In this workshop you’ll learn that you don’t have to. Francine will guide you through poems and short readings on where ideas come from, and you’ll pull practical strategies from them for your daily writing. Then you’ll try a range of prompts, share what you wrote if you like, and leave with plenty of new ideas.

Francine Rockey is the author of To Find Treasure in the Mountains (Yosemite Conservancy, 2022). She holds an MFA in poetry and a certificate in children’s literature from San Diego State University, and her poems have appeared in several literary journals and the San Diego Poetry Annual. She lives in Bend.

This is part of the library’s Write Here series for adults. Space is limited and registration is required, so save your seat soon:

https://dpl.libnet.info/event/17281761
Hope to see you there!

10/18/2026

One Author’s Journey to Publication with Kathryn Mattingly
Wednesday, October 21, 12:00 to 1:00 pm
The Hub, by Citizens4Community, 291 E Main Ave, Sisters

Kathryn is a college educator, professional editor and award-winning author. Her debut novel, Benjamin, was a New Century Quarterly Publisher’s Finalist, and her fifth and sixth novels each won two awards for outstanding fiction in their category. Her stories also appear in twelve theme anthologies from various small presses.

If you’re writing a book or thinking about it, this is a good chance to hear how one author found her way from first draft to published work.
This talk is part of the COCC Community Education Fall Lunch n’ Learn Series. Bring your lunch and your questions. One registration covers every session from September through November.

Reserve your spot here: https://cocc.edu/departments/community-ed/sisters-lunch-and-learn

Sold a lot of books at the Sisters Festival! ♥️📚

10/09/2026

🎤 Raging Writers / Spoken Words Open Mic

Words are meant to be heard. Raging Writers hosts its monthly spoken word open mic at Spork on the second Sunday of the month.
Come to read your work out loud, or come to listen and cheer on other local voices.

Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 2:00–4:00 PM
Spork, Bend
More information at ragingwriters.com

10/08/2026

✨ COWG Monthly Meeting: From Writer to Author

You typed "The End." Now what? Book designer and self-publishing coach Lieve Maas gives a sneak peek at what it takes to publish your book.
Learn how a manuscript becomes a real book, what self-publishing involves, and how to start sharing your work with readers. A short interactive exercise will help you get clear on your own next steps.

Find the Zoom link at centraloregonwritersguild.com. We would love to see you there.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | 5:30–7:00 PM
Central Library, Community Room 1, 61956 SE Santorini St, Bend
Free and open to the public | In person or on Zoom

10/07/2026

📖 Author Claudia Hinz in Conversation with Irene Cooper
Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 6:30–7:30 PM

Bend author Claudia Hinz talks about her debut novel, Safekeeping, with local writer Irene Cooper.

Roundabout Books & Cafe, 900 NW Mt. Washington Dr. #110, Bend
$5 general admission or book purchase
Tickets at roundaboutbookshop.com

10/05/2026

⏸️ The Pause Button: Monthly Poetry Gathering

Take an hour to pause for poetry. Gather around the big table at Paulina Springs Books with other poets and poetry lovers.
Bring a poem or two to share, your own or one by a poet you admire. There will be listening, conversation, and a short writing prompt.
Details at paulinaspringsbooks.com/events

Monday, October 5, 2026 | 5:30–6:30 PM
Paulina Springs Books, 252 W Hood Ave, Sisters
Free, no sign-up needed

10/05/2026

📝 Word for Word Writing Workshop
Monday, October 5, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Tonight's the night. Bring a pen and paper, or a laptop, and join other local writers for low-pressure writing exercises and friendly critique.
All skill levels are welcome. You can also bring 1 to 3 pages of your own work if you would like another set of eyes on it.

Cafe des Chutes, 50 SE Scott St #22, Bend
$5 at the door (cash or Venmo)

Sign up through the link on our events page: centraloregonwritersguild.com

10/02/2026

Introduction to Revision with Grace Bialecki

📅 Friday, October 2
🕐 12:00 to 2:00 PM
💻 Online only via Zoom

You've written a first draft. What happens next?
This class takes the mystery out of revision and gives you a practical framework for approaching it step by step. You will learn the differences between developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading, and practice reading with an editor's eye, from early shaping to final polish. You will leave knowing what your work needs at each stage, with a structured approach you can use on your own writing.

This workshop is part of the Deschutes Public Library's Write Here series. There is still time to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ax-nd3ruTXKVwHdiGNUscw

Questions? Contact [email protected]

09/25/2026

October is a great month to be a writer in Central Oregon. We have author events, spoken word nights, writing workshops, and two COWG events this month that we are especially excited about.

Swipe through the carousel for the full calendar. For details and registration links, head to www.CentralOregonWritersGuild.com

We hope to see you at one or more of these. October is too good to sit out.
🍂🍄🥮

09/13/2026

😄

Do you like your books to speak?