California Writers Club

San Fernando Valley (Hybrid): Writing for Video Games and New Technologies
2023-06-03 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver) | MPFT Saban Center, Woodland Hills, CA, United States
June 3rd

Ross Berger

Writing for Video Games and New Technologies

Ross Berger
Picture courtesy of Yfat Yossifor

The San Fernando Valley Branch of the California Writers Club is pleased to welcome author and screenwriter Ross Berger as the keynote speaker on Saturday, June 3rd at 1:00 pm for our first HYBRID meeting (in-person and Zoom), with a presentation titled “Writing for Video Games and New Technologies.”

These days there are many writing revenue streams but how do you find your way into a market that you know little or nothing about? Next month, expert Ross Berger will be with us to discuss just how to get started in some of these new and exciting platforms.

Video games are a massive industry that offer countless ways to have fun. Creating the stories for video games, however, is no small task. It requires some common denominators from other media (like TV and film), but there are other skills — and other ways of looking at story — that are native to the industry itself. This talk will dive into the basics of writing for games and show how this medium differs from others and why it is a force to be reckoned with.

Ross Berger is a writer, narrative designer, and adjunct professor based in Los Angeles. He is the author of Dramatic Storytelling & Narrative Design: A Writer’s Guide to Video Games & Transmedia (CRC Press, 2020), a “how to” for fledgling game writers and screenwriters, and is the editor/contributor of Storytelling for New Technologies & Platforms: A Writer’s Guide to Theme Parks, Virtual Reality, Board Games, Virtual Assistants, and More (CRC Press, 2022).
His screenwriting credits include: Law & Order and the Webby-Award winning LonelyGirl15. He also served as the supervising producer for the social media/television gaming experience The Runner. Ross has also worked extensively in virtual reality as a writer for the Oculus Rift launch title Farlands and the award-winning thriller Eclipse: Edge of Light for the Google Daydream, Oculus Go, and Nintendo Switch. As a senior/lead narrative designer in the video game industry, he has written AAA games for EA Sports (NBA Live franchise) and XBox, where he served as the co-showrunner for an interactive TV/video game prototype that set the foundation for Quantum Break.
Ross is also the author of short stories including “Football with Leatherman” (2020) and “Evie A.I.” (2021), both published by TulipTree Publishing. A graduate of Brandeis (BA, Philosophy) and Columbia (MFA, Playwriting) universities, Ross is a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Television Academy and is currently an adjunct assistant professor at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he teaches a course on game writing.

This lecture promises to be fun and informative, looking at story writing in a new way, plus refreshments will be served! Hope to see you there, IN PERSON!

This meeting will be HYBRID (IN-PERSON and ZOOM) at the MPTF Saban Center for Health and Wellness in Woodland Hills and is free to CWC members and MPTF residents. All members of the CWC-SFV will receive a Zoom invitation to register for this presentation if they would prefer to attend online.

Members of other CWC branches and MPTF residents attending via Zoom should contact Zoom host, Anat Wenick, by noon on June 2nd at SFV.CWC@gmail.com for an invitation to register.

Guests attending the meeting may pay $10 at the door or, if joining by Zoom, may purchase admission at www.cwc-sfv.org by noon on June 2nd. After purchasing admission, guests will receive a Zoom invitation. We regret we cannot accommodate late Zoom requests.

Guest Payment Via Zelle: sfv.cwc@gmail.com

Coastal Dunes (Hybrid): ChatGPT, the Author?
2023-06-03 10:30 - 12:30 | Nipomo Library, 918 West Tefft Street,, Nipomo, CA, United States
Our next meeting is Saturday, June 3, 2023, in person at the Nipomo Library and via Zoom, from
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
June Presenter – Brian Schwartz
Topic – ChatGPT, the Author?
How AI (Artificial Intelligence) is Transforming the Publishing Industry and What it Means to Authors
Brian Schwartz is the director of the 2023 Central Coast Writers’ Conference being held at Cuesta College on 10/14/23.
Having just returned from the San Francisco Writers’ Conference, where ChatGPT was the dominant topic in the hallways (as well as one very popular panel), Brian will give us a recap of what he learned as well as how other authors are using this ‘scary yet amazing’ technology.
Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI), the next big disruptive technology, is already here. With the fastest-growing signup in history, ChatGPT is putting this tool into the hands of millions. Few professions will be more impacted than writers.
Many who are already embracing ChatGPT are in the business of content creation: writers, ghostwriters, copywriters, technical writers, illustrators, narrators, translators, marketers, and editors.
AI is allowing freelance writers to cut their research time in half. AI can create reviews, change a character’s point-of-view, generate product descriptions, translate accurately, narrate, and identify similar work. The possibilities are limitless, and some are predicting ChatGPT will overcome Google as the #1 search engine very soon.
Will AI create better content than humans? Will the day come when the bestseller lists are dominated by books generated largely by AI? Are listeners ready for AI-generated songs and AI-spoke books?
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on ChatGPT and all the iterations of ‘AI-generated content.
Our in-person monthly meetings are open to the public and held at the:
Nipomo Library, Community Room, 918 West Tefft Street, Nipomo, CA
Directions: From 101 northbound or southbound, take the Tefft Street exit.
Proceed west for .9 miles. At Orchard, turn right into the library parking lot.
Date/times: Saturday mornings (the first Saturday of each month unless a holiday weekend)
10:00 AM- 10:30 Check-in and Networking
10:30-10:45 CWC Announcements
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM: Featured Presentation
12:15 – 12:45: Q&A, Book Signing if applicable
Refreshments are provided; admission is free.

Orange Co (In-Person): Applying Trader Joe’s Tactics to the Business of Writing
2023-06-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Anaheim Packing House, 440 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA, 92805, United States
June 03, 2023

9:00am – 9:30am Networking
9:30am – 11:00am Guest Speaker

Speaker
Patty Civalleri

Topic
“Applying Trader Joe’s Tactics to the Business of Writing”

Writer Patty Civalleri was selected and hired to tell the story of how Trader Joe’s became one of the greatest successes in independent grocer history. Founder Joe Coulombe developed innovative strategies to stand out from the competition. Following these techniques, Patty has grown her writing career.

■ Build an iconic experience that your readers love
■ Create a work environment that you love being a part of
■ Infuse your writing with a distinct personality
■ Create a culture that draws customers in a way other writers do not

For 16 years, Patty served on the Director’s Council of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA. During those years, she traveled with scientists to research lost and ancient cultures. This experience made her an expert traveler that wanted to know more. A marketing writer and photographer by trade, Patty took her love of history, archaeology and travel and mushed them together with her natural inclination for writing and photography. The result is a new line of travel books and tools that incorporates today’s way of thinking mindfully while going deeper than ever before. – from pattycivalleri.com
Please join us for this as she shares these secrets and more. To learn more about the author, visit https://pattycivalleri.com

East Sierra (In-Person): Double the Talent, Double Exposures
2023-06-01 18:30 - 20:30 | Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores, Ridgecrest, CA, United States
DOUBLE THE TALENT, DOUBLE EXPOSURES JUNE 1
Ridge Writers president Daniel Stallings will interview Mark Pahuta and Liz Babcock about High Desert Double Exposure: A Photographic Retrospective of Ridgecrest and Its Neighbors for our Thursday, June 1, general meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Public welcome. No charge for admission. Published in 2020, Double Exposures quickly sold out two printings.
Born in Los Angeles, Mark Pahuta received a B.A. in History at Humboldt State University and an M.F.A. in Cinema at the University of Southern California. A filmmaker and still photographer, he came here in 1976 and had a career of more than 40 years at the Film Branch and the Video Branch of the Technical Information Department and has many of his photographs in the permanent collections of the Maturango Museum. The museum has also published his audiovisual productions, “Between Two Worlds: Rock Art of the Cosos” and “Indian Wells Valley: Somewhere on the Edge of Nowhere,” and he has created numerous video productions for other organizations, including the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce.
Michigan native Elizabeth Babcock received her B.A. in English Literature from Kalamazoo College and her Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, Bakersfield. The mother of two children, she spent her China Lake career as a writer and manager and has authored Magnificent Mavericks, Volume 3 of the China Lake history series; The Historic USO: 70 Years at the Heart of Ridgecrest; and several other works on local people and history. After her retirement from the base, she transitioned to history curator at the Maturango Museum, writer for the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce, and writer-copyeditor for the News Review newspaper.
Expect an informative and eye-opening June 1 program and bring your friends!

Fremont (Zoom): Cases in Copyright Law
2023-05-27 14:00 - 16:00

Inland Empire (In-Person): Researching for Plot Development and Historical Setting
2023-05-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Ovitt Family Community Library, 215 E. C Street, Ontario, CA, 91764, United States
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Jan Herrman – The Last Cowboy
Jan Herrman will share his interest in the characters, places and events of what we think of as the Old West. He will to do so by reading some excerpts from The Last Cowboy and explaining the research that led to the plot development and historical settings of the American frontier. The novel spans the period from 1860 to 1912. It tells the story of a reluctant hero who somehow manages to survive the Civil War, Texas-sized desperados, and the great San Francisco Earthquake, only to face one last perilous adventure to rescue a friend…in Morocco. He admits to developing an extraordinary affection for the main characters, especially Hank and Beth, and had many conversations with them as he wrote the book. And, no, he does not believe this was a form of schizophrenia. He does, however, want to discuss the creative process with the authors in the audience and make the presentation as interactive as possible.
Jan Herrman is a retired physician with a keen interest in the myths of the Old West. In fact, he has been moving steadily west, having been born and raised in New Jersey. He attended Hamilton College in upstate New York and graduated in 1974 with a degree in English. From there he wandered a bit, spent time in Spain and eventually wound up in medical school at LSU in Shreveport, Lousiana. From there he moved on to the University of Texas at Houston for training in internal medicine and where he met his wife, Marta. She was a medical student from Brazil at the time and was doing research at MD Anderson Hospital.(She is now a practicing pediatrician.) The next move west was to Stanford for fellowship training in nephrology. From there he joined Kaiser in Fontana and, except for a several year hiatus on faculty at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, remained there for over 30 years, until retirement in 2020. He played many roles during that career besides seeing patients, including serving on the SCPMG Board of Directors, chief of nephrology and medical director of a dialysis unit. He and his wife have three children, all married (or one nearly so) and all embarked on successful careers of their own.
Jan’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082994097518

Marin (Zoom): How to Sell More Books: Laying the Foundation for Bigger Book Sales
2023-05-23 18:00 - 19:30

Mendocino (In-Person): SmatchUp
2023-05-21 14:30 - 15:30 | Community Center of Mendocino, 998 School Street, Mendocino, CA, United States
Sunday, May 21, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
SmatchUp
New Meeting Location: the Community Center of Mendocino, 998 School Street, Mendocino.
If you cannot be with us in person, try joining us at live streaming our meeting on Facebook.To watch the meeting on Facebook Live, please join WMC’s new Facebook Account–also titled Writers of the Mendocino Coast. If the old account comes up first (no activity since 2020), scroll down until you find the WMC account with art from this year’s anthology cover.
Under the theme of “About the Man Next Door,” one writer starts a story or poem and another finishes, with creative (and sometimes hilarious) results. Authors are paired anonymously, not to be revealed until this meeting. Let the fun begin!

Berkeley (Zoom): Building Your Author Platform
2023-05-21 13:00 - 15:00
“Building Your Author Platform” with Jay Hartlove on May 21st, 2023

You’ve written and published your book. Congratulations! What tools should you use to not only reach your audience, but build a loyal fan base that can translate your efforts into SALES? Come discuss the important business practices of advertising, web sites, email newsletters, social media, and making appearances with genre writer Jay Hartlove.
About Jay Hartlove
Jay Hartlove is the multiple award-winning author of the supernatural thriller Goddess Rising Trilogy, about which horror master John Shirley said, “I recommend you buy this crazy novel.” Jay also wrote the fantasy romance Mermaid Steel, which Kirkus Reviews called, “A thoughtful erotic fantasy that asks us to see the best in each other.” His latest novel is The Insane God, which David Brin endorsed, and Kirkus called, “Nightmare on Elm Street meets The Stand.” Jay also wrote, produced, and directed The Mirror’s Revenge, a musical sequel to Snow White, which had its theatrical run in the San Francisco Bay area in 2018 to rave reviews. He loves to take stories where the reader does not expect, with sympathetic villains, heroes with very dark pasts, and moral dilemmas for readers to ponder. He often turns victims into heroes. He was selected one of the 50 Authors You Should Be Reading by The Authors Show.

Website: jaywrites.com
Social Media: Facebook

Get Tickets Now

Event Schedule
$5 for members, $10 for guests, free tickets available*
Community
12:00 Club leaders check-in
12:30 Welcome and networking with members & guests
Program
1:00 p.m. Club Announcements & Annual Officer Elections
1:45 p.m. Featured Speaker: Jay Hartlove
2:30 p.m. Conversation
3:00 p.m. Author Support Group more info here.
See meetings for more info.

Tess Caldwell

Tess Caldwell is an ambitious, dedicated and enthusiastic undergraduate Media and Screen Studies student at Northeastern University. She also serves as the Web Editor for the Berkeley Branch of the California Writers Club.

Register on EventBrite

Writers of Kern (In-Person): May Honors Dinner
2023-05-20 17:30 - 20:00 | Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA, 93308, United States
May Honors Dinner – Members and Guests Only
It’s time to ramp up for our May Honors Dinner. Unlike our “teaching” meetings, this meeting is a dinner, a social opportunity, and a time to honor those who have met certain goals.
Peggy Connelly Scholarship Presentation
Robert C. Hargreaves Achievement Award
Writers of Kern Active Member Pinning
If you have been traditionally published (or become so before the meeting) you will be honored with the Robert Hargreaves award. You will receive a plaque to take home and your name will also be added to the perpetual plaque with all former recipients. Please let us know asap if you have qualified for that honor.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to Sandy Moffett at president@writersofkern.com or sm@sandymoffett.com for more information.
There will be opportunity bags/baskets and time to share your latest writing (five minutes each). There may be games…and there will be a writing prompt if you would like to participate.
We look forward to seeing all of our members and their special guests.
Saturday May 20, 2023
Members $20 and Guests $20
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m.
Hodel’s Country Dining
5917 Knudsen Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93308
(From Hwy. 99, exit Olive Dr. West. Turn right at Knudsen Dr.)
Reserve Your Seat Now!

Tri-Valley (In-Person): Published! Tips and Tricks from an Indie Editor
2023-05-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Las Positas College, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore, CA, United States
AM Larks, Author and Editor, May 20, 2023
March 21, 2023

AM Larks will present “Published! Tips and Tricks from an Indie Editor” at the Tri-Valley Writers May 20, 2023 meeting. Larks will cover tips and tricks on submitting to and publishing in blogs, journals, agents, and publishers. This lecture will include an overview of the publication processes as well as behind the scene looks at publishers and how and why that affects the submission process. Whether you are just starting or figuring out where to go next, this lecture will have something for you.

Read More »

Join us on the third Saturday of the month at 2:00 p.m. at Tri-Valley Writers’ newmeeting location: Las Positas College, in Room 2470. (Directions: From Campus Hill Dr. in Livermore, park in Lot E and enter Building 2400) Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. There is a two-step RSVP & Payment process:

Email RSVP is REQUIRED at treasurer@trivalleywriters.org by the Thursday before the meeting
Payment is REQUIRED (details appear when you click button, below)

Register Here

Attendance Fees
CWC adult members, $10; nonmembers, $12. CWC student members (ages 14-22), $5; student nonmembers, $8
Consent to be recorded
By registering for this meeting, you acknowledge that the meeting may be recorded. Your consent to be recorded is implied in your registration. See meeting information for full details.

Sacramento (In-Person): Beginning Again: Putting Fun Back Into Writing
2023-05-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Arden-Dimick Library, 891 Watt Ave, Sacramento, CA, United States
Monthly Meeting, May 20 – Beginning Again: Putting Fun Back Into Writing

Saturday, May 20 2023
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Arden-Dimick Library
891 Watt Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95864
Free Meeting – Open to the Public
Zoom link
Come see your fellow writers! Hear what everyone’s working on! Find new friends who share your genre!

Kirsten Casey
with
Kirsten Casey
Author
Beginning Again: Putting Fun Back Into Writing.
Nevada County Poet Laureate, Kirsten Casey, wants you to enjoy the process of writing, even if you feel undisciplined and blocked. Her approach to writing will entertain you and inspire you. Remember why you started to write and come to renew that sense of inspiration.
I will boost your creativity, through a glimpse into the ways I find inspiration, and I will provide prompts to renew your curiosity and love for writing.
You will learn where to look for inspiration when you don’t feel inspired.

the internet is your friend, the internet is your enemy.
accountability in writing, what does that mean to you?
fun prompts that are useful in any genre of writing.
encouragement without judgment, learning to accept your own approach.

Kirsten Casey is the current Nevada County poet laureate, and an active California Poet in the Schools. As laureate, she is writing poems celebrating local historical places, people, and events. She is also holding community workshops to promote poetry and to make the process of its creation more accessible. Her second book of poetry (with the working title Instantaneous Obsolescence) explores historical and literary characters struggling with social media. Kirsten Casey.

Redwood (In-Person): Q&A on book writing, author platform, location independence, and more
2023-05-20 13:00 - 14:30 | Finley Communiy Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa, CA, United States
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Fireside Chat with Stacy Ennis: Q&A on book writing, author platform, location independence, and more

Join this Q&A with best-selling author, coach, and speaker Stacy Ennis. Throughout more than 13 years in publishing, Stacy’s coaching, trainings, and content has helped hundreds of authors uncover their unique story, stand out in a crowd, and make an impact. She’s also a location independent entrepreneur living in her fourth country outside of the U.S. Come with your questions on book writing, building a powerful author platform, running a mid-six figure location independent business, and more.
Stacy Ennis is a best-selling author, coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Along with being the founder of Nonfiction Book School, an accelerated author program, her background includes ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner in medicine and leading as executive editor of Sam’s Club’s Healthy Living Made Simple, a publication that reached around 11 million readers. Her best-selling book, cowritten with Ron Price, is Growing Influence: A Story of How to Lead with Character, Expertise, and Impact. She’s also the host of Beyond Better, a podcast that explores how to create a business and life you love. Learn more at www.stacyennis.com.

Meeting Agenda and Logistics
Cypress Room, Finley Center

Meeting starts at 1 p.m.
Speaker presentation
Board and Chair announcements
Member announcements
Adjourn at 2:30 p.m.

This is an in-person meeting. The meeting will be recorded and made available to registrants.
Admission: $5 CWC members, $10 non-members

REGISTRATION OPENING SOON

SF Peninsula (In-Person): Descriptively Yours!
2023-05-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct., Redwood City, CA, United States
Join us in person at the
Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct.,
Redwood City, CA 94063
Please bring a mask.

Descriptively Yours!
Writing with full and fluid descriptions takes a bit of practice, and it helps to have a few helpful hints along the way.
Come learn productive ways to paint words into your latest novel, poem, or memoir as you practice your own “art of description.”
Carole Bumpus is author of the historical novel, A Cup of Redemption, and the companion cookbook, Recipes for Redemption. She is also author of the Savoring the Olde Ways series of culinary/travel memoirs. Current books in this series are Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table (Books One and Two), and A September to Remember: Searching for Culinary Pleasures at the Italian Table. Carole is working on the next book in the series, based on her travels through Provençe.

10:00 am – Club business
and mingle with fellow writers
11:00 am — Speaker

Register to Attend

Central Coast (In-Person): Advanced Internet Research for Writers: Skills All Writers Should Know
2023-05-16 17:30 - 19:30 | Center for Spiritual Awareness, 522 Central Ave., Pacific Grove
May 16, 2023
Geri Spieler
Advanced Internet Research for Writers: Skills All Writers Should Know
How do you start your research process? What words do you use to find information? Do you know how to gauge when a website is genuine? In this presentation, you will learn the main topics of “Online Research Methods,” which include several methodologies to equip you with the skills and tools to find accurate information and discern whether it is reliable.
Geri Spieler is the author of Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford, an investigative true crime book about Sara Jane Moore, the only woman to attempt an assassination of a US president. She also co-authored the book San Francisco Values: Common Ground for Getting America Back on Track. She is president of the San Francisco Peninsula branch of the California Writers Club and has written for the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes. She has also served as research director for Gartner, a global technology advising company and been a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and Truthdig.com, an award-winning investigative reporting website.

North State (In-Person): Rykin Cord
2023-05-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Chico Veteran’s Hall, 54 Rio Lindo Ave., Chico, CA, United States
Rykin Cord will be the speaker on May 15, 2023, at the North State Writers General meeting. Meetings are held the third Monday of each month from 6-8pm at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Chico.

Long Beach (In-Person): 7 Steps to Your Author Brand
2023-05-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Los Altos United Methodist Church, 5950 E. Willow St., Long Beach, CA, United States
Greta Boris and Megan Haskell

Writing Workshop:
“7 Steps to Your Author Brand”

San Joaquin(Zoom): When Plots Collide. Create Suspenseful Page-Turners by Weaving Multiple Storylines
2023-05-13 12:00 - 14:00
John Byrne Barry, Author. “When Plots Collide. Create Suspenseful Page-Turners by Weaving Multiple Storylines.” https://johnbyrnebarry.com

May 13 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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DETAILS

Date:
May 13
Time:

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

ORGANIZER

San Joaquin Valley Writers
Email:
Sjvalletwriters@gmail.com
View Organizer Website

VENUE

Zoom event

Mt. Diablo (In-Person): Research For Writers – Internet Skills All Writers Should Know
2023-05-13 10:30 - 14:00 | Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Ln, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States
Research For Writers – Internet Skills All Writers Should Know

Geri Spieler has written about the only woman who shot at a sitting U.S. President. Using her high-level investigative skills, Spieler got Washington to open the file on what happened that day, instead of what the FBI covered up, chronicled in her breakthrough book, Housewife Assassin – The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford, (Diversion Books). In this true crime book, Spieler reveals the story of that woman, Sara Jane Moore, a mother and doctor’s wife who lived in the country club community of Danville in 1975 and in 18 months, became the first woman who tried to assassinate the President and missed his head by six inches.
Spieler is the president of the San Francisco Peninsula branch of the California Writers Club. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes, and as a Research Director for Gartner, a global technology advising company. She was a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and Truthdig.com, an award-winning investigative reporting website. She has written San Francisco Values: Common Ground for Getting America Back on Track. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Authors Guild, the Women’s National Book Association, the Internet Society, and the Book Critics Circle.

How do you start your research process? What words do you use to find information? Do you know how to gauge when a website is genuine? In this workshop, we will introduce the methods that combine the main topics of “Online Research Methods,” which include several methodologies to equip you with the skills and tools to prepare you to find accurate information and discern whether it is reliable.
Attendees Will Learn:

Why you should search using more than one search engine?
How to create better keyword and word-phrase searches using search strings
How to avoid “Disambiguation.”
What is the “Deep Web,” and how can it help the research process?
How can I search anonymously?
List of Deep Web search engines and databases.
What is the difference between search engines, metasearch engines, directors, and portals, and how can it help my research?
How to avoid “Filter Bubbles.”
What are invisible websites, and why can’t we use them?
Is “People-Search” ethical? How can we use it for our purposes?

Schedule:

10:30 Check-in
11:15 Writers Table
12:00 Buffet Lunch
1:00 Featured Speaker

Meeting Fees:

Members $25.00*
Guests $30.00
*Member price increases to $30.00 at noon on May 10th

Click Here to Register

Location:
Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant
611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA

South Bay (In-Person): Riveting Array of Character Quirks & Foibles
2023-05-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Headen-Inman House Mueaum, 1509 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, CA, United States
May 13th at 10AM: “Riveting Array of Character Quirks & Foibles” with Ellen Kirschman, Mystery Author & Clinical Psychologist
Apr 24, 2023 | Event, Speaker, Writing

Stan Lee, the pioneering writer of Marvel Comics, achieved unparalleled success by merging classical mythology with modern psychology, featuring heroes whose god-like powers were balanced by their all-too-relatable human foibles and insecurities. Flip through the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 Manual (or its Wikipedia summary) and behold a dazzling array of mental quirks that can form the basis for a riveting cast of characters. In creative work, art and science are deeply intertwined, like the double helix of DNA that writes the story of our existence. At the very least, you’ll sound smarter.

During our meeting on May 13th, Ellen Kirschman will explain how her professional experience as a clinical psychologist enriches and enhances her mystery writing.

About:

Ellen is the author of the acclaimed Dot Meyerhoff mystery series. Called the “cop doc,” Ellen has been a clinical psychologist far longer than she has been a mystery writer. Her specialty is treating first responders, police officers, and firefighters who are suffering from work-related traumatic stress. She is indebted to her clients and colleagues for inspiring her with their stories. Her mystery series “marks author Ellen Kirschman as a novelist of exceptional storytelling talent,” according to the Midwest Book Review.

Ellen’s protagonist, police psychologist Dr. Dot Meyerhoff, is a spunky, fifty-plus-year-old who takes orders from no one, including her chief. Dot never gives up on anyone, which is important because cops are difficult clients. They hate reaching out for help because it makes them feel weak, and they don’t trust outsiders, especially “shrinks.” These overlapping tensions add rich psychological layers to Ellen’s intricately plotted mysteries.

Ellen started her writing career with non-fiction, and is still at it. Along the way, she has earned awards from The California Psychological Association for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology and the American Psychological Association for Outstanding Contribution to Police and Public Safety Psychology. She blogs at Psychology Today, serves on the Northern California board of Mystery Writers of America, and belong to Sisters-in-Crime, the Public Safety Writers Association, The American Psychological Association, and the psychological services section of The Association of Chiefs of Police.

When: Saturday, May 13th at 10AM
Where: Headen-Inman House Museum
1509 Warburton Ave. Santa Clara
Continental Breakfast Included
MEMBERS $10
NONMEMBER $15

Napa (In-Person): Bright Lights, Prairie Dust
2023-05-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists, 1625 Salvador Ave, Napa, CA
May Meeting
WHEN — Wednesday, May 10, 7-9 p.m.
WHERE — Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists, 1625 Salvador Ave. Napa

Napa Valley Writers Present
Bright Lights, Prairie Dust

Napa Valley Writers will feature Karen Grassle, the author of Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love from Little House’s Ma, published in 2021. She will share some of the choices she made to create an environment for her characters, and one that her readers could embrace. Bright Lights, Prairie Dust celebrates and honors womanhood in all its complexity. This winning story fills out a life that is so much more than “Little House on the Prairie.” She will share an insider look at how she learned life lessons from the roller coaster life of an actress, overcoming career obstacles, rejection, and a family challenged by alcoholism and depression. Her life parallels the growth of women’s consciousness in the culture.
Karen Grassle is best known for her role of “Ma” on Little House on the Prairie. Her life is that of a thoroughly modern woman and she shares her experience of the sexual revolution, the woman’s movement, and finding balance between her dedication to work and her longing for a rich personal life. Karen has appeared on Broadway and stages throughout the U.S. and Canada.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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San Fernando (Zoom): Writing Realistic Police Procedures
2023-05-06 13:00 - 15:00
Adam Plantinga

Writing Realistic Police Procedures

Adam Plantinga

The San Fernando Valley Branch of the California Writers Club is pleased to welcome police veteran and author Adam Plantinga as the keynote speaker on Saturday, May 6th at 1:00 pm via Zoom, with a presentation titled “Writing Realistic Police Procedures.”

Working on a crime story and want to sound authentic? Twenty-one year police veteran Sgt. Adam Plantinga will talk us through the various aspects of real-life police work crucial to writing a crime-related novel or screenplay, including:

1. Shots Fired/The Use of Force.

2. Investigations

3. Police Procedure and Culture

4. CSI

5. The Street.

He’ll discuss bullet wounds, eyewitness reliability, Miranda Rights, how hard it is to kick down a door, car chases, the myth of the lone investigator, and much more!

Plantinga was a Milwaukee police officer from 2001 to 2008, and is currently a sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department assigned to street patrol. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and daughters.

His first book, 400 Things Cops Know, was nominated for an Agatha Award and won the 2015 Silver Falchion award for best nonfiction crime reference. The book was hailed as “truly excellent” by author Lee Child and deemed “the new Bible for crime writers” by The Wall Street Journal. Members might be interested to know that Adam went through ninety literary agents before he found a publisher for this book!

Next came another nonfiction work, Police Craft, then Adam moved on to fiction. His debut novel, Nothing Like Easy, about an ex-cop caught up in a prison riot, is scheduled to be released by Grand Central Publishing in late 2023.

For more information on this popular speaker, visit www.adamplantiga.com.

Hope to see you there!All members of the CWC-SFV will receive a Zoom invitation to this presentation. Members of other CWC branches should contact Zoom host, Anat Wenick, by noon on May 5th at SFV.CWC@gmail.com for an invitation to register. Guests may purchase admission at www.cwc-sfv.org by noon on May 5th. After purchasing admission, guests will receive a Zoom invitation. We regret we cannot accommodate late requests.

Non-members who wish to attend, please click below to pay $10.00 and receive your Zoom link. To ensure a timely response, registration must be made at least 24 hours prior to the event.

Guest Payment Via Zelle: sfv.cwc@gmail.com

Coastal Dunes (Hybrid): Author Rehab: Rediscovering Possibilities and Rebuilding Confidence
2023-05-06 10:00 - 12:30 | Nipomo Library, 918 West Tefft Street,, Nipomo, CA, United States
Rolynn Anderson

Topic –Author Rehab:
Rediscovering Possibilities and Rebuilding Confidence
Rolynn Anderson loves makeovers! She crafted a curriculum to spark student learning as a high school English teacher and opened a cutting-edge high school as a principal.
From scratch, she learned how to co-captain a trawler with her husband, cruising the Inside Passage for twenty-five summers. Rebooting her golf game and renovating her California home’s interior and landscape are her most recent projects. In her role as author, she delights in creating imperfect characters faced with extraordinary, transforming challenges.
Her hope: You’ll devour her makeover suspense/mysteries in the wee hours of the morning, because her stories, settings, and characters, capture your imagination _and_ your heart.
Our in-person monthly meetings are open to the public and held at the:
Nipomo Library, Community Room, 918 West Tefft Street, Nipomo, CA
Directions: From 101 northbound or southbound, take the Tefft Street exit.
Proceed west for .9 miles. At Orchard, turn right into the library parking lot.
Date/times: Saturday mornings (the first Saturday of each month unless a holiday weekend)
10:00 AM- 10:30 Check-in and Networking
10:30-10:45 CWC Announcements
10:45 AM – 12:15 PM: Featured Presentation
12:15 – 12:45: Q&A, Book Signing if applicable
Refreshments are provided; admission is free.

Orange Co (In-Person): Building Tension and Surprise in Short Stories
2023-05-06 09:00 - 11:00 | Anaheim Packing House, 440 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA, 92805, United States
May 06, 2023

9:00am – 9:30am Networking
9:30am – 11:00am Guest Speaker

Speaker
Lisa Cupolo

Topic
“Building Tension and Surprise in Short Stories”

Lisa Cupolo has been a paparazzi photographer in London, an aid worker in Kenya, a script doctor in Los Angeles, and a literary publicist at HarperCollins in Toronto. She has stories to tell.
Her short stories have been appeared in notable publications and a recently published book of tender stories.
Have Mercy On Us, her debut book, won the W.S. Porter Prize for short story collections. Her work has been published in The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Narrative, The Idaho Review, and others. She holds a BA in Philosophy from The University of Western Ontario, a graduate degree in Portrait Photography from The London Institute, and an MFA from the University of Memphis. She has lived all over the world, but currently resides in Southern California, where she has taught fiction writing at Chapman University. – lisacupolo.com
Learn more about the author at https://www.lisacupolo.com

East Sierra (In-Person): Writing Good, Old-Fashioned Kids Books
2023-05-04 18:30 - 20:30 | Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores, Ridgecrest, CA, United States
JEFF GOTTESFELD ON WRITING GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED KIDS BOOKS ON THURSDAY, MAY 4

Both a successful TV soap opera writer and a visionary creator of books for young people, Jeff Gottesfeld will talk about “Writing Good, Old-Fashioned Children’s Books in an un-Old Fashioned America” at our Thursday, May 4 Ridge Writer meeting. We’ll start at 6:30 p.m., Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633W.Las Flores. Public invited, no admission charge.

Just out this month, his “Food for Hope” details how John van Hengel launched the world’s first food bank, in 1967. Art and text combine to show there’s no shame in being hungry – the shame lies in how long it took for someone to figure out how to feed people. It took one person with a good idea to change things.

Author Jeff writes for adults to elementary-age children, working on such TV shows as “Smallville,” “The Young and the Restless,” and “As the World Turns” (Associate Head Writer), numerous magazines and newspaper articles, and “No Steps Behind,” winner for the 2020 NCTA Freeman Award for the best children’s book about Asia. Also an accomplished fisherman, he played on his high school state championship Ultimate Frisbee team, grows a mean vegetable garden, and considers Big Lots his favorite store.

Earlier that afternoon, he’ll give a “Read the Book, Meet the Author” 2 p.m. at the Pizza Factory. For this event, sign up and buy your ticket for $35 at Red Rock Books. On Friday, he’ll speak to Trona school children on “Tomb Guards at Arlington, Food Banks, and Jeff’s Five Creative Tips for Writers of All Ages.” Please bring your friends!

Women’s National Book Association—San Francisco Chapter Celebrates its 20th Anniversary of Pitch-O-Rama! (Zoom)
2023-04-29 08:00 - 13:00
Women’s National Book Association—
San Francisco Chapter celebrates its 20th anniversary of Pitch-O-Rama!
Saturday, April 29, 2023. 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

At Pitch-O-Rama, up to 100 writers can pitch to
agents, book professionals, and publishers.
Unlike other pitch events, this is organized by volunteers of WNBA-SF, so the registration fee is affordable.
Since 2020, Pitch-O-Rama has been held online via Zoom, allowing writers the flexibility to pitch remotely from the comfort of their home.
Before the event, WNBA provides a pre-coaching session for:

Support on how to prepare a winning pitch

Advice on getting the most out of your time during the event

A chance to ask questions to book professionals

During the event, authors will join breakout rooms to speak to a book coach or a marketing expert. Agents and publishers will circulate among the breakout rooms to hear writers’ pitches and provide valuable feedback.
Pitch-O-Rama is open to all writers seeking representation—nonfiction, fiction, YA or children’s literature—but is primarily intended for those with finished manuscripts or book proposals.
To register, go to: https://wnba-sfchapter.org/save-the-date-register-for-virtual-pitch-o-rama-2023/.
This event has limited capacity, so consider registering soon to secure your spot.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PAST PITCH-O-RAMA ATTENDEES

“Besides meeting three charming writers, I received useful feedback from professionals in the industry, and received a request for my book proposal. One publisher has even already given me great feedback on my query letter. And I still have other leads to follow up on!”
-Anniqua Rana

“Going through the day with the same group of writers made a huge difference. Practicing seven times in five hours really helped me hone my pitch. The format and price make this conference perfect for getting your pitch polished before attending a high-dollar conference and attempting speed-dating with agents.”
-Rebecca Inch-Partridge

“All the agents were eminently supportive, and I received great advice. My pitch evolved with each agent as I experimented and learned. Sometimes I read from my script, sometimes I winged it. By the end, I was plunged into existential questions about what I want my novel to be and do—invaluable.”
-Renée J. Anderson

Marin (Zoom): Writing an Eye-Catching Query
2023-04-26 17:00 - 18:30

Fremont (Zoom): Demystifying Poetry
2023-04-22 14:00 - 16:00

Inland Empire (In-Person): Becoming a Writer
2023-04-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Ovitt Family Community Library, 215 E. C Street, Ontario, CA, 91764, United States
Saturday, April 22, 2023 – Randy Jurado Ertll
Randy Jurado Ertll will speak about his journey of becoming a writer, experience in finding a reputable book publisher, and the struggles/sacrifices of being an author.
Randy Jurado Ertll is an award winning published author, credentialed teacher, and newspaper columnist. He has also served as executive director for well-established, prominent, non-profit organizations.
Ertll served as a communications director for a Congressional member (Hilda Solis) on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. He has published numerous opinion columns in newspapers and magazines such as the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, La Opinión, Daily News, La Prensa Grafica, San Diego Union-Tribune, Orange County Register, Sacramento Bee, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Houston Chronicle, The Progressive and The American Interest magazines. He has been interviewed by networks such as NPR, CNN, PBS, Univisión, and Telemundo. He is an alumnus of Occidental College where he obtained the prestigious 2015 Alumni Seal Award for Service to the Community and obtained his master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University. He has published the following books: Hope in Times of Darkness: A Salvadoran American Experience, Esperanza en Tiempos de Oscuridad: La Experiencia de un Salvadoreño Americano, The Life of an Activist: In the Frontlines 24/7, The Lives and Times of El Cipitío, La Vida Y Los Tiempos Del Cipitío, In The Struggle: Chronicles, The Adventures of El Cipitío: Las aventuras del Cipitio, La Siguanaba and the Magical Loroco, La Siguanaba y el Loroco Magico, Race Wars: El Cadejo, El Cadejo: Entre El Bien y el Mal. Please visit his web site at WWW.RANDYJURADOERTLL.COM.

Berkeley (Zoom): The Creative Side of Research
2023-04-22 10:00 - 12:00
The Creative Side of Research — A Workshop with Amy Shea — 4/22/23

In The Creative Side of Research: The Anatomy of a Creative Essay, essayist and writing teacher Amy Shea shares the power of incorporating research into your narrative nonfiction, longform essay, and creative nonfiction.
April 22, 2023, 10-12am on Zoom
How does a writer decide when, how, and how much research to include in a creative essay? In this workshop, discussion will focus on the reasons for including research, how research can improve an essay, considerations on how to format and present the facts, how to balance between critical and creative elements, and enhancing the braided elements of research and narrative through literary elements such as voice, tone, and register. This workshop will include time for both close reading and writing practice. Examples of narrative nonfiction and longform journalism will be reviewed, including a dissection of Shea’s longform essay, “Deaths of Disparity,” published in The Massachusetts Review.
Write on any topic from a personal point of view, pulling in external research You can work on something you’ve started, or start something you’ve been wanting to.
$35 public/$20 members
About Amy Shea
Amy Shea is an essayist with a PhD and MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. Her work has appeared in The Missouri Review, Pangyrus, Portland Review, The Massachusetts Review, Spry Literary Journal, Fat City Review, From Glasgow to Saturn, End of Life Studies Group Blog & the Journal of Sociology of Health & Illness. She works as the Writing Program Director for Mount Tamalpais College, a free community college for the incarcerated people of San Quentin. Learn more at https://amysshea.com.

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