Long Beach (Zoom): How to Quit Your Day Job: Writing for Fun and Profit
2023-01-14 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Denver) | CA
January 14, 2023

Anne Cleeland

“How to Quit Your Day Job: Writing for Fun and Profit”

Anne Cleeland writes a contemporary Scotland Yard mystery series that is featured in the Amazon top 100 best sellers. Her 15 Doyle & Acton Scotland Yard series includes her latest title, Christmas with Acton & Doyle. She also writes a historical series of stand-alone books set in the Regency period. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, The Historical Novel Society, and Mystery Writers of America.
Our Janury meeting will be for members only (and those invited by our speaker)
while we arrange for a new meeting venue.
Check back for more information about our future meeting location.

Berkeley (Zoom): Sipping the Elixir—An Overview of the Heroines Journey
2023-01-15 13:00 - 15:00 | CA
“Sipping the Elixir” with Gail Carriger on January 15th, 2023

An Overview of the Heroines Journey
What is the Heroine’s Journey (as opposed to the Hero’s), and what aspects make for compelling narrative and voracious readers? Where do these elements originate and how do we write them? This presentation by a highly successful writer of unconventional female protagonists explains all. Gail Carriger, author of The Heroines’s Journey, covers briefly what this journey is, how it works, one source myth, one pop-culture example, and how it can be expertly activated by authors of fiction and narrative non-fiction.
About Gail Carriger
Order “The Heroine’s Journey” here
Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs, mostly comedies of manners mixed with steampunk and urban fantasy (plus sexy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). These include The Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, plus starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times.
Her first book, Soulless, made Audible’s Best list, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book, an IndieBound Notable, and a Locus Recommended Read. She has received the American Library Association’s Alex Award, the Prix Julia Verlanger, the Elbakin Award, the Steampunk Chronicle‘s Reader’s Choice Award, and a Starburner Award. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, cephalopods, and tea. Get early access, specials, and exclusives via her website gailcarriger.com

Email: gail@gailcarriger.com
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter
Websites: gailcarriger.com

Get Tickets Now
Say you’re coming on Facebook!

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
1:30 p.m. Member Spotlight: Bobbie Kinkead
1:45 p.m. Featured Speaker: Gail Carriger
2:30 p.m. Book Sales & Networking
Tickets include admission to our online craft and marketing support groups, now meeting Thursdays. more info here.
See meetings for more info.

Mendocino (Zoom): Anthology Readings
2023-01-15 15:00 - 17:00 | CA
2023 WMC ANTHOLOGY READINGS
Sunday, January 15, 3 p.m. Zoom
In celebration of the upcoming release of Common Ground, the following authors will read five minute excerpts from their stories and poems: windflower, Earlene Gleisner, Maureen Eppstein, Susan Lundgren, Mary-Ellen Campbell, Fran Schwartz, Naty Osa,
Nancy Wallace-Nelson, windflower, Sallie Reynolds, Maureen Eppstein, Sharon Gilligan, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, Art Weininger, Ericka Lutz, Nona Smith.
The remainder of the readings will occur during our March meeting.
NO NEED FOR WMC MEMBERS TO PREREGISTER FOR ZOOM EVENTS
Each month a new meeting link will be sent to your email address.
The public is welcome to send an email to writersmendocinocoast@gmail.com to request the Zoom link. All meetings are recorded.
At the close of the presentation, the Zoom session will remain open half an hour for chatting.

Central Coast (Hybrid): Setting That Works - How Memorable Setting Can Advance Plot, Reveal Character, Echo Theme, and More.
2023-01-17 18:00 - 20:00 | Pacific Grove’s Juice n’ Java, 599 Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA
January 17, 2023
John Byrne Barry
Setting That Works – How Memorable Setting Can Advance Plot,
Reveal Character, Echo Theme, and More.
The primary job for setting is to immerse readers in the scene, but the most memorable settings do more than that — they advance your story, echo your theme, and convey mood and tone. More than anything, they reveal character. This talk will address how to capture the essence of a place in writing that is lean and strong, pushing your story along without stopping its momentum.
John Byrne Barry is a writer, actor, designer, walker, and pickleball player. He is author of three novels, including When I Killed My Father: An Assisted-Suicide Family Thriller, which was recently named a finalist in the San Francisco Writers Conference 2022 Writing Contest. He is also a board member for the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA). You can find out more at johnbyrnebarry.com.

Writers of Kern (In-Person): Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner
2023-01-21 09:00 - 11:30 | Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA, 93308, United States
Pop in at one of our monthly meetings/workshops to see what Writers of Kern is all about.
21 January 2023 | Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner | TBA
Not a member? No problem! We’d love to have you.

When: The 3rd Saturday of the month, 9:15-11:15 am. Join us 30 minutes early for breakfast and writer’s fellowship, January, February, April and June-November.
Where: Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308.
Fee: $10 for members, $15 for guests. Both include buffet breakfast. Pay at the door or skip the line and pay online.
Who: It’s a new speaker with new insights at every meeting. Check out our next speaker & workshop topic right here.

SF Peninsula (In-Person): How to Read Your Writing to an Audience
2023-01-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct., Redwood City, CA, United States
How to Read Your Writing to an Audience with Sam Kauffman
Do your knees shake when you’re asked to speak in public? Does your mouth go dry when asked to read your writing in public? Do your lips stick to your teeth as you are about to read for an audience? Does your mind take what seems like an extended vacation as the butterflies in your stomach rise in pure panic when preparing to read out loud?
Sam Kauffman has experienced all the above in abject terror when asked to read or perform. There is an art to dramatic reading. Learn some basic techniques for reading your short stories, story excerpts, drama, or poetry in public forums.
Sam Kauffman, CWC member and dramatist, has written and performed over eighteen one-woman musical dramas all over the U.S. for 20+ years. She will share her experience and the basics of dramatic reading.

Register to Attend

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

Redwood (Zoom): Alka Joshi - My 10-Year Journey to Overnight Success
2023-01-21 13:00 - 14:30 | CA
THIS MEETING WILL BE ON ZOOM ONLY
Join us on Saturday, January 21, at 1 p.m.

Registration link below.

Saturday, January 21, 2023
1 – 2:30 p.m.
ALKA JOSHI – MY 10-YEAR JOURNEY TO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
In a highly anticipated presentation, Alka Joshi, the bestselling author of The Henna Artist (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick) and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, and upcoming release, The Perfumist of Paris, will share:

How she went from advertising copywriter to NYT Bestselling author
What she learned along the way
Why she loves her villains as much as her good characters
The process of screen adaption
And what has changed in her life since becoming a NYT Bestseller

Alka Joshi was born in India and raised in the U.S. since the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts. At age 62, Joshi published her debut novel, The Henna Artist, which immediately became a New York Times bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and is being developed into an episodic series by Miramax TV. The sequel, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, released June 2021, and will be followed by The Perfumist of Paris, the third book in the trilogy in 2023.
Connect with Alka Joshi at alkajoshi.com.

REGISTER TODAY

Sacramento (In-Person): Deepen Your Travel Experiences and Improve Your Writing with a Muse Board
2023-01-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Arden-Dimick Library, 891 Watt Ave, Sacramento, CA, United States
Free Monthly Meeting
(includes Q&A)
Saturday, January 21, 2023
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Arden Dimick Library
891 Watt Avenue
Sacramento, CA
(Note: a recording of this meeting will be posted on the Meeting Archive tab)

with
Jill Hedgecock
Awarding-Winning Novelist and Freelance Writer
Travel broadens your life perspective, creating a muse board reveals the details—both experiences will make you a better writer.
Attendees will:

Understand the importance of treating setting as character in travel-based writing
Take the necessary steps to retain the sensory details of your travel experiences
Learn what a muse board is and how to create one
Discover the 12 benefits of writing a muse board

Jill Hedgecock is an award-winning and internationally published author of four novels and writes monthly book and pet columns for a Bay Area paper. Jill was the Program Coordinator for Mount Diablo CWC for 8 years, twice received a Distinguished Service award, and currently judges the club’s young writer’s contest. To learn more visit www.jillhedgecock.com.

Tri-Valley (In-Person): Emotional Mastery for Fiction Writers Workshop
2023-01-21 14:00 - 17:00 | Las Positas College, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore, CA, United States
Workshop with Suzanne Lakin, Novelist & Writing Coach, January 21, 2023
December 18, 2022

Suzanne Lakin will present a special three-hour workshop on “Emotional Mastery for Fiction Writers” at the Tri-Valley Writers January 21, 2023 meeting. The emotional landscape of fiction is the greatest challenge for writers, yet it is perhaps the most important element because readers want to care. And they can’t care about characters unless writers effectively, evocatively, and masterfully show emotion in their characters.
In this workshop, you’ll be given techniques to help spark emotional response in your readers.

Read More »

New Location !!!
Join us on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Tri-Valley Writers’ newmeeting location: Las Positas College, room 2470 at 3000 Campus Hill Dr. in Livermore. Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. There is a two-step RSVP & Payment process:

An Email RSVP is REQUIRED at treasurer@trivalleywriters.org by Thursday, January 19, 2023
Payment is REQUIRED (details appear when you click button, below)

Register Here

Attendance Fees
CWC adult members, $25; nonmembers, $30. CWC student members (ages 14-22), $10; student nonmembers, $15

Marin (Zoom): Podcasts as Platform: Making the Most of the Newest, Honest Medium
2023-01-26 18:00 - 20:00 | CA
Betsy Fasbinder, award-winning author and host of a bimonthly podcast, will be speaking on Podcasts as Platform: Making the Most of the Newest, Hottest Medium. Podcasting is a huge opportunity for writers, whether as host, listener, or featured guest. Betsy reveals how to create your own podcast and how to be a sought-after guest on other podcasts. Podcasting is a great plank to add to your writer’s platform. Wednesday, January 25, 6:00 – 7:30 pm PT via Zoom.
Meetings: $5 for CWC Members (any branch), $10 Non-Members. Registered guests will receive the Zoom link one week before and on the day of the event.

January 2023 Meeting

CWC Member $5.00 USDNon CWC Member $10.00 USD

South Bay (In-Person): Powerful Plotting Workshop
2023-01-28 09:00 - 14:30 | CA
Powerful Plotting Workshop : Jan 28, 2023 from 9:00AM-2:30PM
by Tatyana Grinenko | Dec 13, 2022 | Workshop, Writing

Powerful Plotting Workshop with Jordan Rosenfeld
Getting down the bones or “architecture” of plot is an essential part of writing a compelling story. You may know where you want the story to go, but getting there can be challenging. Plot is a journey of transformation for your characters as well as the method in which you write a page-turning tale. Whether you consider yourself a “pantser” or a “plotter” this class will demystify key plot elements such as: action, emotion & theme in your plot and scenes, backstory and front story, increasing your stakes, creating causality and believability, assessing your pacing, as well as exploring a variety of plot structures, and more!

Cost: Member: $85, Nonmember: $95
Early Bird Registration: January 15.
Member $75, Nonmember $85
Where:
Headen-Inman Historical House Museum
1509 Warburton Ave.
Santa Clara
(Located behind the Triton Museum)

Payment Options

Early Bird Registration (by jan 15th): Members $75.00 USDEarly Bird Registration (by jan 15th): Non-members $85.00 USD

Inland Empire (In-Person): IECWC Published Author Panel
2023-01-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Ovitt Family Community Library, 215 E. C Street, Ontario, CA, 91764, United States
What to Expect at Our Next Meeting
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Annual IECWC Published Author Panel
Join us as our members, who published books in 2022, speak of the process and answer questions.

Fremont (Zoom): Why Should I Care? How to Keep Readers Invested
2023-01-28 14:00 - 16:00 | CA

East Sierra (In-Person): Historical Mysteries to Modern Marketing
2023-03-02 18:30 - 20:30 | Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores, Ridgecrest, CA, United States
FROM HISTORICAL MYSTERIES TO MODERN MARKETING ON MARCH 2
Creator of very popular medieval capers and mysteries Jeri Westerson will address “Historical Mysteries to Modern Marketing” for the Ridge Writers Thursday, March 2, meeting that starts 6:30 pm in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 West Las Flores, public welcome, no admission charge, masks requested.
Launching from the premise that “It’s all right to have your writing sensibilities set in the past, but marketing your book must be most definitely in the present,” she will discuss how “the industry has changed and it’s no surprise authors have to change with it. Over and over again. Where should you focus your attention? Are you getting the most out of your advertising budget? Are you spending your time wisely or frittering away your opportunities?” She will share tips and a way to focus your energy productively and with an approach for whether your write historicals or not.
Author of fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir novels, a series nominated for 13 national awards from the Agatha to the Shamus, she works in other genres as well including the Gaslamp-steampunk fantasy trilogy “Enchanter Chronicles.”
Westerson will bring insight, expertise, and anecdotes gleaned from an impressive literary life, and a book signing will follow the program.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the 114-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org) that traces its roots to Jack London and friends in the Bay Area, and has22 branches throughout the state.

Coastal Dunes (Hybrid): First Drafts Workshop
2023-03-04 10:00 - 12:30 | Nipomo Library, 918 West Tefft Street,, Nipomo, CA, United States
NOTICE: For our future monthly meetings in 2022, we will meet in person at the Nipomo Library and via Zoom. Please join us in person at the Nipomo Library; we’d love to see you!
We have switched to an RSVP system for our Zoom meetings. If you’re NOT currently a member of Coastal Dunes CWC, and you’d like to attend our next meeting via Zoom, use our Contact Form to request the Zoom link (put “Zoom link” in the Subject line.)
Our next meeting is Saturday, March 4, 2023, in person at the Nipomo Library and via Zoom, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
First Drafts Workshop – Diane Smith will lead the group
Come prepared to write, share, and participate in this supportive and inspiring workshop! The March monthly CD meeting is the first of three planned writing workshops for 2023. Focusing on FIRST DRAFTS (Story arc, plotting, character creation, and worldbuilding) and will include writing activities to spark ideas for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
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.

San Fernando (Zoom): Getting Your Book Published in the Modern World
2023-03-04 13:00 - 15:00 | CA
March 4th

Many Jackson Beverly

Getting Your Book Published in the Modern World

Mandy Jackson Beverly

The San Fernando Valley Branch of the California Writers Club is pleased to welcome author, teacher and podcast host, Mandy Jackson-Beverly, as the keynote speaker on Saturday, March 4 at 1:00 pm via Zoom, with a presentation titled “Getting Your Book Published in the Modern World”.

Describing herself as a bibliophile who enjoys reading both non-fiction and fiction, Mandy’s own stories are either short essays drawn from her life or dark tales drenched in magic, the occult, and complex characters of the human and supernatural kind. She writes about the darkness lurking around us and the light that keeps it at bay. Mandy is the author of The Creatives Series: A Secret Muse, The Devil and The Muse, The Legend of Astridr: Birth, and The Immortal Muse.

During the Covid pandemic, Mandy launched The Bookshop Podcast, which is committed to helping independent bookshops thrive, as well as illuminating the wonders of words on a page and the local authors who write them.

Born in Pyramid Hill, Victoria, Australia—population 419—Mandy grew up around the rugged coastline and rolling hills of Tasmania. In her early twenties, she relocated to England and discovered the tantalizing London fashion scene and fell in love with the creative collective concept.

Later in Los Angeles, Mandy found her creative freedom among the thriving, no-holds-barred visionaries of the music video world where she worked as a costume designer and stylist for an array of creative dynamos including photographer Herb Ritts; directors Joel and Ethan Coen, David Fincher, Diane Keaton, and Julien Temple; and music icons David Bowie, Madonna, George Michael, Tom Petty, and Tina Turner – to name a few!

Mandy has taught high school art and theater, Advanced Placement art programs, and contributed blogs to The Huffington Post. She is a book reviewer for the New York Journal of Books, a writing coach, and public speaker, and teaches workshops at writer conferences and online via Teachable.

Book Publishing in the Modern World is a popular workshop that has been taught multiple times via Zoom at the London University as part of their creative writing program. During the presentation, Mandy explores traditional, hybrid, and independent (self) publishing and gives writers the knowledge to help decide which style works best for them.

Topics covered include:

• Traditional Publishing

• Hybrid Publishing

• Indie (self) Publishing

• Editing

• Distribution

• Agents

Mandy will share the PDF file of the slides after the workshop is completed.

Currently, Mandy lives in Ojai, California. When she’s not writing, reading, interviewing guests, or caught down a rabbit hole of research, she’s cooking, painting, tending to her vegetable garden, or on walkabout.

To learn more about this engaging speaker and her work, go to:

www.mandyjacksonbeverly.com

Please note that all members of the CWC-SFV will receive a Zoom invitation to this presentation. Members of other CWC branches and guests should contact the Zoom host by noon on March 3rd at SFV.CWC@gmail.com for an 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

Napa (In-Person): Crotches, Crucks and Crutches
2023-03-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists, 1625 Salvador Ave, Napa, CA
Welcome to Napa Valley Writers
March Meeting
WHEN — Wednesday, March 8, 7-9 p.m.
WHERE — Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists, 1625 Salvador Ave. Napa

CROTCHES, CRUCKS, AND CRUTCHES

Napa Valley Writers will feature A. L. Kucherenko, the author of Knight’s Pawn, published in 2022. A.L.’s interest in the Middle Ages began with a personal challenge to learn about something she disliked. Soon, she discovered a more complicated history than what she had seen from afar. After several years of research and travel along Roman roads and waterways now nearly extinct, A. L. developed a profound respect for the resilient people who came before her and began writing a fictional account of the era to explore the human story omitted from the sparse lines of medieval documents. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

SF Peninsula (Special Event, In-Person): Finish Your Book in Three Drafts: Crafting Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction with the Book Architecture Method
2023-03-11 09:00 - 13:00 | Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct., Redwood City, CA, United States
Finish Your Book in Three Drafts: Crafting Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction with the Book Architecture Method

It’s the age-old battle between the outliners and the pantsers – those who meticulously script every writing session, and those who pilot solely by feel. Finding your unique approach requires a method rather than a formula. Stuart Horwitz’ Book Architecture Method has helped bestselling writers transform their messy manuscripts into polished books. Accomplished and aspiring writers alike will learn the secrets of how to painlessly create a complex narrative such as:

what “plotting” actually means, and why there isn’t one narrative arc but several

how to make sure your book has one “theme” – and one theme only

how to separate your work into scenes and use this disassembly to diagnose what’s going wrong with your manuscript, and

the secret to why some narratives feel like they are all coming together at an emotional pay-off while others do not.

This workshop will introduce writers to a process for organization and revision that includes in-depth exercises to be completed throughout the day so that attendees leave with a new perspective on their book’s core, its structure, and where the work of revision lies most clearly. The workshop assumes nothing of a writer’s previous knowledge of technique, nor how much of their manuscript is complete.
Stuart Horwitz is an acclaimed teacher, ghostwriter, independent editor, and founder of Book Architecture. Stu’s clients have reached the best-seller list in both fiction and non-fiction, and have appeared on Oprah!, The Today Show, and in the most prestigious journals in their fields. He is the author of three acclaimed books on writing: Blueprint Your Bestseller: Organize and Revise Any Manuscript with the Book Architecture Method (Penguin/Perigee), which was named one of the year’s best books about writing by The Writer magazine; Book Architecture: How to Plot and Outline Without Using a Formula, an Amazon bestseller, and Finish Your Book in Three Drafts: How to Write a Book, Revise a Book, and Complete a Book While You Still Love It. Horwitz holds degrees in literary aesthetics from New York University and East Asian studies from Harvard University. He is also an award-winning poet and essayist. He recently relocated to California with his family from New England, something he should have done years ago.

Mt. Diablo (In-Person): What Point of View Can Do for You
2023-03-11 09:30 - 14:00 | Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Ln, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States
Workshop With AM Larks

WHAT POINT OF VIEW CAN DO FOR YOU

March 11 2023 at 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Pacific Time

AM Larks earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, a Juris Doctorate, and most recently a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts from the University California Riverside Palm Desert’s low residency program.
She is a longtime patron of the arts and enjoys stories that capture the complexities of life on the page or screen.
WORKSHOP FEE:

Members: $45.00
Guests: $55.00

Click here to Register
Location:

Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant
611 Gregory Ln, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Attendees will learn:

Pitfalls and positives of each point of view
Examples from well-known works from today’s most popular authors.
Workshop will include time for short draft exercises, as well as Q&A

AM Larks writes fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, and drama. Her writing has appeared in NiftyLit, Scoundrel Time, Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies, Five on the Fifth, Charge Magazine, and the Zyzzyva and Ploughshares blogs.
She has performed her stories at Lit Up at Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, California. She is the current assistant managing editor and blog editor, as well as the former photography editor at Kelp Journal, a multimedia literary revue, and the former fiction editor at Please See Me literary magazine as well as the former blog editor of The Coachella Review.
Schedule

9:30 Check-in
10:00 Workshop begins
12:00 Buffet Lunch
1:00 Workshop continues
2:00 Workshop ends

South Bay (In-Person): Subplots, Complications, and Secondary Characters
2023-03-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Headen-Inman House Mueaum, 1509 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, CA, United States
March 11th at 10AM: “Subplots, Complications, and Secondary Characters” with Martha Conway
Feb 23, 2023 | Speaker, Writing

When your characters stop talking to you and start talking to each other, your writing is going well. When a subplot neatly links back into the main narrative in a way you couldn’t anticipate, your writing is under the masterful control of the muse. And when a secondary character unexpectedly jostles to the forefront of the proceedings, subverting your carefully crafted outline, your writing is white-hot. Don’t resist these divergent impulses. Instead, ride the flow as long as you can. During our March 11 meeting, Martha Conway will teach us how to seamlessly blend rigor and spontaneity to get the most out of subplots, complications, and secondary characters.

About:
Martha Conway is the author of several novels including The Underground River, which was a New York Times Book Editor’s Choice (entitled The Floating Theatre in the U.K.). Her novel Thieving Forest won the North American Book Award for Best Historical Fiction. Martha’s short fiction has appeared in the Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, The Quarterly, Carolina Quarterly, and other publications. She has reviewed fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Iowa Review, and is a recipient of a California Arts Council fellowship in Creative Writing.
Martha is an instructor of creative writing at Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program. She received her BA from Vassar College in History and English, and her MA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Born in Ohio and one of seven sisters, Martha now makes her home in California.

When: Saturday, March 11th at 10AM
Where: Headen-Inman House Museum
1509 Warburton Ave. Santa Clara
Continental Breakfast Included
MEMBERS $10
NONMEMBER $15

High Desert (In-Person): Recording Audio Books and Music
2023-03-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Community Church at Jess Ranch, 11537 Apple Valley Rd,, Apple Valley, CA, 92308, United States
ATURDAY MARCH 11 AT 10 AM
​AT THE COMMUNITY CHURCH AT JESS RANCH

ERIC UGLUM ON AUDIO BOOKS

The High Desert Branch of the California Writers Club (HDCWC) will present local owner/operator of New Wine Recording Studio and Mastering Lab, Eric Uglum, on the topic of recording audio books and music. The presentation begins at 10 am at the Community Church at Jess Ranch, 11537 Apple Valley Road in Apple Valley. The public is invited and welcome to attend at no charge.
Eric Uglum is an American musician, vocalist, audio engineer and producer. In 2016 Eric and Bud Bierhaus were included on the Grammy Ballot for Best Bluegrass Album for their CD release entitled, Traveled. In addition to working independently through his New Wine Sound Studio and Mastering Lab, Uglum is also a staff engineer at Blue Night Records.
In 1997, he began engineering and producing out of his New Wine Sound Studio and Mastering Lab in Apple Valley. Clients have included The Black Market Trust, Sierra Hull, Sean Watkins and many more.
Uglum continues to operate New Wine Sound Studio and is currently touring with Bud Bierhaus & The Vintage Martins. Their debut album entitled, Traveled was released 2016 and includes guest artists Rob Ickes, Ron Block, Christian and Austin Ward.
Eric Uglum is scheduled to speak to the HDCWC about doing professional recordings whether you have written music, lyrics, or a book.
For information on the California Writers Club, High Desert Branch, call 760.221.6367.

San Joaquin (Zoom): “From Critique Groups to Sensitivity Readers: How to Get the Best Results
2023-03-11 12:00 - 14:00 | CA
On Saturday, March 11 at noon, June Gillam, author of the popular Hillary Broom novel series will present “From Critique Groups to Sensitivity Readers: How to Get the Best Results.”

Dr. Gillam will describe alpha readers, beta readers, critique groups, and sensitivity readers. She will share how to find and recruit these people to join your writing team and how to utilize their skills to bring your work to the best possible form.

Long Beach (Zoom): Writing Sucks But To Have Written Is Best
2023-03-11 14:30 - 17:00 | CA
March 11

Joe Donnelly

“Writing Sucks But To Have Written Is Best”

Joe Donnelly is an award-winning journalist, writer and editor. He is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Journalism at Whittier College and the editor of Red Canary magazine. His newest collection is So Cal: Dispatches from the End of the World. His short story “Bonus Baby,” which first appeared in Zyzzva, was selected for the O.Henry Prize Stories: The Best Stories of the year 2016, to name only one of his long list of credits. He is a former deputy editor of Los Angeles Weekly. In his multimedia career he has interviewed, among others, Colin Powell, Lou Reed, Ray Charles, Desmond Tutu, Sean Penn and Drew Barrymore.

Writers of Kern (In-Person): 2023 Spring Conference
2023-03-18 | Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA, 93308, United States
2023 Spring Conference | Online Ticket Purchase

The Writers of Kern 2023 Spring Conference will be held on Saturday, March 18, at Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA. Includes: Continental Breakfast, Snacks, and Lunch
Featured speakers are:

Rebecca Langston-George

How to Make a Big Splash in the Kiddie-Lit Pool: Understanding and Pitching to the Market.
Rebecca Langston-George is the author of thirteen nonfiction books for children including For the Right to Learn: Malala Yousafzai’s Story, and The Booth Brothers: Drama, Fame and the Death of President Lincoln. Her first graphic reader on one of WWII’s most daring spies, Virginia Hall, is coming in fall 2023. California Reading Association honored her with the Armin R. Schultz Award for writing in social justice in 2016. A graduate of California Baptist University, she holds a Master of Education degree. Rebecca recently retired from teaching to devote more time to writing books and developing her own writing curriculum. She is a past president of Kern Reading Association and the Regional Advisor for the Central-Coastal California chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI CenCal), helping other writers learn the craft. She’s passionate about children’s books, writing instruction and beading funky jewelry. She writes and mostly re-writes on a treadmill desk at one mile per hour.
Website www.rebeccalangston-george.com
Email rebeccalangstongeorge@gmail.com

Carla Joy Martin
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words II
By looking closely at various works of art from different time periods, we will use the images as springboards for creative writing. This process is called EKPHRASTIC writing. Ideas for poetry, short stories, memoirs, historical fiction, scifi and even screenplays can be enhanced by this imaginative process.
Looking at art connects the viewer with memories, the subconscious and allows creativity to flow. Writers will learn something new about artists and view familiar and not-so familiar works to gain inspiration for writing.
Writers will also be inspired by the stories behind the paintings and artists – it is always beneficial to learn about other creative people and their trials and triumphs.
WOK members will also enjoy hearing what other members have written when we have the sharing time. We will learn more about each other’s personal experiences and writing styles.
Carla is a poet, piano instructor and artist living in Bakersfield, California. She is Critique Group Chair for Writers of Kern. Carla co-hosts First Friday Open Mics with Portia Choi and interviews the participants for KernPoetry.com. Carla received her MA in English Literature from Stanford. She has published poems in Rabid Oak, Reaching for the Sky, Writing Covid, and other literary journals. In 2020,Carla published her first poetry chapbook, Kaleidoscope of Love, which is available on Amazon. Carla is also Chair of the Dukes Concert Committee which puts on free community music concerts at First Congregational Church of Bakersfield.
Website: CarlaJoyPoetry.com
Twitter:
Carla Joy@CarlaJoyPoetry

Brendan Constantine
No Word For This – Poet Brendan Constantine presents a special edition of his popular workshop ‘No Word For This: Saying the Unsayable.’
Participants will engage in a series of exercises and discussions to cultivate poems that ‘stay with you.’ No experience necessary. Writers of all genres are welcome. Sufferers of Writer’s Block strongly encouraged.
Brendan Constantine is a poet based in Los Angeles. He is the author of numerous collections and his work has appeared in many literary standards, including Poetry, The Nation, Best American Poetry, Tin House, Poetry Review (UK) and Poem-a-Day. He has received support and commissions from the Getty Museum, James Irvine Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. A popular performer, Brendan has presented his work to audiences throughout the U.S. and Europe, also appearing on NPR’s All Things Considered, TED ED, numerous podcasts, and YouTube. Brendan currently teaches at the Windward School and since 2017 has been working with speech pathologists across the country to develop poetry workshops for people with Aphasia and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).

Get Your Conference Tickets Here!

SF Peninsula (In-Person): Workshop: How to Write With Page Turning Tension
2023-03-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct., Redwood City, CA, United States
How to Write With Page Turning Tension in novels, stories, and even memoirs is like the connective tissue that allows muscles to attach to bones, and thus flex their might. It’s the heart of the conflict, the backbone of uncertainty, the hallmark of danger. It keeps readers guessing and characters on their toes.
This workshop will introduce writers to four key elements of tension, as well as discuss ways to create tension on the micro and macro levels.
It will help writers master the art of tension on every page and within every element of the story to craft a story your readers can’t put down!

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

Register to Attend

Join us in person at the
Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct.,
Redwood City, CA 94063
Please bring a mask.

Jordan Rosenfeld is author of the forthcoming novel Fallout (Running Wild Press, 2024), as well as the novels Women in Red and Forged in Grace and six books on writing craft, most recently How to Write a Page-Turner. Her freelance articles and essays have appeared in hundreds of national publications such as The New York Times, Scientific American and Writer’s Digest. She is a freelance manuscript editor and writing teacher. Jordanrosenfeld.net.

Sacramento (In-Person): Build an Engaged Reader Community
2023-03-18 12:00 - 14:00 | Cattlemens, 12409 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova, CA, 95742, United States
Monthly Meeting, March 18 – Build an Engaged Reader Community

Saturday, March 18, 2023
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
(Coffee and networking begins at 11:30)
Cattlemens Restaurant
12409 Folsom Blvd.
Rancho Cordova, CA 95742

Meeting fee: $30 in advance, $35 at the door while available
Buy your advance tickets here
Luncheon Choices: Vegetarian or Regular
Deadline for advance tickets: March 14, 2023
Members unable to join us will be able to access a recording of Stephanie’s presentation on our website. Zoom attendance will not be offered.
Come see your fellow writers! Hear what everyone’s working on! Find new friends who share your genre!

with
Stephanie Chandler
Author and Speaker
Transform Readers into Lifelong Fans
to Increase Book Sales and Profits
Many publishers focus on selling one book at a time, which requires a tremendous amount of time and effort. But there is a better way! When you build a community of readers, you can sell MANY books at a time. In this content-rich presentation, Stephanie Chandler shares proven strategies that you can put to work right away to begin cultivating an engaged audience of readers who want to buy your books.
You will learn how to:

Understand the various ways publishers and influencers cultivate communities
Form a plan to develop your own community
Identify your Tribe of Influence—and it may be bigger than you think
Use content marketing strategies to attract new community members
Implement key steps to transform your readers into lifelong fans

Stop struggling to sell one book at a time and learn how you can cultivate a loyal community of readers and make your author business profitable. Whether you’ve been an author for years or you’re just getting started, these steps can dramatically improve your success.
Stephanie Chandler is the author of several books including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan and The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan. She is CEO of NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com, a vibrant educational community for experienced and aspiring writers, and NonfictionWritersConference.com, events conducted entirely online since 2010. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur, BusinessWeek, and Wired magazine.

Redwood (In-Person): How to Make More Money by Selling Your Books, Products, Courses, and Events from Your Own Website
2023-03-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Finley Communiy Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa, CA, United States
Saturday, March 18, 2023
1 – 2:30 p.m.
How to Make More Money by Selling Your Books, Products, Courses, and Events from Your Own Website
With Carla King

About the presentation:
Amazon is the biggest bookstore in the world so, by all means, embrace it! You can easily make significantly more sales “going wide” using IngramSpark, but don’t stop there. Earn even greater profits by selling from your own website with an e-commerce tool like Payhip. These easy tools handle payments and digital delivery of books, courses, and events. Plus you’ll get order forms for physical objects (like autographed copies, physical books, and any product) so you can mail them to your customers. You’ll have more fun and make more money when readers come to you directly.
About Carla King:
Carla King has been known as “the Self-Publishing Queen” since 2008, the year she committed to reporting the evolution of self-publishing products, tools, and services for PBS and other media outlets. With a background in journalism, travel writing, and technical writing, she has been at the forefront of the industry from all angles: author, editor, consultant, publisher, and technologist. She is the founder of Misadventures Media, the home of her Self-Publishing Boot Camp online courses, editing services, and workshops, and her Destination Published author coaching business.
Carla is also the Vice President of Business Development at the Nonfiction Authors Association, where she teaches the Book Marketing Master Course, various workshops, and co-runs monthly group consulting sessions for members. Since April 2022, she has been the host of the Nonfiction Authors Podcast.
Since she self-published her first book in 1994, Carla has authored a memoir, a collection of travel stories, an anthology with her writing group the Wild Writing Women, five online magazines, and six books on self-publishing.
An avid world-traveler, she lives in a small cottage in Santa Cruz with three motorcycles, a bicycle, a paddleboard, and three unfinished manuscripts about her solo motorcycle rides through China, India, and Africa.
Where to find Carla King:

destinationpublished.com
nonfictionauthorsassociation.com
Non-Fiction Authors Podcast
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Meeting Agenda and Logistics
Cypress Room, Finley Center

Meeting starts at 1 p.m.
Featured Speaker
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.
All CWC members and non-members are welcome to attend.
Admission: $5 CWC members, $10 non-members

REGISTER TODAY!

Tri-Valley (In-Person): Indie Publishing: What’s the Big Deal?
2023-03-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Las Positas College, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore, CA, United States
Jim Azevedo, Corporate Communications Manager at Draft2Digital (D2D), March 18, 2023
February 24, 2023

Jim Azevedo will present “Indie Publishing: What’s the Big Deal?” at the Tri-Valley Writers March 18, 2023 meeting. With “Read an Ebook Week” starting March 5th, now’s your chance to learn what’s so special about indie publishing. Jim will explain how the union of D2D and Smashwords created a self-publishing juggernaut overnight, legitimized the indie author movement, and ensured that even more writers will achieve their dreams of becoming published, globally distributed authors.
In the last 15 years, the book publishing industry witnessed not one, but two sea change events. The first was the democratization of the industry, circa 2008. The second was the merger of the two largest self-publishing platforms, Draft2Digital (D2D) and Smashwords, in March 2022.

Read More »

New Location !!!
Join us on the third Saturday of the month at 2:00 p.m. at Tri-Valley Writers’ new meeting location: Las Positas College, Room 2470 at 3000 Campus Hill Dr. in Livermore. 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.

Berkeley (Zoom): Editing Your Manuscript: The Whys, Whats, and Hows
2023-03-19 13:00 - 15:00 | CA
“Editing Your Manuscript” with Ericka McIntyre

The Whys, Whats, and Hows

In this talk, freelance editor and former Writer’s Digest Editor-in-Chief Ericka McIntyre will explain to authors what the different types of editing are, when and why you need each for your work, and how to find quality editors. She’ll also talk about the types of editing you can potentially do yourself and those that you should always seek professional help with. Self-publishers will get insights on why professional editing is critical to their success, and how to work it into their process. Writers who plan to seek an agent for their work will also benefit from editing before querying their work.

About Ericka McIntyre

Ericka McIntyre is a freelance editor and book coach. She has over twenty years of experience working in media and publishing, including being the Editor-in-Chief and then Editor-at Large of Writer’s Digest, a 103-year-old brand serving the writing community. In her current work, she focuses on editing and book coaching for both independent authors and those who plan to publish traditionally. She works on fiction and nonfiction, across multiple genres, with specialties in memoir, thrillers, literary fiction, and historical fiction. She development edits, line edits, copyedits, and proofreads. She also offers publishing consulting services.

Website: www.erickamcintyre.com
Social Media: Twitter, Linkedin

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
1:30 p.m. Member Spotlight: Kenneth Lipman
1:45 p.m. Featured Speaker: Ericka McIntyre
2:30 p.m. Book Sales & Networking
Tickets include admission to our online craft and marketing support groups, now meeting Thursdays. 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.

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Carolyn Lee Arnold Wants You to Be Brave!

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Our Monthly Speaker Series

Mendocino (In-Person): WMC Anthology Readings
2023-03-19 15:30 - 17:00 | The Well, Mendocino, CA, United States
Sunday, March 19th at 3:30 p.m.

2023 WMC Anthology Readings (Part II)–in person again
NOTE NEW TIME AND PLACE: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Third Sunday (March 19), The Well (At the corner of Albion and Lansing in Mendocino, head down Albion toward the ocean. The Well is on the first block on the right, between The Great Put On and the Garden Bakery). Come a little early to allow for parking. MASKING IS ENCOURAGED.
Continuing with celebrating 2023 anthology writings from Common Ground, the following authors will read five minute excerpts from their poems and stories: Aron Lee Bowe (Sharon Bowers), Michelle Blackman, Notty Bumbo, Molly Dwyer, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, Matthew Sidney Long, Ericka Lutz, Peter Nash, Jonathan Pazer, Steve Sapontzis (to be read by Robert Goleman), Chrissy Sullivan, Holly Tannen, Karin Uphoff, Norma Watkins, and Philip Zwerling.
2023 anthologies (Common Ground) will be distributed during the March meeting. If you are unable to attend, ask another memberto pick up your copy for you.
