California Writers Club

Sacramento (In-Person): Beginning Again: Putting Fun Back Into Writing
2023-05-20 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Denver) | 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.

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.

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

San Fernando Valley (Hybrid): Writing for Video Games and New Technologies
2023-06-03 13:00 - 15:00 | 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

Mt. Diablo (In-Person): The Five Bios Every Author Needs
2023-06-10 11:00 - 14:00 | Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant, 611 Gregory Ln, Pleasant Hill, CA, 94523, United States
The Five Bios Every Author Needs
June 10th, 2023 at 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Joey Garcia is an editor and author platform coach. She helps writers get known while they’re writing a book, so when it’s published, there’s an audience waiting to read it. Joey’s clients have been interviewed by, or have bylines in, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian magazine, Ms. magazine, CNN, and The Tamron Hall Show, among others.
Joey is the indie author of When Your Heart Breaks, It’s Opening to Love and has been a featured Relationship Expert in HuffPost, USA Today, Deutsche Welle, KVIE public television, Global Woman TV Sweden, Australia’s Ticker News and Slate’s Dear Prudence podcast. In 2017, Joey established the first-ever literary fellowship in Belize, her birthplace. She partners with literary agents to co-lead an annual retreat in Belize for writers from all over the world. www.joeygarcia.com

Start your New Author’s Platform
What we will Learn:

The differences between bios that create opportunities and those that create obstacles
The value of including a media market in your bio
What agents and media outlets consider red flags in an author’s bio
Book sales (without sounding pushy)

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 June 7th

San Joaquin (Zoom): Gain Readers and Sell Books Using BookFunnel!
2023-06-10 12:00 - 14:00
Terry Wells-Brown, Author. “Gain Readers and Sell Books Using BookFunnel!” https://twellsbrown.com

June 10 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Add to calendar

DETAILS

Date:
June 10
Time:

12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

ORGANIZER

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

VENUE

Zoom event

Long Beach (In-Person): Adventures in Independent Children's Book Publishing
2023-06-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Los Altos United Methodist Church, 5950 E. Willow St., Long Beach, CA, United States
Sheri Fink

Adventures in Independent Children’s Book Publishing

Sheri Fink is the successful author and publisher of fourteen children’s books. She will share her experience and insights about both the children’s book market and what she has learned about independent publishing–with valuable information for writers of all genres.

OUR NEW PERMANENT MEETING LOCATION!

Free meetings take place at Los Altos United Methodist Church
5950 E. Willow St. (at Woodruff).
Check in at the comunity room (Heritage Hall).
Networking starts at 2:30 pm. The speaker program takes place from 3:00-5:00 p.m.

No reservation needed. Contact info@calwriterslongbeach.org

South Bay (In-Person): Creative Book Launches that Draw an Audience
2023-06-12 18:30 - 20:30 | Triton Museum, 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, CA, United States
June 12th at 6:30PM : “Creative Book Launches that Draw an Audience,” with Isidra Mencos
May 26, 2023 | Speaker, Writing

What if you held a book launch and nobody came? It has happened quite often, even to authors who are now household names. Margaret Atwood drily recounts, “I did a signing to which nobody came, except a guy who wanted to buy some Scotch tape and thought I was the help.” Stephen King fondly reminisces, “At my first SALEM’S LOT signing, I had one customer,” a child who asked him where he could find “some Nazi books.”
But a sparsely attended book launch is by no means inevitable. Many authors have mastered the art of drawing a sizable crowd. You can do it, too. In our June 12th meeting, Isidra Mencos will offer you a behind-the-scenes look at how other authors launched their books with creative flair, resulting in notable success. She will present seven detailed case studies, with precise content and marketing data, that each demonstrate the efficacy of a unique approach to launching a book.

About:

Isidra Mencos is the author of Promenade of Desire—A Barcelona Memoir. She holds a PhD in Spanish and Latin American Contemporary Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught Spanish language, literature, and creative writing. Her essays and articles have been published in Diálogo, WIRED, Chicago Quarterly Review, Front Porch Journal, The Penmen Review, and Stirring Literary Journal, among others. Her essay, “My Books and I,” was listed as Notable in The Best American Essays 2019. Originally from Spain, Isidra lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

When: Monday, June 12th at 6:30PM
Where: Triton Museum
1505 Warburton Ave. Santa Clara

Napa (In-Person): The What and the How
2023-06-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists, 1625 Salvador Ave, Napa, CA
June Meeting
Paul Madonna
The What and the How

Napa Valley Writers will feature Paul Madonna, an award-winning artist and best-selling author known for his unique blend of drawing and storytelling that has been heralded as an “all new art form.”
Paul is the creator of the enigmatic art series All Over Coffee, which ran in the San Francisco Chronicle for twelve years, the author of five entertaining and sharply plotted mystery novels books, including the Emit Hopper Mystery Series. His book, Everything Is Its Own Reward, won the 2011 NCBA Award for best book.
Paul’s work ranges from novels to cartoons to large-scale public murals and can be found internationally in print as well as in galleries and museums, including the Oakland Museum of California, the William Blake Association in France, and the San Francisco International Airport. The Commissions, a mystery set in San Francisco, will be available September 2023.

Writers of Kern (In-Person): Do the Twist: How to Create a Great Ending
2023-06-17 09:00 - 11:30 | Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA, 93308, United States
June Featured Speaker – Mike Apodaca
June 7, 2023 By Sandy Moffett Leave a Comment

Workshop Title: DO THE TWIST: HOW TO CREATE A GREAT ENDING
Learn how to organize a story where the reader gets that mind-shifting realization at the end that the solution to everything was right in front of them, but they never even saw it.
Mike Apodaca – Bio
Mike Apodaca was born and raised in Southern California with his mother, adopted father, and three brothers. In college, he felt there had to be an answer to the pain and suffering he saw in this world. He turned to his God where he found his answers and never turned back. He received a degree in preaching and, later, a masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He pastored a church for nine years and then moved to the High Desert where he helped start a church and then led a home church for a time. For the last seven years he‘s devoted himself to teaching high school boys about the faith.
Mike became a public-school teacher and molded the minds of over a thousand young people. Mike’s specialty was Gifted education. He taught classes at the state-wide CAG Conference and for UC Riverside. He also taught a class in teaching reading at Brandman University.
After 30 years in education, Mike took his retirement. He’s been working with his young grandchildren in the age of COVID. He’s currently the Vice President of the High Desert branch of the California Writer’s Club where he runs their Zoom meetings, edits their newsletter, and sits on various committees. Mike‘s written seven books, four of which are self-published on Amazon. His stories have appeared in club anthologies and in The Literary Review.
Mike would tell you that his greatest treasure is his family: His loving wife, Debi, who’s shared their adventure for 38 years, his two children, and two grandchildren.
Mike can be reached at mrdaca.ma@gmail.com

Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting and Workshop Fee. Breakfast is included.
Member – 20 USDNonmember – 25 USD12345

SF Peninsule (In-Person): Small Publishing in a Big Universe
2023-06-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Sequoia Yacht Club, 441 Seaport Ct., Redwood City, CA, United States
Small Publishing in a Big Universe
Saturday,
June 17, 2023
10 am – 12 pm

Between traditional publishing and self-publishing there is small publishing. We discuss the place that independent publishers play in the publishing ecosystem, comparing and contrasting the submissions processes, benefits, and challenges authors might encounter as they follow each publishing path.

Steven Radecki is the author of Building Baby Brother, a small number of short fiction, several technical papers, and the nonfiction book, Multimedia with QuickTime. Steven is also the co-founder of Paper Angel Press and its imprints, Water Dragon Publishing and Unruly Voices, and the executive producer of the Small Publishing in a Big Universe podcast. Steven is a member of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association)’s Independent Authors Committee. He is a technical writer by trade.

Register to Attend

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

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

Sacramento (In-Person): Tell Me Why: Creating Realistic & Believable Motivation For (All) Your Characters
2023-06-17 11:30 - 15:00 | Cattlemens, 12409 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova, CA, 95742, United States
TELL ME WHY: CREATING REALISTIC & BELIEVABLE MOTIVATION FOR (ALL) YOUR CHARACTERS
Featured speaker: Anna J. Stewart, USA Today Bestselling Romance Novelist
What you will learn:

What is motivation and how does it apply to character.
Why motivation is important to your characters and your story as a whole.
Film and TV examples of strong (and not so strong) character motivation.
The difference in creating motivation for villains versus heroes.
Motivation examined in relation to goals and conflict.

Networking & Coffee: 11:30 am.
Book display – Bring a copy of your book to display and SELL!
Book giveaway – Bring a used book you think others might enjoy.
Meal: Plated, with vegetarian option
Meeting cost: $32, advance purchase; walk-in, $37. Required of all attendees, receipt available which can be tax deductible.
Sadly, our prices have gone up to cover bank charges.
Purchase Tickets
Native Californian Anna J Stewart is the author of more than 50 romance novels and novellas. Currently under contract with Harlequin and ArcManor, she writes sweet to spicy happily ever afters across the romance genre. A former Holt Medallion winner, a Daphne, and National Readers’ Choice finalist, she’s also been lucky enough to have one of her books optioned for a TV movie.
Special post-meeting club fundraiser: “Public Speaking Tips for Writers,” by member Linda Champion, Toastmasters District Champion, Speech Evaluation, a 30-minutes verbal presentation, written tips, and plenty of time for questions! (Attendees who stay to hear Linda are invited to give a donation to the club!)
Purchase Tickets

Redwood (In-Person): The Card Deck Connection: How a card deck connects to business, client and revenue growth
2023-06-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Finley Communiy Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa, CA, United States
June 17, 2023
1 – 2:30 p.m.
ROSIE BATTISTA
The Card Deck Connection: How a card deck connects to business, client and revenue growth
About the presentation:
DOWNLOAD HANDOUT
In this presentation, Rosie Battista will show you:

what a card deck is
why you would want one to go along with your book
how a card deck is the perfect combo to your book – the jelly (your card deck) to your peanut butter (your book)
the 3 questions every card deck creator must ask
ten ways you can use a card deck to grow your business, community and bank account.

About Rosie Battista:
Rosie helps heart-centered authors & coaches envision & execute beautiful distinguished card decks that express their message, teach their knowledge, and enhance their clients transformational journey.
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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

REGISTER TODAY

Tri-Valley (In-Person): Storytelling: An Interactive Workshop for Authors
2023-06-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Las Positas College, 3000 Campus Hill Dr., Livermore, CA, United States
Kate Farrell, Author and Storyteller, June 17, 2023
May 17, 2023

Kate Farrell will present “Storytelling: An Interactive Workshop for Authors” at the Tri-Valley Writers June 17, 2023 meeting. Take your storytelling from the page to the spoken word and enliven your talks, enhance your events, and create a shared experience with your listeners. The power of story immediately engages audiences through simple, traditional techniques.

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.

Berkeley (In-Person): CWC Annual Showcase LIVE
2023-06-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Clio’s Books, 353 Grand Avenue, Berkeley, CA, United States
CWC Annual Showcase LIVE @ CLIOS BOOKS June 17, 2023

This June, we’re doubly excited to be doing a LIVE author showcase this year, and to be doing it at a soon-to-launch bookstore in the heart of Oakland! This annual event gives us the opportunity to celebrate our members who have published books in the past 2 years. We all work hard to get our writing out in the world and having a new book is a tremendous accomplishment!
The Berkeley Branch of the California Writers Club is proud to recognize and celebrate its eleven members who have published new books in 2022 & 2023. Congratulations to:

Beth Barany, Red Running Deep (Firewolf Books, 2022)
Kristen Caven, The Winning Family: Where No One Has to Lose (Uplift Press, 2022)
Paul Corman-Roberts, The Sincere (Libran Apocalypse Press, 2022)
Gary Durbin, Sentient (Spark Press, 2022)
Jasper Ezekiel, Good, Clean Mania: Collected Poems 2020-2022 (Draft2Digital, 2023)
Keith Mark Gaboury, The Boy Born With A Pinhole Heart (Finishing Line Press, 2022)
Lin Gentry, Episodes in a Cultural Revolution (Fulton Books, 2022)
Jay Hartlove, The Insane God (Water Dragon Publishing, 2022)
Jessi Honard, Unrelenting (Not a Pipe Publishing, 2022)
Lily Iona MacKenzie, California Dreaming (Shanti Arts Press, 2023)
A. L. Kucherenko, Knight’s Pawn (Cuidono Press, 2022)
Terry Tierney, The Bridge on Beer River (Unsolicited Press, 2023)

Club members will also be reading from Francine Thomas Howard’s 2022 release, Scattered Seed (Lake Union Publishing). Francine, a longtime member and guiding light, passed away this January.
The event will be co-hosted by Clio’s Books, a new bookstore that will be opening in September near Oakland’s Lake Merritt. Clio’s values the history of ideas and will feature a reading room, literary events, and a café.
The California Writers Club (www.calwriters.org) is a thriving association of emerging and professional writers, with 20+ branches across the state. Each branch features monthly speakers on the art, craft, and business of writing in all genres, for all ages and abilities. The Club was formed in 1909 by Bay Area writers who had gathered for decades in Joaquin Miller Park. They were instrumental in building the WPA Woodminster Cascade, which is home to the California Writers Memorial Grove.

CWC BB Author Showcase
Clio’s Books (opens in September; this is a special sneak peek event!)
353 Grand Avenue
Saturday, June 17th 2023
5-7pm
Doors open 4pm
Free to the public – Get your tickets NOW – limit is 60 guests
Zoom tickets – Register here
Say You’re Coming on Facebook!

Mendocino (In-Person): Spotlight On Short Fiction
2023-06-18 14:30 - 15:30 | Mendocino Community Center, 998 School St., Mendocino, CA, United States
Sunday, June 18, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Mendocino Community Center, activities room, 998 School St.
Spotlight On Short Fiction
Each year, WMC highlights a genre and features three outstanding members practicing it. This year, the genre is SHORT FICTION, and our writers are Earlene Gleisner, Steve Sapontzis , and Philip Zwerling. They will be interviewed by Rob Hawthorn.

Earlene Gleisner

Steve Sapontzis

Philip Zwerling

Central Coast (In-Person): In A Flash: The Art and Craft of the Short, Short Story
2023-06-20 17:30 - 19:30 | Center for Spiritual Awareness, 522 Central Ave., Pacific Grove
June 20, 2023
Andrea Firth
In A Flash: The Art and Craft of the Short, Short Story
In this presentation, learn what flash fiction (and flash nonfiction) writing is and isn’t, how it breaks the rules, and why and how flash shorts are “hot” from the first sentence. Discover the keys to the flash form–urgency, conflict, and a twist–and debunk myths about flash, such as it’s easier to write and readers have short attention spans. You’ll also learn how to approach writing and revising flash to leave only what’s most essential on the page.
Andrea A. Firth is a writer, journalist, editor, and educator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an Editor at Brevity Blog and the co-founder of Diablo Writers’ Workshop where she teaches and provides editorial consulting. Andrea was a finalist for The Missouri Review‘s 2021 Perkoff Prize in nonfiction, and her essays are published in Dorothy Parkers’ Ashes, The Coachella Review, Motherwell, Please See Me and elsewhere. Read her work at her website and find her on Instagram.

Inland Empire (In-Person): Becoming a writer with Randy Jurado Ertll
2023-06-24 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, June 24, 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.

Fremont (Zoom): Revising Your Own Work
2023-06-24 14:00 - 16:00
Jane K. Cleland
“Revising Your Own Work”
If you write, you know the process takes time. Even though you
may feel like you’re finished when you’ve completed your manu
script.you’ve only just begun. Now you have to start revisions.
This means “polishing the story, adding complexity to the charac-
ters, and burnishing the prose,” Jane Cleland explains. “This is
when you take your manuscript from draft to submission-ready.
Join FAW, a branch of the California Writers Club, on Saturday,
June 24, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm for “Revising Your Own Work”.
The presentation, by award-winning author Jane K. Cleland, should
not be missed. It’s FREE and open to everyone, whether you’re pub-
lished, have just finished your first manuscript, or have an idea you’d
like to put down on paper. Writers must revise; Jane can help!
lane Cleland is the author of the 14-book Josie Prescott Anti-
ques Mystery series, has won Agatha Awards for her how-to
books on writing, and writes articles on writing craft for the
Writer’s Digest Magazine. She teaches writing at the univer-
sity level, and offers FREE monthly webinars on writing craft.
For more about Jane K. Cleland go to: www.janecleland.com
To get your link to this event, follow the instructions to the right.
Go to cwc-fremontareawriters.org for more on FAW and to
calwriters.org for the California Writers Club.
Attention Writers and Poets
FAW Social Write-In
Social Write-In 2nd Sat. June 10th 2 to 3:30 PM on Zoom
CONTACT: Scott Davidson at scottfrombayside@yahoo.com
FAW Writers’ Salon
Writers’ Salon 4t Mondav June 26th 7 to 9 PM on Zoom
CONTACT: Tony Pino at up.dragonfly.com@gmail.com
Award-Winning Author
Jane K. Cleland
Everyone is Welcome!
FAW General Mtg
Sat. June 24th 2 to 4 PM
FREE Zoom Meeting by Invitation
Email scottfrombayside@yahoo.com
to request a link for the meeting
Guest speaker: Jane K. Cleland

Marin (In-Person): Tighten Your Writing with a Poetry Game
2023-06-26 18:30 - 19:30 | Mill Valley Public Library
Topic: Tighten Your Writing with a Poetry Game
Monday June 26 6:30-7:30PM
Live/Limited seating Free for all Participants
Co-presented by CWCM and Mill Valley Public Library
RSVP here: Mill Valley Public Library Events/Poetry Writing Game

Anyone who aspires to be a better writer knows the importance of thoughtful word choice and editing. The best writers exercise these muscles every day—but sometimes we forget how much fun writing can be, especially when we do it with friends. Bring your pencil to this one-hour interactive poetry workshop cohosted by CWC Marin and the Mill Valley Public Library. The game is a riff on the Japanese linked verse game known as renga, played by Japanese aristocrats a thousand years ago. In it, each person composes a haiku, then passes it to a neighbor, who completes it with a 14-syllable couplet. This simple, limited poetry form encourages participants to choose words and metaphors with care. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a great poet, you just have to be ready to play with words.
About the Speaker:
Jean has been a student of the Japanese language since she first went to Japan as an exchange student in the 1980s. She is currently writing a book about Japanese feminist poet Yosano Akiko (1878-1942). She has translated hundreds of Akiko’s poems and posted them online. Jean is a Board member of the California Writers Club of Marin and a member of the Marin Poetry Center, the Tanka Society of America, Left Coast Writers, and the Japan Foundation.

High Desert (Zoom): What are Agents Looking For? Act II
2023-06-27 18:00 - 20:00
ZOOM MEETINGS – ACT II
LUCIANNE DIVER, LITERARY AGENT
JUNE 27, 2023 AT 6 PM (TUESDAY)
ZOOM MEETING

What are agents looking for? How can an agent help writers? What is required to become an agent? Best general advice an agent would give to writers today. If one does not have an agent, what things can he/she do to get representation? ​
​
Lucienne Diver joined The Knight Agency in 2008, after spending fifteen years at New York City’s prestigious Spectrum Literary Agency. With her sharp eye and gift for spotting original new voices, Lucienne is one of the most well-respected agents in the industry. A lifelong book addict, she graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Potsdam with dual majors in English/writing and anthropology. She thus came well-equipped for her work as an agent.

Over the course of her dynamic career she has sold well over seven hundred titles to every major publisher, and has built a client list of more than forty authors spanning the commercial fiction genres, primarily in the areas of fantasy, science fiction, horror, women’s fiction, romance, mystery/suspense and young adult. Her authors have been honored with the Hugo, Nebula, Colorado Book and National Readers’ Choice Awards, and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. A publishing veteran, Lucienne has superb industry knowledge, and a keen understanding of the foreign rights market.
This zoom presentation is open free of charge to all CWC members. Registration is not required. However, there will be limited seating for what we feel will be a popular event.
​Topic: Act 2 Meeting HDCWC
Time: 6:00
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86220784034?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 862 2078 4034
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Central Coast (In-Person): Writing Active Hooks--or How Many Hooks Are Enough?
2023-07-18 17:30 - 19:30 | Center for Spiritual Awareness, 522 Central Ave., Pacific Grove
July 18, 2023
Mary Buckham
Writing Active Hooks–or How Many Hooks Are Enough?
Ready to learn what exactly a hook is, and what a hook isn’t? The simplest way to avoid a sagging middle, and to keep a reader reading, is to understand how to continually build hooks into your writing. In this presentation, explore what hooks are and how they work, discover the 10 most common (universal) hooks and why they’re so widely used, find where to place hooks to make them effective for both your genre and your audience, and unlock the difference between a compelling story and one that drags.
USA Today bestselling author Mary Buckham learned to get into and out of trouble at a very early age. Time has added to her opportunities—detained by Israeli intelligence; strip-searched by a Greek border patrol while traveling with a priest, sneaking into Laos. When not personally avoiding nuisances caused by her insatiable curiosity she creates lots of disorder in her two Urban Fantasy series—Alex Noziak and Kelly McAllister—as well as her co-authored young adult sci fi action-adventure series under the name Micah Caida. In her spare time, Mary writes writing craft books including, A Writer’s Guide to Active Setting, Writing Active Hooks, and Break Into Fiction® co-authored with Dianna Love.
