“Intergenerational Dialogue” with Lyndsey Ellis on October 16th, 2022
The 3rd week of October is California Writers Week! This year we celebrate California's deep, historical diversity with an exciting conversation with an up-and-coming West Coast & Midwest author.
The Nuances of Writing Cultural Complexity
Regardless of race and class, many attitudes, behaviors, and belief systems stem from values hat are specific to our age groups. Exploring intergenerational exchanges helps us to better understand ourselves and each other as our life experiences ...
“Breaking the Book” with Michael Lucker on September 18th, 2022
Wanna turn your book into a movie? Now you can! But adaptation is a craft unto itself. Step one is: Breaking the Book. Distilling 400 single spaced pages into 100 double-spaced. What do you use? What do you lose? Join us for an hour of fun-filled discussion learning how to crack the spine on your novel and mine the essentials for turning it into a powerful, sellable, two-hour movie.
About Michael Lucker
Keynote Speaker Michael Lucker
Michael is a professional screenwriter ...
Local Author Showcase at our Annual New Book Celebration on June 18, 2022
On Saturday, June 18th, the Berkeley Branch of the California Writers Club will honor its members who have published a new title in the past year. This is a proud moment for this century-old writing club, highlighting the diverse literary accomplishments and talents of this notable group. A wide range of literary genres will be featured, including historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, non-fiction, and poetry.
The virtual celebration will take place starting at 1:30pm with the final Club ...
Taking Your Book from Unknown Entity to Bestseller – A conversation on May 15, 2022
On May 15th, our annual book marketing panel will feature Quinn Ward (Six-Figure-Selling Author), Keri-Rae Barnum (Director of New Shelves Books), and Jane Ubell-Meyer (BedsideReading.com). The conversation will be moderated by Karma Bennett, Berkeley Branch president. Feel free to join for a chance to meet our panelists.
Board Election this Sunday
Members take note that this Sunday we will be electing next year's board prior to the panel (see schedule below). We have a lot of people ...
“Sustainable Storytelling” with Kristen Caven April 24, 2022
Some of us write to process difficult times in our lives. Some of us write to help others out of difficulty. Some of us do the job of sending our characters to hell and back! In this interactive storytelling workshop, novelist/playwright/cartoonist/psychology writer Kristen Caven will teach four positive psychology principles of post-traumatic growth that will energize your writing, inspire your readers, and actually help you live longer (so you can finish all your work)! After this short ...
Honor the Earth with Sustainable Storytelling & Literary Action 4/24/22
Join us April 24th for a festival of outdoor lit in Joaquin Miller Park!
Our April meeting will be set among a day full of springtime activities and networking. All events are free except the meeting/speaker series, for which we ask that you purchase a ticket. (Free tickets are available for those who need them.
10-12 p.m. Earth Day in the Park
Come work with Friends of Joaquin Miller Park featuring a CWC Wolf-Pack write-in. Dale Risden, president of Friends of Joaquin Miller ...
Editing Your Manuscript – The Whys, Whats and Hows (March 20, 2022)
In this talk, freelance editor and Writer’s Digest writer and editor and former 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 ...
Land the Agent of your Dreams with Amy Collins — February 20, 2022
Why do some authors get an agent and others do not? Why do some manuscripts and pitches garner huge advances and a juicy publishing contract and others just languish? It is possible to create a successful career as an author, but there are hard truths about what it really takes to "make it." Authors who have been querying agents or submitting manuscripts and not getting offers will appreciate this session in how to improve their chances of getting an agent or a publishing contract. This ...
Writing Dialogue that Sings with Jane K. Cleland
Sunday, January 16th We Level up Our Dialogue Skills
Dialogue is one of three narrative tools to move the plot along and reveal character (in addition to description and action). Each character must speak with a unique voice—an amalgam of style, tone, intonation, and word choices. (And it must be formatted and punctuated properly). This Sunday, Jane K. Cleland will show you what you need to write dialogue that rings with truth.
About Jane K. Cleland
Jane K. Cleland writes both ...
Making Podcasts Work For Writers [SPEAKER SERIES Sunday Nov. 21st]
Join Us Sunday November 21st on Zoom to Learn What Podcasting Can Do for Writers
Podcasts are for people who would rather listen than read, right? Not necessarily. Every writer should know the three powerful ways that podcasting can boost their literary life: as a listener, as a guest, and as a podcast creator. Award-winning podcast host (The Midlife Mixtape Podcast) and author (The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time) Nancy Davis Kho shares practical ...