Critique Group Seeking Writers
One of our members participates in an Oakland-based writing critique group that's interested in adding a new member. The group meets every two to three weeks, twelve months a year with calendar adjustments around the holidays. The writers are working on novels, short stories, and memoirs.
Here is a description from one of the group's members:
The group meets in person at homes near ...
Superpower Your Writing With Scrivener – Zoom Workshop with Karma Bennett
Thursday, November 14th at 6 p.m. Learn to Use the Best Tool for Writing a Novel, Script or Nonfiction Book
This participatory workshop will take place on Zoom and be recorded and sent to all.
Get 20% off the purchase of Scrivener when you buy your ticket
Perhaps you’ve heard that Scrivener is the best tool for manuscript development, but you’re nervous to learn a new tool. If ...
What Does A Poet Do After Last Call?
Write poetry, of course! The poems in Randall McNair's third volume of Bar Poems, Last Call, are sardonic, wry, heartfelt, and poignant. McNair captures the ineffable in his latest collection.
Our long-standing tradition of giving a member the mic before our keynote speaker helps us get to know what our colleagues are working on. Our 5+5+5 guidelines (5 minutes of backstory, 5 minutes to ...
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 ...
Interview with Annalisa Parent, author of Storytelling for Pantsers
Our speaker for Sunday September 19th Annalisa Parent helps writers to finish, publish and sell their novels. She owns and operates Date with the Muse, LLC, which helps storytellers to publish traditionally at the highest level possible.
A Teacher of the Year nominee for her use of neuroscience principles, she applies these same principles to her work with writers to create confidence, ...
5 Insider Secrets to Show-Stopping Novel Beginnings
Join Us on Zoom September 19th to Learn Annalisa's Parent's Insider Tips to Get Readers Hooked on your Novel
You know you’ve got a great story idea, but how do you make it so great that it rises from slush pile to publication?
Author and Writing Coach Annalisa Parent has helped hundreds of writers to improve their craft and to become published authors. She knows the inside tricks to get ...
Interview with our Race as Context Panelists
We're so excited to wrap up our 2020-2021 speaker series with a unique conversation between Alex Sato, Gabriel Campbell, Jhon Valdes Klinger, and Kim Shuck, moderated by member Ellen McBarnette. This diverse and talented group of writers and poets will share their perspectives on race as context, and inspire discussion and exploration for others. We sent them some questions and their answers were so fantastic we really would rather bind them up and publish them as a book. Below are just a few of the highlights.
Race as Context: BIPOC California Writers on How Race Informs Writing—May 16th PANEL
We are so excited to wrap up our 2020-2021 speaker series with a unique opportunity for members to join in this timely discussion. Panelists are California BIPOC writers from many vantage points including:
A Millenial with his first complete manuscript. Authors with years of experience helping others in their craft. A recent award-winning MFA graduate newly arrived to Califo...
11/17 SPEAKER – "You Can Be a Winning Writer" with Joan Gelfland
In this participatory workshop, author Joan Gelfand will discuss her 4 C’s approach to becoming a successful author. Joan will discuss how to incorporate craft, commitment, community, and confidence into a writing practice. Joan and her clients have produced significant results by incorporating this approach into their own writing practices. Accompanied by a thirty-minute Power Point, Joan ...