Kick off National Novel Writer’s Month with fresh literary tools and rhetorical strategies for your writing. This workshop will delve into the imitation writing method, drawing inspiration from stylistic choices and techniques of author Brian Doyle, recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature and three Pushcart Prizes. Whether you’re a writer of creative nonfiction or fiction, this workshop will give you new ways to think about the craft of writing.
CWC Marin member Diane Waite’s experience as an English teacher spans over 30 years. She has taught writing to a wide range of students, from those new to the English language to advanced writers who have gone on to prestigious institutions like M.I.T and Columbia. With an M.A. in Linguistics, Diane brings a unique perspective to exploring writing and language learning through a linguistic lens.
Free, In-Person Only
Reserve your seat at https://millvalleylibrary.
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 23, 6:00 – 7:30 pm PT via Zoom
Laying the foundation for success is one of the key factors that will determine whether your book will make it or not. Branding and platform are terms we hear a lot, but does this really matter to book sales? In fact it does. This class will break down creative ways to build a foundation that will support your book and build your success.
Penny demystifies concepts like brand and author platform and will teach attendees a pathway to create more book sales. We’ll learn simple tools everyone needs including easy ways to research the things that matter to your audience, branding made easy, and social media: where do you really need to be to drive book sales? Hint: you don’t need to be on every social media platform.
Join Daniel Bacon as he leads us along Gold Rush era streets and Chinatown alleys to places where literary icons drew inspiration. This 3- to 4-hour tour will start with a cable car ride from Aquatic Park Cove to Powell and Market, followed by a walk 3.8 miles back to the starting point. We’ll see sites that inspired Dashiell Hammett, Mark Twain, Ina Coolbrith, Jack London, Allen Ginsberg, and a host of others.
Tour date: March 18
Tour Times: 9:30 am to approx. 2 pm
