by CWC Marin administrator | Jul 25, 2017 | Events
Thanks so much to all of you who came to our first summer salon and read your first page. It was a wonderful evening, and the quality of the readings was amazing.
Our second salon is focused on pitching your book. You can practice your pitch as if we were agents who might represent you, or if you want to be more informal, you can practice telling us succinctly what your book is about.
—Thursday, August 24, 7 pm — Pitching Practice
Whether you want to practice how you talk about your book or practice an actual pitch for publishers or agents, you’ll want to come to open mic focused on “Pitching Practice.” It will follow the same format as July’s event. Pitch your book and ask for feedback or not. Each reader will get five minutes total for his or her pitch and feedback. We’ll be outside on the deck if the weather’s nice, or inside if it’s not.
Please join us. RSVP to marincwc@gmail.com for directions and additional information. If you’re one of the first ten people, we’ll guarantee you a slot. We may have time for more.
by CWC Marin administrator | Jul 6, 2017 | Book Tour, Events
Marin author Tommie W. Whitener will be launching his new novel Mother Earth: Three Couples on July 10 at Book Passage in San Francisco, at 6 p.m.
The personal development world was new to Alex, Roberta and Marie when they joined twenty or so others (the “Stars”) for a series of residential “leadership” courses at a retreat center deep among the redwoods in Sonoma County. The fact that they had left their spouses behind should have been the first harbinger of trouble.
As the “Stars” did their ropes courses and told their innermost secrets to each other as part of their development, they experienced changes not shared by their husbands and wives at home. Thus, the spouses were often not ready for the “evolved” person who came back to them with new ideas of honesty, life purpose and, sometimes, deep and growing spirituality. A period of adjustment was the norm. Most of the couples were successful. All were changed by the experience.
Tommie W. Whitener has practiced Family Law in Marin County and the Bay Area for many years. As he winds down his law practice, he is now putting his extensive knowledge of people and relationships gained during that time to work in his new career as a writer. After having handled thousands of divorce cases, he believes he is particularly well qualified to write on the marital connection and the effect on it when one of the spouses “develops” and the other does not. Such is the subject matter of his first novel, “Mother Earth: Three Couples.”
He is also at work on a collection of short stories and memoirs and a volume of historical fiction concerning two remarkable generations of his ancestors in Arkansas. He lives in Novato with his wife Svetlana, who is an executive coach.
by CWC Marin administrator | Jul 5, 2017 | Events
—Thursday, July 20, 7 pm — First Page Open Mic
We’ve all heard how the first pages are key to capturing the attention of readers, publishers and agents. Here’s your opportunity to share yours.
New CWC-Marin President Mary Krefting is hosting a “First Page Open Mic” summer salon on Thursday, July 20, at 7 pm at her home in central San Rafael. We’re inviting writers to read out loud the first page of your book or manuscript. If you like, you can ask for feedback. Each reader will get five minutes total for reading and feedback. We’ll be outside on the deck if the weather’s nice, or inside if it’s not.
Please join us. RSVP to marincwc@gmail.com for directions and additional information. If you’re one of the first ten people, we’ll guarantee you a slot. We may have time for more.
by CWC Marin administrator | Jun 14, 2017 | Events
Join us June 25 for Ralph’s Scott’s presentation on developmental editing. Please bring some of your writing so he can work on some live material.
Hope to see you on June 25.
by CWC Marin administrator | May 11, 2017 | Events
Join Us May 21 at Book Passage to Help Chart Our Future
We’re thrilled to announce that Mary Krefting, who has served several years as board secretary, is our branch’s new president. She has stepped up during an important time when we are reinventing ourselves. We welcome all members to attend our May 21 meeting, which will feature a broad-ranging discussion about how we want to shape our branch moving forward.
Here’s Mary, second from left, with, from left, Marin-CWC board members Diane Vickers, Alison Marshall, and Chris Smith.
Here’s a welcome note and invitation from Mary:
Dear members, new and old,
I’m excited and humbled to announce that I’ll be stepping in as the Marin CWC branch’s new president. Some of you may already know me from the club, but with so many new faces who have recently joined, I wanted to take a quick minute to introduce myself and to talk about the new and exciting changes we have in store for the club.
I’m a game designer by trade and an instructor at the Academy of Art University. While my paid work involves writing technical documentation and online textbooks, my creative outlet and passion has been working on a historical fiction novel as well as a memoir about my adventures as a video game designer during the dot com era.
I’ve also been with CWC’s Marin branch for the past 4 years as a member and have served on the board as secretary. I have some big shoes to fill (a big thank you to past president Joan Steidinger who has tirelessly served the club for the past 7 years!) and I can’t fill it alone, and that’s where you come in! I’d like to personally invite you to our May meeting (it’s free!) to help shape the future of our club together.
Sincerely,
Mary Krefting
Marin CWC branch president
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We continue to be committed to hosting engaging monthly programs to help you get serious about your writing and learn from your peers as well as industry professionals. We are also committed to nurturing a supportive writing community where you can get feedback on your work, support and ideas for marketing your writing, as well camaraderie and fun.
At our May 21 meeting — 2 pm at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista, Corte Madera — we’re going to forego a speaker and instead host a discussion about what members would most like from our branch going forward,
We have 16 new members in the last three months and changing positions on the board, so this is an opportune time to talk with each other about our future.
Here are some topics we’ve identified:
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feedback for planning future conferences and speakers,
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forming critique groups,
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branch-related ideas for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, in November) (which doesn’t apply only to novelists, by the way),
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brainstorming on ways to improve our networking, promotional opportunities, etc.,
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new ideas for year-round programs including July and August meetings,
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guidance for the board and opportunities to inform branch leadership of your priorities, your desired types of programs, and what benefits you seek,
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volunteer opportunities to strengthen our club, and
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any other relevant topics members want to bring up!
Join us 2 pm May 21 at Book Passage. We look forward to seeing you.
by CWC Marin administrator | May 8, 2017 | Events
Here’s a note from Carole Bumpus, president of the CWC–San Francisco Peninsula Branch and NorCal chair.
The California Writers Club-NorCal Group takes great pleasure in announcing an exciting opportunity just for you, our members. CWC-NorCal Group has once again reserved a booth at the third annual Bay Area Book Festival, and is offering the opportunity for CWC members to sell their books at the booth—at no cost!
The Bay Area Book Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4, in downtown Berkeley in and around Civic Center Park. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days. Each year, this free event draws some 50,000 people, 300 author/speakers and 160 vendors. This year, CWC will be one of the exhibitors.
Details are still being worked out, but here is what we can tell you:
- CWC members are invited to sell their books and/or promote their writing-related business at our booth at no cost to the member. Your brochures and books on the table will suffice; no large promo posters. (We are at the booth to mainly promote CWC.)
- You must have a current seller’s permit from the State Board of Equalization if you plan to actually sell anything.
- You must be present in the booth and handle all details of making the sale. No dropping off books and expecting others to sell them for you!
- Shifts will be set up on two-hour intervals. You must remove yourself, your books, and all other promotional materials at the end of your two-hour shift.
- Shift assignments will be made either on a first-come, first-served basis or by lottery, depending on demand. You may not sign up for more than one shift unless and until all other interested CWC members are accommodated.
- You may use your shift to promote a writing-related business (editing, book design, PR, etc.) in lieu of selling books.
- This opportunity is available only to current members of CWC.
If this sounds like something you’d like to do, add your name to the master list by sending an email to Tim Jollymore with the Berkeley Branch. His email address is: tim_jollymore@yahoo.com . Even if you have already signed up or indicated interest to someone at your home branch, please add your name to this master list. Put “Bay Area Book Festival” in the Subject field and indicate your home branch in the body of the email.
