Craft
Join Us November 15 for ‘Taking the Show on the Road’ with Susan Spann
Successful travel writing transports readers to another time and place. Join Us November 15 to learn the secrets of helping your readers see, hear, smell, and taste locations that leap off the page and ignite the imagination. Whether you’re writing nonfiction (memoir,...
Plotting, Creativity, and the Universal Story — An Interview with Martha Alderson
Martha Alderson, MA, has been exploring and writing about plot and creativity for more than thirty years, and helping writers develop plot and structure, character transformation and change. Author of The Plot Whisperer, along with several other plot books, Alderson’s...
‘Rewrite Right’ Slides and Video
Thank you for joining us yesterday. It was wonderful that so many of you were able to participate — about 40 of you, think. I hope you learned something that will help you face your rewriting challenges.
Here are the slides from the presentation, as well as a video.
Bring Your Book to Life in Audio—An Interview with Becky Parker Geist
Becky Parker Geist will be presenting, “How to Bring Your Book to Life in Audio—and Make It Work for You,” on Sunday, June 23, 2 pm, at Book Passage, hosted by the California Writers Club Marin.
I asked her some questions on the phone earlier this week.
Q: Tell me about your journey to creating your audiobooks business. I don’t imagine that was your goal way back when.
No, it wasn’t. I started out training as an actor, and one of my first jobs after grad school was narrating books for Talking Books for the Blind. Through the Library of Congress.
‘Setting That Works’ in Oakland June 5
[Note: This event has been rescheduled from April 3 in Berkeley to June 5 in Oakland.] On June 5 at 6 pm, I’ll be leading a two-hour workshop for the California Writers Club in Berkeley — Setting That Works: How Memorable Setting Can Advance Plot, Reveal Character,...
Five Takeaways from C.S. Lakin’s Ten Scenes Workshop
We had the pleasure last Sunday to participate in C.S. Lakin’s workshop — “10 Key Scenes to Frame Up Your Novel.” She not only helped me strengthen my novel’s structure, she was lively and entertaining too. It was especially fun to see movie clips that demonstrated...
‘Readers Expect Structure — They Get Antsy If It’s Not There’
A Conversation with Author, Coach, Editor, and Teacher C.S. Lakin C.S. Lakin is an author, coach, editor, teacher, and more, and on March 24, she’ll be presenting “10 Key Scenes That Frame Up Your Novel” at Book Passage, a workshop for the California Writers Club...
Setting That Works
How Memorable Setting Can Advance Plot, Reveal Character, Echo Theme, and More [This post is distilled from a November 2018 CWC-Marin workshop I led at Book Passage in Corte Madera.] Flash Flood In my first novel—Bones in the Wash: Politics is Tough. Family is...
Setting That Works — How Memorable Setting Can Advance Plot, Reveal Character, and Echo Theme
The best setting is more than a pretty, or gritty description. It’s lean and strong, because it’s working two or more jobs—pushing your story along, helping us get to know your protagonist better. Join us for Setting That Works on November 11. In this hands-on...
Four Takeaways from Marin Writers Conference
Thank you to the participants, presenters, and organizers of the Marin Writers Conference for an inspiring and stimulating day at Book Passage. Here are a few takeaways from the presentations and discussions yesterday. (Note to participants: Please add your takeaways...
RSVP for May 2025 Meeting
Bringing the Past to Life Sat., May 10, 2025 1:00 – 2:30 pm Mill Valley Public Library RESERVE MY SEAT Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of the Molly Murphy mysteries, set in early 1900s New York City and the lighter Royal Spyness mysteries featuring...
How Much Disbelief Should Novelists Suspend?
The novel opens in the kitchen of a New York City tenement. The husband has returned after an exhausting day manning a newsstand in frenetic Penn Station expecting to decompress first with a cold beer and then a homecooked meal. Instead, he finds his wife seated at...
RSVP for April 2025 Meeting
Literary Walking Tour of San Francisco Along the Barbary Coast Trail Led by Daniel Bacon April 12, 2025 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM $20 for Members (any CWC branch) $25 for Non-Members Space is Limited! Reserve Your Spot Below The 3 1/2-hour tour starts with a scenic cable car...
RSVP for March 2025 Meeting
The World of Flash Flash Fiction Writer's Workshop Sat., March 1, 2025 1:00 - 3:00 pm Mill Valley Public Library Reserve your seat on the library website: https://millvalleylibrary.libcal.com/event/13584265 Dive into the world of 'flash fiction' (defined as very short...
RSVP for February 2025 Meeting
Wrangling Your Inner Critic with Danika Bloom Wed., Feb. 12, 2025 7:00 - 8:30 pm PT Online (Zoom) Only $5 for CWC Members (any branch) $10 for Non-Members Register Below Feeling stuck in your writing or overwhelmed by self-doubt? This interactive workshop, Wrangle...
RSVP for January 2025 Meeting
Building Readership with Iris Jamahl Dunkle 3:30 - 5:30 pm Dominican University in San Rafael FREE REGISTER Remote access also available via live Zoom broadcast. You may select your ticket type at registration. This event is co-sponsored with Dominican University MFA...
Holiday Party RSVP
December 8, 2024 4:00 – 6:00 pm FREE Sorry, we're full up! Happy Holidays! Celebrate the year in writing and CWC friendships at our Members-Only Holiday Party! The party will take place at the home of former CWC Marin President Mike Van Horn (address to be provided to...
RSVP for November 2024 Meeting
The Heart and Craft of Memoir Writing with Linda Joy Myers 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm Mill Valley Public Library FREE RESERVE MY SEAT When you write a memoir, you must bring everything you have to it—your past, your present and the shadow. You put your heart on the page,...
RSVP for October 2024 Meeting
Who’s Afraid of Social Media? Author Platform Two-Part Workshop 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Mill Valley Public Library FREE October 9th Part 1: Register HERE October 23rd Part 2: Register HERE In the self-propelled world of modern publishing, writers must promote themselves....
RSVP for September 2024 Meeting
10 Myths About Publishing With Steven Radecki 3:00 – 4:30 pm Mill Valley Public Library FREE Register here Getting your book published is easier than ever, but it is also more confusing. How do you choose between traditional publishing, hybrid, indie, vanity, or...