Three members of Tri-Valley Writers have had their stories published in the California Writers Club Literary Review. This book is now available on Amazon for $10. Elaine Drew wrote “The Twice Told Tale,” Arlene Eagling wrote “In Progress,” and Rose Owens wrote “Mom’s Last Ride.”
C.S. Lakin will present a special three-hour workshop on “Emotional Mastery for Fiction Writers” at the Tri-Valley Writers January 21, 2023 meeting. The emotional landscape of fiction is the greatest challenge for writers, yet it is perhaps the most important element because readers want to care. And they can’t care about characters unless writers effectively, evocatively, and masterfully show emotion in their characters.
In this workshop, you’ll be given techniques to help spark emotional response in your readers.
Kymberlie Ingalls will present “Create a Relevant Marking Plan” at the Tri-Valley Writers December 17, 2022 meeting. Marketing can be overwhelming, but it takes a creative mind to bend and shape, work to stay relevant, and be inspired to think big!
In this talk, Kymberlie will discuss:
• Building a platform
• How to eliminate the noise
• Narrowing your focus
• Tackling fear and self-doubt
• Developing a fluid strategy
Kymberlie Ingalls is an award-winning essayist, editor, and author of memoir, opinion, and short fiction. Her books, Bridges: A Lifetime in Essay and 43, compile personal essay, social media, and memoir to address themes of grief, humanity, and the heart. Ms. Ingalls is a long-time member and serves on many board levels of the California Writers Club.
George Cramer’s latest novel, Robbers and Cops releases on November 1st. Pre-orders are available now via Amazon.
James Morehead’s poetry film, “Twilight in the Sculpture Forest,” in collaboration with the Haliburton Sculpture Forest and videographer Brad Brown, has been released. The film has been submitted to a number of poetry and short film festivals around the world. View it on www.wingless wings.com.
Brian Gunney’s novel, Dragon’s Ridge, was honored as a finalist in the 2022 American Fiction Awards, historical fantasy category.
Marilyn Dykstra’s poem, “In Sickness and In Health,” won second place in the 2nd Effie Lee Morris Writing Contest with the Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter. She read her poem at a virtual mixer on September 23rd.
Linda Drattell’s poem, “Fishing Trip,” is now published in Wingless Dreamer Publisher’s Summer Fireflies Anthology. https://winglessdreamer.com/winner-announcement-for-summer-fireflies-poetry-contest-2022/
John Q. McDonald’s short story, “Fido in the Night,” has been accepted for publication in the 2022 Ab Terra Sci-Fi anthology from Brain Mill Press. https://www.brainmillpress.com/ab-terra-books/
Pamela Pan’s poem, “100 More Years,” has been accepted by the poetry journey , Poets’ Express Review, to be published in the upcoming 2022 issue.
Monique Richardson’s poem, “Explosion of Truth,” will be published in Wingless Dreamer’s poetry anthology, Midsummer’s Eve, available at https://winglessdreamer.com/midsummers-eve/. And her poem, “Paddington Park,” was selected to be featured on Viewless Wings Publisher August Poetry Podcast.
Jill Hedgecock will present “Muse Boards: A Visual Writing Aid for All Genres” at the Tri-Valley Writers November 19, 2022 meeting. When distilled down to its very essence, a writer’s job is to immerse their readers in a three-dimensional world through words. Just as fine artists often find it easier to paint what they see, many writers find that prose can be inspired by viewing images. This need was the inspiration to develop the muse board tool.
A muse board is a versatile visual aid designed to create mood, assist in character development, inform book structure, and inspire descriptive text. Its versatility means it can be specialized to fit any genre. And one of its most powerful features is assisting writers in keeping details straight. This talk will describe how to make and use a muse board and the many advantages of investing the time to create one.
In this craft talk, Jill will describe:
• Different Possible Muse Board Formats
• Various Materials that Can be Used
• How to Create Your Board
• Outline Twelve Benefits of This Time-Saving Tool
• How to Use the Muse Board to Market Your Book
Glenda Carroll is the author of the Trisha Carson mysteries that are set in the San Francisco Bay area. Open water swimming is the undercurrent that runs through all the thrillers. The series includes Dead in the Water, Drop Dead Red,and Dead Code. She is currently working on the fourth Trisha Carson book, Dead to Me. During her presentation, she’ll talk about:
How to use surroundings/location as a character
Take the journalistic approach – who, what why, where when, how
Be specific
Does the surroundings/locations reflect your protagonist’s mood/feelings
The more you look, the more you see
