December is a challenging month. Holiday celebrations bring added stress and less time for writing. What’s a writer to do? Our December speaker, Dr. Eric Maisel, creativity coach, family therapist and the author of more than 30 books, including Fearless Creating, The Van Gogh Blues and A Writer’s Space, is an expert on stress and …
Every book tells a story, and every writer’s story of his or her path to publication is unique. This November, three of Tri-Valley’s own published book authors, Sarah Wilson, Nancy O’Connell, and Annette Langer, will share what it took for them to become published, and how you can benefit from their experience. Expect some intriguing …
Congratulations to all the participants in, and especially to the winners of, the first Tri-Valley Writers High School Writing Contest. Students in grades 9-11 from ten area high schools competed for prizes in fiction, essay, and poetry. A celebration for the winners was held Saturday, June 30, at Towne Center Books, 555 Main Street, Pleasanton. …
Tri-Valley Writers High School Writing Contest Reception at Towne Center Books Read More »
One hundred years ago, a colorful cast of characters founded the California Writers Club “to mentor and educate writers of all levels in the art and craft of writing.” This October, Tri-Valley Writers will celebrate CWC’s Centennial with a birthday bash devoted to character. What’s a story – or a club – without great characters? …
Do you have the Twitter jitters? Blog-phobia? Facebook freak-out? Are you new to Adventuring into the Land of Social Media/ Web 2.0? Publishers expect more and more from authors and illustrators (before during and after you’ve been published), so come learn how to juggle your promotion efforts, social websites & online personalities and STILL HAVE …
Ever dreamed of hitting the road as a reporter for a winning presidential campaign? Local author, Mark Curtis did just that and chronicled his exciting journey in his recently published book, Age of Obama: A Reporter’s Journey with Clinton, McCain and Obama in the Making of the President, 2008. Get the inside scoop on this …
Lecture: The Pleasures and Perils of a Freelancer’s Life “Don’t quit your day job.” You’ve probably heard, and perhaps heeded, that practical advice. But what if you decide to throw caution to the wind and become a full-time freelance writer? Margaret Lucke did just that – a move that has led her in some surprising …
Poet Kathleen Lynch is known for her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and has written moving poems on such topics as crabgrass and breakfast. She will discuss finding sources of inspiration, even in the mundane details of everyday life; using humor in poetry; and the process of writing a poem from the …
Plucked from Air and Error: Finding the Poem That Waits to be Written Read More »
What do writing and wishing have in common? Plenty, according to Noelle Oxenhandler, our February speaker and author of the memoir, The Wishing Year. Part memoir, part history, and part metaphysical journey, The Wishing Year is Oxenhandler’s chronicle of her year of putting it out there, a concept familiar to writers who experience their own …
How long does it take to write an award-winning novel? One year? Ten? Alice Wilson-Fried spent seven years crafting her debut novel, Outside Child. Laurel Anne Hill wrote her award-winning Heroes Arise in seven months. Were these authors’ successful approaches to writing different, or the same? Laurel Ann Hill grew up in San Francisco, with …
The Long and the Short of Writing an Award-Winning Novel Read More »
