May 2011

Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe [Dame Shirley] (1819–1906) In twenty-three letters to

her sister, Dame Shirley, from her first-hand experiences and female perspective,

describes life in the gold-rush camps. The Shirley Letters were first published in 1854 as a

memoir in the monthly literary journal The Pioneer. A poet and a part of California‘s early

literary scene, she also became a respected school teacher in San Francisco.

She said of herself: I am an “obstinate little personage, who has always been haunted with a passionate desire to do everything which people said [I] could not do.”

contents

President‘s Message 1

May Speaker 2

NorCal News 2

Poetry Page 3

Survey Results + May Survey 4

CWC-BB Board Nominations 5

Guest columnist: 10 Reasons I‘m not Reading Your Blog 6

Part 2: Future of Publishing 7

Book Review & Member News 8

Meetings 9

Contests 10

Conferences 11

Workshop flyer 12

5th Grade Award Ceremony 13

Picnic Invitation 13

Speaker flyer 14

upcoming

events

5/8 Workshop: Linda Joy Myers ―Truth or Lie: Writing on the Cusp of Memoir and Fiction‖ 5/15 Speaker: Linda Lee ―10 Ways to Make Your Website Sticky‖ 6/4 Awards Ceremony 5th Grade Story Contest 6/19 Speaker: Cara Black

7/30 CWC Picnic Joaquin Miller Park 7/31 CWC-CB Jack London Awards

By Linda Brown At last month‘s craft workshop, Alon Shalev started off by sharing books on writing that he returns to when he writes his novels. I found myself both miffed and challenged. I am miffed because I have read two of those books—Natalie Goldberg‘s Writing Down the Bones and Anne LaMotte‗s Bird-by-Bird (and at least ten more). Despite following the advice in both books to write every day, I am not yet close to publishing my book and Alon has published three. I wonder what is keeping me from meeting my goal of getting my nonfiction story into the news or published in book form. What is stopping me from converting my scribbles of outrage and insights, rants and raves, and research into a coherent story? One reason is that I am writing every day, but I write more for business or the CWC, where I am currently writing or revising job descriptions for your board and committees. At times I wonder if I am lazy. I know I get distracted and prefer outdoor physical activity to sitting indoors. I have learned that reading skills are not writing skills. Is perfectionism or fear getting in the way?

View from the Mountain Top:

President Linda Brown

At the May speaker meeting, for fifteen minutes we are going to test market what I am calling Member Time. My vision is for writers to get to know other writers during this time and share successes and tips for overcoming barriers.

As I get to know you, I would like to know the tools you use to move the story out of your head AND onto the paper or into the computer. And how do successful writers organize a combination of paper and computer files for effective retrieval?

We all have writing skills to learn and tools and tips to share. I look forward to all of us, at our own level of learning, helping each other reach our writing goals.

Writers Help Each Other Reach Goals

“Despite following the

advice in both books to

write every day, I am

not yet close to

publishing my book…”

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 2

May Speaker

Marketing Your Brand

By David Baker

Attend any writers‘ conference, and we‘ll be told we need an interactive Web site to reach prospective readers and that the time to set one up is now. If we wait until our work is published, self- or otherwise, we‘ve waited much too long. Perhaps so. But many of us are intimidated by terms like ―meta tag,‖ ―squeeze page,‖ and ―search engine optimization.‖ Enter Linda Lee, our featured speaker for the May 15 meeting. Founder of the blog Smart Woman Stupid Computers, Lee is a writer, speaker, educator, and Web site designer who can help us overcome our technophobia and present ourselves online. Her Web site, www.askmepcwebdesign.com, offers videos, including How to Create and Start Your Own Free Blog Website in Under Five Minutes! and How to Use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to Get More Visitors to Your Website or Blog. If after getting started we need professional help, Lee advises that we do our homework before hiring someone. How does the potential designer‘s own Web site look to us? Easy to understand and navigate? Current? Does it have broken links or pages that don‘t work? Does the designer add keywords to each page so that search engines have more ways to find us? Does he or she know how to add plug-ins, create a slideshow of photos, set up an e-mail capture form? By the time Lee finishes instructing us, we‘ll understand the importance of these issues and many more. With a background in sales and corporate recruiting, Lee has learned how to read and reach clients. She also knows how to fashion a brand, in our case, the nature of our work, how people respond to it, and who we are as writers. If you‘re uncertain what your brand is or how to market it online, come to the May 15 meeting. Lee will speak to us in language we can understand, preparing us to make the most of ever-changing Internet technology.

NorCal News Here is news from the most recent meeting of NorCal.

· Election of officers: Dave LaRoche (CWC-South Bay) is once again Chair of the group, and Joyce Krieg (CWC-Central Coast) is Secretary.

· Problem solving/sharing: The Central Coast branch is facing a problem of retirement of all its current officers, and there may not be enough folks available to step in. Various solutions were discussed, including a ―round-robin‖ approach such as been implemented here at the Berkeley Branch.

· Publishing Pathways: This is a mentoring program that is in the works. The goal is to provide publishing and selling options and related support for CWC members. The plan is for mentors to be trained over the summer and the program to be functioning late in 2011. Stay tuned.

· The CWC Annual Picnic: NorCal members will help coordinate this event, scheduled for July 30 at the Fire Circle at Joaquin Mill Park.

· Legal Seminar/Workshop: This is an idea that is in the incubation stage. The workshop would cover issues like intellectual property rights. Stay tuned.

· CWC Catalog: This was a new discussion item. The idea is to create an online catalog that will list our members‘ published works, with links to Amazon where appropriate.

NorCal Writers is an association of Northern California branches of the California Writers Club. Through exchange, collaboration, and execution of ideas, the intent of this group is to further the opportunities for writing and publication to the betterment of branches and their members. http://www.cwcnorcalwriters.org/

Linda Lee

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 3

Featured Poet:

Adrienne Rich

Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore in 1929. A graduate of Radcliffe, she won almost every award given for poetry. Although she was married and the mother of three children, the women‘s liberation movement coincided with stretching the limbs of her lesbianism. A political state-ment as much as a personal imperative. As a peace activist, feminist and political actor, she said,

“We may feel bitterly how

little our poems can do in the

face of seemingly out-of-

control technological power and

seemingly limitless corporate

greed, yet it has always been

true that poetry can break

isolation, show us to ourselves

when we are outlawed or made

invisible, remind us of beauty

where no beauty seems possible,

remind us of kinship where all

is represented as separation.”

Dark Fields of the Republic Poems 1991-1995, W. W. Norton, New York. London, 1995

Poetry

Page

Poetry

Page

In Those Years In those years, people will say, we lost track Of the meaning of we, of you We found ourselves Reduced to I And the whole thing became Silly, ironic, terrible. We were trying to live a personal life And, yes, that was the only life We could bear witness to But the great dark birds of history screamed and plunged Into our personal weather They were headed somewhere else but their beaks and

pinions drove Along the shore, through the rags of fog Where we stood, saying I (1991)

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 4

April Survey Results

Do You Read or Write Blogs? What Do You Like About Blogs?

By April Kutger

First the statistics. Thirty-nine people responded to this survey. A new high. Of those who responded, 45 percent blog at least occasionally, but 49 percent never have. A whopping 92 percent read blogs – 50 percent read them regularly while 42 percent read them infrequently. There was no option to indicate that one never reads blogs. (In its place was the more whimsical option ―What‘s a blog?‖) One person commented that there should have been an option that covered someone who never reads blogs but does know what they are. Now for the interesting part. Why do CWC members read blogs? One responder wrote, ―I‘m interested in knowing other people's opinions, interests, and ideas,‖ and several responders‘ comments seemed to agree with that, particularly if the blog is targeted to their own interests. One blog reader uses them to learn more about writing, and two read them for publishing news. On the other hand, one person wrote, ―I prefer personal blogs,‖ and another reads blogs to get to know the blogger. One responder reads blogs if ―the writer is a friend or acquaintance.‖

Blog readers want ―good writing‖ and ―interesting prose.‖ Judging from the number of positive comments on A Year on the Road, it‘s apparent that CWC member Al Levenson's blog meets those criteria. Al was also praised for his excellent photography. In fact, nice design and good photos were cited as reasons for liking a particular blog. ―Short‖ and ―current‖ were other descriptors that popped up as factors for whether a blog was attractive to mem-bers. Combined, these comments offer good advice for all bloggers: make sure your blog is well designed and well written with excellent graphics. Keep it current and short –one paragraph is usually recommended.

Lastly, one responder wrote, ―I need to learn to do this. Maybe you should [have] a column [on] how to write a blog worth reading.‖ Lo and behold, another responder wrote a long piece with extensive information on blogging and how to use one‘s blog to increase readership. This looks like an excellent opportunity for Write Angles to step up to the plate and provide just such guidance. See ―10 Reasons I‘m Not Reading Your Blog‖ on page 5.

In the June issue, Write Angles will publish ideas from members on how to write a good blog. So if you have suggestions, write to us with one idea or many. Just put ―blog ideas‖ in the subject line, and submit it to writeangles@gmail.com by May 15. We look forward to the CWC community responding and helping its own.

Write Angles Survey

Surveying the CWC Digital Divide—How Wide Is It, Exactly? by Kristen Caven

Digital communications have changed all of our lives in wonderful and strange ways. But in some ways the Internet has become the Tower of Babel, forcing us all to speak different languages. In the CWC, where writers range from those who can type 40 wpm with their thumbs to those who can still pump out ten hand-written pages without getting a cramp, the digital divide comes between us. Younger members ask, ―Do we have a FaceBook page?" Older members say, "I don't trust FaceBook." The question remains: Is there a "comfort zone" of club communications that gives all members what they need? Many members can't make it to meetings but still want to connect with other writers. Other members have slow, old computers that are only good for word processing. Keeping the club strong in the 21st century means crafting an online presence that is meaningful, maintainable, and serves our marketing purposes. Whether you are a writer with a book to sell or someone who just loves the craft, please take this survey. It will ask what tools you already use and what you think the club should develop. There is a focus on both the public aspect and internal, members-only communications. There is also room at the end to post comments. Click this link and follow directions. http://tinyurl.com/cwc-tech-survey Thanks to the wonders of technology (thank you, Google), at the end of the survey you can click the link to see what other members have said.

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 5

Guest Columnist

Ten Reasons I'm not Reading Your Blog

By Anne R. Allen I hit hundreds of writers‘ blogs every week. Thing is—with all those blogs to check—I have only a moment for each one, so some of you are losing me. If I can‘t grasp in a moment what your blog is about, who you are, what you write—and comment or follow if I choose—I‘m out of there. I‘m not saying this is true of every blog reader. There may be lots of blocked writers leisurely surfers who have time to waste linger in the blogosphere. But most of us have other priorities. Like our own blogs. Social media guru Robert M. Caruso of Bundlepost likened social media to a freeway, where thousands of cars pass by every minute. He says you need to have a fleet of cars of your brand on that freeway so you can catch the attention of your audience, who are standing by the side of the road for only few short minutes each day. Excellent advice as far as it goes: Tweet often. But the truth is, more and more people are like you: driving on the freeway. Fewer and fewer are on the side of the road waiting for great content to come by. So your audience is no longer standing still—even for a few minutes. They‘re sailing along on the freeway with you. So you‘d better be able to get your message across in an instant. Here are some things that aren‘t grabbing me during my drive-by visits.

1) Your site takes too long to load. If you have animation on your site or lots of graphics, you‘re stealing reading time from yourself. If I‘ve got a minute and you take 30 seconds for loading—your content loses out. If you‘re an illustrator or write for small children, yes, your blog needs graphics. But if you‘re a writer, don‘t snail down your loading time with a lot of visuals. And keep in mind that lots of people are reading you in RSS feeds or on other devices, so they don't see the graphics at all. 2) No focus. If your name is buried somewhere at the bottom of the page, I can‘t see what kind of stuff you write, and you call your blog ―meanderings in the mush of my mind,‖ I‘m gone. Your blog is like your book‘s first page or your story‘s lead—you gotta have a hook.

3) Music. Unless you‘re a musician hawking your wares, skip the sound track. If I want to listen to music, I‘ll choose my own, thanks—and chances are yours isn‘t in the same key.

4) Your posts are simply snippets of your WIP. This tells me:

a. You‘re a newbie: professionals don‘t do this. You‘re throwing away your first rights and embarrassing your future, better-writer self.

b. You‘re needy and trolling for praise. (If you want critique, go to forums like Absolute Write or AgentQuery Connect.)

c. You‘re not thinking about your audience. I have no idea what your book is about or who these characters are, and I don‘t have time to find out.

The exception to this is blogfests. When everybody‘s publishing a ―first kiss‖ scene or whatever, all those entering are reading each other‘s posts. That's an excellent way to make friends and find writers whose work you like. I also enjoy reading the occasional bit of microfiction or a short poem—but remember that‘s ―publishing,‖ so the piece can‘t be submitted to most contests or journals after you‘ve posted it.

Read the rest of Anne’s post at http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2011/02/ten-reasons-im-not-reading-your-blog.html.

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 6

To Be Held at May Meeting

Officers for 2011-2012 to Be Elected Report of the nominating committee

For President: Linda Brown

Vice President of Administration: Al Levenson

Vice President of Membership: Clifford Hui

Vice President of Public Relations: OPEN

Vice President for Programs: Barbara Ruffner

Vice President for Marketing of Writers‘ Products: OPEN

Vice President of Writing Groups: Barbara Gilvar

Secretary: Kymberlie Ingalls

Treasurer: Madelen Longtiong

These nine officers will make up the Executive Committee to deal with everyday issues that arise between Board of Director's meetings. Board Directors are appointed by the President and approved by Executive Committee. Write Angles Editor, Tanya Grove; Workshop Chair, Barry Boland; and Speaker Chair, Jane Glendinning are having so much fun they agreed to carry on their duties. Below is an organization chart that your board will consider on April 30. We still have open positions. If you can help fill these jobs, please contact President Linda Brown, BrownCalifornia@aol.com or Membership Chair Clifford Hui, clifford_hui@yahoo.com. Nominations can be made from the floor if permission has been granted by Nominee.

President

Linda Brown

VP Administration

Al Levenson

VP Membership

Cliff Hui

VP

Communications [open]

VP Programs Barbara

Ruffner

VP Marketing of Writers‘ Products

[open]

VP Writing Groups

Barbara Gilvar

Secretary Kymberlie

Ingalls

Treasurer Madelen

Lontiong

Delegate Central Board

[open]

Delegates NORCAL

Jeff Kingman & Kathleen Orosco

Marketing Education

Alon Shalev

Members w/ Newly Published

Books Charlie Russell

NCIBA

[open]

New Member Orientation

Barbara Gilvar

Roster & Member

Communication Cliff Hui

Nominating Committee

Cliff Hui & Barbara Ruffner

Meeting Hospitality

[open]

Special Events (Holiday Party, Picnic) [open]

Advertising & Public Relations

[open]

Write Angles Editor

Tanya Grove

Speakers Jane

Glendinning

Workshops

Barry Boland

Fifth-Grade Writing Contest Debby Frisch

Write-On Contest

[open]

5-Page Critique Anne Fox &

David Baker

16 Eyes Bruce

Shigeura

Novelists [formerly Mystery] Jill Perry

Kiddie Lit-ers

Debby Frisch

Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Jennifer Snow

Greeter & Prospect List

Shereen Rahman

Book Raffle

Francine Howard &

Shelley Wagner

Nonfiction

[open]

Poetry

[open]

Archivist/ Historian

[open]

Fundraising/Grants &

Sponsorships [open]

Awards & Scholarships

[open]

Write-A-Thon [In Rsch]

Eva Merrick

Social Media &

E-Calendars [open]

Web Master

[open]

Tech Team Advisor

Kristen Caven

Copy Editor

Anne Fox

Photographer/ Photo Librarian

[open]

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 7

The Future of Publishing, Part 2 of 3

Modernization Puts an End to the Vanity Press and Rescues Booksellers

By Ransom Stephens, Ph.D., member of Redwood branch of CWC

In most quarters of publishing, the phrase ―self published‖ equates to ―trash.‖ Self-publishing used to require thousands of dollars and orders of magnitude more patience and sweat than working through the conventional publishing process. Of course self-published books, by and large, sucked. Why would anyone go through all that extra work unless they couldn‘t find a publisher to buy in?

But now, clicking the ―upload‖ icon to self-publish an ebook is free and easy. Within a few weeks anyone paying attention can see if the title has legs.

I fear that I self-published the electronic version of The God Patent. I admit it, I clicked the ―upload‖ icon at Scribd.com. Call me a self-publisher, label it ―vanity press‖ because I didn‘t send 100 queries and indulge the 18-month conventional process. Call me crazy for investing the fraction of a calorie that it took to click the mouse. The manuscript had to be ready anyway, and now that we‘ve all grown up on Microsoft Word, formatting no longer calls on typesetters. Besides, the publisher Numina Press, LLC found it faster than if I‘d gone the conventional route.

The label ―vanity press‖ is a legacy concept. Is Scribd.com a vanity press? Smashwords? Amazon? Google? Throw the Six Sisters into a pool with these companies and ask yourself who is likely to survive the next decade. Interesting question, isn‘t it? Some of the new players won‘t make it; neither will some of the old players.

The most common objection to self-publishing is that crucial components of the process are ignored. That without the copyediting and proofreading expertise of the legacy publishing industry we‘ll face an artistic meltdown. There is a tradition of excellence in established publishing, but more and more authors are being called on to employ their own editors and fact checkers. At writing conferences it has become a cliché for editors from legacy pub-lishing houses to complain that they have no time to actually ―edit.‖

Just as independent contractors in most fields must tend their own quality control, so must authors. They either hire brilliant copyeditors or do what Numina Press does: leverage the collective expertise of a community of writers. In San Francisco, writers congregate in workshops, grottos, and communities to share the burdens of ―product development.‖ The God Patent was vetted by a dozen authors with bestseller credentials, an attorney, two particle physicists, a Baptist Preacher, a recovering Baptist Preacher, a retired English teacher, and a New York City agent before I posted it on Scribd.com, long before it appeared in print. It‘s not perfect, though the latest electronic version is close.

For the rest of “The Future of Publishing, Part 2: Modernization Puts an End to the Vanity Press and Rescues Booksellers,” go to http://indiereader.com/2011/02/the-future-of-publishing-part-2-of-3-2/.

To read “The Future of Publishing, Part 3: The Next Big Move in Publishing Will Be Geographical,” go to http://indiereader.com/2011/01/the-future-of-publishing-part-3-of-3/.

Ransom Stephens, Ph.D., writer, physicist, and public speaker, has had a front row seat for three industry upheavals: the collapse of the established computer industry in the mid ’80s; the transition of the World Wide Web from a physicists’ tool to an economic cornerstone in the early ’90s; the introduction of 3G and 4G technologies in the mid ’00s; and sees established publishers making the same mistakes that killed other legacy institutions. The San Francisco Chronicle called Ransom’s novel, The God Patent, “the first debut novel to emerge from the new paradigm of online publishing.” (www.TheGodPatent.com).

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 8

Book Review

Island Becomes a Place for Spiritual Awakening and Healing

Iona Dreaming: The Healing Power of Place by Clare Cooper Marcus

by John Q McDonald

In her excellent book House as a Mirror of Self, Berkeley author Clare Cooper Marcus explored how the houses in which we live shape who we are and, in turn, how we shape our homes. It is an in-depth examination of what our space says about us. In Iona Dreaming, Marcus turns much more personal in a memoir about the Scottish island of Iona and how its wind-swept landscape served as a place of spiritual and physical healing after she survived a life-threatening illness. In the early 1990s, Marcus retired from her career in the department of Architecture and Environmental Design at UC Berkeley. That in itself was a major transition. It was followed almost immediately by a diagnosis of breast cancer. During her treatment (and her descriptions of the treatment are harrowing), she visualized the island of Iona as her place of peace, a place containing all the elements of healing she needed during her treatments. She had visited Iona before, and this book encapsulates her long stay on the island after her cancer. There, she reflects on her life, the themes of nature in support of healing, and on the importance of place in our lives. She tells us of her upbring-ing in Britain during World War 2, of the people in her life, and of the path she took to Iona in her retirement. She also relates her experience with the power of dreams to reveal the unconscious mind, its priorities, and its understandings that elude us in our conscious life. What results is nothing less than a personal and spiritual awakening to the landscape of Iona, and to the power of dreams. The book is full of descriptions of the stark and beautiful landscape of the island and Marcus's personal experience with it. The stories she tells are deeply personal, revealing and ultimately powerfully moving. It is an emotional book, full of vision and compassion, quite beautiful in its reflection on life, health, sickness, healing, and even death. Highly recommended.

JoAnn Smith Ainsworth signed with Dawn Dowdle, Agent, Blue Ridge Literary Agency, LLC. Risa Nye‘s essay on a medical-related subject—―The Tooth Revealed in a Dream: Ameloblastoma‖—was bought by online You and Me Magazine and appeared in the April 8 issue. Risa‘s story, ‗Secret Life,‖ is online in Imitation Fruit. Francine Howard‘s novel, The Sisterhood Hyphen, published by Parker Publishing, was released April 6. Francine will have a book signing on May 24 in New York City (Book Expo at the AmazonEncore booth) for Paris Noire, her novel to be released in September. AmazonEncore will include Paris Noire in its Fall 2011 premiere lineup. And look for Francine‘s book signing for The Sisterhood Hyphen and Page From a Tennessee Journal at Alexander Books in San Francisco on June 3 between 12:30–1:30. Lucille Bellucci‘s story, "Fishbone Confessions," was bought by Inkwell, a literary journal published by Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Therese Pipe is Co-Curator with Linda Rosen of a coming exhibit sponsored by the Berkeley Historical Society, "Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley: a Noble Venture," opening on May 15, 2011, 3 pm, at the Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center Street (Veterans Building). For more information, contact the Berkeley Historical Society,

510-848-0181, or Therese, 510-841-5493. Write Angles welcomes letters to the editor, book reviews, and articles of interest to writers. Submit to writeangles@gmail.com. If you are a member and want to share news, please write “Member News” in the subject line. Deadline is the 15th of the month.

Member News

Write Angles

Write Anges

Write Anges

page 9

Visit our web site @ calwritersclub.wordpress.com/

contacts CLUB OFFICERS

President: Linda Brown

Secretary: Kymberlie Ingalls

Treasurer: Madelen Lontiong

VP Administration: Al Levenson

VP Membership: Clifford Hui

VP Communication: Position Open

VP Programs: Barbara Ruffner

VP Marketing Writers‘ Products: Position Open

VP Writing Groups: Barbara Gilvar

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Marketing Writers: Position Open

Publicity Chair: Position Open

New Member Orientation: Barbara Gilvar

Speaker Chair: Jane Glendinning

Workshop Chair: Barry Boland

Write Angles Editor: Tanya Grove

Copyeditor: Anne Fox

Central Board Delegate: Position Open

CWC-Norcal Delegates: Jeff Kingman &

Kathleen Orosco

Web Manager: Position Open

Write On! Story Contest: Position Open

5th-Grade Story Contest: Debby Frisch

Research on California cover author by Karren Elsbernd

Our monthly meetings are free and open to the public and feature a speaker, an author event, or both.

About Us: The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB, founded in 1909, is a 501(c) (3) educational nonprofit dedicated to educating members and the public-at-large in the craft of writing and in the marketing of their work.

“What women have to stand on squarely is not their

CWC Meetings Around the Bay

These are the published meeting times and locations for the CWC branches in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. If you’re thinking about attending one of their meetings, be sure to check the Web site first for details.

Berkeley: Third Sundays (except July & August), 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Oakland's Main Library, West Auditorium, 125 14th Street, Entrance on Madison St. between 13th & 14th Streets. calwritersclub.wordpress.com South Bay: Meets every second Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. at the Lookout Inn, Sunnyvale Golf Course, 605 Macara Avenue, Sunnyvale. southbaywriters.com Central Coast: Meets on the third Tuesday of each month, except December, at the Casa Munras Hotel, 700 Munras Avenue, Monterey. The dinner hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m. centralcoastwriters.org

Fremont: Meets (except in July, December, and on holiday weekends) from 2 to 4 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month at DeVry University, 6600,Dumbarton Circle, Room 204, Fremont. Contact: Richard Scott, rikscott@yahoo.com; (510) 791-8639

Marin: Meets on the fourth Sunday of every month at 2 p.m. at Book Passage in Corte Madera. cwcmarinwriters.com

Mount Diablo: Meets the second Saturday of each month, except July and August, at 11:30 a.m. at the Hungry Hunter Restaurant, 3201 Mount Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette (Pleasant Hill Rd and Hwy 24).mtdiablowriters.org

Redwood: Meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month (except for holiday weekends), from 3 to 5 p.m. at Copperfield’s Books, 2316 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa. redwoodwriters.org

Tri-Valley: Meets the third Saturday of each month, except July and August, at 11:30 a.m. at the Oasis Grille, 780 Main Street, Pleasanton. trivalleywriters.com

Sacramento: Meets at 11:00 a.m. the third Saturday of every month, except July and August, at Luau Garden Chinese Buffet, 1890 Arden Way, Sacramento 95815. sacramento-writers.org

San Francisco/Peninsula: Meets on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Belmont Library, 1110 Alameda De Las Pulgas, Belmont. Sfpeninsulawriters

Page 10 of 8

Contests page 10

Salamander Fiction Prize Deadline: May 15, 2011 Entry Fee: $15 Web site: www.salamandermag.org E-mail address: daniela@garden.net

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Salamander is given annually for a short story. Jim Shepard will judge. Submit a story of up to 40 double-spaced pages. Send an SASE or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. New Letters Literary Awards Deadline: May 18, 2011 Entry Fee: $15 Web site: www.newletters.org E-mail address: newletters@umkc.edu

Three awards of $1,500 each and publication in New Letters are given annually for a group of poems, a short story, and an essay. All entries are considered for publication. Submit up to six poems or no more than 8,000 words of prose with a $15 entry fee, $18 if sub-mitted online, which includes a subscription to New Letters. Send an SASE, e-mail, or visit Web site for complete guidelines. Glimmer Train Press Short Story Award for New Writers Deadline: May 31, 2011 Entry Fee: $15 Web site: www.glimmertrain.org

A prize of $1,200 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given quarterly for a short story by a writer whose fiction has not been published in a nationally distributed publication with a circulation over 5,000. Submit a story of up to 12,000 words. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Winning Writers War Poetry Contest Deadline: May 31, 2011 Entry Fee: $15 Web site: www.winningwriters.com E-mail address: adam@winningwriters.com

A prize of $2,000 and publication on the Winning Writers Web site is given annually for a poem on the theme of war. A $1,200 second-place prize is also given. Jendi Reiter will

judge. Submit up to three poems totaling no more than 500 lines. Send an SASE, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Boulevard Emerging Poets Contest Deadline: June 1, 2011 Entry Fee: $15 Web site: www.boulevardmagazine.org

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a group of poems by a poet who has not yet published a poetry collection with a nationally distributed press. All entries are considered for publication. Submit three poems of any length with a $15 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Boulevard. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Nimrod International Journal California Senior Poet Deadline: June 30, 2011. Entry Fee: $20 per entry Web site: www.amykitchenerfdn.org

For American poets age 50 and older. Winners announced in July and are eligible for entry in national level contest. Visit Web site for full contest details. Redwood Writers Memoir Contest Deadline: June 15, 2011. Entry fee: $8 (members) $10 (nonmembers)

Nonmembers must live in Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Marin, Lake or Solano counties. Memoir must be a maximum of 2,000 words and not previously published. The judges are Susan Bono, Amber Lea Starfire and Linda Joy Myers. Contest winners will be announced at the Redwood branch‘s August 14th meeting. For more information click Memoir Contest Flyer. Inland Empire California Writers Club Annual Writing Contest Deadline for entries: June 30, 2011 Entry Fee: $10 per entry Prizes: 1st Place, $100; 2nd Place, $50; 3rd

Place, $25

The theme is Lost and Found and the categories include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Questions? lhoopes@pomona.edu

Page 11 of 8

Conferences page 11

Children's Writers & Illustrators Conference Book Passage 51 Tamal Vista Blvd.,Corte Madera June 16-19, 2011 Web site: http://bookpassage.com/childrens-writers-illustrators-conference

The conference will cover all aspects of writing and illustrating for children—from developing ideas to honing skills to finding a publisher. Students will work closely with other writers and illustrators, as well as with agents, editors, and publishers. Community of Writers at Squaw Valley Lake Tahoe, California July 16—23, 2011 (Fiction) August 6–13 (creative nonfiction) Web site: www.squawvalleywriters.org E-mail address: info@squawvalleywriters.org

The program includes workshops, craft talks, and faculty readings. The faculty includes poet Robert Hass, fiction writer Karen Joy Fowler, creative nonfiction writer Leslie Daniels, and many more. Tuition is $800, which includes dinners. Scholarships and financial aid are available. Submit four to five pages of poetry or up to 5,000 words of prose with a $30 application fee by May 10. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for an application and complete guidelines. Napa Valley Writers’ Conference St. Helena, California July 24, 2011 Web site: www.napawritersconf.org E-mail address: writecon@napavalley.edu

The conference features lectures, readings, and workshops in poetry and fiction. The cost of the conference is $825, which includes meals. Housing is available with local families for $50 or at area hotels and campsites. Submit five poems or 10 to 15 pages of fiction and a personal statement with a $15 application fee and a $100 tuition deposit. General applica-tions are considered on a rolling basis. Call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for an application and complete guidelines. Algonkian Conference: Write to Market for Fiction Writers Corte Madera, California July 29–31, 2011

Web site: algonkianconferences.com E-mail address: algonkian@webdelsol.com

The conference offers lectures and discussions on writing and selling a novel, as well as an agent pitch session. The faculty includes fiction writers, editors, and agents. The cost of the conference is $295 until April 25, 2011, and $395 thereafter. The room rate at the hotel is $116 per night. Registration is first come, first served. Visit Web site for more information. Mendocino Coast Writers Conference Fort Bragg, California July 28–30, 2011 Web site: www.mcwc.org E-mail address: info@mcwc.org

The conference features workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as readings; panels and workshops with editors, publishers, and agents; craft lectures; and discussion forums on publishing and marketing. The registration fee, which includes meals, is $495 before June 15, and $545 thereafter. Limited financial aid is available. Submit 10 pages of poetry or prose, a letter explaining need, and contact information for two refer-ences by June 16. General registration is first come, first served. Visit the Web site for more information.

"Truth or Lie:

Writing on the Cusp of

Memoir and Fiction”

\

--

yers-may-8-2011-final.pdf

CALIFORNIA

WRITERS CLUB

BERKELEY BRANCH

www.cwc-berkeley.com

.

Since Oprah and James Frey, writers are

concerned with defining their genre. They worry

about hurting the family, whether their memories

are “right,” and also express concern about what

to include—should they mention secrets, lies,

and the dark stories that they’ve been taught

should not be told, or be silent. What stories

whisper in your ear, what stories do you want to

write even if no one reads them?

In this hands-on workshop, we will draw upon

writing exercises, such as turning point and

timeline exercise, and discuss the important

fictional tools that will help you create a

world in your memoir. There will be time to

write and share some of your memoir vignettes

Linda Joy Myers, Ph.D., MFT, is the President and

founder of the National Association of Memoir

Writers, and past president of the California Writers

Club, Marin branch. Author of The Power of Memoir—How

to Write Your Healing Story, and the award winning

memoir Don’t Call Me Mother, Linda has won prizes for

her work in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Through

her workshops, coaching, and speaking engagements,

Linda inspires people to capture their stories.

www.namw.org.

Complimentary coffee, tea and cookies

A CWC Mini-Workshop with

Linda Joy Myers

The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB is a 501(c) (3) educational nonprofit dedicated to educating members and the public-at-large in the craft of writing and in the marketing of their work.

To Register: Send a check to the CWC for $9 (members) or

$29 (non-members—be sure to include e-mail address) to CWC-BB Attn: Workshops, PO Box 6447, Alameda, CA 94501 Call Barbara Ruffner 510-845-1617 with questions

Sunday, May 8, 2011 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Independence Plaza, corner of Webster St. and Atlantic Ave., in Alameda

Complimentary coffee, tea and cookies

Page 13 of 8

THE BERKELEY BRANCH of the 101-year-old CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB is proud to announce

WINNERS OF THE 25TH ANNUAL FIFTH-GRADE STORY CONTEST

Reception & Awards Ceremony

WHEN: SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1:30-4:00 P.M. WHERE: OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY West Auditorium 125 14th Street (94612) Entrance on Madison St., between 13

th & 14

th Streets

Public Information: Library-238-3134.

WHO: WINNERS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY

All entrants are welcome.

CWC Members are encouraged to come!

Event is Free. Open to the public.

HOW TO GET THERE: By Public Transit: Call 511 or go to www.511.org

Bus: AC Transit

BART: Lake Merritt Station, 9th and Madison - Walk five blocks north By Car: Street parking is not recommended due to two-hour time limit. Parking lots are nearby, including underground parking 3 blocks south at the Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak St. Garage entrance is on Oak.

Refreshments Provided Questions? Write DNDNL2@mac.com

Ceremony Agenda

1:30 pm Arrive/Mingle 2:00 Opening Remarks; Club History/ Awards History 2:15 Student Story Reading & Awards 3:45 Raffle 3:55 Closing Remarks 4:00 Group Photo

Page 14 of 8

So you have a website or a blog, now what? How can

people find you? What are they looking for? How do you

build up regular readers or followers? What are some

good ideas to promote yourself online?

These are just a few of the topics Linda

Lee will be discussing with us in her

presentation. Discover some easy and fun

ways that you can ―build your tribe

online‖ and keep your readers coming

back for more.

Linda began her own online business in 1998, and since then her entrepreneurial sensibilities have helped others find their own place on the web. She has uncanny ability to disarm anyone‘s computer anxieties. Linda teaches technophobes of all generations, from Millennials to Boomers. She is not your typical techie. Specializing in WordPress, Website design and Online Business Consulting, Linda has helped hundreds of clients find success online. She is the founder of Askmepc-webdesign, Smart Women Stupid Computers and WordPress Central.

Find Linda Lee at www.askmepc-webdesign,

www.smartwomenstupidcomputers.com,

www.wordpresscentral.org

10 Ways to Make Your Website Sticky

and keep readers coming back for more with

LINDA LEE

Meeting Schedule:

1:00 p.m. Library doors open, Marketing

Group meets

1:30-2:00 Social time for members and newcomers

2:00-2:15 Club meeting & announcement

2:15-2:30 CWC-BB Published Author Reading

2:30-3:30 Featured Speaker, including Q&A

3:30 p.m. Adjourn

CALIFORNIA

WRITERS

CLUB

BERKELEY BRANCH

Sunday, May 15, 2011 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.

West Auditorium Oakland Public Library

125 14th Street (94612)

Entrance also on Madison St., between 13th and 14th Streets. wheelchair accessible

Our monthly meetings are free

and open to the public. Each

month we typically feature a

speaker and an author event.

Find out more about

our contests,

workshops, writing

groups, and more at

www.cwc-berkeley.com

The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB is a 501(c) (3) educational nonprofit dedicated to educating members

and the public-at-large in the craft of writing and in the

marketing of their work. ―Come write with us!‖