March 14, 2023
Dear members of the San Francisco Peninsula Branch of the CWC,
Newsblast Update March 14, 2023!
Find our website at https://cwc-sfpeninsula.org
Members submit news to: newsletter@sfpeninsulawriters.com
Next Meeting: Sat, Mar 18, 2023, 10am-12pm
Our next meeting at the Sequoia Yacht Club will help us learn “How to Write with Page Turning Tension” (and who doesn’t want to write like this!) presented by Jordan Rosenfeld who has written six books on writing craft. More information and registration here.
President’s Message
Exhausted but Thrilled.
I just returned from the San Francisco Writers Conference as an attendee and speaker.
The abundance of presentations, everything for a beginning writer to a veteran, was offered. It was overwhelming.
Conferences are always intense and tiring but at the same time, exhilarating.
As for me, I’m fortunate to have a fabulous literary agent and a “just published” book sitting nicely at the conference bookstore.
Frankly, I thought at my writing stage that I didn’t need to attend writer conferences any longer. I was so wrong. There was still so much new information that I need, it was exhaustive. I couldn’t take notes fast enough.
The offerings at the SFWC covered editing, revisions, micro and macro tension building, marketing, and a Hollywood and Poetry track included—things I really need.
There were four main tracks: fiction, nonfiction, children’s, business, and marketing—something for everyone. You could also practice your pitch to editors and literary agents.
Special perks were the various booths from organizations, including our California Writers Club. We had many people stop by and sign up for future info about the CWC, depending on where they live.
While I’m a nonfiction writer, creative nonfiction, to be specific, it was clear to me I need to know a lot more about literary writing. So, I attended many of the fiction tracks, including the sessions on creating micro tension and a special section on artificial intelligence and ChatGBT. That room was packed. People wanted to know how AI would affect the future of writing in all forms. The final result is that AI will improve, and we may not be able to tell the difference. However, one panelist shared that she used ChatGBT to do her research for her. She said she could get the research she needed by narrowing down each search and compiling what she required in three hours instead of the 40 she expected to need. Wow. We need to keep an eye on that.
I’m renewed as a beginning writer all over again.
Geri Spieler
New Volunteers!
Pat Obuchowski and Marianne Brems have stepped forward to rotate writing your bi-monthly newsblasts. We appreciate kudos any time!
Special Events
Writers Helping Writers: Palo Alto & San Mateo
Join Darlene Frank on Thursday evening, March 16, 6:45 PM, at Rinconada Library in Palo Alto, where you will learn about editing memoirs and personal stories. Join us! It’s free!
On March 9, a talented David Strom presented an informative session about a comic book geek’s open mic journey with numerous tips and tricks on how to get people to really listen to you when reading your writings in front of an audience. These events, sponsored by the San Mateo Public Library are coordinated with Tuula Laine, a librarian at the library and a member of the San Francisco Peninsula branch of the CWC.
We’re looking for presenters. If you’d like to present, send an email to vp@sfpeninsulawriters.com.
Writer’s Block?
Just Shut Up and Write! with us. Join us Tuesdays at 9:30 am for 1.5 hours of solid writing time and get to know some of the other members in our club as well as make some quiet time to write. Check us out!
Women’s National Book Association
The Women's National Book Association - SF Chapter celebrates its Twentieth Anniversary of Pitch-O-Rama! It will take place via Zoom on Sat, Apr 29, 8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Up to 100 writers will get to pitch to agents, book professionals, and publishers. To find out more and register go here.
Member News
Our members have been so busy! Check news about Jeanne Powell, Megan McDonald, Nancy Woody, Geri Spieler, Jac Fitzenz, and Jim Hanna on the Newstand online.
Next Member News Deadline: Mar 22.
To submit news or ask news questions, write to newsletter@sfpeninsulawriters.com.
Follow the news submission guidelines here.
Writing Critique Groups from Miera Row
A Sneak Peek for Critique-Group Hopefuls!
Check out the current critique groups that we have documented, so far.
We have a couple of brand new groups on the list, as well -- kudos to the new hosts for stepping up.
Call for ACTION by Mon, Mar 20: Have you been on the fence about forming your own group? Or not had a chance to send in your existing group information? There is still time! Please use this link to enter your critique group information.
By the end of March, we will publish every entry that has come in, and a new page "Request to Join a Group" will go live.
Matchmaking will begin in April!
As one of our groupies said, “For me, writing critique group is the most useful method of knowing what impact my writing has and how to be even more impactful.”
This is an evolving process. I appreciate your support and welcome your suggestions, as we go along.
Questions? mieraraocwc@gmail.com
Please be patient with response time as it could take a couple of days.
Got Questions?
Many questions are answered in our website FAQs.
Want to add your own profile to our Member profiles? Send a short bio (<100 words), a link to a ‘more information’ web site if you have one, and a resizable JPEG image to webmaster@sfpeninsulawriters.com.
Stuart Horwitz Workshop (see photos attached)
Thirty members and guests attended Saturday’s workshop. The vibes in the Yacht Club were great! Stu was amazing. Writes Doug Baird, “[the workshop] was stuffed with valuable insight, some of it daunting. As I told him, it was like opening a cupboard door with all this information pouring out onto the floor. I’m glad I got his book, as I step through it.”
Pat Obuchowski
California Writers Club
San Francisco / Peninsula Branch
Photos courtesy of Doug Baird and Kevin Kelly
