The Writers Network will not meet in April due to the COVID-19 emergency.

We encourage you to use this time to write.  Keep a journal, write some poems, describe life in these difficult days.  You are the historians of today.

 

 

Naida West

Western Memoir and Novels

Naida will address:

1. Why she broke her memoir into two parts;
2. How Mark Twain’s autobiography influenced her;
3. How to handle the problem of your children without resorting to Twain’s strategy of delaying publication for100 years.

Briefly Naida will explain how she marketed her books, including creating the Authors Booth at the State Fair with a fellow author.

Naida West, author of Eye of the Bear, River of Red Gold and Rest for the Wicked (California Gold Trilogy) as well as Murder on the Middle Fork and other books, has received copious praise from readers over the last 25 years. A common question they ask is:  How could you portray people from the 1800s so vividly that readers feel they know them personally? Her most recent book, Daughter of the West, Part I, answers that question. Readers meet a host of farmers and ranchers who raised her in Idaho and Montana, including one who became the model of the most villainous character in River of Red Gold. Naida is now writing Part II.

Writers Network Meeting
March 6, 2020
9-11 AM

Perko’s, 6215 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights (north of Greenback)

Bring Market Leads & Marketing Tips

Questions? Ask via our Contact page.

 Tales from Murderer’s Bar

 

Kathryn Miller Marshall

 Author and Historian

Location research can yield an interesting cast of characters from actual residents and backstory events. Historian and educator, Dr. Kathryn Marshall shares the results of her research into the Gold Rush era to share the tales of Ezekiel Merritt, Porter Rockwell, and Alondus Buckland.

Kathryn Miller Marshall works with FamilySearch, developing interactive maps and programming content for the Research Wiki. She previously served as the Director of the Lodi Family History Center for 14 years Honored for her contributions to historical research and public education, Dr. Marshall writes curriculum for schools, teaches American history, and edits books for fellow historians.

Writers Network Meeting
February 7, 2020
9-11 AM

Perko’s, 6215 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights (north of Greenback)

Bring Market Leads & Marketing Tips

Questions? Ask via our Contact page.

 Beta Basics: How to Find, Use, and Love Beta Readers

 

Annette Kassis

 Author and Historian

Do you need beta readers? If you write with the intent to publish, the answer is YES!

However, finding good beta readers is just a starting point. If you don’t know how to use them—or why you need them—you may be wasting a golden opportunity. A good beta reader is more than just a bookworm or a bibliophile…A LOT more. Annette Kassis discusses how she works with beta readers, what makes a good beta reader (and what makes a bad one!), and—perhaps most importantly—what you as the author can do to get the most out of the process.

Annette Kassis is the author of 3 works of Sacramento history: Sacramento on the Air; Prohibition in Sacramento; and Weinstock’s: Sacramento’s Finest Department Store. A repeat guest on Capital Public Radio’s “Insight with Beth Ruyak,” Annette has also appeared on C-Span’s Book TV and in the documentaries “The Sacramento Picture” and “Alhambra: Sacramento’s Palace of Fantasy.”

annette.kassis@gmail.com          https://www.kassiscreative.com/

Writers Network Meeting
January 3, 2020
9-11 AM

Perko’s, 6215 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights (north of Greenback)

Bring Market Leads & Marketing Tips

Questions? Ask via our Contact page.

 

Read A Sample of Your Work Aloud

 

First Friday Writers Network attendees in December will be flocking to the microphone to read a short selection from their work.  It’s the ultimate show, don’t tell opportunity.  There won’t be time to set up, contextualize, introduce, or explain what you are reading.  It’s strictly about speaking in your writer’s voice until the time is up.  So, bring approximately 250 words (a page) of text and be ready to jump in.  It should be great fun!

Writers Network Meeting
December 6, 2019
9-11 AM

Perko’s, 6215 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights (north of Greenback)

Bring Market Leads & Marketing Tips

Questions? Ask via our Contact page.