California Writers Club, Sacramento Branch

Dedicated to Educating Writers of all Levels

Writers Network August 4 – You Don’t Know what you Don’t Know


Friday, August 4, 2023

9 – 11 am

CH Cafe & Grill (formally Perko’s)
6215 Sunrise Blvd (just off Greenback)
Citrus Heights

or

Join with Zoom

Passcode 811481
Elaine Faber
Elaine Faber

Elaine Faber

Author

Writing craft Do and Don’ts and examples of how NOT to write a short story.

Attendees will learn about:

  • Three elements of the perfect scene.
  • Hands on opportunity to write a good scene.
  • A list of do’s and don’ts on writing craft.
  • A fun exercise identifying how NOT to write a short story.
  • Exploring good dialogue techniques

Elaine has published ten mystery novels and an anthology of ‘cat’ stories. Her short stories appear in 22 anthologies. A member of Sisters in Crime, Northern CA Publishers and Authors, and Elk Grove Writer’s Guild, Elaine has led critique groups and enjoys mentoring new writers. She lives in Elk Grove with her husband and two cats.

Ida M Jones

Ida M Jones
Ida M Jones
Mother. Sister. Aunt. Friend. Soon-to-be Retired-Professor of Business Law. Ida has written and published numerous articles in academic journals. Those articles cover research on a wide range of topics, including property law, intellectual property law,  and the science of teaching and learning. 
 
Reading and writing are essential parts of Ida’s core. Ida reads or listens to at least two books weekly. For the next chapter of Ida’s life, that is, life after retirement in December 2023, Ida will be writing fiction. Since January 2023 Ida has submitted short stories to writing contests. Ida is also writing the first of a planned series of mysteries featuring a protagonist who has qualities that include some of the quirks of her oldest son who, in 2019, passed into the mysteries of death from heart disease.

September 2023 at Cattlemens

Mark your calendar for another exciting Cattlemen’s meeting Saturday, September 16!

BUILDING YOUR STORY STRUCTURE: So the rest doesn’t come crashing down!

Featured speaker:  Jennieke Cohen

Jennieke Cohen
Jennieke Cohen

Does your story sometimes fall flat and you’re not sure why? That could be because it’s missing the fundamental building blocks of structure. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the basics of story structure and how to apply them to your own writing—whether you’re revising or starting a project from scratch. Using some well-known books and movies, we’ll pinpoint the difference between a satisfying story and one that’s easily forgotten and leave you with the tools to apply structure to your own writing.

What you will learn:

  • Dealing with structure early can save a lot of aggravation in revision.
  • If you’re working on structure after the book is written, make sure all the appropriate story beats are present.
  • Knowing what kind of story you’re writing not only helps with structure, it’s important to know how to sell your book to readers, agents, and editors.
  • It’s easy to get off track in the middle—we’ll discuss how having structure can prevent the dreaded saggy middle.
  • There’s no one way to write a book. But almost all strong stories have a strong underlying structure.

Jennieke Cohen is the author of two young adult historical novels, both of which have been translated into multiple languages. Her debut book, DANGEROUS ALLIANCE, was a Junior Library Guild selection, and her latest, MY FINE FELLOW, is a 2023 Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book. She’s worked as a nonfiction ghostwriter and as a writing consultant to Silicon Valley tech companies. A UC Davis graduate, Jennieke also has a master’s degree in professional writing from USC.

Visit Jennieke’s website at www.JenniekeCohen.com

Dangerous Alliance
Dangerous Alliance

My Fine Fellow
My Fine Fellow

Program Itinerary

Networking & Coffee: 11:30 am.

Lunch: 12:00 noon.

Featured Speaker: 1:00 pm.

Post Meeting Presentation: 2:30 pm, See below for details.

Prize Draw: Time as appropriate.

We will also have a book display – Bring a copy of your book to display and SELL!

Meal: Plated, with vegetarian option

Meeting cost: $32, advance purchase; walk-in, $37. Required of all attendees, receipt available which can be tax deductible. Sadly, our prices have gone up to cover bank charges.

Purchase Tickets

Post-meeting presentation & club fundraiser: A 30-minute presentation, tips, and Q’s & A’s! (Attendees who stay are encouraged to give a donation to the club!)

Amplifying Your Author Brand:

Tips for Pitching Print and Online Magazines

CWC member Brina Patel will discuss how authors can write for print or online magazines to publicize their books or build their writing portfolios. Learn effective strategies for writing a compelling pitch and honing in on your impactful story ideas. You’ll walk away with Brina’s 7-step pitching process that’ll help you send your story ideas off with confidence!

Brina Patel is a content writer whose bylines have appeared in several publications including Business Insider, Byrdie, Well+Good, and Verywell Mind. Brina also edited the Rituals anthology with Bell Press Books, and her creative nonfiction has been published in Heartwood Literary Magazine and LEVITATE Magazine. In her free time, Brina enjoys traveling, reading, going on adventures with friends, and sharing writing tips on her blog at:

www.brinapatelwriter.com.

Brina Patel
Brina Patel

 

Writers Network July 7 – What’s special about Eliza?


Friday, July 7, 2023

9 – 11 am

CH Cafe & Grill (formally Perko’s)
6215 Sunrise Blvd (just off Greenback)
Citrus Heights 

or

Join with Zoom

Passcode 811481
 
Eileen Hook
Eileen Hook

 

 

Eileen Hook

Author

Why write a biography of an ordinary person? How do Eliza’s experiences resonate with modern readers?

Attendees will learn about:

  • Who was Eliza Gregson?
  • Key sources for writing a biography
  • Verify the facts, memories can be fuzzy
  • Writing in first person vs third person makes the story real

Eileen Hook has a BS degree in Interpretation from CSU, Sacramento. She has been actively researching and portraying California pioneer women since 1980 at Sutter’s Fort and Marshall Gold Discovery Park. Her 40-year study of Eliza Gregson’s life has taken her from England to pre gold rush California.

Eileen Hook – Friend of Sutter Fort

 

Eliza's Story
Eliza’s Story

Deanna Jones-Guinasso

Deanna Guinasso
Deanna Guinasso

Deanna Jones-Guinasso was a pioneer in the sport of women’s bodybuilding. In 1977 she helped organize the first bodybuilding competition in northern California to include women. When females began using steroids, Ms. Guinasso shifted her focus placing 7th in the Ms. National Fitness, where the other competitors were half her age.

She participated in a number of athletic activities throughout her fitness career including running marathons and 100-mile roller-skating events. Ms. Guinasso is a long-time student of anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology. In 1992 she invented an exercise device (patent #5,399,138), the ButtMaster®, marketed by Suzanne Somers.

At sixty she was involved in the equine sport of endurance racing and competed in the Tevis, a one-day 100-mile race from Squaw Valley down to Auburn. At 73, she spends her days working out, gardening, painting, and writing.