Have you poured your heart and soul into a draft of your novel or spent the month of November writing 50,000 + words for NaNoWriMo, and now don’t know what to do with all your effort? Are you stuck with your research? Or not sure if you’ve done enough to properly world build? Perhaps you …
I read a cultural history of Saint Petersburg, Russia, that reminded me of how much place influences character. Almost all of my favorite composers, from the 1800s well into the 20th century, were born and/or trained in Saint Petersburg. I was amazed at how many of the 20th century musicians either stayed or returned despite …
Place, History and Character Development by Lani Longshore Read More »
I write science fiction, so I’m always looking for ways to improve my world-building skills. Sometimes I find my best examples in the news. Consider this item from an article in Foreign Affairs: “Since the beginning of written history, Chinese society has relied on extended kinship networks to cope with economic risks. Yet a rising …
Brooke Warner will present a “What You Should Know about Hybrid Publishing” workshop for Tri-Valley Writers’ November meeting. The publishing process is mysterious to many writers. How do agents determine what’s commercial and what’s not? What if your writing is not commercial? Are there options other than commercial publishing and self-publishing? Brooke will demystify the process and …
Brooke Warner, Publisher of She Writes Press & SparkPress, November 16, 2019 Read More »
Camille Minichino will discuss “Hacks for Writing Suspense” as Tri-Valley Writers October speaker. Whatever the genre, suspense is an important component of fiction. We’ll examine ways of creating suspense through all the elements of a good scene: action, dialogue, setting, internal thoughts, and physiological response. Camille is a retired physicist turned writer. She’s the author of 26 …
Camille Minichino, Author of 26 mystery novels, October 19, 2019 Read More »
On July 21, G. Karl Kumfert received the California Writers Club Jack London Award in appreciation and gratitude for his many years of exemplary service to Tri-Valley Writers (TVW). Karl started volunteering as Tri-Valley Writers’ webmaster almost as soon as he joined in late 2012. A technology entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in Computer Science, he …
I used to teach a quilting workshop with my co-author Ann Anastasio called “There’s a Quilt In There Somewhere.” We had our students bring fabric they loved but couldn’t use to the class, and everyone would get a chance to offer suggestions on patterns, other fabrics to include, and embellishments. I mentioned this to a …
There’s A Story in There Somewhere by Lani Longshore Read More »
Adam Plantinga, author of 400 Things Cops Know, will discuss “The Police: Fiction vs. Reality” as Tri-Valley Writers September speaker. This presentation will cover Adam’s first book’s rocky road to publication (hint: persistence can still pay off) as well as some of the key differences between fictional cops and real cops. Attendees will learn that …
Adam Plantinga, Author of 400 Things Cops Know, September 21, 2019 Read More »
Plot is what happens—first this, then that, then the other thing. What if we asked a different question at the beginning of our plot outlines? Try saying, “I was there and this happened to me.” Now we are focused on cause and effect rather than only the events. We’ve established that someone will be adapting …
Plotting with a Different Question by Lani Longshore Read More »
Arushi Avachat has self-published a new book, When Love Dies & Other Stories. Her book launch was at Inklings in Pleasanton on April 27. Several of Arushi’s short stories are award winners in contests for teens.
