Jordan Rosenfeld, who presented a workshop for Tri-Valley Writers on character and point of view, gave a brief writing exercise on creating new metaphors and similes. She presented a list of phrases that had become cliches and challenged us to create something fresh. I thought a different way of saying right as rain could be …
Similes, Metaphors and Phrases by Lani Longshore Read More »
Celebrate the new year with others whose passion for writing is as strong as your own! Our Winterfest celebration will be a member-led Workshop à La Carte. The workshop is designed to help writers polish their work for anthologies such as Tri-Valley Writers fourth anthology to be published in late 2018, writing contests, collections of …
Author Sofia Grant will speak to writers about how to create emotional depth in a novel at our final meeting of the year. This presentation offers an overview of emotion’s relationship to plot and character and introduces a variety of ways to add emotional depth. Learn to avoid common pitfalls and create your character’s “emotion palette.” …
Sofia Grant presents How to Create Emotional Depth in a Novel Read More »
I have a pad of paper on a magnet on the refrigerator for the grocery list. There are stacks of scrap paper by the telephone, and a legal pad on my nightstand for ideas that wake me from a sound sleep. One could believe I am a die-hard devotee of paper as the perfect writing …
The last of the Baby Boomers and the first of the Gen Xers will be the last generation to remember the world before the internet, or so I heard at a lecture by Scott Thomas Anderson at CWC Tri-Valley Writers September meeting. That’s a bit of a shock, but there’s a bigger demarcation line in …
The Last Generation to Remember the World Before Photocopiers by Lani Longshore Read More »
Novelist, copyeditor, and writing coach, C. S. Lakin, will delve into screenwriting techniques to help authors write in a more visual and compelling way at our meeting on Saturday, November 18. Join us at 2:00 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton, 5115 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton, for Lakin’s illuminating presentation, “Shoot Your Novel: Cinematic Secrets to …
C.S. Lakin presents “Shoot Your Novel: Cinematic Secrets to Supercharge Your Story” Read More »
The most recent natural disaster, Hurricane Harvey, reminded me to review my earthquake preparedness file. It contains lists of what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Most important, there are lists of things to keep packed and ready. I suggest that a writer needs to add a notebook and supply of pens to …
Every time one of my writing buddies gets a nibble from an agent, I wonder if I shouldn’t trust the universe to provide and send out another round of queries myself. I’m happy enough self-publishing. No, my sales aren’t good, but the chances of them being better with a traditional publisher aren’t guaranteed, and at …
There are days when I can write stories, and there are days when I can write titles. Alas, the titles don’t always match the stories. Still, writing is writing, so I keep a file of all the titles that manage to stick to a memory cell long enough for me to record them. Whether I’ll …
Jac Fitzenz won the opening chapter prize at the 2017 San Francisco Peninsula Literary Fair for his second Mike and Grace novel, Spies with Benefits. This is the second consecutive year Dr. Jac has won the prize. In 2016 he received the award for Undaunted Lovers. Ann Parker’s novel What Gold Buys, has been nominated …
