Jennifer March Soloway - Navigating Publication
Recap of Jennifer March Soloway – Navigating Publication: From Query to Submission to Acquisitions to the Book Itself
by Bill Baldwin
How many times have we heard that the publishing world is changing? While self-publishing can be a terrific option, our October Speaker, Jennifer March Soloway, talked about the traditional publishing process. As a co-founder and agent at Starling Literary + Media, she has an inside view of the end-to-end process used by many traditional publishers today (though there’s no guarantee that it won’t change tomorrow).
Francisco Jimenez - The Discovery of Self, Purpose, and Place Through Writing
Francisco Jimenez – The Discovery of Self, Purpose, and Place Through Writing
by Shari Clare
The writing process is often described as a journey. Some journeys are smooth and easy while others can take you to unexpected places.
Our November speaker, Francisco Jimenez, has taken a most unexpected journey, from an impoverished boyhood to award-winning author and renowned university professor. In his presentation,
Please join us on Saturday, November 14 for Francisco’s fabulous presentation: The Discovery of Self, Purpose, and Place Through Writing.
Fall Writing Contest
South Bay Writers is having a Fall Writing Contest!
Topic: Food Memory
Submit a 100-to 200-word description of a food that conjures up memories. Mom’s mango pie, Grandma’s Christmas cake, Dad’s BBQ. It could be an item you loved or hated, a wonderful memory or a fiasco!
First place prize: $50, plus 2nd and 3rd place prizes
Susan Sherman and Elizabeth McKenzie - Insights Into Their Writing Process
Recap of the September Meeting with Susan Sherman and Elizabeth McKenzie
By Shari Clare
Any time our club hosts members of the Rough Drafts critique group, we know we are in for an informative and entertaining event. Our September meeting was no exception, courtesy of two members of that group, the acclaimed authors Susan Sherman and Elizabeth McKenzie. Their fascinating discussion described both their writing process and the benefits of being in a critique group.
Jennifer March Soloway - Navigating Publication
Jennifer March Soloway – Navigating Publication: From Query to Submission to Acquisitions to the Book Itself
by Shari Clare
How many times have we heard that the publishing world is changing? While self-publishing can be a terrific option, our October Speaker, Jennifer March Soloway, will talk about the traditional publishing process. As a co-founder and agent at Starling Literary + Media, she has an inside view of the end-to-end process used by many traditional publishers today (though there’s no guarantee that it won’t change tomorrow).
Join us to hear Jennifer March Soloway, an agent and publisher who has lived through the many changes in the publishing world. Her forthright set of insights could help you decide whether traditional publishing might be a good fit for your work.
When: Saturday, October 10, 10:30 a.m. (10:15 Check-in)
Where: Saratoga Senior Center, 19655 Allendale Ave, Saratoga. CA
$10 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Go to Become a Member to learn how to join our group.
Susan Sherman and Elizabeth McKenzie - Insights Into Their Writing Process
Susan and Elizabeth are long-time members of the Rough Drafts; a critique group composed of accomplished writers from throughout the Santa Cruz area. They will discuss the importance of this group to their writing process and provide insights into how being part of a critique group can enhance your work, as well as other aspects of your life. You won’t want to miss out on hearing about the unique paths these talented authors have taken on their writing journeys.
Bruce Overby - Writing Dialogue for Impact
Recap of Bruce Overby presentation on Writing Dialogue for Impact
By Bill Baldwin
We welcomed Bruce Overby to our August meeting to share his insights on the use of dialogue in fiction,
Dialogue is not simply the quoted words of several people; it is a unit, the entire description of what is being said—or not said! It can include comments on tone of voice, the attitude of the speaker, hand gestures, body language; anything that conveys the actual experience of the words.
Bruce Overby - Writing Dialog for Impact
On Aug 8th, Bruce Overby, a published author of fiction and nonfiction, will reveal the process for creating compelling dialogue and discuss a number of essential functions that dialogue must fulfill.
In addition to his two published works, The Cyclone Release (2022), a literary novel, and Tristan 4 America, a political thriller, Bruce’s short fiction has appeared in multiple literary magazines and has won competitions.
San Jose Book Festival
The San Jose Book Festival brought together more than 100 authors and publishers, along with bookstores and community organizations. We met local authors, discovered new books, talked with publishers, purchased signed books, and learned more about the local literary community.
South Bay Writers was pleased to sponsor a table at the San Jose Book Festival on Saturday, September 12. We had members present to talk about our club, display / sell books that our members have written, and answer any questions people had about South Bay Writers.
Here are some pictures of the event.
Open Mic Nights
Join us for an evening of live readings where talented writers share excerpts from their current works-in-progress.
When: 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month
Where: Zoom (1st Fri), Willow Glen Library (3rd Fri)
Karen Joy Fowler - Novel Settings
The Importance of Setting in Novels
Recap by Bill Baldwin
We were honored to host Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club, at our June gathering, and hear her wisdom on “The Importance of Setting in Novels.”
She cautioned us, at various points, to take experts’ advice (even her own?) with a grain of salt.
Richard A. Burns - Poetry Collection
Richard A. Burns has published a poetry collection of over 100 of his best poems. His book, Full of Possibilities - Poems from an Ordinary Extraordinary Life, is available on Amazon.
Lita Kurth - Writing Memoir in Flashes
It was delightful to welcome Lita Kurth to our May meeting. Lita has a long association with South Bay Writers, stretching back to our East of Eden Conferences in the early 2000s. She has written extensively about flash fiction, including how to utilize it in memoirs. She shared her wisdom and experience this Saturday morning.
Karen Joy Fowler - Novel Settings
The South Bay Writers club is honored to welcome Karen Joy Fowler, a world-renowned writer, as our June 13th speaker, where she will give her presentation about the importance of novel settings, titled “Where Am I, and When Did I Get Here?”.
Peggy Townsend - Memorable Characters
April Recap of Creating Memorable Characters with Peggy Townsend
by Bill Baldwin and Amanda Senior
Peggy Townsend, our April speaker, shared insights she has acquired writing her series of mysteries. After 33 years as a journalist covering the cops beat, Townsend is well placed as a crime fiction writer. “I know more serial killers than is good for me.” She’s familiar with cops, convicts, morgues, and graveyards: a hefty dose of hands-on experience!
Lita Kurth - Writing Memoir in Flashes
The South Bay Writers club welcomes Lita Kurth as our May 9th speaker. Her latest work, “Writing Memoir in Flashes: Creative Ways to Tell Your True Stories, One Memory at a Time” will be available in May. Lita will be speaking about how to write in short bursts, and will include an exercise (or two) to help get our creativity in gear.
Member News - April 2026
Check out the latest member news from Lisa Scott-Prince, Patricia Dick, Tonya McQuade, and Sunil Mehta.
Panel Discussion on Publishing
We had a very enthusiastic and informative discussion about self-publishing with varied panel, covering everything from the three major ways to publish a book, the benefits and drawbacks of each, the work involved with each path, and the dangers to look out for. We came away with a very useful bullet point summary of the entire discussion.
Peggy Townsend - Memorable Characters
The South Bay Writers club welcomes Peggy Townsend as our April speaker. An award-winning journalist and novelist, Peggy will talk to us about how she creates memorable main characters and their sidekicks, a topic that is equally applicable in both fiction and memoir.