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). 

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. 

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.

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.

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!

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.

Our February speaker, Kathleen Founds, treated us to an amazing tale of writing, persistence and self-discovery that demonstrated how patience and humor can help overcome hardship and achieve our dreams.

It was an honor and joy to welcome Jordan Rosenfeld back to South Bay Writers—we’ve known her a long time! Not only did we hear her wise writing advice on a sunny Saturday, we each received a copy of her book The Sound of Story: Developing Voice and Tone in Writing.

November recap - D. M. Rowell - My Path to Writing
by Bill Baldwin

Donna (D.M.) Rowell knows about storytelling—she should! Growing up as a member of the Kiowa tribe in Oklahoma, she’s listened to stories her entire life! In Kiowa culture, storytelling connects you to the community, its past, and its values. We were honored to welcome Rowell to our club for our November (Native American Heritage Month) meeting!

The Reporter’s Toolkit for Novelists: Bringing Journalistic Skills To Fiction
by Bill Baldwin

Geri Spieler, journalist and author of Housewife Assassin—The Woman Who Tried To Kill President Ford plus two works of historical fiction, shared her insights at our October meeting. 

What can novelists learn from journalists? First, learn to ask the right questions. Then, learn how to find the answers to those questions.

September recap: Our September speaker, Meg Waite Clayton, shared her experience of knowing at a young that she wanted to become a writer, but not fulfilling that ambition until midlife. She felt the attraction of writing, even as a preteen; yet it was more than twenty years later that she decided to “take the plunge.” The first lesson she shared with us would seem obvious, but so easy to refuse to see: to become a writer, you have to try!