Writers Forum presents a variety of speakers sharing information about the craft and business of writing.  

We welcome you to join us and learn about many aspects of writing.

These literary workshops take place on the third Thursday of each month, February through November (no workshops in January or December).

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (we start promptly at 7:00 pm)

 $15 at the door

 Location: Petaluma Community Center at Lucchesi Park, 320 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, California

Note from August 19 Presenter, Gordon Burgett:  "If the writing/publishing information we shared at the 8/19 meeting was helpful, you might enjoy similar information in my free monthly newsletter. Three free writing reports too: go to www.gordonburgett.com/free-reports to sign up. If it's not for you, it's just as easy to unsignup!" Thanks, Gordon Burgett.

September 16 Jody Gehrman  -  Writing Your Novel Your Way

According to Somerset Maugham, "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."

Such is the elusive nature of this form; most of us just plow in and try to stumble through. There are as many ways to write novels as there are novelists, so finding a process that works for you and tweaking it when needed is essential. Novelist and playwright Jody Gehrman will present a vast array of techniques for getting your novel written, staying excited about it, and getting it into the best shape possible. 

JODY GEHRMAN is a Professor of English at Mendocino College. She has taught writing for twelve years. Her sixth novel, Babe in Boyland, is forthcoming in February, 2011 with Penguin's Dial books.  Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty was her first Young Adult novel, followed soon after by its sequel, Triple Shot Bettys in Love; both published by Penguin's Dial books. 

                                                          Jody's Website:  www.jodygehrman.com 

October 21   Mark Burstein - Talk to a Live, Naked Editor

Often editors are thought of as glorified spell-checkers, but that, of course, is but a minuscule part of what we do. How many different kinds of editors are there? Exactly what can they do for you? How do they collaborate with an author? How do you find the right one? Mark will address questions like these, share (often humorous) war stories, and talk about the editorial process from conception to a finished work of art.

Editor/agent Mark Burstein has edited writers for publication ranging from members of Guns N’ Roses to Pope John Paul II, with the likes of Maya Angelou, Jorge Luis Borges, Herbert Gold, Quincy Jones, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Sidney Poitier, Carlos Santana, and Patti Smith in between. His recent works for publishers such as Harry N. Abrams, Clarkson Potter, and Insight Editions have won six gold and three silver medals from ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year and the Independent Publisher Book Awards. www.MarkMyWords.ws.

November 18   David Corbett

DAVID CORBETT is the author of four critically acclaimed novels: The Devil’s Redhead, Done for a Dime, Blood of Paradise, and Do They Know I’m Running? His short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2009.

www.davidcorbett.com

                                                                                                                                                              WRITERS FORUM  2011

February 17, 2011  Zoe FitzGerald Carter

 Zoe FitzGerald Carter is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and has written for numerous publications includingThe New York Observer, Premiere, The San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, and various national magazines.  Imperfect Endings is her first memoir.

Imperfect Endings won first place in the 2008 Pacific Northwest Writer's Association's literary contest and was a finalist at The San Francisco Writer's Conference. It was excerpted in O magazine and is a Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers" pick for 2010. Paula Span of The New York Times wrote: "I could quote from this book all day. . . but instead I'll just recommend that those intrigued by the subject spend a little time with the ailing but ferocious Margaret and her daughters. A decision to die can sound romantic or it can sound repugnant. Carter shows us what it was like in reality."

You can read more about the book on her website: http://www.zoefitzgeraldcarter.com/index.html

March 17, 2011 Verna Dreisbach

Verna Dreisbach is an author, educator and literary agent.  Her work has been featured in books, literary journals, magazines, and newspapers. She is the editor of Why We Ride: Women Writers on the Horses in their Lives, published by Seal Press in 2010.     http://www.dreisbachliterary.com/index.html

April 15  Matt Stewart

Matt Stewart's debut novel, The French Revolution, has been called “wildly imaginative,” “brilliant,” and “an excellent achievement.”

Matt is mildly infamous for releasing the novel on Twitter first. Grab his free French Rev iPhone app on matt-stewart.com.

Poets & Writers, July August 2010 issue, lists Matt's book as one of the "Ten More Notable Fiction Debuts."

"Last year Matt Stewart's The French Revolution (Soft Skull Press, July) became the first full-length novel to be released—in approximately thirty-seven hundred tweets—on Twitter. Beyond that headline-worthy experiment in twenty-first century publishing, however, there's an entertaining, multilayered plot based on the eponymous historical event."  Poets & Writers, July August 2010

For more information:  Marlene Cullen, mcullen@comcast.net