The Writers Critique and Support Group meets year 'round at the Oakland Rockridge Library, 5366 College Avenue, on the third Saturday of every month, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Bring eight to ten copies of up to five double-spaced pages of your prose for reading and discussing. These meeting are sponsored by the Berkeley Branch of the California Writers Club. For more information, go to our Writers Critique and Support Group page.
Do you write nonfiction?
If you're interested in starting or becoming involved in an East Bay Nonfiction Workshop, please email Anne Fox
Children’s Fiction Workshop: Email
to consider organizing a new group.Screenwriters Unite meets at Barnes & Noble, 5604 Bay Street, 2nd floor, Emeryville, on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Anyone who's writing or who wants to write a screenplay is welcome. For reading and critique, bring 5-10 pages of your screenplay with enough copies for all of characters with dialogue. For more information, email
Thought Magazine is sponsoring a free Author Series of acclaimed authors of newly released books, many of them from Northern California. Events are held every Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. at the Hotel Rex, 562 Sutter St., San Francisco. For more information, call (650) 344-1288 or visit www.thoughtmagazine.org
The Berkeley Poetry Slam is held 8:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley. Poets compete in these open, themed, or invitational events for audience love, scores, cash, or prizes, plus a chance to represent Berkeley at the Nationals in Minneapolis. Poets who want to read should arrive at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.daniland.com/slam
Keep informed. Visit the San Francisco Bay Area Literary Arts Newsletter for a calendar of local literary events.
Writing for Change is a conference devoted to non-fiction writing that brings about positive change, from the personal to the planetary. The speakers will talk about change in politics, culture, business, marketing, technology, spirituality, social issues, the environment, health & nutrition, international relations, food, medical services, personal development and the criminal justice system.
Attendees have the chance to network, learn from and share their ideas with authors, agents, editors and publishing professionals from the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York.
For more information email sfwriterscon@aol.com, call 415-673-0939 or write the San Francisco Writers Conference at 1029 Jones St., San Francisco, CA 94109.
The deadline for entry submissions into the DIY (Do It Yourself) Book Festival, its sixth annual celebration of independent authors and publishers, is set for September 25, 2008.
This year, the DIY Book Festival has placed special focus on the poetry, fan fiction, unpublished stories, and comics/zine categories. Special reduced entry rates, exclusive category cash prizes, and special spotlights for select entries are among the plans.
The grand prize for the 2008 DIY Book of the Year is $1500 cash and a flight to the awards ceremony, held in October. All entrants receive free admission to the annual DIY Convention in Los Angeles each February and are eligible for special exhibition discounts at the event.
For more information, you can call: visit www.DIYBookFestival.com.
Their winning work will be published in the Spring 2009 Homestead Review produced by Hartnell College. Note: All contest entries will be considered for publication in Hartnell College’s Spring 2009 Homestead Review.
Eligibility: Open to all work not previously published. Simultaneous submissions allowed, but you must notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere.
Entry Fee: Short stories: $15 per entry. Poetry: $5 per entry.
Multiple Entries: You may enter as many times as you wish.
Maximum Length: Short story: 4000 words. Poetry: no restriction.
Submission Period: August 15, 2008 through November 15, 2008 (by postmark)
Submit to: CCW Contest, c/o Michael Thomas, P.O. Box 51805, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Make your check payable to Central Coast Writers.
Format: Typed, white 8½ x11 paper, unstapled, single-sided, numbered pages, with title only (not your name) on upper left corner of all pages. Short stories must be double-spaced. Poetry should be formatted as you want it to appear. Include a single cover sheet for short stories and a single cover sheet for poetry. The cover sheet(s) must include the title(s) of your entry, your name, address, email address, phone number, and word count for short stories.
Notification: Winners will be notified by March 31, 2009 and announced in Scribbles, the Central Coast Writers branch monthly newsletter.
Questions? Email ccw-contests@comcast.net
This one's over but check out the site for other contests.
WriterAdvice is searching for flash fiction, memoir, and creative nonfiction that grabs, surprises, and mesmerizes readers in under 750 words. If you have a complete story with a strong theme, sharp images, a solid structure, and an unexpected discovery, please submit it to the WriterAdvice Flash Prose Contest. You may enter UP TO THREE pieces. Enclose a $10 check for EACH entry. This will help defray the costs of the contest. If no prizes are awarded, checks will be refunded.
PRIZES: Winning stories will be published in WriterAdvice. In addition, First Place earns $60, Second Place earns $30, Third Place earns $20, and Fourth Place earns $15. Honorable Mentions will also be published. A list of all winners will be posted in the June – July issue of WriterAdvice.SPECIAL PERK: All entries accompanied by an SASE will be returned with brief comments. Details: www.writeradvice.com
