September 2026 General Meeting with Diane Frank, Poetry as the Language of the Soul 

Join us in October for a hands-on workshop led by author and book coach, Gala Russ. Gala will focus on strengthening scenes, identifying weak spots, and developing a revision strategy that works.

• Evaluate scenes with purpose
• Spot missing elements in your story
• Move beyond endless editing
• Create a roadmap for revision

Because finishing a draft isn’t the end of the writing journey.
It’s where the real work begins.

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• 9:30 AM – Registration & socializing 
• 10:00 AM – Part 1 Macro Editing + Logline (50 min)  
• 10:50 AM – Break 
• 11:00 AM – Part 2 Scene Structure That Actually Works (1 hr) 
• 12:00 PM – Lunch break*
• 12:30 PM – Part 3 Applied Editing + Coaching (1 hr) 
• 1:30 PM – Workshop ends 

*Bring your own lunch. We will provide coffee, fruit, and pastries.

Members: $40.00
Guests: $45.00

Pay online when you register or cash/check at the door. Coffee/tea and pastries included.

Opens September 14, 2026
Register at https://cwcmtdiablo.org/meetings-and-workshops/

Gala Russ is a multi-published romance author, book coach, and publishing strategist who helps writers move from overwhelm to clarity. She works with:

• Brand-new writers to show them that starting (and finishing) a book is possible and what steps lead from a book idea to a finished draft
• Genre authors who want to strengthen romantic subplots so readers root for the couple
• Draft finishers who need a clear roadmap for editing and publishing: traditional or indie
• All writers to market their books in a way that complements their interests and budgets
• Writers ready to indie-publish their work

In the past four years, Gala has published nine books—from young adult to adult, closed-door to wide-open door—including two trilogies. She’s currently writing a new urban-fantasy series.

A repeat presenter at national events, she has spoken at Daniel David Wallace’s Teachers of Fiction and Escape the Plot Forest summits and taught a two-hour Romancing the Subplot workshop for Beth Barany’s speculative-fiction community.

Her teaching blends approachable guidance with no-nonsense strategy. Having published her first book without understanding comps, tropes, story structure, editing timelines, querying, or marketing, she knows how isolating the path to figuring all those out alone can feel. Now she helps writers skip years of trial and error with clear frameworks and actionable, tailored advice aligning with open web initiatives.

Bring with you:

1. Up to four chapters of a work-in-progress (WIP), preferably with multiple scenes.
2. DO NOT bring the first or last chapters! (That’s a whole ‘nother workshop!)
3. Novels, novellas, and short stories all work for this course.

Gala suggests that you bring your work on a laptop to edit electronically. However, you can bring a paper copy if that’s your preference.

Questions? Email Gala at galarussauthor@gmail.com