May 2026 Meeting with Writers Tables
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., with optional events until 1:30 p.m.
Coffee/tea and pastries included!
Alert! Due to previously scheduled city events, we will not meet at the Senior Center in May!
We’ll be at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, McHale Room.
Register below
Cost is $15.00 for Members, $20.00 for guests. Registration deadline is One Week before the meeting. Register before May 2nd at 12:00 p.m. or pay the late fee of $20.00. Walk-ins pay $20.00.
*Jump to the Registration Form*
Cancellation Policy
Schedule
9:30 – 10:00 Sign-in table opens
10:00 – 11:00 Group Writing: Flash Fiction
11:00 – 12:00 Writers Tables
12:00 – Meeting ends—optional activities until 1:30
Part 1, 10:00 – 11:00: Group Flash Fiction Writing: Which table can write the best story?
Part 2, 11:00 – 12:00: Writers Tables
Choose Your Topic with Writers Tables
- Author’s Guide to YouTube with Michael Barrington
- This table will focus on how to set up and market your book with your YouTube author account.
- How to Capture Internal and External Emotion on the Page with Gala Russ
- Emotion drives every scene, but how do you show what your characters truly feel? In this Writers Table session, Gala Russ breaks down how to write internal and external emotion and teaches three practical strategies to make those feelings land on the page. Ideal for any genre and any stage of writer who wants more vivid, resonant scenes.
- How To Turn Your Book into Speaking Engagements with Lucinda Jackson
- One of the best ways authors can reach more readers, sell more books, and eventually increase revenue with speaker fees is by speaking to groups of people. In this Writers Table, you will learn how to:
- Identify speaking topics based on your book:
- Take the first steps to get started as a speaker.
- Locate venues where you can speak locally and nationally.
- One of the best ways authors can reach more readers, sell more books, and eventually increase revenue with speaker fees is by speaking to groups of people. In this Writers Table, you will learn how to:
- Writing Outside the Box: Fun with Brainstorming Techniques with Lori Lynne Armstrong
- How do you come up with new plots and characters, or expand on current ones? We all have our process. Sometimes we can’t even explain it in words. Let’s play with different brainstorming techniques to see which ones might have potential to enrich our writing.
- Suzy Orpin: Unleash Your New AI Assistant
- Curious about using AI but not sure where to start? Sit down for an easy, welcoming intro to writing prompts that help you brainstorm marketing, scheduling, book trailers, blurbs, and more. Learn how to talk to your new digital assistant so it actually helps you. No tech experience required!
- Ask Me a Question with Andrew Benzie
- As a graphic designer, publisher, and author, I often get asked lots of questions. During this Writers Table, I will attempt to answer ANY questions you have about the process of designing, publishing, or marketing a book.
*Jump to the Registration Form*
We are at a different Location for this meeting!
Pleasant Hill Community Center
McHale Room
320 Civic Dr.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Click on the Heading for More Information
Guest Vouchers
Give a friend $10.00 off a General Meeting or Workshop
- Invite a guest who has never attended a Mt. Diablo meeting
- Request a voucher for your guest for $10.00 off a meeting or workshop.
- We will email your guest a voucher number and the link to register for the meeting.
- Your guest registers for the meeting, enters the voucher number, and receives a $10.00 discount.
Meeting Policy for Guests under Age 13
While CWC-Mt. Diablo strives to ensure our meetings, whether in-person or online, are safe for all, participant views are their own. Youth under 13 years old must have their adult join them for this event. By registering you are acknowledging that you are over 13, and that you intend to participate in this program. If you are under 13, please ask your adult to help you sign up. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of every third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our meetings.
Cancellation Policy
We accept cancellations up to 72 hours in advance of the meeting. If you paid with PayPal, you will receive a refund. If you cancel after the deadline, no refund is given. In that case, if you choose to pay at the door, we will bill you for the payment.
