Past Speakers

2018

04/14: Dean Gloster: Writing Humor—A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Death Scene: Why and How to Use Humor in Serious Stories Gloster_event
03/10: Beth Barany: Writing Compelling Characters: Beyond the Five Senses Barany_event
02/10: Clive Matson: Finding Your Most Powerful Words Matson_event
01/13: Amanda McTigue: Pitching: Telling the Story of Your Story McTigue_event

2017

11/09: Joanna Kraus, Michale Banister, Kymberlie Ingalls: Three of Our Own Kraus, Banister, Ignalls_event
11/11: Arlene Miller: Is this the New Normal? Grammar Gone Horribly Wrong! Miller_Event
10/14: Jordan Rosenfeld: Get Intimate with Your Characters: Mastering Point of View for Dazzling Character Development Rosenfeld_event
09/08: Andrew Benzie: Promoting Your Book: Building a Successful Marketing Strategy Benzie_event
06/10: Molly Williams: Not Only a Cover, Judge a Book by its Pages Williams_event
05/13: Tim Meyers: Becoming a Writer Meyers_event
04/08: Helen Sedwick: How to Protect Your Writing Rights and Your Wallet Sedwick_event
03/11: Stuart Horwitz: Finish Your Book in Three Drafts Horwitz_event
02/11: Meghan Ward: Writing as a Team Sport: Discover Hidden Talents, Improve your Productivity, and Launch a Successful Writing Career Through Other Writers Ward_event
01/14: Catherine Bramkamp: Finding the True Wizard: Social Media Strategies for Authors Bramkamp_event

2016

01/09: Tamara Monosoff: 5 Simple Stratagies to Boost Your Income Now, Monosoff_event
02/13: Roy Mash: Word Selection: Building a Strong Story Foundation, Mash_event
03/13: C. S. Lakin: The Fatal Flaws of Writing, Lakin_event
04/09: Tamim Ansary: Why Do We Write? Ansary_event
05/14: Heather Mackey: Turning Ideas into Stories Mackey_event
06/10: Leeanne Krusemark: Writing Irresistible Querry Letters Kruesmark _event
09/10: Anita Amirrezvani: Write from the Inside Out Amirrezvani_event
10/08: Marilyn Atlas: Dating Your Character Atlas_event
11/12: Joan Morris: Keeping the Hats On Straight Morris_event
12/12: Jil Plummer, Bill Stong, Leslie Rupley: Three of Our Own, Plummer_Stong_Rupley_event

2015

01/10 Jim Azevedo: The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success, azevedo_event
02/14 Susan Shea: Writing What We Know: What Does That Mean?, shea_event
03/14 Jordan Rosenfeld: Writing the Page-Turner: Keep Your Readers Up Past Their Bedtime, rosenfeld_event_2
04/14 Eric Elfman: How to Hook them from the First Page, elfman_event
05/09 Young Writers Contest and Marissa Moss: Taking the Plunge: An Insider’s Tips for Writers, YWC_and_Marissa_Moss_event
06/13 Joshua Mohr: Plarachterization: Intersection of Plot and Character, mohr_event
09/12 Grant Faulkner: Writing with Abandon: Overcoming procrastination and learning how a goal and a deadline pay off, faulkner_event
10/10 Amanda McTigue: Writing Emotion to Move Your Readers, mctigue_event
11/14 David Congalton: Chasing a Creative Dream, congalton_event
12/12 B. Lynn Goodwin, Al Garrotto, Ann Steiner: The Path to Publication, goodwin_garrotto_steiner_event

2014

01/11 Victoria Zackheim: Building Your Masterpiece, Start to Finish, Zackheim_event
02/8 Janice de Jesus: Writing in Different Genres, de_jesus_event
03/8 Marilyn Atlas: Creating 3-Dimensional Non-Stereotypical Characters, marilyn_atlas_event
04/12 Jordan Rosenfeld: Plotting Your Novel One Scene at a Time, jordan_rosenfeld_event
05/10 Young Writers Award Banquet with Ellen Klages, YWC_klages_event
06/14 Mary Mackey: How to Travel Like a Writer, mary_mackey_event
09/13 Bridget Watson Payne: The Power of Words and Images, bridget_watson_payne_event
10/11 Amanda McTigue: What Voice Can Do for Your Writing, amanda_mctigue_event
11/8 C. S. Lakin: Sizzling Scenes, cslakin_event
12/13 Andrew Benzie, Dina Colman, Melanie Denman: Top Ten Tips on Publishing, benzie_colman_denman_event

2013

01/12 Constance Hale: Creative Use of Language in Fiction and Non-Fiction, constance_hale_event [note: this event did take place in 2013, despite the error in the date on the event page]
02/9: Nina Egert: Trimming the Fat from our Writing, nina_egert_event
03/14: Angela Schiavone: Smashwords and Best Practices of E-publishing, angela_schiavone_event
04/13: Jane Vanderburgh: Architecture of Long Works in Fiction and Nonfiction, jane_vanderburgh_event
05/13: Young Writers Award Banquet, with Mike Jung, mike_jung_event
06/13: Margit Lietsche: Weaving Stories Around Actual Events, margit_lietsche_event
09/13: Judith Newton: Publishing Both Short and Full-length Works, judith_newton_event
10/13: Ron Shoop: Confessions of a Bookseller, ron_shoop_event
11/13: Rick Acker: The Legal Aspects of Writing and Publishing, rick_acker_event
12/13: Three of our Own: Ann Damaschino, Lyn Roberts, & Elisabeth Tuck, Why Editing is Essential to Writing, three_of_our_own_december_2013_event

2012

01/14 Camille Minichino: She stepped in for Nick Mamatas at the last minute to the gratitude of the CWC Mt. Diablo Board and entire branch, camille_minichino_event
02/11 Elizabeth Rossner: Thinking Like A Poet Can Improve Your Writing, elizabeth_rosner_event
03/10 Sean Hazlett: Blogging to Build an Audience 101, sean_hazlett_event
04/14 Maria Murnane: Sell Your Book! Tons of Tips from a PR/Marketing Pro, maria_murnane_event
05/14 Young Writers Award Banquet, with Lindsey Grant, lindsey_grant_YW_event
06/09 Maxine Hong Kingston: “Woman Warrior’s Journey from War to Peace,” maxine_hong_kingston_event
09/08 W. Byron Parnell: “How a Book Gets Published — Or Not,” w_byron_parnell_event
10/13 Rick Reed: “Put Life Experiences Into Your Writing,” rick_reed_event
11/10 Nick Mamatas: “Beginnings and Endings for Fiction and Non-fiction,” nick_mamatas_event
12/8 Two of Our Own, two_of_our_own_event

2011

01/11 Ransom Stephens, the God Patent and the Future of Publishing, ransom stephens event
02/11 Tamim Ansary, Afghan American author and lecturer, Tamim_Ansary_event
03/11 Carla King, Self-publisher, carla_king_event
04/11 Naomi Epel, author, radio host and former head of a book-tour escort agency, naomi_epel_event
05/11 Young Writers Award Banquet, with Abigail Samoun, abigail_samoun_YW_event
06/11 Jeff Carlson, best-selling author, jeff_carlson_event
09/11 Victoria Zackheim, “From Sex to Senility: In Anthologies, Anything Goes!,” Victoria_Zackheim_event
10/08 Veronica Rossi, “Creating High Concept Fiction,” veronica_rossi_event
11/12 Jessica Inclán, “Who’s Telling the Story and When? Point-of-View and Tense,” inclan_event
12/12 Three of our Own, three_of_our_own_event

2010

01/10 Veronica Chater, Memoirist, veronica_chater_event
02/13 Suzanne Woods Fisher, Starting Small—Working your way from short pieces to book length projects, suzanne_woods_fisher_event
03/13 Nik C. Colyer, Grit-Lit Novelist, Poet, nik_colyer_event
04/10 Workshop—Martha Engber, Pyramid Tipping: How To Create Great Characters From the Top Down, martha_engber_event
05/15 Young Writers Banquet, Melissa Manlove, Editor, Chronicle Books, melissa_manlove_YW_event
06/12 Sophie Littlefield, Finish That Book, sophie_littlefield_event
09/11 Malena Watrous, novelist, malena_watrous_event
10/9 Robert Dugoni, Step Up and Swing the Bat, robert_dugoni_event
11/13 James Dalessandro, Similarities between Books and Screenplays, james_dalessandro_event
12/11 Three of Our Own: Bev Lauderdale, novelist; Deborah Davis, The Hard Questions to Ask Yourself When You Revise; Judith Marshall, From First Draft to Movie Option, three_of_our_own_event

2009

01/09 Laurel Ann Hill and Alice Wilson-Fried, The Long and Short of Writing an Award-Winning Novel, hill_wilson_fried_event
02/09 Robert G. Pimm, attorney at law, Legal Aspects of Writing and Publishing, robert_g_pimm_event
03/09 Stephanie Chandler, The Author’s Guide to Building an Online Platform: Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books, stephanie_chandler_event
04/09 Priscilla Royal, Researching and Writing the Historical Novel, priscilla_royal_event
05/09 Young Writers Awards Banquet: Camille Minichino & David Alpaugh, minichino_alpaugh_YW_event
06/09 Verna Dreisbach, literary agent, verna_dreisbach_event
09/09 Janis Bell, Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences, janis_bell_event
10/09 Jack London Lecture: Ron Hansen, Why We Write, ron_hansen_event
11/09 Workshop: Janis Cooke Newman, Characters and Plotting, janis_cooke_newman_event
12/09 Three of Our Own: B. Lynn Goodwin, Aline Soules, Catherine Accardi, three_of_our_own_2009_event

2008

01/08 Elisa Southard, APR, Break Through the Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message, elisa_southard_event
02/08 Hailey Lind, mystery novelist, hailey_lind_event
03/08 Meredith Maran, nonfiction workshop, meredith_maran_event
04/08 Emily Boyd, editor, North Atlantic Books, emily_boyd_event
05/08 Leslie Griffith, news anchor & HuffingtonPost.com columnist, leslie_griffith_YW_event
06/08 Martha Engber, Great Characters From the Ground Up, martha_engber_2008_event
09/08 Anita Amirrezvani, The Blood of Flowers, anita_amirrezvani_event
10/08 Darryl Brock, Practical Tips for Writing Novels, darryl_brock_event
11/08 Workshop: Penny Warner, Effective Plotting, penny_warner_event
12/08 Three of Our Own: Barbara Bentley, Gary Gwilliam, Katie Vecchio, three_of_our_own_2008_event

2007

01/07 Kate Nitze, MacAdam Cage editor; Janis Cooke Newman, cooke_nitze_event, jan_2007_photos
02/07 Simon Wood, mystery author, simon_wood_event, feb_2007_photos
03/07 Beth Proudfoot, Getting the Most out of Writing Conferences, beth_proudfoot_event, mar_2007_photos
04/07 Beth Lisick, humor essayist, memoir, beth_lisick_event, apr_2007_photos
05/07 Susan Taylor Brown, middle grade novelist,
06/07
09/07 Bryan Tolin & B.J. West, screenwriters, tolin_west_event
10/07 Ron Shoop, Random House sales representative, ron_shoop_event
11/07 Camille Minichino, workshop: Writing Cover Letters, Queries and the Synopsis, minichino_lind_event
12/07 Three of our own: Myles Knapp, Contra Costa Times book reviewer; Frank Thornburg, humorist; Fran Wojnar, crime novelist, three_of_our_own_2007_event

2006

01/06 Martha Alderson, Blockbuster Plots, alderson_event, jan_2006_photos
02/06 David Cole, Baytree Publishing, Book Marketing, cole_event, feb_2006_photos
03/06 Joshua Braff, novelist, How to Create Humor Within Serious Fiction, braff_event, mar_2006_photos
04/06 Judge James Marchiano, First District Court of Appeal, Learn the Criminal Justice System, marchiano_event, apr_2006_photos
05/06 Young Writers Contest Banquet: Kathryn Reiss, author, kathryn_reiss_YW_event, YW_2006_photos
06/06 Kathryn G. McCarty, playwright, artistic director, Galatean Players Ensemble Theatre, kathryn_g_mccarty_event, June_2006_photos
09/06 Andrew Sean Greer, novelist, The Confessions of Max Tivoli, andrew_sean_greer_event, Sept_2006_photos
10/06 Larry Habegger, executive editor, Travelers’ Tales, habegger_event, Oct_2006_photos
11/06 Jane Anne Staw, Unstuck: Working Through Writing Blocks; Donna Levin, Get That Novel Started, staw_levin_event, Nov_2006_photos
12/06 Two of Our Own: Beverley Lauderdale, articles, short stories; Sally Tubach, self-publishing, lauderdale_tubach_event, dec_2006_photos

2005

01/05 Mary Roach, nonfiction author, gonick_event, jan_2005_photos
02/05 John Billheimer, mystery novelist, billheimer_event, feb_2005_photos
03/05 Ted Weinstein, literary agent, weinstein_event, mar_2005_photos (note: photo head reads Feb, 2005, which is incorrect)
04/05 James Dalessandro, novelist and screenwriter, dalessandro_2005_event, apr_2005_photos (note: photo head reads Feb, 2005, which is incorrect)
05/05 Lynn Hazen, children’s author, hazen_YW_event, may_2005_photos
06/05 Claudia Kawczyska and Susan Tasaki, writing and editing team, Bark Magazine, kawczyska_tasaki_event, june_2005_photos
09/05 Nina Schuyler, Historical Fiction, schuyler_event, sept_2005_photos
10/05 Margaret Lucke, Short Story, Mystery Writing Secrets, lucke_event, oct_2005_photos
11/05 Charlotte Cook, editing, Al Garrotto, dialogue, Liz Pentacoff, character, Camille, Minichino, setting, cook_garrotto_pentacoff_minichino_event, nov_2005_photos
12/05 Jill Hedgecock, Essays; Lee Paulsen, Humor; Chasity Canfield and Tammy Maxon, newsletter editors, three_of_our_own_2005_event, dec_2005_photos

2004

01/04 Gonzalo Ferreyra, Bookstore Chains — Catching Their Eye, ferreyra_event, jan_2004_photos
02/04 Ann Parker, Getting It Right-Researching for Fiction, parker_event, feb_2004_photos
03/04 Thomas Farber, Meditations on Art, farber_event, mar_2004_photos
04/04 Jill Lublin, Guerrilla Publicity, lublin_event, apr_2004_photos
05/04 Richard Stockton, Laughing Thru the Writing Life, stockton_event, may_2004_photos
06/04 Loretta Ichord, Making History Fun, ichord_event, june_2004_photos
09/04 Marty Nemko, how-to book & article author, nemko_event, sept_2004_photos
10/04 Ying Compestine, cookbook and children’s author, compestine_event, oct_2004_photos
11/04 Karen Joy Fowler, novelist, fowler_event, nov_2004_photos
12/04 Three of our own: Donna Cook, self-publishing; Paul Cooper, columns; Ray Nelson, sci-fi, three_of_our_own_2004_event, dec_2004_photos

2003

01/03 Aaron Wehner/Gonzalo Ferreyra, TenSpeed Press Publishing, wehner_ferreyra_event, jan_2003_photos
02/03 Michael Larsen/Elizabeth Pomada, agents, Publishing, larsen_pomada_event, feb_2003_photos
03/03 Tess Uriza Holthe, Novel, Blending Fact and Fable, holthe_event, mar_2003_photos
04/03 Cara Black, Fiction and Mystery, black_event, apr_2003_photos
05/03 Panel: Three of our own: Liz Pentacoff, Al Garrotto & Camille Minichino, What Works for Me, three_of_our_own_may_2003_event, may_2003_photos
06/03 Marisa Montes, children’s author, Motivation and the Muse, montes_event, june_2003_photos
09/03 William Wong, Viewing a Technicolor World Through a Yellow Lens, wong_event, sept_2003_photos
10/03 Ron Borland, Looking For a Melody (Songwriting), borland_event , oct_2003_photos
11/03 Dena Fischer, Amy Rennert Agency, Writer’s Best Friend—Your Agent, fischer_event, Nov_2003_photos
12/03 Three of our own: Katrina Prado, Betty Fielding, and Pearl Atkins Schwartz, three_of_our_own_2003_event, dec_2003_photos

2002

01/02 Claudia MonPere, Essay and Memoir, monpere_event, jan_2002_photos
02/02 Rhys Bowen, Mystery, bowen_event, feb_2002_photos
03/02 Ethan Watters, Writers Community and Freelancing. watters_event, mar_2002_photos
04/02 James Kruger, Subsidy/Self-Publishing, kruger_event, apr_2002_photos
05/02 Debra Levi Holtz, Memoir, holtz_event, may_2002_photos; David Alpaugh, Poetry Workshop, may_2002_poetry_workshop_photos
06/02 Gennifer Choldenko, children’s author, choldenko_event, june_2002_photos
09/02 Wendy Lichtman, Freelance, Writing in First Person; Matt Wills, TV News Workshop, lichtman_event, sept_2002_photos
10/02 Richard Dry, Fiction, dry_event, oct_2002_photos
11/02 Jessica Barksdale Inclan, Fiction, inclan_event, nov_2002_photos
12/02 Barry Eisler, Fiction/Mystery, eisler_event, dec_2002_photos (note: photo head says Nov, 2002, which is incorrect)

2001

01/01 Tess Collins, Mystery and Writing, collins_event, jan_2001_photos
02/01 Frank Baldwin, Fiction, baldwin_event, feb_2001_photos
03/01 James Dalessandro, Screenwriting, Fiction and Nonfiction, dalessandro_2001_event, mar_2001_photos
04/01 Clive Matson, Facilitating Creativity and Non Fiction, matson_event, apr_2001_photos
05/01 Eric Maisel, Ph.D., Psychotherapy, How-To’s for Creative People, maisel_event, may_2001_photos
06/01 Katherine Sturtevant, Historical Fiction/Children’s, sturtevant_event, june_2001_photos
09/01 Elizabeth Fishel, Memoir, Nonfiction, fishel_event, sept_2001_photos
10/01 Catherine Coulter, Historical Romance/Suspense/Thriller, coulter_event, oct_2001_photos (note: photo head reads Sept, 2001, which is incorrect)
11/01 Matt Wills, Television News, wills_event, nov_2001_photos
12/01 Fritz Tubach/Bernie Rosner/Sally Tubach, Nonfiction, tubach_rosner_tubach_event, dec_2001_photos

2000

01/00 Beverly Lauderdale, Freelance Writing, lauderdale_event, jan_2000_photos
02/00 Christine Walker, Facilitating Creativity, walker_event, feb_2000_photos
03/00 Gail Tsukiyama, Historical Fiction, tsukiyama_event, mar_2000_photos
04/00 David Alpaugh, Poetry, alpaugh_event, apr_2000_photos
05/00 Gil Mansergh, Movies, mansergh_event, may_2000_photos
06/00 Marilyn Sachs, Children’s Books, sachs_event, june_2000_photos
09/00 Journalists Panel, How to Sell to the Print Media, billings_biro_event, sept_2000_photos
10/00 Carol Lynn Pearson, Poetry, Plays, Nonfiction, pearson_event, oct_2000_photos
11/00 Sarah Andrews, Mystery, andrews_event, nov_2000_photos
12/00 Susan Page, Inspiration and How to Get Published, page_event, dec_2000_photos

1999

01/99 Penny Warner, mystery, warner_event, jan_1999_photos
02/99 Gary Bogue, wildlife, bogue_event, feb_1999_photos
03/99 Jean Hegland, futuristic author, hegland_event, mar_1999_photos
04/99 Cynthia Bass, historical novelist, bass_event, apr_1999_photos
05/99 Molly Giles, short story, giles_event, may_1999_photos
06/99 Three of our best: Joanna Kraus, plays; Susan hart Lindquist, children’s author; Lori Marquest, publisher and editor, three_of_our_best_1999_event, june_1999_speaker_photos, june_1999_other_photos
09/99 Mary Jane Ryan, nonfiction publisher, ryan_event, sept_1999_photos
10/99 Eric Maisel, Ph.D., psychotherapist, How-To For Creative People, maisel_1999_event, oct_1999_photos
11/99 Stephen D. Gutierrez, Short Story and Essay, gutierrez_event, nov_1999_photos
12/99 Lori Fairweather, mystery author, fairweather_event, dec_1999_photos

1998

01/98 Jonnie Jacobs, mystery author
02/98 Muriel James, nonfiction author
03/98 Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada, literary agents
04/98 Molly Giles, short story author
05/98 Ray Nelson, screenwriter
06/98 Beverly Lauderdale, author
09/98 Ruth Heller, children’s books, heller_event
10/98 Thaisa Frank, Finding Your Writer’s Voice; a Guide to Creative Fiction, frank_event
11/98 Marion Cunningham, cookbooks, cunningham_event, nov_1998_photos
12/98 Brenda Hillman, poetry, hillman_event, dec_1998_photos

1997

01/97 Joanne Pence, Gourmet Food And Murder
02/97 Joanna H. Kraus, Playwriting, From Page to Stage!
03/97 Carol Fowler, How to Write About Peripatetics
04/97
05/97 Alfred J. Garrotto & Shyrle Hacker, Summer Sendoff
06/97
09/97 Karen Cushman, author
10/97 Marjorie Wallace, copyrights
11/97 Joan Morris, Contra Costa Times, columnist
12/97 Persia Woolley, Historical Fiction

1996

01/96 Peg Jordan, Script Writing/Jumpin’ Productions
02/96 Brenda Love, Encylopedia Of Unusual Sex Practice
03/96 Roger Schuester, What The IRS Wants You To Know
04/96 Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle writer
05/96 Eric Maisel, Ph.D.
06/96 Jane Trittipo, The Marvelous Microwave: Good Food in Practically No Time
09/96 Sally Patterson Tubach, The Experimental Novel
10/96 Sarah Wilson, children’s author
11/96 Ella Leffland, Rumors Of Peace
12/96 Jane Trittipo, How to Win at the Self Publishing Game

1995

01/95 Shirley Strevensky
02/95 Cynthia Bass, Sherman’s March
03/95 Jane Bonander
04/95 Louise Murphy, The Sea Within
05/95 Panel: Ted Fuller/Denella Kimura/Ginger Wadsorth
06/95 Diane Stevens, Liza’s Blue Moon
09/95 Roger Rapaport, Berkeley publisher
10/95 Ella Ellis
11/95
12/95

1994

01/94 Patricia Evans, The Verbally Abusive Relationship
02/94 Lyn Stegner
03/94 Susan Holtzer
04/94 Ginger Wadsworth, children’s nonfiction
05/94 Diane Weddington, How To Bat 1000 With Your Book Proposal
06/94 Eric Maisel, Ph.D., Sharing Your Work Speaking
09/94 Shyrle Hacker
10/94 Richard Silberg, poet, editor of Poetry Flash
11/94 Gunther Boccius
12/94 Penny Warner

1993

01/93 Eric Maisel, Surviving As A Writer
02/93 Joe Gore, screen writer, novelist
03/93 Linda Grant, Writing Your First Novel
04/93 Marc Weidenbaum, Pulse!
05/93 Marc Weidenbaum, Relationship Between Editors And Freelancers
06/93 Ida Rae Egli, No Rooms Of Their Own: Women Writers of Early California
09/93 Andrea Brown, agent
10/93 Michael Litchfield, It’s A Conspiracy
11/93 Jim Scala
12/93 Richard F. Carter, The Golden Years Are A Crock

1992

01/92 Deborah Lee Rose, How To Write Children’s Books
02/92 Alan Rinzler, Editor; Friend Or Foe?
03/92 Sister Carol Anne O’Marie, Murder After Mass
04/92
05/92 Laurie Harper, The Outlook For Publishing
06/92 Dave Newhouse, syndicated columnist, The Jim Plunket and Heismann After-Story
09/92 Bud Gardner, Turning Your Dreams Into Sale
10/92 Networking exchange with members “Old” and “New”
11/92 Candice Fuhrman, literary agent
12/92