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Meetings and Events

Monthly Meetings

NorCalRW meets the 4th Saturday of each month, online via Zoom (unless otherwise noted). Those who register and pay for the scheduled meeting will receive an email with the meeting's Zoom link. Be sure to pay at least three days in advance to allow time for the Zoom invitation to be issued.

Check in begins at 9:30 a.m. A brief business meeting begins at 10:00 a.m., followed by that month's program and speaker. We typically conclude by 12:00 noon. All times are US Pacific.

Charge for meetings:

Zoom meetings: NorCalRW members pay $10 to attend each meeting. The price for non-members is $15.

 

In-person meetings: NorCalRW members pay $20 to attend each meeting. The price for non-members is $30.

 

Fees are not refundable if you are unable to attend.

Upcoming Meetings:

Saturday, March 25--Goal, Motivation and Conflict: Moving your story forward, with Anna J. Stewart (via Zoom)

This workshop will focus on Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC)—the internal combustion engine of every story. NCRW's VP/Membership, and multi-published, award-winner author AJ Stewart will lead this interactive workshop. We will start with an overview of GMC—what is it, why is it essential, and how to incorporate these elements into your story. Attendees who would like help identifying ways to strengthen the GMC in their work can sign up for a time slot and put the NCRW brain trust to work. Link to sign-up sheet:  

https://forms.gle/DSgVqf7mi2N3UMWe7 

 

There will be a GMC handout with tips available for download before the meeting. 

Click HERE to pay via PayPal: $10 for NCRW members, $15 for non-members. Pay to SVRTreasurer@gmail.com

Saturday, April 23--Anticipa—: Building Tension, with Erin Roberts (Zoom meeting)

Author Erin Roberts will lead this virtual workshop on building tension in your writing.

Erin Roberts is a writer of speculative fiction across formats:  her short fiction has appeared in publications including The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume 4, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2019, Asimov's Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, The Dark, and THEN AGAIN: Vintage Photography Reimagined by One Artist and Thirty Writers; her interactive fiction has been published in Sub-Q Magazine and is forthcoming from Choice of Games; and her nonfiction essays and reviews have appeared on Tor.com and other sites. Erin is a graduate of Odyssey Writers Workshop, holds an MFA from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine, and was the recipient of a 2019 Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, a 2019 Artists and Scholars Grant from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and the Speculative Literature Foundation's 2017 Diverse Worlds and Diverse Writers award.


Tech Talks

 

New for 2022, we feature one-hour meetings via Zoom about technology topics. These are a member benefit (no fee) and are announced via the newsletter and our Groups/io forum, where members will find links to register and the Zoom session. 

 

Marketing Mojo

Typically the second Sunday of each month, we'll gather via Zoom to review a variety of topics related to book marketing. This is a great benefit of membership!

March 12 – Finding keywords for our Amazon ads

April 9 – Tips for getting reviews

May 7 (meeting a week earlier due to Mother’s Day) – Building your book backmatter

June 11 – Social media post ideas

July 9 – Analyzing our book covers

August 13 – Sprucing up your book’s sales page

September 10 – Newsletter swaps

October 8 – Creating and using videos on multiple platforms

November 12 – Marketing Plans: What worked and what didn’t as we prepare for 2024?

December – We won’t meet in December. Enjoy the holidays!

Writing Sprints

Need a little structure and team motivation to work on that important project? Give writing sprints a try!

Three times a week, several members meet online for a brief chat and timed periods of writing. Here's when we meet:

  • Monday through Friday from 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Pacific

  • Saturday from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Pacific

The Zoom link and password are listed in the members' Groups.io forum. Another great reason to join NorCal Romance Writers!

(Note that there is no fee to participate in the sprints, but you must be a member of the group.)

Events

Periodically, we host special events such as half- or full-day workshops and weekend writing retreats featuring nationally-recognized authors and writing instructors.

Members are alerted via email and announcements in the quarterly e-newsletter. Notice will also be posted here.

Past Meetings and Events

Click here for a list of some of the speakers and topics presented at past monthly meetings, workshops and retreats. 

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