Meetings and Events
Monthly Meetings
NorCalRW typically 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.
Once a quarter, we meet in person.
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 regular meetings:
Zoom meetings: NorCalRW members pay $15 to attend each meeting. The price for non-members is $25.
In-person "regular" meetings: NorCalRW members pay $25 to attend each meeting. The price for non-members is $35.
Fees are not refundable if you are unable to attend (although you will have access to any meeting handouts).
​
Upcoming Meetings:​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​​​​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
February 28, 2026: Beyond the Background: Using Setting to Drive Emotion, Conflict and Chemistry with Anna Grace (Zoom meeting)
Want to create a setting as vivid, layered, and compelling as your main characters? Join Harlequin author Anna Grace for a one-hour, interactive workshop that delves into how to transform your setting into a dynamic force—one that shapes conflict, deepens character arcs, and heightens the romantic payoff.
In this session, you’ll learn how to:
-
Build evocative, sensory-rich worlds
-
Use place as a catalyst for connection and tension
-
Craft settings that function as character
From small towns with big personalities to high-stakes international backdrops, you’ll discover how to make your setting work as hard as your characters—sometimes helping them, sometimes testing them, and always elevating the love story.
Perfect for authors who want to weave unforgettable worlds readers can truly fall in love with.
​
​Award-winning author Anna Grace writes fun, heartfelt romance novels that have been described as “having the feel good vibes of a Hallmark film, with the emotional complexity of book club fiction.” Anna’s Oregon roots, love of family and community shine through in both her Harlequin Heartwarming series, Love, Oregon, and The Teacher Project.
​
March 28- Creativity Counselor, Author Coach and crowd favorite Jen Graybeal will be giving an all-day session to get your writing life/business/words on flow mode. (In Person) RCCH American River Room North
April 25 Romance writer, indie publisher Emilia Rose will be speaking to the group "Beyond selling books, beyond Amazon - how to develop devoted readers" (Zoom)
May 23: Peggy Jaeger. Romance Writer and Contest GURU, on "Why you should be entering contests, how and which ones, to benefit your writing career." (Zoom)
June 27: Anna Stewart "how do I fix this? Live editing of those bits where you have written yourself into a corner" (In-person); tentative)
July 25: TBD (Zoom)
August 22: TBD (Zoom)
September 26: TBD (in-person)
October 24: TBD (Zoom)
November14: Holiday party at RCCH (In-person)
​
Click here for a list of Past Meeting topics
​
Writing Sprints
Need a little structure and team motivation to work on that important project? Give writing sprints a try!
​
Six times a week, several members meet online for a brief chat and timed periods of writing. Here's when we meet (all times Pacific):
​
​Weekdays:
-
Mornings
-
​Monday through Friday 7:00 - 8:00 a.m.
-
-
​Evening
-
​Monday & Thursday from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
-
Weekends:
-
Afternoon
-
Saturday from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.​​​
-
​
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 NCRW.)
Events
March 28- Creativity Counselor, Author Coach and crowd favorite Jen Graybeal will be giving an all-day session to get your writing life/business/words on flow mode. (In Person) RCCH American River Room North
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.
​
Marketing Mojo
​
Typically the second Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m. Pacific, we'll gather via Zoom to review a variety of topics related to book marketing, researched and led by our past president and teacher extraordinaire, Bonnie Phelps. This is a great benefit of membership! Sessions are videotaped and are available to members upon request. The Zoom meeting link will be emailed out through our Groups.io forum.​​
​December – We won’t meet in December. Enjoy the holidays!
​​
As always, Marketing Mojo is free to NCRW members. Check the group forum for the Zoom link.