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Blog

Peggy Connelly Scholarship 2025

March 14, 2025 By TBeaulieu

The Peggy Connelly Scholarship honors children’s author Peggy Connelly, a founding member of Writers of Kern, who encouraged and supported new writers. Just as her books encouraged young readers, this scholarship continues her legacy by helping writers of children’s literature.

This year, one scholarship will be awarded for a children’s book author, and one scholarship will be awarded to a general fiction author.

One $500 scholarship* has been established by Writers of Kern to provide financial support to Kern County writers of children’s literature which can be used for materials, education, promotion, publication, or expenses related to a children’s writing project. Children’s writing includes fiction, nonfiction, and verse ranging from board book, picture book, chapter book, middle grade novel and young adult novel. We invite all aspiring and established children’s authors who are members of Writers of Kern to apply.**  

One $500 scholarship* has been established by Writers of Kern to provide financial support to Kern County writers of general fiction literature which can be used for materials, education, promotion, publication or expenses related to the fiction writing project. We invite all aspiring and established authors who are members of Writers of Kern to apply.**

Application requirements are as follows:

Questionnaire

In two (2) pages or less, please answer the following questions:

  1. What do you consider your strengths as a children’s or fiction writer?
  2. What obstacles do you face as a writer?
  3. What goals have you set for yourself as a writer?
  4. If you are awarded the grant, how will you use the money to further your writing and achieve these goals? (Be specific: include details and prices)
  5. Have you ever received the Peggy Connelly scholarship in the past?

Style Guidelines

Please address each question in a Word document, double-spaced, 12-point font (Arial or Times New Roman), 1-inch margins all around. Submit two (2) copies: copy 1 with identification; copy 2, blind. Judges will read for clarity as well as creativity. Applications that do not comply will not be considered.

Writing Sample

Please submit a sample of your work in progress as described below:

Full text of a picture book (fiction or nonfiction); OR

First five (5) pages of your children’s work-in-progress project; OR

First ten (10) pages of your fiction book.

Writing Sample Guidelines:

Submissions must be correctly formatted in a Word document, double-spaced, 12-point font (Arial or Times New Roman), 1-inch margins all around. Only works in progress that have not been previously published will be considered. Do not send illustrations. Format as a manuscript; do not format as book pages or spreads. Submit two (2) copies: copy 1 with identification; copy 2, blind. Judges will read for clarity as well as creativity. Applications that do not comply will not be considered.

Application Period

The application period is from April 1 – 30, 2025. Applications will not be accepted after 11:59 p.m., April 30, 2025.

*Judges reserve the right to make no award if the number or quality of entries is insufficient.

**Current membership in Writers of Kern is a requirement to apply. You can apply to become a member of Writers of Kern here.

Please email the following documents with the subject line: [Title of Your Manuscript] – PC Children OR [Title of Your Manuscript] – PC General Fiction (depending on which scholarship you are applying for) to: sm@sandymoffett.com 

  1. Questionnaire (Identity Copy)
  2. Questionnaire (Blind Copy)
  3. Writing Sample (Identity Copy)
  4. Writing Sample (Blind Copy)

You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application.

All application materials must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Submissions after this time will not be accepted or recognized.

TIPS:

  1. Be specific when answering the questions and include how you will use the money to further your writing goals. General answers such as “I plan to attend a workshop” won’t score as high as specific answers such as “I plan to use $400 of the grant money to attend the Highlights middle grade novel writing workshop in June, 2025. The remainder of the money will go towards paying for a substantive edit of my middle grade novel with freelance editor Karla Writewell.”
  2. Polish your writing sample and have a friend proofread it prior to submitting.
  3. Don’t wait until the last minute to submit.
  4. The Fiction Rubric used to judge the Peggy Connelly Scholarship submissions can be found on our Rubrics page.

Please direct any questions to Sandy Moffett at the email above. (Do not wait until the last day to ask questions.)

Winners will be recognized at the WOK Honors Event in May!

2025 Spring Conference

February 15, 2025 By TBeaulieu

Our Spring Conference will be held on Saturday, March 15, from 9 am – 1 pm.
Cinnamon rolls for breakfast and buffet lunch are included.

SPEAKERS

Yumi Tomita: How to Unleash Your Creativity with Music and Imagination

Is writer’s block affecting your productivity? Learn how to tap into your creative mind when you need it most. This presentation will help you unleash your creative mind to generate fresh ideas with music and imagination exercises. You will learn about the science and philosophy behind the methodology of music visualization exercises you can do anytime to tap into endless writing inspiration.

This session is perfect for anyone facing writer’s block, writers looking to enhance their creativity and develop new strategies for idea generation, and individuals interested in combining wellness practices with creative writing. This inspiring and practical workshop will help you start writing.

Yumi Tomita is the chief director of the Imagination Improvement Institute. She holds a BA in Biochemistry from Occidental College and has been a certified senior trainer for Imagination Improvement since 2014. She’s held trainings for executives and CEOs for Japanese corporations, group sessions for parents and busy professionals, and has run workshops at universities for over ten years. Yumi helps people care for and enhance their creative minds through a combination of music and visualization exercises. She was born in Japan, raised in Palo Alto, and calls the Bay Area home.

Jenna Brandt: Marketing for Indie Authors

This session will cover practical, effective marketing strategies tailored for authors, including the best ad platforms, social media advertising, and how to optimize Amazon ads with the right keywords. You’ll also learn how to automate newsletters, grow your email list, and keep readers engaged.

Jenna will explore tools like Publisher Rocket, Amazon Affiliate Links, and online giveaway platforms to help expand your reach. She will also discuss the importance of a strong book cover—your most powerful marketing tool. Whether you’re new to book promotion or looking to refine your strategy, this session will provide actionable insights to make your marketing efforts more effective.

Jenna Brandt is an international bestselling and award-winning author who writes inspirational romance. Her page-turning books have elements of humor, suspense and faith. She has several best-selling series including Disaster City Search and Rescue, First Responders of Faith Valley, Badges & Baristas, and The Lawkeepers all based off the life of her husband in law enforcement.

Matt Woodman: (Not) Just the Facts – Writing the Scientific Poem

In this writing workshop, Matt Woodman will discuss how poets have incorporated scientific insights, processes, and language into their creative work; the workshop will lead attendees through various generative strategies and techniques so that everyone will leave with a draft of their own scientific poem.

Matthew Woodman’s poems, stories, and essays have appeared in publications including Puerto del Sol, Sonora Review, Hawai’i Review, Fourteen Hills, Catamaran, and The Moth. He was named the 2018-2023 Kern County Poet Laureate and was awarded the 2018 Outstanding Lecturer at California State University, Bakersfield, where he currently teaches.

Saturday, March 15, 2025
Meeting begins at 9:00 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Get Your Conference Tickets Here!

February Featured Speaker – Terry Willey

January 12, 2025 By TBeaulieu

Workshop Title: Artificial Intelligence for Creatives

Discover Practical Ways to Use AI in Your Writing Journey

AI is everywhere these days, but how does it fit into a writer’s life? If you’ve ever been curious—or maybe a little skeptical—about how AI could help you as a creative, our next program, “Artificial Intelligence for Creatives,” might be just what you’re looking for.

This session isn’t about replacing creativity. It’s about exploring how writers can ethically and practically use AI tools to make their work a little easier, whether that means brainstorming a logline, drafting a query letter or book proposal, or creating promotional artwork.

What Will Be Covered:

  • Simple ways to write prompts that help AI give you the results you need.
  • How AI can be a helpful assistant for tasks like proposals and marketing.
  • Tips for saving time without losing the personal touch in your writing.

What You’ll Take Away:
Terry Willey will show ways that AI can free up your time so you can focus on what you love—writing. He’ll also share tips for using AI to enhance your marketing effectiveness, even if you’re not a tech expert.

What to Expect During the Talk:
Terry has learned through trial and error what works for writers (and what doesn’t), and is looking forward to sharing those insights with you. He also plans to do a live demonstration with work from attendees, showing step-by-step how AI can help with specific tasks like creating a logline, synopsis, or mockup artwork.

If you’re curious but cautious, this session is for you. AI doesn’t have to be intimidating or impersonal—it can be a simple tool to support your creative goals. We’d love to see you there!

*Note: The above blog post was written by AI and edited by a human! 🙂

Bio:

Terry Willey and Carol Baker are award-winning writers of full-length plays, one-acts, screenplays, teleplays, short stories, novels, and biscuit and gravy reviews. Their book, Time Travel for Fun and Prophet, won second place in Humor and third place in Science Fiction in the 2024 CIPA EVVYTM Book Awards. They’re original members of Writers of Kern and have been published in the WOK Anthology 1 and Anthology 2. They were members of the screenwriting and scifi critique groups and are members of the Coastal Dunes CWC. Their new book, Rio Cyborg, will be coming out in 2025.

Meeting on Saturday, February 15, 2025
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting and Workshop Fee. Breakfast is included.

January Featured Speaker – Carla Martin

December 15, 2024 By TBeaulieu

Workshop Title: A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words

This workshop will focus on using visual mediums as a source of inspiration.

In this workshop participants will:

  • Examine the use of paintings
  • Listen to the life stories of the artists and absorb their colors, shapes, and messages.
  • Write using a visual prompt
  • If you’d like to, share your work

Carla Joy Martin is a poet, pastel artist and piano instructor. After living in New York, Scotland and Pasadena, she found herself in Bakersfield and has been here for thirty years now. She obtained her MA in English Literature from Stanford and enjoys promoting the arts in Bakersfield. She hosts the Dukes Memorial Concerts as well as co-hosts the First Friday Open Mic Nights with Portia Choi. She published her first poetry chapbook, A Kaleidoscope of Love, in the middle of the pandemic. A member of Writers of Kern for many years, Carla is the current Critique Group Chair. She can’t thank WOK enough for all they have done to nurture her talents.

Hope to see you there!

Meeting on Saturday, January 11, 2025
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting and Workshop Fee. Breakfast is included.

2024 Winter Holiday Dinner

November 17, 2024 By TBeaulieu

The Writers of Kern 2024 Winter Holiday Dinner & Year-End Celebration will take place at Hodel’s Country Dining on Saturday, December 14th from 5:30PM – 8:30PM with dinner at 6PM. Come and celebrate the holidays with dinner, a gift exchange, and an open mic!

We will also be recognizing the winner of our Fall Writing contest. 

  • Gift exchange: Wrap a book or anything to do with writing.  Exchange for another gift. We all have treasures on our shelves that we want to share.
  • Open mic: Bring a writing you want to share that is in the spirit of the season. Three-minute limit so everyone interested has a chance. Sign-up when you come in for dinner.
  • Fall writing contest: Winner will be announced and will read the winning entry. 

You do have to be a member to attend, but members are encouraged to bring guests.  Dress is casual, but if you prefer a more formal or holiday attire, you’re a writer, go ahead and express yourself.  

Click below to reserve your spot.  Space is limited and we recommend you make your reservations today!

See you there!

Meeting on Saturday, December 14, 2024
Event begins at 5:30 pm
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Click Here To Reserve Your Spot!

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