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15 June 2019 | Featured Speaker, Author Esther Hatch – The Pros & Cons for Small Press Publishing

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This presentation will cover the advantages and disadvantages of small press publishing.

There are more options to publishing than just self publishing or publishing with an agent and hoping to land a book with a big publishing house. Sometimes the middle road can be the right road.

Advantages: agents may not be required, quicker publishing timeline, close knit group of people you come to know and the ability to hit a niche market.

Pitfalls: smaller press runs, smaller budgets, some small presses may not do enough advertising and marketing to really sell your books in the way you imagined.

Click here to purchase tickets to the meeting online.

Bio: Esther Hatch grew up on a cherry orchard in rural Utah. After high school she alternated living in Russia teaching children English, and attending Brigham Young University in order to get a degree in Archaeology. Always an avid reader, she began writing when one of her favorite authors invited her to join a critique group. The only catch was she had to be a writer. Not one to be left out of an opportunity to socialize and try something new; she started on her first novel that week.

18 May 2019 | Annual Celebration | WOK Honors Dinner

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WOK Members and Competition Winners are Celebrated

Writers of Kern Member achievements, our incomparable WOK Volunteers, Young Writers of Kern (YWOK), and Peggy Connelly Scholarship winners are honored and celebrated at this annual affair.

Join us at Hodel’s , located at 5917 Knudsen Dr. Bakersfield, CA 93308.

Doors open at 6 pm. Dinner starts at 6:30 pm.

Click here to purchase your tickets for the dinner online.

13 April 2019 |Featured Speaker, Jeanne De Vita – aka The Book Genie

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Jeanne De Vita │Essential Master Class in Writing Romance Novels: Arc, Beats, and Craft

Jeanne De Vita is pleased to present a master class on the essential craft of writing a romance novel. Commercial fiction is an enormous market but how do you know if your story has the structure to stand up and the soul to attract and keep readers? Developmental editor and writing instructor Jeanne De Vita will share the often overlooked essentials of romance novel craft: creating a character arc through correctly placed character beats and the essentials of the craft. Practical and accessible, this workshop will introduce new authors to concepts and tools while also challenging experienced authors to improve their mastery of the genre.

Click here to purchase tickets for the meeting online.

MFA, award-winning author, and editor with an extensive background in publishing.  Ms. De Vita is currently a Developmental Editor for Waterhouse Press, and previously worked as both an Acquisitions Editor and a Managing Editor.  She counts several New York Times best-selling authors among her clients.

16 February 2019 | Writing Comedy for TV, Movies, or Stage

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Workshop: The Difference between a Sitcom, a Screenplay, a Play, and a Waste of Time 

Allan Katz

Have you ever asked, “How do they do that?” when watching a sitcom, screenplay, or play? Your opportunity to find out comes at the February 16 Writers of Kern meeting.  Allan Katz, writer and producer of countless favorite and beloved television shows, movies, and plays, will share many of his experiences. Writers of all genres and fans of both small and large screens would be interested in this program.

Katz will discuss the differences between a sitcom idea, a screenplay, and a play. He says, “’The Odd Couple’ was all three—and it defined a genre.” He will talk about the determining factors and how to approach each form. Mr. Katz will offer numerous opportunities for interaction and feedback during his presentation.

A successful advertising campaign landed Katz a job on “Laugh-In.” He went on to write “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The Mary Tyler Moor Show.” He wrote and produced “Rhoda,” “M*A*S*H” and “Roseanne” as well as numerous specials, roasts, and pilots. His plays, musicals, and features have been produced and he’s also had articles published in the New York Times and LA Times.

19 January 2019 | Identifying & Engaging Your Audience

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Workshop: Finding Your Story

Who are you writing for? Yourself? Or, do you have a specific audience in mind? When Vaun Thygerson takes the podium at the January 19 Writers of Kern meeting, she will help writers learn to identify their potential target audience and discern what may interest them.

“Everybody wants to hear a story that interests them. Not everyone wants to hear the same story,” says Thygerson.

Writers will also learn how marketing relates to writing and how to engage your audience.

Vaun Thygerson is a Writer for Kern County Family Magazine, Writer for Central California Parent Magazine, Duncan’s American Radio and many other outlets.  Vaun Thygerson lives in Bakersfield and teaches public speaking at Bakersfield College and California State University, Bakersfield.

Workshop Details

When: 19 January 2019, 8:45-11:30am

Where: Hodel’s Country Dining, 5917 Knudsen Drive in Bakersfield, CA

Tickets: $10 for members, $15 for guests, includes a buffet breakfast and can be paid at the door or online.