• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Writers of Kern

Everything Writers Need | Writers of Kern

  • Jump In
    • Attend a Workshop
    • Become a Member
    • Get the Guide: The Best Places to Write in Bakersfield
    • See Upcoming Events
    • Submit a Speaker Proposal
  • About
    • History
    • Membership
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Officers & Chairs
    • Overview
  • Blog
  • Members
    • Apply for Active Status
    • Books by Members
    • Join a Critique Group
    • Pay Dues
    • Request a Sunshine Card
  • WOK Press
  • Contact
    • Stay Connected
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Events

Writers of Kern Spring Writing Conference, March 15

March 3, 2014 By Natalia Corres

$20 members — $30 non-members
Clarion Hotel
3540 Rosedale Hwy. (Hwy. 58)
Bakersfield, CA 93308

8:00 – 8:30       Meet & Greet with continental breakfast

8:30 – 9:00       Welcome, Writers of Kern President, Dana Martin

Book sales provided by Book Hounds, hourly door prizes, Q&A with speakers

9:00 – 9:45 – CAROL SANDERS

Carol Sanders
Carol Sanders

A Writer’s Journey: In this session, Sanders will discuss the requirements of the first chapter of a novel, then proceed with a verbal tour of her journey as a creative writer. Highlights of this tour include a peek into a writer’s birthing chamber, a place of both pain and delight. Discussion will include the traits necessary for a creative writer, the helps and hindrances for writing, and the roller coaster of publishing.

Carol Sanders is a retired high school English teacher. After 30 years in the classroom, Sanders moved to Oregon and wrote Spy on Clinton Street, published in 2013 by dMon Publishing, Dallas, Texas, which followed her first book, the already-published novel Selene, retitled One Last Kiss, published by Zebra Press.

 10:00 – 10:45 – ESTER SHIFREN

Ester Shifren
Ester Shifren

How to Self-Publish Successfully: Attendees will learn how to build a platform prior to self-publishing and the importance of social media as it relates to building your platform on the road to publication. Shifren will explain how to develop a theme to get speaking engagements and how to get noticed by subscribing to, and regularly commenting on, excellent blogging sites. She will also break down publishing using Createspace and Kindle (KDP) and other self-publishing engines.

Ester Shifren is a published author, artist, musician, and dynamic international speaker. In 2005, in England, she was featured in the BBC1 program “We’ll Meet Again,” and was a guest lecturer for several days at the Imperial War Museum.  Ester’s book Hiding in a Cave of Trunks details all facets of Shanghai’s colorful multi-ethnic population and relates the saga of her family’s century-long existence in China.

 11:00 – 11:45 – NINA AMIR

Nina Amir
Nina Amir

How to Blog a Book: Rather than just blogging and repurposing your posts into a book, or booking your blog, learn how to write, publish, and promote a book on the Internet using blog technology. Blogging a book is the easiest and quickest—and most efficient—way to write a book and promote it at the same time. If you can write, you can blog. That means you can blog your way to creating a successful book—one that attracts readers and publishers.

Nina Amir has 35 years of experience in the publishing field, earned a BA in magazine journalism from Syracuse University, and has edited or written for more than 46 publications on a full-time or freelance basis. She is the author of How to Blog a Book and The Author Training Manual, is a successful book editor, and speaks widely to inspire people to create books that positively impact others.  

11:45 – 12:30      Q&A, discussion, book signings, books sales, closing

Writers of Kern Fall Blog Challenge

September 7, 2013 By Joan Raymond

joan-raymond

Beginning Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

Ending Saturday, December 7, 2013.

Thirteen weeks = 26 posts.

The prompt: “A–Z”. Writers may choose their own theme, but must feature one letter of the alphabet each post.

Rules are the same as the previous blog challenge:

Participants must 1) blog twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays suggested);

2) Read five different blogs twice a week, a total of ten different blogs a week;

3) Leave thoughtful comments and encouraging words for bloggers you visit.

Winners will be recognized at the Christmas Dinner on Friday, December 13, 2013.

NOTE: If you choose to participate, please email your blog site to [email protected] by September 9, 2013 so we can let the other participants know who is accepting the challenge.

Nancy Ellen Dodd Workshop, November 2 & 23

August 19, 2013 By Annis Cassells

Nancy Ellen Dodd
Nancy Ellen Dodd

Nancy Ellen Dodd, writer, university professor, editor, and author of The Writer’s Compass, is no stranger to Writers of Kern. In November, she returns for a two-part writing workshop. At this time, the twelve spots are filled. But, we have begun taking names for the waiting list.

The first session will include writing from visual representations; Nancy and the participants will discuss options for Session Two.

 Dates and Time: Nov. 2 and 23, 2013; 9:00 AM -1:00 PM.

Location: Westbrook Church Coffee Shop on Ashe, south of District Blvd.

Fee: $105 per WOK Member for the 8-hour workshop. Non-Members: $120. Fees are payable to Nancy Dodd at the first meeting.

If you wish to be added to the waiting list, email Annis Cassells. She will confirm that you have been added and let you know your position on the list. 

Writers of Kern Summer Writing Contest

August 2, 2013 By Joan Raymond

joan-raymond
Joan Raymond

This year Writers of Kern is bringing back the Non-Fiction genre, but with a twist. Narrative/Creative Non-Fiction will be the genre. Any topic is fair game. For those not familiar with the genre, a definition from the English Language & Usage says narrative non-fiction is “writing that tells a factual story, sometimes even a personal one, but also makes an argument and conveys information in vivid, effective ways.”  Write your story in a personal way, with you, the author, perhaps becoming part of the story.

Guidelines
The entry should not to exceed 1,200 words, doubled spaced, 12 pt. font (Times New Roman or similar), pages numbered consecutively.  Narrative Non-fiction. One (1) entry per member.

Requirements
Two (2) copies of the submission must be attached to an email. One copy should be identified with your name and contact information. The other should have the title in the file name and in the header of the document. The “blind” copy is read by the judges.  To reiterate: You are emailing two (2) copies of your story: one that identifies you as the writer; the other does not.  Submit your entry to [email protected] no later than August 31, 2013.

If you choose to mail a hard copy of your entry, please mail (2) copies of the entry identified as described above. Address the submission to: Writers of Kern Summer Writing Contest, P.O. Box 22335, Bakersfield, CA, 93390.

Please note: The Summer Writing Contest is open only to new or renewing members of Writers of Kern, who paid their current dues on or before August 31, 2013.

The winner will be announced at the Christmas Dinner in December. There is a $200 prize.

High Desert Howl at the Moon Writers’ Conference #3

July 29, 2013 By Natalia Corres

An email from Robert Isbill, President, High Desert Branch of CWC:

Bob Isbill, President, HD CWC
Bob Isbill

I’m urging all of the CWC South to get out the word on our Howl at the Moon” Writers’ Conference #3, which will be on Saturday, October 19, 2013 in Victorville. And IF your members act now, they can get a $25 price for the ALL DAY event featuring James Scott Bell, Scott Rubenstein and Loren Stephens.

In response to a blanket invitation to ALL CWC members, state-wide, Central Board State Treasurer Sharon Svitak replied:

“You have a real powerhouse speaker in James Scott Bell. Congratulations! I would love to join you but I have a Tri-Valley board meeting and general meeting that day. I have never mastered the art of being in two places at once.” All of you feel free to use this conference as a “re-enlistment” tool for your members who have not renewed their membership yet!

All members in good standing in your branch get the early bird discount price of only $25! But that’s good only through Saturday, August 10th.  To pay using PayPal or a credit card, click here. Or, just send us a check postmarked by August 10 for the great $25 price.

Our philosophy is low profit, high turnover and give the people a real value that could not be duplicated elsewhere.  We’ll make money, guaranteed!  But we’ll walk away from this conference knowing we really did a public service by presenting a high quality event at an affordable price. 

And it’s going to be fun!  Wait until you see what we’ve got planned.

For one thing, we’ll have a 104th anniversary of Literary History with a birthday cake served in the Ruth Theodus Gallery at the High Desert Center for the Arts! Ruth was not only the High Desert CWC’s founder and first president, but a major fundraiser and philanthropist for the Center for the Arts in Victorville. She was also president of the state-wide CWC. We’ll honor her that day, and much, much more.

I don’t know of other conferences planned in the Southern California (CWC South) region for the upcoming months, but I’d love it if our Southern California group really made an effort to promote this one!  This is something we should all band together about and see what needs to be done to make our members aware of it.

After it’s over and they find out about HATM #3, they’re going to be asking “Why didn’t we get the word?”

I know some of you are almost 100 miles away, but this is NOT to be missed!  It’s going to be worth the drive just for the fun factor! For map and driving directions, please click here.

Thanks to you all!

Bob Isbill

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 13
  • Go to page 14
  • Go to page 15
  • Go to page 16
  • Go to Next Page »

Copyright © 2023 · Writers of Kern · Website by Hypist

  • Advertise
  • Submissions
  • Speakers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Policies & Procedures
  • Contact