Writers of Kern

Everything Writers Need | Writers of Kern

Guest Speakers

August Featured Speaker – Dan Bronson

By

Workshop Title: This Writer’s Journey

Square-shaped event flyer for the Writers of Kern August 2025 meeting featuring speaker Dan Bronson. All event details are listed in the main body text below.

Good writers READ obsessively, compulsively, continuously.

Good writers LISTEN to the way people actually talk and to the way locale, education, social status, and personality shape their speech.

Good writers RESEARCH, losing themselves in basement libraries, immersing themselves in the backgrounds of their stories, visiting the settings of those stories and getting to know the people who live there.

Good writers learn to unlock their unconscious minds, escaping the world around them and living in a world elsewhere, the world of their stories.

This writer’s journey…from the written word to the screen image and back again.

The maxims Dan writes by:

1) Show, don’t tell.
2) Action is character.
3) Conflict is drama.
4) Make a virtue of necessity.

Dan’s Bio:

Dan has had many careers: Associate Professor of English at DePauw University, Senior Story Analyst at Universal, Associate Story Editor at Filmways, Executive Story Editor at Paramount, Writer/Producer of HBO’s acclaimed Ed Harris thriller The Last Innocent Man and NBC’s cult classic Death of a Cheerleader, author of the memoir Confessions of a Hollywood Nobody, and of the Jack Shannon mysteries Someone to Watch Over Me and Shout at the Devil, books that critics have compared to the novels of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.

Dan also has a B.A. in English, Pomona College. M.A., Ph.d. in English and American Lit, Princeton University. Tenured Associate Professor of English, DePauw University. Senior Story Analyst, Universal Pictures. Associate Story Editor, Filmways Pictures. Executive Story Editor, Paramount Pictures. Independent Writer-Producer at the major networks and studios. Memoirist. Novelist.

You can connect with Dan here:

Website: https://dan-bronson.com
Website: https://hollywood-nobody.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006971839074

Meeting on Saturday, August 16, 2025
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Registration for this past event is closed.

July Featured Speaker – Mary Beth O’Connor

By

Workshop Title: Memoir Writing Fundamentals

Square-shaped event flyer for the Writers of Kern July 2025 meeting featuring speaker Mary Beth O'Connor. All event details are listed in the main body text below.

Mary Beth will define “memoir” and review the scope, themes, arc, and immersive story structure. She also will explain how to incorporate takeaway and reflection. Mary Beth then will address the emotional aspects of writing memoir. She will review writing goals, techniques, and skills development. Mary Beth will then delve into the business side of publishing and marketing memoir.

Mary Beth’s Bio:

Mary Beth has been sober from her methamphetamine use disorder since 1994. She also is in recovery from abuse, trauma, and anxiety. She wrote about her story in her award-winning memoir From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction. Mary Beth regularly writes opinion pieces which have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Recovery Today, and other publications. Her memoir writings have been published in Memoir Magazine, Awakenings, and Ravens Perch, among others. In addition, she trains writers about memoir writing.

You can connect with Mary Beth here:

Website: junkietojudge.com
X/Twitter: @MaryBethO_
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-o-connor-8aaa4b121/

Meeting on Saturday, July 19, 2025
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Registration for this past event is closed.

June Speaker – Robert A. Lane

By

Workshop Title: Art of Audiobook Narration (and Marketing)

NOTE: This meeting will take place on the 4th Saturday of June, on June 28th.

Square-shaped event flyer for the Writers of Kern June 2025 meeting featuring speaker Robert A. Lane. All event details are listed in the main body text below.

Narrating an audiobook is more than just grabbing your book and hitting the record button. There are two factors that are key to creating an engaging audiobook – the practical and the intangibles.

In this interactive presentation, participants will not only learn but discover that they CAN narrate their own audiobook. They will also learn the practical steps needed to create an audiobook as well as tools to build confidence in their voice.

We will also talk about ways to market your audiobook before, during and after your audiobook is launched.

Robert’s Bio:

Robert A. Lane is an Audiobook Coach & Producer as well as a Transformational Speaker. After working 30+ years in the entertainment industry, Robert founded Robert Lane Coaching in 2020 as a career and life coach, then expanded his business to help nonfiction authors narrate their own audiobooks by creating the “Your Book Your Voice” audiobook coaching program, getting authors published on Audible, Amazon & Apple Books in six weeks.

You can connect with Robert here:

Website – https://www.robertlanecoaching.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/robertlanecoaching/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@robertlanecoaching
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-a-lane/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/robertlanecoaching
“Lights, Action, YOU!” (Book on Amazon) – https://amzn.to/3Ly833t

Meeting on Saturday, June 28, 2025
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Registration for this past event is closed.

April Featured Speaker – Michele Drier

By

Workshop Title: Adding Tension to Your Work

Square-shaped event flyer for the Writers of Kern April 2025 meeting featuring speaker Michele Drier. All event details are listed in the main body text below.

No matter the genre, tension is the driving force that keeps readers hooked and turning pages. In this session, Michele will share practical strategies to heighten tension in your writing, helping you create stories that captivate and leave readers wanting more.

How do we create these tensions that add action and spice to our stories? Michele explains, “The way I’ve found–both in working with reporters in journalism and as an author myself–is to ask: ‘What If’? At any spot in your story, your characters will have opportunities to change their realities and shift their responses, and this is where you can examine the ‘What if…’ and bring in a nail-biter.”

Bio:

Michele Drier is a fifth generation Californian. During her career in journalism at daily newspapers in California, she won awards for investigative series. She is the past president of Capitol Crimes, a Sisters in Crime chapter; the Guppies chapter of Sisters in Crime; current president of NorCal Sisters in Crime, co-chaired  Bouchercon 2020, the world’s oldest and largest convention for mystery fans and authors and is the co-chair for Left Coast Crime in San Francisco in 2026.

Her Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries are Edited for Death, (called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review), Labeled for Death and Delta for Death. A stand-alone, Ashes of Memories was published May 2017.

Her paranormal romance series, SNAP: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, named the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by PRG includes: SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, PLAGUE: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, (Best paranormal book 2013, PRG reviewers); SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights, SNAP; All That Jazz ( best paranormal vampire book of 2014, PRG reviewers), SNAP: I, Vampire, SNAP: Red Bear Rising, SNAP: Pandemic Games.  She’s currently working on the twelfth book in the series.

Her new series is the Stained Glass Mysteries, Stain on the Soul, Tapestry of Tears, and Resurrection of the Roses.

She lives in Sacramento with her cat, Malley.

Visit her webpage, www.MicheleDrier.me

Or her Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleDrier

Or find her on her author page at http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Drier/e/B005D2YC8G/

Meeting on Saturday, April 19, 2025
Breakfast begins at 8:30 am
The general meeting begins at 9:15 am
Hodel’s at 5917 Knudsen Dr, Bakersfield

Registration for this past event is closed.

2025 Spring Conference

By

Spring Conference 2025 graphic with details about the event that are also found in the main content of this page, below. Lunch is included.

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!