Guest Speakers

by Srey Khoy

          Would you like to know the secret behind increased reader engagement? How would you like your story to hold the reader’s attention from beginning to end? If you answered yes, stay tuned for our fabulous speaker.

          Writers of Kern is pleased to welcome back Nancy Ellen Dodd, and her presentation “Story + Character Arcs = Tension” is sure to explore and improve the creative storytelling process. Attendees will also have the opportunity to practice these concepts during the workshop.

          What is tension? This is the energy that keeps the audience engaged; without it, you’ll have a flat story that puts your audience to sleep.

          How does tension occur? The story arc and character arc must inspire tension in such a way that the reader cares what happens to the character and whether they achieve their ultimate wish.

          When does tension occur? This occurs whenever the characters disagree, even when they have feelings for each other. Other incidents include obstacles thrown in the characters’ path.

          Here’s what you’ll learn:

• How to develop more tension between characters.
  • How to develop a character arc with more tension.
  • How to develop a story arc, adding more tension.

You won’t want to miss out on this free, virtual workshop. Mark your calendars for July 17 at 9:15AM PST, and don’t forget to REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE.

Nancy Ellen Dodd, author of The Writer’s Compass: From Story Map to Finished Draft in 7 Stages, is also an instructor and editor. She earned an MPW (master’s in professional writing) and an MFA (in playwriting) from USC. She teaches advanced screenwriting at Pepperdine’s Seaver College and has published more than 130 articles in local and national publications. She is currently earning her Ph.D. in Global Leadership and Change. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Facebook.

by Susan Baker

“Why on earth do we need more writers?”, asks Brendan Constantine, a Los Angeles based poet. Those attending the Writers of Kern monthly meeting scheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2021 will have the chance to find an answer to that question.  Mr. Constantine will be the featured guest speaker, delivering a special edition of his curiously titled workshop, ‘The Art of Getting It Wrong’. 

This event will fuel a “generative discussion” inviting writers of all genres to explore topics including:

• How to reduce distraction and foster creative momentum
• Understanding and getting past ‘writer’s block”
• How to change your focus and reassess your motivation for writing – writing for self-expression vs writing for publication
• How to balance your needs as a writer with the needs of your audience
• Discovering your personal “style” (your greatest strengths)

During the process, participants may well discover why others need THEIR writing!

This presentation will include a lecture, discussion, group participation, a slideshow and handouts (provided digitally).  Participants are promised that they will acquire new tools with which to approach their writing. “I’m turning over all my tricks!” declares Constantine.  Further, he plans to provide participants with enough source material to enable them to conduct their own workshops to inspire even more writers.

A critically acclaimed American poet, Brendan Constantine’s work has been published in numerous publications including several full-length collections with established publishing houses, as well as viral media posts. His work has also appeared in numerous journals, including Poetry, Tin House, Best American Poetry, and Poem-a-Day. His latest work will soon be appearing in Rattle, Radar, and the Washington Square Review.  A gifted performer, Brendan performs his poetry for audiences across the United States and Europe. He has been featured on NPR’s ‘All things Considered’, as well as TED ED, podcasts and YouTube. 

In addition to publishing and performing, Brendan teaches at the Windward School in Los Angeles.  But his passion for helping others to find their own words and means of expression extends beyond the stage or classroom to writers who struggle to construct even the most basic sentence.

For the past four years, Constantine has been collaborating with linguists and speech pathologists to create workshops to help persons with aphasia (communication disorder affecting reading, writing and speech) and traumatic brain injury. He states, “I have seen firsthand the usefulness of the very methods I plan to share in my lecture. By spending a little time with our first motivations to write (our original ‘boldness’), by rising to meet distraction and reluctance, I’ve witnessed astounding results.”

The Art of Getting It Wrong, is an online event, hosted by The Writers of Kern.  It is open to the public and free of charge.  Pre-registration is required and is on a first come, first served basis.  To sign up, go to: EVENTBRITE

To find out more about Brendan Constantine and sample his work, go to: brendanconstantine.com

Penning the murder mystery or How to kill people for fun and profit

If you enjoy curling up with a hot cocoa in one hand and a great who-dunnit novel in the other, you will want to attend the next Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting. 

Scheduled for Saturday morning, April 17, 2021 and presented online free of charge via Zoom technology, WOK will feature best-selling cozy mystery author Dean James, better known to his fans as Miranda James. James will be sharing his fun and informative presentation, “Killing People for Fun and Profit”!

This will be a great opportunity to gain insight into the mystery writing and publishing worlds as James draws from his success both as an author, and 30 years of experience as general manager of Houston’s renowned mystery specialty bookstore, Murder by the Book. Even if writing mystery stories is not your thing, all writers and would-be authors could benefit from attending this workshop.

Attendees at this event will learn about:

• The basics of strong writing regardless of genre
• The basics of writing for publication
• How to juggle writing multiple mystery series
• How bookstores operate and how small presses and self-published authors can best work with them

Register for this free event by going to Eventbrite (CLICK HERE)

James has authored and co-authored several mystery series under various pen names including:

• The Southern Ladies series as Miranda James
• The Cat in the Stacks series (featuring librarian Charlie Harris and his famous Maine Coon cat, Diesel) also writing as Miranda James
• The Simon Kirby-Jones series as Dean James
• The Wanda Nell Culpepper series as Jimmie Ruth Evans
• The Emma Diamond series as Honor Hartman

James is currently a medical librarian at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi.  In addition to his award-winning success as the author of 30 mystery novels (his books have appeared on the New York times and USA Today bestseller lists several times), he has published articles on library science, the history of science and medicine, as well as co-authoring or co-editing six mystery reference titles and one short-story anthology.

To find out more about Dean James and his books, you may want to explore the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/dean.james1
https://www.facebook.com/mirandajamesauthor
https://www.facebook.com/DieselHarriscat
https://www.facebook.com/Cozy-Mystery-Share-A-Palooza-1438002186419017

Audiobooks are the newest kids on the block in the world of book publishing. They provide writers with another avenue to expand their readership, utilizing the latest technology to support book sales. If you’re considering turning your book into an audio book, you probably have questions about the whole process. With so much information out there, where do you start?

This is where our next Writers of Kern speaker comes in. On Saturday, March 20, 2021, award winning author and professional audio producer Mara Purl will share her insights and knowledge of the audio book industry with our members and guests. Besides her twenty plus years as an audio producer, her radio series “Milford-Haven USA” became the first American radio serial to be broadcast on the BBC, where 4.5 million listeners tuned in. Her company has also produced audio books for fiction and nonfiction projects.

Mara’s workshop, “Giving Your Book a Voice: Audio Book Production and Distribution,” will pull back the curtain on audio book production. Here are some of the concerns and questions she’ll address:

• Why you should add an audio book to your list of book products to sell
• How an audio book can increase your readership and following
• How to choose the right narrator
• Facts regarding the current marketplace conditions of audio books
• Technical details and audio styles of audio book production
• And much more

If you’re ready to take your book further, or even if you don’t have a book yet, this information is sure to help you make the right decision if or when you decide to add audio books to your product list. Join us on Saturday morning, March 20, 2021 for this free virtual event. Preregistration is required, and spots are limited.

To register at Eventbrite, click HERE.

You can learn more about Mara Purl on her website: http://www.marapurl.com

You can connect with her on the following social media channels:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaraPurl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marapurl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mara.purl/