Past Events 2020

How to Write Funny 2020

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Panel
Tuesday, October 27, 2020

“Dying is easy; comedy is difficult,” especially these days. 

But we persist because we can. From the farces of Feydeau, Baudelaire, and Wilde, on to George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Larry Gelbart, Terry Southern, Paddy Chayefsky, and Norman Lear, right on through to Dave Chappelle, Mindy Kaling, and Stephen Colbert today, blistering social satire and, yes, even a few organic laughs are necessary for our sanity.

How do we incorporate humor and zest to spice up our memoirs, novels, and screenplays (especially if they AREN’T straight up comedies)?

And more

Moderator: Gary Young

[To read more, click the title!]

Our writers meeting panel for How to Write Funny, October 2020.
Mark Gottlieb

What Writers Must Know About Finding & Working with Representation Today

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Panel
Wednesday, September 30, 2020

If you choose the route of traditional publishing, it’s more important than ever to have trustworthy, reliable, and knowledgeable representation to guide your book or screenplay (and you!).

We will be having a candid and thorough discussion of the factors (subtle and otherwise) that go into whether a book/screenplay (or an author) gets past the gatekeepers or not.  For instance, how important are one’s social media footprint, level of fame, and prestige college or educational credentials in determining a “yes” or a “no” — regardless of the quality of a book or movie? How does someone’s race, gender or sexual preference, or social/economic class affect their chances of getting a good book or TV/movie deal?

We will concentrate on books as well as film/TV. And through the magic of the webinar form, we will include NEW YORK AGENTS as well as LA and Southern California based agents on the program!

Topics will include:…

Moderator: Telly Davidson
Katie Shea Boutillier
Doug Grad
Jan L. Kardys
Mark Gottlieb
Miriam Altshuler
Michelle Zeitlin

[To read more, click the title!]

Monetizing Your Message – 5 Steps to Book-Selling Success

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Webinar
Monday, August 24, 2020

As seen on A&E, ABC, ESPN, FOX, and NBC, Reality TV stars and authors, Rocky & Cheryl Detwiler are professional coaches who teach authors how to land paid speaking engagements, create workshops, and sell their books in bulk.

This Zoom presentation with PowerPoint covers…

[To read more, click the title!]

Rocky and Cheryl Detwiler, professional coaches
T.C. Boyle

Conversation with Distinguished Author T.C.Boyle

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Panel
Monday, August 31, 2020

We have the honor of hearing from and speaking with T.C. Boyle one of the most prolific and decorated writers among us.

He is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California, so he has a world of sharable knowledge for you. T.C. is not the shy, retiring type, so fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a thrilling ride.

He will discuss his writing, his challenges, surprises, advice.

Moderator: Gary Young
T.C. Boyle

[To read more, click the title!]

Xyz Westerly group meetings for [craft] – Personal Essay

 in PastEvent20 / Satellite

Xyz Westerly Group
Saturday, July 11, 2020

Our host RQ and our speaker, Sue William Silverman, will explore this popular and flexible form of creative nonfiction. They will cover the elements that make a narrative essay sing and keep the reader engaged, including story, metaphor, character development, voice, and sense of place. They will also discuss how to find the courage to reveal your painful secrets.

Program will include a writing exercise, so be ready!

[To read more, click the title!]

Sue William Silverman
Marvin J. Wolf, Award Winning Author and Photojournalist

7 Steps to a Successful Book Proposal

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Panel
Monday, June 29, 2020

Nearly all nonfiction books are sold with a query and proposal that enlists the aid of a literary agent in convincing an acquisitions editor at a publishing entity to advance funds to a writer with an idea.

Presented by Marvin J. Wolf

Moderator: Gary Young

[To read more, click the title!]

Research Techniques For Writers

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Online Panel
Monday, May 18, 2020

Taking notes … doing homework … wading through reference books and endless websites … Research and fact-checking for writers has gotten a reputation for being the most boring and tedious part of writing  books and articles. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

This month we bring you and online panel about how to make “playing detective” interesting and exciting, and how to get the most useful information with the least wasted time.

Moderator and Panelist: Telly Davidson
Dr. Kelly Gardiner
Gerald Everett Jones

[To read more, click the title!]

A screenshot from our Research Panel: Gerald, Kelly, Gary, Telly
Author Lisa See

Conversation with Best-selling Author Lisa See

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Webinar
Monday, April 27, 2020

This month we present this online Webinar via Zoom as our monthly Seminar.

Best-selling author Lisa See has generously accepted our invitation to speak with us and answer our questions. She is a supremely gifted writer with a brilliant wealth of involving, enduring, and memorable stories.

Presented by: Lisa See

[To read more, click the title!]

How to Join the Popping Rev

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Panel
Monday, February 24, 2020

Podcasting is not new, but 2019 was the year this medium really took off! In 2020, the number of podcasts are expected to grow even faster. According to PodcastHosting.org, January 2020 statistics show that there are over 820,000 podcasts and over 28 million episodes. 50% of American homes are podcast fans.

What is a podcast?
Basically it’s a series of audio files placed on the Internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device. While this sounds simple, there are a lot of steps involved in creating a quality podcast, making it available, and getting people to listen.

This month, we will present a panel of podcasters who have taken this new path to content delivery. They’ll share their experiences, tips, missteps and the secrets to creating a killer podcast series.

Moderator: Robin Quinn
A.G. Billig
Desireé Duffy
Herbie J Pilato
Gerald Everett Jones

[To read more, click the title!]

IWOSC writer's group Podcast Revolution Panel
Dmitriy Velin

The Business and Taxes of Writing

 in Panel / PastEvent20

Panel
Monday, January 27, 2020

To kick off the new year of 2020, TheWGroup/PALA is presenting a program to deal with taxes, starring a top Los Angeles area CPA and an attorney, to give advice on conducting our business as writers and publishers. And this year, California writers have a lot more on their plates than merely planning for their annual appointment with the IRS in April.

Moderator: Telly Davidson
Dmitriy Veli
Michael S. Klein

[To read more, click the title!]

Members-only Brainstorming Session January 2020

 in PastEvent20

Members-only Brainstorming Session
Thursday, January 23, 2020

  • Want some feedback on potential titles for your next book?
  • Need help with finding a distributor?
  • Have an opinion about a potential cover design?
  • Not sure if you should spend money on exhibiting at an upcoming trade show?

YOUR questions can be answered at the next Brainstorming meeting.
Bring your books, cover design drafts, marketing ideas, requests for referrals, and anything else related to publishing and get answers from the other members in our group. Take advantage of the collective wisdom of your fellow publishers and publishing colleagues.

[To read more, click the title!]