May 23, 2020 presented by Jonathan Maberry How to craft a short story – the basics and some useful insider tips. The best ways to find markets for your short fiction. Understanding Submission Guidelines. Writing outside your comfort zone to stretch as a writer and open up new sales opportunities. Media Tie-in for short fiction (writing in worlds like CSI, Star Trek, etc.) Thoughts on the short story contract. JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action; for adults, teens and middle grade. He is the editor of many anthologies including The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Don’t Turn Out the Lights, Nights of the Living Dead, and others. His comics include Black Panther: DoomWar, Captain America, Pandemica, Highway to Hell, The Punisher and Bad Blood. He is a board member of the Horror Writers Association and the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. Visit Jonathan online at www.jonathanmaberry.com

Apr 25, 2020 presented by Karen Robertson Karen is a wife, mother, grandmother, a retired educator and administrator, a clown named Ditzy and a standup comic. As a freelance writer, she has published articles in over 70 magazines and newspapers. She's published four non-fiction books and one novel, with a second one in the oven. She's traditionally published and has also self-published by three different methods. With all that, magazine writing is still her favorite and she's going to tell us why.

Jan 23, 2021 presented by Tim Riter Develop a laser focus on your writing that keeps you on track. Discover how “hard writing” will make what you write easier to read. Learn four basic principles that can elevate your writing to the echelon of excellence. Tim has two Master’s Degrees and ten traditionally published books. He has given thirty keynote addresses, and he has presented various workshops at about 100 writers’ conferences. When his last book came out, it was the number one Kindle New Release in Motorcycles. His teaching career includes sixteen years at Azusa Pacific University, Hope International, and Oxnard College along with eleven years teaching English at the high school level. He is a nonfiction book panelist on The Writers’ View. His blog, Unconventional, has an annual audience of 12,000.

Mar 26, 2021 presented by Kathi Macias Many of Kathi Macias’ books take place in foreign countries, which she has never visited. Find out how she does the research to write the most authentic story. No matter where your stories take place, the information in this presentation can polish your writing to the level it deserves. Kathi Macias, experienced author, speaker, and editor, is the winner of the 2011 Golden Scrolls Award for Best Novel, as well as the Angel Award for Excellence in Family Books. She has fifty-seven books to her credit, some of them published in Spanish, German, Korean and Polish, and has collaborated on several others. Experience has taught her the value and necessity of good editing. Learn how to polish your work for the best presentation to readers and publishers.

May 22, 2021 presented by Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple is a college writing professor and award-winning author of sixteen books and several articles for homeschooling magazines and journals. She once wrote an online essay that was so widely viewed it crashed video game news websites. Her indie-published book, To Dance in the Glen, won a Top Ten Book Academy Award for romance in 2019. It consistently reaches #1 and Top Ten status in Amazon rankings. Her second book, The Lady of the Glen, was a winner in the Top Fifty Indie Book awards of 2019. Since then, she has published five more books in that series, started three other series, and is working on a fairy tale retelling historical series, set for release later this year. She is also working as a co-writer/editor and publisher for her husband, who recently published his first book, a military paranormal novel titled Chain and Mace. So, if anyone has time-management challenges, it’s Michelle.

Aug 28, 2021 facilitated by Howard Feigenbaum A selection of poetry readings by Guild Members and participants.

Jul 24, 2021 presented by Mary St. John-Putnam Whether you just have an idea, a completed manuscript, or several books published, right now is the perfect time to market yourself and your works. While some publishers will do a little promotion for you, more likely, you’ll need to get the word out yourself. In this presentation, Mary shares with us how to select the appropriate tools for online marketing while making the most of your time and dollars based on your personal comfort level. With suggestions and exercises for beefing up your pitch, your personal brand, and your marketing plan, she’ll share her tips, tricks, and tactics on how to put the fun back in marketing fundamentals. Mary has spent years working in technology for such organizations as NASA/JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratories) and Amazon. In 2009, recognizing that she enjoys working with humans more than computers, she switched from engineering to marketing where she did video production, blogging, social media, writing, and technical training within those organizations. In 2019, she left corporate life to join her husband, retired cop-turned-bestselling-author David Putnam, helping authors tell and sell their stories. Mary does online media as well as hands-on grass-roots book promotions. She enjoys finding fun and creative ways to get your word out, whether through technical online methods or graffitiing the side of her house!

Jun 26, 2021 presented by Dennis Conrad Have a story worth telling? Consider a children’s book. Dennis will introduce Guild members and guests to the world of writing for children. Learn about appropriate language for different levels of children’s books. Open the poet’s treasure chest to discover found poetry and how to avoid rhyme crimes. Write more. Find out where to publish. Explore the resources available for continuing education. As a professor of Speech Communications for sixteen years at Barstow Community College, Dennis taught both public speaking and English. Dennis is represented by Dr. Sharon Norris Elliott of AuthorizeMe Literary Agency. She is in the process of finding a traditional publisher for his series of children’s books. He is a Fellow of the National Writing Project and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). He has a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the University of California, Riverside. He and his wife, Diane, taught speech and English ten summers overseas. His first published articles on business and politics appeared in the 1980’s. Since then he has been published in regional and international journals, anthologies of personal essays including three Short and Sweet Books, and Straitjackets Magazine. Dennis served on the Diamond Valley Writers' Guild Board of Directors as the recording secretary.

Apr 24, 2021 presented by Robert Martin KDP, IngramSpark, and a Trad Publisher all walk into a bar: Changes in Content Distribution and Publishing will have lasting effects. Robert Martin outlines what authors can expect. After years working in marketing and editorial for small presses and magazines, Robert lost his job as the Chief Editor of a travel magazine during the 2020 COVID Pandemic. Striking out on his own, he founded City Limits Publishing. In one year, he has grown City Limits to include over 70 authors, 14 full-time staff members, and over 100 titles with a full editorial calendar into Q3 of 2022. Robert holds multiple degrees in English, Visual Communications, Marketing, Business Admin, and Organizational Leadership. He’s authored nine books ranging from theatrical to poetry, children’s books to photography and travel. Born and raised in Nashville, a place he now calls home again after almost a decade in Miami and New York City, Robert splits his time between Nashville and Vienna, Austria with his husband and their dog, Theo.

Oct 24, 2020 facilitated by JoLynne Buehring Following in the footsteps of our Great Poetry Bash, we introduce our first annual Prose Readaround. This is an event not to be missed! Both published and unpublished authors will read and discuss their work. Also contains the annual election of officers for three positions on the Board of Directors of the Diamond Valley Writers' Guild: Vice President, Secretary, and Member-at-Large.

Aug 27, 2022 hosted by Howard Feigenbaum Poetry is often overlooked in the mad dash for literary fame and fortune. Instead, the Guild has developed a tradition of devoting our August meeting to a contemplation of poetry. That tradition continued this year. At the gathering, Howard Feigenbaum, poet, photographer, and author, will again lead a discussion about the beauty, history, and importance of poetry in modern life. Audience members were invited to read a poem or two, written by themselves or others, and share why the selection was meaningful to them. Attendees were invited to ask questions, make observations, or simply relax and enjoy the experience of hearing poetry read as the writer intended for it to be heard.

Oct 22, 2022 hosted by Jessica Bruce We’re wrapping up another amazing year with our annual prose reading event. Come support those Guild members and participants brave enough to share short samples of their work. Offerings range over a variety of genres presented as flash fiction, essays, short stories, or excerpts from books and memoirs. Readings will commence immediately after the election of officers.