Edward Espe Brown   Zen priest, student of Suzuki Roshi, author, teacher, and master cook, (Tassajara Cookbook, Tassajara Bread Book), puts a Zen spin on two workshops:

"Embodying Mind and Words," explores the use of body-based practices—meditation, chi gung, and handwriting change—to facilitate words.

"Giving Your Gifts Back To The World," looks at various aspects of writing from the viewpoint of Zen: showing up, receiving inspiration. The gift, the voice of the muse, comes from beyond.

  Visit his link:  www.peacefulseasangha.com 

"MYTH MAKING" by Jyoti (Jeneane Prevatt, Ph.D)

The elders say that a story stalks you until you are ready. Then it takes you as its vehicle, so that the story can speak through you.”
Jyoti (Jeneane Prevatt, Ph.D), is an internationally renowned spiritual advisor with a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology including two-and-a-half years of postgraduate study at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. She is one of the founders of Kayumari, a spiritual healing community, located in the Sierra foothills of California, the North Bay of San Francisco, New York, Switzerland and Prague.
Jyoti is the convener of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers (www.grandmotherscouncil.com) and serves as Spiritual Director of the Center for Sacred Studies (www.sacredstudies.org), traveling the world and dedicated to bringing unity to the planet by facilitating the development of alliances between individuals who are the guardians of indigenous culture and traditional Medicine ways.

Visit her link: www.sacredstudies.org

"PROPOSAL BOOT CAMP" by Literary Agent Ted Weinstein
 
Ted is attending as an literary agent, and also will be doing a workshop: "Book Proposal Boot Camp"

With offices in SF and New York, Ted Weinstein is an AAR-member literary agent representing a wide range of non-fiction for adults. His areas of particular interest include journalism and narrative works, including biography, history, memoir, and popular science; practical books, especially health and diet, business and personal finance, and food and cooking; and all kinds of quirky pop culture projects, often developed from Web sites.

Visit his link at: www.twliterary.com 

"PLOT: FIRST DRAFT TO FINAL SUBMISSION" by Martha Alderson, M.A.
 

International plot and story consultant, Martha Alderson, M.A. (Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple) will share the nuances of plotting. First Draft: get the story down. Subsequent Drafts: plot analysis. Final Draft: getting your work ready for publication.

 Visit her link: www.blockbusterplots.com

"Tension, Suspense and Information: How to Create A Page-Turning Plot," Alice Wilson-Fried

Tense up storyline with slow transitions and exposition with fast past-paced drama. Add suspense with scenes that change and move the story forward. Create characters that act, think and feel. Build sub-plots to communicate; sprinkle with passion.

 "BUILDING YOUR NOVEL" - Joint Workshop by Laurel Anne Hill and Alice Wilson-Fried

Laurel Anne Hill and Alice Wilson-Fried will be facilitating a workshop together on Saturday, Oct 10th. In addition, Alice will facilitate her own workshop (title and particulars to come) on Sunday. Their joint workshop on Saturday is as follows:
• Building your novel: Tips for avoiding potential editorial earthquakes and floods of rejections.
• Build your opening scene with the exciting force.
• Create authentic characters who come alive on the page.
• Construct throughlines and unleash forward momentum.
• Connect effects with causes and causes with effects.
• Let an inevitable ending honor your contract with the reader.
• Practice strong writing. Don’t litter your literary ground

   
Laurel’s debut parable, Heroes Arise, was released in October 2007by KOMENAR Publishing. Her shorter fiction and creative nonfiction have been published in the Contra Costa Times, Nth Zine, Lynx Eye, the San Jose Mercury News, Space and Time, and a variety of small-circulation magazines. KQED-FM (NPR, San Francisco) broadcast her perspective in 2004 about the plight of homeless families.
In 2005, Laurel was awarded first prize in the Ninth Annual Captivating Beginnings Short Story Contest. She received an honorable mention (creative nonfiction category) in the 2004 Soul-Making Literary Competition, an extended community arts outreach program of the National League of American Pen Women, Nob Hill, San Francisco Bay Area Branch. One of her personal essays won honorable mention in the Foster City 2003 International Writer’s Contest.
She lives in Northern California with David, her husband, and Bear, their rather large “shelter-mix” dog.

Visit her link: www.laurelannehill.com.

TWO WORKSHOPS by Screenplay writer and producer Corey Blake

#1 WRITING YOUR SCREENPLAY Before you start writing your screenplay, learn the seven do's and don'ts to get Hollywood's attention. With his characteristic energy and inspiring approach, Corey Blake will share his insights into the functionality of the first page, the first ten pages, effective memorable dialogue, plot structure, character development, and once it is all written.... your screenplay pitch.

#2 WRITING THE BOOK YOU WERE MEANT TO WRITE TODAY Everyone gets stuck in their lives in small ways on a daily basis: a fight with a spouse, an argument at work, a bad experience at a restaurant. However, most of us also go through profound periods of time where we are stuck in a much larger way: stuck in our hearts, often for months or years over the death of a loved one, lost love, major career challenge, mid-life crisis, or a major health concern. It is these times in our lives that we need the greatest transformation; an experience that will forever change who we are for the better and bring us to the next great time in our lives. We MUST use our circumstances to benefit the world, and one of the greatest ways to do that is to go on the journey of drafting a manuscript that reaches to our depths and pulls out our own personal truth in a way that the world can identify with us, embrace us, and learn from us. This is a conversation worth having.

After working for ten years in Hollywood, actor, producer, director and writer, Corey Blake realized that the collaborative approach to film making could be brought over to book development. Since then, he has played a key role in the development of more than three hundred screenplays and manuscripts. He has won nine festival awards for his work in entertainment and contributed articles to nearly three dozen industry publications including Script Magazine, Writer Magazine (cover article), and the Los Angeles Journal. Corey Blake’s work as a writer and development producer has been featured on Fox News and in articles in Backstage West, Movie Maker Magazine, Hollywood Scriptwriter Magazine and Dance Magazine. He speaks frequently around the country on the topic of writing, publishing and branding an author. 

MAP OUT YOUR CAREER NOW: 3 Easy Steps for Fiction and Nonfiction Writers
with Author and Coach Teresa LeYung Ryan
 
Learn how to:

• identify advocates, endorsers and fans. 
• gain recognition through your words and your community. 
• build your platform while reaching out, not stressing out. 

Teresa LeYung Ryan has been helping writers since her mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart was published. Her motto: "Believe in yourself and you can be happily published too." As a manuscript consultant and career coach, she helps her clients identify themes and archetypes, market themselves to agents and publishers, and map out their success. As a community spirit, Teresa advocates compassion for mental illness and she helps survivors of family violence find their own voices through writing. Her website www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com offers resources for writers. 

Visit her link: www.LoveMadeOfHeart.com

Can you imagine a herd of red worms that consumes toxic waste and transforms it into compost for community gardens? Can you hear the stories told by trees in an enchanted forest that dramatizes all they have witnessed for hundreds of years? And if you were granted three wishes or acquired super powers what choices could you make to improve our world? These are just a few of the imaginings, possibilities, questions and choices presented in the Eco- Myth workshop. The instructor will present a few themes found in myths and stories of animals, trees, humans and other beings from world cultures highlighting the relationship between mythology, and the present condition of our environment. Students will be encouraged to write an original myth, story, poem or declaration. On Sunday, the students will read/perform their creations in a storytelling event using visualization, sound and movement.

Master story teller Luisah Teish is a writer, performer and ritual priestess. She is the author of several books on African and African American Spiritual Culture and Feminist Myth, including: Jambalaya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals, and Carnival of the Spirit: Seasonal Celebrations and Rites of Passage. Teish is an initiated elder (Iyanifa) in the Ifa/Orisha tradition of the West African Diaspora, and she holds a chieftaincy title (Yeye’woro) from the Fatunmise Compound in Ile Ife, Nigeria. She earned her PhD in Spiritual Therapeutics from OpenInternationalUniversity’s School of Complementary Medicine in Colombo Sri Lanka, 1993.

Visit her link at: www.luisahteish.com

"WRITING THROUGH THE DARKNESS" by Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer , Ph.D.

 Everyone faces inner turmoil and grief in life, and one in five Americans will even be clinically depressed in their lifetime. This workshop will describe the proven benefits -- emotional, social and physical – of writing about the tough times, and the most healing and compelling ways to put those difficult words on the page. We’ll write together, share our experiences and words, and you’ll learn ways that any genre you enjoy – be it journaling, freewriting, fiction, memoir or poetry – can be used as you both tap your creativity and gain new insights. Lots of practical ideas and tips will be offered and we’ll discuss issues of when or whether to share this personal material, and where to go next on your healing, writing path.
Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer, Ph.D. is the author of Writing through the Darkness: Easing Your Depression with Paper and Pen (Celestial Arts, 2008). Schaefer is a science journalist and mental health advocate who has suffered from severe depressions and bipolar disorder. For ten years she has taught a creative writing course for people with mood disorders meeting at Stanford University’s psychiatry department. The class is recommended by many mental health specialists and now draws students from across the Bay Area. She frequently speaks to groups on mental health issues, both personal and professional. Schaefer earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Stanford University. 

Visit her link: www.ElizabethMaynardSchaefer.com 

"WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR TODAY'S SAVVY KIDS" by Penny Warner
 

“Writing Children’s Books for Today’s Savvy Kids” includes an overview of children’s book categories and genres, what’s hot today—and why, creating savvy characters, dealing with contemporary issues, writing natural kidspeak, and making an emotional connection with the reader.

Penny Warner has had over 50 books published, both fiction and non-fiction, for children and adults. Her latest book, THE OFFICIAL NANCY DREW HANDBOOK, was nominated for an Agatha Award and her middle grade mystery, MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED CAVES, won a Macavity Award and was nominated for an Agatha Award. Warner has a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, a Master’s in Special Education, and teaches Child Development at the local college. She’s taught “Writing for Children” at Book Passage and numerous other writing conferences, and just finished reading over 70 children’s books for the Edgar awards!

Visit her link: www.pennywarner.com

"WRITING WITH PASSION" by Marcy Darnovsky, Ph.D
 
Marcy Darnovsky, Ph.D.,History of Consciousness, UC Santa Cruz, will speak on how to find your passion, advocate your cause. The pen is mightier than the sword. Speak out, champion your cause, let your voice and your words be heard.

Dr Darnovsky is Associate Executive Director at the Center for Genetics and Society (www.genetics-and-society.org), an Oakland, California-based public affairs organization working to encourage responsible uses and effective societal governance of reproductive and genetic biotechnologies. She speaks and writes widely on human biotechnologies, focusing on their social justice, human rights, health equity, and public-interest implications. She has appeared on national television news shows and been cited in hundreds of news and magazine articles. Her Ph.D. is from the History of Consciousness program at the University of California, Santa Cruz

Visit her link:  www.geneticandsociety.org

"SUPER SLEUTHING: INTERNET RESEARCH SECRETS FOR KILLER PROSE"
by Geri Spieler
 

Geri Spieler (Taking Aim at the President) will tell you how to “bullet proof” non-fiction and make your fiction explode with astounding richness.

Investigative journalist and award-winning speaker Geri Spieler was a featured correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle, a regular contributor for the Los Angeles Times, and was published in Westways magazine and Forbes and is a staff contributor to the Huffington Post. Her book won first place for Wild Card division at the 2009 San Francisco Book Festival and Second Place in Non-fiction at the 2007 San Francisco Writers Conference.

 Visit her link: www.gerispieler.com

"Writing and Getting Published in the Book Business Today" by Alan Rinzler

Alan Rinzler has worked at Simon & Schuster, Bantam, Rolling Stone, and for the past 17 years as Executive Editor at Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons in San Francisco, editing and publishing such authors as Toni Morrison, Tom Robbins, Hunter Thompson, Clive Cussler, Irv Yalom, Jerzy Kosinski, Shirley MacLaine, Andy Warhol, Robert Ludlum, Bob Dylan and others.

We've heard so many alarming rumors about a crisis in the book business, but what's really going on? Is reading and getting publishing as we've known it going to survive? How has the march from print to digital impacted writers, agents, and editors. Veteran insider Alan Rinzler gives an up-to-date report and prognosis from the front lines about the changing role of the writer and how to navigate new challenges, obstacles, and opportunities.

Visit his link: www.alanrinzler.com

"THE LEGAL AND BUSINESS ASPECTS OF WRITING FICTION & NON-FICTION BOOKS"
by Paul S. Levine, Esq

Literary agent and attorney Paul S. Levine has practiced entertainment law for over 27 years. Learn the nuts and bolts of the business of writing, clarify agent and attorney roles in the writer's life. Come ready to listen as well as ask questions.

 


Visit his link:  www.paulslevinelit.com

(1) The Perfect Pitch

Pitching an agent looking for a fire in the belly: learn agent/client etiquette and pitching strategies to make the perfect pitch and geth the literary agent’s attention

(2) Querial Killers: How Not to Get An Agent Even If You Are a Talented Writer 

Learn the easy-to-fix mistakes writers make when querying agents: what to do—and what not to do—when you set out to woo and win a literary agent; how to understand the agent’s mind set, and the reasons a talented writer gets turned down. 

A literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, Katharine has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books. She is the agent provocateur of Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye, a collection of pitching wisdom from leading literary agents. Actively building her client list, she likes books that have a clear benefit for readers' lives in categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or popular

Visit her website here: www.sarahjanefreymann.com

"Succeeding Wildly As A Technical Writer," Joint Workshop by Marcy Darnovsky, Ph.D and Sandy Emerson, Co-Authors of the best-selling “The Practical SQL Handbook”

 

Based on years of experience with software documentation and scientific writing, two successful technical writers reveal their secrets. Learn the art of technical writing from the user’s point of view, with an overview of styles and techniques for creating product-help systems, and advice on packaging information appropriately for a given project and budget.

Sandy Emerson enjoyed a 20-year career in technical publications and co-authored five technical trade books. Sandy was the founding manager of the Technical Publications department at database software company, Sybase, Inc. She is currently a consultant and website manager for a variety of non-profit organizations that focus on environment, land use, community building, and spiritual growth. She is on the Board of Directors of several organizations, including the Committee for Green Foothills, and the Center for Sacred Studies. 

Visit her link: www.semerson@igc.org .                    

"Clean, Well Lighted Sentences" with Janis Bell

Golden Gate University Professor of English brings her expertise and her humor to this lively presentation, which focuses on key issues that stump even good writers; grammar, usage, punctuation. After teaching writing for 35 years in a wide variety of academic and business settings, Janis Bell knows the questions that people usually ask. And she knows how to answer in words that make sense, invite a smile, and remain memorable.

Visit her link: www.janisbell.com

TWO WORKSHOPS by Author,Terry Bisson

1) Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

What's different about writing genre fiction, and SF and Fantasy in particular? Award winning novelist takes you into the realms of writing science fiction, where the wild mind is at its best, to discuss the short story as the “controlled release of information, and present his controversial 60 RULES for writing SciFi and FANTASY.

2) We Like Short Shorts!

Writing dialogue only stories—problems and possibilities. Bisson’s short stories often consist only of dialogue. The reader is encouraged to visualize the characters, setting and situation without descriptive narration.

Terry Bisson has won just about every major science fiction award, including a Hugo and two Nebulas for his short fiction. His best-known stories are “Bears Discover Fire” and “They’re Made out of Meat.” He has taught writing at the New School in New York City, and at Clarion and Odyssey SF workshops. He currently lives in the Bay Area where he hosts a monthly author reading series.

Visit his link: www.terrybisson.com 

Editing to Develop Your Novel, by Charlotte Cook, KOMENAR Publishing

Explore the differences between developing a manuscript to completion for yourself and publishing a manuscript for an audience of agents and publishers.

Charlotte Cook, MFA, has spent the last four years as president of KOMENAR Publishing, an all-fiction publishing house. She has extensive experience developing writers and novels for publication as a publisher, story editor, and writing teacher. She has presented as faculty at writers conferences across the nation and now writes a blog with advice for writers. Charlottealso teaches in the East Bay, and edits and consults on publishing. 
 
Visit her link: www.komenarpublishing.com .

“True Crime, True Crime Fiction,” by Award-Winning Author, Anthony Flacco 
Who, What, When, and Where of a story are covered in a journalistic approach. But it is in the Why of person’s behavior that we uncover a mother lode of fascinating twists and turns in human character. In this workshop, learn about story rights, plot and storyline, dialect, narrative voice, and revision. Author of Tiny Dancer, A Checklist for Murder, and the Last Nightingale, Anthony Flacco’s own crime writing, and his work as Acquisitions Editor for Martin Literary Management, has given him unique perspective on this hot genre.


Visit his link: www.AnthonyFlacco.com.

“Our Wild Nature,” A Workshop on Short Story, by Dr. Julie Hemker, Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, UC Berkeley

This workshop on the short story will look at the connection between writing compact narratives and the representations of the “wilderness” of the human heart. Focusing on both theory and practice, investigate selected examples of horror stories, starting with Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Telling Heart,” and Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” and culminating with Steven King’s masterful evocation of the shadows within. Participants will engage with these author’s views of what makes writing the short story particularly rich and terrifying. Discuss each author’s views about the special craft of writing short fiction.

For over 20 years, Dr. Hemker has taught writing throughout the University  of California  system, and is a specialist in effective communication techniques, both in the workplace and in the text. She is adjunct lecturer for the HaasSchoolof Business at UC Berkeley, and adjunct lecturer for the College of Professional Studiesand the University  of San Francisco.

Visit her link: Julie.hemker@worldnet.att.net.

“How to Use the Internet for Your Writing Career,” by Award-Winning Author, Scott James, aka Kemble Scott

YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Web sites…Whew! The Internet seems to offer an endless number of ways for authors to connect with readers. But which ones really work? Learn the trucks to using the latest web breakthroughs, whether you’re just starting out or launching your tenth book.

Scott James, aka Kemble Scott, is the founder and editor of SoMa Literary Review, and the first author to launch a novel using YouTube, shares his expertise about the publishing process, specifically how to leverage the internet to launch a carrer, or how to make a book successful. He is also the creator and editor of the SF Bay Area Literary Arts Newsletter.

Contact Scott at: KembleScot@aol.com

“Poetry: The Importance of Words,” by Frank A. Jones, PhD

Professor of English literature, Jones explores the power of words. “To most adults, words are so frequently used that they become as insignificant as the air we breathe. But like the air, words are the oxygen by which we express our being; they are the building blocks of our civilization, our commerce, and human intercourse. Words define who we are and what we are. Through words humanity extends its range of existence to dimensions beyond ourselves. The Ancients have long understood the importance of words. Early writings have etched that “In the beginning was the Word and the word was God. Since words are of God, poetry is the music of God’s offspring, and in him we move, live and have our being.
Experience poetry and experience the language of God.”

Frank A. Jones holds a PhD English, as well as degrees in Delinquency Management, PublicAdministration, and Educational Psychology. He is publisher of Gibbs Magazine and Mirror-Gibbs Publications. He has taught at five community colleges, and administered two treatment centers for delinquent and abused boys. He sits on a number of boards and advisory commissions and committees. He is a public speaker and speaks throughout the USA . His columns appear in Gibbs Magazine and other publications. He is author of “What Have We Done To Our Children?”

Visit his link: www.gibbsmagazine.com.

“The Magic Word: Writing As Alchemy,” by Catherine MacCoun, PhD

Magicians have the power to make things happen through words alone. The best writers also have that power. Explore how ordinary words are transformed into magic by the inner process known as alchemy.

Catharine MacCoun is a literary coach and collaborator by profession, and an alchemist by avocation. In addition to the many successful books she has ghostwritten, she is the author of On Becoming and Alchemist and Beyond the Abbey Gates, as well as the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in prose.


Visit her links at: www.catherinemaccoun.com and www.hermeticist.com .

“Writing Memoir—Tell the Truth!” by novelist Claire Mack, Former Mayor of San Mateo

Mack tells why writing the truth is so freeing when writing memoir, even if you don’t publish it or tell anyone. “Get it off your chest by writing it down.” 

Claire Mack, politician, broadcaster, producer—host, radio, television—has dedicated her life to making her community a better place, from advocacy for a renewed downtown to helping lead a drive for a new library, and the tireless promotion of the arts. Her first novel, “Imitation of Life: The Next Millennium,” is a book about equality. “It’s a book about the America I grew up in, and the Obama America we have now.”   
                         
Visit her link: macattck@aol.com.

“Poetry in the Wild: Tygers Burning Bright and Wild Nights! A Workshop by College of San Mateo English Professor, Jean Mach

There’s no better place to get wild than in poems, those little cages in which danger and passion can, ironically, run free. Together and alone, we will stalk our own wildest beasts and define, confine, and refine them with words.

After a variety of wilder careers—commercial salmon fishing, VP of Starbucks (when it was still privately owned), and proprietor of a business selling commercial espresso and pasta equipment to restaurants, Professor Mach began her career teaching in the San Mateo Community College District. Her poetry has been published in The BerkeleyPoetry Review, Slipstream, Dusty Dog, Sing Heavenly Muse! and Byzantium. She received The Article of the Year from “inside English”and former Jack London Writing Conference Poetry Award. 

Visit her link: mach@smccd.edu.

“Writing Your Way” Q&A with the Voice of Experience, 
  A Workshop by Keynote Speaker Dan Millman 

Dan Millman has written several international best-selling (contemporary and historical), non-fiction guidebooks, children’s books, a screenplay and graphic novel. His work has been adapted to film; he has worked with and without agents, with publishers large and small, and advances from $100 to over $1 million; has run the tour gauntlet, dealt with e-rights and contractual negotiations. Now is the chance to bring your questions, hopes and dreams to get the information you need.

Visit his link: www.peacefulwarrior.com.

“Legal Rights for the Writer,” by Andrew F. Pierce, Esq. 


Entertainment lawyer and teacher, gives the straight talk about how to: 1) Protect your work; 2) Get paid; and 3) How to Protect you Pocketbook. 

Andrew F. Pierce (Pierce & Shearer LLP) graduated from Harvard with High Honors, and then studied law at UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall). He is an expert in the area of copyright and intellectual property law. He also has extensive experience in negotiating contracts, and in lawsuits involving charges of libel, slander, and invasion of privacy. 

Visit his link: apierce@pierceshearer.com

“Create Your Irresistible Talking-Tagline to Hook Agents, Media and Readers,” by Elisa Southard, Author and Marketing Mentor 

Whether you are a non-fiction or fiction author, you need to create your brand and reinforce your messages before your first or next book is published. Through role-play, this session will help you 1) nail down your pitch; 2) be prepared for the unexpected; and 3) plan your vision of success. Let Elisa show you how to turn personal skills into marketing talent. 

Author of Amazon business best-seller, Break Through The Noise: 9 Tools to Propel Your Marketing Message, Elisa Southard helps clients power up their outreach, build their image and recharge their messages, and plug into a marketing frame of mind. “Don’t kill a marketing moment, execute it.”

Visit her link: www.BreakThroughTheNoise.com.

Explore special techniques of historical fiction, finding sources and research methods, character selection and development. Know when to quit researching, develop point of view, story scope, plot structure, and thematic development. Participants are encouraged to bring potential research topics, notes, and examples of admired historical fiction. Expect a lively mix of lecture, discussion, and exercises. 

A graduate of the MFA program at the Universityof Virginia, Nick Taylor’s debut novel, The Disagreement, is now available in paperback. Nick has received fellowships from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the William R. Kenan, Jr. Trust for Historic Preservation.

Visit his link: www.readthedisagreement.com.

Take a look at highlights from previous conferences: 2007 2005 2004 
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