San Francisco Peninsula Writer
Writers Helping Writers Since 1909
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Are you tired of change yet?
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Dear CWC Members,
A friend recently reminded me of
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which you may be familiar with from your Psych 101 class. In the hierarchy, personal security falls in close proximity to air, water, and food. My friend reminded me that the way we're all feeling these days is completely logical.
Our sense of safety and security has been undermined by world events in the past few months. For me, as for many of us lucky enough to be able to shelter in place, the world has shrunk to our homes and neighborhoods. When I expressed my desire for something
new, my friend mentioned the human need for novelty. Technically, this isn’t among the needs on Maslow's original hierarchy, but it does appear on
other, updated lists. As with so much in these trying times, it's interesting to note how two conflicting concepts can hold sway simultaneously.
New membership year, new structure
I apologize in advance for introducing something that may further shake up your sense of security. Viewed from another perspective, it could give you a much-needed dose of novelty. Either way, I know it may seem trivial in light of what is going on all around us. Nonetheless, we need to think about it if we are to continue to flourish as a CWC branch.
The board is looking at changing the structure of our branch’s membership fees. This was sparked in part by the new reality we’re all living in of online gatherings. But it’s part of a bigger conversation we started a couple of years ago about how to provide more value to our members and to simplify the administrative interactions that seem to eat up so much of our time.
As we hone in on a few solutions, we wanted to get your feedback. Please take a few minutes to
take our brief survey
and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from non-members, too (just let us know if you’re a current member or not when you fill out the survey).
Vote if you haven't yet
Speaking of surveys, we’re using the same format—an online Google form—to tally votes for our election. Members should already have received a link (voting is limited to current CWC members).
Please let us know if you didn’t. You’ll also get another reminder before the voting deadline on June 20.
I’m looking forward to our next meeting on June 20, when Linda McCabe will talk about using travel to enhance your writing. I hope that will provide a much-needed dose of novelty within a format that is beginning to feel familiar, safe, and secure.
I'll end with the sign-off that feels necessary in these times: Stay healthy and safe.
Audrey
P.S. As I did last month, I want to put out a call for you to let us know what you've been working on, how COVID-19 and/or sheltering in place has affected your writing, and what new activities or online gatherings you've discovered.
Just
fill out the form
here to let us know. We'll curate your ideas to share on our Facebook page.
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Our June 20 meeting will be held via Zoom.
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Saturday June 20 Meeting ONLINE
AGENDA
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10:00 a.m. – NEW!!! Meet online and mingle in Breakout Rooms with fellow writers
Breakout rooms open at 10... join when you want.
10:35 a.m. – Club business
11:00 a.m. – Speaker presentation
Linda C. McCabe presents
Using Travel to Enhance Research for Your Writing
(more info below)
12:00 p.m. – Think Tank.
How to Stay Focused in the Time of Pandemic
(Led by Carole Bumpus, with input from CWC board members)
Are you finding yourself too scattered to complete a sentence, much less write an essay?
Are you spending too much time on Zoom, therefore you can’t find time to write?
After three months in ‘lock-down’, are you still struggling with so much unstructured time?
Are you waiting for the world to stop spinning, so you can get a grip? Or, get off?
Well, bring your challenges and questions with you, and let’s talk about it. We’ll sort out solutions; give options; set deadlines . . . no, we won’t do that! But, we can learn together.
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June Speaker Presentation
Using Travel to Enhance Research for Your Writing
by Linda C. McCabe
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Reading a well-crafted novel can transport you to another time and place. Getting those details correct takes effort and research. Sometimes the only way to get a true sense of place is to travel and experience it firsthand. Linda C. McCabe, author of the epic historic fantasy
Quest of the Warrior Maiden, will discuss how she researched her novel set in the time of Charlemagne and her trips to France. She will show slides from her trips that helped imbue her narrative with rich historical detail.
Linda C. McCabe is the author of
Quest of the Warrior Maiden and
Fate of the Saracen Knight, an epic historic fantasy series set in the time of Charlemagne. She received a master’s degree as an historian of science from Sonoma State University, and loves to travel. To aid in her research, she traveled twice to France. Her first novel was honored by the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association’s 2013 awards.
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CWC SF Peninsula Executive Board Election
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The SF Peninsula Branch of the California Writers Club holds an annual election for four board positions: president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer.
Normally, voting takes place at our June meeting. Because we will not meet in person this June, we will hold the election online. We have created a simple form that allows you to register your vote.
Note that you may also write in a candidate or candidates.
Voting (by current CWC members) will be open between now and the end of our meeting on June 20, 2020. Please take the time to vote now!
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Recurring Events - NOW ONLINE!
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SHUT UP & WRITE
As the name implies, we sit quietly and write. If you'd like to participate, join
Shut Up & Write Silicon Valley on MeetUp
to RSVP (look for Shut Up & Write/CWC SF Peninsula). For now, we're doing this virtually... an hour and a half of writing after a half hour of check-in and chat. RSVP via MeetUp to receive the link to join.
Every Tuesday
, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Every Thursday
, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS
Join your writing peers as they lead free workshops on the techniques of writing. For now, these events are virtual.
2nd Wednesday (evening) every month
ON SUMMER HIATUS
3rd Wednesday (evening) every month
ON SUMMER HIATUS
OPEN MIC
On hiatus
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Check out the
Writers' Corner
page on the SF Peninsula CWC website, where you'll find a list of resources to help you write and get published. Listings include publications and small presses founded or edited by branch members, literary magazines where members' work is published, local writing conferences and contests, and local writing organizations.
There is also a
list of branch members
who provide writing-related services for a fee: editing, coaching, and more.
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Executive Board
President: Audrey Kalman
Vice President: Geri Spieler
Secretary: Korie Pelka
Treasurer: Jean Morrow
Additional Voting Positions
Membership Chair: Mark Dooley
Marketing & Outreach Chair: Linda Glave
Fault Zone Editor-in-Chief: Laurel Anne Hill
Immediate Past President: Lisa Meltzer Penn
State Board Rep: Carole Bumpus
NorCal Rep: Carole Bumpus
Committee/Individual Contributor Positions
Volunteer Coordinator: Lisa Meltzer Penn
Memberships: Margaret Nalbach
Web Manager: Mindy Yang
Newsletter Editor: OPEN
Newsletter Production: Corinna Sherman
Hospitality: Megan McDonald
Think Tank/Writers Helping Writers: Geri Spieler
Parliamentarian: Alisha Willis
SMCF Literary Stage Coordinator: Megan McDonald
SMCF Literary Stage Manager: Laurel Anne Hill
SMCF Literary Stage Exhibits Coordinator: Sue Barizon
Critique Group Contact: Lisa Meltzer Penn
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