Other Writerly Nuggets and Post-SCWC Conference Notes

Announcing this writer’s labor of love is about to be born.

SweetSpot: Now and Then is available for Pre-Order, links below. The official date of publication, which frankly feels like giving birth, is 3/21/25. Shortly, I will contact the folks willing to read before the official day arrives. Thank you all and please, should you order, authors need reviews, the good and even those not….Though this author would rather not….:)

SweetSpot: Now and Then

By the time we reach middle age, many relate to a version of ‘life happens after we make plans.’ It takes till midlife for Darlene Robinson to declare herself, but once she finally does, the year that follows her through this story is marked by changes, some she anticipated though others she did not. Her story, told over one year, includes a writing community whose members welcome her into their fold. While loss and the change follow her through this story, midlife magic does, too, the kind foreshadowed on the cover of SweetSpot: Now and Then.

Women’s fiction, a romance and fantasy tale not confined to women readers.

To pre-order:

Amazon, click here:

Barnes and Noble, click here:

Austin Macauley Publishers, click here:

Waterstones (UK) click here:

NEW ZOOM Read & Critique coming soon.

So many creative projects have roots in lockdown, from books to music to cooking to stand up, et al. Covid gave me the impetus to start a ZOOM Read and Critique Workshop in April, 2020.

In May 2025 I’m launching a new Zoom Read and Critique Workshop, fiction and narrative nonfiction accepted. Here’s how helpful Zoom sessions can be, and have been, for the writers who hung out in my weekly Zoom workshop that ran for two + years:

Barbara Pronin brought a draft of a novel in progress,The Miner’s Canary that we helped her polish. She snagged a publisher during her time with us. Then? She began writing another novel that she finished while working weekly in our Zoom sessions. Winter’s End unfolded before us; such a compelling read, we all looked forward to her weekly installments.

Winter’s End, a WW II historical novel available May 15 and available now for pre-sale. (link not available at time of this posting)
The Miner’s Canary, Amazon.com : The miner’s canary barbara pronin
Follow ‘Bobbi’ on Instagram for updates and link to Winter’s End

John Trotti’s novel, root in his reality, is a prisoner of war story that includes the world that greeted the author’s protagonist once he returned home. Phantoms from Vietnam: A Search for Meaning in the Charnel of War, Published 12/24/2024- elegantly crafted story about an inelegant time in U.S. history, Vietnam.

My 2025 Zoom workshop is limited to 5 writers plus me =s 6, the size adequate to deliver a range of feedback and also give everyone a chance to read during each Zoom session. First workshop, six weeks with an option to sign up for six more weeks. In the second session, should writers drop out, I will bring in new members to equal five so if you don’t get in the first session, there will be opportunity to join later. I’ll send fee structure to those interested. Email me at marketingthemuse@gmail.com

Post-SCWC Conference Notes

The SCWC flagship conference celebrating its thirty-ninth year was a memorable time for all. You could tell by the vibe. In 2005, I began my workshop leader role at SCWC. A few years earlier, I began offering workshops at a conference up north. For many years before that, I attended writers conferences, at least one/year, so you could say I’m a writer conference advocate.

Writerly Nuggets Collected at the 2025 SCWC39 Session:

In a new workshop I really enjoyed, ‘When is Done, Done Enough? I was joined by literary agents Jake Lovell and Jessica Berg in a panel discussion/Q/A. Though we hadn’t met, our combined alchemies mixed well- a lively 75-minute informative Q/A our writers enjoyed. I hope we do it again next year.

When I’m not conducting workshops, I attend them, usually those workshops I haven’t visited. Tway Huynh’s workshop, ‘Against All Odds, Publishing Well‘ taught me a lot. Tway Huynh is a self-published author who did not want Amazon to cut into her profits of books beautifully illustrated and costly to publish. Her workshop included all the options (via slide show) she considered before becoming her own publisher and selling through Shopify. Entrepreneurial writers especially will appreciate the content she delivers. Check out her website if this interests you.

Workshop leader & novelist Dennis Crosby digs horror. While I do not, I did tiptoe into his workshop to hear his take (albeit brief) on creating non-human characters. Dennis affirmed what I believe to be true, compelling characters, human or non, drive story. Click here for my short youtube video of Dennis discussing this subject.

My SCWC Pitch Witch partner, memoirist/editor & workshop leader Jennifer Silva Redmond moderated, ‘Page One Cage Match Panel‘ that I thoroughly enjoyed. Writers anonymously submitted opening pages that Jen read to the group. Three literary agents who joined her on stage raised a hand when/if one of them lost interest. That signaled SCWC Director Janis Thomas to give the writer the gong. Yes, a real gong, followed by the agents’ brief assessments of what worked and/or didn’t. I was so pleased that one writer from my Newport Beach workshop did NOT get gonged. Instead, the audience applauded. Her memoir, contracting polio in 1948 at age seven, must be published! If it’s the last thing we do! And of course, you know I made sure to introduce her to one of the agents, Jake Lovell, who seemed smitten by what he’d heard. When she’s ready to submit, Jake invited her to submit to him. Valuable information was delivered efficiently by this panel that was also so entertaining. The format offered a ‘show don’t tell’ experience for writers in the audience listening to three well respected literary agents agree, add to, or disagree with the others’ assessments. A real snapshot of the industry. Could this be the 21st century update on that tired old traditional ‘literary agents panel’ ? I vote YES!

As the conference headed toward its end this year, I heard many versions of ‘same time next year‘. Writers, that’s a good thing. With 21st century options to publish available at our fingertips, attending writers conferences where writers of all levels gather and learn about each other through the stories shared, critiques given and questions asked has always felt so luxurious to me and how I got hooked on writers conferences. Thanks to SCWC staff and Exec Director Michael S Gregory who so often says Aim for excellence, settle for extraordinary.

REAL Time Writersmama Workshops
Chronicling Life Memories Workshop
Our next workshop through the city of Newport Beach, Ca. begins March 19, 2025. If interested, email me for information re: registration. marketingthemuse@gmail.com

Saddleback College: Chronicling Life Memories Workshop, my next session begin 3/5/25 email marketingthemuse@gmail.com for information re: registration.