Redwood Writers Meeting 2:30-5 PM at the Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa, 2777 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 • Phone: (707) 545-8530 Click here for map.
We ask for a small fee of $5 from members and $8 from non-members to cover costs.
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September 12th
Donna Levin will be our speaker
“Where Did I Go Wrong? Query Letters that Turn them Off – or On”
She has two published novels: Extraordinary Means (William Morrow), and California Street (Simon & Schuster), as well as two books about writing, Get that Novel Started and Get that Novel Written, both with Writer’s Digest Books. Both of her novels were optioned for film, and Get that Novel Written was translated into Italian and published by Dino Audino Editore.
Donna has taught fiction writing for two decades, most notably at the University of California Extension at Berkeley, where she led the Novel-Writing Workshop. Many of her students have gone on to publish, including Lalita Tademy (whose first novel, Cane River, was an Oprah Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller), Terry Gamble (Water Dancers and Good Family), and Mark Coggins, author of the August Riordan mysteries.
After introducing some of her students and others to her own literary agent, Donna went on to work in the agency herself for two years. She has also been a frequent guest at writers’ conferences, including the San Francisco Writers’ Conference, the East of Eden Conference and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, in her capacity both as author and agent.
At the meeting Donna will give us her honest feedback on query letters and the first pages of manuscripts. Bring a query letter and/or the first page of your novel for her to critique live at the meeting. She will explain whether she would place them in the reject pile or in the “I want to see more” pile. Please do not include your name on the pages submitted. For more information visit her website by clicking here.
October 10th
Our speaker will be Kamran Pasha, screenwriter and novelist, speaking about his experiences with Hollywood’s film industry as well as New York publishing.
Kamran Pasha is a screenwriter and director, and is one of the first Muslims to succeed in Hollywood. Kamran currently works as Co-Executive Producer and head writer for Disney’s new Tron animated television series. Kamran also recently sold his first television pilot, entitled Enigma, to Warner Brothers. Previously he served as a writer and producer for NBC’s television series Kings.
His other credits include serving as writer and producer on NBC’s remake of Bionic Woman, and on Showtime Network’s Golden Globe nominated series Sleeper Cell, about a Muslim FBI agent who infiltrates a terrorist group. Kamran directed the short film Miriam, which won the Gaia Award at the Moondance Film Festival in 2008. He is represented by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and Untitled Entertainment.
Kamran’s novel, Mother Of The Believers, details the rise of Islam from the eyes of Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha. His second novel, Shadow Of The Swords, follows the conflict between Richard the Lionheart and the Muslim leader Saladin for control of Jerusalem during the Crusades. Kamran has also made strides in the video game world. He recently wrote Blood On The Sand for Vivendi Universal, the sequel to hip-hop mogul 50 Cent’s bestselling game Bulletproof.
Kamran’s career launched when he sold his first feature script to Warner Brothers Pictures, an historical epic on the love story behind the building of the Taj Mahal. He has also adapted the Japanese anime Kite, about a teenage girl who works as an assassin, into an action thriller for Rob Cohen, the director of The Fast And The Furious and The Mummy 3.
He is currently writing an epic film entitled The Voyage Of Ibn Battuta, which follows the adventures of the famous Arab traveler who journeyed to China in the 14th century. This feature is being financed by the Moroccan government and produced by French production company Forecast Pictures.
Kamran holds a BA and an MBA from Dartmouth College, a JD from Cornell Law School, and an MFA from UCLA Film School. He spent three years as a journalist in New York City, interviewing prominent international figures such as Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, and Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Kamran continues to serve as a major Muslim voice in the media as a blogger on the Huffington Post.
Kamran lives in L.A. and will be flying north just to speak with us.
Norman Solomon
November 14th
Norman Solomon
Our speaker will be Norman Solomon
“Writers in Our Time of Turmoil”
As the author of a dozen books and countless articles, Norman will share his thoughts on dilemmas and opportunities for writers in this era. He’ll discuss a range of factors that affect the writing experience, from personal needs and techniques to the marketplace and broader socio-economic forces.
Norman Solomon is a nationally syndicated columnist on media and politics. He wrote the weekly “Media Beat” column from 1992 to 2009.
His latest book is Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America’s Warfare State (2007).
Solomon’s book War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death was published in 2005. The Los Angeles Times called the book “brutally persuasive” and “a must-read for those who would like greater context with their bitter morning coffee, or to arm themselves for the debates about Iraq that are still to come.” The newspaper’s reviewer added: “Solomon is a formidable thinker and activist.” The Humanist magazine described the book as “a definitive historical text” and “an indispensable record of the real relationships among government authorities and media outlets.”
A collection of Solomon’s columns won the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language. The award, presented by the National Council of Teachers of English, honored Solomon’s book “The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media.” Visit his website for more information.
December 12th
Becky Levine
Becky Levine
Our speaker will be Becky Levine
“The Power of a Strong Critique: Digging Deep for Constructive, Respectful Feedback”
In this workshop, Becky Levine, author of The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide, will talk about what makes a strong, truly helpful critique. She’ll talk about a sandwich critique and show how to break down the “filling” of the sandwich into focused, concrete feedback that will help grow your critique partners’ writing and your own. Come prepared to work! Becky will have a sample scene for everybody to read and critique, followed by a discussion about your comments and the whole critique process. click here fore more information.
