Mark your calendar for another exciting Cattlemen’s meeting Saturday, September 16!

BUILDING YOUR STORY STRUCTURE: So the rest doesn’t come crashing down!

Featured speaker:  Jennieke Cohen

Does your story sometimes fall flat and you’re not sure why? That could be because it’s missing the fundamental building blocks of structure. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the basics of story structure and how to apply them to your own writing—whether you’re revising or starting a project from scratch. Using some well-known books and movies, we’ll pinpoint the difference between a satisfying story and one that’s easily forgotten and leave you with the tools to apply structure to your own writing.

What you will learn:

• Dealing with structure early can save a lot of aggravation in revision.
• If you’re working on structure after the book is written, make sure all the appropriate story beats are present.
• Knowing what kind of story you’re writing not only helps with structure, it’s important to know how to sell your book to readers, agents, and editors.
• It’s easy to get off track in the middle—we’ll discuss how having structure can prevent the dreaded saggy middle.
• There’s no one way to write a book. But almost all strong stories have a strong underlying structure.

Jennieke Cohen is the author of two young adult historical novels, both of which have been translated into multiple languages. Her debut book, DANGEROUS ALLIANCE, was a Junior Library Guild selection, and her latest, MY FINE FELLOW, is a 2023 Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book. She’s worked as a nonfiction ghostwriter and as a writing consultant to Silicon Valley tech companies. A UC Davis graduate, Jennieke also has a master’s degree in professional writing from USC.

Visit Jennieke’s website at www.JenniekeCohen.com

Program Itinerary

Networking & Coffee: 11:30 am.

Lunch: 12:00 noon.

Featured Speaker: 1:00 pm.

Post Meeting Presentation: 2:30 pm, See below for details.

Prize Draw: Time as appropriate.

We will also have a book display – Bring a copy of your book to display and SELL!

Meal: Plated, with vegetarian option

Meeting cost: $32, advance purchase; walk-in, $37. Required of all attendees, receipt available which can be tax deductible. Sadly, our prices have gone up to cover bank charges.

Purchase Tickets

Post-meeting presentation & club fundraiser: A 30-minute presentation, tips, and Q’s & A’s! (Attendees who stay are encouraged to give a donation to the club!)

Amplifying Your Author Brand:

Tips for Pitching Print and Online Magazines

CWC member Brina Patel will discuss how authors can write for print or online magazines to publicize their books or build their writing portfolios. Learn effective strategies for writing a compelling pitch and honing in on your impactful story ideas. You’ll walk away with Brina’s 7-step pitching process that’ll help you send your story ideas off with confidence!

Brina Patel is a content writer whose bylines have appeared in several publications including Business Insider, Byrdie, Well+Good, and Verywell Mind. Brina also edited the Rituals anthology with Bell Press Books, and her creative nonfiction has been published in Heartwood Literary Magazine and LEVITATE Magazine. In her free time, Brina enjoys traveling, reading, going on adventures with friends, and sharing writing tips on her blog at:

www.brinapatelwriter.com.

 

Mark your calendar for another exciting Cattlemens meeting Saturday, June 17!

TELL ME WHY: CREATING REALISTIC & BELIEVABLE MOTIVATION FOR (ALL) YOUR CHARACTERS

Featured speaker:  Anna J. Stewart, USA Today Bestselling Romance Novelist

What you will learn:

• What is motivation and how does it apply to character.
• Why motivation is important to your characters and your story as a whole.
• Film and TV examples of strong (and not so strong) character motivation.
• The difference in creating motivation for villains versus heroes.
• Motivation examined in relation to goals and conflict.

Networking & Coffee: 11:30 am.

Book display – Bring a copy of your book to display and SELL!

Book giveaway – Bring a used book you think others might enjoy.

Meal: Plated, with vegetarian option

Meeting cost: $32, advance purchase; walk-in, $37. Required of all attendees, receipt available which can be tax deductible.
Sadly, our prices have gone up to cover bank charges.

Purchase Tickets

Native Californian Anna J Stewart is the author of more than 50 romance novels and novellas. Currently under contract with Harlequin and ArcManor, she writes sweet to spicy happily ever afters across the romance genre. A former Holt Medallion winner, a Daphne, and National Readers’ Choice finalist, she’s also been lucky enough to have one of her books optioned for a TV movie.

Special post-meeting club fundraiser: “Public Speaking Tips for Writers,” by member Linda Champion, Toastmasters District Champion, Speech Evaluation, a 30-minutes verbal presentation, written tips, and plenty of time for questions! (Attendees who stay to hear Linda are invited to give a donation to the club!)

Purchase Tickets