Category: Panel

Panel
Monday, November 17, 2014

Written essays have always been a creative way to express views and test the waters for larger pieces. Many have become the framework for much of social communication. Now, with the advent of the digital age, essays have taken on a new and in some ways bolder life. Not only are they published in magazines and compilations, but the essay also lives in blogs and other social media.

Essays can be literary criticism, political manifestos, technical explanations, recollections, and more.

As Aldous Huxley once said, “Like the novel, the (written) essay is a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything.”

We will take a lively look at how it has evolved recently and what several very accomplished writers have done with the form.

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, November 16, 2015

Who doesn’t like nostalgia?

But nostalgia for one person might be ancient history for another. But good nostalgia can strike a chord with many people.

Nostalgia can liven fiction and stand on its own. If given the proper treatment, it can become an “evergreen.”

We will look at the writings and the process of several notable writers, veterans in the field of nostalgia. They have preserved a world and within those words are inspiration, fascination, humor, and pathos, and since it is all based on real events, often from known names, we can relate to the universals.

The many horror stories, success stores, emotional upheavals and poignant aftermath of events past, take on a personal meaning in the world of nostalgia.

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, September 28, 2015

Thinking about writing the stories of your life? Wondering where to start? Or have you started but feel unclear about how to organize your writing? Looking for ideas to make your tales a better read? Are you a published author looking for help writing in memoir form?

We will discuss techniques that help enliven and enrich books of memoir, and tools to sharpen your writing and organization skills. We’ll help you move to the next level of your work.

We will discuss…

[To read more, click the title!]

Discussion
Monday, July 27, 2015

WOSC is pleased to present an exciting program with international speaker, coach, author and comedian JUDY CARTER.

Do you shy away from public speaking even though it can help you promote your writing career and earn you extra money?

All writers need to know how to do something that’s scary: speak in front of others.

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, June 29, 2015

More books are being sold to more people than at any other time in history. But they aren’t primarily or necessarily being sold as paper or in traditional bookstores. Consider this quote from Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine:…

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, March 30, 2015

Looking for clues on how to get started writing mysteries? Have a who-dun-it in the trunk eager to escape? IWOSC’s March panel assembles a cadre (i.e., a core group of trained personnel able to assume control and to train others) of mystery writers, and a mystery reader-moderator who couldn’t solve a crime if his life depended on it, even though he read “The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook” and mixed his own fingerprint powder with chemicals from his Gilbert Chemistry Set.

Topics for discussion:

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, January 26, 2015

Contracts! Intellectual Property! Collaborations! (Oh my!) As that past California attorney Richard Nixon might have said, “What do writers need to know — and when do they need to know it?” How can we avoid the pitfalls of intellectual property theft, frivolous libel and plagiarism lawsuits, scam literary agents, too-good-to-be-true offers, contract loopholes, and avoid being cheated out of OUR money when we write a book, screenplay/play, or TV format? What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks that writers fall over — in both traditional and agented mainstream publishing, and in self-publishing and small-press publishing? And what new traps are out there in cyberspace and online writing that we need to be aware of?

These questions — and MANY more — will be answered by a small group of top LA and Orange County area experts, who bring decades of experience in their fields to our stage…

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, October 27, 2014

Social Networking becomes both easier and more difficult all the time. As soon as you get the hang of it, the rules change. But we are not always privy to the subtle changes that may not be well-publicized. Some changes are obvious, and even then, the way to implement these new rules may not be user-friendly. Algorithms and layout can affect all aspects of the experience.

[To read more, click the title!]

Discussion
Monday, September 29, 2014

“All my life I’ve been a performer – an actress, a singer, a dancer, even a talk show host – but never in the wildest dreams of my first 50 years did I ever imagine I would write something that other people would read. I still can’t quite get over it.”

So writes ADRIENNE BARBEAU on her website, ABarbeau.com. Best known as Bea Arthur’s daughter, Carol, in Norman Lear’s TV series “Maude,” starring in the John Carpenter films “The Fog” and “Escape from New York,” Wes Craven’s “Swamp Thing,” and her creation of Rizzo in the original Broadway production of “Grease,” she has created a versatile career encompassing diverse facets of entertainment and has found success and acclaim as the author of three books.

She has become a best-selling author, a recording artist, and the star of numerous features, films for television, concert performances, musicals and plays. She’s even been a radio show book reviewer and narrates audio books. She’s also written books.

Join us for a lively and unforgettable evening with this multi-talented actress and author.

[To read more, click the title!]

Panel
Monday, May 19, 2014

There was a poet from Los Angeles
Whose limericks never would scangeles.
When asked just why so
He replied, “I really don’t know –
“Maybe it’s because I always try to cram as many syllables into the last line as I possibly cangeles.”

Well, poets do take license.

Our panel of established and credentialed poets will discuss the poetic form as they use it, their
marketing ideas, and the aesthetic and public opportunities for poets.

Impressive energy is employed as a poem is created, and a similar level of energy and creativity is required to really get the poem seen and marketed.

Our panelists have been through it all, and have won many of the battles in a field that has been described as a minefield.

[To read more, click the title!]