Independent Writers of Southern California
IWOSC Welcomes you

If you’re a writer in the greater Los Angeles area or Southern California, at any level of your writing career, writing for yourself, for magazines or ezines, working a screenplay or editing copy, or working on a book — writing in any genre, we welcome you.

IWOSC has been helping writers since 1982! We’re one of LA’s longest-running professional writers’ organizations, providing writers of the greater LA or Southern California area with many opportunities: seminars, panels, brainstorming, discussions, parties, and more! Our About page has more about the educational and informational events we offer for writers…

Our upcoming events for writers

Online Panel
Literary Agents Panel – How Writers Can Get Represented Today

Wednesday, September 29, 2021
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Pacific
IWOSC members – free
Non-members – $15

In September, IWOSC will present a stellar bi-coastal panel of top New York and Beverly Hills literary agents seeking writers.
Topics will include:

“Do’s and Don’ts” — how to make the best first impression (including irresistible query and cover letters), good book openings, and what mistakes will guarantee a rejection letter
What agents are looking for in authors today, and what happens AFTER an author is signed!
How long it usually takes for a book or screenplay to sell once it’s represented, and what goes on “behind the scenes” at publishers and studios
And more — listed on the event’s page

Read more and register…
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Recordings of our past Panels are available for purchase.

Members-Only
IWOSC Greenroom – Online

Monday, September 20, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Free for IWOSC members

Once a month (typically the 2nd Monday) members may meet online to discuss issues that pertain to writing–perhaps your latest book, a question about your writing, a gesture toward collaboration with another writer or publisher, a great book that you are reading, another event that people might enjoy, or whatever. Members are invited via email.

Seminar – Online
Hooking Readers: The Power Of The First Line

September 25, 2021
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time
IWOSC members: $15
Non-members: $35
Register by noon the day before

Have you opened a book, turned to the first page, and cast it aside after reading the first line? Are there some books whose first lines remain engraved in your mind?

How you can write your own winning opening lines?

In this interactive seminar we’ll be discovering the secrets of how you can hook readers, wooing them to go beyond the first line, and in fact turn the page, and then the next page, and on and on until they get to The End.

Quick share

Satellites— Informal sessions for writers

IWOSC’s monthly drop-in satellite sessions are free and open to all writers — both members and non-members.

From Orange County to Pasadena to the San Fernando Valley, IWOSC has writers covered. Bring your writing, your ideas, problems, questions, and complaints. Receive support, laughs, juicy controversy, and plenty of networking. If there isn’t a satellite in your area, we welcome having you create one.

Our local area satellite groups for writers are:

Orange County — currently on hiatus
Pasadena/Altadena Satellite – meets in Altadena — on Zoom for now
Valley Satellite (San Fernando Valley) – meets in Woodland Hills — on Zoom for now
Westside (Los Angeles) — meets in West LA, Santa Monica, Culver City — on Zoom for now
Ventura Satellite — on Zoom for now

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We had a Party! — online

IWOSC Party online Dec 21, 2020 Ain’t no virus stopped us from some holiday festivities with our fellow writers. We got together online, talked, shared some successes, and even enjoyed a magic performance by writer and professional magician David Groves.