Category: PastEvent08

Annual IWOSC Summer Party

Party
Saturday, August 16, 2008

Don’t miss the opportunity to rub elbows with some of Southern California’s most interesting writers while enjoying a light repast and quenching drinks in a unique historic setting — the Heritage Square Museum in Highland Park. We will also toast IWOSC’s 25th Anniversary with champagne and a special celebration cake.

Heritage Square is a unique collection of eight historic structures, all constructed during the Victorian Era, and all saved from demolition and moved to this site to create a living history museum reflecting the settlement and development of Southern California. Today, the Heritage Square Museum offers visitors a look into the everyday lives of Southern Californians at the close of the 19th Century.

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Annual IWOSC Winter Party — IWOSC Holiday Bash at the Biltmore!

Party
Thursday, December 4, 2008

Kick off the season in style at IWOSC’s annual Holiday Bash at the Biltmore! Follow the tradition of presidents, celebrities, dignitaries – and IWOSC writers – by celebrating history, architectural splendor, and creativity at the beautiful downtown Biltmore Hotel!

Join your fellow scribes and guests on Thursday, December 4, at one of L.A.’s most beautiful locations: the historic, elegant, architecturally awesome Millenium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

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From Books to Film – Romance or Nightmare?

Panel
Monday, November 24, 2008

We present a special program on what getting “The Hollywood Treatment” means for writers—and how a writer can best position his or her work for a screen option. What can a novelist expect when your book gets an offer to be adapted into a movie? For that matter, what storytelling qualities help make a novel, biography/memoir, or news article a must-see for the screen? And likewise, how has the lightning pace of movies and TV changed what Larry McMurtry calls “the Culture of the Book?”

Moderator: Telly Davidson
BRIAN LIPSON
MARVIN J. WOLF
PETER LEFCOURT
BARBARA SCHIFFMAN

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Get your project seen by the right people

Seminar
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Michele Wallerstein, the Writer’s Consultant, and former literary agent, will guide you through the ways to move your projects into the world of motion picture studios, agents, publishers, and the television markets. Learn the secrets of successful networking and follow-up, as well as who to contact and how to do it.

Presented by: Michele Wallerstein

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Everything Graphic!

Panel
Monday, October 27

Thinking of tackling a graphic novel, pictorial essay, or articles that require a photo or a drawing? You name it, we’ll discuss it. Our panel explains how to collaborate with a photographer or an illustrator to get your project realized or how to do it yourself.

Panelists:
Moderator ERIKA FABIAN
ROBERT SCHMIDT
BRAD RADER
NAT GERTLER
HELEN K. GARBER

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Your capsule bio: why you need it; how to craft it

Seminar

Whether you need a book-jacket blurb or a resume opening, these few words make the reader want more. Your capsule bio can be a sleek torpedo or bloated blimp. The best writers don’t always know which they’ve launched, as Alice Romano discovered when compiling IWOSC’s own directory. Follow the journalism creed of brevity and clarity to create your tasty intro.

Alice Romano, IWOSC past President and Intensive Writing Workshop facilitator, leads this seminar on how to create a succinct biography that is a quick read and plays to your strengths.

Presented by: Alice Romano

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Magazine Editors’ Summit

Panel
Monday, September 22, 2008

Top magazine editors reveal the inside track on getting your work published. Find out how to get the attention of an editor with a winning story pitch or query. Learn about the most recent trends in the magazine publishing world and where to direct your focus to generate assignments.

Panelists:
DAVID WURTH
AURELIA D’ANDREA
JEAN-NOEL BASSIOR

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CRAFTING THE EXCEPTIONAL MAGAZINE PITCH

Seminar

Our speaker explains the dynamics behind creating a winning story pitch or query that will get the attention of editors around the country. Learn the fundamentals of a well-written story, one that will impress an editor every time. Tips and techniques are available for those writers who want to polish their skills.

Presented by: Karlin

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WRITERS’ MARKETING ROUND TABLE: Delivering your Message

Panel
Monday, July 28, 2008

A gathering of marketing professionals looks at the process of delivering persuasive communications to target audiences with techniques and hints that offer greater financial rewards.

Moderator: JOHN SEELEY
IRWIN ZUCKER
SUSAN LEVIN
LILLI CLOUD
TERESA FOGARTY
MARILYN ANDERSON

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IWOSC Reads Its Own — July 2008

IWOSC Reads Its Own

IWOSC Reads Its Own is back for another spellbinding afternoon of eclectic, eccentric, and exemplary works — from poems to true stories to hilarious monologues and beyond, read aloud by distinguished IWOSC scribes.

Check out some of the distinguished line-up:

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THE ART AND CRAFT OF THE PRESS RELEASE: What the Pros Know

Seminar

The Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) presents veteran publicist and consultant Flo Selfman – aided by many of her colleagues’ results-getting techniques – who will help you craft the best press release for your message, and provide pointers for getting your word out to the right places.

Presented by: Flo Selfman

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WRITING FOR NONPROFITS: A Wealth of Work

Panel
Monday, June 30, 2008

The world of nonprofits offers a variety of writing opportunities. Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC) has assembled panelists who write grants, direct mail, publications, and PR. They’ll discuss the challenges faced working either as a freelancer or on staff.

Moderator: DEBBI SWANSON PATRICK
ELIZABETH ALLEN
NOEL DE LEON
CHERYL POSNER
KAREN ROSA
STEVE KIRK

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The PR Platform: What It Is, and How to Get It

Seminar

How can you create a publicity buzz with your own books, blogs, and videos? Dr. Tina Tessina, Ph.D., aka Dr. Romance, tells how she did it and still does it! She’ll discuss her psychotherapy practice as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and how she’s published 11 books in many languages to help couples find happiness.

Presented by: Dr. Tina Tessina, Ph.D., aka Dr. Romance

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Kid Lit: More than the ABCs of Writing for Children

Panel
Monday, May 19, 2008

Journey through the exciting world of writing children’s literature and getting it published with a distinguished group of seven children’s book authors. Panelists will discuss developing characters, back stories, weaving compelling plots and story lines, use of age-specific language, and other tools Kid Lit writers need and what publishers are looking for.

Moderator: ANNE MOSBERGEN
MICHELLE MARKEL
LISA DUNN-DERN
BARNEY SALTZBERG
GRETCHEN WOELFLE
APRIL HALPRIN WAYLAND
ANN WHITFORD PAUL
SONYA SONES

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Once Upon A Time: Writing Children’s Literature

Seminar
Saturday, May 17, 2008

To write for kids, you have to think like a kid. There are nuances and approaches that children’s authors use frequently. It is not just the words, but also the images that the words create, which draw children into reading a story.

Join two award-winning children’s book authors and illustrators Kathryn Hewitt and Deborah Nourse Lattimore as they present practical tips and guidance on how to turn your kernel of a book idea into one ready to sell to a children’s book publisher.

Presented by: Kathryn Hewitt and Deborah Nourse Lattimore

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LITERARY AGENTS’ MARKETPLACE: The Inside Track on Finding and Working with Representation

Panel
Monday, April 28, 2008

As every savvy writer knows, getting the words down on the page is half the battle.

The right literary agent can open crucial doors for a writer in the publishing industry. The challenge is convincing the agent that your work is right for them! The agents on this panel will share their writer success stories to illustrate what it takes to make it as a literary or non-fiction writer and how to market yourself and your work. Also, the evening would not be complete without examining some of the pitfalls that could be avoided through shared tales from the dark side of publishing. In addition, the role of the agent and the pros and cons of dealing with an attorney versus an agent will be explored.

Moderator: PAUL LEVINE
CHARLOTTE GUSAY
MIKE HAMILBURG

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A PROPOSAL AND QUERY WORKSHOP FOR THE LITERARY MARKETPLACE

Seminar
Saturday, April 12, 2008

Once the final few sentences of that great American novel have been penned or a non-fiction tale that no one else could scribe, it’s time to get your manuscript in front of an agent. Agents have the contacts to get your work seen and read by editors in publishing houses, looking for the newest acquisition. But where does one begin? Powerhouse author and screenwriter Marvin J. Wolf offers practical advice and savvy tips on how to turn your work into an attractive product ripe for picking by the book-publishing establishment.

Presented by: MARVIN J. WOLF

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CONSUMER REPORTING: What Consumers Need and Writers can Deliver!

Panel
Monday, March 31, 2008

As long as Americans have buying power, the need for consumer writing won’t go away. Our distinguished panel of writers from various media has applied their writing talents to helping consumers with their purchases. While consumer reporting has been underfunded compared to other journalism beats in recent years, these writers have worked diligently to bring the best information to the public. They will discuss the state of consumer reporting today, the litigious environment some reporting has come up against, and what bright spots appear on the horizon for this area of reportage.

Moderator: LILLI CLOUD
GERRI MILLER
SUSAN KARLIN
DOUG KRIEGEL

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Making your Writing, Product, Service or Yourself Stand Out from the Crowd

Seminar
Saturday, March 15, 2008

What can you do to make your writing stand out in a crowded field? According to Lilli Cloud, communications trainer and owner of Blue Feet, you need to “write for differentiation.” In this seminar on business writing, Cloud will provide you with worthwhile tips and guidance on how to effectively differentiate a product, service or even yourself. The workshop will also include hands-on exercises

This workshop covers…

Presented by: LILLI CLOUD

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Making your own opportunities in writing

Panel

Writing is a business. Yet, if you can keep your mind open to creative possibilities, you can make the business work for you. Keeping flexible to various options can be the key to discovering alternative ways to enjoy success.

This eclectic panel has used a combination of talent, tenacity and tricks to earn their writing success. They’ll share…

Panel:
ROCHELLE KRICH
PETER COLLEY
COLLEEN DUNN BATES
GINA NAHAI

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Why Editing and Proofreading Matter

Seminar
Saturday, February 16, 2008

Whether you’re writing to impress an editor, agent or publisher, your finished product should reflect the highest standards of professionalism. Whether you’re turning out autobiographies, corporate newsletters, or other writing projects, every professional endeavor requires editing and proofreading. Our two accomplished experts, editor and publishing consultant Monica Faulkner, and IWOSC President, PR consultant and proofreader-copyeditor Flo Selfman demystify the editing process, as well as the nuts and bolts of proofreading and copyediting.

A sampling of questions to be addressed…

Presented by: Monica Faulkner and Flo Selfman

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PUBLISHING 101: Trends in the Book Biz

Panel

“When did the rules change?” Many writers and journalists have pondered this question over and over about book publishing, which has completely undergone a metamorphosis in the past decade. The Internet, media consolidation, big-box vs. independent bookstores, the boom in self-publishing, online “e-books” and blogs, and Hollywood-style demographics, age discrimination, and target-audience issues have transformed what was once the most stable and reliable of media industries into a completely new — and relatively uncharted — landscape.

IWOSC kicks off 2008 with a panel created to untangle some of these knotty career issues. It includes experts from every checkpoint of modern publishing — an agent for one of Hollywood’s A-list literary and talent agencies and a top book publicist. Plus, two of LA’s most prominent booksellers — one anchored in the independent bookseller world, while the other is from one of the nation’s premiere chain bookstores.

A sampling of issues to be addressed:

Moderator: TELLY DAVIDSON
KIM DOWER
TYSON CORNELL
ANDREA “Andy” BARZVIA

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BLOGGING: Come Blow Your Horn

Seminar
Saturday, January 19, 2008

Guest speakers Gerald Everett Jones and Helen Jupiter have each found a way to expound on the universe through blogs. If you’re a writer, blogging can be a powerful tool for promoting your ideas, expertise, book or platform both on purpose and accidentally in a “viral” form. With the right positioning, a blog can show up in Internet searches all over the world, compounding your media exposure exponentially. Let our experts explain why, where, when, and how to blog on a budget.

Presented by: Gerald Everett Jones and Helen Jupiter

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