Click here for a list of past events.
Ongoing Event: MWA NorCal Saturday Write-In
Every Saturday from 10:45 AM-Noon
Join us on Saturday mornings for 10 minutes of chatty camaraderie followed by some dedicated writing time.
Members, email MWANorCalEvents@gmail.com and request the Google Meet link to join.
Upcoming Events:
July 27-November 16, 2024
MWA NorCal explores AI
MWA NorCal invites you to a 4-session Zoom series to explore different aspects of AI. What is it—an existential threat or a cool new set of tools? Maybe both? What we know for sure is that it’s all around us and it’s here to stay. So, join us on the third Saturday of the month as we try to figure out how to make sense of it, what to be wary of, and how to use it ethically as authors.
Each Zoom session will explore a different capability of AI. Join when you can, for what interests you. You won’t be lost if you can’t make them all. You need to register for these Zoom sessions. Please use the links below.
The AI landscape is changing quickly, and we’ll change topics if something new and interesting comes up, but for now the topics we plan to cover include:
- An Introduction to Generative AI – What is it and why should writers care?
- Saturday, July 27 @ 2:00 pm (rescheduled): Watch it HERE.
- Generative AI and Words – How it works, tools you might find useful, and how to protect your own writing.
- Saturday, August 17 @ 2:00 pm
- Generative AI and Images – We’ll play with the mind-blowing capabilities of image-creation tools and figure out how to use them ethically.
- Saturday, September 21 @ 2:00 pm
- Generative AI Websites, Audio, Video, Translation, and Personal Assistants
- Saturday, November 16 @ 2 PM: Sign up HERE.
Sessions will be led by Margaret Dumas, sometimes with special guest stars. Margaret doesn’t claim to be an expert but is fascinated by what’s happening with this technology and would like to explore, play, and share with her writing colleagues.
We’ll pay particular attention to how to use this technology ethically—without putting artists, designers, voice actors, or editors out of work. Expect lots of lively discussions, and maybe we can figure some things out together.
MWA October Mystery Month events
October 5, 3:30-4:40 PM: Live at the Live at the Creekside Room, Mill Valley Library, 375 Throckmorton Avenue: Author Talk with Michelle Chouinard and Stacie Grey
October 12, 3:30-5 PM: Live at the Capitola Library, 2005 Wharf Road: Mystery Month Author Talk with Laurie Sheehan (M), Dale Berry, Mysti Berry, Glenda Carroll, Heather Haven, and Leslie Karst. Registration is required; register here.
October 18, 7:15-9:30 PM (doors open 6:30) at the Lost Church, 988 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco: “Unforgettable Sleuths”
Nordic Noir master Thomas Enger (Stigma) and National Book Award nominee Ramona Emerson (Exposure) are joined by Michelle Chouinard (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco) and Nina Simon (Mother-Daughter Murder Night), whose Bay Area-set mysteries feature home-grown amateur sleuths. Vera Chan moderates this talented lineup, who will also give aspiring writers a few clues about how to create super sleuths of their own. $18/$15 early bird through October 13 with the code earlybird1 at checkout; buy tickets here.
October 19, 2 PM: Coming to you from the Virtual Realm: Generative AI and Web Design with Margaret Dumas. POSTPONED to Nov. 16!
October 27, 2-3:30 PM: Book Brush Workshop with Kathleen Sweeney from Book Brush, who will talk about effective social media management for authors. This will be a Zoom event. Register here.
November 9, 2024
9 AM-2:30 PM
Lincoln Library Literary Festival
485 Twelve Bridges Dr.
Lincoln, CA
The Lincoln Library will be holding its first literary festival, and many NorCal writers are going to be featured. Details are still to be hammered out, but please put this on your calendar for November 9, with the doors opening @ 9 AM. The preliminary program is as follows:
9:30-10:30 AM: Local Lincoln Authors
10:30-11:30 AM: Cozy and Traditional Mystery – Karen Phillips, Jennifer Morita, Jessie Chandler, and Ellen Kirschman
11:30-12:30 PM: Historical Mystery – Claire Johnson, Laura Jensen Walker, Greg Randall, and Ann Parker
12:30-1:30 PM: Thriller and Suspense – Claire Booth, Rick Meredith, Faye Snowden, and Jim L’Etoile
1:30-2:30 PM: Meet the Authors (a group meet and greet for readers to mix and mingle with all the featured authors)