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Writers of Kern Newsletter | March 2022
Click on the header name to go directly to that part of the newsletter.
In this issue: President's Message | Next Meeting | Last Meeting | WOK Critique Group News | Submission & Volunteering Opportunities | Monthly Meetings | Book Club Update | Mark Your Calendar | From Your Sunshine Chair | From Your Editor | Nuts & Bolts  

President's Message

Spring is almost in full bloom bringing with it all the possibilities of something new. What is your something new and how are you preparing for it? My "spring-cleaning" list includes finishing up at least one of my personal projects before the equinox, which gives me about three weeks. This is our life as writers: projects, i.e., novels, collections, memoirs, screenplays, etcetera--our writerly existence revolves around plotting and scheduling. Whatever your "out with the old in with the new" agenda is, I hope you have a productive spring season.
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| 19 March 2022 | Spring Writers Conference

Have you registered for biggest annual event? If not, there's still time. We have three fantastic workshops on world building, writing sweet romance, and poetry. We have door prizes and opportunity baskets. Plus, vendor tables with works from your favorite local authors and artists. Come spend the day with the Writers of Kern. Breakfast and lunch are included. Click here to register. 
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|19 February 2022 | Clarissa Kae

Last month's workshop, "How to Feed Your Passion and Your Pocketbook," by Clarissa Kae was filled with a lot of valuable information. We learned about the big five versus small press in terms of marketing and more. If you attended in-person or online, check your email, a YouTube recording of the workshop will be available.
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Your Poem on the Writers of Kern Blog
 
April is National Poetry Month if you'd like to include a poem in our blog for that month, please send an original poem. Established poets, emerging poets, and would-be poets all have the possibility of being published during the month. At the end of the month, all the poems published in our blog will be compiled into an online ezine and available to read and embed on your site for free.

Please send your poems to submissions@writersofkern.com

Guidelines:
  1. Poem line limit: 30 lines or fewer
  2. Submit poems as a Word Document; 12-point font, Arial
  3. Include a short bio (50 words or fewer)
  4. Send to submissions@writersofkern.com 
  5. In the subject line: NPM “Title of your Poem”
 
You have questions? Please send them to: submissions@writersofkern.com

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2022 WOK Annual Dan McGuire Blog Challenge
 
Anyone can participate (membership in Writers of Kern not required).

When: Start posting Monday, Feb. 07. Final posts by Sunday, May 08.

Why: To develop a habit of regular writing and sharing it with a like-minded community of writers.

Where: Your personal blog online

The Fine Print: Finish by May 8, 2022

  • To participate just start writing! 
  • Write 26 posts before the deadline,
    • Subject/theme is up to you
  • Though not required, we prefer you share a link to your blog posts on the Writers of Kern Facebook Group page (link below). It makes it easier to everyone to read and leave comments.
  • After publishing all 26 posts, please email events@writersofkern.com to confirm you’ve completed the challenge.
    • Note: Pace yourself. While it seems simple, many will start, while not everyone will finish and that’s okay. We celebrate everyone who starts!

WOK Critique Group News

WOK Critique Groups are up and running!  The new Screenwriters Group has room for more members, and so does the Mystery Writers Group. There is room for one more in Portia’s Poetry Group as well.  I encourage new WOK members to join – it will really improve your writing and you’ll make some new friends!  Interested?  Contact Carla Martin at critiquegroups@writersofkern.com 

Respectfully submitted,

Carla Joy Martin
Critique Group Chair
critiquegroups@writersofkern.com
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Participating as a Volunteer


If you are interested in volunteering for the Writers of Kern, please read the post below. Send an email to president@writersofkern.com if you would like to nominate/participate in this year's board election, or if you are interested in the one of the appointed positions.

Originally written by Natalia Corres and reposted by Cyn Bermudez

How does the Writers of Kern Chapter of the California Writers Club operate?

Everyone from the President to the Member-at-large to the Audio Engineer/Zoom Wrangler - is a volunteer! Whether they are elected or appointed, each position is filled because someone raised their hand and said they'd help.

What are the various positions?

The board consists of: President; Vice President; Secretary; Membership; and Treasurer. These positions are nominated and voted on each year - and the positions require commitment for the full fiscal year (July 1- June 30).

Chairs are appointed for: Sunshine; Newsletter Editor; Webmaster; Public Relations: Critique Group Coordinator; and Member at Large. These positions are appointed and can sometimes be shared.

Readers, Editors, other special project volunteers. These are short-term positions, such as participating as a Judge for the Scholastic Scholarship Entries (which happens at the end of the year); or acting as a "reader" of the entries for the Fall Writing Contest or the WOK Anthology Entries.

WIFM (What's in it for me?)

Aside from "giving back" to the club, many of these opportunities can help you by providing an opportunity to write (for example, articles to the Newsletter often have a "by line" which means you've been published); and experience that can go on your writing resume; and for those of you who have trouble writing your "bio" when required for submissions, it gives you something more to add there, too!

We hope you will be inspired to raise your hand for one or more of these Volunteer Opportunities as they arise!  To help you along that path, the newsletter will be showcasing the positions and their responsibilities in coming editions. 
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WOK’s monthly meetings are both in-person and online. Our in-person meetings will be held at Hodel’s. 

In-person meeting will be $15 for members and $18 for nonmembers.

Online via Zoom $5 (Recordings will only be available to ticket holders)

Hope to see you there!
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Mark Your Calendar


19 March 2022
WOK Annual Event: Spring Conference

16 April 2022
Featured Speaker: Deborah A. Lott

21 May 2022 
Featured Speaker: Michelle Cruz Gonzales

18 June 2022
Featured Speaker: Aimee Liu

16 July 2022
Featured Speaker: Donnée Patrese

20 August 2022
Featured Speaker: Alex Segura

From Your Sunshine Chair

         The Sunshine Chair sends holiday, get-well, birthday (if we have your birth month), sympathy, and other supportive cards to the Writers of Kern members. Every card each member receives is filled with nurturing, caring thoughts of all the other members of our club. Our cards send rays of peace and comfort to uplift our fellow members' spirits. 
          How do we know when those special occasions, illnesses, or hardships arise? We rely on you, our WOK membership, to alert the Sunshine Chair by sending the information to the special email at sunshine@writersofkern.com
From Your Editor

Created to be an encourager, that's what I'm going to do!
If you are reading this right now, I encourage you
to get your pen and paper, or pencil if you prefer,
open your laptop or iPhone notes and Write On through
whatever your circumstance. Let your words dance
on the page or on the screen, as long as they ring true.
Then submit it for publication ~ just imagine your elation
when you see it in print! So don't be hesitant:
Let your voice be heard via the written word.


Write On ~ Shelley J. Evans  
newsletter@writersofkern.com       

 
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Nuts and Bolts

 
New members are always welcome, both Active [previously published] and Associate [not yet published].Writers of Kern energetically assists Associate Members who aspire to become Active.

**********
The Write Way
The Writers of Kern
PO Box 22335
Bakersfield CA 93390-2335
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