Jul
20
to Aug 24

Writing the Literary Page Turner

A new workshop opportunity: Writing the Literary Page-Turner with novelists Melanie Abrams and Kate Milliken. Are you a language-driven writer? A plot-driven writer? A character-driven writer? During this six-week course, we will tackle how to balance compulsively readable plots, compelling characters, and beautiful language while keeping an eye on marketability. 

Since it is the opening pages of a novel that are essential to hooking a reader, an agent, and an editor, each participant will have the first chapter of their novel-in-progress workshopped. And since we believe that the elements that keep a reader wanting more are the very same elements that will get you excited about writing (or revising) the rest of your novel, you will leave with fresh insight into your story’s potential and a new outline for writing forward. 

What is required of you: the opening chapter (maximum of twenty-five pages) and a willingness to get vulnerable and share your work (however rough) with your classmates. 

  • Get the benefit of two instructors’ eyes on your work.

  • Cost: $650 (with an option to add a private consultation with the instructor of your choosing at the end of the course: $145).

  • Limited to 8 participants. Hold your space by emailing via the contact form

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Feb
29
7:00 PM19:00

Left Margin LIT 2nd Annual Book Pitch Party

GET YOUR PITCH ON at Left Margin LIT’s 2nd Annual Book Pitch Party!

Do you have a book idea you’re cooking up? A novel you’ve been noodling over? A tale you’re itching to tell? A how-to that can be only written by you?

On a festive Saturday evening at Left Margin LIT, present your book idea to a pair of industry insiders! You’ll get insta-feedback that you can put into action right away, such as:

-shaping your story for the readership.
-developing an attention-getting pitch. 
-finding an agent or publisher.
-and more!

Here’s how it works . . .

You'll get three minutes on the stopwatch to pitch your book idea. This can be a standard verbal elevator pitch, or you can read from a query letter. Really sell it to Laura and Melanie!

After your pitch, our hosts will share on-the-spot feedback and suggestions for making your book a strong contender for publication and future bestseller-dom.

At the end of the evening, the book pitch winner will be crowned and win a $150 gift credit to a Left Margin LIT program or class.

This event is perfect for fiction and nonfiction writers in all stages of their book development. (YA and speculative fiction are also okay.) You might have a full manuscript, or just a nugget of a spark of an idea—either way, at our book pitch, the focus is entirely on the way you sell your story. 

Publicly pitching your book is not for the faint of heart, so if you'd rather watch and glean some wisdom from Melanie and Laura's feedback for other aspiring authors, stop by and be a part of our live audience.

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Feb
12
7:00 PM19:00

NaNoLitMo: A Night of Writing Daringly

The exciting, literary reading series for Wrimos and the wide world of local writers who dare to write greatly (or you know, who dare to write anything at all, which totally counts).

Melanie Abrams is a writer, editor, and photographer, and the author of the forthcoming novel Meadowlark (Little A). Her novel Playing (Grove Atlantic) has been acquired in Italy, France, Germany, India, and Israel. She teaches writing at UC Berkeley and is married to the writer Vikram Chandra. They live with their children in Oakland, CA.

Come listen to her read, then partake in a mini-writing challenge and enjoy what promises to be a raucous Q&A. Please join our hosts Shannon Monroe and Rachael Herron, on Wednesday, February 12th, at 7.00 p.m., at Novel Brewing, 6510 San Pablo Ave, Oakland. Support your fellow, local authors and help us celebrate NaNoWriMo all year long! Write on!

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Jun
17
to Jun 21

Fiction Camp for Grownups! Make a Scene

FICTION CAMP: Make a Scene

What does a toddler do when he wants attention? Makes a scene. What does a writer do? Makes a scene! Scenes are the building blocks of stories, novels, and memoirs, but how do we get them to grab and keep a reader’s attention while still building character and advancing plot? In this workshop, we’ll spend each class session focusing on one of the four elements that make up a scene: action, dialogue, description, and interiority. We’ll look at stories by expert scene builders, discuss the nuts and bolts of these four methods, then work on crafting our own. Come to class with a work in process or spend the week writing your next page turner.

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Jun
1
7:00 PM19:00

Left Margin Lit 1st Annual Book Pitch Party

GET YOUR PITCH ON at Left Margin LIT’s First Annual Book Pitch Party!

Do you have a book idea you’re cooking up? A novel you’ve been noodling over? A tale you’re itching to tell? A how-to that can be only written by you?

On a festive Friday evening at Left Margin LIT, present your book idea to a pair of industry insiders! You’ll get insta-feedback that you can put into action right away, such as:

-shaping your story for the readership.
-developing an attention-getting pitch. 
-finding an agent or publisher.
 -and more!

Here’s how it works . . .

 You'll get three minutes on the stopwatch to pitch your book idea. This can be a standard verbal elevator pitch, or you can read from a query letter. Really sell it to Laura and Melanie!

​After your pitch, our hosts will share on-the-spot feedback and suggestions for making your book a strong contender for publication and future bestseller-dom.

At the end of the evening, the book pitch winner will be crowned and win a $150 gift credit to a Left Margin LIT program or class.

This event is perfect for fiction and nonfiction writers in all stages of their book development. (YA and speculative fiction are also okay.) You might have a full manuscript, or just a nugget of a spark of an idea—either way, at our book pitch, the focus is entirely on the way you sell your story. 

Publicly pitching your book is not for the faint of heart, so if you'd rather watch and glean some wisdom from Melanie and Laura's feedback for other aspiring authors, enroll at the $30 level. We'll make sure you're entertained and well-fed!

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