Winterfest

Winterfest is an annual celebration of the arts in general, and the artistic members of Tri-Valley Writers in particular. The format varies each year. One thing that is consistent is the opportunities to share what we’ve written.

Winterfest 2023

This year’s Winterfest featured C.S. Lakin’s special three-hour workshop on “Emotional Mastery for Fiction Writers.” Lakin proposed that the emotional landscape of fiction is the greatest challenge for writers, yet it is perhaps the most important element because readers want to care. And they can’t care about characters unless writers effectively, evocatively, and masterfully show emotion in their characters. Lakin gave techniques to help spark emotional response in your readers.

Winterfest 2022

Our Winterfest celebration was a member-led Workshop à La Carte. The workshop was designed to help writers polish their work for anthologies, contests, collections of short prose, submission to online and print publications, or to learn about editing or publication.

Tabletop Topics 

• Research Resources and When Enough is Enough—Ann Parker
• Story Arc: Building a Strong Foundation—Ed Miracle
• Using the 5 Senses for Impact—Patricia Boyle
• What to Ask When Hiring an Editor—Linda Todd
• ABC’s of Self-Publishing—Paula Chinick

Winterfest 2021

Our Winterfest meeting was a celebration of Tri-Valley Writers  Voices of the Valley Through the Window anthology. Attendees participated and had a chance to win prizes in a Trivia Game about the writings in the anthology. Attendees came prepared by having read all the prose and poetry in Tri-Valley Writers’ fifth anthology.

Winterfest 2020

We celebrated the new year with others whose passion for writing is as strong as your own. Our meeting was filled with open-mic readings of poems, flash fiction, short-short stories, or excerpts from longer form manuscripts by our members.

Winterfest 2019

Showcased short stories, poems, memoirs, and essays from TVW members in our fourth bi-annual anthology Voices of the Valley: Journeys.

Winterfest 2018

We celebrated the new year with a member-led Workshop à La Carte. The workshop was designed to help writers polish their work for anthologies, writing contests, collections of short prose, or for submission to online and print publications.

Workshop topics include: “Writing Effective Short Pieces” (B. Lynn Goodwin), “Judicious Editing” (Ann Parker), “Memoir: Personal Experience Turned Inside Out” (Constance Hanstedt), “Why Don’t I Write?: Overcoming Obstacles” (Wayne Ragas), and “Writing Author Bios and Author Statements” (Lani Longshore). Each attendee will choose three of the five presentations.

Winterfest 2017

This year again featured ekphrasis: the blending of art and writing. In phase one, which concluded at the October 2016 meeting, members submitted objects of art for consideration. Selected works of art were used in the second phase where members were encouraged to create poetry and prose inspired by the art.

Winterfest 2016

Showcased short stories, poems, memoirs, and essays from TVW members in our third bi-annual anthology Voices of the Valley: Word for Word.

Winterfest 2015

This year featured our second ekphrasis: the blending of art and writing. In phase one, which concluded at the October 2014 meeting, members submitted objects of art for consideration. Selected works of art were used in the second phase where members were encouraged to create poetry and prose inspired by the art.

Winterfest 2014

Showcased poetry, stories, and essays from TVW members in our second bi-annual anthology Voices of the Valley: Encore.

Winterfest 2013

This year featured ekphrasis: the blending of art and writing. This was done in two phases. In the first phase, which concluded at the October 2012 meeting, members submitted objects of art for consideration. Selected works of art were then used in the second phase where members created poetry and prose inspired by the art.

Winterfest 2012

Our inaugural year of Winterfest featured member readings from TVW’s first anthology, Voices of the Valley: First Press, the anthology from Los Positas College, Dreams, and Oakland anthology, Immersion.