Inspiration to write often comes when I am with other writers. This is true whether I am with my critique group, monthly writing club meetings or writing conferences. The camaraderie we share, and the tips we gain are invaluable. I’ve learned to be a better writer.

On April 18, 2015, I attended the day long California Writers’ Club, Tri-valley Branch first writing conference. There were over eighty people and nine presenters. It was well organized and the quality superb. I focused on marketing techniques and e-book publishing since my novel is almost ready to release. It is in the hands of beta readers. Two of them have already responded and there are a couple of issues I need to address in my novel. Both are easy to fix, for which I am thankful. And there was positive feedback as well. I’m looking forward to receiving more comments.

Besides getting my novel ready for publication, I am writing a short story a month about subjects I care about. From these, I will determine what my next novel will be about. Short stories challenge me. They are concise, and the urge to meander is hard to control.

This month I’m submitting a short story to Glimmer Train. This is a top quality anthology published once a quarter. Competition is tough, so if I even received honorable mention I would consider it an honor.

April is a busy month for me. Many writing related activities occur. I’m one of the judges for the Tri-Valley Writers’ high school contest. We received fifty-one entries. The contest last year, which I also judged, had inventive, well written short stories. It will be hard to choose the winners of first, second, third and honorable mention winners.

I continue to believe in the written word. It is a powerful education device, and also a means of escape into the world of interesting characters who have meaningful stories to tell.