Writers Guild Publishes Anthology of New Writers

OAKLAND, Calif. - Feb. 9, 2015 - PRLog -- The anthology offers perspectives on voyages, but the destinations are not necessarily a place: one is a humorous voyage to the umbilicus, another a horror trip into a nightmare, a third takes one through the desolation of an apocalyptic landscape.

The authors are part of the Walnut Creek Writers Guild; they’ve been meeting monthly for years to critique and polish each other’s writing. In 2014, they undertook the challenge of producing their first title, an anthology with a common theme. Only a two of the members had experience in the process of publishing, so a committee was formed to research the most appropriate technology and viable distribution channels. The process was as painstaking as that of the writing, reviewing, editing and rewriting had been. One of the members, a professional editor, led the group in copyediting the book; another showed his prowess in designing and creating the cover. The View from Here, an anthology collecting nine of their stories, was recently published and is now found in the Fiction & Literature section at Barnes & Noble brick and mortar bookstores, as well as online at barnesandnoble.com and at amazon.com in both paper and Kindle versions.

Like participants in other such groups, WCWG includes writers at diverse points in their life: some have retired, several are at the peak of their working career and for one or two this is their first formal attempt at becoming writers. The group aims for diversity, both in the genres they critique and the gender, nationality, race and previous writing experience of the members. An application to join is on their website https://walnutcreekwritersguild.squarespace.com/welcome-to-the-walnut-creek-writers-guildand on their page http://www.meetup.com/The-Walnut-Creek-Writers-Guild-com/. The prospective candidate must attach samples of their writing and the quality of the writing and their commitment to regular submissions are the only basis for acceptance.  The founder plus two or three of the other members who volunteer to read the samples, accept serious applicants when there is a vacancy. By consensus the membership is capped at ten participants.

Some members have previously self-published or published in Academia, and for some, this is their first publication. The group generally prefers writers interested in fiction, but they have welcomed non-fiction writers, poets and playwrights.  The View from Here includes stories by five of the original members: Webb Johnson, Kathy Oldham, Deanne Dale, Norma Armon and Sandy Shaller. Other stories are by some of the newer members of the group: M.G.Riley, Michelle Netzhoff Luna and Joseph Herbst. Founded and chaired by Sandy Shaller, WCWG has held continual Saturday morning monthly meetings, mostly at the Walnut Creek Library since 2011. The group includes an editor, an English teacher, a retired schoolteacher and Principal of K-12, a veteran, a nurse, a retired engineer, a translator and a dancer.  They come from different backgrounds and prefer to write in a variety of genres – but they share a common vision: to hone their craft in a supportive atmosphere.

The reviews and sales have been quite positive, which has encouraged the group to work on writing and publishing the next anthology, even as they’re heavily involved in the marketing of The View from Here. Reviews may be found at Amazon, BarnesandNoble and Goodreads.com.