Hello,
Sonoma County Poet Laureate Dave Seter:

“When we think of history, let’s cast our net wide. The history books include a few stories fished out of the vast ocean of human experience. Sometimes stories are remembered differently by different people.

Do you find stories in the history books that match your heritage and personal identity? Are they stories you can relate to?

Maybe there really are two sides to every story, as the American idiom says. Or—maybe—there are more than two sides to every story.

Maybe some of the stories remain untold, or have been forgotten, and are waiting to be discovered and shared.”

More about Dave’s Project:

Dave’s Sonoma County Poet Laureate Project.

Dave Seter’s in-person poetry workshop:

Participants will write poems about Sonoma County History from new perspectives. Special guest Arthur Dawson, Sonoma County historian and poet, will offer examples of poems about history, as well as advice on how to find that "hook" or entry point to the piece being written.

This free workshop is being offered as part of Dave’ Sonoma County Poet Laureate Project in partnership with the Museum of Sonoma County.

 Writing Poems About Sonoma County History

1/15/2025 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM PT

Museum of Sonoma County, 425 7th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

If you can’t attend the in-person event, perhaps the following will spark an idea for your writing.
Ponderings from Dave:

Dusty Artifact or Window Into the Past?
When it comes to history, what grabs your interest? A story you haven't heard before? A story that's different from the one you've been told? Does an object on display offer a window through which you can enter into the past?

Use one of these questions to just write!

Publishing

There are different roads to take on the path to publishing. Some people just write, do some revising, work with an editor and/or formatter and voila! A book is born.
Some people pay for workshops for guidance.

There is no certain path to ensure being published.

Do what feels right for you.

Attend workshops, conferences, writing groups. Read in your genre. Do all you can to learn about writing and publishing (if publishing is your goal).

Shirin Bridges and Lisa Manterfield  offer an 8-week “2025 Publishing Intensive.”

January 29 to March 26, 2025; eight Wednesdays 6:00pm-8:30pm PT, on Zoom Maximum 12 participants

Shirin is very experienced with all aspects of publishing.

Writing coaches and editors

Nathan Bransford
Need help with your book? Nathan is  available for manuscripts edits, query critiques, and coaching

Grant Faulkner
Grant has been working with writers for 30 years. His background as a writer, teacher, editor, and publisher informs his coaching.
Writing Prompt

Link to a writing prompt that has been helpful to many people: At Least.
Just write!

Marlene