Exciting News!

Another writing dream is about to come true! The writers of the San Jacinto Valley are joining together to form a new creative community. The Diamond Valley Writers’ Guild will launch in January, 2016. Our goal is to create a bricks-and-mortar meeting place for writers from Corona to Palm Springs, from Lake Arrowhead to San Diego.

Right now, local writers must travel an hour or more to participate in writing comunities in Palm Springs, Riverside, Ontario, Orange County, and San Diego. We’re willing, but the logistics can get in the way. I can’t tell you how many times a writer friend tells me, “I’m having a book signing!” or “I’m reading at the coffee house!” and I want to support it, but it’s an hour away, and I can’t fit it in.

Plus, there are tons of civic organizations, community groups, and businesses in the San Jacinto Valley who’d love to partner with us, because it fits their mission or business plan. With over 120,000 residents in the immediate area, and a robust and expanding economy, interest in the creative arts is growing.

• Need a critique group? We already have several, and we’ll have more.
• Need information about publishing or marketing your novel? We’ll have workshops all year long to address your questions and share what we know.
• We’ll offer information about experts and resources in the writing, marketing, and publishing fields.
• We’ll offer monthly speakers who’ll inform and inspire.
• We’ll be able to meet and network with local writers.

We’ve been contacted by writers who live in Riverside, Moreno Valley, Menifee, Murrieta, and Temecula, as well as the immediate area. They’re excited at the prospect of being able to get together, exchange ideas, and inspire and support each other.

Recently, the Hemet Public Library offered us the use of their Community Room. Starting next January, the Guild will meet there on the fourth Saturday of every month, 9-11 a.m.. Our first meeting is January 23, 2016.

Can you believe it? Our dream is coming true! But there is work to be done.

At the moment, we’re putting together a founding board of directors. In addition to the President and Treasurer (no Secretary yet), we have a Marketing Chair, Facebook Manager, Website Advisor, and Executive Editor of our literary magazine, Straitjackets. If you’d like to help, if you’d like to be kept apprised of developments, or if you’d like to be included on our list of prospective speakers, please let me know. We can’t pay speakers yet, but you can sell your books in the meeting room after the talk.

Here’s our contact information: drop me a note at DVWritersGuild@gmail.com, or leave a message at 951-282-7735. We also have a Facebook page. I look forward to hearing from you as our journey continues, and I’ll be sure to let you know as things develop. 2016 is going to be an awesome, amazing year!