The Sunnyvale Sun

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Club members learn about the 'business' of writing

By Judy Peterson

There's a good reason why the words "struggling writer" have become a cliche: putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, and producing a satisfactory result, is tough work.

That's why Sunnyvale resident Bill Baldwin describes the members of the South Bay Writers Club as "mostly struggling." Baldwin is president of the club, which meets on the second Wednesday of the month in the banquet room at the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course.

Baldwin estimates that about 100 club members have been published at least three times. Their work is across the board, from books to screenplays, poetry and short stories, both fiction and nonfiction. But you don't have to be published to join the club; you just have to be interested in writing, Baldwin says.

"One of the nice things about being in the club is that our goal is to educate people in the business of writing. The trick to getting published is to walk into people who are looking for exactly what you're writing."

Still, Baldwin says it's difficult to get published, especially for fiction writers. "It always seems to take years."

Baldwin himself has been working on a book for five years. Not ready to give up his day job, Baldwin is a computer program analyst for the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District.

Baldwin's book is in the critique stage now, so he hasn't reached the critical point of looking for a publisher. But he may not have to do that. He says many members are self-publishing their work.

According to Baldwin, one club member wrote a book about fleeing Europe during World War II and growing up in San Francisco. He says her publisher wanted her to embellish some of the facts. Instead, the author published the book herself.

Print on demand is also becoming increasingly popular, Baldwin says, "because instead of printing up 10,000 copies, they'll just print up 50. There are more options now."

The South Bay Writers Club has been around for 20 years and is one of 17 branches of the California Writers Club. The statewide organization traces its roots back to writers who hung around Oakland with author Jack London. The South Bay group is the largest branch in the state.

At their monthly meetings, South Bay writers network, share success stories, enjoy a buffet dinner and hear from speakers who are there to inspire, entertain and inform. The high caliber of speakers explains why as many as 80 members show up for the club's monthly meetings.

The speaker at the April 11 meeting was Molly Giles, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated short story author. She is also the editor for Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club.

There are also weekly activities. On the first three Friday nights of every month, members gather at local bookstores for "open mic" readings. The fourth Wednesday finds them at the Borders bookstore in Sunnyvale. Sessions are held from 7:30 to 9 p.m., with individual readings lasting about 10 minutes. They're usually held in the cafe area, and drop-ins are always welcome. Participants are urged to make sure their readings are suitable for a general audience.

To find out more about the South Bay Writers Club, visit www.southbaywriters.com.