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Get Ready to Write: Our Third Annual Writing Retreat is Coming Next Month
This Fall we’ll meet in Grover Beach and Oceano for our annual Writing Retreat. This year’s theme, “a tidal wave of inspiration,” is inspired by our 2025 anthology and will feature: Schedule Friday 5pm–8pm at SLO Life Studio & Mercantile Before we write, we’ll spend an evening learning to make our own books in a…
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The Pros and Cons of Indie and Traditional Publishing
On Aug. 17 authors Jeannin Counts and Kalyn Josephson met at Two Broads Ciderworks to discuss the pros and cons of independent and traditional novel publishing. We talked about many aspects of going with an established company versus going it alone, and a few points stood out. Marketing Using the right labels, or keywords, is…
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Two Authors Talk Indie vs Traditional Publishing
Sunday, August 17, Pen & Pier and The Cove Booksellers will host local authors Jeannin Counts and Kalyn Josephson will discuss indie vs traditional publishing. When: 2–4pm Sunday August 17, 2025 Where: Two Broads Ciderworks’ new location in SLO, (860B Capitolio Way, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401) About the speakers Local SLO author Jeannin Counts…
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Prompts for July 2025
July 28 This week’s writing prompt is an open ended one. Remember, any interpretation is appropriate! The phrase is: But these days, writer’s block feels more like … July 21 This week’s prompt gets to the heart of most character arcs: Tell us about a mistake that one of your MCs keeps making. How do…
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Writing with Gratitude: an Interview with Barbara Swihart Miller
What is your name/pen name/name you are comfortable giving us? Barbara Swihart Miller What project or projects, if any, are you currently working on? I have so many projects that are in the process of being written. The most prominent one, my WWII novel, that I believe I am ⅔ of the way through my…
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Eco-horror Book Giveaway
Local author Nicholas Belardes’ latest novel, The Deading, takes place in Baywood (that is, fictional Baywood Park) … and we held a giveaway for a signed copy of his book. To enter, writers pitched book ideas that could only take place in SLO County to our Discord server. We randomly selected a winner at our…
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Prompts for June 2025
June 30 Hate, anger, fear, jealousy, pride — is there such a thing as a negative emotion when writing fiction? June 23 As our members Quinn and Katelyn recently discussed, some good scams hide in plain sight. What are some effective scams in your fictional world? What do scammers want, how do they fool people,…
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Prompts for May 2025
May 26 Working against your protagonist isn’t easy. Conquering the world, even worse. Your villain (or other antagonist) deserves a break. So in this week’s prompt we ask, how does your antagonist spend their day off? Describe their pastime or write a scene in which they do anything except their protagonist-thwarting role in your story.…
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A Dark Mind and Rapid Finger Clicks: Interview with Fantasy Author Michelle Dornish
What is your name/pen name/name you are comfortable giving us? Michelle Dornish, though I am considering publishing my fantasy series under M.A. Dornish. What project or projects, if any, are you currently working on? Pen & Pier is a big focus for me right now, especially the first published anthology which I am very excited…
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Prompts for April 2025
April 28 Whether it’s Kansas City or King’s Landing, many stories depict cities with as much character as the characters who inhabit them. Deep lore, detailed architecture, natural wonders are great, but seemingly mundane questions can reveal great details too. This week we have a worldbuilding prompt: In either a story you’re writing or reading,…
