Next Dinner Meeting: September 14, 6 pm Guest Speaker: Kelly Harrison Join us at the Lookout Restaurant in Sunnyvale for dinner, networking and to meet our guest speaker, Kelly Harrison, who will talk about the Top 10 Ways to Get Your Manuscript Rejected. Kelly is a South Bay Writer, the 2008 East of Eden co-chair, and a professor at San Jose State University.		About our meetings: SBW meets every month, usually for dinner. Join us to connect with other writers and learn the craft and business of writing from our guest speakers. Dinner Meetings: Where: Lookout Restaurant in Sunnyvale directions When: Generally, we meet the second TUESDAY of each month, 6 pm to 9 pm, except when we have another event that month. Watch this page for details of each month's event.  How much: $15 for CWC members, $20 for non-members. Price includes buffet dinner. No reservations are required. more info>>> Directions to Lookout Restaurant Located just off Maude near 237 at the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course. From 237, exit on Maude Ave. Turn eastbound on Maude. Go to first traffic light and turn left on Macara. The Golf Course and Lookout parking lot is near the end of Macara. Lookout Bar & Grill 605 Macara Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 408-739-8900 Lookout Restaurant web site
Would you like to speak to our group? If you are a professional author or publishing industry professional and would like to speak at a South Bay Writers event, please contact our Programs chair at vp@southbaywriters.com
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Future Events: October 12 Dinner meeting Speaker: Mahesh Grossman - the Ghost Writing Guru and... Annual Halloween Literary Costume Contest Mahesh Grossman is the author of Write a Book Without Lifting a Finger. He has been called a "ghostwriting guru" by the Fox News Channel and "America's leading expert on ghostwriting" by Jim Christoferson of KWKC-AM. Mahesh has discussed both publishing and pop culture on over one hundred radio and television shows worldwide, as well as dozens of newspapers including USA Today. Newsweek covered an event Mahesh quarterbacked as a consultant—A Black Republican Salute to Richard Nixon, which brought the former president back into the public eye eleven years after he resigned. Mahesh's clients include multi-million dollar companies, people who have sold millions of books, and authors of NY Times bestsellers. His staff includes several writers whose books have hit the Times bestseller list and even a Pulitzer Prize winner. Don't forget to dress up as a literary author or character for a chance to win fabulous (sort of) prizes and acclaim. November 9 Dinner meeting. Speaker: Tanya Egan Gibson Got your craft right here: Tanya Egan Gibson, author of How to Buy a Love of Reading, will tell us about "World-building," how to create fictional settings that excite the reader, shape characters, and propel the characters into action.” She feels  “character and plot both arise from setting (rather than setting functioning as backdrop or window dressing),” so she will demonstrate “building an exciting fictional world. December 14 No dinner meeting in December. Annual Holiday Bash - potluck and gift exchange

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Frequently asked questions about our dinner meetings

Q: Why did you choose the restaurant you did?

A: South Bay Writers requires a venue that is large enough to accommodate 80 - 100 people. We also endeavor to keep costs down.
 

Q: Why do I have to pay $15 (or $20 for non-members)?

A: The price covers the cost of food and beverage. The extra amount paid by non-members goes toward the speaker fee and other meeting expenses. 
 

Q: don't want to eat at the meeting. Can I subtract the food costs from the charge?

A: No. Our chosen location is a restaurant, not a public meeting hall. We get the room for our meetings with the understanding that all of the people using it are customers. The manager can do a head count and if the number doesn't match the number of the people who have paid at the door, the club has to make up the difference.
 

Q: What is the format of the dinner meeting?

A: Typically, the first hour is for dinner and networking. About 7 pm, we have club announcements, members' news, and more networking. We have a break and then have a donation drawing for prizes. Our featured guest takes the mic about 7:45 pm. The meeting generally last until about 9. 

Q: I can't stay for the whole meeting. Do I have to pay anyway?

A: In a word, yes. To be fair to everyone we must collect the money up front from each person who comes through the door.
 

Q: Can't you find a place with better food, ambiance, fresh flowers, ______ (fill in the blank).

A: SBW has met in 8 different restaurants over the last 10 years. Each served our needs of size and budget at the time. If you know of a place that could accommodate our large group at a reasonable price, please suggest it to the board.