As a published writer, teaching instructor, writer's coach and newcomer to Northern California, Valerie Fioravanti now brings her years of teaching experience to the Sacramento community. Fioravanti is offering Midtown Writing Workshops for beginning and advanced writers.  Her workshops include small group meetings or private tutoring, with instruction and feedback on stories, novels, multi-genre and flash pieces. "I think there are a lot of writers in [Sacramento]" she said. "In any city of... Kassandra waldorfandstatler comment-13616 2009-09-11T15:13:59Z 2009-09-11T15:13:59Z Will she help the homeless write? waldorfandstatler 2009-09-11T15:13:59Z William Burg comment-13570 2009-09-11T01:00:03Z 2009-09-11T01:00:03Z http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sacramento_writers William Burg 2009-09-11T01:00:03Z ValerieFioravanti comment-13567 2009-09-10T23:57:33Z 2009-09-10T23:57:33Z The balcony curmudgeons are my favorite muppet characters. I hope, in the future, to offer some need-based scholarships, and if you send me an email, I'll contact you if/when that happens. I've made a genuine effort to price my workshops fairly. For example, my UCLA extension courses run $575. Novel manuscript consultations are usually a few thousand. In New Mexico, I did some web work for the Senior Writer's Outreach Project, which ran workshops from a local Senior Center. There might be a similar program at work here in Sacramento. If I hear of any, I'll let you know. ValerieFioravanti 2009-09-10T23:57:33Z JT Long comment-13558 2009-09-10T21:37:59Z 2009-09-10T21:37:59Z Sacramento Bee book club features local and visiting authors as does the Sacramento chapter of the National Kidney Foundation, which has its annual lunch in November. Amicus Books in Marysville is a writer's haven and a number of local book stores do book readings. We also have a growing community of small publishers, agents and book packagers in the area who help with everything from concept, coaching and editing to design and printing services. I'm sure most of these groups could use all the help they can get. You can find many of these people on the Writers Who Wine site on Facebook. JT Long 2009-09-10T21:37:59Z waldorfandstatler comment-13556 2009-09-10T21:16:50Z 2009-09-10T21:16:50Z so yeah - $250 bucks is sort of expensive, any chance you can do a discount for old muppets? waldorfandstatler 2009-09-10T21:16:50Z ValerieFioravanti comment-13546 2009-09-10T20:48:32Z 2009-09-10T20:48:32Z I'm not surprised, and in fact, am delighted to hear writing is thriving in Sacramento. I know the poetry community is strong, and I admire the organizational ability and efforts of the folks at the Sacramento Poetry Center, who seem tireless in their efforts to promote local writers. What I haven't seen so far, with the exception of California Lectures, which clearly brings venerable writers to Sacramento, is a regular prose reading series geared more toward showcasing local writers. If one already exists, I'd be happy to learn more about it, and help support/sustain it if I can. If not, I have some ideas about how/where to begin one. I can be reached via my website or via Facebook if anyone would like to start a dialogue about this and/or writing in general. ValerieFioravanti 2009-09-10T20:48:32Z Kassandra Perlongo comment-13538 2009-09-10T19:39:49Z 2009-09-10T19:39:49Z Thanks JT for the fantastic information! Kassandra Perlongo 2009-09-10T19:39:49Z JT Long comment-13531 2009-09-10T18:08:31Z 2009-09-10T18:08:31Z Actually Sacramento already has a vibrant writer community. I have attended two writer gatherings in two days - Sacramento Press Club Freelance Social Journalism panel discussion where more than 40 attended and Writers Who Wine at Scandals where more than 20 shared their progress. Sacramento Press puts on some wonderful workshops. UC Davis Extension offers a plethora of writing courses and is presenting a workshop on how to write about your mother later this month. I know of a number of writer meet-ups and critique groups who help each other word-by-word. Urban Hive hosts freelance and writer events and I just heard about an indie publishing seminar going on in Roseville later this month. I have attended no fewer than four book launches by local authors over the summer and two more were announced last night. Local authors have had a great deal of national success in a variety of genres. The word is out. Sacramento writers are thriving and we welcome you to the literal (and possibly literary) capital of the state. JT Long 2009-09-10T18:08:31Z waldorfandstatler comment-13528 2009-09-10T17:07:05Z 2009-09-10T17:07:05Z $250 (no discount available) :( How about those of us on fixed incomes? waldorfandstatler 2009-09-10T17:07:05Z