CBW-LA upcoming events

A Commitment to Story: Monthly Virtual Write-Ins (14 May 2026)

Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A Commitment to Story: Monthly Virtual Write-Ins

Welcome to the Weekday Write-in!

In these community writing sessions, members get together for some quiet writing time. This session is virtual and attendees have an opportunity to check in briefly about their projects and voice questions or stumbling blocks. Attendees can outline, write early drafts, edit, and even work on pitches and marketing proposals for their work.

In this session, we'll take a few minutes at the start to check in with a sentence about each person's intention for the writing time and either a breathing exercise/meditation/chair yoga/writing prompt to drop into creative flow, then we'll set a timer to write for 40-45 minutes. At the end, we'll wrap up with a brief coming together (5-10 minutes) and release. We'd love to see your face at the beginning and end during check-in, but please feel free to turn off the camera during writing time and breathing exercises.

This is a supportive community offering to help you carve out time, each month, devoted to the craft and joy of writing stories. Free for CBW-LA Members, $10 for non-members.

FINDING A STORY STRUCTURE THAT WORKS FOR THE STORY YOU WANT TO TELL (16 May 2026)

Sat, 16 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

FINDING A STORY STRUCTURE
THAT WORKS FOR THE STORY
YOU WANT TO TELL

with Tim Cummings

How am I supposed to know how to structure my novel when so many ways exist, and no one will tell me definitively whether any particular way is better than the other? The Classic Story Structure, The Hero’s Journey, The Seven-Point Structure, The Kishotenketsu Method, The Three-Act Structure, The Snowflake Method, A Disturbance and Two Doors, The Story Circle, Freytag’s Pyramid, and Fichtean Curve...are you kidding? Why so many? And, why are they all...kinda the same? Let’s discuss and set down on a landing pad that works as a foundation for your book.

NOTE: This workshop will be hosted over Zoom from 10AM - 1 PM PST. Attendees will receive the link once they register for this event.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

TIM CUMMINGS

Tim's debut novel, 'Alice the Cat' (Fitzroy Books) was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards.

His follow-up novel, 'The Lightning People Play' (Black Rose Writing) was published in 2025 and hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "heartfelt story about family" and by Readers' Favorite as "an emotional journey, with close narration focusing on Kirby's fear, his fierce loyalty, and his fragile hope. The mix of theater, magic, and real-life stakes is just so beautifully done."

He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. He has appeared in 200+ projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media.

Tim is an octopus and spider enthusiast. He goes wild for anything with eight legs. He recently discovered he is a masterful hula hooper and can whirl non-stop for eons. He possesses enviable collections of stickers, labradorite, night-sky projector lights, vintage vinyl, and rare first-edition hardcover copies of some of his favorite novels. No one has ever made a better vat of chili, and his lasagna is infallible.

He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program, runs private workshops, and coaches authors.

Learn more about Tim here: timcummings.ink

Online Critique Session: All Genres Welcome (17 May 2026)

Sun, 17 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

ONLINE CRITIQUE SESSION
FOR CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS

Calling All Children's Book Writers: Picture Book, Early Reader, Chapter Book, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult… All genres welcome

Whether you’ve written a just handful of pages or you’re putting the finishing touches on your opus magnus, getting another set of eyes on your manuscript is a wise course of action. At our critique sessions, you'll get constructive feedback for your manuscripts, meet potential critique partners and make new friends.

THE VALUE OF A CRITIQUE SESSION

As writers, we are very close to our work and oftentimes we miss certain details on story development or story elements like characters, setting, etc.

Critique sessions allow other people with “fresh eyes” to have a look at your writing sample and read them as your future readers would, providing you with valuable feedback to improve your writing skills and get your manuscript submission-ready.

In all our Critique Sessions, we give you feedback in the most TACTful way possible.

TACT = Finesse, thoughtfulness or having a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.

TACT is also the technique we use for our critiques:

T = Terrific

We share what we loved in your piece, what worked in your story and what we liked about your plot, setting, character, pacing, etc.

A = Author Questions

In the last few minutes of your critique time, we encourage you, as the author, to ask questions either about your story or to clarify the comments you received.

C = Constructive Comments We deliver, in the politest way possible, comments that are specific and helpful to help you improve your story.

T = Talent Talent can get you far, but hard work can get your farther. We always end by encouraging you, the author, to keep on writing. We remind you that we are here to help you achieve your writing goals.

Online Critique Session: All Genres Welcome (14 Jun 2026)

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

ONLINE CRITIQUE SESSION
FOR CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITERS

Calling All Children's Book Writers: Picture Book, Early Reader, Chapter Book, Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult… All genres welcome

THE VALUE OF A CRITIQUE SESSION

As writers, we are very close to our work and oftentimes we miss certain details on story development or story elements like characters, setting, etc.

In all our Critique Sessions, we give you feedback in the most TACTful way possible.

TACT = Finesse, thoughtfulness or having a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.

TACT is also the technique we use for our critiques:

T = Terrific

We share what we loved in your piece, what worked in your story and what we liked about your plot, setting, character, pacing, etc.

A = Author Questions

In the last few minutes of your critique time, we encourage you, as the author, to ask questions either about your story or to clarify the comments you received.

C = Constructive Comments We deliver, in the politest way possible, comments that are specific and helpful to help you improve your story.

A Commitment to Story: Monthly Virtual Write-Ins (18 Jun 2026)

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A Commitment to Story: Monthly Virtual Write-Ins

Welcome to the Weekday Write-in!

This is a supportive community offering to help you carve out time, each month, devoted to the craft and joy of writing stories. Free for CBW-LA Members, $10 for non-members.

HOW TO PITCH AND LAND A LITERARY AGENT (20 Jun 2026)

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

HOW TO PITCH
AND LAND A LITERARY AGENT

with Author and Former Literary Agent Eve Porinchak

You've written a book, now what? In this workshop you will master the basics of writing a Logline, and a Query Letter (with an effective pitch paragraph). You will also learn how and where to find appropriate agents, and how to pitch like a pro. By the end of our workshop, you should have a solid plan for gaining agent representation.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

EVE PORINCHAK

Since earning a degree in psychology and biology from UCLA, Eve has spent much of her time in jail—teaching creative writing to incarcerated teens. Her critically acclaimed book, ONE CUT —a haunting true story with a juvenile justice bent—launched Simon and Schuster’s YA true crime line (which Eve cocreated). A former agent with Jill Corcoran Literary (now part of Transatlantic Agency), she speaks at conferences all over the country (SCBWI, Writer's Digest, Writing Day Workshops), and teaches courses at UCLA and UCSD on all things publishing.

Eve also attended medical school, and has a robust background in social services.

A highly collaborative developmental editor, Eve prides herself on whipping manuscripts into submission ready shape, and has guided countless authors on their paths to publication.

Authors Eve has worked with have landed top agents at Trident Media Group, Writer’s House, Stimola Literary Studio, Transatlantic Agency, The Knight Agency, Andrea Brown Literary Agency, InkWell Management – plus many others – and secured subsequent book deals.

Learn more about Eve at: http://www.eveporinchak.com