World Building Essentials
with
Beth Barany
World Building Essentials
Science fiction and fantasy writers face unique world-building challenges. In this focused 45-minute workshop, you'll learn essential techniques to create compelling story worlds without getting lost in endless details. Whether you're developing alien civilizations, magic systems, or alternate histories, you'll discover how to build rich, convincing settings that enhance your narrative.
What you'll learn:
• How to establish the core rules and limitations of your speculative world
• Techniques for creating consistent magic systems or technological frameworks
• Ways to integrate world-building smoothly into your narrative without info-dumping
• Key Methods to reveal your world through character interaction and conflict
This workshop includes:
• Focused exercises to develop your world's fundamental elements
• Examples from successful science fiction and fantasy works
• Practical worksheets for mapping your world's key features
• Tips for avoiding common speculative fiction world-building pitfalls
Perfect for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to create more convincing and engaging story worlds. Through targeted exercises and concrete examples, you'll learn to build settings that captivate readers while serving your story's needs.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where
Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists
1625 Salvador Ave., Napa
Open to the Public
NVW Members: $5
Guests: $10
Students: Free with ID
Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist and certified creativity coach for writers. Through her courses and coaching, she helps writers experience clarity and get writing. She co-wrote *Plan Your Novel Like A Pro* with Ezra Barany, and she's here to help writers bring their stories to life.
With over two decades of experience, she’s helped hundreds of writers transform their creative journey from struggling with writer's block to confidently completing their novels.
A passionate advocate for empowering storytellers, Beth has presented internationally at prestigious venues including the Ithra Center in Saudi Arabia and the Women's Fiction Festival in Italy.
For more information about Beth's services for writers, visit https://bethbarany.com/
The Way of the Story
with
Tom Abate
The Way of the Story
A provocative storytelling workshop
Drawing on 20 years as a UC Berkeley Extension journalism instructor, Tom will lead a workshop to help us think about how to make an impact and attain our goals in these topsy-turvy times.
In this engaging session, Tom will share hard-won insights and invite you into a guided brainstorm to help you:
Clarify your creative goals
Understand how storytelling is evolving
Think differently about message, medium, and audience
Sample prompts from the session include:
If storytelling is humanity’s superpower, why do so many storytellers feel powerless?
If “the medium is the message,” is interactivity the message of the internet?
Are modern conspiracy theories any weirder than the printing-press-era myth that women were cutting off men’s penises?
Don’t miss this fun, thought-provoking session with a writer who’s done it all—and still has questions worth asking.
To learn more about Tom or sample his current writing, visit tomabate.com/ruminations
Saturday, July 12, 2025
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Where
Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists
1625 Salvador Ave., Napa
Open to the Public
NVW Members: $5
Guests: $10
Students: Free with ID
Tom Abate has worked since 1974 in nearly every medium of communication—from Navy broadcast operations in the South China Sea, to running a startup newspaper in Redwood Country, to covering Silicon Valley for the San Francisco Chronicle. He joined the Chronicle just as the internet exploded into public life, and spent nearly 20 years reporting on how tech was changing everything—from biotech to newsrooms.
Tom later became a science writer at Stanford and has taught journalism through UC Berkeley Extension for two decades. Now retired, he focuses on storytelling in the Attention Economy—where creatives struggle to find an audience as tech rewires how we think.
Napa Valley Writers Present
Mastering the Art of Public Reading:
A Workshop for Authors
with Lenore Hirsch
When: Saturday, July 26, 2025 • 10:00-12:00
Where: The home of Amber Starfire, Napa
Cost: $25 CWC members, $35 non-members
Unlock Your Presentation and Public Reading Skills!
Are you an author looking to enhance your presentation and public reading abilities? Join our comprehensive, yet informal workshop designed especially for you!
What You'll Learn:
Effective Presentation Techniques: Master the art of engaging your audience and delivering your message with confidence.
Public Reading Skills: Learn how to captivate your listeners with compelling readings of your work.
Voice Modulation: Discover the power of your voice and how to use it effectively to convey emotions and keep your audience hooked.
Body Language: Understand the importance of body language in presentations and readings, and how to use it to your advantage.
Why Attend?
Participate in hands-on and group activities.
Receive personalized feedback.
Register Now • Workshop is limited to 10 participants.
Register online at https://forms.gle/SKcCszNTTGSGEz829.