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Fall for Writing is not only a fundraiser for San Diego Writers, Ink, but it is also a great way to familiarize yourself with us and our programs or take a class from an instructor or in a subject you are curious about. Best perhaps is that you will be in community with other writers. Like last spring, Fall for Writing will be pay-what-you-can to open up our event to as many people as possible. YOU will decide what you would like to pay for your participation this year! Suggested donation: $5-15 per class or $99 for all. Note: This year there is room for TWO Ink Angels to fund the entire conference at $1,500 each! Click here to become an Ink Angel. Thank you for your generosity and consideration. ALL courses will be held live via Zoom. The Zoom link will be the same for all classes and will be shared the day before the event. Please read below for course details. Friday, Nov. 14 from 10–11:15 a.m. Creating Your Own TV Pilot Overview with Bo Kaprall Applicable to comedy, drama, and reality, this unique course is designed for creative aspiring writers with no prior experience—as well as those with screenwriting experience who seek to break into television writing. Learn in an interactive environment the basics of creating, writing, and presenting your first original television script for drama, comedy, or reality. The course includes how to take your idea to the next step and create a complete half-hour or one-hour television script. 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Craft Your 2026 Vision Board with Lydia Lea Real Step into 2026 with clarity, purpose, and inspired intention. This soulful online class combines guided meditation, prompted journaling exercises, and suggestions for both physical or digital vision boards to help you align with what you truly want to create, experience, and become in the year ahead. No experience needed — just bring your openness, creativity, and a few favorite supplies (or your favorite vision board app). 1–2:15 p.m. The Coaching Difference: Why DIY Goal-Setting Fails Writers (And What Works Instead) with Sandra Younger Even the most independent writers can get stuck in self-doubt and unfinished drafts. Certified professional coach and author Sandra Younger will share how coaching—“a thought-provoking and creative partnership that inspires clients to maximize their potential”—can help writers gain clarity, confidence, and momentum. Discover why “do-it-yourself” often doesn’t work—and what does. 2:30–3:45 p.m. How to Finish More Writing with Paulette Perhach Description coming soon! 4–5:15 p.m. The 12 Step Program to Publishing with Cornelia Feye Whether you want to pursue a traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing option, you need to get your work ready for submission. This workshop lays out twelve steps to publishing, including developing a timeline, creating a short summary, editing, basic marketing strategies, on-demand printing platforms, ebook and audiobook options. Saturday, Nov. 15. 10–11:15 a.m. Getting into the Altered State of Creativity with Jill Badonsky This class is for people who are stuck because of the disturbing nature of current events, because their inner critic is talking too loudly, or because … they don’t know why, but they know they want to write and it’s not happening. Writing tricks that lower the pressure but heighten the flow will make writing poems, prose, or journaling easy, low pressure, and easy, especially if confidence has been shaky. You will emerge with enhanced motivation, passion, and possibly a piece you’re proud of. With author/illustrator, creative mentor trainer, and silly prompt dispenser, Jill Badonsky. 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Intro to Memoir with Michelle Poveda Always wanted to share your story but not sure where to start? This course will introduce you to successful memoirs, help you brainstorm your ideas, and clarify the differences between memoir and autobiography. There will be time for self-reflection, to share ideas (only if you’re comfortable) and address any concerns you have around excavating and sharing your memories on paper. 1–2:15 p.m. Crafting the Scene: How to Make Dynamic Scenes in Fiction with Rich Farrell In this conversation, we will look at key elements that go into building dynamic scenes in narrative. The fundamentals of scene writing will be explored using proven methods that will help build your stories into compelling fiction. Perfect for writers of all expertise levels! 2:30–3:45 p.m. Seven Steps of Classical Story Structure with Mark O’Bannon Every great story follows a timeless pattern—a sequence of key moments that give it power and meaning. This class reveals those seven essential steps and shows you how to use them to build compelling, emotionally resonant stories. You’ll learn how to shape a protagonist’s journey, create moral tension, and craft climaxes that feel both surprising and inevitable. Each step connects naturally to the next, forming a clear framework adaptable to any genre or medium. By the end, you’ll have a practical roadmap for turning ideas into complete, satisfying stories that captivate readers from first page to last. 5 – 8 p.m. Barracks 16 Open House (In Person) Join us as the entire barracks opens up! Wine, nibbles, music, and more! Sunday, Nov. 16 from 10–11:15 a.m. All Your Read-and-Critique Questions Answered! with Mark Clements, Robin, Kardon, and Judy Reeves. Are you ready for a read and critique? Would you benefit from workshopping with your peers? How long should one expect to participate in a R&C? Answered—all these questions and more from three experienced instructors! 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Why Poetry? with Ron Salisbury Why do we write poetry? What is it that poetry does that other forms of literature doesn’t? What is a poem anyways? What makes a poem work? This and more with the first Poet Laureate of San Diego! 1–2:15 p.m. What Writers Should Know About Editing with Jennifer Silva Redmond This class offers an essential overview of the editing process from a writer’s perspective. This class covers the key stages of editing—developmental, line, copy, and proofreading—while providing practical tips to strengthen your own work and communicate effectively with editors. Ideal for writers at any stage, it demystifies editing and helps you become a sharper, more confident reviser. 2:30–3:45 p.m. How to Create a One Person Show with Brenda Adelman A dynamic, practical guide to developing and performing your own solo piece. This class introduces you to the entire process—from generating ideas and crafting a compelling narrative, to shaping character voices, building emotional arcs, and staging your performance. Whether you’re an actor, writer, or storyteller, you’ll gain the tools and confidence to bring your unique voice to the stage. 4:30 p.m. Thursday Writers Reading and Social Hour (In Person) Those Thursday Writers are at it again—this time reading pieces created during their sessions at LeStats. Come for the read and stay for the camaraderie! Suggested donation: $5-15 per class or $99 for all. ALL courses will be held live via Zoom. The Zoom link will be the same for all classes and will be shared the day before the event. Raffle Prize: Three hours of professional proofreading (approximately 5,000 words) offered by long-time book editor Laurie Gibson (who proofed The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Goals! by Brian Tracy, and Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, among hundreds of other titles). Ideal for first-time fiction or nonfiction authors needing a quick review for assurance before either self-publishing or submitting their manuscript to a literary agent, publisher, or writing contest. Excludes graphically violent or sexually explicit material. This proofreading prize consists of fixing errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as style issues such as capitalization and abbreviations (using industry-standard references: The Chicago Manual of Style and m-w.com). In addition, visual distractions such as inconsistent paragraphing and position of chapter titles, page numbers, etc., will be flagged. Proofreading offered via Word doc, PDF, or hard copy. Note: Content assessment is not part of this prize. San Diego Writers, Ink on Facebook / Instagram

Republicans in Congress have shown some willingness to push back on President Trump, but it is not clear how far they are willing to push back against the leader of their own party.

From the breakout Brooklyn band Geese to the Puerto Rican star and soon-to-be Super Bowl halftime performer Bad Bunny and dozens in between, NPR Music shares its picks for the best songs of 2025.

We look back on how the Padres performed this season following their loss to the Chicago Cubs. Plus, a roundtable discussion about San Diego's thriving theater scene and the storytellers behind it.

Fresh Air's book critic says her picks tilt a bit to nonfiction, but the novels that made the cut redress the imbalance by their sweep and intensity. Karen Russell's The Antidote was her favorite.

First, a man who worked alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan speaks out after he was detained by ICE this summer. Then, Chula Vista is using artificial intelligence to write police reports. Next, we take you behind-the-scenes of the new Navy Seal Museum and what it offers. Finally, an inclusive dance performance is taking place this weekend.

The UN's top humanitarian and emergency relief official has told NPR that the lack of attention from world leaders to the war in Sudan is the "billion dollar question".

The new movie stars Lucy Liu as an ailing mother to Joe, played by Lawrence Shou as a teenager facing mental illness in his feature debut role.

When "Hot" first hit the airwaves in 1996, it didn’t just ignite excitement — it sparked a cultural bonfire. With its infectious blend of swing, jazz, Delta blues, and Southern storytelling, "Hot" rocketed the Squirrel Nut Zippers from the underground scene of Chapel Hill, NC, to the national stage, achieving Platinum status and defining a generation’s rediscovery of vintage Americana. Now, three decades later, the Zippers are rekindling that fire with “In the Afterlife” tour dates, a 30th anniversary celebration of the album that captured lightning in a bottle and cemented the band’s legacy as one of the most original and unpredictable acts of the era. The show, which will feature the band performing Hot in its entirety, will kick off February 13 in Los Angeles, CA at the Teragram Ballroom. Tickets for the February “In the Afterlife” tour dates are available now at https://www.snzippers.com/tourdates. Recorded at the famed Kingsway Studio in New Orleans (owned by Daneil Lanois), "Hot" radiated authenticity. The album’s warm analog sound and wry, vivid storytelling made it a critical and commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 for an impressive 51 weeks. The record produced standout tracks such as “Put a Lid On It,” “Blue Angel,” and the band’s biggest hit to date, “Hell.” “Hell,” an unlikely radio single at the time, defied expectations, climbing to #13 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay Chart and embedding itself in pop culture history. Nearly 30 years later, it continues to resonate with new audiences, recently featured in hit TV series like Wednesday (2025) and Lucifer (2021). “'Hot' was pure alchemy — a mix of mischief, melody, and magic,” said bandleader Jimbo Mathus. “It was never meant to chase trends; it was meant to burn bright and last. And somehow, it still does.” Formed in 1993 by Mathus, Katharine Whalen, and a tight-knit crew of musical misfits, the Squirrel Nut Zippers defied genre from the start. Their sound — a spirited blend of prohibition-era jazz, big band bravado, and punk-rock irreverence — invited listeners into a world where vaudeville met voodoo and speakeasy swagger met Southern soul. Led today by Mathus, and managed by founding drummer Chris Phillips, the modern-day Zippers continue to honor that rich legacy while bringing fresh fire to their beloved catalog. The 30th anniversary of "Hot" is more than a milestone — it’s a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the enduring power of music that swings, sings, and sizzles with soul. Fans old and new can expect a show that’s equal parts celebration and revival — a joyful journey through the sound that started it all. Squirrel Nut Zippers on Facebook / Instagram

On the surface it's a gorgeous, hardscrabble Western, awash in stark landscapes, grubby faces, bar fights and banditry. But scratch away the grime, and you expose the pure, glitzy soap opera beneath.