Over 200 people crowded into Project Artaud last night, for Litquake’s “Off Book” collaboration with ODC/Dance. Authors Tess Uriza Holthe, Michelle Tea, and Alejandro Murguia read original stories and poems, sharing the stage with choreographed dance pieces. Afterwards, everyone settled in for glasses of wine and a Q&A with the writers and cast. All in all, a fantastic idea for an event that’s worth revisiting in the future! Photos by Samuel Klatchko.

Last night’s environmental panel discussion at the Commonwealth Club attracted a hefty crowd of all ages, who enjoyed what they heard enough to buy out the entire table of author books provided by Stacey’s Bookstore. The post-show Q&A provided some thoughtful back-and-forth, and everyone adjourned for a reception for more chat. SF Chronicle reporter Cameron Scott blogged the event from a laptop in realtime, and posted his coverage throughout the night.

Bookstore events continued to draw capacity crowds this week. Lewis Buzbee filled up the Booksmith, reading from his new young-adult novel Steinbeck’s Ghost, and signing copies for kids and their parents. Curtis Sittenfeld, author of American Wife, appeared at Books Inc. in Palo Alto, and revealed to fans the secrets of how she researched the thinly veiled novel about Laura Bush. Readers also swarmed into Books Inc., in the city, for the Not Your Mother’s Book Club event about women and comics, with plenty of signing and conversation afterwards. Buzbee photos by Litquake committee member Andres Bella.

Don’t forget the wild and woolly Lit Crawl tomorrow night, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Mission District! You can either download a street map from our website, or pick one up on the street tomorrow. Writers from ReadyMade magazine will do their thing at 7:15 at the Curiosity Shoppe, 855 Valencia, and kudos to them for the artwork of Curious George sipping on some wine.

Remove all your commas. Editors don’t like commas and they pull the reader out of the story.

If it’s not coming easily, put it down. You aren’t meant to write if you have to try.

This is great, send it off now.

Narrative is what makes a good story. Get rid of all the dialogue.

The first page of your novel MUST include the protagonist’s sex, age, physical description, and location. Preferably, this is all revealed in the first paragraph.

– San Francisco literary agent Nathan Bransford asks his readers for the worst writing advice they’ve ever received.