Agenda 

2:00 PM: Craft Chat – Sentence Structure

What makes a complete sentence? Do you always have to use them? How do you learn to vary your sentence structures? Is it ever okay to use a run-on sentence to get your point across when it fits what you’re doing even if you’ve been told not to use them and that sentences need to contain only one solid idea? Fragments? We’ll talk about all of this and what sentence structure can mean for your story.

3:00 PM: Manuscript Critique Workshop

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Upcoming Meetings
January – June 2009
(tentative)

Location: Butte County Library – Chico Branch
Saturdays (unless otherwise noted)

We now have a calendar with updated information, including manuscript deadlines. You can click on the link at the top of the navigation column (CWG Calendar) or click here to go there now.

Important information about submitting a manuscript:

• First come, first serve.  Presently there are none in queue.
• Check your manuscript to ensure it is free of any viruses before you send it in.
• No more than 10 pages, please (plays and screenplays max. is 20 pages).
• Formatted as follows:

• 10 – 12pt Serif font (Courier, Times New Roman)
• 1" margins all around
• 1 1/2 – double spaced
• No title page (please be considerate of your fellow writers who are printing these out at their own expense)
• Name, title of piece and contact information (phone or email) on top of first page
• Please number your pages
• Saved in (listed in order of preference): *.doc, *.txt/*.rtf, *.PDF

• Please note that the aforementioned files may be read by downloading free readers.  If you require more information, please leave a comment with a current, valid email address (never posted) and someone will respond to you shortly.
• If you are unable to save your document in the aforementioned formats, you may alternatively bring enough copies to the next meeting for distribution and have it workshopped the following session in January, 2009.  For a head count, please leave a comment with a current, valid email address.

• If there is anything in particular you would like to pass along to the readers, please include that into the body of the email. 

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Agenda

11:00 AM  Brief introductions for all members, welcome guests and
                  new members

11:15 AM  Craft Chat: Dialect

Even when we all speak the same language, we don’t all speak it the same way. Dialects are particularly tricky to write. We’ll talk about some ideas for getting dialect down on the page, as well as a neat exercise for learning dialectic speech patterns.

11:45 AM  Critique Workshop
In queue:

• Screenplay by B. C.
• Short Fiction by R. S. A.

This event is for members only and those whom have received an invitation.  If you desire to join our group or would like more information, please leave a comment with a current, functioning email address (never published) and we will be in touch with you shortly. 

Upcoming Meetings

Saturday, December 27, 2008
2:00 – 4:00 PM
Chico branch, Butte County Library

Manuscripts are due by Thursday, December 18, 2008 and will be distributed to members in good standing on Friday, December 19th.

This is a member-only event.  For further information, please leave a comment with your current, functioning email address (never published) and we will be in touch with you shortly.

The format for manuscripts (and other pertinent information):

• Maximum 10 pages (max. 20 for any type of play)
• 10-12pt serif font
• Please, no cover pages.  Include author’s name, phone number and/or email address on the first page, top corner (your choice on corner)
• One and a half to double spaced
• 1" margins all around
• Saved in one of the following file formats (listed in order of preference):
  – *.doc
  – *.txt or *.rtf
  – *.pdf (Adobe Portable Document File.  Readers are available for free by going to adobe.com/downloads)
• Any comments, specific things you’d like the critiquers to look at or not look at, etc. may be sent in the body portion of your email with the attached manuscript
• Please note in the body of your email if the content is not appropriate for minors

Also, manuscripts will be due for our Saturday, December 27th meeting (from 2-4pm) on Friday, December 19th by 5:00 PM.

We’ll be writing more flash fiction as a writing exercise on Sunday after our last experience went quite well.  Our topic for the craft chat will be the use of a metaphor to convey a theme.  Be sure to bring your laptop and/or a pad of paper and pen along with you as we’ll be writing!

We also have 4 pieces to critique, a short story that came from a writing exercise and 3 poems.  Chico Writer’s Group members have already received their copies and are expected to have read them, commented upon them and bring the printed out copy to our meeting to discuss and then return, with comments, to the original author.  If you did not receive a copy but would like to attend, leave a comment here (be sure to use a working, valid email address) and we’ll confirm your reservation.

The schedule for write-ins won’t come with advance notice but we’ll attempt to post them here as time and opportunity presents itself.  Here are the current write-in dates and times and places:

Wednesday, November 5th: 9am – noon at Augie’s (250 Salem Street, next to St. Augustine’s church, corner of 3rd Street and Salem in downtown Chico).

Sunday, November 16th: Time and location to be announced.

You do not have to be a member of the Chico Writer’s Group to attend but it would be greatly appreciated if you would contact us to let us know you plan to attend.  These meetings may be cancelled if there isn’t enough interest generated, so please check with our website before heading out! 

To learn more about the National Novel Writing Month, visit http://www.nanowrimo.org.  As the site is being hit hard now that the event is in full-swing, if you’re receiving an error, please try back later.  There still is time to register and get in on the fun, so visit today!

Date: Sunday, November 2, 2008
Time: Noon to 3:00PM (Note the time change)
Place: Chico Branch of the Butte County Library
Addy: 1108 Sherman Avenue (cross of First Ave.), Chico 
NOTE: The off ramp at First Avenue may be CLOSED.  Please use the links to the maps below if you need directions using an alternate route.
Maps:   Google  |  MapQuest  |  Microsoft  |  Yahoo

12:00 Noon – 1:00 PM Craft Workshop
We’ll be trying out a workshop using flash fiction where writers are given a topic to write on for a few minutes and then discuss. This should be a very fun activity!
     After the exercise, we’ll discuss the focus of the writing exercise, a specific element of the craft of writing. A sure winner for all genres of fiction!

1:00 – 3:00 PM Critique Workshop
Manuscripts need to be submitted to [kathie dot blog at gmail dot com] on or before noon Saturday October 25, 2008 and will be distributed to members who have attended meetings consistently and are in good standing. If you plan on attending but have not done so previously, you may request a copy be available to you when you arrive, however, we will not be distributing manuscripts to non-members for privacy and copyright purposes.
For more information, contact the organizer, Kathie Leung (pronounced Lee-young) at 521-4264 or [kathie dot blog at gmail dot com].

RSVPs requested! (You may use the "comment" link below to RSVP.  Just please be sure to provide a valid email address.  RSVP comments and general inquiry comments are not published and email addresses are never published.)

Time and Place
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Location: Butte County Library – Chico Branch Meeting Room (across from circulation desk)
Street: 1108 Sherman Avenue
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Contact Info
Phone: 521-4264
Email: kathie dot blog at gmail dot com

Description

2:00 – 2:30 PM Review "Tense" Writing Exercise & Discuss
Writing exercise: Write a scene that incorporates the character’s past, present, and future.

2:30 – 3:00 PM Craft Workshop: Tense
Tenses make us all tense sometimes. How do you talk about the past, the present, and the future? How do you talk about the future from the past or the farther past from the past? We’ll look at how to do all of this without losing your mind.

3:00 – 5:00 PM Critique Manuscript(s).
Short manuscripts (2-5 pages) may be brought to the critique workshop with sufficient number of copies to distribute to members.

Manuscripts are due no later than noon Saturday, September 27, 2008. Once received, we will assign the critique leader and email out the manuscripts by 5:00 PM that day. Documents should be sent to Kathie for distribution to the entire group in the following format (listed in order of preference): *.doc, *.txt/*.rtf or *.pdf  If you are unable to open any of the preceding formats, please notify Kathie immediately and provide a list of formats you are able to open.

Remember, we want to make sure everyone has had ample opportunity to read your work at least twice as this is the best way to receive the best constructive critiquing and must keep in mind everyone’s hectic schedules. 

Lead critiquers will be assigned with the distribution of the manuscripts.  If you won’t be making our Sunday, October 5th, 2008, meeting at 2:00 p.m. (location TBA), please let Kathie know  so that you are not assigned a lead critique position. 

If you’d like to know more about critiquing, formating your manuscript for critiquing purposes, etc. please leave a comment and we’ll be happy to bring you up to speed and answer your questions!

RSVPs are still requested.  If you need further information, directions, or would like to RSVP simply post a response here or find us on Facebook by searching "Chico Writer’s Group."