9:00 – 9:30 AM Share and Discuss Assigned Writing Exercise: (Either email a copy to everyone, be prepared to read outloud or bring enough copies for everyone. Contact Kathie for further information and instructions.)

“Character: Write a scene using no physical characteristics to describe a character or characters. Give them movement, dialogue, reactions, but don’t tells us what they look like. How much depth do you get from what it is they say and do?” (from Word Ferret)

9:30 – 10:00 AM Craft Chat: Character

Many craft books and teachings for novice writers suggest a list of questions to answer before writing character. You have seen these questions: What’s the character’s eye color? Where was he born? Hobbies? What’s in his pockets? These answers do not deepen character as real character exploration hasn’t yet occurred. Your goal is to create a character who is real. So what is a better way to think of character? There are a different set of questions that can better draw you into the character’s life. We will explore these.

10:00 – 10:30 AM Manuscript Critique: Manuscript from R. A. S. (please contact Kathie at: kathie dot blog at gmail dot com to request a copy of the manuscript if you have not already received it.) Critique will be lead by Kathie whom will use the following Critique Worksheet (please use this sheet to help guide the critique):

Author Name / Title of Piece
Concept (Scope/Originality)
Plot (Conflict/Crisis/Resolution)
Characterization (Action/Appearance/Thought)
Dialog (Tension/Rhythm/Diction)
Setting (Time and Place/Concrete Detail)
Tone (Language/Style)
Additional Comments

Note: You can download this form by going [here].

This meeting is open to anyone who can physically attend. If you are out of the area but still interested in a writing group, please contact Kathie at kathie.blog@email.com.

UPDATED Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 8:46 AM & 4:03 PM, link to form added 8/14/08 at 9:39 AM

New Format!

9:30 – 10:00 AM
Share and Discuss Assigned Writing Exercise: (Either email a copy to everyone, be prepared to read outloud or bring enough copies for everyone.  Contact Kathie for further information and instructions.)

“Create a narrative voice that is distinctly different from your own by changing a key element of the character. If you’re a woman, write in a man’s voice. If you’re under thirty, create the voice of a character over sixty. Make a change in appearance or education or background.”

10:00 – 10:30 AM Craft Chat: Voice

Each writer has a distinct personality. Hemingway, for example, would never write like Mark Twain. How does a writer develop her/his voice? What is the difference between voice and style? A writer must master narrative voice. How is it done, and what exactly is it? A story’s voice is created by some fundamental tools a writer must have in their “writer’s toolbox.” We will discuss these and look at how this all works.

10:30 – 11:30 AM Manuscript Critique: Piece by Kathie Leung [download copy here].  Critique will be lead by N. D. Austin whom will use the following Critique Worksheet (please use this sheet to help guide the critique):

Author Name / Title of Piece
Concept (Scope/Originality)
Plot (Conflict/Crisis/Resolution)
Characterization (Action/Appearance/Thought)
Dialog (Tension/Rhythm/Diction)
Setting (Time and Place/Concrete Detail)
Tone (Language/Style)
Additional Comments

Location: Empire Coffee Shop, Orange Street
Time: 9:30-11:30A.M.
Date: Saturday, May 17th, 2008
RSVP: kathie dot blog at gmail dot com or 530-521-4264 by Monday, May 12th, 2008
Guests: Open to anyone in the Chico/Paradise/Oroville/Hamilton City/Orland area (or those who can make it to our meeting place!)
Facebook: We’re on Facebook!

Manuscripts are due on or before midnight, Saturday, May 10th. Email your manuscript, 20 pages or less with title, your name, and preferably with page numbers in one of the following formats (.rtf, .txt, .doc, .pdf) to kathie dot blog at gmail dot com. If there is anything specific you wish to have reviewed, please include that with your email.

New Rule: We’re finding we have to tighten our deadlines out of fairness to all participants. If your piece is not in by the group established deadline, it may not be critiqued in depth during our next meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us or simply click on the “comment” link and leave your question here.

Please take time to read the information provided on this site regarding critiquing, editing and proofing. While we are fairly casual, having a good understanding of these areas will make the experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Manuscripts are due on or before midnight, Saturday, April 19th. Email your manuscript, 20 pages or less with title, your name, and preferably with page numbers in one of the following formats (.rtf, .txt, .doc, .pdf) to kathie dot blog at gmail dot com. If there is anything specific you wish to have reviewed, please include that with your email.

New Rule: We’re finding we have to tighten our deadlines out of fairness to all participants. If your piece is not in by the group established deadline, it may not be critiqued during our next meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us or simply click on the “comment” link and leave your question here.

Please take time to read the information provided on this site regarding critiquing, editing and proofing. While we are fairly casual, having a good understanding of these areas will make the experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Manuscripts are due on or before Monday, April 7th. Email your manuscript, 20 pages or less with title, your name, and preferably with page numbers in one of the following formats (.rtf, .txt, .doc, .pdf) to kathie dot blog at gmail dot com. If there is anything specific you wish to have reviewed, please include that with your email.

Please take time to read the information provided on this site regarding critiquing, editing and proofing. While we are fairly casual, having a good understanding of these areas will make the experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Manuscripts are due on or before Tuesday, March 4th. Email your manuscript, 20 pages or less with title, your name, and preferably with page numbers in one of the following formats (.rtf, .txt, .doc, .pdf) to kathie dot blog at gmail dot com. If there is anything specific you wish to have reviewed, please include that with your email.

Please take time to read the information provided on this site regarding critiquing, editing and proofing. While we are fairly casual, having a good understanding of these areas will make the experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Brief FAQ (more coming soon!):

Question: Do I have to submit a manuscript?
Short Answer: No.
Detailed Answer: Our writers submit manuscripts as they become available. However, the purpose of these workshops is to provide invaluable feedback to the writers which obviously can’t be done if there isn’t a manuscript.

Question: Do I have to critique others?
Short Answer: Yes.
Detailed Answer: The whole point of critique workshops is to provide each writer with feedback. In doing so, we can learn how to strengthen our own writing. It isn’t fair to ask for your work to be critiqued if you aren’t returning the favor!

Question: Should my manuscript be print ready, meaning a final copy that’s ready to be published?
Short Answer: No.
Detailed Answer: While you should aim to have your copy as polished as possible, free of grammatical and spelling errors as possible, your manuscript doesn’t have to be ready for publication. Some writers are looking merely to sharpen skills, try out different techniques and grow from the experience. Others may have a certain contest or purpose to fulfill as a goal.

Question: I’ve never proofread or edited before. Are there rules to follow?
Short Answer: Yes and no.
Detailed Answer: You’ll find proofing and editing information here on this site which will be helpful both in editing/proofing a copy as well as understanding the marks that are made on your own piece. Go at your own pace, ask questions and do what you feel most comfortable doing. If you’d like, we can pair you up with another writer to help you learn editing and proofing methods.

Question: Is there a specific format I should use for my manuscript?
Short Answer: No.
Detailed Answer: While we don’t require a specific format, you should get into the habit of writing within the industry’s standards. Work should have a header with the title of your piece, your name, the date (or season) and what draft/copy level (e.g. first draft, third draft, final copy, etc.) We urge you to number your pages. The industry standard is to double space, set margins to 1″ on all sides, use a Courier font at 12pt. which we encourage you to stick with.

Question: Do I have to send my manuscript in prior to the meeting?
Short Answer: No.
Detailed Answer: To guarantee your piece is critiqued and that you get the most “bang for your buck” (even though it is a free workshop, your time is worth something, right?), it is in your favor if you do send it by the deadline or even earlier. If you wait and bring it with you, we can’t guarantee we’ll have enough time to get to it. If, however, you do opt to do this, make certain you bring enough copies for everyone (about 5, not including your own copy).

Still have questions? Need more information? Feel free to ask! Either use the comment section here (we can all benefit from the questions and answers) or email kathie dot blog at gmail dot com.