Posts Tagged information
Update on Meetings and Write-Ins
Posted by Kathie in Meetings, News, craft chat, write-ins on October 10, 2009
Here’s a list of our upcoming meetings which are open to new members. There is never a fee (no dues or membership fees). We just ask that if you plan on attending to please leave a comment here to let us know to look for you!
The following are held at the Butte County Library, Chico Branch (1108 Sherman Avenue, cross street First Ave.), Public Meeting Room (directly across breezeway from the Circulation Desk).
1-3 pm Saturday, October 24, 2009
1-3 pm Saturday, November 7, 2009
1-3 pm Saturday, December 5, 2009
1-3 pm Saturday, December 19, 2009
1:30-4:00 pm Saturday, January 2, 2010
1:30-4:00 pm Saturday, January 16, 2010
1:30-4:00 pm Saturday, January 30, 2010
We will also be holding closed session meetings, only open to active members in good standing. The locations are to be announced via email prior to the session. The tentative dates for these sessions are as follows:
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Our meetings are structured in the following format:
15-30 minutes (by member/participant votes) free writing from prompt followed by with sharing (optional, not required)
30 minutes craft chat – each session we will be talking about various elements of the craft of writing on topics selected by member interest during the previous session followed by a selection of the upcoming meeting’s craft chat topic
Remainder of time is spent critiquing manuscripts that have been distributed to the current, active members of the group whom are in good standing. New and interested members are more than welcome to stay for the critique portion of the meeting (unless an author scheduled for critique prefers not to have their work discussed with others outside of the current group), however, we regret we are unable to provide extra copies of the manuscripts selected nor are we able to distribute manuscripts to anyone prior to the session as we do require all recipients have attended at least one full meeting due to privacy and copyrights.
For more information, take some time and browse this site as we have published a number of articles and links to supporting documents and sites pertaining to our group.
Write-Ins
During the month of November when many of our writers participate in the National Novel Writing Month, otherwise known as NaNoWriMo (visit http://www.nanowrimo.org for more information and registration), we typically beef up our write-ins. These are open sessions for writers of all kinds, ages, genres, etc. It’s a time to set aside and meet at an agreed upon location to do little more than write. It’s a great motivational event, if you haven’t done this before, give it a try!
Because this was popular and a great motivator, we’ve continued to hold write-ins. We usually meet every Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the Butte County Public Library, Chico Branch (1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico, cross street is First Ave.) at the very back tables just before the magazine and newspaper section. As the attendance varies, we suggest you leave a comment here to let us know you plan on attending. Also leave your current, working email address and check prior to attending as we do sometimes cancel and don’t always publicize cancellations for a number of reasons.
Do you have to arrive and leave on-time? Absolutely not! This is your time to write.
Can we chat while we’re attending a write-in? Generally this is frowned upon as (a) we’re in a library and (b) we’re there to write.
For more FAQs on this topic, see our post: Upcoming Write-Ins and What is a “Write-In”?
Upcoming Write-Ins and What is a "Write-In"?
The Chico Writer’s Group started hosting “write-ins” November, 2008 to help NaNoWriMo participants in the group and throughout the Chico community, reach their writing goal of 50,000 words in 30 days. Since then, several members were so happy with the results, they elected to continue this popular motivator.
As we gear up for this coming November’s National Novel Writing Month challenge, we’re putting out the call to all interested writers to come participate in our weekly event. No dues, no membership fees and a lot of fun! If you’re interested, drop us a line or leave us a comment with your current, active email address (which is never published) and we’ll include you in the scheduling process.
Want to know more about our write-ins? Read on!
A write-in is where two or more writers gather in a mutually agreed upon public place (coffee shop, 24-hour diner, public library, etc.) for a period of time (anywhere from 1-4 hours, typically. It all depends upon what the writers agree on doing.) The purpose of the meeting is to write.
For some, setting aside time to write and then actually using it to write, is difficult. A write-in holds the writer accountable. It also makes the time go by quicker and having others surround you, ideas flying, words adding up, it’s also inspiring. We acknowledge it’s not ideal for everyone, but give it a shot before you write it off entirely! (Yeah, pun intended.)
Write-in Rules:
- Talking is permitted, but keep it to a minimum. You are there to write!
Things like “Hey, what are some types of weapons other than a knife or gun, that a woman of medium size and height, could wield to stave off her attacker?” or “What’s the word for that thing that chops off heads, usually in a public forum?” are ok.
Ordinarily those types of questions could be Googled, but during National Novel Writing Month (November), that can be too time consuming and big distraction, keeping you from reaching the goal at the end of the month of completing the 50K words.
Asking for others to listen to you plot out your entire novel or read a chapter isn’t okay. Save that for our regular critique workshops. - If you say you’re going to be there and for some reason can’t or decide you’re not up for it, be courteous and drop a line to the organizer, the earlier the better. It’s not fair to the others in your group to just “not show up.” Same applies if you’re no longer interested. Let the organizer know!
- Be sure to bring your writing materials including a plug for your laptop/notebook, couple extra pens/pencils, notepads, etc. Remember, if you’re meeting in a coffee shop or restaurant, less is more. Space will be limited, so don’t plan on bringing all your resource books and spreading them out.
FAQ
Q: Do I have to arrive and leave the times the write-in is scheduled to start and finish?
A: No. You’re welcome to arrive earlier and leave later, arrive later and leave earlier. If you do arrive earlier, try to find a spot large enough for everyone. Arriving later or leaving earlier? Please be courteous of your fellow writers. Quietly set up and break down. Be sure to bus your table before leaving if meeting at an eatery.
Q. Are all write-ins at the same time/same day of the week?
A: No. The November write-ins are “any time we can get a couple of people and a couple of hours that all coordinate.” They can happen any time of any day of the week and usually more than once a week. Most writers are trying to squeeze in as much time as possible to reach that 50K goal. However, after NaNoWriMo, we do tend to meet on the same time/same day of the week, but that’s not written in stone. Yup, ‘nother pun. Sorry! If you’re interested in the non-NaNo month write-ins and see that the schedule doesn’t fit with yours, drop us a line (or comment – just be sure to give us a working email address to respond to you at), let us know you’re interested and what days/times work best.
Q: Why are your non-NaNo month write-ins always at the Chico Public Library?
A: They’re not. But usually they are. The reason is it’s free. No one feels obligated to buy a coffee or drink, there’s no charge for parking, it’s quiet and there’s usually plenty of room to write. Downtown Chico has metered parking and during the school year, there aren’t many “quiet” places to write. There aren’t any completely free places to write, either, other than the library.
Q: I want to come to a write-in, but I don’t always have access to transportation. Does that mean I’m excluded?
A: No. However, you might want to arrange for a ride or take the bus/a taxi the first time to make sure it’s something you want to do and have the opportunity to meet and get to know the others in our group. During that time, you can ask if there’s anyone willing to give you a ride.
Q. I’m an obsessive Googler because it helps me with on-the-fly research as the story I’m working on develops. If I come to a write-in, will I be able to access the Internet and Google?
A: Usually. The Chico Public Library now has free Internet Wi-fi and most of the locations we’ve picked in the past have offered free access. If you’re a habitual Googler and this is imperative you have access, let us know in advance so we can keep that in mind when looking for locations.
Q: I’m a full-time college student and only have free time between midnight and 2:00 a.m., does that mean I won’t be able to attend a write-in.
A: No. But don’t expect it to be a write-in we’ve organized! Of course, if there’s enough of a demand, we might be willing to entertain the idea. (But seriously, midnight to 2? Have you heard of this much needed thing called “sleep?”)
Q: My daughter is interested in attending, but she’s fourteen. Can she come to a write-in?
A: Yes. However, special arrangements for drop-off attendees under the age of eighteen is required for safety and legal purposes. We require the parent/legal guardian to contact us prior to attendance unless the parent/legal guardian will be accompanying the minor and staying on the premises the entire time.
Q: So can my nine year old son attend, too?
A: No. Male and female minors between the ages of 13 and 18 may attend (see above Q/A), however we’re unable to accommodate anyone under the age of 13. As a suggestion, contact your child’s school and ask the language arts department about hosting write-ins and writer group meetings for students interested in writing but under the age of 13.
Q: I’m not a writer, but I am an avid reader. May I come and offer to read some of the works in progress novels, maybe give a few suggestions, kick around some ideas with the writers?
A: Thanks, but no. At least not at a write-in. If you are truly interested in reading some of the works in progress and provide feedback, please drop us a line!
Yes, there really are great things that are free!
do you duotrope?
what is duotrope? Duotrope’s Digest is a free, online resource for writers of fiction and poetry.
why duotrope? Search for the perfect market for your fiction and poetry, based on a number of criteria. We list well over a thousand current markets and keep them as up to date as humanly possible. You can also get nifty reports on response times and acceptance/rejection ratios. Sign up for a free account and track your submissions. We’ll even remind you when it’s time to query. Explore and see what else we have on tap.
how can duotrope? Pull up your web browser and head over to duotrope.com. Remember, it’s free!
Raw #queryfail capture
Posted by Kathie in #queryfail, News, resources on March 9, 2009
Just uploaded is the complete capture of Twitter’s first #queryfail day. It is a raw file which hasn’t been stripped and shows image file names and other irrelevant information. However, if there are enough requests for the stripped version, we may post those at a later time. Click [here] to download (available only in rich text format). *update: also you can download an HTML file [here]. *
Also, under the “useful links” category in the navigation column, you’ll find a recently added “Creating a Pitch” which was written by the novelist Camy Tang. Definitely worth reading and even bookmarking for future reference.
How NOT to be targeted by the evil #queryfail
Posted by Kathie in #queryfail, Interact, News, resources on March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 6, 2009
Yesterday various agents and editors got together on Twitter and posted a wild rash of reasons they will reject a query letter. If you haven’t read the 140 or less character tweets we collected, now would be a really good time.
How do you write a winning query letter that won’t be labeled “fail” by these editors, agents and interns working in publishing houses? We’ve collected a few really good articles that will help you get your foot in the door. Take a gander: (hint: click the links as they’ll take you directly to the article we’re referencing.)
- Mystery author, S. W. Hubbard, has a great article here: www.swhubbard.com
- Ester Heller, Editor-in-Chief, Targum Press posted the following guidelines Nov. 2008: http://blogs.targum.com
- A summation of yesterday’s #queryfail experiment and lessons learned can be found here at the Belletrinsic blog: http://belletrinsic.blogspot.com
- Tara Lazar did a summation, too, that’s worth perusing and can be found here: http://taralazar.blogspot.com
- Colleen Lindsay, the literary agent (FinePrint Literary Management) responsible for yesterday’s #queryfail, has a site crammed full of useful information to pick through. Start here: http://theswivet.blogspot.com and be sure to look around the site, it’s very useful!
- Jill Corcoran has a very well put together “how to write a query letter” post that’s very timely, too, as it was published on March 1st, 2009: http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com Be sure to check out the posts she links to as well (run your cursor over the page to find the links which aren’t underlined). Bookmark the post as it is a great resource!
Still need more? Want a template of sorts? Short of sending out the monkeys to write it for you (and no, we won’t do that — didn’t you read yesterday’s capture of the #queryfail tweets?), Nathan Bransford with Curtis Brown LTD provides you with a great “Mad Lib” style query letter. Just be sure to change it up a bit so it’s more personalized! Go check it out at: http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2008/03/query-letter-mad-lib.html
If you have your own tips, winning recipe, experience to share, by all means, leave a comment! Good luck, too!
#Queryfail on Twitter
Agents and editors are posting snippets of what makes a query fail. Searching Twitter using the #queryfail tag, you can see all of these tweets. This has been a very educational, if not funny, experience.
Here are some of the pass/fail, along with sage advice, query tweets (taken verbatim)
| “dear editor, hello! I would like to thank you for taking the time to read the first 3 chapters…” Absolutely no need, seriously | fail |
| “The purpose of this letter is not earth shaking, so, if it will be ignored, and I’m sure it will” Yeah. Now it will. | fail |
| “Allow me the privilege of publishing it through your company, so I can be the best selling author I know I am meant to be.” | fail |
| The Artichoke and the Onion: A Love Story (in which artichoke peels away layers to reval its “secret hidden place inside”) | fail |
| Here are synopsis for fifteen completely different projects I’ve completed. I am currently working on these 5 additional novels. | fail |
| Greetings from Sweden. We hardly have any agents. So I sent my query directly to the publisher. Book’ll be out this spring. | fail |
| “P.S. I collect stamps. Should you have any stamp… that is destined for the trash can, [please] stuff them in the enclosed SASE. | fail |
| Page numbers, no. Chapter heading, no. ANY sort of header, no. #queryfail, yes | fail |
| Dear XX Publishing, I guess I am unable to write a synposis that is short and reflects my manuscript so…” | fail |
| “Have u ever lost yr partner in the fringes of a war u didn’t approve of which subjecting him to an unsubstantiated war?” Grammar | fail |
| I’M TYPING MY QUERY IN ALL CAPS SO YOU WILL BE SURE TO NOTICE IT. Okay, now that my pupils have stopped burning | fail |
| “This is a very exciting narrative which relates how I was attacked by a whore house” Exciting in what sense? | fail |
| “[TITLE redacted] contains sexually graphic descriptions, a violent rape scene [...] and mayhem. On the bright side…” No. | fail |
| It is unnecessary (and $$$) to fed-ex queries, it ends up in the same stack. | advice |
| “enclosed is a sample of my book XX. It is incomplete but there is enough for you to get an idea of the content.” Errr…. | fail |
| Creepy query = having your character send the query | fail |
| My favorite query typo from past: She mustard her power | fail |
| A classic: don’t use a spokesperson, ok? Don’t let your dad/lawyer/wife/brother query on your behalf | advice |
| If your spam blocker has to authorize my response to your query, I probably won’t resent – approve agent emails ahead of time | advice |
| FedExing with signature required a query letter? | advice |
| not using contractions in your character dialogue/narrative… (unless it’s time period appropriate) | advice |
| Don’t send me your manuscript and tell me to start reading at page 312 because that’s “where it gets good” | fail |
| It isn’t a #queryfail, but you should know that unnecessary pen names do make me wonder about you | advice |
| These words are the kiss of death: “first book in a [multi]-book series | fail |
| People, query one book at a time please | advice |
| Handwritten query on scrap paper w/ eyeblass ad/7th bday party cloud paper/label peel saying “Sorry about the paper, we recycle” | fail |
| You want to write a nonfiction book but you have no impressive credentials or platform? This is a huge issue, folks | advice |
| Sentence fragments, which are not used for effect | fail |
| “This novel is very similar to The Da Vinci Code but much more plausible and better written.” | fail |
| “I read about ur interest in poetry so Im querying U” Really? Where? You mean in my gidelines whre it says I dont accept poetry? | fail |
| “I have covered my sexual exploits with literally hundreds of women, mostly exotic dancers” – sorry, yuck | fail |
| Authors, PLEASE use a tracking system and don’t query the same agent multiple times with an already-rejected book! | advice |
| Writing back to my form rejection for me to recommend another agent at my 2 person agency. | advice |
| Tight first paragraph, references, a recent relevant blog post of mine, awesome hook, good pages. Query WIN! | pass |
| One line hook, wordcount, genre, short blurb, short paragraph of writing background and polite closing. Query win | pass |
| tells me you read interview with me re: your genre, tells me what you learned from interview, & how your book is a fit. Win. | pass |
| Top reasons I don’t read further: overwriting, info dumping and starting the story in the wrong place (often relates to info dump) | advice |
If you’d like more information, please leave a comment and be sure to include a working email address (will not be published but necessary for a response.)
Happy query writing!
About the Chico Writer’s Group
Contact: Kathie Leung (lee-young)
530 521-4264
Kathie dot blog at gmail dot com
Chico Writer’s Group
Agenda
2:00 PM
Creative Writing Exercise
Members will be invited to share and discuss their assigned writing exercise. Exercises are posted prior to each session on the website: ejourn.net/cwg
2:30 PM
Craft Chat
Led by a CWG Member we will explore various elements of writing, focusing on one specific area at each session.
3:00 – 5:00 PM
Critique Workshop
Manuscripts received by the deadline (12PM Pacific Time 8 days prior to upcoming meeting) will be assigned a Critique Leader and discussed in the order received. Of course, manuscripts left from previous workshop take priority. For critique guidelines, format, etc. please review the brochure’s interior or visit us online at www.ejourn.net/cwg for further info.
Please note: Sometimes we will be reading and discussing adult themes which might include graphic violence, adult situations and language, and sexual situations. Therefore all members are required to be 18 years or older. We encourage you to leave children home.
Welcome
The Chico Writer’s Group first met in January of 2008. It was founded by Kathie Leung, whose desire was to bring into the community, a forum where other writers could meet on a consistent basis and help one another sharpen and hone their talents.
The purpose of the group is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where writers of all levels of skill, format (essay, short story, novel, poetry, prose, playwright, screenplay, etc.) and genre (children’s, young adult, fiction, fan-fic, chick lit, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.) can share craft tips, develop skills through writing exercises and critique one another’s work in a safe, friendly, non-threatening environment.
Meetings
The following is the schedule for meetings throughout the fall and beginning of winter, 2008 and are subject to change. To be notified of changes, please contact Kathie Leung at 521-4264 or "kathie dot blog at gmail dot com".
All meetings are from 2 – 5 p.m.
Locations: To Be Announced
Sunday, September 21st
Saturday, October 5th
Saturday, October 25th
Saturday, November 8th
Sunday, November 16th
Sunday, November 30th
Sunday, December 14th
Saturday, December 27th
National Novel Writing Month Write-Ins are scheduled throughout the month of November. For more information, please contact Kathie.
Membership: Dues & Responsibilities
There are presently no dues for membership, or rather, there are no financial obligations. As a member, we do expect you to fully participate – especially in the area of critiques. Members should be periodically submitting a manuscript for critiquing and always should be participating in critiquing the work of others in order to be considered a member in good standing. Writing exercises are encouraged, but not required.
Unless previously arranged or extenuating, unforeseen circumstances arise, as a member you are expected to arrive on time with copies of your writing exercise and the assigned critique manuscripts.
Manuscripts for critiquing purposes should have been read at least twice and have editing marks and comments written on the printed out copy.
Once the critique is finished, members are required to return their edited copy to the writer. Please write your name and phone number and/or email address at the top, right corner of the manuscript so if the writer has any questions, they may contact you for further clarification.
If you have a piece that’s being critiqued, you should bring a copy of your work with you and possibly an extra copy should anyone forget to bring one or we have a guest attending.
Writing Exercises
Prior to each meeting, we will assign a writing exercise which correlates to the upcoming Craft Chat topic. The exercise will be posted online at our website with ample time to complete the exercise. If you do not have regular access to the Internet and are unable to download the upcoming exercise, please notify Kathie to have your name added to an update email notification list and the prompt will be emailed to you after online publication.
The purpose of these exercises is to help you, as a writer, explore areas and elements of the craft that you may have not considered before, haven’t spend time developing or merely strengthen what skills you already have.
Take your time and give it a try. There are no right or wrong ways to complete the exercise. Be sure to print out a copy and bring it with you to the next meeting to share with others and discuss how the exercise may have changed how you look at your writing, what doors may have opened, what hurdles you jumped … or even came upon!
Craft Chat
Each session will include a 30-minute presentation given by a member about a specific element involved in writing. If you have a particular interest you’d like to explore, please let us know. Likewise, if there is a topic you would like to present, drop Kathie a line and we’ll explore that further!
Critique Workshop
The meat and potatoes of our group is the critique workshop. This gives writers the opportunity to receive invaluable feedback on their writing. Whether you are planning on taking your work to publication, submit it for a contest or merely work on strengthening your skills while honing your talents, the critique workshop is a must.
We do have specific guidelines as a writer submitting a manuscript for critiquing, as a leader of the critique and as a reader. As well, we have certain “rules” designed to make the experience enjoyable, productive and rewarding for everyone. Along with this brochure you will find a handout on our critiquing process, guidelines, rules and so forth. On our website you will find several links in the navigation column that will further provide you with useful information about editing, proofing, reading for content and more. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
Manuscript Guidelines
The following is a checklist of manuscript format guidelines.
- Font size 10 to 12 point
- Font face: Times New Roman, Serif fonts, Arial
- One and a half to double spaced lines
- One inch margins all around
- Pages numbered
- Name, phone number and/or email address on title/first page
- File should be saved in (listed in order of preference):
*.doc
*.rtf or *.txt
*.PDF
Note: If you are unable to open any of the files noted above, please contact "kathie dot blog at gmail dot com" and provide a list of files you are able to open. If you do not presently have an Adobe Reader, you can download one for free by visiting Adobe.com.
For the purposes of critiquing and time constraints, manuscripts are to be 5 to 10 pages in length. They may be portions of a longer piece and do not necessarily have to be from the beginning of the greater work. For shorter pieces including poems and prose, you may submit more than one per session, however if you choose to submit several short pieces, please do so in one file format so all are included at the same time in the critique, otherwise the remainder will be placed into queue.
Manuscripts are to be submitted via email to Kathie by noon Pacific Time no less than 8 days prior to upcoming meeting. Members will receive their attached copies via email by 5:00 pm with specific instructions in the body of the email, provided they have attended meetings previously and are in good standing.
We operate on a “first come, first serve” basis. While we restrict submissions to 8 days prior to an upcoming meeting, you may submit as early as you like.
End
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