Posts Tagged Saturday
Craft Chat: Describing Setting through Character’s Eyes
The Chico Writer’s Group will be hosting a Craft Chat Saturday, September 12, 2009 on the topic of how to describe a setting through the character’s eyes. This is a free event, writers of all walks, all levels of experience, are invited to attend.
Craft Chat and Critique Workshop
| Date: | Saturday, September 12, 2009 |
| Time: | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. |
| Location: | Butte County Library, Chico Branch |
| Address: | 1108 Sherman Avenue (cross 1st Ave.) |
| Chico, California | |
| Public Meeting room directly across breezeway from the circulation desk. | |
| What to Bring: | Pen/pencil, writing tablet or a laptop/notebook |
| Agenda | |
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1:00 – 1:20 PM |
Free write. Using prompts, writers will be given the opportunity to write for fifteen minutes, then share what they’ve written to the other members of the group.* |
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1:20 – 1:30 PM |
Craft Chat: What are some effective ways to describe the setting in your fiction through different character’s eyes that is unique to the character’s own voice? We’ll explore this question, exchange ideas, and review resources available to add to our writing toolbox. |
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1:30 – 3:00 PM |
Critique Workshop: Members in good standing will be offering critiques to authors of assigned manuscripts which are distributed prior to the meeting. Members: Please attempt to use the critique worksheet, available for download, when reading the manuscript, complete it and bring it with you to the meeting. |
| About: | Closed sessions are still open to the public, we just ask that anyone interested in this segment enters prior to the session, understands they are only there to observe, and may ask questions, enter into a conversation with the members after the session concludes (however, after session discussions should be conducted outside the meeting room). Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent at all times due to the nature of the conversations that take place. If, however, the authors do not feel comfortable having their manuscript reviewed in the presence of minors, we reserve the right to ask anyone under the age of 18 to please leave the room. |
| *Sharing written free write work | This portion of our group meeting is not critiqued. Other writers are encouraged to give feedback, provided it’s positive. The free write portions of our group meetings is meant to inspire, challenge and bring about new and exciting ideas about the written word to those participating. While you are not required to read your work aloud, this is an invaluable opportunity to hear the differences in points of view and often quite enjoyable both for the writer and the members of the group. Alternatively, provided your writing is reasonably legible, you may always invite another member to read your work out loud to the rest of the group. |
Coming Saturday, September 26, 2009: Writing Conference Review. Chico Writer’s Group members who have attended writing conferences over the summer will be sharing useful information with us. This is also a free event, open to the public. If you are interested in attending this special presentation, please contact us (you may leave a comment here, just be sure to provide a working email address so we can reply. Email addresses are never published publicly.) as space is limited.
The Chico Writer’s Group, is not affiliated with the Meetup Group with a similar name.
Craft Chat and Critique Workshop Sat. May 16
(We are not affiliated with the Chico Writers Meetup Group*)
Chico Writer’s Group Craft Chat and Critique Workshop
“Describing Sounds”
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2009
Time: 3:30 – 6:30 PM
Location: 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico
Room: Butte County Library – Chico Branch conference room (directly across the hall from the circulation desk)
Fees: None
Agenda
3:30 – 4:00 PM Free write – We always have a fun writing exercise assigned that inspires creativity (and has resulted in poems, short stories and even the beginnings of longer pieces!). Come join!
4:00 – 4:30 PM Craft Chat: Describing Sounds
What was that noise – and how can you describe it to your reader? Whether it’s the creak of a basement door, the babbling of a brook, or the rush of the wind, your characters encounter sounds. We’ll talk about ways to describe those sounds so your reader hears them too.
5:00 – 6:30 PM Critique Workshop
All manuscripts have been turned in and distributed to members in good standing.
*Chico Writers Meetup Group is through a paid membership site, Meetup. We do not have anything to do with this group and are not affiliated. We never charge membership dues or collect fees.
Crafting Opening Lines and Critique Workshop
Agenda
4:30 – 5:00 p.m. Flash Fiction Writing Exercise and Craft Chat: Opening Lines
How do you pull your readers into your story from the very first line? What makes for a good first line? When should you write it?
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Critique Workshop
Manuscripts have been turned in and distributed to the members in good standing. Order of critiques are as follows: R. A., K. L., D. H.
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Time: 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Place: Butte County Library, Chico Branch – Conference Room
Address: 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico (cross street – First Avenue)
Craft Chat: Race and Ethnicity
How do you make characters of a race (describing biological descent) or ethnicity (describing cultural heritage) other than your own realistic? How can you avoid reducing them to a stereotype? Where do you go for information? What obvious traps should you avoid?
We’ll be answering these questions and enjoying some free write time during our regular writers group meeting. Visitors are welcome! This is a free event.
Critique Workshop and Craft Chat
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2009
Times: 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room (directly across from circulation desk)
Chico Branch, Butte County Library
Address: 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico
Agenda
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4-4:30 p.m. Free Write followed by Craft Chat
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4:30-6:30 p.m. Critique Workshop
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m.s.s in this order:
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D. H.
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R. A.
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L. H.*
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Writers Workshop Sat., March 7
Agenda
Craft Chat: Creating Suspense
You want your reader to both understand what’s going on and want to keep reading. How do you create mystery without either giving away too much or losing the reader?
Critique Workshop
This segment is only for members-in-good standing. Manuscripts have been delivered, please be prepared to actively critique the three manuscripts. We’ll be working in the following order:
- R. A. S.
- L. H.
- L. G.
Date: Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Time: 4 to 7 p.m.
Place: Chico Branch Meeting Room
(directly across from circulation desk)
Butte County Library
1108 Sherman Avenue (cross street 1st Ave.), Chico
Please note: members are requested to help put everything away after our sessions and check with the organizer before leaving. Thank you.
Saturday’s Craft Chat Blurb
" When we’re telling a story, we need to tell our readers something about where it takes place. How do we bring the reader into the story’s space? What kind of physical details are important? What’s best left to the reader’s imagination? "
For more information, check out the previous post announcing our upcoming meeting this Saturday, January 24, 2009.
Craft Chat on Sentence Structure and Critique Workshop
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2008
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Location: Butte County Library – Chico Branch
Address: 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico
(cross street is First Ave)
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
# # #
Upcoming Meetings
January – June 2009
(tentative)
Location: Butte County Library – Chico Branch
Saturdays (unless otherwise noted)
| January 10 | 3:30 – 6:30 PM | January 24 | 1:00 – 4:00 PM |
| February 7 | 4:00 – 7:00 PM | February 21 | 4:00 – 6:30 PM |
| March 7 | 4:00 – 7:00 PM | March 21 | 4:00 – 6:30 PM |
| April 5 (Sun) | 11 AM – 2:00 PM | April 18 | 3:30 – 6:30 PM |
| April 30 | 4:30 – 7:30 PM | May 2 | 4:30 – 7:30 PM |
| May 2 | 4:30 – 7:30 PM | May 16 | 3:30 – 6:30 PM |
| June 13 | 4:30 – 7:30 PM | June 27 | 4:30 – 7:30 PM |
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.
Craft & Critique Workshop Sat. August 16th
Location: Empire Coffee Shop, Orange Street
Time: 9:00-10:30A.M.
Date: Saturday, August 16th, 2008
RSVP: kathie dot blog at gmail dot com or 530-521-4264
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!
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
Chico Writer’s Group Critique Workshop Sat. June 14th
Location: Empire Coffee Shop, Orange Street
Time: 9:30-11:30A.M.
Date: Saturday, June 14th, 2008
RSVP: kathie dot blog at gmail dot com or 530-521-4264 by Thursday, June 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!
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
Critique Group Sat. May 17th
Chico Writer’s Group Critique Workshop
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!)
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