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.

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