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

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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)	11AM -2:00PM	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 here to go there now.

Contests of Interest

Second Annual Short Story Contest: The Smoking Poet
$10.00 per submission  --  5,000 words maximum
Deadline is May 31, 2009

Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition
10 categories for the 78th Annual Writing Competition
More than $30,000 in cash and prices.
Deadline is May 15, 2009

Listing of writing contests that may be of interest:
http://www.oncewritten.com/WritingContests.php

And as always, Duotrope.com always keeps a huge database full of short story, novel and poetry contests.  Be sure to stop by, throw them a bit of your cash to keep this wonderful free service going and if you haven't already, sign up for their free newsletters.

Write on!

Deadline for Manuscripts - Thursday, Dec. 18th

Manuscripts for our upcoming workshop scheduled for Saturday, December 27th from 2pm - 4pm are due this coming Thursday, December 18th by 5:00 pm.

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.
• Email the manuscript to Kathie Leung (if you do not have this information, you are not considered a member in good standing and therefore are not eligible to submit a manuscript.)  You are, however, welcome to attend our session as a guest and decide on whether you would like to become a member in good standing.
• For faster processing, please include "CWG Your Name MS Date of Workshop in the subject line.  (Example: CWG Kathie Leung MS 12.27.08)
  • If there is anything in particular you would like to pass along to the readers, please include that into the body of the email. 
• Once you have emailed your manuscript, please check your email to ensure it has been received and there weren't any problems opening the document.  If you fail to respond to a notice there was a problem, your piece may be moved down in the order it was received and could potentially be set aside for a later workshop date.  It is your responsibility to check on the document's status.

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Resources - Dialect

The following is a list of resources for writing dialect. This goes in conjunction with today's craft chat on dialect.

• Writing Dialect: It's in the Rhythm by Cameron Michaels
• How to Avoid Writing Dialect in Plays
• Dialect Survey Maps - A collection of maps showing the regional variations in terms and pronunciations in the US.
• Writing Dialect in Fiction by Tony Burton - Contains several examples from classic literature.
• Using Dialect in Fiction by Jennifer Jensen - Another discussion of use of dialect.
• Writing Accents and Dialects by Charles Carson - Includes some caution that how you write accents and dialects may say more about you than about the characters.
• Write stuff: Avoid using dialect, phonetic spelling by Rusty Lang - Advice on using dialect and phonetic spelling in journalistic writing.
• The International Dialects of English Archive - "IDEA was created in 1997 as a free, online library of primary source recordings for the performing arts." Includes transcripts of the audio samples. Note: Each audio sample begins with the person reading a passage. You may want to skip past this to the unscripted speech.
• Internet Archive - Contains many freely available movies and audio recordings. May require some digging to find the dialect you’re looking for.
• radio-locator and Web-Radio - Search for radio stations; results will show you which ones you can listen to over the Internet. Both include search by state.

Craft Chat- Dialect and Critique Workshop

Date:  Sunday, December 14, 2008
Time:  11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Location: Chico Branch of the Butte County Library System
Address: 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico (cross street is 1st Ave)

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 visit our main website at http://www.ejourn.net/cwg and 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 visit our main website at http://www.ejourn.net/cwg and leave a comment with your current, functioning email address (never published) and we will be in touch with you shortly.

Deadline for Manuscripts Approaching

All Chico Writer's Group members take note! Your manuscripts for our meeting Sunday, December 14th are due this coming Friday, December 5th by 5:00 PM.  This is only open to current members in good standing.  If you are new or interested in learning more about our group, you are welcome to attend, however, manuscript critiques are reserved for current members in good standing. 

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.