Where Do You Get Ideas? Craft and Critique Workshop

So where do you get ideas for your next novel? How do you get them? How can you tickle your muse and get her to speak to you? This is our topic for our upcoming Craft and Critique Workshop coming up on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm at the Butte County Library, Chico Branch (1108 Sherman Avenue, cross street First Avenue) in the meeting room (directly across the breezeway from the circulation desk). Don't forget to bring your writing gear for our kick-off free write session!

Agenda

1:00 - 1:30 p.m.  Free Write
1:30 - 1:45 p.m.  Craft Chat: How do you get ideas for your next piece?
1:45 - 3:00 p.m.  Critique Workshop: Two pieces have been selected to be critiqued during this session. All members in good standing should have a copy and be prepared to review them at our meeting.

Next meeting: Saturday, December 19, 2009 1-3 pm @ Chico Branch - Butte County Library

For more information about the Chico Writers Group, membership, manuscripts and formatting and more, visit our official website at http://www.ejourn.net/cwg/ or look for us on Facebook!

 

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

In less than a week thousands will be sitting down to write a novel. Challenged by Chris Baty, the wonderbrain behind this mad adventure, writers of all types and around the world are spirited along to write fifty-thousand --that's right, 50,000-- words in thirty days. And if you've been so inspired to do this that you actually churn out a book (which are typically another 40-50K more words depending on your genre), literary agent Colleen Lindsay doesn't want you trying to pitch it to her. But don't let her stop you from pitching it to others. Just be sure it's worthy of the agent's time and not just sent out to a pool of agents on December first. Not cool.

Last year, Chico Writers Group hosted a number of write-ins as several took the challenge. This year, however, we won't be hosting write-ins. We will most likely continue holding our write-ins at the library on Wednesdays between 9:30 and 11:30 am, except we might be moving to the inside portion at the back of the reference area where it might be a tad warmer (see diagram below). If you plan on coming and haven't been before, you might want to stop off at the comment section and give us a holler so we know to be looking for you -- and that you'll be looking for us. If you have a laptop you'll be using and require power during the two hours, we suggest you bring a suitable extension cord as the number of open and available outlets is limited. There are some nearby our location, but for some, it might be a stretch.

Click on the picture above to enlarge.

If write-ins are your thing, one of our members will be working with the Chico NaNo liaison, Lynn, and hosting write-ins at her offices on Rio Lindo Avenue after 5:00 p.m. Want more information? Go to NaNoWriMo.org and register. Once you're done, edit your profile and select Chico, California as your region and be sure to sign up to allow the liaison to send messages to you. Still need more or can't figure that out? Hit that comment box and let us know. Just be sure to use a valid email address so someone can respond.

Update on Meetings and Write-Ins

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.

*Write-in update: Our next write-in is scheduled for THURSDAY, November 19, 2009 from 9:00 am to noon in the conference room at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library (First Ave. and Sherman Ave.).

We will have another write-in on FRIDAY, December 4th, 2009 from 9-11:30 am in the same location.

CONFIRMATION OF ATTENDANCE AND TIMES you will be attending the two aforementioned write-ins is required. You are not required to stay the duration, however, since this is a very open chunk of time, if there are not writers using this space, out of courtesy to the library and their patrons, we should return any unused time enough in advance that they are able to schedule for other use. (Updated Thursday, November 12, 2009)

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"?

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
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.*
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.
1:30 - 3:00 PM CLOSED SESSION	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.

Adverb Abuse and How To Avoid It: Craft Chat & Critique Workshop

Craft Chat and Critique Workshop

Topic: Adverb Abuse and How To Avoid It
Host: Chico Writer's Group
Date:  Saturday, August 22, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Butte County Library, Chico Branch - Meeting Room
Street: 1108 Sherman Ave.
City/Town: Chico, CA
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*****AGENDA*****

1:00 - 1:20 pm Free write exercise
During this time, members will be given the opportunity to write from prompts provided and then share (voluntarily) with others at the end. Be sure to bring writing tools (paper and pen or laptop, stone tablets work well but can be a bit noisy)!
1:20 - 1:40 pm Craft Chat: Adverb Abuse and How To Avoid It
This is a step beyond and ten times better than Schoolhouse Rock! As writers, we sometimes slip into a habit of using and then abusing adverbs. How many times can your character be found looking, glancing, frowning, smiling, catapulting or picking the hairs out of his ears? Learn some of the tools of the craft and how to avoid adverb abuse during this insightful chat session. Handouts will be distributed at the close.
1:40 - 3:00 pm Critique Workshop
(open to members in good standing, guests and visitors are invited to listen,
but we are unable to provide copies of the scheduled author's work)
Members: Remember to have your manuscript in to Ruth by Thursday, August 13th. This is a strict deadline.

Upcoming Meetings

The following is a list of our upcoming meetings (2009). New members and those interested in the group are more than welcome to attend except when noted as "closed session." New and interested members are respectfully asked to contact us prior to attending the meeting so we can provide you with information about the session and about our group.

Except where noted, meetings are held in the meeting room directly across from the circulation desk at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library (1108 Sherman Avenue - cross street 1st Ave. - Chico).

Manuscript Due Date	Manuscript Distribution Date	Meeting Date	Time	Location
Thu., July 9	Fri., July 10	Sat., July 18	1-3 p.m.	Chico Library
Thu., Aug. 13	Fri., Aug. 14	Sat., Aug. 22	1-3 p.m.	Chico Library
Thu., Sept. 3	Fri., Sept. 4	Sat., Sept. 12	1-3 p.m.	Chico Library
Thu., Sept. 17	Fri., Sept. 18	Sat., Sept. 26	1-3 p.m.	Chico Library
Thu., Oct. 1	Fri., Oct. 2	Sat., Oct. 10	1-3 p.m.	CLOSED SESSION*
Thu., Oct. 29	Fri., Oct. 30	Sat., Nov. 7	1-3 p.m.	Chico Library
Thu., Nov. 12	Fri., Nov. 13	Sat., Nov. 21	1-3 p.m.	CLOSED SESSION*
Thu., Nov. 26	Fri., Nov. 27	Sat., Dec. 5	1-3 p.m.	Chico Library

The noted (*) closed session locations will be disclosed to members in good standing prior to the scheduled meeting.

Dates and times are subject to change. We will attempt to update this blog and other web sites where announcements regarding upcoming meetings are located with the corrections. All active members in good standing are automatically notified via email.

Meetings typically begin with a "free write" segment (time allotted is voted on by participants) typically with a prompt that leads into the prearranged craft chat portion of the meeting. Writers are encouraged to bring paper and pen/pencil or a laptop for this portion. Afterwards, everyone is encouraged to share what they wrote as this portion is not a "critique."

The Craft Chat is about a variety of topics (character development, how to name your piece, worldbuilding, adding red herrings, etc.) all pertaining to the craft of writing.  Handouts covering the topic are typically distributed at the end of this segment.

We conclude our session with a critique of (typically) two submitted manuscripts.

Rescheduled Craft Chat & Critique Workshop

Due to illness, our last Craft Chat and Critique Workshop was canceled. It's been rescheduled for this coming Sunday, June 28 from 3:00 - 5:00 pm at the Butte County Library, Chico Branch (1108 Sherman Avenue) meeting room.

Agenda:

3:00- 3:30 PM Craft Chat
Planting Red Herrings
A red herring can divert your reader until you’re ready for them to know the truth. How do you set up a red herring and make your reader follow its scent - without being suspicious?

3:30- 5:00 PM Manuscript Critique
All members in good standing have been sent the manuscripts for this week’s critique session.

Craft Chat & Critique Workshop Canceled

Due to illness and schedule conflicts, today's craft chat on red herrings has been postponed and the critique workshop is canceled. Further information to come.

(Sunday, June 14, 2009)

Craft Chat and Critique Workshop

Planting Red Herrings

Host: CWG: Chico Writer's Group
Type: Education - Workshop
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2009
Time: 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: Chico Branch, Butte County Library Conference Room (across from cirrculation desk)
Street: 1108 Sherman Ave.
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Agenda:

12:30 - 1:00 PM Craft Chat
Planting Red Herrings
A red herring can divert your reader until you're ready for them to know the truth. How do you set up a red herring and make your reader follow its scent - without being suspicious?

1:00 - 3:00 PM Manuscript Critique
All members in good standing have been sent the manuscripts for this week's critique session.

Worldbuilding and Rule Creation Resources

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions by Patricia C. Wrede, http://www.sfwa.org/writing/worldbuilding1.htm - These are specifically geared toward fantasy worlds, but they're esily adapted to any other kind of worldbuilding. This is a much more expansive look at the aspects of the world mentioned briefly above.

The Rules of Quick and Dirty Worldbuilding by Annalee Newitz http://io9.com/5039477/the-rules-of-quick-and-dirty-worldbuilding - This takes on more of a science fiction bent, but again has some advice that can be generalized to other worldbuilding.

The Mythopoets Manual by Loren J. Miller http://www.rpgmud.com/WorldBuilding/Mythopoets/tmm.html - Specifically looks at the issue of religion.

Worldbuilding Links http://www.bmarch.atfreeweb.com/Worldbuilding.htm - A collection of links to other worldbuilding resources.

World Builder Projects http://hiddenway.tripod.com/world/ - Another collection of links to other worldbuilding resources.

Our next meeting we'll discuss red herrings which is scheduled for Sunday, June 14, 2009 from noon (possibly 12:15pm) to 3:00 pm at the library. More information to come.

Craft and Critique Workshop Saturday, May 30, 2009

Topic: Worldbuilding and Rule Creation
Host: CWG: Chico Writer's Group
Type: Education - Workshop
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time: 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Location: Chico Branch, Butte County Library Conference Room (across from circulation desk)
Street: 1108 Sherman Ave.
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Phone: 5305214264
Email: kathie(dot)blog(at)gmail(dot)com

Get ready for an exciting writing workshop and craft chat this coming Saturday, May 30th!

Agenda

4:30 - 5:00 pm Writing Exercise
5:00 - 5:30 pm Craft Chat - Worldbuilding and Rule Creation
"How do you create a story world? What makes it real for your readers? How do you create rules and keep them consistent?"
5:30 - 7:30 pm Critique Workshop
Manuscripts have been emailed out to the members in good standing and will be critiqued.

Craft Chat and Critique Workshop Sat. May 16

(We are not affiliated with the Chico Writers Meetup Group*)

"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 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)

The Critiquey Critique Workshop

Getting the most from critiquing and being critiqued

Host:  CWG: Chico Writer's Group
Type: Education - Workshop
Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Location:  Chico Branch Meeting Room, Butte County Library
Street: 1108 Sherman Avenue
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Agenda

11:00 AM - Craft Workshop: Getting the Most from Critiquing and Being Critiqued

You've written your heart and soul out. Worked long, tireless hours perfecting your manuscript and now you ache for feedback other than from Grandma, the cat and your significant others. Fellow writers, perhaps. A critique group. But the size, type and availability of these groups might be far and few between, how can you go about getting the most out of your time spent with them and get the valuable insight you crave and desire? How do you, in turn, provide enough feedback to other authors so they are equally rewarded? We'll be presenting effective, useful methods which will help you and your fellow writers achieve their goals during this session which is free to the public.

12:00 pm Closed session (members only) Critique Workshop
Manuscripts have been already sent out and members should be in receipt and have responded to the like. The order of these is: R.S.A. followed by K. L.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 18th, 2009 from 3:30 - 6:30 pm

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

• 4-4:30 p.m. Free Write followed by Craft Chat
• 4:30-6:30 p.m. Critique Workshop
• m.s.s in this order:
• D. H.
• R. A.
• L. H.*

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.

Workshop Saturday, February 21, 2009

Chico Writer's Group Craft and Critique Workshop
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009
Time: 4:30 to 6:30 pm
Place: Meeting Room (across from Circulation Desk) 
          Butte County Library, Chico Branch
Address: 1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico, CA

Agenda

4:30 - 5:00 PM Craft Chat

Naming Characters - Given names, chosen names, and nicknames are a part of who we are. How do we find the right names for our characters? What do the characters' names mean for the story? Or does finding just the right name even matter?

5:00 - 6:30 PM Critiques

Members have been sent the manuscripts for critiquing.  This is a closed session.  Persons interested in attending our workshop may attend the first portion (Craft Chat) but will be asked to leave for our critique portion. 

Synopsis Workshop Announcement

The Chico Writer's Group is looking to host a synopsis workshop/seminar.  If you are a published author, an editor and/or an agent and are interested in presenting, please leave a comment below (your name and working email address are required, we never sell, share or publish your email address) and someone will be in touch with you.

Craft Chat and Critique Workshop

Agenda

1-2 p.m. Craft Chat and Writing Exercise
Topic: Physical Description - Setting

2-4 p.m. Critique Workshop
Members will critique manuscripts
which have already been distributed.

Note: If you have not previously attended
a Chico Writer's Group workshop, you are
welcome to attend the craft chat session.
Critique Workshops are for members only.

Date: Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Location: Butte County Library, Chico Branch
1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico, CA
Meeting room directly across from Circulation Desk

For further information, leave a comment
below with your current, functional email address.

Craft Chat and Critique Workshop

Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009
Time: 3:30 - 7:30 PM (may break at 6:30 pm)
Location: Meeting Room directly across from Circulation Desk
          Chico Branch, Butte County Library
          1108 Sherman Avenue, Chico (cross is 1st Ave)
RSVP: Leave a comment below with a valid email address (never published) to RSVP.

Agenda

3:30-4:30 PM  Craft Chat and Writing Exercise

Physical Description of Characters
When we're telling a story, we need to tell our readers something about our characters, and that often includes what they look like. How do we do that without making it sound like a police report? What kind of details are important? What's best left to the reader's imagination?

4:30 - 6:30 PM Critique Workshop

Manuscripts are distributed January 2nd to members in good standing.
Queue:  B. C.
                D. H. 
                R. A.
                N. J.
                K. L. 

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)	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.