Workshops are held every other Saturday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. The following is a list of upcoming workshops and dates manuscripts must be submitted for distribution:
We are a no-fees, no membership dues writing group open to serious writers ages 18 and older. For more information, please contact us by writing to TheChicoWritersGroup@gmail.com
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.
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:
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.
Whether or not you even participated in the tenth anniversary of National Novel Writing Month or won the challenge of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, it's time to celebrate this momentous event! We'll be having a pot luck this coming Sunday, November 30th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library. RSVPs are required. Please leave a comment below if you haven't already received an email invitation and would like to attend.
We'll be writing more flash fiction as a writing exercise on Sunday after our last experience went quite well. Our topic for the craft chat will be the use of a metaphor to convey a theme. Be sure to bring your laptop and/or a pad of paper and pen along with you as we'll be writing!
We also have 4 pieces to critique, a short story that came from a writing exercise and 3 poems. Chico Writer's Group members have already received their copies and are expected to have read them, commented upon them and bring the printed out copy to our meeting to discuss and then return, with comments, to the original author. If you did not receive a copy but would like to attend, leave a comment here (be sure to use a working, valid email address) and we'll confirm your reservation.
The Chico Writer's Group will be holding several write-ins throughout the month of November for writers to work on their novel for National Novel Writing Month (or just to write on whatever their current work is.) We will be foregoing the critique workshop mid-November and use that time for a write-in and resume our workshops on Sunday, November 30th.
The schedule for write-ins won't come with advance notice but we'll attempt to post them here as time and opportunity presents itself. Here are the current write-in dates and times and places:
Wednesday, November 5th: 9am - noon at Augie's (250 Salem Street, next to St. Augustine's church, corner of 3rd Street and Salem in downtown Chico).
Sunday, November 16th: Time and location to be announced.
You do not have to be a member of the Chico Writer's Group to attend but it would be greatly appreciated if you would contact us to let us know you plan to attend. These meetings may be cancelled if there isn't enough interest generated, so please check with our website before heading out!
To learn more about the National Novel Writing Month, visit http://www.nanowrimo.org. As the site is being hit hard now that the event is in full-swing, if you're receiving an error, please try back later. There still is time to register and get in on the fun, so visit today!
This workshop promises to be exciting as we'll be using our first half of the workshop trying our hand (or for those who've done this before, dazzling us) at flash fiction! Mark your calendars now, this is one not to miss!
Date: Sunday, November 2, 2008
Time: Noon to 3:00PM (Note the time change)
Place: Chico Branch of the Butte County Library
Addy: 1108 Sherman Avenue (cross of First Ave.), Chico
NOTE: The off ramp at First Avenue may be CLOSED. Please use the links to the maps below if you need directions using an alternate route.
Maps: Google |
MapQuest |
Microsoft |
Yahoo
12:00 Noon - 1:00 PM Craft Workshop
We'll be trying out a workshop using flash fiction where writers are given a topic to write on for a few minutes and then discuss. This should be a very fun activity!
After the exercise, we'll discuss the focus of the writing exercise, a specific element of the craft of writing. A sure winner for all genres of fiction!
1:00 - 3:00 PM Critique Workshop
Manuscripts need to be submitted to [kathie dot blog at gmail dot com] on or before noon Saturday October 25, 2008 and will be distributed to members who have attended meetings consistently and are in good standing. If you plan on attending but have not done so previously, you may request a copy be available to you when you arrive, however, we will not be distributing manuscripts to non-members for privacy and copyright purposes.
For more information, contact the organizer, Kathie Leung (pronounced Lee-young) at 521-4264 or [kathie dot blog at gmail dot com].
RSVPs requested! (You may use the "comment" link below to RSVP. Just please be sure to provide a valid email address. RSVP comments and general inquiry comments are not published and email addresses are never published.)
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!
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
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!)
Facebook: We’re on Facebook!
Manuscripts are due on or before midnight, Saturday, May 10th. Email your manuscript, 20 pages or less with title, your name, and preferably with page numbers in one of the following formats (.rtf, .txt, .doc, .pdf) to kathie dot blog at gmail dot com. If there is anything specific you wish to have reviewed, please include that with your email.
New Rule: We’re finding we have to tighten our deadlines out of fairness to all participants. If your piece is not in by the group established deadline, it may not be critiqued in depth during our next meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us or simply click on the “comment” link and leave your question here.
Please take time to read the information provided on this site regarding critiquing, editing and proofing. While we are fairly casual, having a good understanding of these areas will make the experience that much more enjoyable and rewarding.
