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.

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.

Craft Chat, Critique Workshop and End of NaNoWriMo Celebration

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.

NaNoWriMo Write-Ins

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!

Craft and Critique Workshop Sunday, Nov. 2nd

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.)

Craft and Critique Workshop

Event Info
Host: Chico Writer's Group
Type:Meetings - Club/Group Meeting

Time and Place
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2008
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Location: Butte County Library - Chico Branch Meeting Room (across from circulation desk)
Street: 1108 Sherman Avenue
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Contact Info
Phone: 521-4264
Email: kathie dot blog at gmail dot com

Description

2:00 - 2:30 PM Review "Tense" Writing Exercise & Discuss
Writing exercise: Write a scene that incorporates the character's past, present, and future.

2:30 - 3:00 PM Craft Workshop: Tense
Tenses make us all tense sometimes. How do you talk about the past, the present, and the future? How do you talk about the future from the past or the farther past from the past? We'll look at how to do all of this without losing your mind.

3:00 - 5:00 PM Critique Manuscript(s).
Short manuscripts (2-5 pages) may be brought to the critique workshop with sufficient number of copies to distribute to members.

Critique Workshop

Our next Critique Workshop will be held Sunday, October 5th, 2008, at 2:00 PM.  The location has yet to be announced.  For more information, contact Kathie at kathie dot blog at gmail dot com or call 521-4264.

Manuscripts are due no later than noon Saturday, September 27, 2008. Once received, we will assign the critique leader and email out the manuscripts by 5:00 PM that day. Documents should be sent to Kathie for distribution to the entire group in the following format (listed in order of preference): *.doc, *.txt/*.rtf or *.pdf  If you are unable to open any of the preceding formats, please notify Kathie immediately and provide a list of formats you are able to open.

Remember, we want to make sure everyone has had ample opportunity to read your work at least twice as this is the best way to receive the best constructive critiquing and must keep in mind everyone's hectic schedules. 

Lead critiquers will be assigned with the distribution of the manuscripts.  If you won't be making our Sunday, October 5th, 2008, meeting at 2:00 p.m. (location TBA), please let Kathie know  so that you are not assigned a lead critique position. 

If you'd like to know more about critiquing, formating your manuscript for critiquing purposes, etc. please leave a comment and we'll be happy to bring you up to speed and answer your questions!

New Location for Craft and Critique Workshop

Our upcoming meeting Sunday, September 21st at 2PM has been moved to a new location (please see post below for agenda).  We will be meeting at the Chico branch of the Butte County library on Sherman Avenue. 

RSVPs are still requested.  If you need further information, directions, or would like to RSVP simply post a response here or find us on Facebook by searching "Chico Writer's Group."

Short Story Theme Contests

The following comes from Duotrope's newsletter.  Click on the underlined theme title for more information.  And if you do submit something, please drop us a line and let us know!

10/1/2008: Christmas - Twisted Tongue
10/1/2008: Illustrators and imagination - Frame Lines
10/1/2008: Roar (erotica, 5-18k words) - Phaze
10/6/2008: Journaling the Apocalypse - qarrtsiluni
10/10/2008: Pirate Package - Writer's Digest "Your Story"
10/15/2008: As a writer, who do you steal from? - Tiny Lights "Searchlights & Signal Flares"
10/15/2008: The shared world of New Ceres - New Ceres: The Anthology
10/17/2008: Property Lines - MAKE: A Chicago Literary Magazine
10/20/2008: Demons, exorcisms, real-life vampires or real-life zombies - SNM Horror Magazine
10/20/2008: Music Around the World - Faces Magazine
10/24/2008: War & Peace - Liars' League
10/30/2008: Let's Play! The Biology of Fun - Odyssey
10/31/2008: Color Wheel: Cultural Heritages in the Twenty-First Century - Crab Orchard Review
10/31/2008: Dia de los Muertos - Dia de los Muertos Anthology
10/31/2008: Lovelorn Anthology - New Concepts Publishing
10/31/2008: Masques - Masques

Craft and Critique Workshop Topic: Dialogue

Time and Place
Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Upper Crust Bakery & Cafe
Street: 130 Main Street
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Contact Info
Phone:530.521.4264
Email:kathie dot blog at gmail dot com

Description

NOTE: Location is tentative. Please check back with us prior to the meeting for the exact location. It would be helpful to have a firm headcount (please don't say you'll be there if there's a good possibility you won't be) by Thursday, September 18th.

AGENDA
2:00 PM Craft Workshop: Dialogue

Writing exercise:
     Write a conversation between two characters where they are both lying. Never directly state that they are untruthful; instead write it so the reader figures out the characters are lying exclusively from the dialogue.

Give it a go and bring your finished product with you (preferably with a few copies) to share with the others and talk about what hurdles you may have come across, what doors you might have opened and other writer chit-chat sort of things.

2:30 PM Craft Chat
A CWG member will be giving an informative presentation on the topic of dialogue:
     "Effective dialogue moves the plot forward, reveals character and punches up conflict and tension. So how does a writer shape dialogue to sound more real life? Our craft chat will explore various strategies in writing compelling dialogue."

3:00 PM Critique Workshop
Two manuscripts will be critiqued by the group. Lead critiquers will have been assigned prior to the meeting to help move the discussion along. (Note: Manuscripts will only be sent to members in good standing, meaning you must have attended at least one Meet & Greet session and/or a writer's group meeting. If you have not, you are still very welcome to attend AND participate!)
     For more information, more writing prompts, information about contests and upcoming meetings, please browse this website or leave us a comment.

Reminder: Manuscripts Due

Just a reminder to all Chico Writer's Group members that manuscripts are due by noon Saturday, September 13th for our Sunday, September 21st meeting. 

Manuscripts should be emailed to 'Kathie dot blog at gmail dot com' in (listed in order of preference) *.doc, *.txt/*.rtf, or *.pdf format (note: you can download an Adobe Document Reader free by going to adobe.com). 

If there is anything in particular you wish the group to look for or would prefer not to have commented upon, please include that in the body of your email. 

Manuscript Formatting:

• Include the author's name, date of the critique and include page numbers whenever possible. 
• Use a serif font such as Times New Roman or Courier (helps differentiate between lower case L's and uppercase i's).
• Be no more than 10 pages (screenplays and plays may be longer) in length.
• Double space when able (preferred as it allows the critiquers to make comments).

The Lead Critiquers will be assigned when the manuscripts are forwarded to all members.  If you are not planning to attend or there's a possibility you won't be able to attend the entire meeting, please make sure you notify Kathie immediately so as to prevent confusion when the leads are assigned.  Only members in good standing are eligible for lead critique slots.

Member in Good Standing: A member whom has regularly attended meetings and has participated in the critique portion of the workshop.

Meet and Greet: An icebreaker for new members...

and those just "browsing"

Event Info
Host: Chico Writer's Group
Type: Meetings - Club/Group Meeting
Network: Chico, CA

Time and Place
Date: Sunday, September 7, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: Empire Coffee Shop
Street: 434 Orange Street
City/Town: Chico, CA
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Contact Info
Use the comment section below to contact us.  Your email address will not be published, but a valid one is required for us to reply.

Meeting Info
Prior to our regular writer's group craft and critique workshop, we'll be hosting an hour-long Meet and Greet.  If you have been trying to make it to one of our meetings or are interested and would like to learn more, this is your opportunity to ask questions, meet members and let us get the chance to know you. Not to mention, the organic coffee at the Empire Coffee shop is wonderful!

Technorati Tags: meet & greet,writers group,Chico,California,Sunday,September 7,2008,1pm,Empire Coffee Shop

Craft Chat: Setting

You're invited to the Chico Writer's Group
Craft and Critique Workshop

Event Info
Host: Chico Writer's Group (Link leads to our Facebook Club page where members can RSVP. *)
Time and Place
Date: Sunday, September 7, 2008
Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Note: New members please join us for the meet and greet an hour prior to the workshop.  More information is [here]. 
Location: Empire Coffee Shop
Street: 434 Orange Street
City/Town: Chico, CA
View Map
     Google
     MapQuest
     Microsoft
     Yahoo

Contact Info
Please use the comment form below and be certain to use a valid address so that we may respond.  Your email address will not be published.

Meeting Info
If you're new to the group, please come by at 1:00 p.m. where you can have the chance to meet us, ask any questions you might have and share with us a bit about you.

2:00 PM Share and discuss writing exercise 
     From The Writer's Idea Book, by Jack Heffron
"Describe two places and compare them to each other. Choose places that are very different. For example, compare the Vatican to a laundromat, the Oregon Coast to a strip mall. You may find this impossible to do, but keep trying. Look for ways to connect these places, if only in the most peripheral ways. The point is to see beyond the surface, to avoid the easy detail, the most obvious modifiers. Anyone can talk about the awesome splendor of the Grand Canyon; only you will find it as eternal as an all-night gas station."

Note: Writing exercise from our meeting 8/16 may be worked on, but for time and space considerations, if you'd like to share and discuss, please do so via email or after the meeting Sunday.

2:30 PM Craft Chat: Topic is Place and Setting
     We know that the setting of a story is place, time and social context. We know a successful story is rooted in place. Our characters must be in a landscape such as a forest, a bedroom or some other land imagined for the reader to experience the sense of place. If the story can be moved from let's say, 1950's Nebraska to 2000's New York without affect, the story is most likely not working. The interconnections with setting and character cannot be separated as a character is shaped by his or her environment. So how does a writer use setting to reveal character and feeling? Come to the craft chat where we'll explore the importance of setting.

3:00 PM Critiques 
     All critiques for this workshop have been assigned.  Regular attending members have been provided their copy of the material.  Please be certain to bring your copy!  
     Members wishing to have their work critiqued must email it to Kathie by Sunday, August 31st. The earlier, the better as this allows members ample time to read and make notes for the discussion. If you require more information regarding our guidelines, please refer to the following articles:

• About the Chico Writer's Group
• Critiquing Tips, Hints and Guidelines
• The Ten Commandments of Critiquing

Also, please refer to the links in the navigation column  on our main website, http://ejourn.net/cwg for useful information.

*About Facebook Club Page:  If you aren't a member of Facebook, consider joining.  It's free and a great way to keep abreast of upcoming events, activities and other features of the Chico Writer's Group.  There are two Chico Writer's Group pages online at Facebook.  Make sure you are adding to the CLUB and not the FAN page as the FAN page will most likely be closed down in the very near future.  Once you've added the club page, navigate to the Administrator (Kathie) and add yourself as a friend (maybe add a comment you're a new member of the writer's group) so that you are receiving invitations. 

Technorati Tags: writer's group,meeting,Sunday,September 7,2008,place,setting,fiction,all genres,all types of writers,Facebook,critique,RSVP,deadline,August 31,updated

Workshop Saturday, 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

 

 

Technorati Tags: 2008,9:30-11:30am,Chico,contact,edit,Empire Coffee Shop,June 14,manuscript,proof,RSVP required,Saturday,writer's group

Critique Workshop

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!)
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.