Past list view

Our October meetup will be primarily a general discussion meetup.

Keri will be late to the October meetup, so if anybody else gets there early please try to secure some tables. We are usually in the back room or against the far wall.

Topic: The Short Story in its many forms and lengths - what's the difference between flash fiction, short short fiction, short stories up to 7500. How does the length impact story and plot? Is it easier to write short science fiction rather than short fantasy? Does the worldbuilding hinder fantastic story brevity? How do we as writers approach a short story versus a novel?

A useful writing link: Write or Die

We will of course, also read and discuss the writing exercise if there are any takers. (See prompt below!)

About our Meetup generally:
Currently we gather for a low-pressure chance to socialize with other folks interested in writing science fiction, fantasy or horror. Topics tend to range from "why I'm here at this group and what I like to write" through specific questions about writing process and problems to discussions of sf/f/h works and debates on ideas of general interest relative to writing sf/f/h.

We post an optional writing exercise, and if there are takers, we read and comment on their work. To participate in the exercise, write a science fiction, fantasy or horror piece 1000-2000 words in length based on the prompt below. If the text of the prompt is in quotes, the full text should appear somewhere in your exercise. If the text of the prompt is not in quotes, the concepts should appear in your exercise, but the phrase itself is not required. Bring 5 typed/printed copies to the meeting for people to read.

If the prompt inspires you to a piece that is longer than 2000 words, bring 5 copies of the first 2000 words as your exercise submission. If you'd like, be sure to bring a copy of the complete work in case a member wants to read the whole thing.

Some of our members are seeking critique circle opportunities. While this group does not currently function as a critique circle, it is an opportunity to meet others who might be so inclined, or who may be interested in one-to-one critique exchanges. We are considering the possibility of developing a critique circle as a companion to this group, and have started the preliminary discussions. More on that in the future!

Optional writing exercise prompt for October: "The last time I saw , I was..."

Our August meetup will be primarily a general discussion meetup. Since Keri and Kim will be out of town, Lee will be hosting this meet-up. Our general topic: How does the age of your target audience affect your writing?
Consider the following possible directions for discussion:

What is a young adult anyway? Where is the line between Children's Lit and YA?
Sophistication of plot, language, etc for different age groups.
Addressing 'hot topics' for many ages.

A useful writing link: Write or Die

We will of course, also read and discuss the writing exercise if there are any takers. (See prompt below!)

About our Meetup generally:
Currently we gather for a low-pressure chance to socialize with other folks interested in writing science fiction, fantasy or horror. Topics tend to range from "why I'm here at this group and what I like to write" through specific questions about writing process and problems to discussions of sf/f/h works and debates on ideas of general interest relative to writing sf/f/h.

We post an optional writing exercise, and if there are takers, we read and comment on their work. To participate in the exercise, write a science fiction, fantasy or horror piece 1000-2000 words in length based on the prompt below. If the text of the prompt is in quotes, the full text should appear somewhere in your exercise. If the text of the prompt is not in quotes, the concepts should appear in your exercise, but the phrase itself is not required. Bring 5 typed/printed copies to the meeting for people to read.

If the prompt inspires you to a piece that is longer than 2000 words, bring 5 copies of the first 2000 words as your exercise submission. If you'd like, be sure to bring a copy of the complete work in case a member wants to read the whole thing.

Some of our members are seeking critique circle opportunities. While this group does not currently function as a critique circle, it is an opportunity to meet others who might be so inclined, or who may be interested in one-to-one critique exchanges. We are considering the possibility of developing a critique circle as a companion to this group, and have started the preliminary discussions. More on that in the future!

Optional writing exercise prompt for August: "bring a rope"

Our June meetup will be primarily a general discussion meetup. Our general topic: Sub-genres of science fiction and fantasy. Consider the following possible directions for discussion:

How fluid are the divisions between sub-genres? At what point do sub-genre definitions cease to be useful for the writer? For the reader?
How do we define/distinguish sub-genres as writers? Are our definitions the same for science fiction and for fantasy?
Where do cross-over genres like mystery, romance, and thriller intersect with science fiction and fantasy? How do we categorize cross-over genre books? Is it purely a public relations decision?
Is the SFF "ghetto" a myth? Does SFF benefit from being filed/shelved with general fiction?

We will of course, also read and discuss the writing exercise if there are any takers. (See prompt below!)

About our Meetup generally:
Currently we gather for a low-pressure chance to socialize with other folks interested in writing science fiction, fantasy or horror. Topics tend to range from "why I'm here at this group and what I like to write" through specific questions about writing process and problems to discussions of sf/f/h works and debates on ideas of general interest relative to writing sf/f/h.

We post an optional writing exercise, and if there are takers, we read and comment on their work. To participate in the exercise, write a science fiction, fantasy or horror piece 1000-2000 words in length based on the prompt below. If the text of the prompt is in quotes, the full text should appear somewhere in your exercise. If the text of the prompt is not in quotes, the concepts should appear in your exercise, but the phrase itself is not required. Bring 5 typed/printed copies to the meeting for people to read.

If the prompt inspires you to a piece that is longer than 2000 words, bring 5 copies of the first 2000 words as your exercise submission. If you'd like, be sure to bring a copy of the complete work in case a member wants to read the whole thing.

Some of our members are seeking critique circle opportunities. While this group does not currently function as a critique circle, it is an opportunity to meet others who might be so inclined, or who may be interested in one-to-one critique exchanges. We are considering the possibility of developing a critique circle as a companion to this group, and have started the preliminary discussions. More on that in the future!

Optional writing exercise prompt for June: lamps, shadows, clay

Our April meetup will be primarily a general discussion meetup. Our general topic: More Language in spectulative fiction - assumptions and definitions. Among other things, consider the following:

How does the genre influence the language you use in your stories? What words seem unique to science fiction or fantasy, or have special definitions within the genre?
What words or phrases trigger the "science fiction" flag in fiction? The "fantasy" flag? How do some stories span genres or defy those subjective categorizations?
Created worlds - how does an author establish definitions for new concepts or words? How does an author explain complicated equipment or concepts without resorting to infodump?

We will of course, also read and discuss the writing exercise if there are any takers. (See prompt below!)

About our Meetup generally:
Currently we gather for a low-pressure chance to socialize with other folks interested in writing science fiction, fantasy or horror. Topics tend to range from "why I'm here at this group and what I like to write" through specific questions about writing process and problems to discussions of sf/f/h works and debates on ideas of general interest relative to writing sf/f/h.

We post an optional writing exercise, and if there are takers, we read and comment on their work. To participate in the exercise, write a science fiction, fantasy or horror piece 1000-2000 words in length based on the prompt below. If the text of the prompt is in quotes, the full text should appear somewhere in your exercise. If the text of the prompt is not in quotes, the concepts should appear in your exercise, but the phrase itself is not required. Bring 5 typed/printed copies to the meeting for people to read.

If the prompt inspires you to a piece that is longer than 2000 words, bring 5 copies of the first 2000 words as your exercise submission. If you'd like, be sure to bring a copy of the complete work in case a member wants to read the whole thing.

Some of our members are seeking critique circle opportunities. While this group does not currently function as a critique circle, it is an opportunity to meet others who might be so inclined, or who may be interested in one-to-one critique exchanges. We are considering the possibility of developing a critique circle as a companion to this group, and have started the preliminary discussions. More on that in the future!

Optional writing exercise prompt for April: evacuation, lantern, beige

Our February meetup will be primarily a general discussion meetup. Our general topic: Games and writing! Among other things, consider the following:

Game-play in the Writing Process - Dice, cards, role-play and hex maps.... How can we use the games and gaming tools to develop characters, build worlds, plot events, and make decisions?
Games as Inspiration - How can games inspire our writing? We all know someone who has based a story on a D&D campaign. Are there other games that have or can inspire worlds, characters or events for our fiction?

We will of course, also read and discuss the writing exercise if there are any takers. (See prompt below!)

About our Meetup generally:
Currently we gather for a low-pressure chance to socialize with other folks interested in writing science fiction, fantasy or horror. Topics tend to range from "why I'm here at this group and what I like to write" through specific questions about writing process and problems to discussions of sf/f/h works and debates on ideas of general interest relative to writing sf/f/h.

We post an optional writing exercise, and if there are takers, we read and comment on their work. To participate in the exercise, write a science fiction, fantasy or horror piece 1000-2000 words in length based on the prompt below. If the text of the prompt is in quotes, the full text should appear somewhere in your exercise. If the text of the prompt is not in quotes, the concepts should appear in your exercise, but the phrase itself is not required. Bring 5 typed/printed copies to the meeting for people to read.

If the prompt inspires you to a piece that is longer than 2000 words, bring 5 copies of the first 2000 words as your exercise submission. If you'd like, be sure to bring a copy of the complete work in case a member wants to read the whole thing.

Some of our members are seeking critique circle opportunities. While this group does not currently function as a critique circle, it is an opportunity to meet others who might be so inclined, or who may be interested in one-to-one critique exchanges. We are considering the possibility of developing a critique circle as a companion to this group, and have started the preliminary discussions. More on that in the future!

Optional writing exercise prompt for February: dice, coins, and a horrible sinking feeling...