Central Phoenix Writing Workshop

 
 
 

The Tuesday group is in-person every Tuesday at MATCH Restaurant and Bar (1100 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003)!

======================================================================
Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the Central Phoenix Writing Workshop! Here's how we work:
We are open to all styles, genres, and forms of creative and non-creative writing. Just no hate speech, please. Our group is so successful because we treat each other with respect and trust.
The first half hour (6:30-7:00) is hanging out, getting situated, ordering food/drinks, and giving the moderator time to set up the subgroups. You don't have to bring work to share in order to attend or participate. If you don't RSVP and enter word count below, please arrive by 6:45 to tell the moderator your word count. If you arrive later than 6:45, you'll be welcome to sit in, but we won't be able to read your piece, because we need time to balance word counts for each group. Thank you! To give everyone a chance to have their piece workshopped, we recommend limiting your word count to 2,000, but please, no more than 2,500.
At 7:00, we split into sub-groups. The assistant moderator for each group will ask each person to introduce themselves, then say a few things about Group.
Group goes like this: we ask the person if there's anything we need to know, what they're looking for in terms of feedback, the person passes their work out (we use hard copies to follow along while you're reading and take notes), and then they read. Reading aloud creates a more communal experience and helps people get better at reading; it also helps copy-edit/proof the work, too.
When the person is finished reading, we have a conversation. One person speaks at a time, giving feedback (things that worked/didn't work for them). When that person is finished, another person will start. If you want to talk while someone else is talking, just wait until they're finished or there's a pause and ask them if you can talk, at which point they can say yes or no. If they say yes, we'll make sure it gets back to them. If they say no, we'll make sure it gets back to you. Super easy. The author is encouraged to talk too, but not too much.
If you think that you don't know how to give criticism, don't worry about it. Other people will say things that you can agree or disagree with. We'll ask you questions. You'll tell us what you think. Keep coming back. You'll get better at it. As will your writing. Praise and adulation is always nice, too.
We take a short break for bathrooms and text messaging around 8:00 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. and finish around 9:30.
See you soon!
**
A few notes:

1. HEALTH: We strongly encourage everyone to protect vulnerable participants from illness by being up to date on vaccinations, staying home when feeling ill, and wearing masks when community levels are high for contagious airborne infectious diseases. It’s the honor system.
2. HARD COPIES: Bring 5 to 6 hard copies of your work. Please keep your word count under 2500 words to help the group stay on time. If you are bringing work, please enter the word count of your piece in your RSVP to help us assign groups.
3. SENSITIVITY: While great writing is often about tragedy, pain, and therefore ripe with heavy content and themes, we also want to recognize and respect that there might be specific scenes or pieces that we bring that could trigger other writers’ past trauma if they are caught unaware. One way we can respect each other is to provide a trigger warning if a piece contains graphic images of rape, extreme violence, child abuse, suicide, substance abuse, sex, or death. If you bring a piece with sensitive content, please include that information in your RSVP with word count and/or let the moderator at group know. We hope to give each member that attends as much information as we can, so that, with topics such as these, readers have opt/out or opt/in choices, and writers are able to share work with a group whose members are open and prepared to give great feedback. Thank you for your consideration.

 
 
 

## Welcome to the Sunday VIRTUAL edition of the Central Phoenix Writing Workshop!

We use Google docs and Zoom.

We open Zoom starting around 1:30-1:45 PM, MST to socialize, and at 2:00, the host starts the meeting with introductions and general directions, then assigns breakout rooms. If you are sharing work, PLEASE have your piece uploaded to the folder (see directions below) by 1:45 MST as the host assigns subgroups based on the pieces in the shared drive. If your piece is not in by 1:45, we may not be able to read it. If you log on after 2pm MST, we will already have begun workshopping in our subgroups and will miss seeing you in the waiting room.

If you bring work:

• While the word limit is 2500, we strongly recommend 2000 or less so each participant can read and receive feedback during the meeting time.
• Upload your piece to the Google drive by clicking on the link here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xmQ70egljPtge-jU-mGbBJO7TaauBubd and double clicking on the date you're attending.
• Once in the appropriate folder, rename your file with your name, word count and what it is (i.e. short story, poem, novel excerpt, etc.) (e.g. "McQuiggen 1200 fiction"). Please see the SENSITIVITY bullet point below as well.
• Anyone who wants to just sit in and offer feedback (or not) and chooses not to present work is more than welcome to attend.
• We are open to all styles, genres, and forms of creative and non-creative writing, but please, no hate speech.
• SENSITIVITY: While great writing is often about tragedy, pain, and therefore ripe with heavy content and themes, we also want to recognize and respect that there might be specific scenes or pieces that could trigger other writers’ past trauma if they are caught unaware. One way we can respect each other is to provide a trigger warning if a piece contains graphic images of rape, extreme violence, child abuse, suicide, substance abuse, derogatory or offensive language, sex, or death. So please include in your piece's title if there is sensitive material (e.g. "Gayla_1600_short story_death"). This gives participants the opportunity to let the host know they'd prefer to join a different subgroup before we get started.
• Each participant is assigned a subgroup/breakout room with a moderator/lead. You'll be asked to give a brief description of your work, what feedback you're looking for, then you'll read your piece.
• Each participant is asked to give thoughtful, respectful, constructive feedback.

To join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2579796409
Meeting ID:[masked]

Please note: Zoom has a waiting room- don't worry, it should be open by 1:30-1:45 PM MST. Please make sure you've logged in by 2:00 MST so you can be included in a subgroup and not be missed.

If you have any questions, use the Meetup app to send us a message. Thanks, and see you soon!

 
 
 

The Tuesday group is in-person every Tuesday at MATCH Restaurant and Bar (1100 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003)!

======================================================================
Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the Central Phoenix Writing Workshop! Here's how we work:
We are open to all styles, genres, and forms of creative and non-creative writing. Just no hate speech, please. Our group is so successful because we treat each other with respect and trust.
The first half hour (6:30-7:00) is hanging out, getting situated, ordering food/drinks, and giving the moderator time to set up the subgroups. You don't have to bring work to share in order to attend or participate. If you don't RSVP and enter word count below, please arrive by 6:45 to tell the moderator your word count. If you arrive later than 6:45, you'll be welcome to sit in, but we won't be able to read your piece, because we need time to balance word counts for each group. Thank you! To give everyone a chance to have their piece workshopped, we recommend limiting your word count to 2,000, but please, no more than 2,500.
At 7:00, we split into sub-groups. The assistant moderator for each group will ask each person to introduce themselves, then say a few things about Group.
Group goes like this: we ask the person if there's anything we need to know, what they're looking for in terms of feedback, the person passes their work out (we use hard copies to follow along while you're reading and take notes), and then they read. Reading aloud creates a more communal experience and helps people get better at reading; it also helps copy-edit/proof the work, too.
When the person is finished reading, we have a conversation. One person speaks at a time, giving feedback (things that worked/didn't work for them). When that person is finished, another person will start. If you want to talk while someone else is talking, just wait until they're finished or there's a pause and ask them if you can talk, at which point they can say yes or no. If they say yes, we'll make sure it gets back to them. If they say no, we'll make sure it gets back to you. Super easy. The author is encouraged to talk too, but not too much.
If you think that you don't know how to give criticism, don't worry about it. Other people will say things that you can agree or disagree with. We'll ask you questions. You'll tell us what you think. Keep coming back. You'll get better at it. As will your writing. Praise and adulation is always nice, too.
We take a short break for bathrooms and text messaging around 8:00 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. and finish around 9:30.
See you soon!
**
A few notes:

1. HEALTH: We strongly encourage everyone to protect vulnerable participants from illness by being up to date on vaccinations, staying home when feeling ill, and wearing masks when community levels are high for contagious airborne infectious diseases. It’s the honor system.
2. HARD COPIES: Bring 5 to 6 hard copies of your work. Please keep your word count under 2500 words to help the group stay on time. If you are bringing work, please enter the word count of your piece in your RSVP to help us assign groups.
3. SENSITIVITY: While great writing is often about tragedy, pain, and therefore ripe with heavy content and themes, we also want to recognize and respect that there might be specific scenes or pieces that we bring that could trigger other writers’ past trauma if they are caught unaware. One way we can respect each other is to provide a trigger warning if a piece contains graphic images of rape, extreme violence, child abuse, suicide, substance abuse, sex, or death. If you bring a piece with sensitive content, please include that information in your RSVP with word count and/or let the moderator at group know. We hope to give each member that attends as much information as we can, so that, with topics such as these, readers have opt/out or opt/in choices, and writers are able to share work with a group whose members are open and prepared to give great feedback. Thank you for your consideration.

 
 
 

## Welcome to the Sunday VIRTUAL edition of the Central Phoenix Writing Workshop!

We use Google docs and Zoom.

We open Zoom starting around 1:30-1:45 PM, MST to socialize, and at 2:00, the host starts the meeting with introductions and general directions, then assigns breakout rooms. If you are sharing work, PLEASE have your piece uploaded to the folder (see directions below) by 1:45 MST as the host assigns subgroups based on the pieces in the shared drive. If your piece is not in by 1:45, we may not be able to read it. If you log on after 2pm MST, we will already have begun workshopping in our subgroups and will miss seeing you in the waiting room.

If you bring work:

• While the word limit is 2500, we strongly recommend 2000 or less so each participant can read and receive feedback during the meeting time.
• Upload your piece to the Google drive by clicking on the link here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xmQ70egljPtge-jU-mGbBJO7TaauBubd and double clicking on the date you're attending.
• Once in the appropriate folder, rename your file with your name, word count and what it is (i.e. short story, poem, novel excerpt, etc.) (e.g. "McQuiggen 1200 fiction"). Please see the SENSITIVITY bullet point below as well.
• Anyone who wants to just sit in and offer feedback (or not) and chooses not to present work is more than welcome to attend.
• We are open to all styles, genres, and forms of creative and non-creative writing, but please, no hate speech.
• SENSITIVITY: While great writing is often about tragedy, pain, and therefore ripe with heavy content and themes, we also want to recognize and respect that there might be specific scenes or pieces that could trigger other writers’ past trauma if they are caught unaware. One way we can respect each other is to provide a trigger warning if a piece contains graphic images of rape, extreme violence, child abuse, suicide, substance abuse, derogatory or offensive language, sex, or death. So please include in your piece's title if there is sensitive material (e.g. "Gayla_1600_short story_death"). This gives participants the opportunity to let the host know they'd prefer to join a different subgroup before we get started.
• Each participant is assigned a subgroup/breakout room with a moderator/lead. You'll be asked to give a brief description of your work, what feedback you're looking for, then you'll read your piece.
• Each participant is asked to give thoughtful, respectful, constructive feedback.

To join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2579796409
Meeting ID:[masked]

Please note: Zoom has a waiting room- don't worry, it should be open by 1:30-1:45 PM MST. Please make sure you've logged in by 2:00 MST so you can be included in a subgroup and not be missed.

If you have any questions, use the Meetup app to send us a message. Thanks, and see you soon!