Let's Meet Again!

In this second meeting, we'll continue to get to know each other, have some fun, share our goals for the group, and make plans for future meetings. New people are welcome. This week, we’ll have a chance to share things we value when we read SciFi-Fantasy. We’ll also try get a sense of the kind of feedback we'd like to receive on our own work by practicing offering feedback on something written by a person outside of our group.

Please note: Unless we decide otherwise, I will assume that no one is able to read materials ahead of time or do prep work for our meetings. That said, I hope to post the proposed workshop format and information about Critters Workshop as a discussion topic before we meet tomorrow, so that you can look it over if you’d like to. (It is already Friday, though, so I apologize if I can’t post it in time.)

Where to meet: We have permission to meet on the patio at Cushman Market in North Amherst after the cafe closes. The patio is on the left when you face the market, next to the train tracks. You can access it from the street or from a door inside the market. The chairs are a bit uncomfortable, so feel free to bring a camping chair to sit on. The coffee shop closes at 2pm, but the market and bathrooms are open until ~6pm on Saturdays.
HOT WEATHER PLANS: If it is more than 90F at 4pm, we will meet at an alternate, airconditioned location. I am still trying to find an appropriate space. Once I do, I will post the location as a comment on the event page.

Bring:
(a) Pen and highlighter.
(b) A favorite book or short story with a passage (paragraph or two) marked to share. Choose a passage that you think is a good example of what you like about that author or work. What is it, exactly, that you like about it? Is it the imagery? Style? Character development? Plot?

The Plan:

| I. Introductions |
| ------------------------------ |
| II. Writing Game |
| III. Share a passage that you like. |
| IV. Give feedback on the opening of a story. |
| V. Review a proposed workshop format for the group. |
| VI. Plans for next time |

What we’ve learned about the group so far:
• Most of us are seeking support and accountability in pursuing a writing project we’ve started.
• We are interested in different kinds of feedback, and most of us are relatively new to receiving feedback on our work, so I will try to create a flexible, safe, and supportive workshop format.
• We are interested in making new friends and hoping to have some fun. The SciFi version of Exquisite Corpse that we played during the first meeting was a hit.
• It sounds like, for the summer, we’d like to meet on alternate Saturdays. There is some interest in gathering to write in each other’s company on the Saturdays when we don’t workshop.
-Airlie :)

p.s. For some reason, the first time I posted a description of the second event, it was posted with the text of the first. So, I’m sending out the notice again now that the text is updated.