Creative Writing

\*\*NOTE: This meetup currently lacks a regular host. (The current hosts are volunteers for online organizational purposes; they show up in person occasionally.) If you arrive and there is no host, don’t worry. Whoever is the longest-running member (or whoever wants to) can set the timer for the writing session. In this way, the meetup is self-sustaining, and not dependent on any one person. Thanks for your understanding.\*\* Join us for an hour of quiet writing, followed by an hour of (optional) socializing. \*\*SILENT WRITING BEGINS AT 1:15 PM. IF YOU'RE LATE, WELCOME! WE WILL IGNORE YOU (BECAUSE WE'RE BUSY WRITING) UNTIL 2:15 PM.\*\* This meetup is open to everyone, whether you’re writing a novel, blog, class paper, or journal entry—or something completely different. Anyone interested is welcome to attend :) LOCATION: 5 Elements Cafe, basement level RSVP: Please be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. We recommend coming down to the basement to grab a spot before you buy anything, just in case. SCHEDULE: 1:00 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chill/leave. Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

Come join us at the lovely, well-lit, and cozy Theatre Centre Cafe for an hour and a half of silent writing (on whatever writing projects you will)! After silent writing is done, feel free to stay and chat or go as you please. If you are late you are welcome to join us (quietly and not disruptively). Please note this is a casual event, and we will NOT be critiquing each other's work. Other Important Details: WiFi name/password: #TheTheatreCentre (no password, open access) Travel / Parking info: There is paid street parking as well as Green P underground parking located at 45 Abell St (2 mins walk from the venue) Venue Guidelines: Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

Do you consider rolling dice strength training? Can you run a D&D campaign, but not a city block? If so, **WIZARDS & WORKOUTS** is for you. My name is Peter Reynolds. I'm a writer and lover of role playing games. I'm also out of shape. I've been looking for ways to motivate myself to start working out with the same enthusiasm I bring to my Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The plan is simple: host a fun, live role playing game where players take on the role of their favourite fantasy characters. The catch? You need to exercise if you want to succeed. Fighting a dragon? A fireball might cost you 5 pushups. Crossing a rooftop? Can you balance on one foot for a minute? By combining simple, low impact exercises, including walking & stretching, with an interactive adventure, we'll all get healthier, have fun and maybe meet some new friends along the way. All fitness levels are welcome (as are dogs), and no previous knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons is necessary. We meet in front of Broadview subway station at 10:00 am sharp and then walk to the Outdoor Fitness Station in Riverdale Park East (there are washrooms). At 11:30 we start walking west, through the park, ending at the Blake House Restaurant * (Wellesley & Jarvis) by 12:30. All sessions are free and I’ll be running them through the summer. Hope to see you there! * The Blake House is where our Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writers' Group meets every Saturday from 1pm - 4pm to critique each other’s work. For more information on this event. Check out our Meetup events page.

Hello everyone, **\*\*Kindly Read Carefully\*\*** Please join me and my other groups for a fantastic spring afternoon involving a leisure nature and beautiful neighbourhood walk \- Includes different trails\, parks\, cafes\, ice breakers\, washroom breaks and beautiful sties to see -Our great event will continue as we hit a fabulous location for dinner, beverages and conversation (optional) -Stick around after dinner for live disco band and Dancing (optional) **Time and Location: Where to meet us?** We will meet at out front of **Smoke Show** **744 Mt. Pleasant Rd)** \*Arrive early if you like (however we will meet out front at **3:00 p.m. (we will wait for everyone to arrive until roughly 3:30 p.m.)** This will give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves as everyone arrives; then make our way on our small adventure through quieter and more natural parts of the city we don't usually get to see. More details below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) **Event Details:** **Saturday Nature and Neighbourhood Walk! (Dinner Party, Live Disco Band, Dancing)** -A great event planned as we explore Parks, Trails, Cafes and beautiful Neighbourhoods with cool sites to see -During the walk we will stop and rest at different spots, bathroom breaks, take some lovely scenic photos, group photos and share some laughs together -Play a couple ice breaker games near the beginning of the walk as well to help us get to know one another \*This event is a great way to naturally make connections, get some fresh air, exercise and (re) connect with some wonderful people **Bonus after our Leisure Nature and Neighbourhood Walk:** \*Stick around after the walk for a fun Saturday evening gathering at an iconic venue with Reserved Seating, Great Menu, Beverages, Mingling, Live Band and Dancing! **Event Fee:** 10 dollars (cash only) when you arrive (HST is included) or e transfer in advance to Steveflemming11@gmail.com \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Time and Location: Where to meet us?** **Date:** Saturday June 20th We will meet at out front of **Smoke Show** **744 Mt. Pleasant Rd)** \*Arrive early if you like (however we will meet out front at **3:00 p.m. (we will wait for everyone to arrive until roughly 3:30 p.m.)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ***Thanks for reading everyone, remember to RSVP and see you real soon!*** :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

\*\***The Toronto History Walks Explorer Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com** **for more information or for signing up!\*\*** \*\* **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com** **This tour is hosted by the most evil creature that ever walked the earth, Jack the Ripper. This is his event so tread lightly if you know what is good for you. One day only, one event! Need I say more!** Haunted Toronto. Indeed. Scary stories of old York. Bloody York. Murder and mayhem. And at this time of year, when the sun is at the highest point the devils come a knocking. At night when the chill cools the blood, and the summer days seem endless stories of the truly brutal emerge. And this walk is like no other. Tales of hauntings from the U of T, Hospital Row, and the Financial District make this a spooky event for all. Come and enjoy the walk, if you survive that is! This walking tour is for all fitness levels and skills. Please dress for the weather. This walking tour begins at the Queen's Park SUBWAY Station at the southwest corner of University Avenue and College Street in front of the **Tim Horton's Cafe.** **There are only 30 spaces for this tour!** This tour has a ticket price of $15.00 per person. Get your tickets now while you still have the chance. \*\* **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com**

Hi everyone! We're doing an afternoon sketching hangout at the MaRS Building food court tables- Enter MaRS from Collage Street where the statue of two men are sitting by the glass doors. Turn left and head down the escalator. Turn left at the bottom of the escalator and head down the hall past another escalator and Foosball table the event will be held at the far end of the food court. **First time meeting us and still not sure about the vibe?** Check out photos from **[past in-person events of 2023](https://www.meetup.com/artsrecto/photos/34212927/)** Please bring your art supplies. Digital tablet, dry mediums, watercolour set, really anything that doesn't smell and is non toxic and easy to clean up. Please be considerate and leave the space as clean as it was before. Feel free to grab a drink or snack if you'd like. *Note the food court is closed but there are a couple of coffee shops in the area at street level. **Where to meet exactly?** MaRS Discovery District at 2pm **How to get there?** \- Public transit \- get off at Queens Park subway station\, walk East along Collage you should see glass doors with a statue of two men sitting at a table outside\. Instructions stated above Looking forward to meeting you all :) ================ **Support This Group 🥰🤩** We hope you're enjoying the Arts & Rec events! If you'd like to give support, please consider making a small Ko-fi donation of $5-10 USD at [https://www.ko-fi.com/artsnrectoronto](https://www.ko-fi.com/artsnrectoronto.) . This helps cover meetup and miscellaneous expenses with hosting events! For more inquiries, please PM me for more info! Thank you all so much!

Struggling with motivation and focus as you hammer away on your manuscript at home? Want to join a community of writers as we embrace the joys and pains (mostly pains) of writing together? Bring your laptop, pen & paper, old-school typewriter, or futuristic writing gadget, and join an enthusiastic community of science fiction and fantasy writers as we work on our current projects in the same space. The format will be similar to our online writing sprints: 30-minute blocks of focused, quiet writing time (the sprints), interspersed with breaks where we can chat, ask questions, and share our writing experiences.

We are now at **Yonge Sheppard Centre** in the **food court** near **Dazzle Mi**. We start a bit past 1pm, so if you're late, please find a seat and start writing -- we'd love to hear about your story or your day -- afterwards. :) **Coworking for writers in your area!** Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://shutupwrite.com) **Travel / Parking info:** Public Transit: 1. Take the TTC subway to Sheppard-Yonge Station. 2. Use the Yonge St. Sheppard Ave exit **Driving & Parking:** Parking Entrance to Yonge Sheppard Centre is located on Greenfield Avenue and Doris Avenue. Accessible parking is available on P1, P3 and Concourse. Be sure to check for parking limits or fees. **Location:** We gather around the tables in the food court near **Dazzel Mi**. If you spot a group of people with laptops out, that’s probably us! **RSVP:** Please do RSVP. But be advised that seating is first-come, first-served, even if you have RSVP'd. Seats are not reserved and we can't control how many other people are in the cafe. **SCHEDULE:** 12:45 to 1:15 PM: Arrive and get settled in -- come in early if you want to get lunch. 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Write in silence for an hour. \*\*If you arrive after 1:15, please silently find your own place to sit. We'll welcome you to join the group at 2:15.\*\* 2:15 PM: Introduce yourself. We'll go in a circle; just say your name and 1–2 sentences about what you're writing. (E.g., "I'm Rudolph and I'm writing a non-fiction book about red-nosed reindeer.") 2:20 PM onwards: Chat, hang out, keep writing if you want, leave whenever.

On **Sunday June 21st,** **see the final ballet of the Season - Maddaddam, a joint effort with The Royal Ballet in the UK!** To experience *MADDADDAM* is to be immersed in the imagination and unflinching moral acuity of Canada’s Margaret Atwood on subjects of rampant technological experimentation, colonialism and greed. Wayne McGregor’s 2022 co-production with The Royal Ballet brings Atwood’s post-apocalyptic MaddAddam trilogy to life, exploring themes of extinction and invention, hubris and humanity, spliced together with Atwood’s signature activism and connection to Canada. Scored by one of the greatest living composers, Max Richter, *MADDADDAM* is an unforgettable production for our time. My seat is Ring 3, Row C seat 321 and I hope there may be some takers. **Purchase Maddaddam on Sunday June 21st at 2pm.** **COST** Regular: $56 - 264 includes taxes and fees. Rush: A limited number of tickets will go on sale at 11:00am on the day of the performance, subject to availability. Discounts vary per performance. Rush tickets are limited to two per person and can be purchased over the phone at 416 345 9595 or in person at the Four Seasons Centre Box Office, 145 Queen Street West. Meetup fee: $5 Ticket Policy: Sales are final and non-refundable. **SIGNING-UP** * **Simply RSVP Yes, [purchase](https://my.ballet.ca/3197/3206) your ticket and post your seat number and I will move you to attending.** * If you plan to buy RUSH, please state that in your RSVP, so I can include you in the pre-mail and we can meet you. * RSVPs close 1 day prior, and cancellations after will result in a No Show and impact future attendance. * A reminder will go out the day before with my cell and details when to meet, etc. ‐‐----‐----‐‐-------------‐----------- **MEETUP TIME** **Meet me at 1:45pm** **along the right glass wall, after scanning your tickets and entering The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts at 145 Queen St. W.** **Ballet start time: 2pm** Length: 2 hours 25 mins (incl. 2 intermissions) Enjoy and please post your Comments after!

Hello everyone, **\*\*Kindly Read Carefully\*\*** Please join me and my other groups for a wonderful leisure nature walk along the **Humber River** meeting out front of **Old Mill Station and Bloor.** A beautiful, breathtaking walk for all nature enthusiasts. We will meet at the Corner of **Bloor Street W. and Old Mill Tr.** (North-East Corner) (Just outside of the **Old Mill subway station**) This will give us an opportunity to introduce ourselves as everyone arrives; then make our way down and along the Don River \***Street parking** found along Bloor Street- just west of our meeting spot \*We will most likely go for a bite to eat after too :) Event Details below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) Event Details: **HUMBER RIVER: (Nature Walk & Social Gathering)** (Meet Bloor & Old Mill Station) \*We can stop and rest at different spots along the way, take some photos and share some laughs \*Perhaps play a couple icebreaker games as well to help build some bonds \*This fun, leisure walk will be a great way to make some new connections, appreciate the nature in full bloom, get some fresh air and see the city from a wonderful new perspective :) *Walking of course is great for all of this but why not do it with a little friendly company too :)* \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Event Fee:** 10 dollars (cash only) when you arrive or e transfer in advance to **Steveflemming11@gmail.com** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Time and Location: Where to meet us?** \*Please arrive between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm (Do your best to arrive early instead of late gang- greatly appreciated) Let's meet at the corner of **Bloor Street W. and Old Mill Tr.** (North-East Corner) (Just a few meters outside of the **Old Mill subway station** towards Bloor. \*Plenty of parking along Bloor Street or simply take the subway \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- ***Thanks for reading everyone, remember to RSVP and see you real soon!*** :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

For June, we'll read the modern classic The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 294 pages First published in 1963 The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic.

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!

Welcome to Drunken Philosophy, a casual, curious, social discussion club. Come grab a drink and a seat at The Oracle. **Optional topic for this meetup: Where is everybody?** In 1950 the physicist Enrico Fermi was talking about aliens over lunch and asked a question that still has not gone away: if the universe is so vast and so old, and even a fraction of those billions of stars have planets, where is everyone? By the numbers the galaxy should be crowded with civilizations. Instead we look up and hear silence. That gap between "they should be everywhere" and "we see no one" is the Fermi Paradox. One of the most unsettling answers is the idea of a **Great Filter**: somewhere on the road from dead chemistry to a galaxy-spanning civilization, there is at least one step that is almost impossible to get past. Maybe the filter is behind us. Maybe life starting at all, or simple cells becoming complex, or intelligence ever evolving, is the freak accident, and we already cleared the hard part. Or maybe the filter is ahead of us, and advanced civilizations reliably wipe themselves out before they spread. Here is the part that messes with people. If we ever found life somewhere else, even pond scum on Mars, most people would call it the greatest discovery in history. But it might be the worst possible news. It would mean life is common, the early steps are easy, and the hard step is still in front of us. So the eerie silence overhead might actually be the best sign we could ask for. **Questions to wrestle with:** * Is it better to be alone? Would you rather we find alien life and learn we are not special, or find nothing and quietly improve our odds of surviving? * Where do you bet the filter sits, behind us or ahead of us, and why? * If it is ahead of us, what is it? Nuclear war, climate collapse, AI, something we cannot even picture yet? And can we do anything about a filter we cannot see coming? * Two principles pull opposite ways here. The principle of mediocrity (the Copernican principle, Sagan's "no privileged place in the universe") says we are ordinary, so what happened on Earth probably happened everywhere, which makes the silence scream louder. The anthropic principle says of course we find ourselves somewhere life was possible, since we could not observe anything else, so our being here may say almost nothing about how common life is. Which lens do you trust, and does the silence still demand an answer once you account for observer selection? * And if we did confirm life out there and had to accept we are not special, what would that do to belief in a higher power, and would shedding (or keeping) that belief help or hurt our odds of pulling together as one species? * Does any of this change how you live, or how humanity should be spending its time and money right now? As always the prompt is optional. Come for the conversation, stay for the drinks, and bring your own questions.