What are the Writers Meetings/Workshops?

Each week I run a writers meeting and workshop. I really enjoy them, and if you’d like to write with me, you might wonder what they involve. Here’s me trying to explain what they are. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I’ll try to address them.

What happens? What’s the format.

We meet in a zoom room, or occasionally in real life.

The first hour is literally just a writers meeting. We meet, we write.

To unpack a little; usually we have a quick chat about what everyone’s working on, I give a prompt word or two for anyone who would like to use it, and then we just write quietly for twenty minutes, come back for a check-in and then repeat. For me, just having a time and place that I’ve committed to writing (or doing any kind of art, we’re not picky!) is really useful, and I wanted to offer it.

The second hour is the workshop. We workshop the work!

Specifically, we go round the ‘room’ and everyone (who wants to) can read, sing, speak an extract of their writing, show their artwork, or have someone else read it aloud for them. The person putting their work forward says what type of feedback they’re looking for (please be gentle / go hard / I’m looking for punchlines / does this image work? / here’s what I think I’m doing, is it coming across?) I give some thoughts. The rest of the room gives their thoughts, reactions, feedback, suggestions. Next!

One of the things I love so much about the workshops is that we have people working in all different genres and mediums and engaging with each others work makes us all better. The poets learn from the standups and the musical theatre writers pick stuff up from the science fiction writers.

There’s an Arthurian epic taking shape and we obsess about how accessible it is or should be. Sometimes we get into mildly competitive Haiku mode in the discord server discussions after the session. It’s fun. Or my idea of fun anyway!

Do I need to bring something?

No! You’re welcome to bring whatever you’re working on at the moment, or nothing at all. If you’re coming in with a blank page, or are stuck in the middle of something, I offer some prompt words in the writers meeting part, or you can always ask for an exercise if you want more structure.

Does it need to be good? Do I need to be a good writer?

No! The point of doing this is not to be good but to be doing, to take pleasure in the doing, to get better and more comfortable in doing the thing.

May I recommend The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry - it makes a really good argument for the incredible virtue of doing art badly for pleasure.

If you get something good out of the workshops that’s a wonderful bonus. If they’re a place that gives you an excuse to start or finish or edit something you’ve been putting off, that’s wonderful. It’s a really lovely space.

Salons, Writers Meetings and Workshops upcoming:

Wednesday 10 May 8:00am Sydney Time: Salon 111

Wednesday 10 May 8:00pm Sydney Time: Salon 112

Monday 15 May 7:30am Sydney Time: Writers Meeting/Workshop

Tuesday 16 May 8.30am Sydney Time: Salon 113

Tuesday 16 May 8.30pm Sydney Time: Salon 114

I’m taking the week of 17-22 May off, because we’ll be in Tokyo heading through to London. From the 23 May we will be back to regular salons and writers meetings AND there will be an addition to the slate of Things We Can Do on The Patreon Together, so stay tuned for that!

Xx

A