Hello everyone!
Just can't wait for November to get those writerly juices going? You're in luck!
A new creative writing group is starting up on Friday 10th October. It caters for writers of all abilities, from beginners to experts. It will be an exploration of writing in a relaxed atmosphere, through exercises, discussions and workshopping.
Here are the details:
Where: The American Bookstore, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane CBD
When: Friday 10th October, 5:30pm - 6:45pm
The group is free - all you need to bring is paper and a pen!
A little about me - I have a degree in creative writing and English literature, and I ran a creative writing group for a year in the UK. I moved to Brisbane earlier this year, and as I couldn't find another group in the area, decided to start up my own.
Everyone's welcome - I hope to see you there!
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~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
22,446 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 02 07
I will try and make it!
(I'm doing a creative writing degree this year - my first year! :D )
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
50,110 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 02 41
I have *always* wanted to be in a writing group! I'm so there!
22,446 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 17 16
Amending the above - I DEFINATELY will be there. :D
I'm so excited. I've never been in a CW group, so this should be awesome. Writers gathering... :D :D
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
50,188 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 17 34
What would you consider a lower-bound on age for involvement?
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 17 44
At the last group I had, I had people aged 16 up to 60+. :) Didn't have any problems with that.
I will be tailoring the group to the audience - if there are younger people there, then I'll try to keep things suitable for them. I'd say no younger than 15/16. Sometimes topics stray into adult circles, but I'm pretty careful about trying to keep things comfortable (and suitable) for everyone present.
What did you have in mind?
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
50,188 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 18 04
A bit younger than that... but never mind.
I myself would come to the group if it were more local and later in the evening. Early Friday evening competes very strongly with general family life.
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 18 26
I did want to run it later (and on a non-Friday weeknight), but sadly the bookstore is only open late on Fridays, and by 'late' they mean until 7pm. We work with what we have! :)
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
50,147 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 19 14
Hmm, interesting. I may or may not make it. Depends on how adventurous I'm feeling on Friday.
22,446 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 19 44
I reckon we could find something that is open later... like libraries!
Looking it up now... The State Library at South Brisbane - open until 8pm. And most of the other libraries are only open until 8pm (on some nights).
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 19 57
I am keeping an eye out for alternative venues! Suggestions welcome. :)
The State Library is a good idea, but their free rooms only seat 4-6 people. I'm expecting at least twice that (and that's just for the first meeting!). For a ballpark, the space would need to easily seat 15-20 people. SLQ's hired rooms are bigger, but I don't want to have to charge for the group - I want it as free and relaxed as possible.
I've checked out a few of the bookstores in the CBD; the American Bookstore won on space and freeness. However, if anyone comes across a place open late enough on a weekday who won't mind a group of noisy writers, let me know and I'll happily look into it! :)
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
11,345 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 23 56
I might be interested, but not in october. Uni is hitting a climax.
50,586 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2008 - 02 01
It has been way too long since I last wandered around the American Bookstore -- mostly because they are never open at the times I'm in the city... :(
Must make an effort to call in there again sometime before the end of the year...
----------2005 to 2007 - The Array Wars Trilogy!
2008 - Half Life Zero: No Life
50,085 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2008 - 03 21
I'd love to go, but Friday the 10th is bad for me. Is there going to be a refresher at a later date?
How often are you thinking of running these? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Monthly?
Someone mentioned Uni before- how about at UQ? The library stays open late (as I recall) and there is the Wordsmiths' Cafe which, as the name might suggest, could welcome students. Or perhaps one of the other unis closer to the city?
V
----------... As fortold by prophesy.
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 7, 2008 - 15 07
Whoops, forgot to mention that in the original post. The group meets monthly, on the second Friday. This Friday's meeting is the first one.
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 02 34
2 questions...is it nessasary or beneficial to bring a laptop and also do u or n e 1 know if qut gardens point is easily accesable from there cause i have a concert to go to there at 7.30.....
cause id love to come......ive never had the oportunity to do this before....yay lol
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
9,075 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 03 26
Very interested, but I'm in the same boat as tobytoby. Uni stuff is keeping me busy til at least the first week of November. But I support a move to the UQ library! :D Or the cafés, they're nice too, including Wordies.
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 15 11
Princess de: You can bring a laptop if you want! I always suggest at least a pen and paper - if you prefer a laptop, that's up to you. I do plan to get us writing in the session (short pieces), so whatever floats your boat. :)
Not sure where the QUT Gardens Point is, so can't help you with that - Elizabeth Street is only a short walk from Central Station if you need to hop a train over the river (unless you mean the Botanical Gardens? In which case, it's pretty close). If you need to leave early, no worries, you're welcome come along for as much as you can.
For those with commitments this month - the group will be meeting every month, so feel free to come along to the next one (14th November).
Thanks for the suggestions of other venues! I will definitely look into those, probably after the NaNo craziness has faded. ;)
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
22,446 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 17 45
I don't think it'd be too hard to get to Gardens Point... have you looked on Google Maps?
(I usually walk across the Goodwill bridge to get to GP, but that means getting off at Southbank...)
----------07: ... *fails*
08: Twisted Fate (genre: YA spec fic)
The Writey Ducks! (TEAM 3)
50,147 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 19 54
It's very easy to get to QUT from there. Just walk up Albert Street or George Street. QUT has a ridiculously good location, and I'm jealous :(
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 20 27
hey thanks i think ill bring a laptop and a notebook depending what i can carry to school.....thanx everyone for directions to qut....it is the one near botanical gardens....i think i found a bus that goes there from the bus stop on elizibeth st but does anyoneknow where that busstop is....is it anywhere near the american bookstore that we will be at....im just trying to plan it all out cause hmmm...a 17 yr old girl walking aloe in the city in the dark lol....but im im still looking forward to it.....and im trying to get my friend shane to come he wants to know if instead of stories he could do like screenplays i told him i would ask cause its like the same typeof thing...lol...but if n e one knows about the bus stop on elizibeth st let me know!!!!! :)
xoxoxoxo de
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 12
It's not far from Elizabeth Street, and the bus stops are close to the bookstore. I can walk you down to the gardens before I head home, if you need me to.
Screenplays are fine! The exercises I have for the meetings are good for any kind of writer, and the discussions will tend to stray across subjects useful for storytellers of any stripe. I've workshopped screenplays before, so if he wants to submit stuff to the group, that's fine too.
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 28
hey that would be awesome if you would walk me to the botanical gardens ay but i dont want to cause u any trouble...if its easier you could just show me where the bus stop is on elizibeth street the on where the 202 bus goes to.....unless u are going towards the gardens but yeah i just dont want to be a hastle
xoxo de
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 40
I'll be at the store early to set up (5:15pm or so), so grab me before we get started and we'll work it out then. :)
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 42
ok sweet thankyou...look forward to seeing you tomorrow...
xoxo de
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 43
by the way...is your name kess or is it short for something?
xoxo de
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 53
My name's Mel. :) Kess is the name of a character I've been writing about for... 8 years now. It's the one I tend to use online most (I almost never use my real name online).
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 21 56
sweet...just wanted to know so when i arrive i know who im looking for lol....how many people u think are coming???
xoxo de
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
68,078 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 22 05
Hard to say! Should be a good-sized group - roughly a dozen, I'm guessing. I'm trying not to think about it too much, or I'll just get all nervous. ;)
I'll be the brunette in the red pants looking all harried and clueless. ;) Easy to spot!
----------~Mel
co-ML for Brisbane, Australia
Captain of the Purple Ninja Nightowls (of Death)
2007 - Queen of Diamonds
2008 - Shuriken
5,002 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 22 13
hehe im not sure what ill be wearing yet ay lol i have to change from my school uniform though so i may be wearing my senior jersey still...it has my name on the back...and there is a pic of me on my nano author page thing....hehe it will be good to get to know evveryone and btw are u coming to the kop?????
xoxo de
----------xoxo princess de xoxo
50,188 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2008 - 22 25
Looks like I may be able to come after all! Will probably bring my laptop rather than paper/pen as it is easier on my wrists to type than it is to write. Hope to see y'all there!