Programme

Programme 2020

At evening sessions we work on a topic - each member writing a piece.  Members read out their work (if they wish) and then we discuss each other's contributions in a positive manner. Occasionally we have evenings where material is prepared in advance, allowing us to share longer pieces.

16 January

WORKSHOP: Sing a Song – Wrong! Everyone brings one line from a song of their choosing or a line that is misremembered from a song and we use them to inspire either a short story or a character piece. (Phil will also bring some spares)

20 February

PREPARE BEFOREHAND

CRITICS NIGHT: (Feisty) Story time: Write a story, dialogue or poem that starts with one of the following opening lines of combative dialogue: “Why didn’t you call me”; “A glass of tap water would have been fine”; “I know they’ve all been lying to you about me”; “You know what? I really don’t care”

19 March - VIRTUAL MEETING

WORKSHOP: Pass the Book:  Take three sentences that Julie and Phil have chosen from books they've been recently reading. One's the first sentence from a book, one's the last sentence from a different book and one's from the middle of yet another book. Use all three sentences in whatever you write, in whatever way you see fit.

16 April - VIRTUAL MEETING

WORKSHOP: Royston Arts Festival: A Question of Balance: This year's RAF theme (in September 2020) is "A Question of Balance" - with a focus on wellbeing through balancing the different priorities in our lives. Write a short story, poem, essay etc. with the theme of "A Question of Balance"

21 May - VIRTUAL MEETING

7.00-10.00

A.G.M.: 7.00-8.00pm POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

WORKSHOP: New Ways of Telling: In the past some novels were written as letters, diaries, telegrams etc (e.g. Frankenstein, Dracula). Tell a story using either only emails, texts, tweets etc.

18 June - VIRTUAL MEETING

WORKSHOP: Seven is the Magic Number: On the night you will answer 7 questions, your answers will be incorporated in your writing for the night

16 July - SOCIALLY DISTANCED MEETING IN THE PARK

WORKSHOP: Horoscope: take any of the twelve horoscope forecasts (supplied on the night) as a basis for a character description, or a short story about a person

tbc August - SADLY CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

SOCIAL EVENING: To be arranged by a willing volunteer. Likely to involve a trip to the pub.

17 September - VIRTUAL MEETING

WORKSHOP: Read All About It: You will be supplied with a selection of ten recent (genuine) headlines from a variety of newspapers.  Take one (or, if you're feeling brave, combine two or more) as the inspiration for a short story or poem.

15 October - VIRTUAL MEETING

PREPARE BEFOREHAND

CRITICS NIGHT: Alphabet Challenge: Write a story by starting each sentence with a different letter of the alphabet. You must use all 26 letters from A to Z to begin the first word in each of the first 26 sentences of your tale.

19 November - VIRTUAL MEETING

WORKSHOP: Desert Island Dreaming: Imagine you are marooned on a deserted island with any person you want. Now write a short scene five hours after you are both shipwrecked, another scene after five weeks and finally one after five years!

3 December - SADLY CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

CHRISTMAS SOCIAL EVENING: Details tbc.

10 December - VIRTUAL MEETING

WORKSHOP: Reshaping: Rewrite a traditional myth, legend or fairy story as a tabloid news story