Come share your words in a supportive community of writers

Join us Thursday, October 17, at 6:30 pm in room 196 of the Straz bldg. at Carthage College. If you want to share your work, bring a short piece—no more than 4 pages—to share with the group. If possible, bring several copies so that we can see as well as hear your words. If you’re not quite ready to share, come anyway to observe and offer feedback on the on the work of others. Free and open to the public.

Spring fever? Writing slump? Downright stuck? Join us Thursday, June 13, for five fun exercises guaranteed to fire up your imagination. This FREE workshop starts at 6:30 pm in room 196 in the Straz bldg. at Carthage College. All writers and wannabe writers welcome!

Our next IDC is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, 6:30 – 9:00 pm.

Deadline for submission  is midnight, May 2.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Word document, sent as attachment
• Word limit is 5000 words
• Double spaced, 12 pt., Courier or Times New Roman font, pages numbered
• Include your name and address and title of the piece at the top of the first page and include what form the piece is (short story, novel excerpt, poem, etc.)
• Email submission to:  djgourgoux@gmail.com by midnight, May 2
• Work may be fiction, non-fiction, essay, play, or poetry. If the piece exceeds the word limit, please submit an excerpt in keeping with the word limit and provide a brief synopsis of what the reader needs to know.

MEETING FORMAT:

At the meeting, the author reads a page to a page and a half of the piece. The critique format consists of 3 rounds.

Round 1:  participants point out what’s working in the piece and what they especially liked.

Round 2:  participants may ask questions and comment on problematical areas. The author does not comment or reply during the first two rounds.

Round 3:  the author answers and/or asks questions and may comment on the feedback received.

Participants may print out and write their comments on the submissions, or bring their laptops with pieces downloaded an provide verbal critiques.

 

Join us Thursday, April 11, for a fiction writing workshop presented by published writers Joe Engel and Dave Gourdoux. The workshop, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, will take place in room 196 of the Straz bldg. at Carthage College. It’s free and open to anyone interested in writing fiction.

Will be signing copies of his book at Barbara’s Bookstore on March 16.

• Where:  Barbara’s Bookstore on the 1st floor of Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, IL.
• When:  2-6 pm

This collection of short quirky stories will keep you laughing. Come over to Barbara’s and you’ll be supporting a local author and a great bookstore.

TJ Morris, author of Blood Is Thicker Than Color, will read from her work at around 7:30 pm at International Women’s Day @ the Space, Friday, March 8.

The event takes place at Kenosha Creative Space, 624 57th St., from 5 till midnight. There will be a panel discussion, author readings, and books by, for, and about women for sale. Cash bar and snacks will be available.

Come on out and support one of our own!

 

Our next IDC is scheduled for Thursday, March 14, 6:30 – 9:00 pm. Deadline for submission of up to 4000 words is a week prior to the meeting.  (Members will receive an email from Dave Gourdoux with date of deadline. Others, please email Dave. See SUBMISSION GUIDELINES below.) Work may be fiction, non-fiction, essay, play, or poetry. If the piece exceeds the word limit , please submit an excerpt in keeping with the word limit and provide a brief synopsis of what the reader needs to know.

All submissions will be emailed to participants about a week or so before the meeting. At the meeting, the author reads a page to a page and a half of the piece. The critique format consists of 3 rounds.

1st round:  participants point out what’s working in the piece and what they especially liked.

2nd round:  participants may ask questions and comment on problematical areas. The author does not comment or reply during the first two rounds.

3rd round:  the author answers and/or ask questions, and may comment on the feedback received.

Participants may print out and write their comments on submissions, or bring their laptops with pieces downloaded and provide verbal critiques.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Word Document, sent as attachment
• Double spaced, 12 pt., Courier font, pages numbered
• Include your name and title at the top of the first page, and include what form the piece is (short story, novel excerpt, poem, etc.)
• Send work to Dave Gourdoux:  djgourdoux@gmail.com

 

 

 

1. Join us on Thursday, February 14th, for a workshop conducted by the KWG’s very own psychotherapist, the Notorious Doctor Payne.  Bring the characters you are working with in your writing and have them spend some time on the good doctor’s couch. In the process, you will learn how to make your characters more believable, and come to understand some of the reasons they’re behaving like they are.

The Doctor has asked that you fill out the questions below for each character you’d like to analyze (and no insurance cards are required!)

It would help me to analyze your story’s character and you to know her/him better if we look at his/her feelings, thinking, attitudes, and fears.

The questions below give some suggestions for bringing out those characteristics. Not all are important, but some are. Write your statements on this questionnaire, and I’ll use your observations to reveal more about your character.

 

1) What complaints does your character make?

 

 

2) What is your character worried/anxious about?

 

 

3) Has your character had any significant traumas (e.g. hospitalization, imprisonment, time in a mental institution, live with a writer.)

 

 

4) Experienced any significant loss?

 

 

5) What thing/person is he/she attracted to?

 

 

6) Is she/he empathic or more self-absorbed?

 

 

7) What does your character want?

 

 

8) Does your character argue for/against any particular political view or religion?

 

 

9) Any conflicts, crises, challenges, internal or external?

 

 

10) What is your character’s gender, age; who does he/she live with?

 

 

11) What do you question or not understand about your character?