Category Archives: Meetings

Eurobodalla Writers’ Program July to Dec 2017

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July 19:            Drabble: The puzzle/tragic

Topic: Blue Silk Pyjamas Or An adventure set in a suburban street (A character has a distinctive mannerism)

Aug 2:              Drabble: The door/imaginary

Topic: Afternoons and Coffeespoons

Or        An ordinary everyday scene that has one disturbing element

Aug 16:            Drabble: Fox/wide

Topic:  Leunig cartoon as stimulus

Or        Catch a train that takes you into a strange land (A character experiences pain)

Sept 6:             Drabble: Flies/thoughtful

Topic: Shame on the dance floor Or I am the sum of my scars (A full moon features)

Sept 20:           On-the-spot writing: response to a random line from a book

Oct 4:              Drabble: Advice/wrecked

Topic: A Letter: We could have had it all Or Lily was here (Someone cries tears)

Oct 16:            Drabble: Moon/frozen

Topic:  I danced the tango with a murderer Or How Dare You! (A photograph is significant)

Nov 1:             Drabble: The Bridge/obsessive

Topic: Ride the River Or After Midnight (A secret is exposed)

Nov 15:           Excursion to member’s home

Dec 6:              Xmas Party

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The First Quarter 2017

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The Eurobodalla Writers’ website has been updated.

Chris Andrew’s recent workshop on story structure was a success with lots of ideas discussed, explanations on how to focus on what is important in an emerging story, difference between theme and plot and 30sec opportunity to promote your book – what you say could result in rejection of your manuscript or no book sales or be the winning phrase resulting in success. The day-time group who are planning on writing a collaborative story were enthusiastic in using the opportunity to further develop the storyline and how different writer voices might come together in the one novella.

Eurobodalla Writers has some vacancies in both the day and night-time writing groups. We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in writing but haven’t done anything since school; you dabble with a bit of poetry; ready to start your 1st or 5th novel; or if you would just like to be part of a group of creative women and men who enjoy a good word or two. No experience necessary, come along to a meeting and have some fun.

EWG FAW PROGRAM to June 2017

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EWG FAW PROGRAM  to June 2017

‘Drabble’: short story of exactly 100 words (excl Title), theme/emotion or key point to include; ‘Topic’: short story up to 1000 words; Poems – choose ‘drabble’ or ‘topic’ theme (no set word count)

Mar 1:             Excursion to member’s home (financial FAW members only)

Mar 15:           Drabble: The Concert/aromatic  Topic: Find an emotion in this extract from TS Eliot’s ‘Burnt Norton’ and write to it –

‘At the still point of the turning world, Neither flesh nor fleshless There the dance lies

Do not ask me where I’ve been  I only know I’ve been there, at the still point.’  Or       Dreams of Home (Water features in your story)

April 5:            Drabble: Hiccups/romantic   Topic: Monologue:      A Soap-box Speech about a Pet Hate   Or        The time I got into a bar fight (Use smell and touch)

April 19:          Out-sourced workshop (Chris Andrews’ Story and Structure)

Open to members and the general public – contact EWG for further detail register for this workshop

May 3:             Writing Challenge: Group novel – Topic TBA. Separate to program. *

May 17:           Drabble: The Present/ghostly  Topic:  The Cello

To tell you the truth  I never wanted to be   A cello.   When I was wood   I had my own song

 Write the tree’s song as a Ballad or Free Verse   Or  Alley Cat (Use an Antagonist to develop your story)

June 7  :           Drabble: Time/trembling   Topic: The Waiting Room (A red beret features)

Or        Dialogue between a confirmed criminal and someone with criminal intent

starting with –

A:                                                                     B: I’m sorry

A:                                                                     B: I know, I’m sorry

A:                                                                     B: I’ll come up

A:                                                                     B: No, It was my fault.

June 21:           Drabble: False Alarm/empty    Topic:  Memoir: Write about a time when you were frightened or angry or embarrassed  Or  Write the transcript for a completely chaotic newscast

Welcome to 2017

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Eurobodalla Writers Group’s first daytime meeting of the year trialed a new format, especially reducing the amount of time spent on admin. After reading our stories on the day’s theme and comments given, we even managed (with optional participation) a new aspect – what inspired your writing.

What’s ahead for the day-time Group (1st & 3rd Wed)? A big year of writing is planned including a group project, along with workshops, excursions. New members are always welcome.

You’d like to come along but can’t write, or you’re not sure if you can write but you’ve always wanted to do so? Don’t worry no writing experience necessary. The year’s topics are given in advance. Short stories – all genre. Differing styles – some humorous, others sombre, some mainly dialogue, fact or fiction, 100 words or up to 1000 it’s your choice; or you might be drawn to poetry – topics are given for those also.

The night-time Group (3rd Tuesday) will recommence in February. This Group is mainly for people who are writing or wish to write a book and constructive comment (critique) is a major part of this group. Encouragement, motivation, ideas, and much more has been the hallmark of the productive group since 2013. Proficiency varies from learning to write a novel (fact or fiction), collating notes and putting them into a readable format to multi-published authors. All different genre. Interested? New people are welcome.

Please contact us for further detail on either group.

Happy writing … and reading.

Eurobodalla Writers’ 2016 reflection

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Writing is supposed to be about letters on a page, but sometimes it’s about numbers. The number of words needed for a story or an article. The number of days to make the deadline. The number of writing accomplishments. The number of sleeps until the end of the year.

As 2016 gears down and the bells toll for 2017, the Eurobodalla writers will be able to look back on their achievements with happiness and pride. Cat Sheely and Marisol Dunham, committee members of the Canberra based speculative fiction convention Conflux, helped orchestrate an event that gets bigger and better each year. Anke Ziergiebel and Debbie Richardson were successful in their pitching sessions to Harper Collins at Conflux 2016 and Cat Sheely successfully pitched to literary agent Alex Adsett. Suzanne Newnham will publish an article based on her family history in the BORAL News, and she’s being interviewed for a Masters in Investigative Journalism thesis based on her psychic reading ethics. She also writes a monthly health column on chronic pain in an international e-magazine. Five of our writers – Cassandra Webb, Debbie Richardson, Stafford Ray, Rhonda Casey, Rosie Toth – held court at the Batemans Bay Writers Festival in September to a room of local and visiting readers. Stafford Ray toured libraries up and down the coast with his novels in tow and the conviction of Charles Dickens. The Moruya Library co-hosted two literary salons where our authors read from published and unpublished works to a full capacity turnout of local literary lovers. We even had a successful fiction author from New York in the audience! The members of the night group wrote, edited, designed, and published a speculative fiction short story.

So as we raise our glasses to toast to our successes past, present, and future, let us take one last look at our To Do list and pat ourselves on the back for all we have achieved and all we are yet to achieve.

Words churned, pages turned. Poets delighted, authors ignited. Literature ruled, authors schooled. Writers met, deadlines set. 2016 was a great year. And it won’t be the last of its kind.

The ‘writers’ live on the Eurobodalla coast of NSW. They meet at the Mackay Centre in Moruya. The day group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month from 10.30am to 2.30pm and new members are welcome. Please contact Rosie on 0437 627 756 or you may show up on the day. The night group meets the third Tuesday of each month from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and new members are welcome. Please contact Louise on 4474 5771. Check the website for any changes to dates or meeting venue www.eurobodallawriters.org.

Our last meetings for 2016 will be Christmas celebrations in early December. Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas, and joyous religious, spiritual and holiday celebrations. Safe travelling and see you in 2017 with pens and typing fingers at the ready.