2018 Meetings
- Jan 13 Journey meeting at Woodridge noon-4 pm
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- Intro to the Journey
- Editing Path kick-off (Sam M)
- Kira’s online Critiquing Path
- Storyboarding workshop (Sam B)
- Journey tools (Tim)
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- Feb 10 Journey meeting at Woodridge noon-4 pm
- Workshop on Screenplay Story Structure – CJ Powers
- Word Loss Diet – a review of methods for quick editing – Tanasha
- Feb 17 Shakespeare Reader’s Theatre at Woodridge 1-3 pm – King Lear
- Mar 10 Journey meeting at Woodridge noon-4 pm
- Emotion workshop – Kira Swanson
- writing, editing and submitting a flash fiction piece (500 words or less) – Jenny Johnson
- Apr 14 Journey meeting at Woodridge noon-4 pm
- Scrivener workshop – Kira Swanson + Catherine Brennan
- How to use LaTeX in book publishing – Tim Yao
- May 12 Journey meeting at Woodridge noon-4 pm
- TBD
- Jun 9 Journey meeting at GEPL 11:30-3:30 pm
- Poetry workshop – Tanasha Martin, Tim Yao and Diana Schmuckal – A fun overview of poetry with some exercises to get people writing their own poems.
- Dialogue workshop – Daniel McCullough – A look at what makes dialogue work, how it can be used to advance story and character, and some tips for writing dialogue
- Jun 16 Writer’s Voice workshop at Woodridge, 1-4 pm
- Sep 8 Journey meeting at GEPL 11:30-3:30 pm
- Worldbuilding around Death, Dying and the Afterlife – Anna Gabrielli
- Novel query / pitch packet – Jenny Johnson?
Writing Journey general meetings
The Writing Journey is the year-round writing group associated with the Naperville region of National Novel Writing Month that serves the cities and suburbs west of Chicago. As an a la carte writing group, it encourages participants to share their knowledge and experiences through collaborative workshops and writing-related Paths which can cover writing, editing, critiquing, short story anthologies, poetry, social activities and more. All of its events and activities are free; everyone is welcome. There are monthly meetings January through June and in September; check the schedule at writingjourney.org/events for logistics and details on topics.
Shakespeare Reader’s Theatre – February 17, 2017
The works of William Shakespeare are beautifully written but many aren’t aware of how much fun they are to read and to act. The Writing Journey, the writing group associated with the Naperville region of National Novel Writing Month, has scheduled a session in the Woodridge Public Library Feb 17, 2018 for folks to come out to read-through (no memorization required!) one of Shakespeare’s works. Everyone old enough to read Shakespeare is welcome to join us–everyone present will have at least some part in the work (and maybe two or three parts 😉 ). No experience or preparation is needed though it can be helpful to watch some of the free performances of the plays beforehand. To see the play selected for this reading, please see writingjourney.org/events
What do you need to bring? A book or e-book (many are available online or free) of the Shakespeare play we will be performing. If you have a tablet or e-book reader, this works very well. The library also has many Shakespeare books that can be checked out.
What should you expect? Reading Shakespeare and acting out scenes is a lot of fun (and sometimes funny). This is a great way to spend an afternoon stretching your boundaries a little and making new friends. Recharge your creative batteries by trying something that Joss Whedon does with his friends.
The Writing Journey Writer’s Voice Workshop – June 16, 2018
Your writer’s voice is the distinctive quality of your writing that characterizes it in the minds of those who read your works. Readers fall in love with their favorite authors’ writing voice and seek out their books. Becoming aware of your own writing voice is a helpful step towards mastering the craft of writing. This free three-hour workshop held at the Woodridge Public Library is designed to help you understand what your writer’s voice is. Registration is required; participation is limited to 18 people. Participants should bring paper and pen and/or their laptop computer as there will be writing exercises. A second session may be scheduled if there is sufficient interest.