Minutes for July

Date : Thursday 21st July
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Apologies: Michele, Chantal, Jane, Rina, Adrian, Hilary and Dilys (via Elizabeth)
Apologies if I've missed anyone.

2. Introductions.

3. Notices. Chester Literature Festival Event. Everything is booked for 20th October. Plea for book stand and microphone kindly promised by Ravi.

4. Readings.

5. Homework: Eating. Observe someone you know eating. Describe this in detail trying to evoke character. Now transpose this person to another time and describe again, exaggerating the character. What changes?

6. AOB. Next meeting August 18th, 7.45pm The Custom House.
Next Social 8.00pm 4th August (generally 1st Thursday) in the Brewery Tap. (TBC by Adrian).

Agenda for July

Date : Thursday 21st July
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

Chester Literature Festival Event.

2. Readings.

3. Homework:

4. AOB. Next meeting August 18th, 7.45pm The Custom House.

Minutes for June

Date : Thursday 16th June
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

A. Literature Festival programme: Bull and Stirrup Thursday 20th October.

We decided to charge an admission of £3.00 and £2.00 concessions and have an 'open mic' session at the end.

14 people have confirmed they would be willing to read, and 2 more might - so it should be a good programme.

B. Competitions and events.

(i) a drama writing workshop at the Forum Theatre.

(ii) Manchester Lit Fest Short Story Competition.

(iii) Crime Novel Competition.

2. Warm up session.

Think of an occupation.

Write down the skills essential to that occupation (on one side of paper). On the other side write the opposite.

Now make up a character that has three of the 'opposite' characteristics and write a paragraph describing your character doing his work but exhibiting one of those characteristics.

3. Readings.

4. Homework: extend the piece above.

5. AOB. Next meeting July 21st.

Agenda for June

Date : Thursday 16th June
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

Literature Festival programme.

Competitions and events.

2. Warm up session.

3. Readings.

4. Homework:

5. AOB. Next meeting July 21st.

Minutes for May

Date : Thursday 19th May
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

a) The Literature Festival.

Discussion of where, if and when

b) Readathon of the King James Bible as part of the Chester Lit Fest.

c) Die's Monster Makeover Short Story Competition

2) Readings.

3) Homework: Use a letter of complaint to evoke a character.

4) AOB. Next meeting June 16th.

Agenda for May

Date : Thursday 19th May
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

2. Readings.

3. Homework:

4. AOB. Next meeting June 16th.

Minutes for April

Date : Thursday 21st
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices. Apologies from Stanley, John, David, Dilys, Chantal, Annie and Jane.

Rina reminded everyone about the message from Jan about the Japanese Tsunami Fund benefit at the Little Theatre, and Ian passed on a message from Jan about Crime Author Cath Staincliffe's evening with the Chester Literature Friends on May 10th.

2. Warm up session.

Think of a setting. Somewhere idyllic.
Make a list of the things that make that place idyllic (one side of page).
Next to the list think about how each of those things could change to become unsettling or frightening.

3. Readings.

4. Homework: Write a piece from your unsettling ideas to evoke a frightening scenario. Make it build, then bring it down to something 'normal' again by revealing the underlying idyll.

5. AOB. Next meeting May 19th. Following a vote we decided to stay at The Custom House. Social on Thursday May 5th 8.00pm at the Brewery Tap.