Minutes for December

Date : Thursday 15th December
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Old Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

Apologies: Chantal, Jim, Stanley, David Atkinson, Ian Edmonds, Jenny, Ravi, Die, Michele and Anita.

Discussion on Midsummer event - decided to take part in the Castle Park Arts Centre event in Frodsham: theme Midsummer Night’s Dream on Thursday 21st June 6pm to 10pm.

2. Warm-up session. What is the last good film or drama you saw on the TV? Describe, in one sentence, one of the characters in the film. What was the main important thing that happened to him? How did he change?

3. Readings.

4. Homework: Taking the character from the film again (from warm-up session above) put him in another film - it can be as dissimilar or similar from the first film as you like. Maybe you could use a film someone else has described. Describe what happens to him now. Maybe write as a film script (i.e. dialogue and brief scene descriptions).

5. Next meeting at The Boot on Eastgate Row at 7.45pm on Thursday 19th January 2012.

Agenda for December

Date : Thursday 15th December
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Old Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

2. Warm-up session.

3. Readings.

4. Homework:

5. AOB.

Minutes for November

Date : Thursday 17th November
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

Apologies: David H, David A, Clive, Lizzie and Rina.

Profit from festival (after deductions for room hire and printing) £15.00.

We decided to meet in December at the Old Custom House.

2. Readings.

3. Homework: Finish one of these sentences in an unusual way:

There was something weird about Catherine's cat; it was...

The wind blew like...

The place reminded me of my old school; it had...

Then go on to write the rest.

5. Next meeting Thursday December 15th 7.45pm

Agenda for November

Date : Thursday 17th November
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

2. Quick report on Chester Literature Festival

3. Readings.

4. Homework:

5. AOB.

Performance Evening in Literature Festival

Date : Thursday 20th October
Time 7.30pm
Place: Bull and Stirrup, Northgate Street (first floor)

This is in lieu of the usual meeting which is cancelled for October.

Next full meeting on November 17th 7.45pm at the Old Custom House (usual place).

Minutes for September

Date : Thursday 15th September
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

Heswall Festival. George H is performing in the Heswall Fest on 20th October at 3.30pm in the Glegg Arms.

Added later: Bluecoat LitFest Liverpool details supplied by Adrian.

2. Practice for Chester Literature Festival. Following much discussion 13 members confirmed that they had pieces of the required length to read. New members also invited to perform and will let Clare know this week.

3. Readings.

4. Homework: None set this month due to LitFest

5. AOB.

Social on Thursday 6th October at The Brewery Tap Lower Bridge Street at 8pm.

Performance Evening on Thursday October 20th in the Bull and Stirrup Northgate Street at 7.30pm. This is in lieu of the usual meeting which is cancelled for October.

Next full meeting on November 17th 7.45pm at the Old Custom House (but to be confirmed).

Agenda for September

Date : Thursday 15th September
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

2. Practice for Chester Literature Festival - for those who wish to go through their piece.

3. Readings.

4. Homework:

5. AOB.

Minutes for August

Date : Thursday 18th August
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices: apologies Michele, Jim, Hilary and Andrew.

2. Warm-up session.

Describe an object of desire - something you could buy in a shop. What it looks like, why you want it, what you will do with it once you have it, how it will change your life once you have it.

3. Readings.

4. Homework: Imagine being a looter. In first person describe breaking into a shop. Describe what exactly you do (using all senses), why you're doing it, how you feel, whether or not you're alone, coming across the object (described above in 2) and what happens next.

Imagine you are the shopkeeper coming into the shop the next day and finding the object gone. Describe what you see, what you feel, who is with you. What happens next?

Now describe coming across that object years in the future. You have no idea what it is. Describe it from this point of view. How do you work out what it does? Is it redundant?

5. AOB. Next meeting, if you wish please bring your reading with you for a practice.

Date of next meeting: 15th September.

Update: Next Social is on WEDNESDAY 31st August at the Brewery Tap at 8pm.

Agenda for August

Date : Thursday 18th August
Time 7.45pm
Place: The Custom House, Watergate Street (first floor)

1. Notices.

2. Warm-up session.

3. Readings.

4. Homework:

5. AOB.

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.

Agenda for April

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

1. Notices.

2. Warm up session.

3. Readings.

4. Homework?

5. AOB. Next meeting May 19th.

Agenda for March

Date : Thursday March 17th
Time 7.45pm
Place: Bishop Lloyd's Palace

1. Notices.

2. Readings.

3. Homework?

4. AOB. Next meeting April 21st.

Minutes for February

Date : Thursday February 17th
Time 7.45pm
Place: Bishop Lloyd's Palace

1. Notices: Apologies from Elizabeth, Ian, Anthea, Stanley, Mike and Jan.
Key arrangements for March.
Competitions notice.

2. Readings.

3. Homework. Write about a day in the life - where everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

4. AOB. Next meeting March 17th.

Agenda for February

Date : Thursday February 17th
Time 7.45pm
Place: Bishop Lloyd's Palace

1. Notices.

2. Readings.

3. Homework.

5. AOB.

Minutes for January

Date : Thursday January 20th
Time 7.45pm
Place: Bishop Lloyd's Palace

1. Notices. Apologies: Jan, Rina, Irene, Dilys, Ian, Michele, Anthea, Elizabeth

2. Warm up session: Plot. Bring along an interesting local story from the newspapers.

Go through story. Plot out the story in terms of a series of short sentences. Write out end sentence. Taking your neighbour's last sentence try and get from your story to your neighbour's. Try and produce a twist.

3. Readings.

4. Homework. Using your plot, or maybe just the start or end, write the story.

5. AOB.

6. Next meeting Thursday February 17th

Agenda for January 2011

Date : Thursday January 20th
Time 7.45pm
Place: Bishop Lloyd's Palace

1. Notices

2. Warm up session: Plot. Bring along an interesting local story from the newspapers.

3. Readings.

4. Homework.