Dublin Supernatural Writing Circle

Harmsden

I'm a 25 year-old library asisstant who binges on horror and urban fantasy. I'm interested in finding or starting a writing circle that would meet up once, maybe twice a month with the interest of writing supernatural fiction. Invitation is open to fans of paranormal romance, SF and fantasy. LOVE young adult writing. TURNED OFF by Booker prize-winners.

Writers I admire: Clive Barker, Holly Black, Patricia Briggs, Poppy Z Brite, Caitlin R Kiernan, HP Lovecraft, Richard Matheson, Mary Shelley, Carrie Vaughn, Scott Westerfeld and more.

I'm easy to talk to and I don't have germs (no bad ones anyway.) Interested? Reply below or email goescargot@gmail.com.

If someone knows a writing circle in Dublin that already matches these characteristics, PLEASE let me know.

EileenG

I'm writing about a space vampire as we speak, so I'd love a review group that could give me good feedback.

Harmsden

Great! Anyone else out there with a taste for genre fiction?

Harmsden

Okay, I figure there should be at least four people in a writing circle so let's give it a week or two. If no one else responds we can mothball the whole thing.

I'm free to meet up Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. I figure people would want their weekends, so maybe an hour, hour and a half on Monday or Wednesday? Libraries are pretty good at providing spaces for this kind of thing, or failing that we could use a bar or a cafè (I think a cafè would be preferable.) The Writing Centre is supposed to facilitate writing circles so we could check them out.

What do you reckon Eileen?

MikeC101

Big fan of genre fiction, but don't like Young Adult and enjoy the occasional Booker winner

I like and mostly write horror, sf, fantasy and historical fiction

But...I'm not around Dublin much anymore. A day here and there is all really. Would be interested in the group, but not sure if I'd be of much use given that I couldn't guarantee my attendance regularly.

EileenG

Don't knock Young Adult. Many of my favourite books have suddenly been relaunched as YA, they are still great reads.

Wednesday would suit me well, anywhere in the city center.

Harmsden

Wednesday sounds good, somewhere between the hours of 6 and 8PM.

I've no massive beef with literary fiction, I just find it more self-conscious than genre fiction and with almost a thousands books published everyday I figured I needed to make a commitment.

I think there's a lot of richness in YA writing at the moment. YA writers are free to cross genres. They're less likely to be pigeonholed and they're more economic with their prose because their audience is ruthless.

Harmsden

Doesn't look like this idea will fly, does it?

MikeC101, that's no problem if you can't attend regularly. I'm not envisioning this as something that's very formal.

EileenG

I think it's worth trying it. Pick a date, organise a meeting, invite people to come and bring any suitable friends.

These kind of groups can't work if they get too big. Ideally, everyone should be reasonably familiar with what everyone else is doing, or you won't get useful feedback.

i-digress

I'd be interested. I'm writing a young adult book about witches right now, so it would be nice to talk to other people writing similar stuff.

Harmsden

Excellent! So we're looking at Wednesdays, 7PM... somewhere.

I'm going to stick some posters up in different libraries, the ones with the bits of paper you pull off at the end. I reckon we should meet the end of January? January the 27th? How's that sound?

monkeyfudge

I'd be interested actually.

Want to get back into writing this year. And most of the stuff I write somehow ends up being genre stuff anyway.

I'd recommend somewhere like the Central hotel to meet in. I've seen other groups use it. You can reserve areas in the bar there, and there is no music or TVs.

i-digress

Harmsden wrote: »

Excellent! So we're looking at Wednesdays, 7PM... somewhere.

I'm going to stick some posters up in different libraries, the ones with the bits of paper you pull off at the end. I reckon we should meet the end of January? January the 27th? How's that sound?

That suits me! I'm all excited now

Dublin141

I would LOVE to do this - all of my favourite genres to write. But I'm pregnant and I don't think I would be a reliable person. But I think you should definitely go with the idea, even if it looks like the group would be too small at first.

Harmsden

I think there should be a degree of informality to this group, so those who'd like to come but can't promise regular attendance, please do. And that's a good idea about checking out hotels, I hadn't considered that.

i-digress

The good thing about hotel bars, is that they're generally quieter, which is better for discussion.

Would it be a good idea to email a small part of our work to the group a couple of days before hand? That way people can read over work, and have time to come up with constructive criticism? We might get better feedback.

What do you all think? I don't think it should be a hard fast rule. If people have pieces that aren't ready till half an hour before we meet up, they should still bring them along.

Harmsden

Now I've never been involved in a writing circle before, but it would be a nice ice-breaker if we saved our work till the meeting. Someone gives a reading of a page or a couple of pages of their work, there's five/ten minutes of reaction and feedback and then someone else gives a reading. If people are allergic to public speaking they can give their piece to another person to read.

One thing that probably should be discussed is length. Some people might be uncomfortable reading more than a page while others would be comfortable reading a whole novel. We should have a loose page count that peope are allowed to read, that way everyone gets the same time and attention.

i-digress

I agree with you wholeheartedly about having a guideline length.

The one thing about reading aloud is that while we might be comfortable reading to each other, I personally don't want other people in the pub/bar hearing about my little witchy tale...I'm not that confident!

Is there anywhere anyone can think of where we'd have a bit of privacy?

ileprechaun

Hey there, I'm moving to Dublin in a few weeks and would be interested in joining this group when it forms. Big fan of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. My favorite series is A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Harmsden

You're more than welcome! The way it's shaping up, we'll meet the last Wednesday of every month. Looking into the Library Bar and a few other places. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

Harmsden

Alright, so I've talked to Central Hotel and we're going to try it upstairs in the Library Bar next Wednesday at 7PM. I've been there when it's quiet so I think it'd be good for our purposes. If for whatever reason it doesn't work out, we can always relocate.

See you next Wednesday guys! I'll have a book of Ray Bradbury short stories on the table to identify me. I'm also hitting a couple of libraries and bookshops with THIS poster: http://www.mediafire.com/?zqdymvimmic

If anyone feels like putting some up around town, be my guest. If you want to suggest a spiffier poster, or things to add to it, feel free.

monkeyfudge

Good stuff.

I'll be there.

Harmsden

Wahoo!

Fiddled with the poster a bit:

http://www.mediafire.com/?m5d1vdomj4d

EileenG

Sorry, won't be able to make it that day.

pickarooney

Harmsden wrote: »

Wahoo!

Fiddled with the poster a bit:

http://www.mediafire.com/?m5d1vdomj4d

The text colours make it very hard to read on the near-matching background

Harmsden

It's definitely not perfect, but by the time you read the first paragraph you'll know whether or not you're interested. Second paragraph won't stand out if you're driving past it at fifty miles an hour, but it's clear enough when you're standing in front it.

Harmsden

Okay, how's this?

JPEG: http://www.mediafire.com/?mggylgm4mmj
PDF: http://www.mediafire.com/?n2rzzwz5mmt

P.S. No worries Eileen. Maybe next time.

ShaunH

Hi,
I'm 16, but i'd be really interested in joining the group.

Would i be able to, or is strictly adults?

Harmsden

Hi Shaun,

To be honest with you, I'm not exactly sure. I know some people might be working on stories with graphic content and they might feel uncomfortable reading them to a teenager. There's probably a couple of other issues that I can't think of right now, but what I'll suggest is this:

Don't come to this Wednesday's circle. I'll talk to whoever turns up and see what their feelings are.

If they're okay with it, I'll let you know and you can come along to the February circle.

If they're not okay with it... they're not okay with it. Don't take it personally, but who knows? You'll have to wait and see.

Harmsden

Got some posters out last week and put some flyers in a couple of cafes.

Talked to a nice man in the Outhouse, a resource centre for LGBT communities, who said they were redeveloping at the moment and that, if Central Hotel doesn't work out, they could give us a room for our purposes.

So there we go. Here's hoping Dublin Supernatural Writing Circle isn't me, dour-faced, sitting at a table all by myself.

i-digress

Surely sixteen is ok though? I mean, I can't imagine any of the content is going to be rated 18! Especially not on the first night

ShaunH

Harmsden wrote: »

Hi Shaun,

To be honest with you, I'm not exactly sure. I know some people might be working on stories with graphic content and they might feel uncomfortable reading them to a teenager. There's probably a couple of other issues that I can't think of right now, but what I'll suggest is this:

Don't come to this Wednesday's circle. I'll talk to whoever turns up and see what their feelings are.

If they're okay with it, I'll let you know and you can come along to the February circle.

If they're not okay with it... they're not okay with it. Don't take it personally, but who knows? You'll have to wait and see.

Yeah thats completely fine! I totally understand! Thanks for the reply

Harmsden

You're probably right i-digress, but I think it's safer to see what the majority feels.

Thanks for your understanding Shaun. I'll let you know tomorrow.

lizardfudge

(Monkeyfudge here, haven't got my old account back)

I'm afraid I can't make it tonight.

I'm stuck working late unfortunately. Working a radio drama series actually, that's going to take up my Wednesdays for the next while.

Do let me know how you all get on though and I hope to make it to the next one.

Harmsden

No worries. I'm not sure what the turnout will be tonight. I'm expecting it to be small, but I guess these kinds of things always start small and find some sort of momentum later on.

Good luck with the series and maybe I'll see you in February.

ShaunH

Just want to know if it was okay with the group or if they would prefer if i didn't go?
How i'm looking at it is that it could be beneficial to you guys to to have a young adult when your books aim for that age group.

4r(4ng3L

Hey guys, I'm curious to hear how the first meet went, any success? I'd be interested in attending them in the future

Harmsden

First meet was me, myself and I.

It was lonely. I started talking to myself. The elderly couple at the next table kept giving me filthies.

Actually, this didn't happen. What really happened is I waited twenty minutes. When nothing but dust-bunnies blew in the door I blew out.

HOWEVER the posters were up late, the venue was decided last minute and organizing a group of people to be in one specific place on one specific day at one specific time is like playing chess using rats as the chess-pieces. Prepare to get bitten.

I've talked to a few people I know who are coming to the next one, and I've received emails from people saying they couldn't make January but they'll be there February. I'm working on some new flyers, and I'm going to make further enquiries with the Outhouse, though for February I'll keep it in Central Hotel. I reckon three tries is enough to see if this group will work. If, by the end of March, turnout is poor, I'll put it to bed.

Shaun, since the majority last night was me, I've no problem with you coming to the meet in February. Just be aware their might be a slight dysynchronicity between an adult's behaviour and a teenager's. Also, it might be just me, which could be creepy, but I've heart-felt assurances from three people I know that they'll be there, so fingers crossed the creepiness is avoided.

So that's where we stand.

Next meeting is 7PM on the 24th of February, upstairs in the Library Bar, Central Hotel.

lizardfudge

Well I should definitely be free next time around.

Are you on Facebook? Could be worthwhile setting it up as an event there.

Gumtree is good too.

ShaunH

Awesome! I'll hopefully be there next week.

And I'm more sophiticated than other teenagers.
So thanks!

Harmsden

Setting up a Facebook page at the moment. What a teeth-gnashingly unintuitive piece of programming. It's like someone made a conscious decision to design the most useless social networking site in the world. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

More soon.

lizardfudge

If you need a hand let me know. I run quite a big page for my company on facebook.

I'm at http://www.facebook.com/monkeyfudge on there.

i-digress

For the meeting on the twenty fourth, what kind of length do you think the extracts should be?

Harmsden

I'd like to keep things flexible, but if you treat a page as roughly a minute's worth of reading, then I'd say the cut-off point would have to be around five pages. That could be way off base though.

And Monkeyfudge, yes, yes, yes! I'm on the verge of putting the keyboard in my mouth and chewing it into little plastic pieces.

For starters, how do you find your page's address? I set up a page for an organization, but I can't find its address and facebook.com/dublin-supernatural-writing-circle doesn't work.

lizardfudge

PM sent!

lizardfudge

Well I have it made up now.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dublin-Supernatural-Writing-Circle/285483989854

Anyone who has a facebook account feel free to join in and we can start promoting it across facebook as well.

Harmsden

It's awesome! Love the banner.

Harmsden

New poster: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3236022&id=285483989854

I'll get this out to some places tomorrow.

Lizardfudge, you've done a great job with the Facebook page. Many thanks. I'll start hounding people to join it.

lizardfudge

No problem.

Now I just need to collect some of my ideas and get them down on paper. Have had a good few ideas that I've wanted to work on over the past year.. and I recently came up with a way of linking them together.

degrassinoel

became a fan on FB, just curious

Harmsden

Scrapped the flyers in favour of a bookmark which looks like this:

http://www.mediafire.com/?nnyojimk5ye

A nice lady in work gave me the template. There's a 'Supernatural' bookmark hidden underneath it underneath it (not mine).

Same nice lady is getting me a laminating machine so I'll have them out to different cafes and bookstores tomorrow evening.