The RAW Writing Group

Tonight’s Meeting

aprilwriter — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:37:35 +0000

Tonight’s meeting will be at Filter Cafe in Wicker Park. 1373-75 N Milwaukee Ave http://www.yelp.com/biz/filter-chicago See you there

We are ON for October!

aprilwriter — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:27:45 +0000

Hello Everyone,

We will be meeting this month October 6th at 7pm at

Argo Tea at 16 West Randolph St.

Please remember that we sit on the second floor.

Any pieces that you would like read before the meeting need to be posted by Saturday 12:00am.

As always, feel free to bring 2-4 pages (double spaced) if you don’t get a chance (or want to) post.

Diane and are taking a break from novel chapters this meeting so this would be a great time to dust off any short stories you’ve got brewing.

Up for consideration is possible change of location further north. Since I moved the majority of our members are now Northsiders. It may behoove us to pick a northern location for our meetings. Please bring any ideas you might have to the table. One possible location for consideration is Filter Cafe near the intersection of Milwaukee and Division. We will chat about this on Wednesday.

See you all then and in the mean time Happy Writing to all!!!

-April

New Location – Argo Tea (Chicago & Randolph)

aprilwriter — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:13:41 +0000

For our July meeting, we are trying out a new location: Argo Tea at 16 West Randolph St. It is located near the red line and all the loop lines (orange, green, brown, etc.) plus the place is open until 11:00 which means we won’t get kicked out at 9:00pm. Sorry Swim Cafe, its been lovely but without your summer hours you just wont do.

Congrats to everyone who submitted their sample chapters and synopses to the Source Books promotion. RAW is back to our “finish our damn novels” campaign for now. We’ll update you when we change our programing. Those not working on a novel are (as always welcome to attend)

Hope to see you all there on July 7th!

Something New :-)

aprilwriter — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:47:37 +0000

We’re trying something new at the RAW writing group. Are you an author nurturing a novel that you just can’t seem to finish? Well you are in luck then because for the next couple of months RAW has a new name “Finish our Damn Novels For Once and For all Writing Group” A select group of writers (4 to 5) at the most will post their novels so far on the yahoo group file section. All of us will read each others’ novels and then we will use our meetings to workshop one chapter each, each meeting until we finish our novels! So simple yet so so brilliant!!!

2-3 slots remain so if you are interested in participating, please email me as soon as possible. The first official meeting of the “Finish our Damn novels group” will be the first Wednesday of January at our new location Swim Cafe. Participants must be at least a third of the way through their novels (aprox. 6-8 chapters completed).

So how’s that for a New Year’s Resolution?

-April

RAW Meeting 11/04/09

aprilwriter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:45:12 +0000

Don’t forget tomorrow’s meeting will be at Swim Cafe

Swim Cafe

www.swimcafe.com

1357 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642-5761
(312) 492-8600

-April

Possible New Meeting Places

aprilwriter — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:06:46 +0000

Noble Tree Coffee
Diane says, “Noble Tree Coffee — Open til 11, has 3 floors, but parking might be tough”

Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
2444 N Clark St
(at Arlington Pl
Major cross street: Fullerton and Clark)
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-1500
www.nobletreecoffee.com
map: http://www.yelp.com/map/noble-tree-coffee-chicago
Transportation: .7 miles from the Fullerton Red/Brown line stop (about 14 minutes walk)

Kopi Travelers Cafe
Diane says, “Noble Kopi Cafe — Open til 11, they don’t mind if you commandeer several tables if need be, parking is okay, but no internet”

Neighborhoods: Edgewater, Andersonville
5317 N Clark Street
(between Berwyn Ave & Summerdale Ave
Major cross street: Ashland and Foster)
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 989-5674
Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF-8&q=kopi+cafe+chicago&fb=1&gl=us&hq=kopi+cafe&hnear=chicago&cid=15974382889209479264&li=lmd
Transportation: .5 miles from Berwyn Red Line Stop (about 10 minutes walk)

Dollop Coffee Co

Diane says, “Dollop — Open until 10, free wifi, unsure of the parking”

4181 N Clarendon Ave
Chicago, IL 60613-5283
(Major cross streets: Broadway and Irving Park)
(773) 755-1955

www.dollopcoffee.com

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dollop+cafe+chicago&sll=41.977215,-87.667723&sspn=0.004913,0.013797&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=41.956746,-87.647231&spn=0.004915,0.013797&z=16
Transportation: .6 miles from Sheridan Red line stop (or 11 minutes walking)

Flourish Bakery Cafe

Diane says, “Flourish Bakery — Lots of space, but only open until 9, parking okay”

1138 W Bryn Mawr Ave
Chicago, IL 60660-4410
(Major Cross Streets: Broadway and Foster)
(773) 271-2253
flourishbakerycafe.com
Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Flourish+Bakery,+chicago&sll=41.956746,-87.647231&sspn=0.004915,0.013797&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=41.981059,-87.659483&spn=0.019652,0.055189&z=14
Transportation: Adjacent to Red Line Bryn mawr stop

Diane could you give us more details about the parking situation here? Thanks

So here are four very attractive choices for RAW’s new meeting spot. Everyone, please weigh in.

Is down town an option for people?

Also I am hoping that we can still meet at Mercury for our next meeting. I am going to call on Monday to be sure. Hopefully November’s meeting will be the first one in the new location.

-April

RAW’s Future

aprilwriter — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:24:42 +0000

Last meeting we agreed that RAW would meet the first Wednesday of every month. This way wouldn’t have to vote for every meeting. We’ve run into a small snafu, however. Mercury cafe is closing down. We have to find a new place for our meetings! Let’s put our heads together and come up with some place good!

What we’d like to have in our meeting place.

Some place in the Ukrainian Village area or further north.
Open late into the evening (past 9:00 pm)
Plentiful parking or really close to train
Plenty of seating, and semi private spot to meet.

If you feel I am leaving something out. email me and I will add your request to our list.

-April

Next Meeting: 08/19

aprilwriter — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:02:02 +0000

The votes are in. Our next meeting is Wednesday the 19th. See you all there!

-April

No Meeting Today (Wednesday August 5th)

aprilwriter — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:02:56 +0000

There isn’t a meeting today because we all didn’t agree to it. We’ll try again later this month.

April

The Group, She Grows! ( RAW Meeting 07-01-09)

aprilwriter — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:41:15 +0000

A new member joined us this meeting, Allison S. After a minimal amount of hazing (just kidding…or am I?) the meeting started. I think it went great, but perhaps my opinion is subjective…

Some Recall

Diane G.’s story:

Twins separated at birth argue for the first time after their flowery reunion.

The same disapproving look her mother had given her countless times passed over her sister’s face. She clenches her fists into balls at her waist in order to hold herself back.
“You’re nothing but a thief,” her sister says. She finds this admonition quite ironic considering her sister’s kleptomaniac tendencies.”
“Look who’s talking,” she says.
“I’m not talking stupid convenience store junk, I’m talking about the stuff that really matters,” her sister retorts.

Allison S.’s story:

Wild Nights in the Sometimes Magical City of Chicago

Riding the EL train on a cold December night, a young couple makes use of the clubhouse—the two backward facing seats at the end of the train behind the partial plexi-glass separation wall. The girl lifts her skirt and rides him as they speed past people shivering on platforms.

Newsy bits

Several members mentioned that they had finished pieces previously workshopped in RAW meetings. These may be posted soon in “Stories by Members” folder in the RAW yahoo group. Just so you know, this folder can only be accessed by your fellow group members.
Here’s a direct link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RAW_WritingWorkshop/files/

A new poll will be posted soon in order to decide on our next meeting date. Please respond as soon as you can, so we can start spreading the word.

As always, feel free to comment on this or any post/message. Let me know if you think I’ve left something out or given really bad recall. My ego can take it and I want to do all our members justice. Go ahead and add your own recall if you want or retell what I’ve told–but better with more pizazz.

Until next time,

April Galarza