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How are the meetings structured? On arriving, the chairman takes your name and asks if you want to read. We like people to arrive at 7.40 pm so they can meet informally before the meeting proper starts at 8pm. We like to start promptly so we have time to hear all those who want to read. There may be announcements and introductions to begin with. There is no obligation to read or comment but we usually find people join in. New people often find it useful to just come along and see if the group suits them. We end at 10pm and usually go to a local pub to continue the discussions and socialize. What sort of writers belong to the group? The work of the group is varied. We have poets, novelists, short story writers, articles and playwrights. Topics covered by the novelists at present include The Korean War, Opera, and coming of age novels. There have also been fantasy and science fiction themes. How is the criticism handled? The aim of the group is to provide constructive criticism to help writers and poets develop their work and get valuable feedback, so an important part of the evening is the discussion after a piece has been read. POETS So work can be properly criticized, poets are asked to bring copies of their poem (this may mean about 20 are needed) so that members can read the poem as it is being read out. After the poet has read, another member of the group gives the poem a second reading so the poet can hear another voice and interpretation. The poem is then commented on by the group. PROSE Prose readers are limited to 5 minutes. The novelists in the group find that even a small section of their story being discussed is very helpful. The flavour of a short story can often be experienced by the group even if it is not read in its entirety. |