• Mary Brock Jones posted an update in the group Group logo of Auckland Regional MeetupAuckland Regional Meetup 9 years, 6 months ago  · 

    The September get together for Auckland SpecFicers will be on this Sunday, September 22nd.
    Time: 1-3pm.

    Place:

    Sub-Basement of the Parisian Tie Factory,
    4 Poynton Terrace (Off Pitt St or behind St Kevins Arcade)

    AK Central

    See location map here: http://www.audiofoundation.org.nz/contact

    This looks like being our permanent venue and time. There is parking available in Poynton Tce.

    The meeting room is through the top main entrance, then down the stairs at the side to the bottom floor. I will wait at the top from just before 1pm till a bit after to give directions.

    Please bring along a gold coin donation to help pay for hire of the venue.

    Speaker:

    This week we are going to have a critiquing workshop;

    Subject – opening scenes that grab you.

    Can everyone please bring along the 1st page only ( ie A4 size, double spaced typescript) of a story – either a current WIP, or one you are trying to get published/agented etc – to read aloud and let the rest of us discuss and hopefully give some helpful advice. Plus 5 printed copies if possible for the rest to read.

    The workshop will be concentrating on whether this 1st page would get you to keep reading ie does it grab a reader’s attention and make them want to turn the page. Harsh, I know, but in reality, readers/agents/publishers don’t give a book or story much more before they either take it or leave it. Personally, I will discard a book after the first couple of paragraphs if it doesn’t grab me.

    Can you also bring along the 1st page of any story/book that works well for you, and try to think what it is about the opening that makes it work so well. This can be any kind of fiction – writing is writing, whatever the genre or subject.

    Looking forward to seeing you there.

    • Shuzzbutt!!! Poor anticipation on my part. I agreed to help family oldies and can’t reschedule, so I’ll have to reluctantly miss this one. Dang, I could’a used an opinion or three on my latest Page One as well. But I’m definitely locked and loaded for four weeks from now.

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