When the hell is it?
We meet every Tuesday from about 6:30 to 9:00.Where the hell is it?
The Lucky Number Grill in Chicago on Milwaukee and Western. (1931 N. Milwaukee) They've got food and cheap drinks and we practically have the run of the place on Tuesdays.Why the hell should I go?
Well, if you're not a writer and you don't like genre fiction (and by genre we mean mostly sci-fi/fantasy/horror/action or hybrids thereof) you probably shouldn't come. If you are a writer who already knows everything about writing and produces perfect fiction the first time out, every time, you might want to come teach us lowly cultists how you manage it. If you're somewhere in the middle; an author who enjoys writing but is by no means perfect, and you would like feedback on how to improve your craft, then you should come, because we can help with that.Do I have to bring something to workshop?
Nope. You don't. We like it. We encourage it. But we're not going to force you. What we do expect is feedback on what is being read. You don't have to bring writing, but you must bring your opinions along and be prepared to use them.Aren't a lot of workshops just big circle jerks?
Mostly, yep. If you're looking for one, you're in the wrong place. We're cultists. We chop up your story, dissect it, and sift through the guts of it looking for places to improve upon or strengthen it. Once we're done, you get to put it back together. That part is your job. You're the author after all.Wait... You're going to tear my story apart? How is this productive?
It's productive because it allows us to see all the writing you did well alongside all the things that can be improved. This helps reinforce the positive elements by stripping away the things that need work. We're not just chopping it up to find the faults, we're chopping it up to find the tasty bits, so authors can produce more.Are there any rules?
Yep. No assholes. How do we define assholes? People who are rude, insulting, condescending, or generally behave like pricks during critiques. We reserve the right to tell anyone we think is not beneficial to the group to piss off and hit the road. Don't like it? Too bad. We're not a public group, we're a cult. Be thankful we're not taking pinkie-toes as penance for wasting our time.I've got more questions. Who should I ask?
Any of us. Come by. Ask away. We're not shy.