Minutes! 12-4-12

Another tiny meeting! Just me and Felipe and Raphael. Have people's schedules changed? Would another night of the week work better now? Let me know. Here's what you missed:

• We read a rewrite of Chapter 2 of Becky's novel. Discussion ensued.
• Raphael read some of his automatic writing. Discussion ensued.
• We all wrote little stories based on this prompt: "She has her headphones in." (We tried to ask Lindsey for a prompt, but she had her headphones in. So that's how that happened.)
• There is a Pop-Up Book Fair at the Empty Bottle this Sunday from 2-7 p.m. Who wants to check out some local publishers and go Christmas shopping with me? The event is free with RSVP. Click the link for more info. (I think I already invited you all on Facebook.)
• The next Dollhouse Reading Series is on December 15th. Anyone want to go hear some poetry?
• I thought I mentioned this a million years ago, but apparently I didn't. I am a terrible person. At any rate, our very own Rachel Hinton was published in the Denver Quarterly this year! Congratulate her. For real.
• Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 18th at 7:30 p.m. at my place. The usual. We can have a little holiday shindig if you'd like. 

And that's about it. See you all soon! 

Minutes! 11-20-12

Sorry for the lack of posts. The last few meetings have sort of failed for various reasons. We had a lovely little meeting tonight, though. Here's what you missed:

• We have a new member, Tanise! (Shame on the rest of you for not showing up to meet her!) (Just kidding.) We read a scene from one of her plays. Discussion ensued.
• We workshopped a new play that Raphael is working on. Discussion ensued.
• We read some of Becky's blog stories. Discussion ensued.
• Tanise mentioned the Stockyards Theatre Project's Play for Keeps program, where women can learn to write plays.
• Raphael mentioned the Mystery Build art contest, which sounds really awesome, even though it has nothing to do with writing. 
• The next Dollhouse Reading Series is Saturday, December 15th. I totally want to go. I don't know about you guys...

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, December 4th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's. (How is it already December?!) See you then. 

Minutes! 10-9-12

Hey everyone! Here's what you missed:

• We spent a great deal of time reading and discussing Becky's stories that she's submitting to grad schools. She is sorry that she took up so much time.
• We read two of Jane's stories. Discussion ensued.
• We had a hilarious discussion about whether or not certain literary devices are "douchey." 
• The Dollhouse Reading Series is this Friday! Let's all go hear some poetry, shall we? 
• Our Mary Shelley Story-Telling Party will take place on Thursday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m.! We're going to celebrate Halloween in a literary way. Write a short scary story/poem/play/song/whatever and bring it to Becky's apartment to read. If you want, you can also bring a short piece that was written by an author you enjoy. Candles to create a spooky atmosphere will be provided. BYOB. Costumes are perfectly acceptable. And who knows? Maybe one of us will write the next Frankenstein.
• Our next regular meeting will be Tuesday, October 23rd at 7:30 p.m. The usual.

Annnnnd now I've just been sitting and eating food and laughing for several hours so I'm REALLY HYPER. I'm going to channel this energy into doing the dishes. See you next time!

Minutes! 9-25-12

Here are the minutes from today's meeting:

• We read Chapter 8 of Glenn's novel. Discussion ensued.
• We also decided that we are all going to RESPOND VIA THE GOOGLE GROUP regarding the second half of Glenn's chapter.
• We read some of Becky's flash pieces. Discussion ensued.
• We read some of Jane's flash pieces. Discussion ensued.
• Shall we all go to The Minus Times release party at The Whistler on Thursday?
• Legs McNeil reads from his book about the history of punk at Late Bar on October 2nd.
• Our next meeting will be Tuesday, October 9th at 7:30 p.m. Becky's apartment.

See you there!

Minutes! 9-11-12

'Twas a small meeting today, but that's alright. Here's what you missed:

• We discussed MFA programs. (Becky has an the MFA issue of Poets & Writers, and she highly recommends it if you're looking into MFA programs. Lots of useful info!)
• We read Rachel's poem. Discussion ensued. 
• We want to have a Mary Shelley story-telling party in October! This would involve us all writing scary stories, getting dressed up, and reading our stories to each other! Who knows? One of us may end up writing the next Frankenstein. Possible dates for this party: October 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th. Let me know what would work best for you!
• Literary things going on in Chicago! Both Junot Diaz AND Irvine Welsh have readings in the city tomorrow (September 12th). On September 27th The Whistler is hosting a release party for Featherproof Books' collected The Minus Times. Could be fun/good networking. Anyone want to go?
• Our next regular meeting will be September 25th at Becky's apartment, 7:30 p.m. Submit stuff! Be there!

That's about it for now. Have a good two weeks full of writing and happy times. 

Minutes! 8-28-12

Look at me, updating this blog like an adult! Here's what you missed:

• We read Chapter 7 of Glenn's novel. Discussion ensued.
• We read the story "Bryce" from Becky's blog. Discussion ensued.
• We read Gena's poem "Why Lingerie is Important." Discussion ensued.
• We read the beginning of Raphael's sci-fi story. Discussion ensued.
• Becky mentioned that we should all possibly submit to The Proof.
• Becky mentioned that we should all possibly enter Bookkus Publishing's first short story contest. (Also--Bookkus Publishing just seems like a really neat publishing format.) 

Now that Summer is drawing to a close, we're going to start meeting twice a month again. Our next meeting will be September 11th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's. See you all there!

Minutes! 6-4-12

Happy June everyone! Here's what you missed:

• Glenn rejoined us and we read a short story of his. Discussion ensued. Interesting thought--is it ok to have one half of a story be written in a slow, introspective manner and the second half be written in a quick, plot-heavy manner? Does it make the story too unbalanced?
• We read Gena's poems. Discussion ensued. Interesting thought--are stanzas always necessary?
• We read Chapter 5 of Becky's novel. Discussion ensued. Interesting thought--are there any good techniques to help keep your narrative voice and your characters' voices separate? 
• Gena suggested we might take a field trip to the Music Box Theater to see a special showing of the National Theater's production of Frankenstein. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and directed by Danny Boyle, this is sure to be a literary treat. Wow, I just grossed myself out by writing that. So cheesy. At any rate, it should be lots of fun. Anyone up for it?
• We are DEFINITELY taking a field trip to Printer's Row Lit Fest this Sunday! We'll probably meet there around noon. A facebook event page will be created.
• Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 19th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's.

That's all for now. See you next time!

Minutes! 5-22-12

Oh man, it was quite the tiny, tangential meeting this evening! But lots of fun. Here's what you missed:

• We read two pieces of Jane's flash fiction. Discussion ensued. Interesting ideas: can a flash piece be a good beginning for a longer story? Does shaking someone's hand feel like a boob?
• We decided Jane should write a book of short stories that are descriptions of body parts until she cobbles together a sort of Frankenstein person.
• Gena recommended The Book of Beginnings and Endings. It's exactly what it sounds like--just the beginnings and endings of stories.
• We read the second half of Chapter 4 of Becky's novel. Discussion ensued. Interesting idea: does using a brand name in your story make it too dated? 
• Becky now has a year's subscription to Writer's Digest, so if you want to borrow an issue or something, let her know.
• Gena started a blog in which she will write a letter to you if you give her a topic. Check it out!
• Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 5th, 7:30 p.m. at Becky's apartment. 

That's all for now. See you next time! 

Minutes! 5-8-12

Here's what happened in the world of DWChitown:

• Rachel described what it was like to be in a creative writing MFA program. Very helpful!
• We read two of Rachel's poems. Discussion ensued. Interesting topic - narrative poem vs. poems about one object/person/thing.
• We read Raphael's play. Discussion ensued. Interesting topic - the information garnered from seeing a play written down vs. seeing it performed. 
• We read the first chapter of Gena's romance novel. Discussion ensued. Interesting topic - writing a parody that still fits into the genre that it's parodying, such as Shaun of the Dead.
• We read the first part of Felipe's short story. Discussion ensued. Interesting topic - even if you intend for a detail about a character to be treated nonchalantly, will your audience treat it that way? 
• We did not have time to read Chapter 4, Pt. 1 of Becky's novel. But Felipe had already read it, so he gave notes, and Gena gave notes about the parts that she had read. This is a good time to mention that online feedback is fun! We should email each other our thoughts, especially when it comes to longer stories.
• Gena suggested that we have a party sometime and/or several parties where we get drunk and read plays aloud. Several others expressed interest. Hopefully Gena will be emailing us about that sometime in the not-too-distant future.
• The Northwestern University library is having a book sale this week! 
• Raphael is in a play called After the Quake, based on the short stories of Haruki Murakami. We should all go see it when it starts!
• Our next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 22nd at Becky's apartment. 

It's nice that we can have another meeting before Memorial Day. Hope to see you all then!

Minutes! 4-24-12

Another tiny meeting this evening. Y'all better come next time or I'll start to get worried! (I have no idea why I chose to say "y'all" there.) Anyway, here are the minutes:

• We read Chapter 7 of Glenn's story. Discussion ensued.
• We also discussed the end of Chapter 6 of Glenn's story. (For real, people, we need to start commenting online.)
• We read Chapter 3 of Becky's story. Discussion ensued.
• We read Leta's story. She joined us on G+, and discussion ensued.
• Becky informed the group that Chicago-based Wildclaw Theatre is hosting a radio play contest called "Deathscribe." They are looking for 10-minute horror radio plays; their favorites will be produced live and turned into a podcast. The deadline is July 31st. Full details can be found on their website. 
• Our next meeting will be May 8th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's.

That's about it. Maybe if the weather is nice enough next time we can hold the meeting on Becky's deck...

See you there!

Minutes! 4-10-12

Here's what you missed:

• We read the first section of Joe's novel. Discussion ensued, and comments will be emailed to him since he wasn't at the meeting.
• We read Meghan's story. Discussion ensued.
• We read the next chapter of Glenn's novel. Discussion ensued.
• We read the next chapter of Becky's novel. Discussion ensued.
• We have officially decided that "noveling" is now a verb.
• Since so many of our members are noveling now, let's all try to comment more online using the Google Group. That way people won't be receiving feedback on only the first halves of their chapters! 
• C2E2 is this weekend, and there are lots of panels about writing/story creating. Even though it's mostly about writing comics, it will still probably be helpful. Becky, Meghan, and Glenn are all going. Hope to see some more of you there as well!
• Two of Becky's stories are going to be published in a horror flash fiction anthology later this year! More details to follow as the publication date draws nearer. 
• The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 24th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's apartment.

And that's about it. It was a relatively tiny meeting this week. Hope to see more of you next time!

Minutes! 3-27-12

Last time on Drivel & Wit Chicago...

• We have a new member named Joe! New members are always fun.
• We read Becky's story. Discussion followed. (Remember, if you want to read more of Becky's stories you can do that here.)
• We read Jane's stories. Discussion followed. (Remember, if you want to read more of Jane's stories you can do that here.)
• We read Gena's poems. Discussion followed.
• We read Chapter 5 of Glenn's novel. Discussion followed. 
• Meg thinks we should all enter the City Lit short play adaptation festival.
• Raphael thinks we should all enter the American Theater Company's 10 x 10 Festival.
• Raphael's theater company has a space in which to perform now! Exciting news. 
• Joe works for Steampunk Chicago, and they're hosting a party THIS FRIDAY (the 30th) at 9 p.m. at Ace Bar. Everyone should come.
• Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 10th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's.

That's about it. See you all next time!

Minutes! 3-6-12

Recap of tonight's fabulous meeting:

• We have a new member named Gena! Huzzah!
• We also have sort of another new member; since the original Drivel & Wit in Denver has sort of fizzled, Leta will be G+-ing in for the time being. (Felipe still hasn't found an apartment, so he's been G+-ing in, too. If you have any apartment tips, let him know!)
• Felipe, as per dibsies rules, had his story read first. Discussion ensued.
• Leta read the first few pages of her story. Discussion ensued.
• Rachel read some of Jane's stories. Discussion ensued.
• Becky & Gena read some of Rachel's poems. Discussion ensued.
• Jane read one of Gena's poems. Discussion ensued.
• Gena described her romance novel. Discussion ensued.
• At some point we mashed together the idea of someday having a literary reading event called "Tapas," where are the readings have to be really short. Keep in mind as a future side project.
• Jane and Rachel are starting a book group that reads only short story collections. If you're interested, contact Jane through the Google group.
• Because some people will be out of town the week after next, our next meeting will be on March 27th at 7:30 p.m., presumably at Becky's again. See you then!

That's it for today. You have 24 hours to call dibsies on the google group...

Minutes! 2-21-12

Hey y'all. Don't know why I just went Southern there. Here are the minutes for tonight's meeting:

• We have two new members! Jane & Rachel. And there was much rejoicing.
• It was universally acknowledged that we are horrible people and that we seem to be physically incapable of commenting on Dan's story online. So we FINALLY read it aloud at the meeting, and will be sending him feedback shortly.
• We discussed Becky's story "Bibliophilia."
• Becky mentioned that if you want to write a story of up to 10,000 words about something weird having to do with books, you have until March 31st to submit it to this anthology! (Full details can be found at that link.)
• We discussed Chapter 4 of Glenn's novel.
• We discussed Raphael's new poem/theater piece.
• Rachel brought up the fact that the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) is having its annual meeting in Chicago the weekend after next! That means there will be lots of off-site literary events going on around the city; here's a list. Maybe we should go to some? (Let's discuss on the google group, or comment on this post.)
• We think more events might be fun in general. We should find some readings to attend? (Or perhaps we should even PARTICIPATE in some meetings? Discuss.) Chicago Writers Association has a list of recurring readings in the city. 
• Jane & Rachel are starting a book club that features short story collections. More details to follow.
• Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 6th at 7:30 p.m. at Becky's apartment. 
• If you so choose, you have 24 hours to call dibsies by emailing the google group. If you don't remember how dibsies work, see this post.

Anyway, that's about all for tonight. I'll see you all in March!

Minutes! 1-17-12

Apparently this website doesn't get updated unless I do it the night of each meeting. Good to know. Here are the minutes for the most recent meeting:

• Dan posted a story! We didn't feel comfortable discussing it since he wasn't at the meeting, but we are excited to start using the google group more and have a conversation about it there.
• David suggested that he would be more motivated to write if a system were built in to DWChitown that called for more accountability. A large debate ensued, and a compromise was agreed upon. Our brand new "Dibsies" process will be outlined later in this post, and it goes into effect NOW! 
• Thought we couldn't come up with a better story prompt than "Cats and/or Batman"? Wrong. After discussing the recent cruise ship sinking, our minds wandered to The Lonely Island's seminal classic "I'm on a Boat." (We may or may not be horrible people.) Thus, after watching the the video, we all wrote stories that began with the phrase "I'm on a boat." It wasn't a contest, but Elizabeth won our hearts with the line, "Fuck it, I'm on a treadmill." 
• Becky, Meg, and Felipe read each other's Doctor Who space-and/or-time-travel-related stories from last week's whiskey tasting. Constructive criticism ensued. 
• At the end of the evening we all discussed what we've been reading lately. Works mentioned included the plays of Sarah Kane and Doug Wright, Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link, and the Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin. (We mentioned some others, but I can't remember what they all were. Feel free to comment on this post!) Meg suggested that perhaps we could start bringing in passages from published works that we feel are particularly good examples of writing. Something to think about. 
• Our next meeting will be Tuesday, January 31st at 7:30 p.m., Becky's apartment. (It seems it's a little bit easier for people to get there.)
• Also, it is apparently a national tragedy that I have not seen the Back to the Future films. I have borrowed Glenn's DVDs, and I will have a short essay prepared for the next meeting. :)

As I mentioned earlier, we have a new "Dibsies" system that will allow for more accountability, if you need that accountability to be motivated. Here are the guidelines:

• For 24 hours after each DWChitown meeting (until 10 p.m. the next day), you will have the opportunity to "call dibsies" on submitting a story for the next week by emailing the google group. If you don't call dibsies, you can still submit a story, and we'll still read it. However, by calling dibsies, you are absolutely committing to submitting a story for next week, barring any extreme unforeseen circumstances.
• Two people can call dibsies per meeting. The first person to call dibsies has their story read first at the next meeting, and the second person has theirs read second. All other stories submitted for that week will be read afterwards.
• You have to wait a week in between dibsies. So if you call dibsies for the January 31st meeting, you cannot call dibsies for the meeting after that. 
• If you have called dibsies for a given meeting and you fail to produce a story, you will be punished in one of two ways: A) You will have to perform a glorious rendition of "I'm a Little Teapot" for the group, or B) You will have to do ten pushups. 

You hear that, my friends? You have until 10 p.m. on January 18th to call dibsies for the next meeting by emailing the google group and letting us know! Even if you weren't at tonight's meeting, you can still call dibsies for the next meeting. That's one reason we decided on a 24-hour waiting period. So get going! I want to see some commitment! And if you have any questions, feel free to email dwchitown@gmail.com. See you next time...