The Writing Squad

Awesome Script Reading Club
2021-03-09 19:15 - 20:45 UTC
Discussing Heathers the Musical. We will send you a script or you can buy it from here.
Heathers The Musical is “the darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D. When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather’s aerobicized ass…but J.D. has another plan for that bullet.”

Prose Mini Goals
2021-03-09 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-03-02 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-23 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-09 17:30
This Zoom meeting will last maybe about an hour and not longer than an hour and half.
We are seeing how we have done with the mini-goals we set ourselves last week, and maybe renewing them or setting new ones.
This is open to Squad 1-9 with a focus on prose writers, there are other groups for poets and scriptwriters. If you haven’t been to a previous meeting, you are welcome to join, just let steve@writingsquad.com know you want to come.
You will be sent a link before the meeting and you can go on Zoom from your computer or phone.

Morning Space
2021-03-09 07:00 - 08:30, 2021-03-02 07:00 - 08:30
OPEN ALL SQUADS
Every Tuesday morning.
Based on our regular event Space this is an informal silent writing session set up by Lydia Allison and James Varney. Log on and get creative – alone together – before the day really begins. Library/coffee shop vibes, coffee optional, dressing gowns encouraged.
The Zoom link will be posted on the Squad facebook page each Tuesday morning.

Squad 10 Mini Goals
2021-03-08 18:00 - 19:30
We have found our Zoom mini-goals sessions have been a great way of Squad writers supporting each other by setting monthly mini-goals.
Not big goals. We are thinking of small achievable goals, either in your writing or personal things that will help you find the time and space to write. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a goal, you can just listen, maybe you’ll find one while we talk.
This is open to all Squad 10 members whatever you write and is chaired by Squad grad Libby Williamson. This group mets monthly, and it is never too late to join, if you want to put on the list to receive the link email billie@writingsquad.com

Precision in Prose Writing
2021-03-06 14:00 - 16:00
SQUAD 10 ONLY
Squad writers have no shortage of great ideas – but a great idea sinks or swims with the words on the page and how skilfully they’re chosen and crafted. In this workshop, we will focus on and get excited by the word-by-word craft that changes decent writing into great writing.
‘The best words in the best order’ was Coleridge’s definition of poetry – but poets don’t have a monopoly on precision and careful word choice, and we prose writers can really benefit from breaking our work down to the level of the word and the sentence.
In this workshop, we’ll be asking ourselves: What are ‘the best words’, and how do we choose them?
In a relaxed, supportive environment, we’ll do exercises that highlight the power of precision in the word-by-word shaping of our writing, and we’ll workshop excerpts you bring in – see Essential Preparation below.
You’ll leave the workshop with a new grasp of the exactitude that good writing demands and a fresh enthusiasm for how word-by-word crafting can transform a piece.
Essential preparation
Please bring one excerpt (strictly 100-120 words) you’re willing to share, from any prose piece that you’re working on. Resist the temptation to show off something perfect/finished/published. We will be workshopping your pieces, so if it’s something underway, you’ll benefit from improving it.
Try to choose an excerpt that doesn’t require a whole lot of backstory/explanation/contextualising.
Have your excerpt on your computer, so you can paste it in the chat thread for workshopping – avoid pieces that rely on complicated formatting as that might be lost in the chat format.
This is a Squad 10 workshop, any grads who want a place should one be available should contact billie@writingsquad.com

SQUAD 10: WORKSHOP WITH FRANCESCA (LEEDS)
2021-03-06 11:00 - 17:00 | Leeds
INDIVIDUAL WORKSHOPS – SQUAD DAYS

We will slide from Zoom into this programme when it is possible.
If on Zoom they will stay at two hours starting at 14.00, if we are able to meet up face to face they will take place in the cities mentioned from 11.00-17.00. All Saturdays.
Put the dates on the next page in your diary. We will email you about these workshops nearer the time with a link to sign up for them on Eventbrite.

The Space
2021-03-03 19:30 - 21:00
Wednesday 3rd March 19.30-21.00 On Zoom
SIGN UP HERE

Think of it as your favourite library, a coffee shop, or a co-working space. It’s a room full of writers at work, and it’s a way of making a commitment to yourself to show up and write. Pop in to The Space to work on any writing project that you like – and in case you need inspiration, an optional writing prompt from Francesca will be emailed in advance, for you to use, adapt or ignore. Or she can send you it when she welcomes you in.
Come and go as your please, and feel free to make yourself a cuppa. We’ll work in silence but halfway through there’ll be the option of joining small-group break-out rooms for 5 minutes, for a quick chat.

Poets Mini Goals
2021-03-03 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-24 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-17 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-10 17:30 - 19:00, 2021-02-03 17:30 - 19:00
This Zoom meeting will last maybe about an hour and not longer than an hour and half.
We are seeing how we have done with the mini-goals we set ourselves last week, and maybe renewing them or setting new ones.
This is open to Squad 1-9 with a focus on poets, there are other groups for script and prose writers. If you haven’t been to a previous meeting, you are welcome to join, just let steve@writingsquad.com know you want to come.
You will be sent a link before the meeting and you can go on Zoom from your computer or phone.

SCRIPT MINI GOALS
2021-03-01 17:30 - 19:00
This Zoom meeting will last maybe about an hour and not longer than an hour and half.
We are seeing how we have done with the mini-goals we set ourselves last week, and maybe renewing them or setting new ones.
This is open to Squad 1-9 with a focus on scriptwriters, there are other groups for poets and prose writers. If you haven’t been to a previous meeting, you are welcome to join, just let steve@writingsquad.com know you want to come.
You will be sent a link before the meeting and you can go on Zoom from your computer or phone.

MANUSCRIPTS, MARKETING & MANY, MANY MEETINGS – the real life of an editor.
2021-02-25 19:30 - 21:00
Harper North have recently opened an office in Manchester and one if the first things they did was have a meeting with the Squad. They are looking for northern writers, northern voices, what exactly does that mean?
This is our chance to find out with Harper North’s Publishing Director and their Editor at Large. We will discover what kinds of writers and what kinds of work they are looking for, as well as explore the relationship between editors and writers, between editors and their publishing houses, and between the books we write and the markets publishers target.
Katie Brown started her publishing career as a publicist, winning awards for her campaigns, before moving into editorial at Orion where her authors have included bestsellers, award winners and nominees for prizes including the Women’s Prize and the Costa, and chosen for retail promotions such as Waterstones Book of the Month. A Bookseller Rising Star in 2018 and co-founder of Hachette’s All Together Network, Katie is now Editor at Large for HarperNorth, and is on the search for inclusive and attention-grabbing fiction, which supports her longstanding work to improve diversity in publishing.
Genevieve Pegg has worked in publishing for twenty years, from photocopying at Penguin to founding HarperNorth. Delighted to be bringing HarperCollins to Manchester, Gen is looking for fiction and non-fiction from, of or inspired by the north of the nation(s) and looking to take those voices to national and international readerships. In fiction, she searches for novels with endings as powerful as their beginnings and in non-fiction, books that inform, inspire and entertain while being accessible and narrative-driven.

SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY MINI-GOALS
2021-02-22 18:00 - 19:30
Why are you starting this group?
Setting goals is a really useful way of prioritising our writing, and being accountable (principally to ourselves). Since the first Covid lockdown, the Squad has run a number of Mini-Goals groups, which have been a fantastic resource, and a source of support, motivation, and encouragement (as well as a lot of fun).
We know that many Squad writers have an interest in SFF, and as Francesca is a specialist in this field, we thought a dedicated group would be a great way to support one another with our SFF writing.
What counts as ‘Science Fiction and Fantasy’?
For the purposes of this group, we mean anything that might fall under the umbrella term ‘speculative’ writing – writing that depicts something beyond the real or current world. You might be interested in high fantasy; magic realism; cyber-punk; dystopian fiction; space opera…
What kinds of goals do people set?
Whatever you like. Small, achievable goals are more realistic, so examples of goals might be: ‘finish reading a novel/short story’; ‘finish editing a chapter’; ‘spend 15 minutes a day writing’; ‘submit a story to a journal’ etc. Your goals will change from meeting to meeting. Sometimes your goal might not even be writing-related (e.g.: ‘have a week off’; ‘finish this essay for my course’; etc.), though we try to keep the focus on writing, so that the group isn’t just a general support group.
How does it work?
A monthly Zoom meeting, initially chaired by Francesca, though we expect that as the group evolves it will probably be chaired by its own members. Each member will have a chance to say whether you met your last goal, and to set a goal for the next meeting. Interesting group conversations always arise out of these goals, as we discuss issues, share solutions, and bounce around ideas.
I’m not an expert in SFF / I don’t exclusively write SFF
No problem! This group is for anyone interested in writing speculative fiction, whether you’ve been doing it for years, or just trying it for the first time.
I write novels/short-stories/scripts/screenplays/poetry – is that OK?
Absolutely. Great SFF work is been produced in all different forms, and we hope to have a range of approaches within our group.
Is this a writing workshop?
No – it’s a goal-setting group. We’ll discuss issues related to your writing, but we won’t do writing exercises, or workshop your drafts. As mini-goals groups develop, we’ve found that writers will sometimes email each other their work and get feedback from other members, but this is an optional extra that takes place outside the meetings themselves.
Do I have to come every time?
Coming regularly is best for you, as it’s what helps you to be accountable and meet your goals (as well as building the sense of community that has been a really special part of the existing Mini-Goals groups). However, we completely understand that sometimes it won’t be possible to attend, and that’s fine.

SQUAD 10: WORKSHOP WITH MALIKA (MANCHESTER)
2021-02-20 11:00 - 17:00 | Manchester, Manchester

FALLING WITH STYLE/FRANKENSTEINING A POEM/METROPHOBIA with Gregory Kearns
2021-02-18 19:30 - 21:00
We will look at:

What are you afraid of?
Why we should keep moving toward our personal fears in a poem?
How we stop ourselves drawing back from the poem?
How our created rules can help?
How we create and choose the rules that will shape our poems?
Why might these rules help?

We are going to discuss:

Existing forms and what affect they have on tone/subject/theme of a poem. And the participants relationships with these existing forms. How writers have experimented with existing forms
Narrative Structure (Christopher Vogler and John Yorke) – (Symmetry and Asymmetry)
Stealing ideas and techniques from other art forms: montage (film), layering (visual arts), proportions (visual arts), harmony and dissonance (music)
The unconscious (what is it?, how it works?, what is our relationship with it is?, how can we use it as poets?) (In this section we’ll touch on the idea that we contain multiple selves, Jung/Campbell’s archetypes) (Active Imagination)
How and why we create our own forms/rules? (how we use the unconscious to shape these rules?)

You will get a step-by-step process of how to create a content led poetic form. This will include digging down and exploding themes/subjects that are of interest to you. As part of the workshop we will be going through the steps of the process so it is possible that the participants might have a first draft or the frame work for a poem by the end of the session too.
Gregory is a writer based in Liverpool. He has been longlisted for the National Poetry Competition, has been published in Introduction X: The Poetry Business Book of New Poets and has worked with groups like No Dice Collective. Gregory also works for The Brain Charity which supports those affected by neurological conditions. He is a member of the Writing Squad board.

THE SPACE
2021-02-17 19:30 - 21:00, 2021-02-03 19:30 - 21:00
The Space, a dedicated (virtual) space for us to write alone, together.
Think of it as your favourite library, a coffee shop, or a co-working space. It’s a room full of writers at work, and it’s a way of making a commitment to yourself to show up and write. Pop in to The Space to work on any writing project that you like – and in case you need inspiration, an optional writing prompt will be emailed in advance, for you to use, adapt or ignore.
Come and go as your please, and feel free to make yourself a cuppa. We’ll work in silence (don’t forget to mute yourself!), but halfway through there’ll be the option of joining small-group break-out rooms for 5 minutes, for a quick chat (but if you’re on a roll and don’t want to stop working, just drop Francesca a line in the ‘chat’ box and you can remain in the main room.)
We will send you a Zoom link before the day.

Awesome Prose Reading Club
2021-02-16 18:00 - 19:30
One of the very best ways to become a better writer is to read widely and thoughtfully. Building on Emma and Matt’s great work in establishing the Awesome Play Text / Screenplay Reading Club, Francesca will be hosting the Awesome Prose Reading Club to focus on how we can read as writers.
If you want to join us, the first book we’ll be reading and talking about is: Sarah Moss’s 2018 novel, Ghost Wall. “It’s short, available in paperback, and (most importantly) it’s really great. In the north of England, far from the intrusions of cities but not far from civilization, Silvie and her family are living as if they are ancient Britons, surviving by the tools and knowledge of the Iron Age. The ancient Britons built ghost walls to ward off enemy invaders, rude barricades of stakes topped with ancestral skulls. When the group builds one of their own, they find a spiritual connection to the past. What comes next but human sacrifice?”

SCRIPTWRITERS MINIGOALS
2021-02-15 17:30 - 19:00

HUNTER GATHERERS - Job Hunting Skills with Sian Hughes
2021-02-11 19:30 - 21:00
How do you organise your job search so that it’s not soul destroying, HOW discover and successfully apply for the job or career you want right now?
Where are you at now? And where do you want to be next?
What is getting in your way with getting to where you want to be?
How do you know enough about yourself to know where you want to be?
When you get there, how will you know if it’s good enough, is it forever?
How do you even get there in the first place?
Who and what can help you get there?
This seems like a lot of questions – how will you remember them AND find the answers?
Sharing tools, tips, tricks and hacks to stay organised in a general job search to maximise your chances of getting a job. In the arts or not in the arts, in a big or small company, a first job, or a forever job.
Sian is not a career-adviser! She’s a Squad grad and writer with a couple of prize-winning poems and several unfinished novels. Having always been the kind of writer that has a day-job, she knows the importance of a job that is fuelling of her writing brain and creativity, but also pays the bills.
After growing up in the Peak District, at a distinct disadvantage from ‘poverty of opportunity,’ Sian has since worked in rural Derbyshire, Manchester, London and now Edinburgh. She has applied for a many jobs, had more than her fair share of interviews, and has intentionally changed job successfully every two years since leaving university.

Squad 10 Minigoals
2021-02-08 18:00 - 19:30
We have found our Zoom mini-goals sessions have been a great way of Squad writers supporting each other. So far they have been open to grads only, now it is time to offer the same opportunity to Squad 10!
We would like you to bring a mini-goal and share it with the others attending.
A mini-goal. Not a big goal. If you say, I aim to write the play that defines this current crisis we will mute you. That’s a great goal, but it’s a big goal, talk to your mentor about it!
We are thinking of small achievable goals, either in your writing or personal things that will help you find the time and space to write. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a goal, you can just listen, maybe you’ll find one while we talk.
We will schedule a meeting for next month and come back to share how we have done. This is open to all Squad 10 members whatever you write and will be chaired by Squad grad Libby Williamson.

THE CLANDESTINE DIGITAL PERFORMANCE EXTRAVAGANZA WORKSHOP
2021-02-06 14:00 - 16:00
We’re going to think about what it’s like to be a person on the internet.
We’re going to think about the places people hang out on the internet (whether it’s YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs or Facebook) and think about what’s natural and native to how they communicate with us.
Then we’ll explore ways of communicating through them in a way that turn ‘people on the internet’ into an audience to an event!
The themes are liveness, spectatorship and world-building, meta-theatrical theatre.
We’ll talk about the conventions and what’s familiar to us about live streaming and social media platforms. And we’ll talk about times when things were different: moments we’ve stumbled into interesting places on the internet, and times where we felt seen or temporally present.
We’ll discuss voyeurism, and the language, modes of address, and explore ways of using ‘public’ spaces on internet as to publish our work into:

Finding, sharing and exploring curious places on the internet.
Exploring and playing with the ways platforms allow us to communicate through them
Live publishing
Screen recording (documentation)
Live streaming

All you’ll need is your connection and a Google account.
Andy is a writer, theatre maker, facilitator and Squad grad. Originally from Sheffield he lives in London, where he has just finished an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice at Central School of Speech and Drama. He started out writing poetry and performing it all over the country. And now he writes plays, devises theatre and occasionally makes installations. Sometimes he does it with other folks and sometimes under the banner Forest Sounds theatre. He is really interested in performance where the audience are invited to participate in some way. And things that are funny and absurd or surreal. (Not that you have to write like that. He wrote this from his kitchen table next to his my cat, named after a character from Game of Thrones.)

SQUAD 10: WORKSHOP WITH STEVIE (NEWCASTLE)
2021-02-06 11:00 - 17:00 | Newcastle, Newcastle

STEP CHANGE Applying to the Arts Council’s DYCP Funding Programme Part II
2021-02-04 19:30 - 21:00
Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) is Arts Council England’s funding scheme that aims to provide financial support to individual artists in order to facilitate a step change in their career. In this workshop successful DYCP applicant, Stevie will help you to think strategically about your career as an artist and help you to consider how DYCP funding could best support you in achieving your aims. DYCP is a very competitive funding programme and while it is important to note that attending this workshop will not necessarily guarantee you success in the application process, the aim will be to increase your chances of writing a strong application with support from Stevie and the other workshop participants.
This workshop will take place over two sessions. To maximise the benefits of the support on offer you will need to spend time thinking about and working on your application in-between the two sessions. More details on the eventbrite link.
*if you are in Squad 10 and would like a place if there are any, please email billie@writingsquad.com
