Zoom link: Writing for Change February 2024
Our second meeting is on Thursday this week - Leap Day!
Hi everyone! It’s come around quick! (we knew it would). Our second meet up is this Thursday night, 29th February, from 6.30 to 8.30pm.
I am really excited to be meeting up with you all again. I know it’s via zoom, but it’s still lovely to see you ‘in real life’!
And I love the idea (which is a complete coincidence) that we are meeting on 29th February - a day considered somehow lucky and ‘out of time’, when traditionally, due to a deal struck by St Bridget with St Patrick, women are allowed to propose to men. And if the man says no, he has to buy you a dress, which seems like a fair enough deal to me. There’s also a Leap Day Cocktail, invented in 1928 by Harry Craddock, a bartender at The Savoy in London and made with Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth, gin and a dash of lemon juice. The Savoy Cocktail book claims, “It is said to have been responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail that has ever been mixed."
But anyway, we’re not here to talk about cocktails!
Earlier this month I asked in a poll what you would like to focus in our February meeting, but not many of you answered. I gave you a choice between a session on structure, and a session on getting published. I thought perhaps that we would make structure our focus this month (we can come back to getting published if you wish) and I will talk a bit more about ways of structuring a piece, including:
Techniques I use myself
Creating strong beginnings and endings
Connecting with your readers
Persuading your readers
Taking your readers to a new place by the end of the piece - the essence of ‘writing for change’!
We may even end up with a short piece, or the beginnings of one, by the end of our session!
This time, if there are quite a few of you again, I propose we experiment with ‘break out rooms’ for a couple of discussions, just to make the best use of our time and make sure everyone gets a chance to share and speak.
Other practical details:
There will be a comfort break around the mid point.
Please bring: paper, pen, passion.
Please light a candle if you want to or are able to. Leap Day Cocktails optional!
Notes from the meeting and a place to continue the discussion, keep in touch, share ideas and writing over the next month, will be sent out the following morning. I’ll also talk to you more in the session about how that has worked this month and discuss the possibility of using the app more / as well.
The meeting is open to both sexes.
It will not be recorded and we ask that any personal information shared is kept confidential.
The link you will need to join the group on Thursday is below the following paywall. If you would like to be there, please subscribe to gain access. It costs just £5 a month (or less if you pay annually) and also gives you access to all of my posts and helps support my work.
See you there! Milli x