DATE & TIME | March 19th, 2022 – Social at 12:00 PM, Business meeting at 12:30 pm, Speaker at 1:30 pm or later–after the business meeting concludes
LOCATION | Meeting will be Hybrid via Zoom and Community Room at the Woodbourne Library, 6060 Far Hills Avenue, Centerville, Ohio 45459. See below for further instructions.
TOPIC | Shari Heinrich & You all!: Brainstorming your Current or Future Creative Writing
Brainstorming your Current or Future Creative Writing
Our March program, Brainstorming your Current or Future Creative Writing, is back by popular demand. This program includes light instruction on brainstorming techniques. Members are encouraged to bring their favorite craft book to chat briefly about in the small group, especially if it helps them with brainstorming. You go home with the book you brought, unless you are offering it up to a new home.
Following the brief instruction offered by Shari Heinrich, we’ll spend the majority of the program in hands-on practice, broken into small groups. Those on Zoom, we will attempt to break users into groups of 4-5 (this will be our first time trying that). Last time we offered this program, several of our members worked on novels, such as Juliette Hyland plotting out Falling Again for the Single Dad (now available from Harlequin) and Shari Heinrich using the technique “unlikely combinations” to come up with the idea for one of her novels now in second draft stage, a young adult paranormal about a teenage shifter who is not the animal she expects.
COFW will supply small poster board and markers, in case members find them helpful, along with several visual models of story structure. Donna MacMeans is supplying a host of sticky notes, which she encourages you to take home with you. You supply places where you are blocked, or want additional ideas, to brainstorm your plot, a plot hole, or anything else. Novel or short story, novelette or novella, it’s all fair game. Group members will take turns so that each person has a chance to make forward progress. After the first round of brainstorming, the room will decide whether to stick with the existing groups for the next round, or to mix up members. Participants don’t have to ask for brainstorming help, but if you’re staying for the session, we hope you’ll helping kick-start creativity for one of your COFW friends. Guests are welcome to attend this brainstorming session.
Attending Our Hybrid Meeting
Presentation is free for members and prospective members who have not yet visited for two complimentary meetings. For those members who cannot join us in person, join us via Zoom. The password will be posted in the Central Ohio Fiction Writers Google Group, and on the Central Ohio Fiction Writers Facebook page.
If you are not a COFW member and wish to attend this presentation via Zoom, email cofwpresident@gmail.com.
About Our Speaker
Shari Heinrich writes young adult fantasy populated by characters full of sass and heart. She’s querying Queen of Wands, where teen thief Angela makes the unforgivable mistake of falling for her mark and activating the family’s curse to the ancient Egyptian goddess of retribution.
Contact Shari: www.ShariHeinrich.com
Shari will supply brainstorming techniques that Harlequin medical author Robin Gianna shared one of the times COFW offered this program, along with additional techniques.