Why I Love my Writing Group; or, the Best 24 Hours Ever

[ellenkushner]

I bet you thought I didn't have one. But the Massachusetts All-Stars (all of whom used to live within 2 hrs of each other) meet on an ad hoc basis, whenever there is need. And there was need. So:

Plans were made to meet last weekend to go over Delia's ms. for The Freedom Maze, which she must finish for Big Mouth Press soon; and also to look over Sarah Smith (sarahwriter)'s dramatization of her novel Chasing Shakespeares if we had time. And here's the lineup:

Saturday
5:30 pm Delia & I arrived by train in Boston, cabbed to Sarah's house. Delia has head cold. Sarah feeds us lovely soup.
7:15 pm Sarah's theatrical collaborator (Alex C.) & 2 young actors arrive. We divvy up parts, and begin reading script so authors can hear how it actually sounds.
7:45 pm Holly arrives from Philadelphia, where she's been attending family funeral, and reads a part.
9:30 pm We discuss ripping play to shreds, altering plot & focus....
11:00 pm Alex & actors leave. We continue revising. Sarah argues, takes notes....
11:45 pm Delia goes up to bed
12:30 pm I go up to bed
12:45 am Cassie & Josh arrive from Houston, where she's been signing books. Lots of talking.
3:00 am (I'm told) Everyone else to bed.

Sunday
10 am? We crawl out of bed. Sarah makes eggs, coffee . . . eventually everyone appears and eats them. Delia's cold mysteriously better.
1 pm Kelly arrives with Burmese takeout. We devour hitherto unsuspected culinary delights.
2 pm Everyone whips out notes & begins by telling Delia what each particularly loves about her novel, softening her up for the kill - no, for thoughtful and reasoned debate on what works, what doesn't, and what to do about it. E-mail opinions from Karen Joy Fowler & Doselle Young (who are not Mass All-Stars, but deserve to be) added to the mix.
5 pm Delia curls up on sofa with catatonia & the Sunday comics, while the rest of us continue to discuss plot. Kelly leaves to feed baby. Holly collects bags to depart.
6 pm Every conceivable leftover of any sort is eaten. Kelly returns.
6:30 pm Holly, Cassie & I thrash out plots to two short stories they're working on. My advice particularly brilliant. Everyone talks about books. And matchmaking. And travel. And stories. And food. And writing.
9 pm Holly drives everyone home. Sarah, Delia & I hunker down to watch "Emma" on Masterpiece Theater.
9:20 pm Holly returns for Cassie's Airbook, which looks just like the other 3 that were on the table, so easily mislaid. Drives off.
11:05 pm We finish mocking "Emma." Sarah drives me to all-night Shaw's Supermarket so I can buy Country Kitchen Light Wheat bread, which is not sold in NYC, and is the thing I miss most about Boston. Sorry.

Monday
9 am Up & out & on the train home . . . Blissful trip. Still catching up. Which is why I didn't get this written down til today. But you can see why I wanted to! It's already beginning to fade.... We weren't there even 48 hours - but it felt like a weekend and a half!

Comments

[yuki-onna.livejournal.com]

I am full of envy. I have never had a real, solid writing group for more than the length of a workshop.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

We found each other over the years - many of us had been reading each others mss. already - and shyly asked if we might meet as a group once or twice to see how it would go. I'm sure you'll accumulate a similar gang at some point.

What's wonderful to me is the lengths people will go to to meet - even if it's only a few times/year - when the call goes out, now that we all live so far apart and are on such divergent schedules.

[aamcnamara.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds lovely.

I sometimes wish there were a critiquing group on campus--we appear to have a group focused around production of the written word, and one for a literary magazine, but none for the intermediate stages. I'm sure there are groups in the area, but haven't found any yet.

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

Dramatization of Chasing Shakespeares? I am so there!

[gows.livejournal.com]

My advice particularly brilliant.

But of course! :D

[ken-schneyer.livejournal.com]

I knew you had one. Holly told me.

Completely rolfed the play

[sarahwriter.livejournal.com]

Alex and I met at Starbucks today, raving at each other about the things we're doing to the CHASING SHAKESPEARES play. "How long did that weekend seem?" "About a week." "How long has it been since?" "Seems like a month." Sheer magic. Speaking of which, I'm reading Cassie Clare's THE CLOCKWORK ANGEL, which is such wonderful storytelling that it completely stuns the critical mind. Yay Mass All-Stars.

Re: Completely rolfed the play

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

I trust that's Rolf as in Ida,not as in Results of Unfortunate Frat Party....

Yeah, Alex seemed really traumatized. I guess he'll know now what it means to go up against the Mass All-Stars! And we weren't even playing full-court.

I can't wait to see what you guys do next with it!

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

They've actually been working on this for several years, now - this is my 3rd time critiquing the script - but the first time we had a Reading before we critiqued. We needed it, because you know how well Sarah writes: on the page, it's smooth as silk and great to read - plus, we are so familiar with the material by now - we also critiqued the novel, after all! - that we needed some distance. And if we felt that way, you can imagine what *she's* up against!

[themaskmaker.livejournal.com]

I bet Delia's cold was cured by all that love and talk and good food.

Re: Completely rolfed the play

[sarahwriter.livejournal.com]

Look up "Elephant Love Medley" on YouTube. That's what Alex wants to do with the Castle Hedingham scene.

I'm making him write it :-)