Calendar

What does it take to create a compelling comic or graphic novel? For an inside look, we interview Ray Claxton, writer and co-creator of the online comic The Tales of Dark Raven about his experiences, insights, and resources for like-minded comic writers of all levels.

A lifelong comics fan, Ray Claxton is a graphic designer/art director and design educator with over 15 years experience in the advertising and marketing fields. He is a visiting professor at Miami University and has taught graphic design at Alfred University, Nazareth College, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. As a comic writer, he has collaborated with artists across the globe on a variety of short stories in addition to his work with artist Brian Robbins on The Tales of Dark Raven.

Moderator: Ted Wenskus
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: August 4, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Writing successful stories is a careful balancing act of knowing where to start, removing roadblocks that keep your story from moving forward, keeping the reader engaged through dialogue and plot, avoiding boring the reader with unnecessary descriptions, and delivering a satisfying ending. Backstory often gets in the way and can ultimately cause your story to fall flat for your readers.

In our May 5, 2015 meeting, we discussed the pitfalls of bogging your story down with the dreaded “info dump” and explored the answers to these questions and more: How do I show, rather than tell, the information I want my readers to know about my characters and the story’s background? Is all that information necessary in the first place? Do my readers really need to know “what came before” to enjoy where I am taking them?

Moderator: Alan Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: May 5, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

In our April 7 meeting, attendees are invited to read from their current or in-progress works. (Older or sold stories and poems are also welcome, especially if you'd like some kind of feedback.) Please try to arrive before 7 to put your name on the list for reading. Bring a short piece or a portion of a longer work -- fewer than 1,000 words if you can, but up to 2,000 words if you can't break the scene -- so everyone has time to read and get feedback. We'll try to go in order from shortest to longest, to ensure the greatest number of people get to read.

The meeting will be preceded by a brief business meeting at which dues-paying R-SPEC members will elect a slate of board members for the coming year.

Moderator: Alan Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: April 7, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Human-habitable planets are a staple of science fiction, but not everyone has the technical background to construct self-consistent, scientifically accurate, and believable worlds. Our March 3 meeting is for the SF writer who needs a plausible background for his story, but doesn’t know how to go about creating it.

We’ll discuss the factors that make a planet habitable for humans, and put bookends on the physical attributes that a terrestrial planet can have and still support a human-compatible biosphere. Along the way, we’ll note which parameters the writer has a free hand to twiddle with, and discuss some of the narrative “color” waiting to be found in the superficially dry data that describe a planet. There will be a Q&A session after the talk, and, if time permits, we’ll try our hands at designing a planet or two.

Moderator: Lynn Spitz
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: March 3, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

In our February 3 meeting (tonight), attendees are invited to participate in a writing workshop focusing on using only dialogue to describe characters, settings, and plot. Prompts will be provided and, if desired, participants may read their drafts and receive feedback from those in attendance. After the meeting, we will discuss some R-SPEC business news, including when we're holding the R-SPEC Annual Meeting and the 2015 program calendar.

Moderator: Alan Vincent Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: February 3, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

In our January 6 meeting, attendees are invited to read from their current or in-progress works. (Older or sold stories and poems are also welcome, especially if you'd like some kind of feedback.) Please try to arrive before 7 to put your name on the list for reading. Bring a short piece or a portion of a longer work -- fewer than 1,000 words if you can, but up to 2,000 words if you can't break the scene -- so everyone has time to read and get feedback. We'll try to go in order from shortest to longest, to ensure the greatest number of people get to read.

If there's time after the readings, we'll go around and share what we're reading.

Moderator: Alan Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: January 6, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

On Monday, March 9, R-SPEC and Writers & Books will present a selection of dramatic readings, featuring local actors, from Rochester Rewritten: Rochester in the Alternative in conjunction with WAB's 2015 'If all of Rochester Reads the Same Book.' Contributors to Rochester Rewritten will be on hand and copies will be available for purchase. Come out to meet and talk with our authors! 

Location: Writers & Books, 740 University Ave. ROCHESTER
Date & Time: Monday, March 9, 7:00-8:00pm
Admission is free. No registration required. For more information call (585) 473-2590. View the program.

November is National Novel-Writing Month, so our November 4th meeting is a great time get a boost by reading your first few day's work. Please come early so we can get an idea of how many people will be reading; if we have enough folks, we'll split off into small groups for reading & feedback. 

Presenter: Alan Vincent Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: November 4, 2013 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Love it or hate it, creating believable, interesting dialogue is one of the most important skills to learn as a writer —and it can be one of the most challenging. Meredith Carroll and Ted Wenskus will lead a lively presentation focused on helping writers give voice to their characters and hone their dialogue-writing skills whether for fiction, plays, or audio dramas. We’ll share important tips on the uses of dialogue, examine its construction, and touch on some of the unique challenges that face writers of speculative fiction. We’ll also share examples of good and bad dialogue (feel free to bring your own examples, too) and run a brief workshop to see these tips in action.

Moderator: Ted Wenskus + Meredith Carroll
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: October 7, 2014 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

What is flash fiction and microfiction? How do I start? What about character and plot development? What do I leave in? And what must I leave out? This is a fun opportunity to write a really short story from scratch using speculative fiction prompts we will provide. Then, if you desire, you'll read your flash story aloud to receive feedback. Bring your favorite (but quiet) writing system – quill & ink, pen & paper or electronic tablet. (Please, no typewriters.) After describing the exercise process and selecting prompts, the Writing Phase begins.

Moderator: Alan Vincent Michaels
Location: Barnes & Noble, Pittsford
Meeting Time: September 2, 2014 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.