This group is designed for writers or those with some writing experience. Each month, we'll read several short works by authors (in advance), study their craft, and then actively mimic them in writing exercises at the meeting. In the interest of time and variety, we will read literary short stories primarily, though novel excerpts and similar genres may be included from time to time. Efforts will be made to include women, minorities, queer, disabled, and international authors. Each participant will have a chance to 'adopt' an author from that month's chosen anthology (so read ahead to choose yours). They will give a brief intro to the author, help lead discussion, and provide a brief (7-10 min) writing prompt based on that author's style or technique. We'll read some of our work out loud. We meet the first Thursday of every month at King's.
For the next three months, we'll read from The O. Henry Prize Stories 2016, edited by Laura Furman, available at King’s or below. Bring your copy of the anthology, along with your preferred writing tools. This month's stories are:
Facilitator Zak Nelson is a writer and bookseller who lives with his wife in Tacoma’s Lincoln District. He holds a MFA from North Carolina State University, and enjoys literary fiction, personal essays and memoirs, science fiction, food and travel writing, graphic novels, and the occasional poem. He is working on his first novel.