How Do I Creatively Maintain My Group

Meeting Details to Keep in Mind

Writing Exercises for your Group

Ideas for Special Events for your Group
 

 
After a while, a motivating routine develops into a fatiguing rut. Since most members of the group are creative, being creative can solve this problem. Here are some ideas to get you started.
 
 

Where members swap their script with someone else and spend some time reading it and making suggestions before returning to the original writer.

Or agree to watch a specific movie that is in the theaters and discuss its merits from a writing perspective at the next meeting

Rotate the roles of writer and two executives

Such as the "Comedy Writers," or the "action-adventure," and so on. You can have a short meeting for everyone, and then break into the specialized groups.

The comradery enables each writer to root for one another's success. It's an upward spiral of positive energy that revitalizes each writer. This is the fuel each writer needs to keep writing.

MEETING DETAILS TO KEEP IN MIND

For example, does your group meet every other Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. at members' house or at a coffee house for approximately 2 hours?

3- 5 pages per person per meeting is a good place to start. If you have more than four members, you may wish to divide the group in half, with one half submitting material one meeting, and the other half submitting the following meeting. 

Does the group prefer to read the script to be critiqued at home and bring comments to the next meeting, or does the author prefer to read their work aloud at the meeting and invite immediate comments.

Comedy, action, romance, sci-fi, all of the above

Do you wish to have each member report on what they've accomplished since the last meeting, and, if so, assign someone the task of writing this down

WRITING EXERCISES FOR YOUR CHAPTER

Group Exercises

I. Have each member suggest a word (such as an item, character, or event), then have everyone write a story using all of the words suggested.
 

1) Develop characters and a plot for a short story. Have each group member write the story from a different character's point-of-view.

2) Take ten or fifteen minutes from a meeting to exercise your descriptions. Describe a scene (something from your current project, your daily life, anywhere), using sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

3) One of our favorites is to pick several categories (say, Character, Place, Time, Event, Odd Object, Conflict) and have everyone write one or more suggestions for each. Put the suggestions into a hat (one category at a time), and have everyone draw a suggestion from each category.

4) Then, everyone must write a story that includes the suggestions he or she pulled from the hat. You'll get some very interesting stories this way.

5) Gather your group together in a circle. Have each person write an assignment for the person to his or her left (for instance, "Write about a seal taking a train to California" or whatever). Write for ten minutes on that assignment.

6) Gather your group together in a circle. Someone will start the exercise by writing one sentence. Pass the paper to the left, and the next person will write the next sentence. Go on until the story ends, or until your own version of the giant 6' ferret needs to enter the picture to put an end to it.
 

(a) Write a scene from your current project, from a different perspective (i.e., rewrite a scene from a different character's point-of-view, or from the same character's, but using first person instead of third).

(b) Write a story from the point-of-view of and ordinary object (for example, a rug).

(c) Begin a story with the last line, and write backward (end with the first line). Read it backward, and then read it forward.

IDEAS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS FOR YOUR CHAPTER

This can be a weekend, a long weekend, or a half-day. Try to pick a place away from your usual setting. Mid to late winter is a great time for a retreat, since many people need to give their spirits a boost about that time of year. Your retreat can be productive (focusing on your work), and it can be fun (focusing on letting loose a little)!

Have your members write a Halloween story (either on their own or with the help of a group theme), and have them come in costume as one of their characters bearing an appropriate snack. Or, host an Oscars party and let everyone test their skills at predicting who will win.

ASA has access to the top screenwriting speakers across the country. Work with us to sponsor one in your area. The energy, knowledge and creativity that results will astound you!

This can be a great way to promote your local group and have some fun! Each year select a different media celebrity. Have your group spend a few months writing the celebrity into a short ten to fifteen minute script. Hold a public reading of the script with professional (local) actors/actresses. Give an award to the celebrity.

Have everyone in the group agree to watch it and be prepared to discuss it at the next meeting. This is a particularly good way to learn to watch movies for both enjoyment and constructive observation. Think about how the writer wrote the movie and how the director filmed it. What would you do differently? What were the films strong and weak points?