Houston Science Fiction and Fantasy February Meetup and Open Critique

Join us at 6:30 pm at Melange Creperie for an evening of socializing and fun with other Houston SFF authors.

Activities:
Conversation Topic: Let's talk about misdirection in your writing. (Yes, we did plan this last month, but we flipped the script and had a great conversation on good practices in critiquing other people's work instead.) Plot twists that truly come out of nowhere are usually disliked or criticized as jumping the shark or deus ex machina. How do you lay out the clues for an exciting secret—like who the killer is, which camper is actually a werewolf, or what space marshal is secretly working for the plutonium cartel—without blowing the reveal by being too obvious?

Free Conversation and Games:
Anna will bring games as usual. Come join the fun!

Open Critique Session:
To participate in the exercise, write a science fiction, fantasy, or horror piece 1000-2000 words in length based on the prompt below. Bring 5 typed/printed copies to the meeting for people to read. If the prompt inspires you to a piece that is longer than 2000 words, bring 5 copies of the first 2000 words as your exercise submission. If you'd like, be sure to bring a copy of the complete work in case a member wants to read the whole thing. Keep in mind that the writing exercise is meant to be a light-hearted opportunity to learn the critique process and get familiar with the writing of your peers. Critiques will be verbal, but expect to get written feedback on your submission copies as well.
Critiquers should utilize constructive criticism techniques like the sandwich method and focus on big-picture elements instead of grammar or misspellings.
Voluntary prompt elements: Ice on the trees, starting your period at an inopportune time, "I will never let you go."

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***About The Houston Science Fiction and Fantasy Meetup Group: In 2004, the Houston Science Fiction and Fantasy Meetup was born. Throughout its twenty-year history, it's been a stalwart supporter of sci-fi and fantasy writers in Houston, providing free educational workshops, spawning numerous critique groups, hosting writing salons, and most importantly, filling the backrooms of restaurants with local authors having boisterous conversations with each other regularly. As with all things, there have been ebbs and flows. Due to reduced attendance during the COVID lockdown and post-pandemic difficulties, the group stopped meeting in early 2024, leaving a dearth of opportunities for local authors to mingle and support one another. However, we're ready to resurrect this bad boy! With your help, we can zap it with some creative lightning and bring it back stronger than it was before!

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