This page is a work in progress… if you found it, that’s great! We’ll see what happens!
Becoming God: A Pre-Write Club
Who you are and the basics:
You live in/around Chicago.
You have an idea for a screenplay (or a story in another format), but haven’t started writing yet. Maybe you have started writing your first draft, but you’re stuck. Maybe you need someone looking over your shoulder so that you don’t sink into the pit of despair disguised as procrastination? Whoever you are, the first rule of this club: you don’t have a completed first draft. Second rule: before you write your first/next word, you will create an outline/map and know every intricate detail of your story. (yes, this is an obvious riff on the set of rules in Fight Club) Third rule: you can only apply to physically come back to this club to work on another uncompleted draft (don’t worry, you won’t be left in the breeze; see: Fourth rule). Fourth rule: you have to be OK with joining what may or may not be a cult; don’t worry, only the sacrifices you make to write are necessary. The rest of the rules are flexible. Why? Because you’re in the process of creating a universe bookended by “FADE IN:” (or a first sentence and a last sentence) and “FADE OUT." And if you’re creating a universe you’re in the process of becoming god.
You are a screenwriter, playwright, short story writer, and/or a novelist. You might be a chimera of those. All fiction writers are welcome so long as they take the craft seriously. Here are a few things that’ll get you in:
You’re not a writer just because you want to be, but because you HAVE TO be
You want to write something to share with the world
You have talent, don’t know the best way to start your something and you need a nudge in the right direction
Your something needs to be distilled into a 30-word (max) sentence called a logline (<—- click for example)
You have to be able to expand your logline into a concise and passionate 200 word (max) paragraph (your something’s elevator pitch)
You must be willing to sacrifice (for your something, yourself and for this club) time, energy, partying, friends, etc. to complete your first draft (See: Henry Miller’s 11 Writing Commandments)
You’ve written nothing or close to nothing to bring this particular something to life
You write daily, and if you don’t, well… you do now
Who you are not:
You are not a hobbyist with the hubris to think you’ll be the one to pen The Great American Novel/Film. You’re not the type who thinks their first draft will be perfect; first drafts fall into one of two categories, Hot Garbage or Dog Shit, and yours will be one of those. You’re not someone who thinks your ideas/writing will make you rich. You aren’t the type who constantly talks about writing, but never does. Once completed, you and your something are not above being ruthlessly (in a supportive/constructive manner) revised by your peers and yourself (see below re: “Teaching God” our other cul… club, yeah just a club). You are not an A-hole, but you’re a bad motherf^&*er.
What you get:
Community. As writers we write in a vacuum, but can’t live in one. When you’re not writing you need to be able to talk to like-minded people. Our’s can be a lonely life/profession, so the secondary goal of this writing club is to create off-shoots clubs, aka friendships. Together we’ll bring you the writer (horse) to a minimum amount of resources (water) to get you to writing (drinking) your first draft to completion, and if you have community holding you accountable, you’ll be more likely to succeed.
The primary goal is to put you on a path so you have what you need to build the infrastructure to start your first draft or continue your unfinished draft. Your time spent at the club “meeting” consists of an introduction to the resources you’ll have access to, a quick talk about the creative process, a big block of time to write quietly in a room of other writers and we’ll end on sharing our loglines with one another.
After we meet, you’ll be invited to a Discord Server where you can keep in touch with your fellow writers, keep each other accountable and have access to resources to help your writing, like character profile charts, story maps and other classes/avenues you can take to finish your draft and Become God!
What do you mean “Becoming God…”:
What we’re attempting to do is create something from nothing. The cliche “it’s all been written/done before” might be true, BUT NOT BY YOU. Whatever your something is, is its own stand-alone universe amongst a vast multiverse of stories, legends and myths that have been built by others just like you. The first time you thought of your something was the spark of creation, the “Big Bang.” Now, you are the steward of that something and it’s your responsibility to build the world, construct your characters and give life. With every story we write, we become the god of that universe. Remember, until you write “FADE OUT” or “The End,” you’re not god. But as soon as that first draft (with all its imperfections) is pushed into existence (don’t forget that we’re made in god’s image, so god is inherently imperfect), it becomes fodder for scrutiny, judgment and rebuilding (we have another club for that… keep scrolling down!). As writers who write everyday there is no “seventh day” for rest.
How to get in:
Fill out this Google Form to see if you qualify.
How much?
Nothing, unless you’d like to tip/donate here.
When/where:
TK (once a month)
What do I do when my first draft is done?!?!?!
Look below, silly!
Teaching God: A Re-Write Club
Who you are and the basics:
You live in/around Chicago. You may have already been to a Becoming God meeting.
You are to be congratulated. You are now the proud god of a universe that exists between the first and last page of your draft. This draft could be your first, second, sixth, and you need a straight shooter to give notes free of sugarcoating. You might be a god now, but you need to be taught.
First rule: you have to be willing to let go of all attachments to your draft and accept that it needs to be rewritten (likely more than once). Second rule: you have to give honest notes to get honest notes. Third rule: you accept that the draft you’ll be rewriting (esp if it’s the rewrite of a 1st draft) is Hot Garbage or Dog Shit. Fourth rule: understand that you’re in a cult (esp if you’re in the “Becoming God” club) and the only way to get out is to quit writing. Fifth rule: you write everyday.
Who you are not:
You are not the type who thinks whatever you’ve written is perfect on the first try. You don’t bristle or get defensive at notes, suggestions and criticism of your writing. You are not someone who waits for inspiration. You don’t pay lip-service to your fellow writers when they seek notes/feedback. You are not an A-hole, but you’re a bad motherf^&*er.
What you get:
You get access to likeminded peers via our in-person meeting(s) and Discord Server, who in turn have access to you. Instead of creating, you’ll focus on revising, cutting/adding scenes, enriching characters, a-b stories. Each writer will present their logline, their 200-word elevator pitch and what issues they hope to resolve with their work. The final part of the meeting will consist of writers being paired off to share their work to give/get peer-to-peer feedback that’ll be completed at a later date. After the meeting you’ll be invited to our Discord Server (if you’re not already a member via Becoming God…) where you’ll be able to meet with your writing friends in a virtual space, hold each other accountable and have access to/share resources for your rewrites.
Why does “god” need to be taught?
It comes back to the myth of humans being made in god’s image. If we’re imperfect, then so is god. In all likelihood, people created god to outsource the legitimacy for keeping order among the masses, which makes both parties (imagined and real) imperfect. It is in our nature to create and as writers we’re responsible for tending to our imperfect creations. No story is or will ever be perfect, because neither will we. The goal for every draft is for it to become a better version of itself; we’re reverse-engineering garbage and shit to make it acceptable for consumption. The same way the Earth was born out of fiery chaos, the same way Earth has experienced extinction level events only to later blossom with life, writers have to mold their chaotic early drafts into newer/better drafts. As writers, we’ve got to be able to wipe the slate clean and come into each new draft ready to do god’s (aka your own) work.
How to get in:
Fill out this Google Form to see if you qualify.
How much:
Tip or donate. That’s up to you.
When/where:
TK (once a month, starting six months after the first Becoming God meeting)
Why should we listen to you?
For far too long I thought I could do it all by myself. Only recently it’s been made clear that to become a successful writer you have to find community. This community is not so much a crutch as it is a support group for people who have a dream and a passion (really, it’s an addiction) to write compelling fiction for publication or for film. In my years of writing I’ve come across writing theory, advice, tips, tricks and tools that I’d like to share in one place to make it easier for other writers to succeed. And even if I/you don’t make it in the commercial sense, your real success depends on how much fun you have while consistently working to produce your fiction. Would you rather be a successful shut-in who has no friends and struggles to put their dreams on paper and then quits due to a lack of guidance and support, or would you like to struggle putting your dreams on paper surrounded by peers and friends who are working everyday just like you and who won’t let you give up at any point through the writing process? I know which I’d choose.
I hope you’ll join us-
Gabriel Skvor