Fiction Writing Melbourne

Write Now

We are moving to a new platform and will be only running the new platform in 2025. please signup here: [https://www.downtomeet.com/Melbourne-Writers](https://www.downtomeet.com/Melbourne-Writers) This is the time to write whatever it is you want to write. \-\-\-\-\-\> IMPORTANT <\-\-\-\-\-\-\- We ask for the Nook which is to your left as you go in, but it is not always available. Ask for the table under "Mat Clarke". Sometimes we do not have an official host, so please say hi to people as they arrive and make everyone feel welcome. Thanks. No limitations. Come along and bring your laptop or pen and paper and work on whatever you want. There are no rules :) You can write. You can chat and write. You can share your work. Or not share your work. (If you need silence to concentrate then headphones are a good idea considering it is in a cafe/bar.) Coffee, hot chocolate, etc., available to buy. Also food and drink. Please buy something to show our thanks for the space they give us free of charge. There are some people that will want to chat, but most will be writing. So bear that in mind. See you there :) \-\-\-\-\-\-Please only RSVP if you can make it\-\-\-\-\-\-\- \-\-\-\-\-\-Un\-RSVP if you need to cancel\-\-\-\-\-\-\- We're booking the area, so we will need you to turn up if you say you are coming. Thanks. Thank you, Melbourne Writers. Great Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbWriters Website: www.worldwriterscollective.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelbCityWriters Blog: http://melbournewriters.wordpress.com **Help us by adding to these social pages and site**

Shut Up & Write!® @ Brunswick

**IMPORTANT NOTICE:** This event is listed on the Shut Up & Write! website. Please visit the group page to see full event details and RSVP to sessions. Join the group here: https://www.shutupwrite.com/series/id2w43gpaC00

All Write!

Melbourne Central Food Hall on Level 2. Far back corner near large windows to outside. Look for the colourful piano! See below for exact instructions on finding us. IMPORTANT: Please turn up if you RSVP. Other writers are counting on you being there with them so no one sits alone!!! Currently we have part-time hosts and regulars who will turn up and sit together. EVERYONE, please keep a look out for newly arriving people in the group and make them feel welcome, especially if they say: Are you with the writing group? If you arrive first and have an A4 piece of paper, it is a good idea to write on the paper: Writing Group. This way everyone will find each other. Bring your writing tools, and anything that you have written recently (optional). Remember your earphones if you like to listen to music while you write. There are no rules :) You can write. Or you can chat and write. You can share your work. Or not share your work. (If you need silence to concentrate then headphones are a good idea considering it is in a public space.) Bring pen and paper as a backup. Melbourne Central wifi available. Who: People who write and/or want to write (more) What: An open group of writers who meetup in a stimulating space to write together, share writing and ideas and support each other’s writing goals Why: Inspiration, motivation and space to write. Where: Melbourne Central - see photo for our location. Red shaded area would be ideal if available when you arrive. Detailed instructions if you do not know the area: 1) Go to the Shot Tower (the old building inside Melbourne Central with the big cone glass roof above it). 2) Go up the the escalators (there’s only one set of up- escalators near the Shot Tower, you can’t miss it). 3) You are now on level 2, Dining Hall (there are signs to the right, just slightly, stating this). 4) Top Juice store is to your right. Turn right so you pass Top Juice and walk toward the food hall. 5) You are now in the food hall near a black piano. Go past this. Go to the seating at the far back corner where there are large windows facing outside. 6) Look for us writers. There should be a sign on the table. Call out your hosts name and ask if this is the writing group. We will say YES, here we are! Additional hosts wanted!!! Please contact Mat Clarke. Please only RSVP if you can make it. And also un-RSVP if you need to cancel. Thank You, Melbourne Writers. Great Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbWriters What we have written so far: www.worldwriterscollective.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelbCityWriters Blog: http://melbournewriters.wordpress.com **Help us by adding to these social pages and site**

Writers & Creatives Social

We are trialling a new platform and will be running the new platform from 2024. Please signup here: [https://www.downtomeet.com/Melbourne-Writers](https://www.downtomeet.com/Melbourne-Writers) The Wharf Hotel by the river. Southern Cross Station is closest. Ask at the bar to find us. Or call us 0403193785. Tonight's Social Evening Schedule: (Ideas welcome) 6pm to 6.45pm: Socializing 6.45pm to 6.55pm: Introduction and overview of the evening by Jim including go-around introduction 6.55pm to 7pm: A word from Mat our founder 7pm to 7.10pm A paired connection question to get people talking with one another 7.10pm to 7.30pm: Guest Topic: Mukesh will discuss the issue of positive and negative ways that a writer might use AI for those who are drawn to do so. 10 mins talk. 10 mins Q&A 7.30pm to 8.15pm: Readings section open to all to read out something from their work up to 4 minutes. Feedback optional. 8.15pm to 9.30pm: Socializing. Optional. Many of us love this as a chance to connect personally in a screen-addicted culture. • Come out and meet some like-minded folks who enjoy writing and other entertainment and creative outlets. We'll hang around until at least 8.30pm, but often later. All age ranges, all writing types (and entertainment types), all the way from never writing and up to published authors. • This night is about you. So chat to people, read out your work, give feed back, get to know everyone... Or, feel free to sit back and chill. It's your night, enjoy it how you see fit. **Please only RSVP if you can make it.** **We're booking the area, so we will need you to turn up if you say you are coming.** **We have added an attendee limit, so please update your RSVP if you can not make it.** Thank you, Melbourne Writers. The Wharf Hotel food menu: https://www.wharfhotel.com.au/eat-and-drink Great Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbWriters Website: www.worldwriterscollective.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelbCityWriters Blog: http://melbournewriters.wordpress.com **Help us by getting in contact so you can add to these social pages and site - matclarke.author@gmail.com**

Dirt Music, Tim Winton (Miles Franklin, 2002)

Shortlisted for the Booker and turned into a film (not great), Tim Winton's Dirt Music is his eighth novel and the second of his three Miles Franklin wins. The story centres on two broken characters living in a coastal town North of Perth. Some critics complain about cliched rough blokes and sheilas and a slowish plot. But others claim Winton is the "most important writer of his generation." I wouldn't go that far, but this is a beautifully written novel evoking cinematic landscapes. And I know a few members are looking forward to going back to Tim Winton again after Cloud Street. Since starting this book club a few years ago we have formed a nice core membership. If you haven't come yet, please look out for the books on the table, pull up a chair, order a wine and join us. We like to hear what everyone has to say and enjoy the conversation, we're not cliquey at all! Oh, and to defray the Meetup monthly bill I will accept gold coin contributions or wine if you want to pay for multiple in one hit. I hope to see everyone again at this one with some new faces.

Yarra and Botanics Walk discussing 'Medea' by Rosie Hewlett

We'll meet at the spot where Fed Square meets the Princes Bridge over the Yarra (near the pedestrian crossing closest to the river from Flinders St, on the Fed Square side). We'll walk for about 6km along the Yarra River, through the Botanic Gardens and back along the river to Federation Square for a coffee after the walk. This month, we're reading and talking about 'Medea' by Rosie Hewlett. The blurb: "Shunned by her mother. Beaten by her father. Separated from her sister. Medea has never fit in because she possesses a unique and dangerous power - witchcraft. When the dashing young hero and leader on the famed Argonauts, Jason, arrives to claim the Golden Fleece that her father fiercely protects, Medea takes her opportunity to escape. Her offer to help Jason overcome the trials set by her father sets in motion a journey that will test see her battle monsters, dethrone kings, fall in love and reclaim her power. But when faced with the ultimate betrayal, just what will Medea be prepared to do for love?" Goodreads rating: 4.04 How does a walking bookclub work? Like a normal bookclub, we talk about the book, what else we're reading, have read, or want to read (as well as a few tangents into life outside literature!) but we do it while walking around Melbourne and then over a coffee. We often split into smaller groups as we walk, but we also regroup through the walk. Should I read the book beforehand? The conversation will be more interesting if you do, but you can still come along if you haven't finished it yet! Do I need to bring anything? **Comfy** walking shoes, drinking water, some money for coffee or a bite to eat after if you wish. No need to bring the book unless you want to. No shows No shows (RSVPing yes and not attending) mean the group waits unnecessarily for those who are not coming, thinking you are running a little late. It’s absolutely fine to change your rsvp for any reason up until the walk begins, and you don’t need to leave a comment, send a message or give a reason, but if you don't click that 'change rsvp' button, you may be removed from the group. Membership Fee Did you know that while it is free to attend most events, Meetup charges organisers about $600 a year to organise a group? Members of the Walking Book Club are asked to pay a membership fee of $10 per year (not per event) to help cover this cost. When you join the group, you'll be automatically given a three month trial so you can see what the group is like, without needing to make any payment. If you would like to continue attending events after this, please follow Meetup's instructions to pay the $6.50US/approx $10AUD fee once per year (or contact group organisers if you would prefer to make payment using paypal, payID, cash or bank transfer).

Paranormal Romance Book Club and Culture

Hi all, Welcome to the October Paranormal Book Club!! If you love books that are lighter and fluffier to read, with supernatural elements (magic, vampires, werewolves, etc.) then you will enjoy this group. After book club we head off and become a tourist in our own city, by attending an exhibition or some other cultural activity. For October, we are going to meet at Market Lane Coffee at Queen Vic Market, where we will buy food/coffee and then go find somewhere to chat about books. After book club we will go for a walk around Queen Vic, find any second hand books we need, more food, and other interesting stalls to look at... or we might just stay seated and chat for a while! The books for Sunday 11 October 2026 are: Zucchini Cake & Zombies by RaShelle Workman [Zucchini Cake and Zombies (Broomstick Bay #1) by RaShelle Workman | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61260200-zucchini-cake-and-zombies) The Wolf King by Lauren Palyphreyman [The Wolf King (The Wolf King, #1) by Lauren Palphreyman | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196920718-the-wolf-king) The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (and Other War Crimes) by Tiffany Hunt [The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (and Other War Crimes) by Tiffany Hunt | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236900512-the-dark-lord-s-guide-to-dating-and-other-war-crimes) If you would like to look at all the books that we have read so far, click [here](https://1drv.ms/x/s!Am2wjNpl1c1ijCNvt-hrWM8gPaem?e=riV48x). Finally, if you can't make it, please change your RSVP to a NO. Spaces are limited, so it will give other people a chance to attend. Happy reading until then!! 🤓

October Book of the month - Dungeon Crawler Carl

Book Club: [Dungeon Crawler Carl](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211721806) by Matt Dinniman What if the apocalypse didn't end with a whimper or a nuclear blast, but with a galaxy-wide broadcast and a glowing corporate notification? In Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman weaves a wildly inventive, darkly hilarious, and surprisingly layered story about survival, corporate exploitation, consumerism, and finding humanity in the most absurdly inhumane of circumstances. The novel follows Carl, a normal guy whose life is upended when an alien corporation flattens Earth to clear space for an intergalactic reality game show. Left with nothing—not even his pants—except his ex-girlfriend’s prize-winning Persian show cat, Princess Donut, Carl has no choice but to step into the world-spanning, 18-level dungeon to stay alive. Forced to battle mutated monsters, psychotic rivals, and rigged game mechanics, Carl and Donut must learn to play for an audience of billions of alien viewers who treat human tragedy as prime-time entertainment. At the heart of the story is an unlikely partnership. Carl transitions from a reluctant survivor into a calculating, defiant folk hero, while Donut gains sapience, a growing vocabulary, and a fiercely loyal fan base. As they navigate deadly floors filled with exploding goblins and drug-dealing llamas, the boundaries between a tactical game and a horrifying reality blur. The dungeon becomes more than just an obstacle course; it becomes a brutal mirror reflecting the worst excesses of corporate greed, media sensationalism, and a society that turns suffering into content. Dinniman combines relentless, laugh-out-loud comedy with a genuinely chilling critique of modern capitalism and systemic cruelty, creating a story that is both wildly entertaining and unexpectedly poignant. Dungeon Crawler Carl explores how people hold onto their morals when a system is explicitly designed to reward brutality, how trauma is masked by humor, and whether it is possible to beat a game that was never meant to be won. Discussion Points * How does Dungeon Crawler Carl use humor as a coping mechanism for trauma? Where does the line blur between laughing at the absurdity and confronting the actual horror of the situation? * What does the relationship between Carl and Princess Donut reveal about loyalty, companionship, and chosen family under extreme pressure? How does Donut's character evolution challenge traditional tropes of animal sidekicks? * The dungeon is fundamentally a televised reality show. How does the novel critique our own society's obsession with ratings, clout, views, and turning real-life suffering into public entertainment? * How does Carl's definition of heroism change as he descends deeper into the dungeon? Is his defiance a genuine threat to the system, or just another form of entertainment for the elites? * What role does the System AI play in the narrative? Is it merely a background game engine, or does it develop a personality and agenda that complicates the ethics of the crawl? * How does the novel handle moral compromise? The dungeon rewards ruthlessness and penalizes compassion—how do Carl and other crawlers try to maintain their humanity in a system rigged against them? * In what ways do the corporate structures of the Borant Corporation mirror real-world monopolies, bureaucracies, and unchecked power dynamics? * How does the loot box and leveling mechanic act as a metaphor for consumer addiction and the illusion of upward mobility? * Were there moments where the tonal shifts—swinging wildly from laugh-out-loud slapstick to devastating tragedy—caught you off guard? How did that affect your reading experience? * Ultimately, is Dungeon Crawler Carl a story about helpless subjugation to an uncaring universe, or does it offer a genuine message of hope and resistance against impossible odds? If your group enjoys discussing dystopian power structures, sharp satirical social commentary, LitRPG/sci-fi tropes, unconventional found families, and stories where heroes fight back against rigged systems, Dungeon Crawler Carl offers an absolute mountain of material to unpack. It is also a fantastic entry point for exploring how modern speculative fiction uses absurdity and gamification to hold a mirror up to our own world!

The Sitter by Angela O’Keefe - Thursday 15 October 2026 meeting

Sketching at Bundoora Homestead

Hey Guys, For this event, we'll be sketching at Bundoora Homestead. A Queen Anne Federation styled, heritage home built in 1900 on Wurundjeri grounds by John Matthews and Vincent Smith. The property had previously served as a family home and repatriation facility before being refurbished as a public gallery in 2001. **Meetup Details:** We'll be meeting at the centre entrance at **11:00am** before making our way to the Cafe (adjacent to the exhibition entrance.) I've booked a table for 11 people. You guys can chill, draw, have something to eat/drink, and soak in the view of the Mansion gardens before viewing the exhibition upstairs. Or if you want, do it the other way around. *If you're looking to eat something substantial, I highly recommend having lunch beforehand as the cafe only serves light refreshments* **Public Transport and Parking:** **Route 86 tram** You can get off either at **Mt Cooper Dr** or **Greenwood Dr** to get to the homestead. **Mt Cooper Dr** (quicker route in my opinion) * Turn **Right onto Mt Cooper Dr** * Turn **Left at Boadle Rd** * Turn **Right on JV Smith Street (no through Road)** * **Walk Right on Snake Gully Dr** till you see a **wooden gate**, the main entrance is accessible from there. **Greenwood Dr:** * Turn Right onto Greenwood Dr and continue straight down the pathway near the cricket grounds till you see the homestead. **Parking:** * Parking is located directly in front of the venue and it's free :) Looking forward to meeting you guys there :)

The Twenty-sixth Page

Join us for the Twenty-sixth Page! Theme: **judge a book by its title.** It can be funny, silly, weird, or just plain intriguing. Don't look up anything about the book, just go off the title. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone ends up reading. Feel free to bring along any discussion questions you can think of or theme suggestions. Happy reading :) See you there!

Writing group meeting in October