Eagles and Other Things of Interest.

I was away in Calpe but I have been told that a group of intrepid adventurers from the Writers´Circle travelled inland, visited eagles and drank tea at a Moroccan Tearoom. Just the pioneering spirit one likes to hear about in a group of artistic souls unafraid to widen perspectives and give their creative souls freedom to savour new experiences. I believe the lunch was pretty good, too.

However, I digress.

Last Wednesday´s meeting could so easily have been catastrophic. Our revered leader did not appear at the appointed time and for a while confusion reigned. However, the deputy chairman
showed his true grit and donned his leadership cap, turning members´anxiety and confusion into calm, confident, literary flow and another successful meeting was under way.

It was attended by several visitors, one of whom was a published author, Vera McHugh who, together with Christine Holohan, wrote Voice From The Grave and Whisper of an Angel, the true story about a clairvoyant helping the police to track down a murderer. She talked about her writing and gave some tips on writing and getting published.

The subject for the day was Reward or Rejection.

Chris wrote about being rewarded and then punished with rejection at Primary school - a sad tale of a bitchy teacher and the long-lasting effect on a young child.

Geoff, in his usual inimitable style told the tale of a man on a train whose fascination with the phrase elastoplasity of lusciousness earns him angry rejection by a female passenger in his compartment.

Mary S wrote a hilarious rant about Ryanair´s treatment of overweight passengers.
This could be sold to the in-flight magazine of a rival airline, it was felt.

Cynthia´s piece told of a pooch in a dog´s home who is never picked to go home with a new owner. Not a dry eye around the table!

The other members all contributed different things.

Glyn had rewritten chapter one of his novel to round out his main character more. Very funny and a good re-write.

Brenda read a diary excerpt from her novel, getting the voice of her main character spot- on. A real melodrama there!

Maureen also read from her novel. This was a diary-cum-letter of the daughter left at home in Guernsey to her mother travelling far away. Maureen wanted to try out on us this way of introducing a character who is often talked about but until now has not had a voice of her own.

Mary M gave us a piece from her children´s book about Harold the Hedgehog. If you could stroke hedgehogs, we would all have stroked Harold.

Douglas had a piece about nostalgia and many a far-away look of reminiscence was to be seen around the table as he spoke of milk churns, apple scrumping, the rag-and-bone man, and learning times tables by rote. A piece for The Best of Britain magazine, suggested Rob.

Only two poems this week but they held their own more than adequately.

Anne B´s was about the ladies on our rounabouts and Mary K´s told of a dance where her partner was monopolised by a gaggle of German ladies.

And so, yet another TWC came to an end and we all started to look forward to the following week.

Chris J