Meeting of 5 August
Only 6 attendees this time, plenty of apologies – domestic disasters and family visits, among them. It’s hot out there!
We had a general discussion about taking onboard comments and learning from any criticism. Bottom line is, if you haven’t got a thick skin – to face rejection, for example – then you’d better spent your time on other pursuits.
Ashes to ashes
Ann began with an amusing anecdote concerning her family and the spreading of a deceased’s ashes. This engendered many similar reminiscences.
Lure, not lurid
Mary K gave us a clever and amusing poem on the lure of the pen and how she looks forward to these weekly sessions. She apologised for not writing any sleaze for a while…
Cavalry trill
Gerry read out an 1870s tale about Joel and how he grew up outside Boston and finally joined the US Cavalry. Told from the omniscient point of view, it worked well but requires more emotion and detail to place the reader in that time and place. Put more emphasis on the particular rather than the general.
Criminal intent
Nik read out the beginning of his novel The Dragon Tree rewrite, concerning illegal immigration in Tenerife. Many illegals work for a pittance in those massive agricultural tents. Excerpt illustrates controlled switching of point of view in the narrative.
Training for the army
Glynn offered up a rewrite of first chapter of his Joining the Army novel. Starts with his train journey, leaving hearth and home. Great descriptions, as usual, with more characterisation of the narrator this time around. A few things still to tweak, notably story logic/chronology. Still, it’s shaping up very well.
Base character in basement
Heather, our new recruit, began reading her long short story about East/West and it had all of us intrigued. A neat twist, too, concerning the main character’s viewpoint. We’re all waiting to hear more.
A house is a home
Finally, Brenda presented an interesting exercise about the house and the home, two pieces concerning the same building but from two different perspectives. The family buying the house and then the final leave-taking of the place, using smells to evoke memories. Well conceived. And fancy that, an attic and a diary figured in the story!
Nik
Showing posts with label western. Show all posts
Showing posts with label western. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Meeting 18 February 2009
Fifteen attended and we ran out of time for readings, which is no bad thing since it means that plenty of members had written work to offer for comment. I asked how many members were contemplating writing a novel (though I know of four) then briefly offered encouragement, using some quotations posted on the Black Horse Western yahoo group by writer Charlie Whipple. In short, you eat an elephant a mouthful at a time. A brief discussion on the structure of a novel ensued.
It was good to have Pat kicking off the readings; her character Jim’s nostalgic visit to the loft was poignant and touched the group: you can write, Pat, so don’t hold back! Jane gave us a sad piece about a mother lapsing into Alzheimer’s: well realised and deeply felt. Chris regaled us with a poem about the ‘perfect man’, incisive with biting wit. Mary K read out two poems, one entitled ‘Nobody’s perfect’ and the second about a Valentine with a twist. There followed a brief discussion about poetry and the modern tendency to opt out of rhyme, which most found regrettable. Bring back rhyming poetry was the clarion call!
Brenda continued with her saga about Belle, restricting this section to the modern day storyline, which most felt should be tightened up. Characters good as usual, however. Glyn returned to reading another sequence from his story of recruitment in the Army in the 1960s – which had everyone laughing; we were so wrapped up in the tale there was no feedback or constructive criticism!
Cynthia read a short item about the ‘perfect man’, concluding that such a creature would not be a good partner at all. Rob read another snippet about his Spanish mother-in-law – she won the lottery, she told him, explaining that as she was 86, she meant the lottery of ‘life’. Douglas ended by reading a short children’s story written by his late wife Jean, which was about cats and piglets whose tale deserves a home.
Alan’s continuing story about the inheritance will have to wait until next week.
Nik
It was good to have Pat kicking off the readings; her character Jim’s nostalgic visit to the loft was poignant and touched the group: you can write, Pat, so don’t hold back! Jane gave us a sad piece about a mother lapsing into Alzheimer’s: well realised and deeply felt. Chris regaled us with a poem about the ‘perfect man’, incisive with biting wit. Mary K read out two poems, one entitled ‘Nobody’s perfect’ and the second about a Valentine with a twist. There followed a brief discussion about poetry and the modern tendency to opt out of rhyme, which most found regrettable. Bring back rhyming poetry was the clarion call!
Brenda continued with her saga about Belle, restricting this section to the modern day storyline, which most felt should be tightened up. Characters good as usual, however. Glyn returned to reading another sequence from his story of recruitment in the Army in the 1960s – which had everyone laughing; we were so wrapped up in the tale there was no feedback or constructive criticism!
Cynthia read a short item about the ‘perfect man’, concluding that such a creature would not be a good partner at all. Rob read another snippet about his Spanish mother-in-law – she won the lottery, she told him, explaining that as she was 86, she meant the lottery of ‘life’. Douglas ended by reading a short children’s story written by his late wife Jean, which was about cats and piglets whose tale deserves a home.
Alan’s continuing story about the inheritance will have to wait until next week.
Nik
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)