Noble Pen Meeting

March 4, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die..
— Mel Brooks

Victories

George is working on a new project. He doesn’t know what it is yet. He will supply us with full details as soon as he hears back from himself.

Christine is in the top 1000 contestants for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Currently, she is lamenting the exorbitant cost of  999 hitmen.

Ciuin has sent a completed Petty Theft to beta readers. I volunteered as a beta reader as I am already a beta male.

Dylan posted his commission piece to forums. Readers gushed over it. For those of you that don’t attend regularly, that’s an inside joke.  Get it? Inside? Oh, never mind.

News

Don’t read this. You will cry.

Rosemary Clement-Moore explains what writers can learn from the Winter Olympics.

It’s not news, but here’s Terry Pratchett telling a dirty joke.

Housekeeping

Again we tried the new critique method. I have not seen overwhelming complaints as of yet, so I’m letting it ride. I slightly altered the instructions to make them more clear.

1. Author is coned
2. We go around the table and everyone gives up to three positives and up to three things that need work
3. At this point the author is un-coned and should ask for any clarification.
4. Group conversation including author

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, March 4th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Noble Pen Meeting

February 25, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Pundits are always blaming TV for making people stupid, movies for desensitizing the world to violence, and rock music for making kids take drugs and kill themselves. These things should be the least of our worries. The main problem with mass media is that it makes it impossible to fall in love with any acumen of normalcy. There is no ‘normal,’ because everybody is being twisted by the same sources simultaneously.
— Chuck Klosterman, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto

Victories

Dylan is submitting a short story to a cyberpunk romance collection, a genre in which the Blazing Saddles quote, “We’ll make Rock Ridge think it’s a chicken that got caught in a tractor’s nuts” actually makes sense.

Nick wrote the ending of his current manuscript, which will cease to be a secret in two weeks. I hope it’s a love story involving dolphins.

I sent out 2 queries, got one rejection, and followed up with and editor, to whom I may not have a current email address, or he just wont talk to me.

John joined the group and received a form rejection–the two events were deemed unrelated.

Lena read some of her stories to an audience and was well received. She received two tomatoes and three eggs.

News

The Intern tells you why editor’s email responses suck.

The BBC has some information about the current state of Google Books.

Housekeeping

We tried a new critique method this week, and it seemed to work pretty well.  We’re going to stick with it for the time being.

Here’s the rundown:

1. Author is coned
2. We go around the table and everyone gives up to three positives and up to three things that need work
3. Author has a chance to ask questions
4. Group conversation

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 25th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Noble Pen Meeting

February 18, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

THERE was death afoot in the darkness.

It crept furtively along a steel girder. Hundreds of feet below yawned glass-and-brick-walled cracks‚ New York streets. Down there, late workers scurried homeward. Most of them carried umbrellas, and did not glance upward.

Even had they looked, they probably would have noticed nothing. The night was black as a cave bat. Rain threshed down monotonously. The clammy sky was like an oppressive shroud wrapped around the tops of the tall buildings.

–Keneth Robeson, The Man of Bronze

Victories

Dylan got feedback on his commission piece. The commissioner only wanted a hairstyle changed. I think he’s one of these guys.

Nick donned a poncho, lit a cigarillo, and loaded his colt revolver to go in search of his missing manuscript. He also got to speak with the publisher of The Writer magazine about it.

News

An Iowa man was sentenced to six months after pleading guilty to possessing ‘obscene’ comic books. Without the guilty plea, he would have faced a 15 year sentence. Neil Gaiman weighed in on this case last year.

The New York Times has an interesting article on William Faulkner’s family history and its link to his novel, Go Down, Moses.

Housekeeping

A big thank-you to George for his work on the new member guide.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 18th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Solomon’s Heist, Chapter 2. You know the drill, email or website.

Dylan – Flight of the Scions, Chapter 4.  Email or website.

Thursday, February 25th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Noble Pen Meeting

February 11, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

In Sleep we lie all naked and alone, in Sleep we are united at the heart of night and darkness, and we are strange and beautiful asleep; for we are dying the darkness and we know no death.

– Thomas Wofle

Victories

Lena has a friend who is going to record her reading.  She is planning to submit her reading to This American Life. (My all time favorite story from This American Life is the Squirrel Cop story from the First Day episode.)

Dylan finished working on his commission piece.

Nick finished two chapters of his mystery piece.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 11th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

• Dylan – Chapter 3 of his piece. Email author for a copy.
• George – Untitled.  Should be available Monday.  Email for a copy.

Thursday, February 18th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Open

Keep Writing, Penites.

George (Substituting for Shannon)