Due to computer problems, Ciuin’s piece has been removed from the agenda for this evening. She will reschedule her critique when she has the computer problems resolved.
Instead we will have a roundtable discussion. Please try to bring some topics (suggestions: tips-n-tricks, recent writing news, things you have learned, etc) for the roundtable.
We will still be critiquing Shannon’s piece this evening.
Thanks!
Like my dad, for example, was a chemical engineer and I don’t recall once in his 40 years of chemical engineering anybody asking him if he was afraid to be a chemical engineer, you know? It didn’t — that chemical engineering block John, how’s it going? It just didn’t come up like that, you know? But to be fair, chemical engineers as a group haven’t really earned a reputation over the centuries for being alcoholic manic-depressives.
–Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
Ian went home today and found his house beeping. It transformed into a Decepticon and shot his neighbor’s house. Then it did a little dance.
George has been working all week from home on a disaster recovery test. Thankfully, he put on pants to come to the meeting.
Remember how Amazon pulled all those books off it’s Kindle e-reader. This week, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and CEO apologized for removing them.
PBS’s Newshour also had a piece on electronic books.
Agent Jessica Faust tells you when she stops reading your query.
I found this great little blog written by an intern at a publishing house. And always remember this piece of advice I have heard from multiple sources: if you are talking to the intern of an agent or publisher be polite and treat them with respect. They might be the person who decides if a senior partner reads your work, or they might be the next up-and-comer in the business.
Thursday, July 30th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Petty Theft revisions from Ciuin Due to computer problems Ciuin will have to re-schedule.
Call of the Beast, Chapter One revised. I will have a copy on my website sometime this week. Remember that’s shannonryan.net/user with a username of noblepen and a password of nblpn
Thursday, Aug 6th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Exodus Chapter 8, Nick passed out new copies.
Revelations Section 9, can be found at: http://saclark.com/SAC-6-NP.html
Thursday, Aug 13th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
I assume Ciuin and Ian are going to want to continue, if they don’t, we’ll open one up and make the other a writing contest.
Keep Writing
Shannon
Stephen King’s first four novels were rejected. “This guy from Maine sent in this novel over the transom,” said Bill Thompson, his former editor at Doubleday. Mr. Thompson, sensing something there, asked to see subsequent novels, but still rejected the next three. However, King withstood the rejection, and Mr. Thompson finally bought the fifth novel, despite his colleague’s lack of enthusiasm, for $2,500. It was called Carrie.
–Noah Lukeman
Welcome Keyron McDermott, who attended her first meeting on the 16th.
Sherry says she really likes us, and we should not take the fact that she sold her house and is moving away at all personal.
Scott attended the Sci-Fi session at the UofI and give us a great rundown last night.
Becky’s last day will be next week. She believes she is all ready to go. Make an offer on her television.
Nick’s house has new paint on it.
Ciuin knocked out two articles Thursday morning–too bad they were due two weeks ago. We were going to give her a special procrastinator’s prize, but it isn’t ready yet.
Once again, this week is the RWA (Romance Writers of America) 29th Annual National Conference. For all the people who can not attend, Lynn Viehl has a list of online events which will coincide with the conference. In addition to these events, she will also be doing her Left Behind and Loving It online conference.
Agent Anne Hawkins talks about why good agents turn down good books.
The New York Times blogger David Proust has found a good reason not to like Amazon’s Kindle–unless you’re a publisher.
Scientists have finally figured out what we’ve known all along. Artists are mentally ill. Nine out of ten Tracy Morgans agree.
Thursday, July 23th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Quint’s Adventures, email Ciuin Ferrin for a copy.
A Convenient Truth email Ian for a copy.
Thursday, July 30th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Petty Theft revisions from Ciuin
Call of the Beast, Chapter One revised. I will have a copy on my website sometime this week.
Thursday, Aug 6th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Exodus Chapter 8, Nick passed out new copies.
Revelations Section 9, can be found at: http://saclark.com/SAC-6-NP.html
Keep Writing
Shannon
Ciuin shared some excellent experiences from the city of brotherly love and enjoyed the city’s rich culture. She also got some great information at the Holocaust Museum.
Bill has been replaced by his clone. Don’t let on that we know.
Next week is the RWA (Romance Writers of America) 29th Annual National Conference. For all the people who can not attend, Lynn Viehl has a list of online events which will coincide with the conference. In addition to these events, she will also be doing her Left Behind and Loving It online conference.
Nathan Bransford has a post by Victoria Mixon telling us everything we need to know in 1000 words.
In the obvious news today, a new poll shows women are titillated by romance novels but not so much by reference books.
Thursday, July 16. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Exodus Chapter 7, by Nick. I have two extra copies I will bring next week.
Revelation, Chapters 47-, by Scott Clark. Visit his website at saclark.com, navigate to the “Publishers” tab, and click on the “NP” button to download copies of this section. If you cannot access his website, email him
Thursday, July 23th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Petty Theft, revisions from Ciuin
A Convenient Truth (I got the name right that time,) new chapters from Ian.
Thursday, July 30th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Exodus Chapter 8, I’m guessing
Call of the Beast, Chapter One revised.
Keep Writing
Shannon
…there’s a hormone secreted into the bloodstream of most writers that makes them hate their own work while they are doing it, or immediately after. This, coupled with the chorus of critical reaction from those privileged to take a first look, is almost enough to discourage further work entirely.
–Frances Ford Coppola
A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.
–Mark Twain
Nick got an HP netbook. He will now explore the final frontier of e-mailing attachments.
Bill and I both have ideas for new sci-fi pieces. His will involve transmission correction algorithms. Mine will have drinking, gambling, and nudity.
After several warnings, Facebook has decided not to cancel Ian’s account despite his penchant for complete sentences. Of course, grammar isn’t the only thing Facebook has destroyed.
I have a new keyboard too. Mine is made of aluminum. ALUMINUM!
Editorial Note: I was going to do links in the above victories, but for some reason they were all highly offensive. They will be available upon request.
The New York Times blog has a wonderful piece using illustration and informal prose to tell a bit about Thomas Jefferson.
The editor of the Absent Willow Review asked me to inform you they are looking for submissions. They offer a $50 prize to the best story in an issue.
B&N.com has discounted minimum shipping for the holiday weekend; you can get free expedited (three biz days or less on in stock items) shipping for online orders of $10 (versus the usual $25.)
You know how every once in awhile I say that I got something off the site of that Canadian Sci-Fi author whose name I can never remember? His name is Robert J. Sawyer, and he is a Hugo and Nebula winner. Here is his information on writing. Some of it is a little outdated, but it’s good stuff.
Thursday, July 9th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Revised chapters from Ciuin?
A Convenient Truth—new chapters from Ian.
Ian and Ciuin, please note
Tell me by Saturday if you cannot make it for any reason, and I’ll give Scott an extra slot, as he’s going to be on the injured list towards the end of the month.
Thursday, July 16. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Exodus Chapter 7, by Nick. I have two extra copies I will bring next week.
Revelation, Chapters 47-, by Scott Clark. Visit his website at saclark.com, navigate to the “Publishers” tab, and click on the “NP” button to download copies of this section. If you cannot access his website, email him
Thursday, July 25th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique
Right now, we don’t have anyone requesting these slots. If we don’t get anything by Monday, I will be calling a flash fiction contest using prompts given to me by Bill. Also, I have some revisions of Call of the Beast I’d like to throw into the ring at some point.
Keep Writing
Shannon