Monthly Archives: January 2010

Noble Pen Meeting, February 4, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

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

All those innocent contractors brought in to do the job were killed — casualties of a war they had nothing to do with. All right, look: you’re a roofer, some juicy government contract comes your way. You got a wife and kids, the two-story in suburbia. This is a government contract, which means all sorts of benefits. Along come these left-wing militants that blast everything within a three-mile radius with their lasers. You didn’t ask for that. You have no personal politics. You’re just trying to scrape out a living.
— Randal, Clerks

Victories

George has doubled traffic to his website. He’s doing a 12 part review of a musician’s work and that musician is reading his reviews–from George’s basement, where he is planning his bloody revenge.

Lena has been emailing with an agent and researching writing groups. She has also recently come back from the future to set things right that have previously gone wrong, which is nice.

A Little Housekeeping

New member handout
A new member  came to us after finding a Legion Arts calendar from 2004 and backtracking us through Ron. Because she never found our website she was unclear on what we do and what to expect. Because I was trying to juggle eating supper, running the meeting, and taking notes, I am afraid I did not do a great job of answering all her questions.

While I am on vacation this week. I’ll find some time to write up a new member handout, and then I will bring it in for group critique before finalizing it.

Upcoming Schedule

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

Lena – Some short fiction pieces.

Dylan – Chapter 2 of his piece. Email him for a copy or visit his website.

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

Open


Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, January 28, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

January 28, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

No story unit–not even a paragraph–ought to begin and end with the state of affairs exactly the same. Even the falling of a leaf should, implicitly or explicitly, bring into focus the subtle variation of feeling tone that it engenders. Always, there must be some new fragment of fact or though implied or stated; some fresh development, some growth of insight, some hint of fluctuation in relationship.
–Dwight Swain, Techniques of the Selling Writer

Victories

We now have two Bills. Welcome the second Bill.

Dylan got an honorable mention in Boing Boing’s writing contest. You can find his Noir Peter Pan story here. Too bad Hollywood never has such good ideas. Did you hear they’re making Milton Bradley’s Battleship: the Movie. Seriously.

Nick has been hard at work preparing a new masterpiece for us. I bet his story isn’t based on a board game. But oddly, it does star Tim Curry.

George is meeting his writing goals writing an article a day on his website. I used to do that, but most of my articles were under ten words and contained heavy profanity.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, January 28. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Ciuin – Email her for a copy

Dylan – Email him for copy.

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

Open


Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, January 21, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

January 21, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed. The main problem is Artemis’s own intelligence. He bamboozles every test thrown at him. He has puzzled the greatest medical minds and sent many of them gibbering to their own hospitals.

There is no doubt that Artemis is a child prodigy. But why does someone of such brilliance dedicate himself to criminal activities? This is a question that can be answered by only one person. And he delights in not talking.

Perhaps the best way to create an accurate picture of Artemis is to tell the by now famous account of his first villainous venture. I have put together this report from first-hand interviews with the victims, and as the tale unfolds you will realize that this was not easy.

The story began several years ago at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Artemis Fowl had devised a plan to restore his family’s fortune. A plan that could topple civilizations and plunge the planet into a cross-species war.

He was twelve years old at the time …

–Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl

Victories

Oakley is writing again and has made a submission to Flyway, ISU’s literary magazine and soon to be a movie by Michael Bay.

George’s victories are too good to wait for the group to meet, so instead here is a dance number.

Dylan got a new story commission and will no doubt produce a fine literary tale with lots of saucy gypsies thrown in.

Nick sold an article to a train journal for $200. On the down side, his editor is spending a year dead for tax reasons.

After trying to come up with a nickname for the group, I have decided on Penites, as it sounds quite rude.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, January 14. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Chapter One of Solomon’s Heist. Sorry about all the false starts. I’m having trouble settling down on something. This is a significant rewrite and will be available later tonight.

Dylan – A new short story. Email him for copy.

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, January 7th, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

January 7th, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Private balls were never more than middling amusements for spinsters, and Miss Tarabotti was not the kind of spinster who could garner even that much pleasure from the event. To put the pudding in the puff; she had retreated to the library, her favorite sanctuary in any house, only to happen upon an unexpected vampire.
–Gail Carriger, Soulless

Victories

George is publishing music reviews on his website.

Ian is still being courted by the textbook company. Their editor sent him a naked picture of Stephen Hawking.

I received two rejections on my query letter and prevented a robot uprising.

Ciuin started a new book by a favorite author and found it to say some nasty things about gypsies. She was last seen heading to that author’s home with a quart of Jack Daniels and a sharp stick.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, January. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Chapter One of Hard Luck. This is a big rewrite and will be available tomorrow via email request or my website.

Ciuin – I believe she has some Petty Theft revisions to show us.

Keep Writing

Shannon