Noble Pen Meeting

February 3rd, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

I was walking along the bank of a stream when I saw a mother otter with her cubs, a very endearing sight, I’m sure you’ll agree. And even as I watched, the mother otter dived into the water and came up with a plump salmon, which she subdued and dragged onto a half submerged log. As she ate it, while of course it was still alive, the body split and I remember to this day the sweet pinkness of its roes as they spilled out, much to the delight of the baby otters, who scrambled over themselves to feed on the delicacy. One of nature’s wonders, gentlemen. Mother and children dining upon mother and children. And that is when I first learned about evil. It is built into the very nature of the universe.
— The Patrician, from Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals

Victories

Nick, along with P Diddy, Kim Porter, and Rodney King is being sued for $1 trillion. They have been accused a stealing a poker chip worth $100 billion and causing the destruction of the World Trade Center.

News

NPR has a story about writing great sentences.

The Future is Now. Kindle books are now outselling paperbacks at Amazon. And some more proof that we are living in the future: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x35r4m_the-future-is-now-1955_tech

Upcoming Schedule

Feb 3rd
(5) Nick
(5) Kris
(5) Shannon

Feb 10th
(5) Mark
(5) Tony
(5) Kelly

Feb 17th
(6) Tyree
(6) Kris
(6) Bob

Feb 24th
(6) Dylan
(6) Bill
(6) Shannon

March 1st
(6) Ciuin
(6) Mark
(6) Nick

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

January 27th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

A cut from the cloth of the Kennedy’s
Frank Sinatra having dinner with the Genovese
This is the genesis of a nemesis
Mother America’s not witnessing

-Jay-Z, “Pray”

Victories

Dylan never heard back from an anthology he submitted to, but he’s considering the lack of his name in the Table of Contents to be a clue.

Aoife’s Kiss is now 50,000 words. Tyree is still unemployed. If you call being the managing editor of a small press unemployed, which, lets be honest, most people probably do.

News

NPRs Ira Glass talks about storytelling. One thing I found interesting: instead of using the words “Scene” and “Summary,” he uses “Anecdote” and “Reflection.”

Ricky Gervais said something profound about comedy which relates to writing in general. “You do your own thing, and then you see if you survive…if you’re trying to change it to make people like you, you’re finished.”

Upcoming Schedule

January 27th
(4) Shannon
(4) Ciuin
Something Educational — I guess I got this one.

Feb 3rd
(5) Nick
(5) Mark
(5) Shannon

Feb 10th
(5) Kris
(5) Tony
(5) Kelly

Feb 17th
(6) Tyree
(6) Kris
(6) Bob

Feb 24th
(6) Dylan
(6) Bill
(6) Shannon

March 1st
(6) Ciuin
(6) Mark
(6) Nick

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

January 20th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

From the air, Vatican City looked like a marble Monopoly set. The Church owned all the property from Broadwalk to Illinois Avenue, had three hotels on every lot, and no matter how often it tossed the dice you just knew it would never land on Go to Jail, it would be forever passing Go and collecting $200.

-Tom Robbins, Another Roadside Attraction

Victories

Tyree quit his day job to do more writing. This will no doubt lead to human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, and mass hysteria.

Ciuin has been invited to lecture in Rome. These are methods she might use to get there.

News

A long and bitter article about how many spaces go after a sentence. If you don’t want to read it, the answer is one.

Agent Mary Kole writes about the role of agents in the digital age.

This site can tell you the bestsellers from the week you were born (year you were born if before 1950). Take note that they use European date style day-month-year.

Upcoming Schedule

January 20th
(4) Tyree
(4) Mark
(4) Kris

January 27th
(4) Shannon
(4) Ciuin
Something Educational — Volunteer?

Feb 3rd
(5) Nick
(5) Mark
(5) Shannon

Feb 10th
(5) Kris
(5) Tony
(5) Kelly

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

January 13th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Mmmmm, I’m really diggin your lips
but be careful where you walkin when you’re swing them hips.
I’m kinda concerned you’ll be causin a crash
with your traffic jam booty, heads pausin so fast

-Ludacris, “Pimping All Over The World”

Victories

Ciuin’s author friend has suggested she become a professional author harasser. They are considering an SBA loan which will be reinvested to make Ciuin 10% more distressing.

Kelly actually wrote the piece we’re going to review this week. I am considering having Ciuin give her a stern look.

News

From Nina D’Angelo, A Writer’s Perspective on Writers.

Geoffrey Pullum, head of Linguistics and English at the University of Edinburgh, writes about why The Elements of Style is dumb. Okay, this isn’t really news, because it was written in August of 2009. However, it’s a good read, and well worth your time.

Upcoming Schedule

January 13th

(3) Kelly
(3) Tyree
(4) Dave Shannon

January 20th
(4) Tyree
(4) Mark
(4) Kris

January 27th
(4) Shannon
(4) Ciuin
Something Educational — Volunteer?

Feb 3rd
(5) Nick
(5) Mark
(5) Shannon

Feb 10th
(5) Kris
(5) Tony
(5) Kelly

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

January 6th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Richie Cunningham: A shark? That is the *stupidest* thing I have ever heard!

Fonzie: Stupid, yes. Also dumb. But it is something I’ve gotta do.

Richie Cunningham: Fonz, you’re not jumping over garbage cans on a bike. You’re jumping over a shark. On nothing! On a couple of little skis! One little slip and chomp! Chomp! Chomp!

Fonzie: Thanks a lot for your support. Look, I was challenged. I gotta jump.

—Happy Days, “Hollywood: Part 3”

Victories

Like ghosts of Christmas past, George and Ron stopped by.

Tyree kicked out 20,000 words this week on a new fantasy novel. This makes me feel quite inadequate, as I’ve just thrown away 10,000 words written over the last 2 weeks.

Tony is ready for his Chapter Five critique, which given the chaos of his life, counts as a major victory.

Ciuin continues to make the rest of us look like slackers. She made Honor Roll again. She is also taking creative writing in the spring. Hopefully, she can teach them something.

News

From Michael Chabon: How to salvage a wrecked novel.

An interesting perspective by Josh Olson.

Upcoming Schedule

January 6th

(3) Kris
(4) Nick
Educational Bit — Ciuin

January 13th
(3) Kelly
(3) Tyree
(4) Dave Shannon

January 20th
(4) Tyree
(4) Mark
(4) Kris

January 27th
(4) Shannon
(4) Ciuin
Something Educational — Volunteer?

Feb 3rd
(5) Nick
(5) Mark
(5) Shannon

Feb 10th
(5) Kris
(5) Tony
(5) Kelly

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

And without further ado:

THE SHARK JUMP