Noble Pen Meeting

March 31st, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

I have found it easier to identify with the characters who verge upon hysteria, who were frightened of life, who were desperate to reach out to another person. But these seemingly fragile people are the strong people really.
–Tennessee Williams

Victories

Ian did a thing with another thing, neither of which I clearly understand.

Ciuin has to write a declaration, press pack, and a letter to invite the Artists Initiative spokesperson, a person who is not Roma, but looks like he is.

The USGS has made a correction based on mistake that Bill found. Due to a snowball effect, we will be forced to cede Detroit to Ontario. So far, Ontario has refused.

News

Ambrose Bierce sucks at humor.–Samuel L Clemens

From Mandy Hubbard, slush works.

In a role reversal spectacular Barry Eisler turned down a $500,000 book deal in order to self publish while self-published superstar Amanda Hocking signed a $2Million, 4 book deal with St. Martin.

Upcoming Schedule

March 31st
(8) Tyree
(8)Ciuin
(8)Shannon

April 7th
(8)Nick
(8)Kris
(8)Mark

April 14th
(8)Tony
(9) Tyree
(9) Ciuin

April 27th
(9)Kris
(9)Shannon
(9)Tony

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

March 24th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

“Pass the word for Chief Campeti. Have him issue rifles and sidearms to any deck personnel not part of the gun crews. Prepare to repel boarders.” Matt was struck by the strangeness of the order even as he gave it. Probably not since the War of 1812 had the captain of a U.S. warship given the order to repel boarders on the high seas.
— Taylor Anderson, Into the Storm: Destroyermen, Book I

Victories

Tyree will be attending MidSouthCon. He is up for a Darrow award. Maybe Rick Gervais will present it.

I sent my piece out to a fifth beta reader.

Cuiun wrote a declaration for the artists initiative against Romaphobia, which was signed by Dr. Ian Hancock, President of the Romani Nation in the United States. I wrote a declaration on a men’s room wall once, it was not as enthusiastically received.

News

This is an example of a bad query letter.

John Cleese on creativity.

Upcoming Schedule

March 24nd
(7) Bill
(7) Ciuin
(7) Educational

March 31st
(8) Tyree
(8)Ciuin
(8)Shannon

April 7th
(8)Nick
(8)Kris
(8)Mark

April 14th
(8)Tony
(9) Tyree
(9) Ciuin

April 27th
(9)Kris
(9)Shannon
(9)Tony

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

March 17th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Vogon poetry is of course, the third worst in the universe. The second worst is that of the Asgoths of Crea. During a recitation by their poetmaster Grunthos the Flatulent of his poem “Ode to a Small Lump of Green Putty I Found in my Armpit One Midsummer Morning” four of his audience died of internal haemorrhaging and the president of the mid-galactic Arts Knobbling Council survived only by gnawing one of his own legs off. Grunthos was reported to have been “disappointed” by the poem’s reception, and was about to embark on a reading of his 12-book epic entitled “My Favourite Bathtime Gurgles” when his own major intestine, in a desperate attempt to save humanity, leapt straight up through his neck and throttled his brain. The very worst poetry of all perished along with its creator, Paul Neil Milne Johnstone of Redbridge, in the destruction of the planet Earth. Vogon poetry is mild by comparison.
–Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Sometimes writing is like pounding a brick wall with a ball-peen hammer in hopes the barricade will evolve into a revolving door.
— Chuck Klosterman

Victories

Tyree has gotten is 141st story accepted. It will appear in Potter’s Field–the magazine, not the housing development.

Kris finished the illustration for her story, and she was offered a sale for another illustration.

John sent out work to beta readers. Sadly, he won’t be joining us anymore.

Ciuin has been asked to write another declaration and a speech. Her first declaration will be published in the EU within the next month. Despite all her fame, she still hangs out with us.

Dylan got paid for his commission. He was paid in chocolate coins.

I sent stuff off to beta readers. So far, there have been no attempts on my life.

News

Nathan Bransford blogs about why ebooks can cost more than hardcovers. Personally, I just think publishers are bad at math.

From The Onion Why Haven’t We Finished Our Novel?

Upcoming Schedule

March 17h
(7) Shannon
(7) Tony
(7) Kris

March 24nd
(7) Bob
(7) Ciuin
(7) Educational

March 31st
(8) Tyree
(8)Ciuin
(8)Shannon

April 7th
(8)Nick
(8)Kris
(8)Mark

April 14th
(8)Tony
(9t) Tyree
(9t) Ciuin

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting

March 10th, 2011
Scott’s Family Restaurant
1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Zest. Gusto. How rarely one hears these words used. How rarely do we see people living, or for that matter, creating by them. Yet if I were asked to name the most important items in a writer’s make-up, the things that shape his material and rush him along the road to where he wants to go, I could only warn him to look to his zest, see to his gusto.
–Ray Bradbury

Victories

It’s been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon. Of course, as everyone predicted, Nick Tharalson’s ice fishing equipment rental business went under. Nick saw early on that the business wasn’t doing so well, as everyone in town has more  of ice-fishing gear than they could ever use, usually passed down from their grandfathers. Last week, Nick was spotted several times at dusk, pushing his shack towards the thin side of the ice.

Tony Mione was seen hiking with his fourteen children. It’s kind of a sad thing to watch, really. No matter how often he takes them out into the wilderness, they always make it back.

And once again, Bill Hart organized the Sons of Knute Pancake Breakfast. This year, his wife Karen supervised, given the tragic events of last year’s pancake breakfast in which twelve bachelor Norwegian farmers were killed.

News

The Times has an article on why authors abandon projects.

Cat Rambo has some tips on sentence and paragraph construction.

An interesting note about how libraries and e-books are clashing.

Upcoming Schedule

March 10th
(7) Dylan
(7) Nick
(7) Kelly

March 17h
(7) Shannon
(7) Tony
(7) Kris

March 24nd
(7) Bob
(7) Ciuin
(7) Educational

March 31st
(8) Tyree
(8)Ciuin
(8)Shannon

April 7th
(8)Nick
(8)Kris
(8)Mark

April 14th
(8)Tony
(9t) Tyree
(9t) Ciuin

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon