Monthly Archives: June 2011

The Noble Pen Newsletter for Jun 30th

Next Noble Pen Meeting

June 30th, 2011 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

 

News

How about a little contest? For one of the July 21 slots, lets all write one paragraph to read to the group, and vote on which one is best, with discussion of why. At the next meeting let’s pick a topic, such as a) beginning paragraph for a story, b) ending paragraph, c) description of a character, d) character dealing with bad weather, e) another category you nominate.
 

Victories

Kris did another illustration for her story Trinity.

Dylan submitted writing to a humorous almanac.

Education

How does a writer get far enough back from his own work so that somehow he becomes no longer the author, but the reader and critic? … For the words an author writes can form a groove in the mind which soon hardens and becomes unerasable.

The trick here is to put the story away and practice loss of memory so intensively that [one can] read with curiosity to see what actually happened in the end. -Hallie Burnett

A link to a brief checklist for editing your own work.

Upcoming Schedule

June 30th
(13) Dylan
Ciuin
Tyree

July 7th
Tony
Kris
Nick

July 14th
Kris
Tyree
Dylan

July 21 st
Nick
open slot
paragraph contest?

Keep Writing, Penites and penitents.

Bill

The Noble Pen Newsletter June 23, 2011

Next Noble Pen Meeting

June 23rd, 2011 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

 

Victories

Kris finished revisions to Trinity.

Shanna was asked to write for work.

Education

I try to leave out the parts that people skip.  ~Elmore Leonard

A few tips on Writing Dialog.

Upcoming Schedule

June 23rd
(13) Tyree
(13) Kris
(13) Shanna

June 30th
(13) Dylan
Ciuin
Tyree

July 7th
Tony
Kris
Nick

July 14th
Kris
Tyree
open slot

July 21 st
Nick
open slot
open slot

Keep Writing, Penites and penitents.

Bill

The Noble Pen Newsletter June 16, 2011

Next Noble Pen Meeting

June 16th, 2011  7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

 

News

The group decided to meet on June 30.  Apparently no one is going to start partying early for the long weekend.

Victories

Dylan received another story commission.

Tony plans to attend a “How to be a writer or publisher”  symposium in August in Tennessee.  He didn’t say if he plans to stop in Nashville and learn how to be a country music star as well.

Ciuin is reviewing four documents for the World Artist Initiative Khentenas group.  We hope she has them submitted before you read this.

Ian received a request to submit two short stories to be considered for an anthology.

Education

“Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.”-Author Unknown

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” –Anton Chekhov

A link to an editor’s advice on choosing a freelance editor, if you need one.

Upcoming Schedule

June 16th
(12) Nick
(12) Dylan
(13) Ian

June 23rd
(13) Tyree
(13) Kris
(13) Shanna

June 30th
(13) Dylan
Ciuin
Tyree

July 7th
Tony
Kris
Nick

Keep Writing, Penites and penitents.

Bill

The Noble Pen Newsletter June 9, 2011

Next Noble Pen Meeting

June 9th, 2011

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

“Writing is rewriting.” -popularized by Paul Abbot

“I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter.” – Blaise Pascal 1657

Victories

Ciuin sent Petty Theft to be professionally edited, a return favor for her assistance to an author/editor who just completed a book.

Tony replanned Tunnels and has another chapter about ready.

News

Sometimes no news is good news.

Education

Here’s an interesting essay on Show vs Tell that Shannon mentioned.  It concentrates on the weakness of “thought”, “remembered”, etc. and has me right in the crosshairs.

Upcoming Schedule

Be thinking about whether we should meet on June 30, just before a long weekend.

June 9th
(12) Kris
(12) Tony

June 16th
(12) Nick
(12) Dylan
(13) Ian

June 23rd
(13) Tyree
(13) Kris
(13) Shanna

June 30th (Possibly bumped for 4th of July weekend)
(13) Dylan

Keep Writing, Penites and penitents.

Bill