Next Noble Pen Meeting

Sept 1st, 2011  7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

A print-on-demand publisher called “Publish America” was making claims that for $49 they would present a sample of your work to Harry Potter’s author J. K. Rowling.   Rowling denies any connection to this organization and had her lawyer ask them to stop making the claim (link to a news story).  In return, they are suing Rowling (link to a blog with their letter) for some things said about them.

One might wonder if P.A. was telling the literal truth in their claims; they could present the material as promised without  expecting a response from Rowling, who they never actually said was cooperating.

You know who will win – the lawyers on both sides.

Victories

Tony heard that the publisher of  a new flash fiction publication likes his submission and will consider using it.

Kris has two readers for Oblivion.

Dylan finished a commission and has another underway.

Shannon moved his web site to the best address he could think of, http://weirdauthor.com .  He wrote nineteen thousand words in the last three weeks, so the excitement of the new name must have given him an adrenaline rush.

Kate wrote recipes.  She also filled in plot holes, we suppose in her novel not her recipes.  You never know, maybe there is a subplot in that minestrone.

Education

Editors and publishers, like any category of humans, have their good and bad examples.  Predators and Editors is a web site (http://pred-ed.com) that points out some of the ogres under the bridge to success in the business of writing and publishing.  They had a bulletin about the Publish America vs. Rowling dispute.

Upcoming Schedule

September 1 st

Nick
Kate
Tyree

September 8 th

Tyree’s quick lesson on commas.
Kris
Kate
Dylan

September 15 th

Shannon
Dylan ?
Shanna

September 22 th

Kris
open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill

Next Noble Pen Meeting

Aug 25th, 2011  7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

After thinning the mailing list to those who have recently shown definite interest, we still have about 16, including some who are currently too busy with life in general to attend but intend to return, and two who moved away and still want to follow our activities.  Anyone can also follow us on the web page, http://noblepencr.org

Victories

Tony returned from the Ragged Edge conference, a gathering of 100 people in Kentucky to talk about writing.  He rubbed elbows with some favorite authors, and an established publisher starting a new flash fiction, to whom he submitted a piece.  His elbows are still sore.

Shanna finished a summer internship at Rockwell, and wrote a paper on how she helped them.  We’re not sure if she is calling that autobiography or fiction.

Dylan will beta read a new novel for an author he met at a Con, to be that author’s sixth self-published work.

Kate met her writing quota on her novel this week, besides editing the first two chapters in anticipation of submitting them for review.   She also got a library card so she can catch up on favorite authors.

Education

If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur. ~Doug Larson

Dylan recommends this summary of apostrophe use.  I think he just liked the funny illustrations:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe

I’ll add to what they said about “its”, which is one of my pet peeves.
it’s = it is, a contraction
its = is the possessive, like his and hers, which also don’t have apostrophes.

Upcoming Schedule

August 25 th

Tony
Dylan
Shanna

September 1 st

Nick
Kate
Tyree

September 8 th

Tyree’s quick lesson on commas.
Kris
Kate
Dylan

Keep Writing,
Bill

Next Noble Pen Meeting

Aug 18th, 2011  7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

In order to keep the mailing list down to those who are really interested, I will be dropping anyone who has not been to a meeting recently and who does not email saying they want to remain on the list.

Victories

Tyree has finished the overall plot plan and first chapter of Nyx 4.

Education

The only cure for writer’s block is insomnia.  ~Merit Antares

The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air.  All I must do is find it, and copy it.  ~Jules Renard, “Diary,” February 1895

Upcoming Schedule

August 18 th

Nick
Shanna
Tyree

August 25 th

Tony
Dylan
Shanna

September 1 st

Nick
Kate
Tyree ?

Keep Writing,
Bill

Next Noble Pen Meeting

Aug 11th, 2011  7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

Welcome to Kate, who came to the last meeting and said she would be back again.

In order to keep the mailing list down to those who are really interested, I will be dropping anyone who has not been to a meeting recently and who does not reply to this week’s email saying they want to remain on the list.

Victories

Dylan has printed and bound copies of the current version of Flight, and is passing them out to beta readers.

Tyree returned from a round of conventions.  He has had two stories accepted, and he spent time talking endlessly about writing with a friend from England.

Shannon sent 35 query letters for his book Fangs for Nothing, and so far has received 11 form rejections and one that said it was good but not something they could market.  He also wrote 15,000 words on a new book and 7,000 on another.

Education

A writer is someone who can make a riddle out of an answer.  ~Karl Kraus

Tyree mentioned that some people would say our group has been too harsh on viewpoint changes between characters in a third person story.  He places readability as the criterion over all rules of thumb for separating viewpoints.

It is common, however, to find advice that each character’s viewpoint must be in a separate scene, or even chapter.  This article: http://www.novel-writing-help.com/multiple-viewpoint-novel.html  has some good advice on multiple character viewpoints, even if you choose to relax their rules.

Upcoming Schedule

August 11 th

Kris (the final chapter of Oblivion)
Tyree
Dylan

August 18 th

Nick
Shanna
Tyree ?

August 25 th

Tony
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill