Next Noble Pen Meeting

July 18th, 2013 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

A court ruled against Apple in the ebook pricing case.  One commentator thinks that isn’t as important as the trend of renting instead of selling ebooks.  Think NetFlix for books.

–/–

Maybe you don’t have to play chess and sudoku to keep your brain working – a new study says that reading and writing reduce the progression of dementia.   Of course, it may already be too late for some writers who are already demented.

–/–

Google won a court appeal, which now says the Writers Guild and other organizations can’t collectively sue Google over infringement.  The new decision lets Google continue to display portions of copyrighted books.

Victories

Tyree says, “Hey, dudes, I’ve been very successful with research for the current story.”

Shannon has also done research, including asking a NASA scientist.  She couldn’t tell him much about vampires that he didn’t already know, so he’s writing about adventures in space instead.  She says don’t travel economy class.

Jed finished reading Thomas More’s Utopia, a best seller from 1516, English edition 1551.  And I thought I was a little behind on my reading list.

Janice attended CONvergence and found it both extremely interesting and educational.

Dylan successfully participated in WisCON panels.  He also got 3rd place in a writing competition (again) and will participate in another round.

Education

Readers need to feel a story has hope for a happy ending to keep them reading.  Even if it isn’t delivered, or is a mixed outcome, they want to feel the characters’ situations will be resolved.  Tragedy is not as popular as melodrama.  Literary fiction will less often deliver a “happily ever after” ending where the characters hopes are met, but usually does wrap up most of the threads.

Charlie Jane Anders tells of ten kinds of ending she likes.

Heather Sharfeddin argues that having only happy endings in fiction is not good for our society.

The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means. ~Oscar Wilde

Thy only authentic ending is the one provided here: John and Mary die. ~Margaret Atwood

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story. ~ Frank Herbert

Upcoming Schedule

July 18th

Tyree
Ciuin
Nick

July 25th

Rachel
Aimee
Jed

August 1st

Tyree
Nick
Barbara

August 8th

Rachel
Tyree
Barbara

August 15th

Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill