Next Noble Pen Meeting

February 6th, 2014 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

Get your books published while people still know how to read.  A recent report shows “shocking levels” of illiteracy around the world.

Two poems have been identified as coming from ancient Greek poet Sappho (ca. 600 BC).  Despite her fame, very little of her work has survived.

Victories

Dylan received a rejection of Flight of the Scions from Harper Voyager, 15 months after submitting.  He also received three other rejections from various places on other work.  The real disappointment was that only one of them was personalized.

Cassie completely rearranged the scenes of Dreams In Red.

Education

You may come across the term “high concept story”.  This term doesn’t have a clear definition.  Brian Klems says it generally means the work embodies some original, imaginative ideas (what if …) and is easy enough to understand that it will attract a significant audience.  It must clearly tell a good story.  Steve Kaire mostly agrees with this. Nathan Bransford has a simpler, more negative view that focuses on the simple-to-understand aspect.

A high concept (in the positive sense) is a good start, but of course the story needs to be well-written and involve interesting characters in a good plot;  such a story is the essence of what an agent likes to see submitted.

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I feel like the high-concept shows that have some kind of gimmick tend not to be the hit classic shows of all time.” ~Mindy Kaling

Right now it’s only a notion, but I think I can get the money to make it into a concept, and later turn it into an idea. ~Woody Allen

Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong. ~E. O. Wilson

Upcoming Schedule

Feb 6th
Aimee
Tyree
Nick

Feb 13th
Tyree (?)
Rachel
Cassie (?)

Feb 20th
More about commas
Barbara
Dylan (end of S&L)
Open slot

Feb 27th
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill