Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 13th, 2014 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

The spring (northern hemisphere) edition of Science Fiction News is available.

Victories

Tyree has done a lot of writing, including preparing a submission to an anthology.

Dylan finished the first draft of a short story for that same anthology.

These are both invited submissions.

Cassie planned and researched a short story.  Her recent publication has received good comments, including some that say it was the best story in the issue.

Education

Characters need both good characteristics and flaws to seem real. Perfect saints are boring and not believable.  A “tough” character has appeal because they are able to handle what comes at them, but as Angela Ackerman points out, don’t go too far in making them insensitive, cynical, or otherwise nasty.   Even the old “hard boiled” detective usually had a soft spot to make them more relatable.  In another article, she categorizes character flaws.

Syndney Katt offers advice on creating flawed heroes and villains with redeeming characteristics and Anne Tyler talks about writing strong yet flawed characters.

This thing about you that you think is your flaw – it’s the reason I’m falling in love with you. ~Colleen Hoover, Slammed

I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions. ~Augusten Burroughs

One difference between film noir and more straightforward crime pictures is that noir is more open to human flaws and likes to embed them in twisty plot lines. ~Roger Ebert

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. ~Confucius

You see someone on the street, and essentially what you notice about them is the flaw. ~Diane Arbus

Upcoming Schedule

Mar 13th
Dylan
Tyree
Cassie

Mar 20th
Nick
Dylan(?)
Open slot

Mar 27th
Janice
Open slots

Mar 34th
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill