Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 12th, 2015 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

We have scheduled a talk by a local author on April 2.  Be thinking of what questions you might want to ask about her publishing experience and recommendations for aspiring authors.

Victories

Dylan sold a book to a VIP in his company.

Ciuin got an A on a school paper.

Nick submitted a piece to a publisher.

Education

The advice is often given to “write what you know.”  That works sometimes.  But maybe you are like me, and nobody else is interested in what you know.  Can you write what you don’t know?  Use your imagination?

If it is vampires, SF, or Fantasy, do you have to follow the lead of everyone else, and use the old tropes, or can you enlarge the genre with fresh ideas?

Of course, if the story is set in a real place and/or if it involves real professions or activities that you don’t know, some parts will have to be carefully researched.   But using real places and activities is ok if you draw something bigger out of them.  Bret Anthony Johnston says that you SHOULD draw on your experiences and knowledge, but not be limited by them.  Fiction can be stronger than a true story and you shouldn’t bind yourself to real events.

Upcoming Schedule

Mar 12
Laura
Dylan (double)

Mar 19
Dylan
Aimee
Ciuin

Mar 26
Dylan ?
Open slots

Apr 2
Stacy Green, author talk
If extra time, educational exercise.

Apr 9
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill