Next Noble Pen Meeting

March 19th, 2015 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

Well-known author Terry Pratchett died recently after a decline over a few years with Alzheimer’s.

Victories

Dylan is working on a new file format to let him automate the creation of a dictionary for his books along the lines of thefictionary.net.

Nick submitted a piece for possible publication.

Education

The fiction writer needs to create characters that readers will understand and think of as real.  As we are sometimes reminded, stories are about people.  Readers don’t have to like the characters, who may not always be upstanding role models, but their motivations, feelings, and personalities need to come through.  This includes those in minor roles, too.

Here’s a brief list of things to ask about them.  You don’t want your character to be a cliche or stereotype, but it isn’t a bad practice to start with a stereotype and then develop and change them so they are more interesting.  There are countless web sites that offer character charts to help you invent the background and personality of the characters.  With combinations of these 447 traits, from able to zany, there is no excuse for having boring characters.

When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature. ~Hemingway

Upcoming Schedule

Mar 19
Dylan (double)
Aimee

Mar 26
Laura
Open slots

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

Apr 9
Open slots

Apr 16
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill