Next Noble Pen Meeting

Feb 18, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

A rumor that Amazon will open hundreds of storefronts has been circulating but is not believed by industry analysts.

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Harper Lee, who has been much in the news in recent months, has granted rights for a Broadway play of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Victories

Cassie had a good book release party, with over 45 attendees.  Between that and other sales, she has found homes for her initial order of 60 books.

Dylan received his 10th review on Sand and Blood.  He received another commission.

Aime has given up Facebook and has more time for other things.

Bill went through the critiques from last week and made changes.

Education

What makes a thriller thrilling? A mystery mysterious?  David Morrell offers ideas, beginning with an assessment of why you are writing this story, and emphasizing research to make it realistic.  Elizabeth Craig has several tips for mysteries.

Matt Rees offers a generic diagram that you can fill in with your plot to help organize it.  Sometimes drawing parallel timelines for all the important characters can help you keep the events in proper sequence.  Draw lines from one character to the other to show critical interactions or put their actions in parallel columns of a table.

James Scott Bell has some advice that includes making your characters comples (good and bad attributes in both heros and villains), having confrontations that reveal those attributes (can the villains justify themselves?), and communicating lessons about life.

Upcoming Schedule

Feb 18
Randy
Ciuin

Feb 25
Erin
Laura

March 3
Nick
Stacie

March 10
Cassie
Aime W.

March 17
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill