Next Noble Pen Meeting

Feb 25, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

Author Martha Hodes won a $50,000 prize for “the finest scholarly work in English on Abraham Lincoln.”

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Read an interview with author Danielle Steele.

Victories

Ciuin started a blog to promote her service of nagging authors who ask for it.

Aime is on day 8 of Facebook withdrawal and is getting more done.

Education

A story needs to “hook” the reader right away.  The opening sentence and paragraph should arouse their curiosity so they keep reading.  Someone said the first sentence needs to make the reader finish the paragraph, the first paragraph the first page, the first page the first chapter, and the first chapter the whole book.

A long setting to introduce characters and places was popular a century ago, but now readers expect to get into the action sooner.  Likewise, a long dialog between characters who have not been well introduced will lose interest.  Suzannah Windsor Freeman lists things to avoid at the beginning.

Paula Berinstein offers elements to hook the reader early.  Janice Hardy lists different types of hook.

Upcoming Schedule

Feb 25
Erin
Laura

March 3
Nick
Stacie

March 10
Cassie
Aime W.

March 17
Randy
Open slot

March 24
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill