The Noble Pen for July 14, 2016

Next Noble Pen Meeting

July 14th, 2016 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

Several of our members will participate in a 30-author signing event on Saturday July 16 from 10 to 7 at Lindale Mall. (link) (FB link)

Victories

Aime set a deadline for finishing her short story.

Randy read Stacie’s entire book and gave feedback.

Bill read Nick’s Star Trek book and gave feedback.

Education

So  you’re writing fiction.  That means you get to make up the characters, their actions, and perhaps their world.  But some things need to be true and accurate, unless you are popular enough to get away with changing geography and physics and pretending it is the real world (e.g., a list of Dan Brown errors).

I get riled up when a story changes history or has real people doing things we know they didn’t do, without presenting it as an alternate world.  Don’t defy known physics without invoking magic or future technology, and please make characters react realistically for the situation portrayed.  Watch for blatant anachronisms.

A blogger and dozens of commentators complain about their pet peeve errors.  Paula Fleming writes about blending history and fiction.  Jenni Ogden writes about how medical and psychological problems are often portrayed incorrectly.

Upcoming Schedule

July 14
Ciuin
Mark
Dylan

July 21
Ciuin
Laura
Stacie

July 28
Randy
Aime W.
Aimee K.

August 4
Nick (double)
Aime W.

August 11
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill