Next Noble Pen Meeting

July 6th, 2017 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

The summer edition of Science Fiction News is available.

Victories

Aime’s son started writing a novel.

Dylan is adding to Second Hand Dresses, and planning stories for three commissions.

Education

One of the things an author can do to improve their work is to go over a piece looking for ways to tighten the sentences.  Often a change will express the meaning more clearly and with smoother flow.

For example, why say “his habit of spending wastefully” when you can say “his extravagance”, or replace “the car drove haltingly and noisily down the street” with “the car lumbered” or “the car hiccoughed down the street” instead?  This site offers more exercises with suggested answers.

Here’s another good discussion with examples of cutting extra words.  This site has good ideas, but (for shame) has a run-on in the intro note.

Upcoming Schedule

July 6
Nick
Aime
exercise

July 13
Open slots

July 20
Laura
Aime
Open slot

July 27
Open slots

August 3
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill