Next Noble Pen Meeting

October 26th, 2017 at 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

To Kill a Mockingbird was removed from a school curriculum because it contains some bad words.  Never mind the lessons it can teach.  The NY Times has a longer discussion of book banning.

Victories

Deanna found one of her stories published in a literary magazine despite having received a rejection from that organization two years ago.

Uriah joined NaNoWriMo.

Stacie read Aime’s book.

Ciuin scrapped much of the later part of Chessmaster and is rewriting it.

Education

Do you use inspiration from real people to create characters?  Robert J. Sawyer argues that you shouldn’t have to, but the idea of totally making them up goes against something deep inside us, and may be harder than taking features from real people.

Here are ten famous characters modeled on real people.  And this article gives some examples, but lists several reasons why you usually shouldn’t.

If you do use celebrities or real people you have encountered, you need to research the legalities as summarized by a lawyer and this very practical discussion.

I never tell who it is I base my character quirks on in case they get offended, but I do base them on real people. As an actor I see myself a bit like a sponge where I absorb peoples different characteristics. It makes my characters on screen more realistic. ~Emily Blunt

Upcoming Schedule

October 26
Stacie S.
Stacy H.
Aime

November 2
Nick
Deanna (long?)
Aime

November 9
Laura
Ciuin
Uriah

November 16
Stacie S.
Open slots

November 23
Thanksgiving, no meeting

November 30
Open slots

Keep Writing,
Bill