Next Noble Pen Meeting

May 31st, 2012 7 pm

Scott’s Family Restaurant

1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

News

What is the future of public libraries?  One librarian’s blog doesn’t sound optimistic.

Victories

Dylan finished processing all review session and beta reader feedback on Flight.  He also is getting an autograph from a favorite author, although he won’t be able to attend the Con where the author is presenting.

Shannon re-edited Fangs in one week and has submitted the ultimate last final version for publication.

Education

At the May 24th meeting, we talked about beginning your writing with the ending, using some quotes from random writers who came up in the search engine.  (These quotes are shortened even more than the material at the meeting.)

Jack Riston says:  A successful trip usually starts with a destination … I’m going to suggest that you consider starting your next book with your “destination” … the ending

Denise Hays says:  Once the ending is known, I can back up and figure out the steps my characters need to take to come to that conclusion. Otherwise, I guess I would ramble until eternity.

Donald L. Vasicek says:  How can you create this kind of tension that is so necessary in great drama unless you know where you are going ?

Skye Warren says:  I always know the end.  I am open to it changing, and sometimes it does a little, but never a lot. … The ending is the resolution of the conflict, but what is the conflict?

Our discussion seemed to have a consensus that you need to know the ending, but nobody said they write it first.

– – – – – – – – – – –
Other thoughts:

In the planning stage of a book, don’t plan the ending. It has to be earned by all that will go before it. ~Rose Tremain

The opposite of the happy ending is not actually the sad ending–the sad ending is sometimes the happy ending. The opposite of the happy ending is actually the unsatisfying ending. ~Orson Scott Card

Everything has to come to an end, sometime. ~ L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story. ~ Frank Herbert

Upcoming Schedule

May 31st

Tyree
Shannon
Bill

June 7th

Nick
Bill ?
Open slots

June 14th

Shannon
Bill ?
Open slot

June 21st

Open slots

Keep Writing,

Bill