We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Robyn has made $9 in royalties on platforms supported through Draft2Digital and $18.45 on Amazon’s KDP with her first book and no marketing yet.
2. Xander and his summer research assistant’s article has been published in “Curious,” an on-line professional magazine. And they are asking for more material if Xander has it.
3. Aime completed a 2,000 word newsletter. She also has not yet committed printer-cide in spite of her machine acting up.
4. Dylan finished a 43,000 word series.
5. David is continuing to write new material.

Reading Victories

Personal Victories

1. Adriana saw a yard sign for Aime’s campaign in Mt. Vernon. Far outside Aime’s voting area, but she obviously has support there.

Literary News

1. British novelist and politician Jeffrey Archer, 86, passed away. After a political career, he achieved success with his third novel “Kane and Abel” in 1979. It is still one of the best-selling books in the world, with an estimated 34 million copies sold globally. He has written consistently since then. In total, his books have sold more than 320 million copies worldwide.

Schedule

Oct. 15
Robyn
Xander
Aime

Oct. 22
Xander
David
Jeff

Oct. 29
Aime
Ciuin
Shannon

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Xander and his summer student research assistant from Coe submitted a paper for publication, to an online journal. The article was on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, otherwise known as a form of mad cow disease.

Reading Victories

1. Xander is reading “Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations” by Sam Kean. According to Amazon, it was a finalist for the 2026 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, a Los Angeles Times bestseller, an Indi bestseller, and the New Yorker’s Best Books of 2025. It is billed as an archaeological romp through the entire history of humankind—and through all five senses—from tropical Polynesian islands to forbidding arctic ice floes, and everywhere in between. Xander is enjoying it.

Personal Victories

1. Aime purchased printer toner.

Literary News

1. Mr. Busse, whom the new Cedar Rapids on the west side of Cedar Rapids is named for, passed away. The library community is grateful he lived long enough to see the project completed.

Schedule

Oct. 8
Jeff
Ciuin
Dylan

Oct. 15
Robyn
Xander
Aime

Oct. 22
Robyn
Xander
David

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. David completed a new chapter of his novel.
2. Dylan has another small commission.
3. Ciuin received more feedback on her second vampire novel, “Bishop’s Decoy,” from her high school English teacher, Mr. Fogle. He’s reading the explanation of how all the magic in her world works and while he’s not “a magic person,” he knows she wouldn’t have put in there if it wasn’t important for the series, he said.

Reading Victories

1. Jeff read “The Bridge of San Luis Rey” by Thorton Wilder. He appreciated the fact that the author made him care about the characters as most of them had a lot of tragedy in their lives. But in terms of action, nothing really happens. It’s more a study of human behavior and an interesting commentary on it. Jeff deemed it okay, but wouldn’t really recommend it even though it was a Pultizer Prize winner in 1928.

Personal Victories

1. Ben Snyder resigned from his position as manager of the ReStore, and has taken a position with NewBo. His new job will be much less stressful, so he hopes to get back to more writing.

Literary News

Schedule

Oct. 1
Robyn
Aime
Adriana

Oct. 8
Jeff
Ciuin
Dylan

Oct. 15
Robyn
open slots

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Adriana wrote a short story.

Reading Victories

Personal Victories

Literary News

1. Brandon Sanderson has announced he will not finish George R. R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice series if Martin does not. Sanderson cited writing styles, personal values, and creative philosophy as reasons.
2. Annie Dillard, a Pulitzer Prize winner, has died at 81. Her best known work was “Pilgrim Tinker Creek,” and other nature writings.

Schedule

Sept. 24
Robyn
Jeff
Dylan

Oct. 1
Robyn
Aime
Adriana

Oct. 8
Robyn
Ciuin

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Aime wrote 5,000 words in one day.
2. Ciuin has started seriously editing “Chessmaster’s Pawn” with the plan to publish it at the end of October.

Reading Victories

Personal Victories

Literary News

Schedule

Sept. 17
Ben L.
Aime
Robyn

Sept. 24
Robyn
open slots

Oct. 1
Robyn
open slots

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Dylan wrote 11,000 words this week.
2. Robyn has started the second book in her trivia series, this one about Halloween in the 1970s.
3. Xander’s newest ART Explains Science and History episode on “The Aphantasia Lie” has had 97,000 likes. That’s enough to remonetize his channel and continue making more episodes.

Reading Victories

1. Aime finished reading “Neuromancer” by William Gibson, the first book in his Sprawl Trilogy. Since she’s writing a memoir, she started a book by Sarah McBride. McBride was the first openly transgender person elected to the US House of Representatives.

Personal Victories

Literary News

Schedule

Sept. 10
Dylan-a double submission
Aime

Sept. 17
Ben L.
Aime
Robyn

Sept. 24
Robyn
open slots

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Dylan was offered another commission for a 1980s anime story.
2. Robyn has her first trivia book up for sale on Amazon in both paperback and ebook.
3. Shannon wrote a new short story for a workshop he’s participating in.

Reading Victories

Personal Victories

1. Bill recommended another movie, “Rain Man,” starring Dustin Hoffman. The first one he recommended, a couple of weeks ago, was “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” starring George Clooney , Charles Durning and John Goodman.
2. Xander’s newest ArtExplained YouTube posting has 3,000 likes and counting.
3. Shannon has completed the probationary period for his new role at work.

Literary News

1. Tim Curry, a British actor, passed away this week. In addition to acting on stage and in movies, he also read several audio books.
2. Dolly Parton, a country singer and lyrist also passed away this week.

Schedule

Sept. 3
Robyn
Aime
Shannon

Sept. 10
Dylan
Robyn
open slot

Sept. 17
Ben L.
open slots

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. David is writing new material.
2. Robyn has her first trivia ebook up for sale on Amazon. It is the first in a series she is planning, and covers early tv shows of the 1950’s “I Love Lucy,” “Father Knows Best,” “Leave it to Beaver,” “The Donna Reed Show,” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” It will also be available as a paperback on Amazon soon, as well as sold on other platforms.
3. Aime has been paid for the graphic novel she wrote the manuscript for, and also received a royalty check from Barnes and Noble. It wasn’t huge: less than $4.00.

Reading Victories

1. Robyn is reading “The Making of a King” by Robert Hard, regarding King Charles III. It is the third book about British Royalty she’s read this year, and is planning on reading three more. Yes, she’s a little obsessed with them.

Personal Victories

1. No one has filed to run against Aime for her second term in the Iowa House of Representatives.
2. Dylan pushed out a new version of one of his personal computer programs and is very pleased with it. It’s one he uses often.
3. Dylan’s most recent vacation to Wisconsin was less than a success. As he and his family were driving up to their cabin, one of his tires blew out in the hills. It took nearly three days before the repair service realized it needed to be replaced and got the job done. Then the septic system at the cabin failed and caused further problems.

Literary News

Schedule

Aug. 27
Robyn
David
Dylan

Sept. 3
Robyn
Aime
open slot

Sept. 10
open slots

Sept. 17
Ben L.
open slots

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. Ciuin and Jeff have a shared victory. Jeff critiqued Ciuin’s entire “Chess Master’s Pawn” manuscript and sent her his comments.

Reading Victories

1. Jeff finished “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and thought worth the read, though it did start slowly. It was an accurate portrayal of human nature, and he certainly sympathized with John, the savage character not fitting into either world he lived in. Because there were lots of references to Shakespeare, Jeff also listened to “MacBeth” and explored why Shakespeare is difficult for modern readers to grasp. He’s now completed his self-challenge of reading twelve classics this year, and plans to continue reading a few more.

Personal Victories

Literary News

Schedule

Aug. 20
Ben L
Dylan
Jeff

Aug. 27
Robyn
David
open slot

Sept. 3
Robyn
open slots

Keep Writing!
Robyn

We will meet at someone’s home at 7 pm, and the address will be in the distribution email. Use the contact form if you need me to add you to the distribution.

Discord and Meetups for Noble Pen

The Discord app provides another way for us to discuss. If you want to check it out, ask for an invitation link that will let you join. Also look for Creative Writing on Meetups.com for Cedar Rapids and make us look active there.

Writing Victories

1. David received serious kudos, from Ciuin, for his world-building skills.
2. David, on his submission this week, received the coveted smiley face from Bill.

Reading Victories

1. Jeff is reading “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley.
2. David is listening to “Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien, and is impressed with the narration of Andy Serkis. Serkis was also the actor for the role of Sméagol / Gollum in the Peter Jackson films.

Personal Victories

1. Bill gave a favorable movie review for a film that is less than twenty years old. However, we were so shocked that no one remembers what movie it was….lol

Literary News

Schedule

Aug. 13
Robyn
Shannon
Aime

Aug. 20
Ben L
Dylan
Jeff

Aug. 27
Robyn
David
open slot

Keep Writing!
Robyn