Category Archives: Newsletters

This is the weekly newsletters for the Noble Pen Writer’s Group.

Noble Pen Meeting, February 25, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

February 25, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Pundits are always blaming TV for making people stupid, movies for desensitizing the world to violence, and rock music for making kids take drugs and kill themselves. These things should be the least of our worries. The main problem with mass media is that it makes it impossible to fall in love with any acumen of normalcy. There is no ‘normal,’ because everybody is being twisted by the same sources simultaneously.
— Chuck Klosterman, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto

Victories

Dylan is submitting a short story to a cyberpunk romance collection, a genre in which the Blazing Saddles quote, “We’ll make Rock Ridge think it’s a chicken that got caught in a tractor’s nuts” actually makes sense.

Nick wrote the ending of his current manuscript, which will cease to be a secret in two weeks. I hope it’s a love story involving dolphins.

I sent out 2 queries, got one rejection, and followed up with and editor, to whom I may not have a current email address, or he just wont talk to me.

John joined the group and received a form rejection–the two events were deemed unrelated.

Lena read some of her stories to an audience and was well received. She received two tomatoes and three eggs.

News

The Intern tells you why editor’s email responses suck.

The BBC has some information about the current state of Google Books.

Housekeeping

We tried a new critique method this week, and it seemed to work pretty well.  We’re going to stick with it for the time being.

Here’s the rundown:

  1. Author is coned
  2. We go around the table and everyone gives up to three positives and up to three things that need work
  3. Author has a chance to ask questions
  4. Group conversation
A few people talked less than usual and a few talked more, but the consensus seemed to be a more streamlined and useful critique.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 25th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Ian – The Comet – email him for a copy

Lena- email her for a copy

Thursday, March 4th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Nick – Something new and mysterious

Dylan

Thursday, March 11th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Dylan

Open Slot

_

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, February 18, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

February 18, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

THERE was death afoot in the darkness.

It crept furtively along a steel girder. Hundreds of feet below yawned glass-and-brick-walled cracks‚ New York streets. Down there, late workers scurried homeward. Most of them carried umbrellas, and did not glance upward.

Even had they looked, they probably would have noticed nothing. The night was black as a cave bat. Rain threshed down monotonously. The clammy sky was like an oppressive shroud wrapped around the tops of the tall buildings.

–Keneth Robeson, The Man of Bronze

Victories

Dylan got feedback on his commission piece. The commissioner only wanted a hairstyle changed. I think he’s one of these guys.

Nick donned a poncho, lit a cigarillo, and loaded his colt revolver to go in search of his missing manuscript. He also got to speak with the publisher of The Writer magazine about it.

News

An Iowa man was sentenced to six months after pleading guilty to possessing ‘obscene’ comic books. Without the guilty plea, he would have faced a 15 year sentence. Neil Gaiman weighed in on this case last year.

The New York Times has an interesting article on William Faulkner’s family history and its link to his novel, Go Down, Moses.

Housekeeping

A big thank-you to George for his work on the new member guide.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 18th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Solomon’s Heist, Chapter 2. You know the drill, email or website.

Dylan – Flight of the Scions, Chapter 4.  Email or website.

Thursday, February 25th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Ian – ?

Dylan – Flight of the Scions, Chapter 5?  Email or website.

Thursday, March 4th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Nick – Something new and mysterious

Lena

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, February 11, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

February 11, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

In Sleep we lie all naked and alone, in Sleep we are united at the heart of night and darkness, and we are strange and beautiful asleep; for we are dying the darkness and we know no death.

– Thomas Wofle

Victories

Lena has a friend who is going to record her reading.  She is planning to submit her reading to This American Life. (My all time favorite story from This American Life is the Squirrel Cop story from the First Day episode.)

Dylan finished working on his commission piece.

Nick finished two chapters of his mystery piece.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 11th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

  • Dylan – Chapter 3 of his piece. Email author for a copy.
  • George – Untitled.  Should be available Monday.  Email for a copy.

Thursday, February 18th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Open


Keep Writing, Penites.

George (Substituting for Shannon)

Noble Pen Meeting, February 4, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

February 4, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

All those innocent contractors brought in to do the job were killed — casualties of a war they had nothing to do with. All right, look: you’re a roofer, some juicy government contract comes your way. You got a wife and kids, the two-story in suburbia. This is a government contract, which means all sorts of benefits. Along come these left-wing militants that blast everything within a three-mile radius with their lasers. You didn’t ask for that. You have no personal politics. You’re just trying to scrape out a living.
— Randal, Clerks

Victories

George has doubled traffic to his website. He’s doing a 12 part review of a musician’s work and that musician is reading his reviews–from George’s basement, where he is planning his bloody revenge.

Lena has been emailing with an agent and researching writing groups. She has also recently come back from the future to set things right that have previously gone wrong, which is nice.

A Little Housekeeping

New member handout
A new member  came to us after finding a Legion Arts calendar from 2004 and backtracking us through Ron. Because she never found our website she was unclear on what we do and what to expect. Because I was trying to juggle eating supper, running the meeting, and taking notes, I am afraid I did not do a great job of answering all her questions.

While I am on vacation this week. I’ll find some time to write up a new member handout, and then I will bring it in for group critique before finalizing it.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, February 4th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Lena – Some short fiction pieces.

Dylan – Chapter 2 of his piece. Email him for a copy or visit his website.

Thursday, February 11th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Open


Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, January 28, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

January 28, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

No story unit–not even a paragraph–ought to begin and end with the state of affairs exactly the same. Even the falling of a leaf should, implicitly or explicitly, bring into focus the subtle variation of feeling tone that it engenders. Always, there must be some new fragment of fact or though implied or stated; some fresh development, some growth of insight, some hint of fluctuation in relationship.
–Dwight Swain, Techniques of the Selling Writer

Victories

We now have two Bills. Welcome the second Bill.

Dylan got an honorable mention in Boing Boing’s writing contest. You can find his Noir Peter Pan story here. Too bad Hollywood never has such good ideas. Did you hear they’re making Milton Bradley’s Battleship: the Movie. Seriously.

Nick has been hard at work preparing a new masterpiece for us. I bet his story isn’t based on a board game. But oddly, it does star Tim Curry.

George is meeting his writing goals writing an article a day on his website. I used to do that, but most of my articles were under ten words and contained heavy profanity.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, January 28. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Ciuin – Email her for a copy

Dylan – Email him for copy.

Thursday, February 4th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Open


Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, January 21, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

January 21, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed. The main problem is Artemis’s own intelligence. He bamboozles every test thrown at him. He has puzzled the greatest medical minds and sent many of them gibbering to their own hospitals.

There is no doubt that Artemis is a child prodigy. But why does someone of such brilliance dedicate himself to criminal activities? This is a question that can be answered by only one person. And he delights in not talking.

Perhaps the best way to create an accurate picture of Artemis is to tell the by now famous account of his first villainous venture. I have put together this report from first-hand interviews with the victims, and as the tale unfolds you will realize that this was not easy.

The story began several years ago at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Artemis Fowl had devised a plan to restore his family’s fortune. A plan that could topple civilizations and plunge the planet into a cross-species war.

He was twelve years old at the time …

–Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl

Victories

Oakley is writing again and has made a submission to Flyway, ISU’s literary magazine and soon to be a movie by Michael Bay.

George’s victories are too good to wait for the group to meet, so instead here is a dance number.

Dylan got a new story commission and will no doubt produce a fine literary tale with lots of saucy gypsies thrown in.

Nick sold an article to a train journal for $200. On the down side, his editor is spending a year dead for tax reasons.

After trying to come up with a nickname for the group, I have decided on Penites, as it sounds quite rude.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, January 14. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Chapter One of Solomon’s Heist. Sorry about all the false starts. I’m having trouble settling down on something. This is a significant rewrite and will be available later tonight.

Dylan – A new short story. Email him for copy.

Keep Writing, Penites.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, January 7th, 2010

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

January 7th, 2010
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Private balls were never more than middling amusements for spinsters, and Miss Tarabotti was not the kind of spinster who could garner even that much pleasure from the event. To put the pudding in the puff; she had retreated to the library, her favorite sanctuary in any house, only to happen upon an unexpected vampire.
–Gail Carriger, Soulless

Victories

George is publishing music reviews on his website.

Ian is still being courted by the textbook company. Their editor sent him a naked picture of Stephen Hawking.

I received two rejections on my query letter and prevented a robot uprising.

Ciuin started a new book by a favorite author and found it to say some nasty things about gypsies. She was last seen heading to that author’s home with a quart of Jack Daniels and a sharp stick.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, January. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Chapter One of Hard Luck. This is a big rewrite and will be available tomorrow via email request or my website.

Ciuin – I believe she has some Petty Theft revisions to show us.

Keep Writing

Shannon

Noble Pen Holiday Note

Extra, Newsletters

Noble Pen Holiday Note

Christmas crept into Pine Cove like a creeping Christmas thing: dragging garland, ribbon, and sleigh bells, oozing eggnog, reeking of pine, and threatening festive doom like a cold sore under the mistletoe.
–Christopher Moore, The Stupidest Angel

Just a Quick Note

Due to the inconsiderate timing of Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, our next meeting will be January, 7th 2010. I’ll put out a newsletter around the 2nd. Unless anyone else requests a slot, you can all look forward to either Chapter 3&4 of my Nano piece or possibly a talk about strategic vs. tactical editing.

See you in the new year.

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, December 17th, 2009

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

December 17th, 2009
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

Assume a virtue if you have it not
–William Shakespeare

One head lacks the power of many. One head is corruptible. One head is removable.
–Benjamin Franklin

Victories

Ian is being harassed by textbook publishers carrying sharp objects and hair clippers

I sent out five query letters. Two of them got auto-replies. Apparently, New York is closed at the moment. They are obviously too torn up over Tiger Woods’ lack of fidelity.

News

Amazon.com is purposefully losing money on e-books. This makes publishers mad, even though Amazon is the one losing the money.

Per my victory above, it looks like New York does take it easy this time of year.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, December 17th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Chapters One and Two of my Nano piece which I have no real name for. Hopefully I will have chapters ready tomorrow evening. Sunday at the latest.

Thursday, December 24th

I don’t think anyone wants to meet this day.

Keep Writing

Shannon

Noble Pen Meeting, December 10th, 2009

Newsletters

Noble Pen Meeting

December 10th, 2009
Happy Chef, 1906 Blairs Ferry Rd NE, Cedar Rapids

One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen.
–Robert A. Heinlein

I have never experienced another human being. I have experienced my impressions of them.
–Robert Anton Wilson

Victories

George has read enough books with penguins on the cover that he can now receives a discount on Penguin books.

Ciuin finished a huge thick book.

I finished Nanowrimo, and I am now going to take some time off and read for a change.

Ian tricked his students by copying his last quiz questions directly from the homework with no changes. His students now have a new name for him.

News

Amazon.com has a list of their favorite book covers of the year.

Behold the Sports Illustrated of the future.

The agent’s assistant known online as the Rejectionist gives us a look at the slush pile.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, December 10th. Happy Chef, 7pm Welcome and Victories, 7:30pm Critique

Shannon – Hard Luck, Chapter Eight. On my website  or email me.

Empty slot. I invoke a round table discussion. Topic is electronic publishing and promotion–blogs, podcasts, e-readers, and Scribd-like sites.

Keep Writing

Shannon