‘TIS THE SEASON
Seven Rams came together Wednesday to celebrate the Season in authorial fashion, with food and phraseology. Wendy, Julie, Jim, Bob, Ellie, and Jason all joined me, bringing snacks and some reading to savour.
Ellie brought a young adult novel she has started, urged on by the online writing course she has been taking. In the opening we see Jordy, who has lost his Dad, go outside with his mother and their Irish setter in a storm. They stand and watch the storm blow in from the ocean, each grieving their loss. When they return to the house, there is a power outage. We all liked this beginning and the promise of a good read it gave us.
Wendy now has five chapters in her story “A New Dawning”, about a middle aged woman being diagnosed with breast cancer. She is divorced and does not have a close relationship with her children. She goes into denial, refusing to tell anyone and not willing to think about anything to do with treatment. This is the beginning of her journey through self-discovery and toward changed relationships with her nearest and dearest.
I gave everyone a printed copy of my poem “The Ghost of Christmas”. It was first published in several newspapers in the mid 1980s and read on the radio by Roy Jacques at CKWX. In the past I had played the tape of him reading it each year, but no longer have a tape player, so I printed the poem and handed it out instead.
I also read aloud a letter I received with my copies of the anthology in which my piece “Freedom”, about a homeless man, was awarded an Honourable Mention. Out of 700 entries, mine was in the top thirteen. It was a very nice letter of congratulations, and my name appears on the book cover of the book as one of the authors.
Bob read more of his biography, spanning from 1938 to 1940. He starts school, and travels with his family to the San Francisco World’s Fair and then to Los Angeles to visit relatives. He heard a war had been started. And his stepsister, Mabel, died. This affected his stepmother greatly, and life was never the same after that.
Jason read his chapter “Reminiscence” where Jody is remembering Gregg’s kindness and understanding he gave her after the loss of her parents and over her injuries. Seeing him thrown into a grave at the cemetery, she assumes he is dead, as she is kidnapped by a figure that terrifies her.
In the December issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine, Margaret Moffatt has two pieces published. And her book “Blow Up The Castle” is now available at Coles in Langley (Willowbrook) and in Portland, Oregon. We ran out of time and I was unable to read Margaret’s latest chapter in “Coffin And Dye”. Hopefully next time I’ll be able to.
Scanning a list of authors in “Inkspots”, the anthology that has my story in it, I came across Gemma’s name. So there is also a story by Gemma Tamas in the same book. Congratulations, Gemma! We haven’t seen Gemma recently as she has been nursemaid to both her husband and her brother. We send our regards and wishes for the best.
Margaret Florczak recently moved and then learned her husband had to have by-pass surgery. So we send our best wishes there as well.
In spite of the world’s problems, our meeting was joyful, and at Christmas that is always a sign of hope and renewal. I wish to thank all those who brought snacks for us to eat, and their writing for us to enjoy. It is miraculous that people are so willing to share those heartfelt personal endeavors with us. Thank you for allowing us to savour the baking and for trusting us to hear or read your words.
Next Meeting will be in the New Year, Wednesday, January 4th, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!
Lisa.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
THE REVIEW
OCCUPY THE PAGE!
Yes! I’m all in favour of writers asserting their right to protest by using the written word to occupy the page. With a tarp of verbosity we will shelter all the homeless manuscripts addicted to their narcissism. We will insist on our democratic right to anarchy! We must be heard, but only by invitation issued to the press, and never off the recorded page! Now calling all Rams! OCCUPY THE PAGE! RESIST EVICTION! FOREVER THE PRINTED WORD!
Forgive me, but I couldn’t resist.
Had an awesome Meeting Wednesday. Anne, Julie, Bob, Jim and Jason joined me, in spite of the rain.
Anne updated us on the pending court case against a Strata Council and a Strata Manager who have been harassing a condominium owner. It goes to court Dec. 8th and we’re all waiting to hear the outcome. This is a true event on which Anne’s story is based.
I read my next chapter in “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” where Nigel meets with his friend who is a lawyer. He tells the friend about Dee and her drowning her child and then his being visited by the R.C.M.P. asking questions about it. He wants to protect Dee. But the friend informs him he could be charged with being an accessory after the fact, and that the only way he can avoid being compelled to testify against Dee if she is caught and tried is if he marries her.
Also, I was informed by Polar Expressions that my short story, about the homeless man in Langley, made Honourable Mention in their contest. That is a step up for me, as the last time I entered a story of mine, it was included in their anthology, but was not a winner.
Next I read Margaret’s “Goodbye Thomas Turnkey”. This chapter is the funeral of Mr. Turnkey where The Reverend now asserts his belief in ghosts, astounding everyone. He then tells Coffin, who he thinks is Bob, that his task is to pull a wagon with Turnkey’s coffin up the hill to reach the graveyard. Coffin asks why not drive it there in a hearse, and The Reverend tells him they can’t afford the hearse. He is left in the cold and the snow to pull the wagon.
Jason read his chapter “Revealed” where Gregg’s great grandmother decides to do some housecleaning and finds a key that leads to a secret cupboard in the cellar where she finds several containers that had belonged to Jody’s parents. She opens one and is amazed by a book that seems to be alive. She remembers Jody’s father saying that Jody must have this book, that it was the veiled story of them all.
Jim read his Ch. 11 that shows Sara teaching Karly how to maneuver as a ghost and Karly teaching Sara how to read. They seem to be developing a friendship, and Sara invites Karly to the coffee shop to meet the others.
Julie read a poem of hers titled “The Eyes”. Each sentence is an example of how the eyes mirror the soul in each of these varied life experiences. The poem includes some profound observations by the writer.
Bob had re-written some of his personal history. He is now telling the beginning years from the point of view of the young child, where he tells us his name is Bobby and his big brother is Alfie, and that he only remembers his mother once when they were having breakfast, and then the second time when he kissed her goodbye in the hospital.
Bob said he saw an article of Margaret’s in the November issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. Regarding my novel “Fire”, I had been querying agents by email and was not at all sure my queries were being read. However, I recently received a rejection from one agent after waiting six months. So I suppose I could always receive an acceptance after waiting that long, too. Right?
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, December 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place, weather permitting. That will be the only meeting in December, so if you want to make it our Christmas celebration and bring a snack or something festive, by all means do so. Julie had asked me if she could bring something.
Hope to see you December 7th, and in the meantime OCCUPY THE PAGE!
Yes! I’m all in favour of writers asserting their right to protest by using the written word to occupy the page. With a tarp of verbosity we will shelter all the homeless manuscripts addicted to their narcissism. We will insist on our democratic right to anarchy! We must be heard, but only by invitation issued to the press, and never off the recorded page! Now calling all Rams! OCCUPY THE PAGE! RESIST EVICTION! FOREVER THE PRINTED WORD!
Forgive me, but I couldn’t resist.
Had an awesome Meeting Wednesday. Anne, Julie, Bob, Jim and Jason joined me, in spite of the rain.
Anne updated us on the pending court case against a Strata Council and a Strata Manager who have been harassing a condominium owner. It goes to court Dec. 8th and we’re all waiting to hear the outcome. This is a true event on which Anne’s story is based.
I read my next chapter in “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” where Nigel meets with his friend who is a lawyer. He tells the friend about Dee and her drowning her child and then his being visited by the R.C.M.P. asking questions about it. He wants to protect Dee. But the friend informs him he could be charged with being an accessory after the fact, and that the only way he can avoid being compelled to testify against Dee if she is caught and tried is if he marries her.
Also, I was informed by Polar Expressions that my short story, about the homeless man in Langley, made Honourable Mention in their contest. That is a step up for me, as the last time I entered a story of mine, it was included in their anthology, but was not a winner.
Next I read Margaret’s “Goodbye Thomas Turnkey”. This chapter is the funeral of Mr. Turnkey where The Reverend now asserts his belief in ghosts, astounding everyone. He then tells Coffin, who he thinks is Bob, that his task is to pull a wagon with Turnkey’s coffin up the hill to reach the graveyard. Coffin asks why not drive it there in a hearse, and The Reverend tells him they can’t afford the hearse. He is left in the cold and the snow to pull the wagon.
Jason read his chapter “Revealed” where Gregg’s great grandmother decides to do some housecleaning and finds a key that leads to a secret cupboard in the cellar where she finds several containers that had belonged to Jody’s parents. She opens one and is amazed by a book that seems to be alive. She remembers Jody’s father saying that Jody must have this book, that it was the veiled story of them all.
Jim read his Ch. 11 that shows Sara teaching Karly how to maneuver as a ghost and Karly teaching Sara how to read. They seem to be developing a friendship, and Sara invites Karly to the coffee shop to meet the others.
Julie read a poem of hers titled “The Eyes”. Each sentence is an example of how the eyes mirror the soul in each of these varied life experiences. The poem includes some profound observations by the writer.
Bob had re-written some of his personal history. He is now telling the beginning years from the point of view of the young child, where he tells us his name is Bobby and his big brother is Alfie, and that he only remembers his mother once when they were having breakfast, and then the second time when he kissed her goodbye in the hospital.
Bob said he saw an article of Margaret’s in the November issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. Regarding my novel “Fire”, I had been querying agents by email and was not at all sure my queries were being read. However, I recently received a rejection from one agent after waiting six months. So I suppose I could always receive an acceptance after waiting that long, too. Right?
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, December 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place, weather permitting. That will be the only meeting in December, so if you want to make it our Christmas celebration and bring a snack or something festive, by all means do so. Julie had asked me if she could bring something.
Hope to see you December 7th, and in the meantime OCCUPY THE PAGE!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
THE REVIEW
INVASION OF BLONDS
Three lovely blonds livened things at our Meeting last night. Along with Ellie, two new members, Wendy Francis and Julie Joseph, joined me and Bob and Jim and Jason. It was a busy night with lots of reading.
Jason started, reading his chapter “Taken”, which was full of intensity and some violence. Gregg is trying to protect Jody from Damian and Ligeia. Damien is capturing Jody while Ligeia torments Gregg with some sexual teasing. Damien tells her to kill him, but when she doesn’t, he tells her to watch Jody while he kills Gregg. The chapter ends with Gregg unconscious, or dead. We don’t know which yet, just that he is aware of only nothingness.
Jim read Chapter 10 of the second book in “Coventry Ghosts” with the kitten, Sara, feeling less self-confident because she can’t read. She really wants to learn to read. Instead of going with the other ghosts to learn about the pyramids, she ‘pops’ over to the library, where she meets up with another female ghost, Karly. Karly tells Sara she cannot leave her library haunt, because that’s the rule. But Sara tells her that’s not so, and has Jane Seymour’s ghost come and verify the fact. Jane then tells Karly to trust Sara.
Wendy read three of her poems, all very succinct. “Love On The Edge” showed that even though a love relationship started feeling wonderful it ended up smothering the recipient. “Owner Cat” showed how an independent cat owned the owner by becoming the faithful companion. “Love Sonnet” showed the memory of a great love, done in a Shakespearean vein.
Jason read Julie’s story “The Lost Keys of 2011”. This was a humorous account of when Julie lost her house keys while walking her dog and then the trauma of searching through park garbage containers looking for them and then finally finding them the next day while zigzagging back and forth across the vast expanse of lawn in the park at her husband’s direction while he stood on the sidewalk. Very funny.
I read Margaret’s “Coffin Leaves Polly’s”, where Coffin is back in the village of Salsbury but can’t find his bicycle. Going into the church he sees the reverend with Turnkey’s casket. Addressing the reverend’s back, he doesn’t get an answer, and the reverend thinks he’s hearing a ghost. Mrs. Willows asks Coffin in for a Scotch before church. Mr. Farmer arrives with a sprained arm and he cannot help the reverend with Turnkey’s funeral. The reverend arrives, and thinking Coffin is Bob Baker, he thinks the man can take Farmer’s place and help with the funeral. Coffin agrees to help, hoping he will be able to find his bicycle.
I read my Ch. 6 of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, where Nigel is back home, alone, in the West End when he is visited by the RCMP asking all sorts of questions about the death of DeeDee’s child. Trying to protect Dee, he sees the police are suspecting him in the child’s death. He calls a former schoolmate who is a lawyer.
Anne Berrie is still busy helping her sister, and Gemma said she will be unable to attend until maybe in the New Year. Margaret Florczak tried to attend last night but couldn’t find the house without Gemma. She now has the address and phone number and directions and says she’ll be here next Meeting.
Our next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
Three lovely blonds livened things at our Meeting last night. Along with Ellie, two new members, Wendy Francis and Julie Joseph, joined me and Bob and Jim and Jason. It was a busy night with lots of reading.
Jason started, reading his chapter “Taken”, which was full of intensity and some violence. Gregg is trying to protect Jody from Damian and Ligeia. Damien is capturing Jody while Ligeia torments Gregg with some sexual teasing. Damien tells her to kill him, but when she doesn’t, he tells her to watch Jody while he kills Gregg. The chapter ends with Gregg unconscious, or dead. We don’t know which yet, just that he is aware of only nothingness.
Jim read Chapter 10 of the second book in “Coventry Ghosts” with the kitten, Sara, feeling less self-confident because she can’t read. She really wants to learn to read. Instead of going with the other ghosts to learn about the pyramids, she ‘pops’ over to the library, where she meets up with another female ghost, Karly. Karly tells Sara she cannot leave her library haunt, because that’s the rule. But Sara tells her that’s not so, and has Jane Seymour’s ghost come and verify the fact. Jane then tells Karly to trust Sara.
Wendy read three of her poems, all very succinct. “Love On The Edge” showed that even though a love relationship started feeling wonderful it ended up smothering the recipient. “Owner Cat” showed how an independent cat owned the owner by becoming the faithful companion. “Love Sonnet” showed the memory of a great love, done in a Shakespearean vein.
Jason read Julie’s story “The Lost Keys of 2011”. This was a humorous account of when Julie lost her house keys while walking her dog and then the trauma of searching through park garbage containers looking for them and then finally finding them the next day while zigzagging back and forth across the vast expanse of lawn in the park at her husband’s direction while he stood on the sidewalk. Very funny.
I read Margaret’s “Coffin Leaves Polly’s”, where Coffin is back in the village of Salsbury but can’t find his bicycle. Going into the church he sees the reverend with Turnkey’s casket. Addressing the reverend’s back, he doesn’t get an answer, and the reverend thinks he’s hearing a ghost. Mrs. Willows asks Coffin in for a Scotch before church. Mr. Farmer arrives with a sprained arm and he cannot help the reverend with Turnkey’s funeral. The reverend arrives, and thinking Coffin is Bob Baker, he thinks the man can take Farmer’s place and help with the funeral. Coffin agrees to help, hoping he will be able to find his bicycle.
I read my Ch. 6 of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, where Nigel is back home, alone, in the West End when he is visited by the RCMP asking all sorts of questions about the death of DeeDee’s child. Trying to protect Dee, he sees the police are suspecting him in the child’s death. He calls a former schoolmate who is a lawyer.
Anne Berrie is still busy helping her sister, and Gemma said she will be unable to attend until maybe in the New Year. Margaret Florczak tried to attend last night but couldn’t find the house without Gemma. She now has the address and phone number and directions and says she’ll be here next Meeting.
Our next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
Friday, October 21, 2011
THE REVIEW
FALLEN LEAVES
Jim, Jason and Bob joined me on Wednesday for our Meeting. Anne was busy helping her sister. Ellie had hurt her shoulder and was advised to rest and relax. And Gemma was unable to attend as well.
Jason read first from his novel “Provoked”. He had a short chapter called “Examining” which saw Gregg staying up through the night to keep watch for the two weirdos he had seen earlier. His brother, Dave, woke up and wanted to know what Gregg was doing and then threatened to level Gregg if he didn’t go to bed. The dialogue between the brothers was realistic and portrayed the sibling dynamics that are fairly universal.
I read “Deposition For Separate Bedrooms”, a short piece that I had rewritten to make it fit my “Honey” collection of humorous stories. In it I recount all the annoyances of listening to Honey from when he rises very early until he leaves for work, a noisy production he uses to protest my still being in bed.
Margaret had sent her next chapter of “The Village Of Salsbury Mourns Again”. Reverend Solace was awakened at 4:00 in the morning by Mrs. Willows. When he opened the door he saw a crowd around the drain Coffin had “fallen” in. Wondering if Coffin had turned into a ghost, he asked Mrs. Willows what happened. She told him Mr. Turnkey was found face down on the ground, staring into the drain. When the Reverend asked about Mr. Turnkey’s welfare, Mrs. Willows informs him Mr. Turnkey was no longer alive.
Jim read Chapter 9, and we learn that Cheri is facing bankruptcy due to her husband’s gambling debts and repairing the damage to the coffee shop that had been caused by the ghosts. She informs Leanne and ghostly company that she will have to sell the coffee shop. They are alarmed and start making plans for fundraising. They invite Cheri into ghostdom to hear their suggestions and we learn they want to throw parties where only ghosts do the serving. Cheri says she doesn’t have the money to start another business and.Leanne thinks maybe her Mom and Dad could invest and become partners with Cheri.
Bob read from his personal history and we heard about major changes in his life in 1947. His father was not well, and his parents were moving. They decided to send Bob to live with his stepsister, Edna, and her husband, Jim, in Amherstburg, Ontario. He traveled alone by bus to Seattle, then east to Chicago and Detroit, and then back into Canada to Windsor and his final destination. He was given chores to do on the farm, tending the chickens and the roosters. But Jim was no farmer and kept the chickens and roosters separate, so there were never any eggs. Bob was roped into helping construct the new house and found the hard physical labour very taxing. He was lonely and never made any friends there, but he did acquire a new red bike.
Today the rain is pouring, the leaves are falling, and I’ve spotted giant mushrooms growing in our lawn. Fall is flourishing. Perfect excuse to stay indoors and write.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Jim, Jason and Bob joined me on Wednesday for our Meeting. Anne was busy helping her sister. Ellie had hurt her shoulder and was advised to rest and relax. And Gemma was unable to attend as well.
Jason read first from his novel “Provoked”. He had a short chapter called “Examining” which saw Gregg staying up through the night to keep watch for the two weirdos he had seen earlier. His brother, Dave, woke up and wanted to know what Gregg was doing and then threatened to level Gregg if he didn’t go to bed. The dialogue between the brothers was realistic and portrayed the sibling dynamics that are fairly universal.
I read “Deposition For Separate Bedrooms”, a short piece that I had rewritten to make it fit my “Honey” collection of humorous stories. In it I recount all the annoyances of listening to Honey from when he rises very early until he leaves for work, a noisy production he uses to protest my still being in bed.
Margaret had sent her next chapter of “The Village Of Salsbury Mourns Again”. Reverend Solace was awakened at 4:00 in the morning by Mrs. Willows. When he opened the door he saw a crowd around the drain Coffin had “fallen” in. Wondering if Coffin had turned into a ghost, he asked Mrs. Willows what happened. She told him Mr. Turnkey was found face down on the ground, staring into the drain. When the Reverend asked about Mr. Turnkey’s welfare, Mrs. Willows informs him Mr. Turnkey was no longer alive.
Jim read Chapter 9, and we learn that Cheri is facing bankruptcy due to her husband’s gambling debts and repairing the damage to the coffee shop that had been caused by the ghosts. She informs Leanne and ghostly company that she will have to sell the coffee shop. They are alarmed and start making plans for fundraising. They invite Cheri into ghostdom to hear their suggestions and we learn they want to throw parties where only ghosts do the serving. Cheri says she doesn’t have the money to start another business and.Leanne thinks maybe her Mom and Dad could invest and become partners with Cheri.
Bob read from his personal history and we heard about major changes in his life in 1947. His father was not well, and his parents were moving. They decided to send Bob to live with his stepsister, Edna, and her husband, Jim, in Amherstburg, Ontario. He traveled alone by bus to Seattle, then east to Chicago and Detroit, and then back into Canada to Windsor and his final destination. He was given chores to do on the farm, tending the chickens and the roosters. But Jim was no farmer and kept the chickens and roosters separate, so there were never any eggs. Bob was roped into helping construct the new house and found the hard physical labour very taxing. He was lonely and never made any friends there, but he did acquire a new red bike.
Today the rain is pouring, the leaves are falling, and I’ve spotted giant mushrooms growing in our lawn. Fall is flourishing. Perfect excuse to stay indoors and write.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Sunday, October 9, 2011
THE REVIEW
SHORT AND SWEET
Jim and Jason were the only ones joining me on Wednesday for our Meeting.
I read Chapters 4 and 5 of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. Jason said even though there was hardly any dialogue in these chapters, he wasn’t bored by the details I wrote.
Next I read two of Margaret’s chapters from “Coffin And Dye”. Dye and Lizzie leave on vacation, but stop first so Dye can tell Coffin about his next assignment. Recognizing Lizzie as the housekeeper he had slept with, Coffin then says he’s engaged to Trish to confuse Lizzie, who then says she and Dye will be happy to attend his wedding. In the next chapter, Coffin is supposed to enter a drain hole to exterminate ghosts of former coal miners. Instead of going into the drain, he allows himself to be picked up by Polly Parks who teaches a class in knitting Argyle socks.
Jim read Chapter 8 of the second book in “Coventry Ghosts” and we see Solak arriving in Mexico to break Jason out of prison so his ability to extract souls via his computer can be put to more nefarious use elsewhere. Solak terrifies two teenaged hoodlums into helping him for money. Jacobo, one of the teens, realizes Solak would kill them if they don’t help.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 19th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then. Happy Thanksgiving in the meantime!
Lisa
Jim and Jason were the only ones joining me on Wednesday for our Meeting.
I read Chapters 4 and 5 of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. Jason said even though there was hardly any dialogue in these chapters, he wasn’t bored by the details I wrote.
Next I read two of Margaret’s chapters from “Coffin And Dye”. Dye and Lizzie leave on vacation, but stop first so Dye can tell Coffin about his next assignment. Recognizing Lizzie as the housekeeper he had slept with, Coffin then says he’s engaged to Trish to confuse Lizzie, who then says she and Dye will be happy to attend his wedding. In the next chapter, Coffin is supposed to enter a drain hole to exterminate ghosts of former coal miners. Instead of going into the drain, he allows himself to be picked up by Polly Parks who teaches a class in knitting Argyle socks.
Jim read Chapter 8 of the second book in “Coventry Ghosts” and we see Solak arriving in Mexico to break Jason out of prison so his ability to extract souls via his computer can be put to more nefarious use elsewhere. Solak terrifies two teenaged hoodlums into helping him for money. Jacobo, one of the teens, realizes Solak would kill them if they don’t help.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 19th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then. Happy Thanksgiving in the meantime!
Lisa
Friday, September 23, 2011
THE REVIEW
SUMMER’S OVER
Fall has arrived and so did the rain. Time to cocoon and do some writing. Anne, Jason, Jim and Bob were all here with me Wednesday night to honour the Muse.
Anne read first, continuing her story about the sisters of Ruth and Ida. The two women go out for dinner, to the Spaghetti Factory and Ida takes her own grape juice. She is obviously a regular as the staff all know her and smile ‘supportively’ at Ruth. Ida asks why Ruth has bothered to come and see her and Ruth tells her she discovered Ida is being sued by a Strata Council. This is well done with the dialogue between the two sisters really showcasing the spit and scratch of sibling relationships. And background information given with Ruth flashing back to a previous time enhances the difficulties of being related to someone who is bi-polar.
Jason read his next chapter called “Discovered”. We see the evil Damianos and the siren, Ligeia, stalking Jo, who arrives home from her date with Sean. Sean attacks her and tears her top, but then stops when seeing something on her back. Gregg arrives and his presence stops Damianos from grabbing Jo. Jo tells Gregg she doesn’t need him to protect her, that she can take care of herself. Looking into the bush, Gregg locks eyes with Damianos, and the latter knows Jo is the benighted child because of Gregg’s desire to protect her. This was a very well-done chapter with lots of tension in it.
Jim read Chapter 7, still at Olivia’s thirteenth birthday at the coffee shop. Leanne and the other ghosts, with the help of Piovra, performed a type of light show for Olivia and the other guests. One of those present was Shen, a student from Olivia’s school, who wanted to meet the pretty girl. Olivia’s father pointed him out to her and then regretted that when he saw Olivia smiling at the boy. But Sara, the kitten, intervened by giving Shen a ghostly ‘scratch’, which spurred him to talk to Olivia. He ended up being invited to Sunday dinner at Olivia’s home.
I read Margaret’s next chapter in “Coffin And Dye”, which was “Dye Telephones Coffin”. Dye phones Coffin to tell him he’s going away for a week with Lizzie Farmer and Coffin is scandalized. Dye is offended that Coffin thinks so little of Lizzie, and he defends her. Tootsie goes shopping for something to wear when she marries Coffin. Trish tries to talk her into a spring wedding but Tootsie doesn’t want to wait that long. She ends up buying a black suit with a red shawl, a red purse, and a red hat with three tall black feathers. Coffin still doesn’t know he’s getting married.
I re-wrote “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, putting the third chapter first, and modifying the other two chapters to follow. These I read and everyone said it read well in that order. I had found it easier to add to it as well. So now we have Nigel driving to Watch Lake and Dee telling him she murdered her child in the first chapter. The next chapter is Edna’s point of view, relating the afternoon’s events and giving background info. The third chapter now is Nigel’s point of view, telling how he met Dee and what had been going on with her and Hank. It then shows Nigel at the cabin, alone in the hide-a-bed, when Dee slips in with him during the night.
Jim said he was feeling better, more clear-headed, but is still waiting for surgery. We hope this happens soon for him. Ellie was busy writing for an online course she’s taking and waiting for her husband to come home for supper. Margaret Fluorczak was going to check out a group in Maple Ridge. And Gemma said she was helping her brother with a move.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 5th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then. Happy Writing!!!
Lisa
Fall has arrived and so did the rain. Time to cocoon and do some writing. Anne, Jason, Jim and Bob were all here with me Wednesday night to honour the Muse.
Anne read first, continuing her story about the sisters of Ruth and Ida. The two women go out for dinner, to the Spaghetti Factory and Ida takes her own grape juice. She is obviously a regular as the staff all know her and smile ‘supportively’ at Ruth. Ida asks why Ruth has bothered to come and see her and Ruth tells her she discovered Ida is being sued by a Strata Council. This is well done with the dialogue between the two sisters really showcasing the spit and scratch of sibling relationships. And background information given with Ruth flashing back to a previous time enhances the difficulties of being related to someone who is bi-polar.
Jason read his next chapter called “Discovered”. We see the evil Damianos and the siren, Ligeia, stalking Jo, who arrives home from her date with Sean. Sean attacks her and tears her top, but then stops when seeing something on her back. Gregg arrives and his presence stops Damianos from grabbing Jo. Jo tells Gregg she doesn’t need him to protect her, that she can take care of herself. Looking into the bush, Gregg locks eyes with Damianos, and the latter knows Jo is the benighted child because of Gregg’s desire to protect her. This was a very well-done chapter with lots of tension in it.
Jim read Chapter 7, still at Olivia’s thirteenth birthday at the coffee shop. Leanne and the other ghosts, with the help of Piovra, performed a type of light show for Olivia and the other guests. One of those present was Shen, a student from Olivia’s school, who wanted to meet the pretty girl. Olivia’s father pointed him out to her and then regretted that when he saw Olivia smiling at the boy. But Sara, the kitten, intervened by giving Shen a ghostly ‘scratch’, which spurred him to talk to Olivia. He ended up being invited to Sunday dinner at Olivia’s home.
I read Margaret’s next chapter in “Coffin And Dye”, which was “Dye Telephones Coffin”. Dye phones Coffin to tell him he’s going away for a week with Lizzie Farmer and Coffin is scandalized. Dye is offended that Coffin thinks so little of Lizzie, and he defends her. Tootsie goes shopping for something to wear when she marries Coffin. Trish tries to talk her into a spring wedding but Tootsie doesn’t want to wait that long. She ends up buying a black suit with a red shawl, a red purse, and a red hat with three tall black feathers. Coffin still doesn’t know he’s getting married.
I re-wrote “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, putting the third chapter first, and modifying the other two chapters to follow. These I read and everyone said it read well in that order. I had found it easier to add to it as well. So now we have Nigel driving to Watch Lake and Dee telling him she murdered her child in the first chapter. The next chapter is Edna’s point of view, relating the afternoon’s events and giving background info. The third chapter now is Nigel’s point of view, telling how he met Dee and what had been going on with her and Hank. It then shows Nigel at the cabin, alone in the hide-a-bed, when Dee slips in with him during the night.
Jim said he was feeling better, more clear-headed, but is still waiting for surgery. We hope this happens soon for him. Ellie was busy writing for an online course she’s taking and waiting for her husband to come home for supper. Margaret Fluorczak was going to check out a group in Maple Ridge. And Gemma said she was helping her brother with a move.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 5th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then. Happy Writing!!!
Lisa
Friday, September 9, 2011
THE REVIEW
EIGHT ARE GREAT!
It was wonderful to have eight members at our Meeting on Wednesday. Ellie had arrived a week early, but came back on the 7th as well. She didn’t explain to her husband why he was eating supper alone two weeks in a row. And Margaret Florczak arrived with Gemma, for the first time in a couple of years. She’s graduated from SFU now, and may attend Meetings more regularly. It was so good to see everyone, and many thanks for your generous donations to the Ram’s Head domain name fund. We are good for two years now.
Jim is still waiting for surgery, but attended our meeting and was first to read. In Chapter 6 of the second book in Coventry Ghosts, we see the ghosts Leanne, Robin, Laurie and Sara all haunting the coffee shop, excited to celebrate Olivia’s 13th birthday. Olivia makes a wish when she blows out the candle on her cupcake, and we hear her wish will soon come true.
Ellie read a memoir of hers inspired by finding an old address book from her childhood. She remembers the summer spent with her friends when she was six years old and living in Penticton in 1953. She vividly portrays their antics and the sense of freedom and empowerment they learned from their interactions and adventures.
Jason read the chapter “Connections” from his novel, and we see Gregg meeting up with Jody after his great grandmother’s funeral. She wants him to tutor her in French, but then tells him she’s going out with someone else that night. And we see Gregg and his brother Dave interacting and learn that even though Dave is older, Gregg is the more responsible one. Jason exemplified very well and true to life how the teens interact with each other.
Margaret F. read a journal entry of hers from Nov. 13/04 about her insights on aging. She sees the expansion of her mind, but the loss of her physical attributes. Even so, there is still the overriding joy of life to sustain her every day. This was a very poignant piece that spoke to all of us.
Anne Berrie has started a story based on her own experience with her sister. In it we are shown Ruth going to visit her older sister, whom she hasn’t seen for seven years. Ida battles with mental illness, but still lives on her own in her own apartment. When Ruth arrives, Ida first has to tear off the masking tape around the inside of the door before she can open it, and then greets Ruth with bloodshot eyes, and a gas mask around her neck. She then says that Ruth looks terrible. This was a priceless piece of characterization of both sisters.
I read Margaret Moffatt’s “Baronet Dye Has A Visitor” from “Coffin And Dye” Dye is alone at his office one evening, reading a letter by candlelight because Coffin forgot to pay the electric bill. He sees what looks like a ghostly apparition, but is really the housekeeper from Wagnal Manor whom Coffin had slept with. She thinks Dye is Coffin, now with a beard but still owning the Rolls, and she proceeds to proposition him, wanting to show him a good time if he pays for her room at the hotel. We have yet to learn of his reaction.
Bob told us that his wife Carole includes being a Boston Red Sox fan on her Facebook profile. Bob is a true fan who watches all their games, and was looking at something on the internet regarding the team, and there, out of two million fans, is Carole’s picture. Talk about coincidence.
If you know of other writers you think would like to attend our Meeting, please feel free to invite them. Meeting other writers inspires us all.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 21st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
It was wonderful to have eight members at our Meeting on Wednesday. Ellie had arrived a week early, but came back on the 7th as well. She didn’t explain to her husband why he was eating supper alone two weeks in a row. And Margaret Florczak arrived with Gemma, for the first time in a couple of years. She’s graduated from SFU now, and may attend Meetings more regularly. It was so good to see everyone, and many thanks for your generous donations to the Ram’s Head domain name fund. We are good for two years now.
Jim is still waiting for surgery, but attended our meeting and was first to read. In Chapter 6 of the second book in Coventry Ghosts, we see the ghosts Leanne, Robin, Laurie and Sara all haunting the coffee shop, excited to celebrate Olivia’s 13th birthday. Olivia makes a wish when she blows out the candle on her cupcake, and we hear her wish will soon come true.
Ellie read a memoir of hers inspired by finding an old address book from her childhood. She remembers the summer spent with her friends when she was six years old and living in Penticton in 1953. She vividly portrays their antics and the sense of freedom and empowerment they learned from their interactions and adventures.
Jason read the chapter “Connections” from his novel, and we see Gregg meeting up with Jody after his great grandmother’s funeral. She wants him to tutor her in French, but then tells him she’s going out with someone else that night. And we see Gregg and his brother Dave interacting and learn that even though Dave is older, Gregg is the more responsible one. Jason exemplified very well and true to life how the teens interact with each other.
Margaret F. read a journal entry of hers from Nov. 13/04 about her insights on aging. She sees the expansion of her mind, but the loss of her physical attributes. Even so, there is still the overriding joy of life to sustain her every day. This was a very poignant piece that spoke to all of us.
Anne Berrie has started a story based on her own experience with her sister. In it we are shown Ruth going to visit her older sister, whom she hasn’t seen for seven years. Ida battles with mental illness, but still lives on her own in her own apartment. When Ruth arrives, Ida first has to tear off the masking tape around the inside of the door before she can open it, and then greets Ruth with bloodshot eyes, and a gas mask around her neck. She then says that Ruth looks terrible. This was a priceless piece of characterization of both sisters.
I read Margaret Moffatt’s “Baronet Dye Has A Visitor” from “Coffin And Dye” Dye is alone at his office one evening, reading a letter by candlelight because Coffin forgot to pay the electric bill. He sees what looks like a ghostly apparition, but is really the housekeeper from Wagnal Manor whom Coffin had slept with. She thinks Dye is Coffin, now with a beard but still owning the Rolls, and she proceeds to proposition him, wanting to show him a good time if he pays for her room at the hotel. We have yet to learn of his reaction.
Bob told us that his wife Carole includes being a Boston Red Sox fan on her Facebook profile. Bob is a true fan who watches all their games, and was looking at something on the internet regarding the team, and there, out of two million fans, is Carole’s picture. Talk about coincidence.
If you know of other writers you think would like to attend our Meeting, please feel free to invite them. Meeting other writers inspires us all.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 21st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
Friday, August 19, 2011
THE REVIEW
FORSAKEN FRUIT
The grapes and watermelon I put out for Wednesday’s meeting were largely ignored. And Bryon isn’t a fruitaholic, either, so I’ve been enjoying them by myself. There were five of us here at the meeting, an increase of 25% over the last meeting! Jason keeps saying we need to improve marketing strategies. I’ll have a sandwich board made for him and he can stand at the corner of No. 10 and 200th Street flagging down all unaffiliated writers for us. Failing that we will have to rely on the two community ads I’ve sent to the Langley Times and the Langley Advance.
Margaret sent me a copy of the Quesnel Observer with her interview and picture in it. I will save that for posterity. She was interviewed on air by CBC Northern Radio on Wednesday morning at 6:30. That had been arranged by her publisher.
I received a letter from Polar Expressions to say my short story “Freedom”, about the homeless man in Langley City, is being included in their anthology “Inkspots”, which will be published by year end, I believe.
Jason read first, a chapter of his novel, called “Devote”. We see the half brothers, Gregg and Dave, at their aunt’s funeral, and Dave is chastised rudely by his stepmother. Both boys are bored. Gregg starts thinking about his aunt, and her suicide, and wondering what drove her to it, and what is on the other side of death. Then his great grandmother tells him his aunt died thinking it was the best way to keep him safe. There is developing tension here and we liked the switch from two brothers to making them half brothers, and then making Gregg’s Mom the evil stepmother to Dave. It adds to the tension, that’s for sure.
Anne brought her thesis for me to read for her, and so we asked her to read the introduction out loud. Protesting that it was so boring, she did read it and we were all interested in learning more about the causes of serial murder; what goes into generating a serial murderer. This should give me good background for a future murder mystery!
In helping her sister who was being harassed by a Strata corporation, Anne has more than enough material for a fascinating book about strata Nazis victimizing someone with mental illness.
Anne also wants Margaret to know that her teenaged son, Trevor, is reading Margaret’s “Blow Up The Castle” and just raves about it. She said she is going to donate a copy to her son’s school library.
I read Margaret’s chapter “Perplexing Situations”, all three sections of it she had sent me. Trisha, who had proposed to Coffin, and her daughter Tootsie, both wanted to know why he had a suitcase full of women’s clothing. He explained that he wore them to catch Tootsie’s dog for her. When Dye saw Coffin looking ill, Coffin told him that Wagnal’s ghost tried to strangle him when he was wearing Mrs. Wagnal’s clothes. Then Dye proceeds to tell Detective Philmore Shorthouse that Mrs. Wagnal was murdered by Mr. Wagnal. The Detective sent a squad to the manor. Upon investigating, the police found everyone happy the ghost had been eradicated. The Detective asked to see room 30, and when Mr. Sours opened it, they found it completely empty. Mrs. Wagnal’s ghost had taken her furniture with her!
I read chapter 3 of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. Jason and Anne both thought it should become the first chapter, even though it would put the time line out of sync. I’ll have to give it some thought and try it out. It would emphasize more explicitly the part that Nigel plays in the novel, which would be good.
Jim read chapter 5 of the second book in “Coventry Ghosts”. We see two Asian villains scheming to kidnap Jason, the genius scientist who had been steeling souls through his computer, from a Mexican prison. It is thought Jason’s power would be very useful to them.
We were very glad to see Jim recovering from failing kidneys and his stay in ER over the weekend. He returned to work on Tuesday and next week will see the specialist again. We wish him all the best of health and a total recovery.
Nest Meeting will be Wednesday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then, and feel free to invite any other writers you think might like to join us, preferably those incarnate.
Lisa
The grapes and watermelon I put out for Wednesday’s meeting were largely ignored. And Bryon isn’t a fruitaholic, either, so I’ve been enjoying them by myself. There were five of us here at the meeting, an increase of 25% over the last meeting! Jason keeps saying we need to improve marketing strategies. I’ll have a sandwich board made for him and he can stand at the corner of No. 10 and 200th Street flagging down all unaffiliated writers for us. Failing that we will have to rely on the two community ads I’ve sent to the Langley Times and the Langley Advance.
Margaret sent me a copy of the Quesnel Observer with her interview and picture in it. I will save that for posterity. She was interviewed on air by CBC Northern Radio on Wednesday morning at 6:30. That had been arranged by her publisher.
I received a letter from Polar Expressions to say my short story “Freedom”, about the homeless man in Langley City, is being included in their anthology “Inkspots”, which will be published by year end, I believe.
Jason read first, a chapter of his novel, called “Devote”. We see the half brothers, Gregg and Dave, at their aunt’s funeral, and Dave is chastised rudely by his stepmother. Both boys are bored. Gregg starts thinking about his aunt, and her suicide, and wondering what drove her to it, and what is on the other side of death. Then his great grandmother tells him his aunt died thinking it was the best way to keep him safe. There is developing tension here and we liked the switch from two brothers to making them half brothers, and then making Gregg’s Mom the evil stepmother to Dave. It adds to the tension, that’s for sure.
Anne brought her thesis for me to read for her, and so we asked her to read the introduction out loud. Protesting that it was so boring, she did read it and we were all interested in learning more about the causes of serial murder; what goes into generating a serial murderer. This should give me good background for a future murder mystery!
In helping her sister who was being harassed by a Strata corporation, Anne has more than enough material for a fascinating book about strata Nazis victimizing someone with mental illness.
Anne also wants Margaret to know that her teenaged son, Trevor, is reading Margaret’s “Blow Up The Castle” and just raves about it. She said she is going to donate a copy to her son’s school library.
I read Margaret’s chapter “Perplexing Situations”, all three sections of it she had sent me. Trisha, who had proposed to Coffin, and her daughter Tootsie, both wanted to know why he had a suitcase full of women’s clothing. He explained that he wore them to catch Tootsie’s dog for her. When Dye saw Coffin looking ill, Coffin told him that Wagnal’s ghost tried to strangle him when he was wearing Mrs. Wagnal’s clothes. Then Dye proceeds to tell Detective Philmore Shorthouse that Mrs. Wagnal was murdered by Mr. Wagnal. The Detective sent a squad to the manor. Upon investigating, the police found everyone happy the ghost had been eradicated. The Detective asked to see room 30, and when Mr. Sours opened it, they found it completely empty. Mrs. Wagnal’s ghost had taken her furniture with her!
I read chapter 3 of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. Jason and Anne both thought it should become the first chapter, even though it would put the time line out of sync. I’ll have to give it some thought and try it out. It would emphasize more explicitly the part that Nigel plays in the novel, which would be good.
Jim read chapter 5 of the second book in “Coventry Ghosts”. We see two Asian villains scheming to kidnap Jason, the genius scientist who had been steeling souls through his computer, from a Mexican prison. It is thought Jason’s power would be very useful to them.
We were very glad to see Jim recovering from failing kidneys and his stay in ER over the weekend. He returned to work on Tuesday and next week will see the specialist again. We wish him all the best of health and a total recovery.
Nest Meeting will be Wednesday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then, and feel free to invite any other writers you think might like to join us, preferably those incarnate.
Lisa
Friday, August 5, 2011
THE REVIEW
MID-SUMMER
Jim, Gemma and Bob joined me Wednesday for a short meeting. Jason was housebound with his kids while his wife was away on business.
Gemma asked us to read and comment on a personal article of hers that she had re-written at the request of “Chicken Soup For The Soul”. The article is about her family immigrating to Canada and coming to love hockey. She was a radiology technician required to be on duty when games were played in Montreal, but she would sit in the hospital corridor knitting and let her young son use her reserved seat to watch the games. The article had been accepted for the Chicken Soup book “Oh, Canada” but they had asked for some changes to eliminate repetition. Congratulations to Gemma!
An interview of Margaret by the Quesnel Observer appears in their paper today, Friday, August 4th. You can find this online. In it she mentions the Ram’s Head Writers’ Group. That was nice to read.
I then read Margaret’s next chapter in “Coffin And Dye” which was titled “Arthur”. In it, Coffin has some boozy adventures and takes credit for finding the dog, Arthur. And Tootsie’s mother, Trisha, admits to having amorous intentions towards Coffin. Donny merely staggered across the hall to his own flat and passed out.
Since only Jim had heard the re-written first chapter of my new book, “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, I read that again as well as the second chapter which tells how Nigel met Deirdre in the mid 1960s, and tells of her abusive boyfriend and that Nigel gave her the money to take her child and go to her mother at Watch Lake to escape. That is where the child drowns. Jim said I was keeping up the suspense.
Jim read the 4th chapter in the second book about the Coventry ghosts, and this is where the kitten, Sara dies and meets Leanne in ghostdom, who wants her to stay with her in her haunt at the coffee shop. They are both happy to have found a ghostly friend.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 17th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Jim, Gemma and Bob joined me Wednesday for a short meeting. Jason was housebound with his kids while his wife was away on business.
Gemma asked us to read and comment on a personal article of hers that she had re-written at the request of “Chicken Soup For The Soul”. The article is about her family immigrating to Canada and coming to love hockey. She was a radiology technician required to be on duty when games were played in Montreal, but she would sit in the hospital corridor knitting and let her young son use her reserved seat to watch the games. The article had been accepted for the Chicken Soup book “Oh, Canada” but they had asked for some changes to eliminate repetition. Congratulations to Gemma!
An interview of Margaret by the Quesnel Observer appears in their paper today, Friday, August 4th. You can find this online. In it she mentions the Ram’s Head Writers’ Group. That was nice to read.
I then read Margaret’s next chapter in “Coffin And Dye” which was titled “Arthur”. In it, Coffin has some boozy adventures and takes credit for finding the dog, Arthur. And Tootsie’s mother, Trisha, admits to having amorous intentions towards Coffin. Donny merely staggered across the hall to his own flat and passed out.
Since only Jim had heard the re-written first chapter of my new book, “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, I read that again as well as the second chapter which tells how Nigel met Deirdre in the mid 1960s, and tells of her abusive boyfriend and that Nigel gave her the money to take her child and go to her mother at Watch Lake to escape. That is where the child drowns. Jim said I was keeping up the suspense.
Jim read the 4th chapter in the second book about the Coventry ghosts, and this is where the kitten, Sara dies and meets Leanne in ghostdom, who wants her to stay with her in her haunt at the coffee shop. They are both happy to have found a ghostly friend.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 17th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Friday, July 22, 2011
THE REVIEW
SUMMER SLUMP?
Wednesday’s meeting was sadly lacking in attendees. Where is everybody? Well, Gemma was saying goodbye to her beloved but ailing dog, Heidi. Ellie was overwhelmed with looking after a distant and ailing aunt and her aunt’s aging poodle. Jason just disappeared. Bob phoned to say he wasn’t well. Anne Berrie emailed to say she was involved in helping her sister.
But Jim showed up recovered from his fall, and Sharon Robinson joined us for the first time. Sharon owns Today’s Senior Newsmagazine and wants to do more of her own writing. Welcome to the Ram’s Head Writers’ Group, Sharon.
Jim read Chapter 3 in the second novel of the Coventry Ghosts series. He called the second novel “Search For Jason” and it is from the point of view of Sara, the ghost kitten. The 3rd chapter tells how Sarah died when she was chased by a dog and then hit by a car. It was a sad chapter.
Recently Jim submitted a romance novel to Harlequin and they sent him acknowledgement of same, and said response could be anywhere up to 24 weeks. He is also a judge in a published book contest in White Rock and has admitted he personally dislikes some of the entries. I won’t say which ones.
Margaret had some interesting news. Her publisher wants to set up an interview for her with the paper in Quesnel, because the bookstore owner wants her to have some notoriety before she does a book-signing there. Also, Margaret’s article, “Happy Birthday Vancouver!” is in the July issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. Margaret had sent me three more chapters in “Coffin And Dye”, but I only read the first one which was “To Wagnal Manor”. This is where Coffin proceeds to the manor and is compelled by Mr. Sours to dress in the clothes of the murdered Madam Wagnal in an attempt to rid the manor of her ghost. After losing his patience waiting for Mr. Sours to return, he wanders the halls in female attire, looking for Mr. Sours and proceeds to terrify all who see him, including Tootsie who was there meeting the Commissioners about her dog, Arthur. When she was driving home, Coffin passed her at great speed in the Rolls.
I had spent some time re-writing for the 3rd time the beginning of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” and read that. I had gone back in time and using 3rd person, wrote about the death of a child in 1969 that starts the mystery rolling. I started with the point of view of the child’s grandmother, but there will be a number of points of view used in this novel. Jim and Sharon said they both wanted the story to continue and are eager to hear what happens next. So I guess that’s a good start for a mystery.
Sharon read us a published personal story from when she took her children, younger then, to Halloween night at Potter’s Nursery. It’s called “Potter’s Haunted Potty” and tells of the predicament when her young son needed a bathroom but absolutely refused to use the haunted outhouse that night. Hilarious. Sharon was also trying to write some serious personal things that were full of emotion for her and we encouraged her to do so. And we sincerely hope Sharon will return to many more meetings with the Rams.
Since the last time I wrote a Review, I have played some more with my eReader. After many frustrating attempts I was finally able yesterday to transfer correctly to my eReader an ebook I downloaded onto my PC from the Digital Library that the Fraser Valley Regional Library belongs to. By ‘correctly’, I mean in such a way that I was actually able to have the eReader open it so I could read it. No small feat this, and I only have about 10 days left to actually read this novel as the lending period was only for 21 days. I assume it will self-annihilate when the time elapses. Can’t have that with hard copy now, can we? And I won’t have to drive the digital file back to the Library.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Wednesday’s meeting was sadly lacking in attendees. Where is everybody? Well, Gemma was saying goodbye to her beloved but ailing dog, Heidi. Ellie was overwhelmed with looking after a distant and ailing aunt and her aunt’s aging poodle. Jason just disappeared. Bob phoned to say he wasn’t well. Anne Berrie emailed to say she was involved in helping her sister.
But Jim showed up recovered from his fall, and Sharon Robinson joined us for the first time. Sharon owns Today’s Senior Newsmagazine and wants to do more of her own writing. Welcome to the Ram’s Head Writers’ Group, Sharon.
Jim read Chapter 3 in the second novel of the Coventry Ghosts series. He called the second novel “Search For Jason” and it is from the point of view of Sara, the ghost kitten. The 3rd chapter tells how Sarah died when she was chased by a dog and then hit by a car. It was a sad chapter.
Recently Jim submitted a romance novel to Harlequin and they sent him acknowledgement of same, and said response could be anywhere up to 24 weeks. He is also a judge in a published book contest in White Rock and has admitted he personally dislikes some of the entries. I won’t say which ones.
Margaret had some interesting news. Her publisher wants to set up an interview for her with the paper in Quesnel, because the bookstore owner wants her to have some notoriety before she does a book-signing there. Also, Margaret’s article, “Happy Birthday Vancouver!” is in the July issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. Margaret had sent me three more chapters in “Coffin And Dye”, but I only read the first one which was “To Wagnal Manor”. This is where Coffin proceeds to the manor and is compelled by Mr. Sours to dress in the clothes of the murdered Madam Wagnal in an attempt to rid the manor of her ghost. After losing his patience waiting for Mr. Sours to return, he wanders the halls in female attire, looking for Mr. Sours and proceeds to terrify all who see him, including Tootsie who was there meeting the Commissioners about her dog, Arthur. When she was driving home, Coffin passed her at great speed in the Rolls.
I had spent some time re-writing for the 3rd time the beginning of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” and read that. I had gone back in time and using 3rd person, wrote about the death of a child in 1969 that starts the mystery rolling. I started with the point of view of the child’s grandmother, but there will be a number of points of view used in this novel. Jim and Sharon said they both wanted the story to continue and are eager to hear what happens next. So I guess that’s a good start for a mystery.
Sharon read us a published personal story from when she took her children, younger then, to Halloween night at Potter’s Nursery. It’s called “Potter’s Haunted Potty” and tells of the predicament when her young son needed a bathroom but absolutely refused to use the haunted outhouse that night. Hilarious. Sharon was also trying to write some serious personal things that were full of emotion for her and we encouraged her to do so. And we sincerely hope Sharon will return to many more meetings with the Rams.
Since the last time I wrote a Review, I have played some more with my eReader. After many frustrating attempts I was finally able yesterday to transfer correctly to my eReader an ebook I downloaded onto my PC from the Digital Library that the Fraser Valley Regional Library belongs to. By ‘correctly’, I mean in such a way that I was actually able to have the eReader open it so I could read it. No small feat this, and I only have about 10 days left to actually read this novel as the lending period was only for 21 days. I assume it will self-annihilate when the time elapses. Can’t have that with hard copy now, can we? And I won’t have to drive the digital file back to the Library.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Monday, July 11, 2011
THE REVIEW
HOCKEY HIATUS FINALIZED
(The Canucks Lost)
The Rams finally met again on July 6th after a seven week break for hockey finals. The games kept falling on a Wednesday.
Gemma, Bob, Jason and I, and Margaret by proxy, met last Wednesday and since I did most of the talking the meeting ended early. Barinder has moved to Kingston and is doing her psychiatric residency at Queens, but asked to still receive emails from the group. Jim had a bad fall and was recovering at home. Ellie was interviewing someone to housesit and dogsit while she goes on vacation. Don’t know where Anne Berrie is.
Gemma arrived with her book “What Heidi Knows” which she has self-published with Xlibris. I will email to you a scanned copy of the card she gave me in case anyone would like to order her book. Sadly, Gemma’s dog Heidi is very ill and she has been tending to Heidi constantly. It is only a matter of time until Heidi passes on, and Gemma felt compelled to see her story in print.
Bob is the only one who completed the assignment of writing 500 words about hockey. He wrote 458 words about the Canucks bid for the Stanley Cup in 1982. A friend acquired three tickets for Bob at the final game, and so he was able to watch the Canucks lose to the New York Islanders. He’s only been to one NHL game since.
When Margaret was trying to send me her latest chapter in “Coffin And Dye”, she tried emailing it a number of times and then finally emailed “I’m okay!” She had been sitting at her computer in her kitchen as two of her sons tried to unplug the drain under the kitchen sink. They had removed the piping when third son arrived and wanting to check things out, he turned the water on. Margaret’s letter about it all afterward was hilarious, so I read that first, and then her chapter “The Complaint”. In it Tootsie has received a letter from the Commissioners requesting her and Coffin to attend their office regarding the disappearance of the dog. Coffin didn’t want to go, so he told Tootsie Arthur had been seen in their own neighbourhood and he would search there for him. Meanwhile, Dye starts briefing Coffin about their next assignment regarding the ghost at the manor of Baron Willis Wagnal, who was rich from processing jute from India. The Baron had married a local immigrant from Ireland who was found murdered when he returned from a trip to India. The murder was never solved and her ghost haunts the mansion. Dye told Coffin he could drive the Rolls when he goes to investigate.
I discussed my search for online character charts to print and use when starting a story. I found some that were very long and detailed. They’re great for main characters for a novel, but are way too long for minor characters or for characters in short stories. So I compiled one of my own that’s only one page and handed it out. Then I admitted that while organizing my online files for writing projects, I realized I have the beginnings for four different novels, but haven’t really progressed with any of them. I did re-write the beginning of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” in third person instead of first. The prologue I started with was intriguing, but the following chapter was not. So I have to re-think the whole concept of what I am writing. It is based on a true story and I think I need to let go and write fiction only using the original event as a starting point.
Online I had found a site explaining briefly the Snowflake method of story building. Jason said it is a method he has used and it helped him find problems that needed attention in his story structure. I haven’t used this method as I don’t know if I can be that detail oriented about what I want my story to be before I actually write it. If anyone else has used this method, please let us know about your experience with it.
Jason didn’t get to read and was quite happy to call an end to the meeting. He could hardly breathe through his nose after having been hit by a stick while playing hockey himself. Ouch. Jason gets to read first next time.
And the reason I am late doing this Review is that I received my birthday present (I’ll be 60 on the 15th) from Sonny on Friday. It is a Pandigital eReader. My weekend was very intense trying to get started with this device. I charged it and tried to read the books already loaded on it, but the pages wouldn’t turn. Saturday I spent time with Pandigital tech support and had to reset the system to factory defaults. Because the Pandigital is a wireless device, I was then faced with trying to go wireless with our internet in the house. My brother gave me a used wireless router which I brought home. Bryon hooked it up for me and we had internet access on our computers, which were still connected by wire. But my brother never gave me the original CD for setup so after hours and hours of unsuccessful attempts to get into Cisco Connect to change security settings for the router, I went out and bought a new router with its own CD. After Bryon hooked that one up, we didn’t even have internet. That meant talking to Shaw tech support several times. By then it was Sunday afternoon. After shutting down my computer and restarting several times I finally got into the internet and downloaded a Windows Service Pack that took about two hours. After that I was able to register the router and set security. Then I was able to access the Kobo bookstore through my eReader. I downloaded several free books, old classics, and went to bed to read some Stephen Leacock with my backlit eReader that does not require any bedroom lights to be on so I can read while Bryon sleeps. But by then I was so tired I went to sleep while he was still watching T.V.
Today I went to the digital library that the Fraser Valley Regional Library belongs to, to download a good book to read, but everything is on hold. You still have to put your name on a waiting list to borrow. So why in heavens name do you have to wait to read a digital book from the library? That I don’t understand. I still don’t have a digital book I actually want to read.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 20th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then. I’ll show everyone my new toy.
Lisa
(The Canucks Lost)
The Rams finally met again on July 6th after a seven week break for hockey finals. The games kept falling on a Wednesday.
Gemma, Bob, Jason and I, and Margaret by proxy, met last Wednesday and since I did most of the talking the meeting ended early. Barinder has moved to Kingston and is doing her psychiatric residency at Queens, but asked to still receive emails from the group. Jim had a bad fall and was recovering at home. Ellie was interviewing someone to housesit and dogsit while she goes on vacation. Don’t know where Anne Berrie is.
Gemma arrived with her book “What Heidi Knows” which she has self-published with Xlibris. I will email to you a scanned copy of the card she gave me in case anyone would like to order her book. Sadly, Gemma’s dog Heidi is very ill and she has been tending to Heidi constantly. It is only a matter of time until Heidi passes on, and Gemma felt compelled to see her story in print.
Bob is the only one who completed the assignment of writing 500 words about hockey. He wrote 458 words about the Canucks bid for the Stanley Cup in 1982. A friend acquired three tickets for Bob at the final game, and so he was able to watch the Canucks lose to the New York Islanders. He’s only been to one NHL game since.
When Margaret was trying to send me her latest chapter in “Coffin And Dye”, she tried emailing it a number of times and then finally emailed “I’m okay!” She had been sitting at her computer in her kitchen as two of her sons tried to unplug the drain under the kitchen sink. They had removed the piping when third son arrived and wanting to check things out, he turned the water on. Margaret’s letter about it all afterward was hilarious, so I read that first, and then her chapter “The Complaint”. In it Tootsie has received a letter from the Commissioners requesting her and Coffin to attend their office regarding the disappearance of the dog. Coffin didn’t want to go, so he told Tootsie Arthur had been seen in their own neighbourhood and he would search there for him. Meanwhile, Dye starts briefing Coffin about their next assignment regarding the ghost at the manor of Baron Willis Wagnal, who was rich from processing jute from India. The Baron had married a local immigrant from Ireland who was found murdered when he returned from a trip to India. The murder was never solved and her ghost haunts the mansion. Dye told Coffin he could drive the Rolls when he goes to investigate.
I discussed my search for online character charts to print and use when starting a story. I found some that were very long and detailed. They’re great for main characters for a novel, but are way too long for minor characters or for characters in short stories. So I compiled one of my own that’s only one page and handed it out. Then I admitted that while organizing my online files for writing projects, I realized I have the beginnings for four different novels, but haven’t really progressed with any of them. I did re-write the beginning of “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” in third person instead of first. The prologue I started with was intriguing, but the following chapter was not. So I have to re-think the whole concept of what I am writing. It is based on a true story and I think I need to let go and write fiction only using the original event as a starting point.
Online I had found a site explaining briefly the Snowflake method of story building. Jason said it is a method he has used and it helped him find problems that needed attention in his story structure. I haven’t used this method as I don’t know if I can be that detail oriented about what I want my story to be before I actually write it. If anyone else has used this method, please let us know about your experience with it.
Jason didn’t get to read and was quite happy to call an end to the meeting. He could hardly breathe through his nose after having been hit by a stick while playing hockey himself. Ouch. Jason gets to read first next time.
And the reason I am late doing this Review is that I received my birthday present (I’ll be 60 on the 15th) from Sonny on Friday. It is a Pandigital eReader. My weekend was very intense trying to get started with this device. I charged it and tried to read the books already loaded on it, but the pages wouldn’t turn. Saturday I spent time with Pandigital tech support and had to reset the system to factory defaults. Because the Pandigital is a wireless device, I was then faced with trying to go wireless with our internet in the house. My brother gave me a used wireless router which I brought home. Bryon hooked it up for me and we had internet access on our computers, which were still connected by wire. But my brother never gave me the original CD for setup so after hours and hours of unsuccessful attempts to get into Cisco Connect to change security settings for the router, I went out and bought a new router with its own CD. After Bryon hooked that one up, we didn’t even have internet. That meant talking to Shaw tech support several times. By then it was Sunday afternoon. After shutting down my computer and restarting several times I finally got into the internet and downloaded a Windows Service Pack that took about two hours. After that I was able to register the router and set security. Then I was able to access the Kobo bookstore through my eReader. I downloaded several free books, old classics, and went to bed to read some Stephen Leacock with my backlit eReader that does not require any bedroom lights to be on so I can read while Bryon sleeps. But by then I was so tired I went to sleep while he was still watching T.V.
Today I went to the digital library that the Fraser Valley Regional Library belongs to, to download a good book to read, but everything is on hold. You still have to put your name on a waiting list to borrow. So why in heavens name do you have to wait to read a digital book from the library? That I don’t understand. I still don’t have a digital book I actually want to read.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 20th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Hope to see you then. I’ll show everyone my new toy.
Lisa
Saturday, May 21, 2011
THE REVIEW
HOCKEY GAME IS MUTED
Since Ellie and Jason both said they would not attend Wednesday’s meeting because they wanted to watch the hockey game, I did have the T.V. turned to the game, but muted. That way we could catch the score but still talk about writing.
I had been away last weekend and came home sick, so I hadn’t written anything. Bob has been watching baseball so his writing takes back seat. Anne Berrie says she was having trouble letting go of the mindset that comes from only writing fact. We encouraged her to give fiction a try and experience how freeing it can be to suddenly realize you don’t have to answer to anyone else’s parameters of truth. Go ahead, tell all the lies you want! You have permission.
Jim was the only one with anything to read. He is busy with the first draft on his third novel in the Coventry Ghosts series. He did read to us Chapter 2 of Coventry Ghosts 2, which gave the background story of Sara, the kitten ghost. Jim says this second novel in the series is from the kitten’s perspective.
We had a long discussion about query letters and the process of submissions. Jim has done lots of research on the appropriate agents to submit to for his genre, and has verified that they all belong to AAR, the Association of Authors’ Representatives. He submitted his first novel to an agent in New York who responded to his query several weeks ago, and is still waiting to hear the verdict.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, June 1st at 7:00 p.m. at my place. If the Canucks are playing, I will turn the tube on, but with volume muted, so watching the game is no excuse to stay away. Even if we haven’t written anything, we can always discuss something about writing and/or getting published. If we don’t have our own writing to showcase, it’s still important to support those who have written something. It’s not fair when we abandon the other writers when we ourselves lag in the production of prolific recorded verbosity. Hope to see you June 1st.
Lisa
Since Ellie and Jason both said they would not attend Wednesday’s meeting because they wanted to watch the hockey game, I did have the T.V. turned to the game, but muted. That way we could catch the score but still talk about writing.
I had been away last weekend and came home sick, so I hadn’t written anything. Bob has been watching baseball so his writing takes back seat. Anne Berrie says she was having trouble letting go of the mindset that comes from only writing fact. We encouraged her to give fiction a try and experience how freeing it can be to suddenly realize you don’t have to answer to anyone else’s parameters of truth. Go ahead, tell all the lies you want! You have permission.
Jim was the only one with anything to read. He is busy with the first draft on his third novel in the Coventry Ghosts series. He did read to us Chapter 2 of Coventry Ghosts 2, which gave the background story of Sara, the kitten ghost. Jim says this second novel in the series is from the kitten’s perspective.
We had a long discussion about query letters and the process of submissions. Jim has done lots of research on the appropriate agents to submit to for his genre, and has verified that they all belong to AAR, the Association of Authors’ Representatives. He submitted his first novel to an agent in New York who responded to his query several weeks ago, and is still waiting to hear the verdict.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, June 1st at 7:00 p.m. at my place. If the Canucks are playing, I will turn the tube on, but with volume muted, so watching the game is no excuse to stay away. Even if we haven’t written anything, we can always discuss something about writing and/or getting published. If we don’t have our own writing to showcase, it’s still important to support those who have written something. It’s not fair when we abandon the other writers when we ourselves lag in the production of prolific recorded verbosity. Hope to see you June 1st.
Lisa
Thursday, May 5, 2011
THE REVIEW
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?
The women have deserted me. I was alone here with the men at last night’s meeting, and my husband was out of town. Tsk. Tsk. As my mother would have said. The funny thing was that Bryon was working at a mill up in Quesnel and ran into Margaret’s son, Marshall, while we were sitting here reading Margaret’s latest installment in “Coffin And Dye”. How’s that for coincidence?
I read Margaret’s chapter “Ghosts At The Hamlet” where Coffin and Tootsie rush back to the constabulary because they were told Arthur, her dog, had been found. But when they arrived, a woman brought in a black cat that Tootsie was allergic to. She was very upset. The officer read the original report, and nowhere did it say the missing animal was a dog. Coffin was annoyed, but refused to fill out a complaint for which he would have to attend a meeting with a Board. They returned home. But Tootsie went back on her own to fill out the complaint.
Jim shared with us his query letter that elicited a request for his manuscript. Congratulations! It was very well written and now I have to rewrite my own, especially since I received another rejection for my novel.
I am entering a story of less than 750 words in the contest at Polar Expressions. I had three to choose from and asked the boys to help me decide which to enter. They had previously heard “Next Sunday” and “Watching a Veteran’s Parade”, and last night I read “Freedom” a story about a homeless man. They were unanimous in choosing “Freedom” as my entry.
Bob read more from his personal history and we learned about all the young military personnel (soldiers, sailors, airmen) that used to visit their home during the War. Most of these men were friends of his older stepsister. She eventually found one she married.
Also, a belated happy birthday to Bob. His 79th birthday was on Monday, May 2nd, and his family helped him celebrate with delicious ice cream cake.
Jason didn’t read. His time has been consumed with other adventures, which I’ve told him he must write about.
Our next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
The women have deserted me. I was alone here with the men at last night’s meeting, and my husband was out of town. Tsk. Tsk. As my mother would have said. The funny thing was that Bryon was working at a mill up in Quesnel and ran into Margaret’s son, Marshall, while we were sitting here reading Margaret’s latest installment in “Coffin And Dye”. How’s that for coincidence?
I read Margaret’s chapter “Ghosts At The Hamlet” where Coffin and Tootsie rush back to the constabulary because they were told Arthur, her dog, had been found. But when they arrived, a woman brought in a black cat that Tootsie was allergic to. She was very upset. The officer read the original report, and nowhere did it say the missing animal was a dog. Coffin was annoyed, but refused to fill out a complaint for which he would have to attend a meeting with a Board. They returned home. But Tootsie went back on her own to fill out the complaint.
Jim shared with us his query letter that elicited a request for his manuscript. Congratulations! It was very well written and now I have to rewrite my own, especially since I received another rejection for my novel.
I am entering a story of less than 750 words in the contest at Polar Expressions. I had three to choose from and asked the boys to help me decide which to enter. They had previously heard “Next Sunday” and “Watching a Veteran’s Parade”, and last night I read “Freedom” a story about a homeless man. They were unanimous in choosing “Freedom” as my entry.
Bob read more from his personal history and we learned about all the young military personnel (soldiers, sailors, airmen) that used to visit their home during the War. Most of these men were friends of his older stepsister. She eventually found one she married.
Also, a belated happy birthday to Bob. His 79th birthday was on Monday, May 2nd, and his family helped him celebrate with delicious ice cream cake.
Jason didn’t read. His time has been consumed with other adventures, which I’ve told him he must write about.
Our next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Saturday, April 23, 2011
THE REVIEW
EASTER BUNNY CAME EARLY
Bob and Barinder and I held the fort here for The Muse on Wednesday. It was more of a social evening for a change.
Barinder read a poem of hers titled “Us” that starts out with racial undertones and then speaks of the narrator being thawed and then consumed by love, but eventually grows barbs and attacks the lover and is then discarded and ‘rusts’. I thought the poem was excellent but Bob didn’t understand it. We told him it was a woman’s thing to see the meaning.
Also, Barinder told us she wrote an article, “The Therapeutic Effects Of Art-making In Patients With Cancer”, which is being published in the next issue of ARTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY. Congratulations!
The other good news is that Jim has had a request for his manuscript for “Coventry Ghosts” from an agent he sent a query to. That is amazing, too. Congratulations to Jim as well!
Bob and I didn’t read, but I did have some things to handout. When I attended the session on Memoir writing given by Ed Griffin, he kindly gave us some notes on the topic which I was willing to share. I also had another copy of a query letter that had elicited a request to read the manuscript. That letter was written by a member of The Murrayville Library Writers’ Group.
Very kindly, Bob made a point of telling me that meeting as The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group since 2003, he has often seen dramatic improvements in the quality of writing put out by our members. That was good to know. Thank you for saying that. And my thanks, too, for the lovely flowers you brought from your garden.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 4th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
Bob and Barinder and I held the fort here for The Muse on Wednesday. It was more of a social evening for a change.
Barinder read a poem of hers titled “Us” that starts out with racial undertones and then speaks of the narrator being thawed and then consumed by love, but eventually grows barbs and attacks the lover and is then discarded and ‘rusts’. I thought the poem was excellent but Bob didn’t understand it. We told him it was a woman’s thing to see the meaning.
Also, Barinder told us she wrote an article, “The Therapeutic Effects Of Art-making In Patients With Cancer”, which is being published in the next issue of ARTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY. Congratulations!
The other good news is that Jim has had a request for his manuscript for “Coventry Ghosts” from an agent he sent a query to. That is amazing, too. Congratulations to Jim as well!
Bob and I didn’t read, but I did have some things to handout. When I attended the session on Memoir writing given by Ed Griffin, he kindly gave us some notes on the topic which I was willing to share. I also had another copy of a query letter that had elicited a request to read the manuscript. That letter was written by a member of The Murrayville Library Writers’ Group.
Very kindly, Bob made a point of telling me that meeting as The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group since 2003, he has often seen dramatic improvements in the quality of writing put out by our members. That was good to know. Thank you for saying that. And my thanks, too, for the lovely flowers you brought from your garden.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 4th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
Thursday, April 7, 2011
THE REVIEW
BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP!
It was a fun Meeting here last night. Jim, Anne, Jason and Bob all joined me in anticipation of Margaret’s latest installment of “Coffin And Dye”.
I read Margaret’s chapter, “Ghosts Of The Hamlet” first. The dog, Arthur, had made off into the fields with the skeletal head of the knight. Mr. and Mrs. Lark wanted Coffin to rectify the situation of the missing artifact. Coffin explained the dog was just returning the knight’s head to its original gravesite, and the ghosts would follow it. Consequently the hamlet would no longer be haunted. The Larks were happy, but Coffin and Tootsie had to find Arthur. They reported him missing to an officer at the constabulary, who seemed taken with Tootsie and vowed to do everything possible to find the missing dog, in spite of Coffin saying he had thought the dog was going to be a damn nuisance.
Next I read a story of my own for my “Honey” collection. It recounted my predicament when I left a kettle burning on the stove overnight and found a mess welded to the stovetop in the morning. I told of my laborious efforts to clean up the mess and of having to buy a new kettle before Honey came home from working out of town.
Bob had several additions to his personal history that he read to us. He told of how he used to go shopping with his stepmother and would bring groceries home in his wagon. The only public library in town at that time was the Carnegie Library at Main and Hastings. And he told of the house next door at the back of the lot, and the neighbours planting a vegetable garden taking up the whole front yard. He wasn’t allowed to socialize with these people and wasn’t allowed to play with a young girl who came to visit.
Jim had previously emailed us all his story “Wilders” that he is entering in a writing contest about White Rock in 2061. His story shows a young family living mostly in isolation as humanity is dying out after global warming. They have to travel miles on foot to buy supplies at a fortified post, and on their return are attacked by a ‘Wilder’, who was of a wild human-like species. The story concept is intriguing and the build-up of tension was well done. I really enjoyed reading it.
Jason read his next chapter “Provoked”, where Damianos is still in the church and hears a disembodied voice telling him salvation lies in translating a spell and then performing the ritual, but he must first find the young girl who possesses the Book of the Nornir. After accomplishment, he is told he can do as he pleases with the girl. Damianos asks the voice if he is God, and the voice replies “Better”. This is a very haunting tale foreboding much evil. It is well written and tight, without any unnecessary wordage.
Anne didn’t read but says she has started several poems that she is having trouble finishing. We wish her luck with them.
At this point I have to say that I can’t stress enough the importance of making backups of your writing. Anne had the misfortune of losing a very promising story she had started when she changed computers. She thought she had a backup and erased the hard drive and disposed of the old computer at the Salvation Army. Then she couldn’t find her story. She will have to re-write it. And Jim told us the sad tale of his niece, a writer, moving here from Calgary and having to leave her car at the side of the highway with a flat tire and bent rim while she went for help. When she returned, her car had been broken into and her laptop stolen with all her writing on it.
So, everybody do a backup. And if you don’t want to be bothered with a 3 ½ inch floppy, or a USB flash drive, or a memory card, or burning a CD, then I have a solution for you. Get yourself a gmail address (it’s free) and email all your writing to yourself. You can access your gmail from any computer and you shouldn’t ever lose it. There you have it. Five ways to do a backup. No excuses now.
I sent out a notice of a writing event at the Museum of Flight at the Langley Airport on Saturday, April 9th and thought I would tell you I will be attending. It is about memoir writing and Ed Griffin is the instructor. It is from 1 – 4:00 p.m. and admission at the door is $5.00. If anyone else is going, let me know.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Looking forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
It was a fun Meeting here last night. Jim, Anne, Jason and Bob all joined me in anticipation of Margaret’s latest installment of “Coffin And Dye”.
I read Margaret’s chapter, “Ghosts Of The Hamlet” first. The dog, Arthur, had made off into the fields with the skeletal head of the knight. Mr. and Mrs. Lark wanted Coffin to rectify the situation of the missing artifact. Coffin explained the dog was just returning the knight’s head to its original gravesite, and the ghosts would follow it. Consequently the hamlet would no longer be haunted. The Larks were happy, but Coffin and Tootsie had to find Arthur. They reported him missing to an officer at the constabulary, who seemed taken with Tootsie and vowed to do everything possible to find the missing dog, in spite of Coffin saying he had thought the dog was going to be a damn nuisance.
Next I read a story of my own for my “Honey” collection. It recounted my predicament when I left a kettle burning on the stove overnight and found a mess welded to the stovetop in the morning. I told of my laborious efforts to clean up the mess and of having to buy a new kettle before Honey came home from working out of town.
Bob had several additions to his personal history that he read to us. He told of how he used to go shopping with his stepmother and would bring groceries home in his wagon. The only public library in town at that time was the Carnegie Library at Main and Hastings. And he told of the house next door at the back of the lot, and the neighbours planting a vegetable garden taking up the whole front yard. He wasn’t allowed to socialize with these people and wasn’t allowed to play with a young girl who came to visit.
Jim had previously emailed us all his story “Wilders” that he is entering in a writing contest about White Rock in 2061. His story shows a young family living mostly in isolation as humanity is dying out after global warming. They have to travel miles on foot to buy supplies at a fortified post, and on their return are attacked by a ‘Wilder’, who was of a wild human-like species. The story concept is intriguing and the build-up of tension was well done. I really enjoyed reading it.
Jason read his next chapter “Provoked”, where Damianos is still in the church and hears a disembodied voice telling him salvation lies in translating a spell and then performing the ritual, but he must first find the young girl who possesses the Book of the Nornir. After accomplishment, he is told he can do as he pleases with the girl. Damianos asks the voice if he is God, and the voice replies “Better”. This is a very haunting tale foreboding much evil. It is well written and tight, without any unnecessary wordage.
Anne didn’t read but says she has started several poems that she is having trouble finishing. We wish her luck with them.
At this point I have to say that I can’t stress enough the importance of making backups of your writing. Anne had the misfortune of losing a very promising story she had started when she changed computers. She thought she had a backup and erased the hard drive and disposed of the old computer at the Salvation Army. Then she couldn’t find her story. She will have to re-write it. And Jim told us the sad tale of his niece, a writer, moving here from Calgary and having to leave her car at the side of the highway with a flat tire and bent rim while she went for help. When she returned, her car had been broken into and her laptop stolen with all her writing on it.
So, everybody do a backup. And if you don’t want to be bothered with a 3 ½ inch floppy, or a USB flash drive, or a memory card, or burning a CD, then I have a solution for you. Get yourself a gmail address (it’s free) and email all your writing to yourself. You can access your gmail from any computer and you shouldn’t ever lose it. There you have it. Five ways to do a backup. No excuses now.
I sent out a notice of a writing event at the Museum of Flight at the Langley Airport on Saturday, April 9th and thought I would tell you I will be attending. It is about memoir writing and Ed Griffin is the instructor. It is from 1 – 4:00 p.m. and admission at the door is $5.00. If anyone else is going, let me know.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Looking forward to seeing you then.
Lisa
Friday, March 18, 2011
THE REVIEW
IRISH STEW
Seven of us were here on Wednesday telling tales for St. Patrick’s Day. Some of us were in green, and I did serve everyone green Jello.
Jason read first, a continuation of the story he read that ended with “God has left the building.” This section was called “Desire” and was a heated exchange between Damianos and the siren, Ligeia, about the killing of the pedophile priest. He wants revenge against the angels who had masqueraded as spiritual superiors but had been traitors. Stay tuned for the next installment.
I had a book of novelists’ answers to questions about writing. One question pertained to making time to write. I read the response of one frustrated author/housewife/mother to point out to Jason that his life as author and stay-at-home-Dad was in keeping with other good company.
Ellie read an epic rhyming poem for preschoolers called “Flying On The Grass”. It is born of a child’s imagination when he wants to fly and he envisions all the adventures he would have but ends up deciding maybe watching the clouds while lying (or is that laying, Jim?) on the grass is a happier pursuit. We hope Ellie can find her way to having this published in a picture book for children.
Barinder had emailed us her piece “Fantasy” which is a really great story line in the fantasy genre about a love triangle between a healer, a magician, and a black witch. This is mostly a story outline that needs some work to develop it, but it has great potential.
Bob read more of his personal history during the years 1941 to 1943/44. Unfortunately we were running out of time and I stopped Bob after 6 ½ pages, single spaced. It’s not that easy to condense a whole life on just a few pages. We marked where Bob stopped reading and that’s where he can start next time.
Anne Berrie joined us for the first time in about a year. She said she handed in her thesis. We’ve missed her unique perspective during that time.
Jim didn’t read this time. He didn’t even bring his laptop. He said he felt naked without it. However, he did have some news. Six months after his latest granddaughter was born, his daughter and son-in-law are expecting again. That’s just about the best story for any author.
Margaret is settling in Quesnel and has lots of visits from her sons and their families. She and Marshall both think they made the right decision to move closer to family. But she is talking about a possible trip down here to the coast and said she would drop by for a visit. We’ll have to see if she can make it for a Meeting of The Rams.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hopefully spring will be well established by then. Am enjoying the extra daylight at night but having trouble arising if the sun isn’t up yet. I’ll feel better when the cherry trees and the daffodils bloom. Hope to see you all April 6th.
Lisa
Seven of us were here on Wednesday telling tales for St. Patrick’s Day. Some of us were in green, and I did serve everyone green Jello.
Jason read first, a continuation of the story he read that ended with “God has left the building.” This section was called “Desire” and was a heated exchange between Damianos and the siren, Ligeia, about the killing of the pedophile priest. He wants revenge against the angels who had masqueraded as spiritual superiors but had been traitors. Stay tuned for the next installment.
I had a book of novelists’ answers to questions about writing. One question pertained to making time to write. I read the response of one frustrated author/housewife/mother to point out to Jason that his life as author and stay-at-home-Dad was in keeping with other good company.
Ellie read an epic rhyming poem for preschoolers called “Flying On The Grass”. It is born of a child’s imagination when he wants to fly and he envisions all the adventures he would have but ends up deciding maybe watching the clouds while lying (or is that laying, Jim?) on the grass is a happier pursuit. We hope Ellie can find her way to having this published in a picture book for children.
Barinder had emailed us her piece “Fantasy” which is a really great story line in the fantasy genre about a love triangle between a healer, a magician, and a black witch. This is mostly a story outline that needs some work to develop it, but it has great potential.
Bob read more of his personal history during the years 1941 to 1943/44. Unfortunately we were running out of time and I stopped Bob after 6 ½ pages, single spaced. It’s not that easy to condense a whole life on just a few pages. We marked where Bob stopped reading and that’s where he can start next time.
Anne Berrie joined us for the first time in about a year. She said she handed in her thesis. We’ve missed her unique perspective during that time.
Jim didn’t read this time. He didn’t even bring his laptop. He said he felt naked without it. However, he did have some news. Six months after his latest granddaughter was born, his daughter and son-in-law are expecting again. That’s just about the best story for any author.
Margaret is settling in Quesnel and has lots of visits from her sons and their families. She and Marshall both think they made the right decision to move closer to family. But she is talking about a possible trip down here to the coast and said she would drop by for a visit. We’ll have to see if she can make it for a Meeting of The Rams.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hopefully spring will be well established by then. Am enjoying the extra daylight at night but having trouble arising if the sun isn’t up yet. I’ll feel better when the cherry trees and the daffodils bloom. Hope to see you all April 6th.
Lisa
Friday, March 4, 2011
THE REVIEW
AFTER THE WINDSTORM
After the windstorm on Wednesday, five of us gathered here to honour The Muse.
Jim read his short story titled “Men’s Room Memorial” about the antics of the coffee shop employee trying to close and finding a dead man on the toilet. The owners arrive and the comedy continues. And then the family wants a memorial for the deceased, to be set up in the men’s room. Very funny. We spent some time critiquing the story and suggesting Jim change where it starts and that he write it from Anna’s point of view, the employee. He thought that might work better, too.
Ellie read a poem that had been inspired by the death of her uncle. It raises all the questions that accompany death as to where the soul goes and what happens next. The death of a loved one does that to us, makes us stop to question the verities of life.
Bob had a revised version of his personal history that he is writing for his family. He read over 6000 words, but the version ha gave me to follow along with only had 5653 words. Hilarious. Bob would be reading along and I’d be frantically looking for the right paragraph to follow along with, but couldn’t find it because it wasn’t there. We still had a good history lesson as Bob started with what he remembered beginning in 1936, around the time his Mother died when he was just 3 years old.
Jason and I didn’t read. But maybe we will start first next time. Barinder wasn’t able to attend and I later learned she wasn’t well. Anne Berrie had promised to attend and pick up some books Margaret left for her, but since her thesis still wasn’t finished she didn’t make it either. Hope to see them both next time.
I guess Margaret is busy getting settled in Quesnel. No news from her yet. I will let you know if I hear from her.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Since that is the day before St. Patrick’s Day, feel free to dress in green and kiss the Blarney Stone before you tell your tales. See you then.
Lisa
.
After the windstorm on Wednesday, five of us gathered here to honour The Muse.
Jim read his short story titled “Men’s Room Memorial” about the antics of the coffee shop employee trying to close and finding a dead man on the toilet. The owners arrive and the comedy continues. And then the family wants a memorial for the deceased, to be set up in the men’s room. Very funny. We spent some time critiquing the story and suggesting Jim change where it starts and that he write it from Anna’s point of view, the employee. He thought that might work better, too.
Ellie read a poem that had been inspired by the death of her uncle. It raises all the questions that accompany death as to where the soul goes and what happens next. The death of a loved one does that to us, makes us stop to question the verities of life.
Bob had a revised version of his personal history that he is writing for his family. He read over 6000 words, but the version ha gave me to follow along with only had 5653 words. Hilarious. Bob would be reading along and I’d be frantically looking for the right paragraph to follow along with, but couldn’t find it because it wasn’t there. We still had a good history lesson as Bob started with what he remembered beginning in 1936, around the time his Mother died when he was just 3 years old.
Jason and I didn’t read. But maybe we will start first next time. Barinder wasn’t able to attend and I later learned she wasn’t well. Anne Berrie had promised to attend and pick up some books Margaret left for her, but since her thesis still wasn’t finished she didn’t make it either. Hope to see them both next time.
I guess Margaret is busy getting settled in Quesnel. No news from her yet. I will let you know if I hear from her.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Since that is the day before St. Patrick’s Day, feel free to dress in green and kiss the Blarney Stone before you tell your tales. See you then.
Lisa
.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
THE REVIEW
FOND FAREWELL
Wednesday was our last chance to say farewell to Margaret. She has been an inspiration to us all, and her unfailing enthusiasm and cheerfulness have been a real blessing to us. We shall miss her dearly, but hope when she gets settled in Quesnel that we can still keep in touch over the internet. We wish her all the best in her new adventure and we are glad she will be closer to more family members.
Jim asked for some serious critiquing of his story “Kelsey” and had forwarded it to all of us ahead of time. So we brought our print-outs and spent some time re-working every page with him. Jason had done quite extensive editing and cutting and his work on Jim’s story made it much tighter and stronger. It was a good collective project and a lot was accomplished with the story.
A new member, Barinder Singh, joined us for the first time. She’s from North Delta and it’s amazing she would drive that far to be part of our group. She has written a lot of poetry, but is now drawn toward writing fantasy and wants to write a novel. She shared with us what she thinks could be the beginning of one about a young boy and girl in this world who get acquainted in the dream world and then find each other in the real world. The boy has a ‘golden heart’, which Barinder says will become the center of her story. She had titled the piece “The Bedtime Story” but it was suggested she call it “The Shutter”, as the boy often shuts himself off from others so they couldn’t see his golden heart. We look forward to hearing more about this story.
Margaret read her next chapter in “Coffin And Dye” where we see Coffin and his new female friend, Tootsie, at the Lark’s farm. They find the skull which was probably from a knight at the time of William I in 1066. The Larks say they have never seen any ghosts so Coffin then tells everyone he can see ghosts in the neighbours’ fields. Tootsie realizes he has lied to her about investigating a murder. Just then her dog picks up the skull and takes off with it.
We really hope Margaret will email us subsequent chapters for us to enjoy.
Ellie read a story she has started that she hopes to develop into a children’s book. It starts out in poetic form with fairies painting a forest scene. The next chapter is prose and starts portraying problems of environmental issues. It will be interesting to see where this story goes.
Bob and Jason and I didn’t read, but we all enjoyed being together and listening to all the other marvelous writing that is happening. Margaret left two books here for Anne Berrie who promises to attend the next meeting. I told her she could always read her thesis to us.
In a letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun on Thursday, Nathaniel Poole, a member now living in Victoria, had written about people in Canada sending money home to family members in other countries being fleeced by banking transfer fees. Something to think about, for sure.
In yesterday’s Langley Advance, I have a letter to the editor about rules of our Medical Services Plan being detrimental to both patients and our provincial budget. That is a system I take exception to.
It is absolutely wonderful we have the freedom to write and publicize our beefs with government and know we won’t be imprisoned or tortured, or have to demonstrate for days or weeks or years against a dictatorship just to have that right. Let us all be grateful.
Nest Meeting will be Wednesday, March 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. You and your Muse are both invited. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Wednesday was our last chance to say farewell to Margaret. She has been an inspiration to us all, and her unfailing enthusiasm and cheerfulness have been a real blessing to us. We shall miss her dearly, but hope when she gets settled in Quesnel that we can still keep in touch over the internet. We wish her all the best in her new adventure and we are glad she will be closer to more family members.
Jim asked for some serious critiquing of his story “Kelsey” and had forwarded it to all of us ahead of time. So we brought our print-outs and spent some time re-working every page with him. Jason had done quite extensive editing and cutting and his work on Jim’s story made it much tighter and stronger. It was a good collective project and a lot was accomplished with the story.
A new member, Barinder Singh, joined us for the first time. She’s from North Delta and it’s amazing she would drive that far to be part of our group. She has written a lot of poetry, but is now drawn toward writing fantasy and wants to write a novel. She shared with us what she thinks could be the beginning of one about a young boy and girl in this world who get acquainted in the dream world and then find each other in the real world. The boy has a ‘golden heart’, which Barinder says will become the center of her story. She had titled the piece “The Bedtime Story” but it was suggested she call it “The Shutter”, as the boy often shuts himself off from others so they couldn’t see his golden heart. We look forward to hearing more about this story.
Margaret read her next chapter in “Coffin And Dye” where we see Coffin and his new female friend, Tootsie, at the Lark’s farm. They find the skull which was probably from a knight at the time of William I in 1066. The Larks say they have never seen any ghosts so Coffin then tells everyone he can see ghosts in the neighbours’ fields. Tootsie realizes he has lied to her about investigating a murder. Just then her dog picks up the skull and takes off with it.
We really hope Margaret will email us subsequent chapters for us to enjoy.
Ellie read a story she has started that she hopes to develop into a children’s book. It starts out in poetic form with fairies painting a forest scene. The next chapter is prose and starts portraying problems of environmental issues. It will be interesting to see where this story goes.
Bob and Jason and I didn’t read, but we all enjoyed being together and listening to all the other marvelous writing that is happening. Margaret left two books here for Anne Berrie who promises to attend the next meeting. I told her she could always read her thesis to us.
In a letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun on Thursday, Nathaniel Poole, a member now living in Victoria, had written about people in Canada sending money home to family members in other countries being fleeced by banking transfer fees. Something to think about, for sure.
In yesterday’s Langley Advance, I have a letter to the editor about rules of our Medical Services Plan being detrimental to both patients and our provincial budget. That is a system I take exception to.
It is absolutely wonderful we have the freedom to write and publicize our beefs with government and know we won’t be imprisoned or tortured, or have to demonstrate for days or weeks or years against a dictatorship just to have that right. Let us all be grateful.
Nest Meeting will be Wednesday, March 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. You and your Muse are both invited. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Sunday, February 6, 2011
THE REVIEW
NORTH TO QUESNEL
Margaret is moving to Quesnel at the end of February to be closer to more family members. If there’s a writers’ group up there, I’m sure they will be happy to invite her to join them.
On Wednesday, Margaret read first, another chapter in “Coffin and Dye”. Coffin is getting ready to go to Sparrows Bridge on his bike when he’s offered a ride instead with a neighbour’s daughter, Tootsie, and her dog Arthur. When she asks him why he’s going to Sparrows Bridge, he lies and tells her he’s a private detective trying to solve a murder at Lark’s farm.
Bob joined us again and it was good to see him. He brought a piece of writing about ‘Jacoby Bros., Manufacuring Jewellers’ that was in the B.C. History magazine, written by Ronald Greene, current president of the B.C. Historical Federation. The article focused on the souvenir coins they used to make that were considered counterfeit by the American government and caused problems through the years. Bob wrote a letter to the editor adding information about the problems that were caused by these ‘coins’.
Jason brought a short story he had written called “Alone”. It shows a pastor who is remorseful about abusing young boys when he is confronted by a sexy female figure. He chastises her for trying to seduce him in “God’s” house. She sprouts black leathery wings and he realizes she’s an incarnation of the devil. As she strangles him, she tells him that God has left the building. The story was well written and portrays justice being meted out to one who deserves it. So tell me, was the female figure really the devil then?
I had been working on my novel, making a few changes to improve readability and flow of words. I was also trying to rename it from “Fire” to something else. I Googled all the titles I was interested in, and almost all of them had been previously used. The one I ended up with was “Latent Peril”, which I thought intimated a mystery. But everyone at the meeting was against my changing the title. Their reasoning was that “Fire” was just one word, easy to remember, and more likely to be recommended by word of mouth. So there you go. I won’t change the title. It sure saves me a lot of re-printing.
And speaking of printing, I recently inherited a used laser printer/copier/fax/scanner. I only had to buy a toner cartridge for it, which is more expensive than an ink cartridge, but is good for 2500 pages at least. So now I have an easy way to print my own manuscripts quickly. I have two printers hooked up to my computer now. The other one is ink jet and does all the same functions, just slower, and will do colour too. When did writing get to be so complicated?
Had an email from Amanda, whom we haven’t seen for several years. Her son is now 20 months old, and they are expecting another child late May, early June. She is still writing kids’ books, and also started her own business teaching baby sign language called Sticky Hands. Hope we get to see Amanda again some time.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 16th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. It will be our last chance to see Margaret before she leaves. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Margaret is moving to Quesnel at the end of February to be closer to more family members. If there’s a writers’ group up there, I’m sure they will be happy to invite her to join them.
On Wednesday, Margaret read first, another chapter in “Coffin and Dye”. Coffin is getting ready to go to Sparrows Bridge on his bike when he’s offered a ride instead with a neighbour’s daughter, Tootsie, and her dog Arthur. When she asks him why he’s going to Sparrows Bridge, he lies and tells her he’s a private detective trying to solve a murder at Lark’s farm.
Bob joined us again and it was good to see him. He brought a piece of writing about ‘Jacoby Bros., Manufacuring Jewellers’ that was in the B.C. History magazine, written by Ronald Greene, current president of the B.C. Historical Federation. The article focused on the souvenir coins they used to make that were considered counterfeit by the American government and caused problems through the years. Bob wrote a letter to the editor adding information about the problems that were caused by these ‘coins’.
Jason brought a short story he had written called “Alone”. It shows a pastor who is remorseful about abusing young boys when he is confronted by a sexy female figure. He chastises her for trying to seduce him in “God’s” house. She sprouts black leathery wings and he realizes she’s an incarnation of the devil. As she strangles him, she tells him that God has left the building. The story was well written and portrays justice being meted out to one who deserves it. So tell me, was the female figure really the devil then?
I had been working on my novel, making a few changes to improve readability and flow of words. I was also trying to rename it from “Fire” to something else. I Googled all the titles I was interested in, and almost all of them had been previously used. The one I ended up with was “Latent Peril”, which I thought intimated a mystery. But everyone at the meeting was against my changing the title. Their reasoning was that “Fire” was just one word, easy to remember, and more likely to be recommended by word of mouth. So there you go. I won’t change the title. It sure saves me a lot of re-printing.
And speaking of printing, I recently inherited a used laser printer/copier/fax/scanner. I only had to buy a toner cartridge for it, which is more expensive than an ink cartridge, but is good for 2500 pages at least. So now I have an easy way to print my own manuscripts quickly. I have two printers hooked up to my computer now. The other one is ink jet and does all the same functions, just slower, and will do colour too. When did writing get to be so complicated?
Had an email from Amanda, whom we haven’t seen for several years. Her son is now 20 months old, and they are expecting another child late May, early June. She is still writing kids’ books, and also started her own business teaching baby sign language called Sticky Hands. Hope we get to see Amanda again some time.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 16th at 7:00 p.m. at my place. It will be our last chance to see Margaret before she leaves. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Sunday, January 23, 2011
THE REVIEW
KEEP READING
With such miserable and wet winter weather, it’s that time of year to just curl up with a good book and forget the rest of the world. But if you’re a writer, you just might have to write the book first.
On Wednesday, Ellie read us three poems. “Patterns In The Ice” was a poem about the snow scene in her back yard. And “Winter Pond” was another picture in words from the same yard. The third poem “The Best Word ‘Needed’” was about a grandfather going to help his young cowboy grandson build his own home. It was written with a country flavour and spoke of both the older and the younger men needing each other.
Ellie will be doing a public reading today, Sunday, January 23rd, at the Small Ritual Coffee Society (a coffee shop) in White Rock. Jim said he might try to be there to hear her.
Margaret has had advance copies of her book ordered from Georgia, Holland and Scotland. Nice that we have an international author in the group! She also related a personal story of finding the wing of a fly in her marmalade. When she phoned to complain about it, the Asian voice on the other end said he would send her some coupons, but then was adamant that he couldn’t find thirty-second avenue, he could only find three two avenue. Margaret told him to send them to three two avenue and she would receive them.
The next chapter in “Coffin And Dye” that Margaret read, was “Coffin Moves Again”. Dye wants Coffin to do another job for Mr. and Mrs. Lark at Sparrows Bridge, where human skeleton pieces had been found. Dye wants him to go and look at the bones. Coffin doesn’t want to. Dye tells him to ride his bike, it would only take an hour to get there, and to dress warm.
Jim read Chapter 15 from “Coventry Ghosts”. In this chapter, Sara the kitten ghost is told to follow John, husband of the coffee shop owner, to the casino and keep him out of trouble. So she follows him, but once there she is fascinated by the slot machines and manages to get inside one where she uses her powers to line up similar images, thinking it’s a great game, especially when the humans playing it get so excited at their winnings.
Also had Jim read a short story from the series he’s doing for the coffee shop writing contest. This story was an amusing account of what happened when a patron died on the toilet in the washroom. We told him to call it “Men’s Room Memorial”.
Ellie read my novel and had some good suggestions for minor changes in wordage that would add strength to the story. She also suggested “Ignited” as a title. But then we were all discussing topics and Jim said men like to play with fire, telling us how his Dad sets a fire in his fireplace for lighting in the morning. And right then I grabbed the phrase “Playing With Fire” to use as a title.
I read two pieces that were written on the topic of watching a parade of veterans. The first piece was fictional about a woman going to the vets’ parade every November 11th in honour of her son who had died in Afghanistan. After writing it I felt it could have been a little cliched, so I wrote another piece which I called “The Making Of A Soldier”, which was non-fiction, relating things my son told me through the years to illustrate how he changed and grew away from home through his life in the army, and yet was still a responsible person achieving his goals.
Jason wasn’t able to attend last Wednesday, either, due to family responsibilities. He said he has some writing he wants to share with us, so hopefully he’ll make the next meeting.
And our next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. As Valentine’s Day is approaching, feel free to bring any writing you have on that topic that you’d like to share with us. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
With such miserable and wet winter weather, it’s that time of year to just curl up with a good book and forget the rest of the world. But if you’re a writer, you just might have to write the book first.
On Wednesday, Ellie read us three poems. “Patterns In The Ice” was a poem about the snow scene in her back yard. And “Winter Pond” was another picture in words from the same yard. The third poem “The Best Word ‘Needed’” was about a grandfather going to help his young cowboy grandson build his own home. It was written with a country flavour and spoke of both the older and the younger men needing each other.
Ellie will be doing a public reading today, Sunday, January 23rd, at the Small Ritual Coffee Society (a coffee shop) in White Rock. Jim said he might try to be there to hear her.
Margaret has had advance copies of her book ordered from Georgia, Holland and Scotland. Nice that we have an international author in the group! She also related a personal story of finding the wing of a fly in her marmalade. When she phoned to complain about it, the Asian voice on the other end said he would send her some coupons, but then was adamant that he couldn’t find thirty-second avenue, he could only find three two avenue. Margaret told him to send them to three two avenue and she would receive them.
The next chapter in “Coffin And Dye” that Margaret read, was “Coffin Moves Again”. Dye wants Coffin to do another job for Mr. and Mrs. Lark at Sparrows Bridge, where human skeleton pieces had been found. Dye wants him to go and look at the bones. Coffin doesn’t want to. Dye tells him to ride his bike, it would only take an hour to get there, and to dress warm.
Jim read Chapter 15 from “Coventry Ghosts”. In this chapter, Sara the kitten ghost is told to follow John, husband of the coffee shop owner, to the casino and keep him out of trouble. So she follows him, but once there she is fascinated by the slot machines and manages to get inside one where she uses her powers to line up similar images, thinking it’s a great game, especially when the humans playing it get so excited at their winnings.
Also had Jim read a short story from the series he’s doing for the coffee shop writing contest. This story was an amusing account of what happened when a patron died on the toilet in the washroom. We told him to call it “Men’s Room Memorial”.
Ellie read my novel and had some good suggestions for minor changes in wordage that would add strength to the story. She also suggested “Ignited” as a title. But then we were all discussing topics and Jim said men like to play with fire, telling us how his Dad sets a fire in his fireplace for lighting in the morning. And right then I grabbed the phrase “Playing With Fire” to use as a title.
I read two pieces that were written on the topic of watching a parade of veterans. The first piece was fictional about a woman going to the vets’ parade every November 11th in honour of her son who had died in Afghanistan. After writing it I felt it could have been a little cliched, so I wrote another piece which I called “The Making Of A Soldier”, which was non-fiction, relating things my son told me through the years to illustrate how he changed and grew away from home through his life in the army, and yet was still a responsible person achieving his goals.
Jason wasn’t able to attend last Wednesday, either, due to family responsibilities. He said he has some writing he wants to share with us, so hopefully he’ll make the next meeting.
And our next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. As Valentine’s Day is approaching, feel free to bring any writing you have on that topic that you’d like to share with us. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
Saturday, January 8, 2011
THE REVIEW
WINTER FORTITUDE
In spite of the inclement weather of Wednesday, four of us still met to honour The Muse.
Margaret read a letter by Danny Halmo that was in the Langley Times on December 31st, thanking the people of Langley for their generosity of spirit to those less fortunate this past Christmas season. It was a good reminder of how difficult the holiday can be for some people.
In further adventures of Coffin and Dye, Margaret read of a stranger sitting down across the table from Coffin at a pub and the stranger telling him about how hard it is to keep tenants when the apartment building he owns is haunted by ghosts. Coffin tells him to just paint the premises and advertise the building as newly renovated. Dye receives a call from Mr. Creeps to tell him not to bother coming to exterminate ghosts, as he’s going to renovate the building. And Coffin is told by his landlord’s nephew that he has to vacate temporarily as his suite is being renovated.
In December I was invited by CBC to enter a flash fiction contest they were running, where the entry was between 100 and 250 words and started with “The snowman grinned malevolently…” and ended with “…buried alive.” I wrote a piece and submitted it, but didn’t win. Without saying who wrote which piece, I read my entry and the winner and two runners up. Margaret picked mine as the best, although the winning entry was also good. It’s nice to know I have a loyal audience.
Jim read Chapter 14 of “Coventry Ghosts” where we see the villain Jason return to his lab in Mexico with his laptop that has captured ghost essences. He’s hoping to resurrect his dead parents and keep them with him forever. This Chapter is setting up the character and his background so we understand what drives him.
Ellie read a piece recently written called “Walking A Winter Picture”. It is a very literary description of a recent walk in a snow-covered field and is a painting in words. You could feel yourself there, too, looking through her eyes.
I want to re-title my novel and was asking for suggestions. Ellie kindly offered to take it home with her and skim through it to see if anything suggested itself from the page. I did purchase the 2010 Canadian Writers’ Market and am planning on submitting to book publishers in Canada. After doing some research, I was quite surprised to find many of them saying they do not accept online queries or submissions, and a number of them even requested submission of full manuscripts in hard copy. Very interesting. That probably cuts down on the number of submissions they receive and have to deal with, n’est-ce pas? And of course that would definitely restrict the number of American writers submitting north of the 49th.
Jason emailed that he wasn’t able to attend the Meeting due to not feeling well.
Bob called to inform me he would not be attending meetings, for awhile anyhow, maybe permanently. He said he had lost interest in writing. I was so sorry to hear that and his presence will be sadly missed.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 19th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Sweep the winter blues out of your house and away from your Muse. Think of spring and renewal and write with your longing for life. And then come and read your words on the 19th. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
In spite of the inclement weather of Wednesday, four of us still met to honour The Muse.
Margaret read a letter by Danny Halmo that was in the Langley Times on December 31st, thanking the people of Langley for their generosity of spirit to those less fortunate this past Christmas season. It was a good reminder of how difficult the holiday can be for some people.
In further adventures of Coffin and Dye, Margaret read of a stranger sitting down across the table from Coffin at a pub and the stranger telling him about how hard it is to keep tenants when the apartment building he owns is haunted by ghosts. Coffin tells him to just paint the premises and advertise the building as newly renovated. Dye receives a call from Mr. Creeps to tell him not to bother coming to exterminate ghosts, as he’s going to renovate the building. And Coffin is told by his landlord’s nephew that he has to vacate temporarily as his suite is being renovated.
In December I was invited by CBC to enter a flash fiction contest they were running, where the entry was between 100 and 250 words and started with “The snowman grinned malevolently…” and ended with “…buried alive.” I wrote a piece and submitted it, but didn’t win. Without saying who wrote which piece, I read my entry and the winner and two runners up. Margaret picked mine as the best, although the winning entry was also good. It’s nice to know I have a loyal audience.
Jim read Chapter 14 of “Coventry Ghosts” where we see the villain Jason return to his lab in Mexico with his laptop that has captured ghost essences. He’s hoping to resurrect his dead parents and keep them with him forever. This Chapter is setting up the character and his background so we understand what drives him.
Ellie read a piece recently written called “Walking A Winter Picture”. It is a very literary description of a recent walk in a snow-covered field and is a painting in words. You could feel yourself there, too, looking through her eyes.
I want to re-title my novel and was asking for suggestions. Ellie kindly offered to take it home with her and skim through it to see if anything suggested itself from the page. I did purchase the 2010 Canadian Writers’ Market and am planning on submitting to book publishers in Canada. After doing some research, I was quite surprised to find many of them saying they do not accept online queries or submissions, and a number of them even requested submission of full manuscripts in hard copy. Very interesting. That probably cuts down on the number of submissions they receive and have to deal with, n’est-ce pas? And of course that would definitely restrict the number of American writers submitting north of the 49th.
Jason emailed that he wasn’t able to attend the Meeting due to not feeling well.
Bob called to inform me he would not be attending meetings, for awhile anyhow, maybe permanently. He said he had lost interest in writing. I was so sorry to hear that and his presence will be sadly missed.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 19th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Sweep the winter blues out of your house and away from your Muse. Think of spring and renewal and write with your longing for life. And then come and read your words on the 19th. Hope to see you then.
Lisa
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