YEAR END
Charity, Luke, Kay, Annette and guest Roger Eberle joined me here Wednesday for the last Meeting of this year. I even managed to make sure my Christmas decorations were up.
I started the Meeting by going over some news items. I proudly passed around the latest Polar Expressions anthology I received with my story “Parade Of Sorrow” inside it. Then I asked the group if they would like to have past member Jim Williams come and read to us from his newly published book in his Coventry Ghost series. The group was agreeable and Charity has even offered to read his book and write a review for it if he desires one. I also asked if the group wanted to have us visited by an authors’ services representative who specializes in editing and things like ebook conversions. To that offer the group was negative as no one felt the need to purchase such services.
Charity read the next scene from “Trixie Trouble” which shows her waking up in a muddy creek in excruciating pain from her leg injury. She encounters an old scrounger who offers her a shot of whiskey to keep her going and he tells her she needs to re-think her choices in life as she isn’t doing very well. Thankful for the whiskey, she gives him a gold coin and tells him to buy himself some shoes. She longs to belong somewhere when she gets her first sight of town.
Luke read more from “Heart Of The Earth”. Goren offers to let the girl he has saved but who lost her temper and broke his nose, accompany him to town. She has no shoes and very little clothing. When she asks, he tells her Galeena was his cousin and he regrets he was unable to save her. The girl admits she remembers nothing, not even her name, and then asks if she can use the name Galeena.
Kay said she is working on her script with a partner and will soon want a second writer to go over it. She says she is also working on planning pre-production so that everything will be in place when shooting starts, as that’s when the minutes are money and everything has to happen in a tight schedule.
Annette read her next chapter “Searching For Claire”. Maxine is looking for Claire and spots her praying with a group of people and learns they were praying for Jarod. They were also praying for a man in their church who has gone missing. Maxine asks Claire how she can possibly be there for Jarod when she no longer even cares for him. And then she opens up and confides everything to Claire about her broken relationship with Jarod.
I read a new “Honey” story I’ve called “Keep Writing”. It’s about Honey breaking through my writers’ block when he lost $60.00 in rolled coins before he even left for the bank to trade them for bills. I don’t know if I will write enough new stories for a second book, but I did have to write this story down. Wendy Francis is currently proof reading “Honey Signed The Waiver” for me, and I’m very thankful she’s doing this.
Roger read to us a non-fiction article “If In The Living Years We Find An Eternal Flame Would It Be Like A Prayer?” It was a discourse on music and lyrics wondering if the two combined result in some sort of spiritual experience. It also brought up the sad recognition that we don’t often talk to loved ones when they are still here with us.
Lorelei had planned to attend, but then decided to stay home with her germs, she said. Hope she’s feeling better.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 3rd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2018!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Friday, November 17, 2017
THE REVIEW
WORK IN PROGRESS
The last meeting of the Rams saw six dedicated writers come together to share what they are working on. Luke, Annette, Charity, Margaret F. and Carolynn all joined me Wednesday to prove we are all still writing!
Margaret wrote an article on “Babes In The Wood” that she wants to submit for newspaper publication in January, which is the anniversary of when the bodies were found in Stanley Park. She called the article “A Closer Look At The File”, and it starts with the haunting questions of why the children were never identified and why the case was never solved. We had some discussion on word length for newspaper articles and ways to edit. We all hope the article will see print as those murdered children deserve to be remembered.
Luke read the next scene from his “Heart Of The Earth” where Goren has pulled the girl out of the water. When she comes to, she has no memory of who she is or what happened to her. Their interaction is rancorous and he goes to leave, but then she forlornly asks him to show her the way to the nearest town. Goren’s protective spirit is being tested.
Charity read from “Trixie Trouble” where she is standing before Marley with his gun pointed at her. He wants her tried for his son’s murder, and the Preacher wants her trial to be a precedent for law and order. He reveals a badge he wears as a Texas Ranger. Marley shoots at her, but she escapes by jumping down from the crumbling ridge. The poor heroine is disaster incorporated and no one is helping her.
Annette said she wouldn’t be reading. Her life has been busy with personal matters. Maybe she is collecting more fodder for her novel about Maxine?
Carolynn said she had writers’ block. She had started on a Young Adult fantasy novel that included the power of magic contained in books as a commodity that people want to control. She wasn’t sure yet exactly where the plot was going. Charity suggested using an outline. And I suggested using a “snake in a drawer”, something totally unexpected to move the action along. We are all looking forward to hearing what happens.
I had finished with my most recent edit of “Honey Signed The Waiver” and said that Wendy Francis, another Ram unable to attend Meetings anymore, had agreed to proof read the manuscript for me. Many thanks to Wendy. I also read the cover letter I am working on for when I submit to a publisher. My cover letter included a comprehensive writer’s bio and credits. Charity said I should mention also that the stories are heartwarming and I will do that.
The next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. This will be our last Meeting before Christmas so may The Muse inspire you now!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
The last meeting of the Rams saw six dedicated writers come together to share what they are working on. Luke, Annette, Charity, Margaret F. and Carolynn all joined me Wednesday to prove we are all still writing!
Margaret wrote an article on “Babes In The Wood” that she wants to submit for newspaper publication in January, which is the anniversary of when the bodies were found in Stanley Park. She called the article “A Closer Look At The File”, and it starts with the haunting questions of why the children were never identified and why the case was never solved. We had some discussion on word length for newspaper articles and ways to edit. We all hope the article will see print as those murdered children deserve to be remembered.
Luke read the next scene from his “Heart Of The Earth” where Goren has pulled the girl out of the water. When she comes to, she has no memory of who she is or what happened to her. Their interaction is rancorous and he goes to leave, but then she forlornly asks him to show her the way to the nearest town. Goren’s protective spirit is being tested.
Charity read from “Trixie Trouble” where she is standing before Marley with his gun pointed at her. He wants her tried for his son’s murder, and the Preacher wants her trial to be a precedent for law and order. He reveals a badge he wears as a Texas Ranger. Marley shoots at her, but she escapes by jumping down from the crumbling ridge. The poor heroine is disaster incorporated and no one is helping her.
Annette said she wouldn’t be reading. Her life has been busy with personal matters. Maybe she is collecting more fodder for her novel about Maxine?
Carolynn said she had writers’ block. She had started on a Young Adult fantasy novel that included the power of magic contained in books as a commodity that people want to control. She wasn’t sure yet exactly where the plot was going. Charity suggested using an outline. And I suggested using a “snake in a drawer”, something totally unexpected to move the action along. We are all looking forward to hearing what happens.
I had finished with my most recent edit of “Honey Signed The Waiver” and said that Wendy Francis, another Ram unable to attend Meetings anymore, had agreed to proof read the manuscript for me. Many thanks to Wendy. I also read the cover letter I am working on for when I submit to a publisher. My cover letter included a comprehensive writer’s bio and credits. Charity said I should mention also that the stories are heartwarming and I will do that.
The next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. This will be our last Meeting before Christmas so may The Muse inspire you now!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, November 2, 2017
THE REVIEW
TRICK OR TREATERS
Luke, Charity and Annette joined me here last night and since I’d only had four Halloween trick or treaters the night before, there was lots of leftover candy out on the table to feed The Muse.
To start, I asked Luke and Charity how they made out at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Luke said in a casual discussion before supper on the Friday night, he was invited by Donald Maas to submit his manuscript for “The Heart Of The Earth”. That happened unexpectedly and Luke was so pleased.
Charity went to the Conference as a volunteer and did a lot of networking with possible mentors. She learned she should be treating her writing as a business and should set a realistic timeline. She analyzed her present time commitments and realized she spends about five hours a week writing. When her youngest starts kindergarten next year, she hopes to double the amount of time she can devote to writing.
Luke chimed in that he makes sure he writes a bare minimum of 200 words per day, even if it’s not until he climbs into bed at night, just before he goes to sleep. This all reminds me that I need to make a plan to devote time to writing as well. If I’m working on something new and have a deadline, I can usually produce what I want. My problem is going back and re-writing something, or prepping a manuscript for submission, or doing cover letters or synopses. I find those to be such tedious tasks and tend to avoid them. What do you do to keep yourself focused and on track?
Luke read first, and we see Goren at the raging river as a body stuck in a tangle of branches floats towards him. He tries pulling the unconscious woman out but she’s too entangled. He is pulled underwater and is close to drowning, but grabs onto her hand and they’re carried downstream. They go over the waterfall and eventually reach the bank. Lots of tension and excitement in this scene.
Charity read more about Trixie. She huddles by the fire in the ruined cabin and then lances the wound on her leg. She dresses and collects her gold coins and then fires three shots with her father’s gun to bring the Preacher to her. She needs his help to get out of the canyon, even though she knows he wants to turn her over to the posse. He helps her climb out of the canyon and then looking for shelter she heads to a cave she sees has a campfire inside. As she enters, Fat Marley points a gun at her. She just seems to go from one bad situation to the next.
Annette read the next chapter about Maxine and Jarod. She’s back at the ICU, watching him sleep and talking to him about their deteriorating relationship. She remembers all the times he pushed her away when she wanted a kiss or a hug and wonders why he didn’t want her. When she smells the lunch trays she gets hungry and heads to the cafeteria where she thinks she’ll use Claire’s tips for getting the best food there. Each chapter expands on Max’s reasons for wanting to leave Jarod, and her frustration that she feels she has to stay to look after him.
I read an older, true story entitled “Forgotten Details”, about the effects of using visualization to produce desired events and solutions to problems. Unfortunately, when two people visualized results for the same problem, they weren’t looking at the same picture and one family fell apart with heart wrenching results.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. In the meantime, wear a Poppy and remember our veterans how very lucky the rest of us really are.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Luke, Charity and Annette joined me here last night and since I’d only had four Halloween trick or treaters the night before, there was lots of leftover candy out on the table to feed The Muse.
To start, I asked Luke and Charity how they made out at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Luke said in a casual discussion before supper on the Friday night, he was invited by Donald Maas to submit his manuscript for “The Heart Of The Earth”. That happened unexpectedly and Luke was so pleased.
Charity went to the Conference as a volunteer and did a lot of networking with possible mentors. She learned she should be treating her writing as a business and should set a realistic timeline. She analyzed her present time commitments and realized she spends about five hours a week writing. When her youngest starts kindergarten next year, she hopes to double the amount of time she can devote to writing.
Luke chimed in that he makes sure he writes a bare minimum of 200 words per day, even if it’s not until he climbs into bed at night, just before he goes to sleep. This all reminds me that I need to make a plan to devote time to writing as well. If I’m working on something new and have a deadline, I can usually produce what I want. My problem is going back and re-writing something, or prepping a manuscript for submission, or doing cover letters or synopses. I find those to be such tedious tasks and tend to avoid them. What do you do to keep yourself focused and on track?
Luke read first, and we see Goren at the raging river as a body stuck in a tangle of branches floats towards him. He tries pulling the unconscious woman out but she’s too entangled. He is pulled underwater and is close to drowning, but grabs onto her hand and they’re carried downstream. They go over the waterfall and eventually reach the bank. Lots of tension and excitement in this scene.
Charity read more about Trixie. She huddles by the fire in the ruined cabin and then lances the wound on her leg. She dresses and collects her gold coins and then fires three shots with her father’s gun to bring the Preacher to her. She needs his help to get out of the canyon, even though she knows he wants to turn her over to the posse. He helps her climb out of the canyon and then looking for shelter she heads to a cave she sees has a campfire inside. As she enters, Fat Marley points a gun at her. She just seems to go from one bad situation to the next.
Annette read the next chapter about Maxine and Jarod. She’s back at the ICU, watching him sleep and talking to him about their deteriorating relationship. She remembers all the times he pushed her away when she wanted a kiss or a hug and wonders why he didn’t want her. When she smells the lunch trays she gets hungry and heads to the cafeteria where she thinks she’ll use Claire’s tips for getting the best food there. Each chapter expands on Max’s reasons for wanting to leave Jarod, and her frustration that she feels she has to stay to look after him.
I read an older, true story entitled “Forgotten Details”, about the effects of using visualization to produce desired events and solutions to problems. Unfortunately, when two people visualized results for the same problem, they weren’t looking at the same picture and one family fell apart with heart wrenching results.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. In the meantime, wear a Poppy and remember our veterans how very lucky the rest of us really are.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, October 19, 2017
THE REVIEW
RAINY DAY WRITERS
In spite of the deluge of rain over the past few days, there were six of us here last night in honour of The Muse. Kay brought Marie Hooper and Monique to join Annette, Luke and myself.
Annette read first, Chapter 7 of her novel. After being told to leave the hospital and go home and rest, Maxine spends time cleaning up the mess Jarod had left in the apartment and feeling desolate. She can’t understand why there were dirty dishes in the kitchen but didn’t dwell on it. To assert her right to her own space, she puts her own grad picture up and moves Jarod’s pictures out of the way. In this chapter, Max was remembering how Jarod had pushed her friends away and belittled Maxine. I suggested the chapter would be stronger if some of those memories included the actual words he said to her, rather than just a generalized reference. Otherwise, we are getting a picture of how she may have been abused verbally and mentally and how depressed she is feeling.
Kay gave us some information about her scriptwriting of “Porcelain”. She’s been working on character development and said she had to change the background of her heroine from Asian to Irish to make her more believable in the movie industry. Apparently young Asian women are not considered to be independent, motivated, and innovative enough for the adventures of this character. Kay also said the characters have to be relatable to an international audience as well, citing European countries. I thought it sad that not all women can be considered equal heroine material just because of their ethnic background. Fortunately, though, novel writing doesn’t have that same stricture.
Luke told us he is attending the Surrey International Writers’ Conference this weekend and will be pitching his novel “The Heart Of The Earth” to an agent. He read the pitch to us, about Goren and his part of the world that had been separated from the rest, and people trying to kill him and people trying to save him and his needing to know why all this is happening. It was a strong pitch and we hope he does well convincing the agent to ask to see the novel.
Monique said she is interested mainly in writing songs, specifically the poetry for lyrics. She was just observing and taking notes last night.
Marie said her background includes both Native and Scottish and she is deeply interested in writing a book about the evolution of the Kwikwetlem First Nation and how things have progressed on their two reserves, one in Coquitlam and one in Port Coquitlam. She wants to include history (specifically about the status of native women and the residential schools and adoptions), personal stories, folklore, and the most recent developments that are now so hopeful for a better future. We hope to hear how she progresses with this.
I read a short story I recently wrote called “What Is This Place?” It’s about a retired sociologist being confused in how to define a local diner with Karaoke and a bar where all sorts of people fill the place up and sing and eat and drink and dance. Children are included. Customers clear tables or help themselves. Staff and cooks and the owner all get up to sing. Everybody knows everybody else. Of course, this was my lightly fictionalized account of what I’ve seen at a local restaurant in Langley City, which others last night recognized.
Charity was unable to attend last night but she is also going to the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. She will be a volunteer there.
As he was leaving last night, Luke mentioned that he was the only male writer with five female writers. I gave Luke some of my cards to distribute at the SIWC to other male writers he may meet. They include mention that I host The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group. So if any of you know other male writers who would like to come to meetings and give us a more gender balanced viewpoint, do invite them.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 1st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Happy writing and only eat a lot of Halloween candy if it makes the words flow!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
In spite of the deluge of rain over the past few days, there were six of us here last night in honour of The Muse. Kay brought Marie Hooper and Monique to join Annette, Luke and myself.
Annette read first, Chapter 7 of her novel. After being told to leave the hospital and go home and rest, Maxine spends time cleaning up the mess Jarod had left in the apartment and feeling desolate. She can’t understand why there were dirty dishes in the kitchen but didn’t dwell on it. To assert her right to her own space, she puts her own grad picture up and moves Jarod’s pictures out of the way. In this chapter, Max was remembering how Jarod had pushed her friends away and belittled Maxine. I suggested the chapter would be stronger if some of those memories included the actual words he said to her, rather than just a generalized reference. Otherwise, we are getting a picture of how she may have been abused verbally and mentally and how depressed she is feeling.
Kay gave us some information about her scriptwriting of “Porcelain”. She’s been working on character development and said she had to change the background of her heroine from Asian to Irish to make her more believable in the movie industry. Apparently young Asian women are not considered to be independent, motivated, and innovative enough for the adventures of this character. Kay also said the characters have to be relatable to an international audience as well, citing European countries. I thought it sad that not all women can be considered equal heroine material just because of their ethnic background. Fortunately, though, novel writing doesn’t have that same stricture.
Luke told us he is attending the Surrey International Writers’ Conference this weekend and will be pitching his novel “The Heart Of The Earth” to an agent. He read the pitch to us, about Goren and his part of the world that had been separated from the rest, and people trying to kill him and people trying to save him and his needing to know why all this is happening. It was a strong pitch and we hope he does well convincing the agent to ask to see the novel.
Monique said she is interested mainly in writing songs, specifically the poetry for lyrics. She was just observing and taking notes last night.
Marie said her background includes both Native and Scottish and she is deeply interested in writing a book about the evolution of the Kwikwetlem First Nation and how things have progressed on their two reserves, one in Coquitlam and one in Port Coquitlam. She wants to include history (specifically about the status of native women and the residential schools and adoptions), personal stories, folklore, and the most recent developments that are now so hopeful for a better future. We hope to hear how she progresses with this.
I read a short story I recently wrote called “What Is This Place?” It’s about a retired sociologist being confused in how to define a local diner with Karaoke and a bar where all sorts of people fill the place up and sing and eat and drink and dance. Children are included. Customers clear tables or help themselves. Staff and cooks and the owner all get up to sing. Everybody knows everybody else. Of course, this was my lightly fictionalized account of what I’ve seen at a local restaurant in Langley City, which others last night recognized.
Charity was unable to attend last night but she is also going to the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. She will be a volunteer there.
As he was leaving last night, Luke mentioned that he was the only male writer with five female writers. I gave Luke some of my cards to distribute at the SIWC to other male writers he may meet. They include mention that I host The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group. So if any of you know other male writers who would like to come to meetings and give us a more gender balanced viewpoint, do invite them.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 1st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Happy writing and only eat a lot of Halloween candy if it makes the words flow!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, October 6, 2017
THE REVIEW
FALL FOURSOME
Charity and Annette joined me Wednesday night in welcoming Carolynn Howard to her first Ram’s Meeting. We hope she enjoyed herself and will return.
I started by outlining the Lit Café I attended on Monday. Five authors were invited to read for 10 minutes each and I was one of them. The venue was a large yet comfortable and cozy room at the Lodge at Alexandra Neighbourhood House in Crescent Beach. The authors sat on a semi-circle of sofas at the front of the room with the audience on chairs in front of us. There were tea and coffee available, and tables to display our works and/or books for sale. I was the first to read and just as I was introduced a car alarm started to wail outside and I spent the first couple of minutes trying to project my reading voice above the competing volume from the car. Good practice for reading without a microphone, I guess. My reading did elicit laughter at all the right spots and a nice round of applause when I finished. After all the readings were completed there was a question and answer segment with the audience and then audience members who wanted to read were invited to do so. The whole experience was friendly and positive. The next Lit Café there will be in January and I have forwarded notice of same to all members.
Annette read Chapter 6 of her novel about Maxine and Jarod. He has come back from surgery and she sits with him and talks about their relationship, remembering the happy beginning and admitting some of her own failings. A policeman arrives and starts asking her questions about a motorcycle she didn’t know Jarod owned. She finds this confusing. Now the reader is wondering what this is all about, too.
Charity read more from “Trixie Trouble”. She is spending her time healing at her Pa’s hideout, but is running out of supplies. And her leg injury has become infected. Soaking in the pool, she finds more gold coins, but almost drowns in a whirlpool. Getting to shore, she watches as a landslide hits the roof of the cabin that she has just patched. The chapter ends with suspense, as we know she cannot stay there any longer.
Carolynn says she has tried writing in different forms and in different genres. She had recently entered the contest for the Surrey International Writers’ Conference and read that story to us. It is entitled “Who Are You?” and is about two individuals who met up online and are now meeting in person for a dinner date. They banter over dinner, have very little in common, but open up to considering other ways of looking at things. Carolynn incorporated some local landmarks in the story and I love all writing with an obvious Canadian setting. We wish her luck with the story.
Since I had finished reading all of “Honey Signed The Waiver”, I was looking for something else to read and pulled out a novel I had started a few years back. This one is “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” and is the one that Jason kept urging me to continue. On Wednesday, I read the Prologue and the first chapter. The story starts with a young single mother killing her disabled toddler in 1969, and then calling a male friend to stand by her and support her. Charity and Annette both said they are interested in the local history at that time and how it influenced events. I’ll have to spend some time looking at what I had previously written.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Charity and Annette joined me Wednesday night in welcoming Carolynn Howard to her first Ram’s Meeting. We hope she enjoyed herself and will return.
I started by outlining the Lit Café I attended on Monday. Five authors were invited to read for 10 minutes each and I was one of them. The venue was a large yet comfortable and cozy room at the Lodge at Alexandra Neighbourhood House in Crescent Beach. The authors sat on a semi-circle of sofas at the front of the room with the audience on chairs in front of us. There were tea and coffee available, and tables to display our works and/or books for sale. I was the first to read and just as I was introduced a car alarm started to wail outside and I spent the first couple of minutes trying to project my reading voice above the competing volume from the car. Good practice for reading without a microphone, I guess. My reading did elicit laughter at all the right spots and a nice round of applause when I finished. After all the readings were completed there was a question and answer segment with the audience and then audience members who wanted to read were invited to do so. The whole experience was friendly and positive. The next Lit Café there will be in January and I have forwarded notice of same to all members.
Annette read Chapter 6 of her novel about Maxine and Jarod. He has come back from surgery and she sits with him and talks about their relationship, remembering the happy beginning and admitting some of her own failings. A policeman arrives and starts asking her questions about a motorcycle she didn’t know Jarod owned. She finds this confusing. Now the reader is wondering what this is all about, too.
Charity read more from “Trixie Trouble”. She is spending her time healing at her Pa’s hideout, but is running out of supplies. And her leg injury has become infected. Soaking in the pool, she finds more gold coins, but almost drowns in a whirlpool. Getting to shore, she watches as a landslide hits the roof of the cabin that she has just patched. The chapter ends with suspense, as we know she cannot stay there any longer.
Carolynn says she has tried writing in different forms and in different genres. She had recently entered the contest for the Surrey International Writers’ Conference and read that story to us. It is entitled “Who Are You?” and is about two individuals who met up online and are now meeting in person for a dinner date. They banter over dinner, have very little in common, but open up to considering other ways of looking at things. Carolynn incorporated some local landmarks in the story and I love all writing with an obvious Canadian setting. We wish her luck with the story.
Since I had finished reading all of “Honey Signed The Waiver”, I was looking for something else to read and pulled out a novel I had started a few years back. This one is “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” and is the one that Jason kept urging me to continue. On Wednesday, I read the Prologue and the first chapter. The story starts with a young single mother killing her disabled toddler in 1969, and then calling a male friend to stand by her and support her. Charity and Annette both said they are interested in the local history at that time and how it influenced events. I’ll have to spend some time looking at what I had previously written.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, September 22, 2017
THE REVIEW
BACK ON SCHEDULE
Wednesday was the third Wednesday of the month, so our Meeting here was back on track. Kay, Annette and Guy joined me in tune with the calendar!
I told the group I needed help deciding which story to read at the Lit Café I’ll be participating in on October 2nd. I am supposed to fill a ten minute time slot with my reading, but only have one ‘Honey’ story that is that exact length. The others are shorter, and I don’t have any two or three that could add to that amount of time together. Besides, I don’t really want to read more than one story. So I read to the group my story “Mechanically Challenged”, about the serpentine belt on a van breaking when we were on our way to Green Lake. It was ten minutes. Later on I read “Don’t Rock The Boat”, about a barbecue catching fire on a houseboat near Kelowna. It was eight minutes long. The group thought it best to read the second story as it had more drama to it and just adding a few words here and there could make it a little longer. So my decision is made and I thank those present for helping me with this. By the way, I used the stopwatch on my cell phone to time my reading all my stories out loud. Honey wanted to know who I was talking to.
Kay is currently writing her spec script and explained to us how the storyline structure is strictly timed for screen presentation. It comes in three acts, and they encompass seven different points of progression. Act 1 starts with the set-up of the main character’s world, and then moves to the inciting incident (conflict). Act 2 brings out a new direction for the character, which leads to a point of no return, and then moves into a reversal of the character’s circumstances. Act 3 proceeds to the climax and then the resolution/denouement. I will never watch a movie or T.V. drama the same way again.
At last week’s Meeting of just Annette and me, we discussed that maybe her novel’s plot would benefit if she wrote a prologue to it in the boyfriend’s point of view. So Annette did that, and it immediately gave way more depth and intrigue to the storyline. Jarod is upset about his relationship with Maxine and works out his anger at the gym, going over everything that bothers him, before leaving on a two week holiday. Now the reader will be left wondering what happened to him, and if the relationship with Maxine is salvageable.
Guy read a short story, “December 16th” that is a rewrite of one he had first let me read before he started coming to our Meetings. In the new version, we see his character George at a pub, looking forward to seeing the waitress Ursula. But she avoids him and he is instead served by an unlikable waitress from the bar. This scene leaves the reader wondering what he has done to deserve such treatment. Guy said he made the change based on some writing tips I had forwarded to everyone. Good to know they are helpful!
Charity’s calendar wasn’t working the same as ours, so she had other commitments Wednesday. And we hope to see Crystal and Luke again soon. And I’ll bet Margaret F. is still on the Island. I heard from her several weeks back, and she is still writing and misses us, as we do her.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 4th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. Write on!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Wednesday was the third Wednesday of the month, so our Meeting here was back on track. Kay, Annette and Guy joined me in tune with the calendar!
I told the group I needed help deciding which story to read at the Lit Café I’ll be participating in on October 2nd. I am supposed to fill a ten minute time slot with my reading, but only have one ‘Honey’ story that is that exact length. The others are shorter, and I don’t have any two or three that could add to that amount of time together. Besides, I don’t really want to read more than one story. So I read to the group my story “Mechanically Challenged”, about the serpentine belt on a van breaking when we were on our way to Green Lake. It was ten minutes. Later on I read “Don’t Rock The Boat”, about a barbecue catching fire on a houseboat near Kelowna. It was eight minutes long. The group thought it best to read the second story as it had more drama to it and just adding a few words here and there could make it a little longer. So my decision is made and I thank those present for helping me with this. By the way, I used the stopwatch on my cell phone to time my reading all my stories out loud. Honey wanted to know who I was talking to.
Kay is currently writing her spec script and explained to us how the storyline structure is strictly timed for screen presentation. It comes in three acts, and they encompass seven different points of progression. Act 1 starts with the set-up of the main character’s world, and then moves to the inciting incident (conflict). Act 2 brings out a new direction for the character, which leads to a point of no return, and then moves into a reversal of the character’s circumstances. Act 3 proceeds to the climax and then the resolution/denouement. I will never watch a movie or T.V. drama the same way again.
At last week’s Meeting of just Annette and me, we discussed that maybe her novel’s plot would benefit if she wrote a prologue to it in the boyfriend’s point of view. So Annette did that, and it immediately gave way more depth and intrigue to the storyline. Jarod is upset about his relationship with Maxine and works out his anger at the gym, going over everything that bothers him, before leaving on a two week holiday. Now the reader will be left wondering what happened to him, and if the relationship with Maxine is salvageable.
Guy read a short story, “December 16th” that is a rewrite of one he had first let me read before he started coming to our Meetings. In the new version, we see his character George at a pub, looking forward to seeing the waitress Ursula. But she avoids him and he is instead served by an unlikable waitress from the bar. This scene leaves the reader wondering what he has done to deserve such treatment. Guy said he made the change based on some writing tips I had forwarded to everyone. Good to know they are helpful!
Charity’s calendar wasn’t working the same as ours, so she had other commitments Wednesday. And we hope to see Crystal and Luke again soon. And I’ll bet Margaret F. is still on the Island. I heard from her several weeks back, and she is still writing and misses us, as we do her.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 4th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. Write on!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, September 14, 2017
THE REVIEW
TEA FOR TWO
Annette and I were the only Rams in attendance last night so we held our Meeting in the kitchen over a pot of tea and a serving or two of irrelevant conversation and maybe a tidbit of gossip.
To keep us on the writing topic, Annette read from her story about Maxine and Jarod. Max returns to Jarod’s hospital room and finds he’s had a setback and is being rushed to surgery. She faints and spends some time in the ER, and then when she recovers, wanders the halls till she finds a chapel, where Claire is already seated. Claire tells her to come and meet her husband, who is dying. Max realizes that even though she wants her freedom from her relationship to Jarod, she doesn’t want him to die for her to achieve that. This chapter had me wanting to know why, exactly, Max feels her relationship with Jarod is so unbearable.
I read a 150 word author’s bio I was required to submit, along with my picture, to the Lit Café where I have been invited to read. Out of thirteen who applied, I was one of the five chosen to participate. The event takes place October 2nd, at Alexandria House in Crescent Beach, at 7:00 p.m. The theme is Love/Romance/Relationships, so I will be reading one or more of my stories from “Honey Signed The Waiver”. Each author is asked to read for 10 minutes. Then there will be a panel discussion with participation from the floor. Lastly, there will be an open mic for other authors who would like to read. You are all invited to attend. I have been assured there is ample parking there both on site and on the street. When I told Honey he had to drive me, he asked if I’m buying him supper like he does for me when I go to his open mic or Karaoke nights.
Other good news I had was that my story, “Parade of Sorrow”, will be published in the anthology “The Stand” by Polar Expressions. I had a very good week.
Just so I could feel more professional, I went and ordered some new business cards for myself as an author/writer with lots of information on them about contacting me, about the Rams, about my books at Kobo, the blog for The Review. I will start promoting myself with glossy business cards! Ha! Ha!
Yesterday was Charity’s anniversary, so she was busy. Kay started a new job. And Crystal was working last night.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 20th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. We will be back on schedule with our Meetings the first and third Wednesdays of the month. I look forward to seeing you next week.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Annette and I were the only Rams in attendance last night so we held our Meeting in the kitchen over a pot of tea and a serving or two of irrelevant conversation and maybe a tidbit of gossip.
To keep us on the writing topic, Annette read from her story about Maxine and Jarod. Max returns to Jarod’s hospital room and finds he’s had a setback and is being rushed to surgery. She faints and spends some time in the ER, and then when she recovers, wanders the halls till she finds a chapel, where Claire is already seated. Claire tells her to come and meet her husband, who is dying. Max realizes that even though she wants her freedom from her relationship to Jarod, she doesn’t want him to die for her to achieve that. This chapter had me wanting to know why, exactly, Max feels her relationship with Jarod is so unbearable.
I read a 150 word author’s bio I was required to submit, along with my picture, to the Lit Café where I have been invited to read. Out of thirteen who applied, I was one of the five chosen to participate. The event takes place October 2nd, at Alexandria House in Crescent Beach, at 7:00 p.m. The theme is Love/Romance/Relationships, so I will be reading one or more of my stories from “Honey Signed The Waiver”. Each author is asked to read for 10 minutes. Then there will be a panel discussion with participation from the floor. Lastly, there will be an open mic for other authors who would like to read. You are all invited to attend. I have been assured there is ample parking there both on site and on the street. When I told Honey he had to drive me, he asked if I’m buying him supper like he does for me when I go to his open mic or Karaoke nights.
Other good news I had was that my story, “Parade of Sorrow”, will be published in the anthology “The Stand” by Polar Expressions. I had a very good week.
Just so I could feel more professional, I went and ordered some new business cards for myself as an author/writer with lots of information on them about contacting me, about the Rams, about my books at Kobo, the blog for The Review. I will start promoting myself with glossy business cards! Ha! Ha!
Yesterday was Charity’s anniversary, so she was busy. Kay started a new job. And Crystal was working last night.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 20th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. We will be back on schedule with our Meetings the first and third Wednesdays of the month. I look forward to seeing you next week.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, August 18, 2017
THE REVIEW
COOLER HEADS PREVAIL?
Now that the weather has cooled down and the smoke from the wildfires has abated, we had a great Meeting here on Wednesday. Luke, Charity, Annette and Kay all showed up and the Meeting kept going till 9:40. Awesome!
Luke said he had written a short story that was accepted for a podcast. It is entitled “Fly-by Corn Thief”. He read it to us and it is a humorous account of a farmer reporting his stolen corn and telling the attending female officer the culprits were aliens in a UFO, because he saw crop circles in the cornfield. Congratulations to Luke on his success with this story.
Kay gave us an introduction to scriptwriting and said one should aim for playtime of between one hour, thirty minutes and two hours. Suggested length would be one hour, 45 minutes. And because so many screenplays can now be hacked, and are vulnerable the minute any interest is shown for a particular work, that it is strongly advised to copyright your script. Good to know.
Charity read the next chapter about Trixie. After having passed out from her injuries and exhaustion, Trixie awakes in what she calls the broken arm gully, a hiding hole her father had found. It has a cabin he had built, with supplies of food, ammunition, and bandages. After bathing in the pool, she finds a gold coin she knows her father probably dropped and it gives her hope of survival. As she cleans herself, and dresses her wounds, she remembers how her Ma had been a bad influence in their lives and was probably the cause of her father getting caught and hung. She breaks down and cries, finally allowing her grief to overcome her. There was lots of background info in this chapter revealing the stress she had experienced with her parents.
Annette said after comments I made at the last meeting, she rewrote the chapter about Maxine in the cafeteria at the hospital. Now as Max is wondering if Jarod would be there for her, an older woman asks if she needs someone to talk to. Claire sits down at the same table and proceeds to tell her how to have the cafeteria provide fresh food to specific requests. She tells Max she and her husband, together for forty years, had to learn to communicate with each other, and give voice to their expectations. Claire tells her that her husband is going home, but then reveals he is dying. Max thinks the woman is crazy. This chapter grabbed attention and works much better than the previous version.
I read a short piece called “Not Done Yet”, about an 83 year old woman looking for another man after the sudden and quite recent death of her partner. In between bouts of grief she is on the lookout for her next romantic interest.
Chrystal said she was called into work on Wednesday at the last minute. Lorelie had planned to attend, but had unexpected visitors. Margaret F. had emailed me earlier from the Island and said she hopes to be able to attend in the fall. It would be good to see all three of them.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Keep writing. And I look forward to seeing you September 6th!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Now that the weather has cooled down and the smoke from the wildfires has abated, we had a great Meeting here on Wednesday. Luke, Charity, Annette and Kay all showed up and the Meeting kept going till 9:40. Awesome!
Luke said he had written a short story that was accepted for a podcast. It is entitled “Fly-by Corn Thief”. He read it to us and it is a humorous account of a farmer reporting his stolen corn and telling the attending female officer the culprits were aliens in a UFO, because he saw crop circles in the cornfield. Congratulations to Luke on his success with this story.
Kay gave us an introduction to scriptwriting and said one should aim for playtime of between one hour, thirty minutes and two hours. Suggested length would be one hour, 45 minutes. And because so many screenplays can now be hacked, and are vulnerable the minute any interest is shown for a particular work, that it is strongly advised to copyright your script. Good to know.
Charity read the next chapter about Trixie. After having passed out from her injuries and exhaustion, Trixie awakes in what she calls the broken arm gully, a hiding hole her father had found. It has a cabin he had built, with supplies of food, ammunition, and bandages. After bathing in the pool, she finds a gold coin she knows her father probably dropped and it gives her hope of survival. As she cleans herself, and dresses her wounds, she remembers how her Ma had been a bad influence in their lives and was probably the cause of her father getting caught and hung. She breaks down and cries, finally allowing her grief to overcome her. There was lots of background info in this chapter revealing the stress she had experienced with her parents.
Annette said after comments I made at the last meeting, she rewrote the chapter about Maxine in the cafeteria at the hospital. Now as Max is wondering if Jarod would be there for her, an older woman asks if she needs someone to talk to. Claire sits down at the same table and proceeds to tell her how to have the cafeteria provide fresh food to specific requests. She tells Max she and her husband, together for forty years, had to learn to communicate with each other, and give voice to their expectations. Claire tells her that her husband is going home, but then reveals he is dying. Max thinks the woman is crazy. This chapter grabbed attention and works much better than the previous version.
I read a short piece called “Not Done Yet”, about an 83 year old woman looking for another man after the sudden and quite recent death of her partner. In between bouts of grief she is on the lookout for her next romantic interest.
Chrystal said she was called into work on Wednesday at the last minute. Lorelie had planned to attend, but had unexpected visitors. Margaret F. had emailed me earlier from the Island and said she hopes to be able to attend in the fall. It would be good to see all three of them.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Keep writing. And I look forward to seeing you September 6th!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, July 21, 2017
THE REVIEW
WOMEN ONLY
The Meeting here Wednesday night consisted of four women. We missed seeing Luke and Guy. Charity was dealing with a family emergency. And Kay is away helping to support firefighters in the interior. Crystal and Annette were here, and Annette brought a friend, Teena Rawding, with her. Teena also writes and has compiled a manuscript of what she called devotional pieces meant to support and encourage women who have suffered domestic abuse. She hopes to self-publish, perhaps as an ebook.
Annette read first, two more chapters. In the first chapter Maxine’s self absorbed in her fear of being trapped in a relationship with Jarod because her conscience won’t let her abandon him before he recovers from his injuries. In the next chapter she is back in the ICU as Jarod is being prepped for surgery. As he is wheeled away, she faints and because she is not an admitted patient, she ends up in the long waiting line in the ER. That’s when she realizes Jarod would never be there to look after her.
Teena read one piece entitled “Can You Imagine?”. It exemplifies how an abused wife loses all confidence in herself and is unable to communicate or make choices as everything she does is criticised in detail by the husband. She eventually accepts she is stupid and cannot escape, and submits to being told how to live in every way. Then the article goes on to tell about the hope that comes after leaving the abuser. The article addressed specifics of everyday life and would be very relevant to anyone in those circumstances.
Crystal had written a short first person story from a writing prompt that said to write about a tattered piece of clothing. Her mother wanted her to clean out her closet and get rid of a particular shirt. But the shirt was her security blanket for many years and was worn through many events in her life and consequently evoked memories she didn’t want to lose. I suggested that if Crystal could cut the words to 750 maximum she could enter the Polar Expressions writing contest, deadline July 31st.
I planned to enter something in the same contest so I read two short stories and asked which one I should enter. The first was “Parade of Sorrow” about a grieving mother watching the Veteran’s Parade on November 11th. She was a middle aged mother grieving her son lost in Afghanistan. The second story I read was “Playing Trivia” about a middle aged couple on a first date at the pub, with him wanting more than she was willing to give. The group chose “Parade Of Sorrow” because it had the greatest emotional impact. So that is the one I will enter.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see everyone then. Stay away from fires in the meantime.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
The Meeting here Wednesday night consisted of four women. We missed seeing Luke and Guy. Charity was dealing with a family emergency. And Kay is away helping to support firefighters in the interior. Crystal and Annette were here, and Annette brought a friend, Teena Rawding, with her. Teena also writes and has compiled a manuscript of what she called devotional pieces meant to support and encourage women who have suffered domestic abuse. She hopes to self-publish, perhaps as an ebook.
Annette read first, two more chapters. In the first chapter Maxine’s self absorbed in her fear of being trapped in a relationship with Jarod because her conscience won’t let her abandon him before he recovers from his injuries. In the next chapter she is back in the ICU as Jarod is being prepped for surgery. As he is wheeled away, she faints and because she is not an admitted patient, she ends up in the long waiting line in the ER. That’s when she realizes Jarod would never be there to look after her.
Teena read one piece entitled “Can You Imagine?”. It exemplifies how an abused wife loses all confidence in herself and is unable to communicate or make choices as everything she does is criticised in detail by the husband. She eventually accepts she is stupid and cannot escape, and submits to being told how to live in every way. Then the article goes on to tell about the hope that comes after leaving the abuser. The article addressed specifics of everyday life and would be very relevant to anyone in those circumstances.
Crystal had written a short first person story from a writing prompt that said to write about a tattered piece of clothing. Her mother wanted her to clean out her closet and get rid of a particular shirt. But the shirt was her security blanket for many years and was worn through many events in her life and consequently evoked memories she didn’t want to lose. I suggested that if Crystal could cut the words to 750 maximum she could enter the Polar Expressions writing contest, deadline July 31st.
I planned to enter something in the same contest so I read two short stories and asked which one I should enter. The first was “Parade of Sorrow” about a grieving mother watching the Veteran’s Parade on November 11th. She was a middle aged mother grieving her son lost in Afghanistan. The second story I read was “Playing Trivia” about a middle aged couple on a first date at the pub, with him wanting more than she was willing to give. The group chose “Parade Of Sorrow” because it had the greatest emotional impact. So that is the one I will enter.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, August 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see everyone then. Stay away from fires in the meantime.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, July 7, 2017
THE REVIEW
WRITING CORNER
Annette, Luke, Charity and Kay all joined me Wednesday for a lively Meeting and discussion. Adjusting to different circumstances around us, we seemed to be trying out different writing spaces and/or mindsets lately. One had lost a home office. One lost a work office. One gained somebody else’s office. One set a daily word count quota of 100 words and often wrote more than that. And one is looking for the next writing project.
We started with a discussion on foster homes, the sad need for them in the first place and the different experiences of children raised in them, some good, some bad.
Charity read first, about Trixie waking up in the sand, covered in blood from the fight with the mountain lion. She cleans herself and her injuries as best she can in the pond, and then uses a fallen tree limb as a cane to leave the area before sunrise. She seeks refuge in a deep, dark canyon where she collapses. Readers are left anxious for her welfare.
Luke read about Goren waking outside on the grass after the earthquake. He had hit his head escaping the collapsed house. He has to prevent himself from panicking, and then realizes he must go and find his sister. The landscape has changed totally, much covered by fallen rock. He heads to the river which is churning and muddy and full of fallen trees and debris. As he watches, a body comes floating downstream toward him. An orderly environment is now in total chaos.
Annette read of Maxine seeking to clear her head outside the hospital after signing for Jarod’s surgery. She first escapes the cloudy atmosphere around patients smoking near the door. Overcome with grief at her lost dream of love and marriage, she sinks into dirty grass and then has to rise and eventually hides inside her car where she breaks down and cries. She goes back inside the hospital and tries to clean up in a public washroom where water, soap and hand drying are only possible by motion-sensored equipment that doesn’t help with legs and feet. (Don’t know if such comedy was intended, but this was pricelessly funny.) Back in Jarod’s room, the nurse tells her to go home and rest so she can be strong for Jarod. Maxine wants to rebel, but doesn’t.
Kay didn’t read, but said she is still working on her script. Apparently, with scriptwriting, she was told not to discuss or publicise her intended plot at all. Filmmaking is very secretive, apparently.
I read two short pieces from my archived collection of past endeavors. The first was “Raccoon” about a man who scavenges the city streets at night looking for excitement like a raccoon seeks food. The second piece was a bit of memoir about running into a teenage cousin who had been given up for adoption when she was just six years old. It was a very sad family story.
Crystal emailed me to say she was at home Wednesday with the flu, so we hope she is recovering and can join us next time.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 19th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and that everyone can keep writing wherever and whenever circumstance allows.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Annette, Luke, Charity and Kay all joined me Wednesday for a lively Meeting and discussion. Adjusting to different circumstances around us, we seemed to be trying out different writing spaces and/or mindsets lately. One had lost a home office. One lost a work office. One gained somebody else’s office. One set a daily word count quota of 100 words and often wrote more than that. And one is looking for the next writing project.
We started with a discussion on foster homes, the sad need for them in the first place and the different experiences of children raised in them, some good, some bad.
Charity read first, about Trixie waking up in the sand, covered in blood from the fight with the mountain lion. She cleans herself and her injuries as best she can in the pond, and then uses a fallen tree limb as a cane to leave the area before sunrise. She seeks refuge in a deep, dark canyon where she collapses. Readers are left anxious for her welfare.
Luke read about Goren waking outside on the grass after the earthquake. He had hit his head escaping the collapsed house. He has to prevent himself from panicking, and then realizes he must go and find his sister. The landscape has changed totally, much covered by fallen rock. He heads to the river which is churning and muddy and full of fallen trees and debris. As he watches, a body comes floating downstream toward him. An orderly environment is now in total chaos.
Annette read of Maxine seeking to clear her head outside the hospital after signing for Jarod’s surgery. She first escapes the cloudy atmosphere around patients smoking near the door. Overcome with grief at her lost dream of love and marriage, she sinks into dirty grass and then has to rise and eventually hides inside her car where she breaks down and cries. She goes back inside the hospital and tries to clean up in a public washroom where water, soap and hand drying are only possible by motion-sensored equipment that doesn’t help with legs and feet. (Don’t know if such comedy was intended, but this was pricelessly funny.) Back in Jarod’s room, the nurse tells her to go home and rest so she can be strong for Jarod. Maxine wants to rebel, but doesn’t.
Kay didn’t read, but said she is still working on her script. Apparently, with scriptwriting, she was told not to discuss or publicise her intended plot at all. Filmmaking is very secretive, apparently.
I read two short pieces from my archived collection of past endeavors. The first was “Raccoon” about a man who scavenges the city streets at night looking for excitement like a raccoon seeks food. The second piece was a bit of memoir about running into a teenage cousin who had been given up for adoption when she was just six years old. It was a very sad family story.
Crystal emailed me to say she was at home Wednesday with the flu, so we hope she is recovering and can join us next time.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 19th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and that everyone can keep writing wherever and whenever circumstance allows.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, June 23, 2017
THE REVIEW
DEDICATED SUMMER SCRIBES
Crystal, Charity and Luke joined me for a Meeting on Wednesday, which was both the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. We did decide that the Rams will continue to meet during the summer months this year. I don’t know if that was so much because we are all such dedicated, enthusiastic writers as because none of us were planning to go away on vacation this summer! So if persistence pays off for writers, we should be on the right track.
Charity read first, the next chapter showing Trixie waiting on a ledge for an hour after the posse leaves. She felt dirty and in need of a bath. She heads for a hideout her Pa used to go to and on the way finds a secluded pool. She strips and bathes but then is attacked by a mountain lion. She fights back with a knife and kills it, and she is left badly injured. This chapter was fraught with tension and the reader will keep turning pages to find out what happens next to Trixie.
Luke read to us of Goren waking up on the mountain to find the celiat has left him. He packs up and takes an easier route home, now that he isn’t tracking anything. When he arrives home, he finds the house empty and with his parents and his sister all away. He falls asleep with his boots on, but awakes to the ground shaking. This leaves us wanting to know what’s causing the shaking, an earthquake or invading troops?
Chrystal read a poem called “Stutter” which exemplifies how words (or sounds) can keep repeating inside the head without being able to speak them out loud and communicate deep emotions that are felt.
I read the last “Honey” story in my collection, which is called “Locked Out” and tells of Honey usurping my space in the den and my thinking I’m being blocked from doing any writing. But then I use that time to sit with my printed manuscript and do some editing with my red pen. Charity said it reminded her of a similar situation at her house lately. It’s wonderful if we have our own space to write in, but if we are dedicated writers we should be able to write anywhere, with any tools available. That’s what I keep telling myself anyhow.
With time still left in the Meeting, we segued into reading our own poetry, except for Luke, who says he doesn’t write poetry.
Charity read “This Old Tree” about an old tree that stands strong in the wind.
Crystal read “Open Up”, talking about her mother’s tongue of razor blades, her father’s chest being cut open, and through all the pain and despair and destruction, still feeling alone. Very haunting. The next poem she read was a rhyming one called “About Me”, trying to define herself.
I read “The Question Of Love” which lists all the myriad ways that love can manifest and is always different with each person loved. Then I read “Sweet Betrayal” about a man’s misplaced devotion to the lady in the bottle (alcohol) and how she slayed him.
I told those present about a used bookery/coffee shop I discovered in Aldergrove called Book’N’Bean. Nice ambience where you can browse the books, buy a coffee and sit and read. You can also trade in your used books for credit on buying other used books. They are at 27103 Fraser Highway. Keep them in mind if you are in that area or need an afternoon getaway.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 5th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place that now sports a bright blue door. Can’t miss it! Have a Happy Canada Day in the meantime!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Crystal, Charity and Luke joined me for a Meeting on Wednesday, which was both the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. We did decide that the Rams will continue to meet during the summer months this year. I don’t know if that was so much because we are all such dedicated, enthusiastic writers as because none of us were planning to go away on vacation this summer! So if persistence pays off for writers, we should be on the right track.
Charity read first, the next chapter showing Trixie waiting on a ledge for an hour after the posse leaves. She felt dirty and in need of a bath. She heads for a hideout her Pa used to go to and on the way finds a secluded pool. She strips and bathes but then is attacked by a mountain lion. She fights back with a knife and kills it, and she is left badly injured. This chapter was fraught with tension and the reader will keep turning pages to find out what happens next to Trixie.
Luke read to us of Goren waking up on the mountain to find the celiat has left him. He packs up and takes an easier route home, now that he isn’t tracking anything. When he arrives home, he finds the house empty and with his parents and his sister all away. He falls asleep with his boots on, but awakes to the ground shaking. This leaves us wanting to know what’s causing the shaking, an earthquake or invading troops?
Chrystal read a poem called “Stutter” which exemplifies how words (or sounds) can keep repeating inside the head without being able to speak them out loud and communicate deep emotions that are felt.
I read the last “Honey” story in my collection, which is called “Locked Out” and tells of Honey usurping my space in the den and my thinking I’m being blocked from doing any writing. But then I use that time to sit with my printed manuscript and do some editing with my red pen. Charity said it reminded her of a similar situation at her house lately. It’s wonderful if we have our own space to write in, but if we are dedicated writers we should be able to write anywhere, with any tools available. That’s what I keep telling myself anyhow.
With time still left in the Meeting, we segued into reading our own poetry, except for Luke, who says he doesn’t write poetry.
Charity read “This Old Tree” about an old tree that stands strong in the wind.
Crystal read “Open Up”, talking about her mother’s tongue of razor blades, her father’s chest being cut open, and through all the pain and despair and destruction, still feeling alone. Very haunting. The next poem she read was a rhyming one called “About Me”, trying to define herself.
I read “The Question Of Love” which lists all the myriad ways that love can manifest and is always different with each person loved. Then I read “Sweet Betrayal” about a man’s misplaced devotion to the lady in the bottle (alcohol) and how she slayed him.
I told those present about a used bookery/coffee shop I discovered in Aldergrove called Book’N’Bean. Nice ambience where you can browse the books, buy a coffee and sit and read. You can also trade in your used books for credit on buying other used books. They are at 27103 Fraser Highway. Keep them in mind if you are in that area or need an afternoon getaway.
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 5th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place that now sports a bright blue door. Can’t miss it! Have a Happy Canada Day in the meantime!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Saturday, June 10, 2017
THE REVIEW
TWO IN ONE
Had a great Meeting here on Wednesday after the cancelled Meeting in May due to the car accident in which I suffered some injuries. Have mostly recovered now and can type again so no more excuses for not writing a Review. Will try to incorporate information from both of the last two Meetings to make up for the missing Review.
At the Meeting in May, Margaret F. read a fictionalized chapter from “Babes In The Wood” in which she tells about a young Clifford Olsen who was always in trouble and had a penchant for torturing birds. While his father was horrified, his mother seemed to make excuses for him. It should be interesting to see how Margaret ties this in with the rest of the investigation of the murdered children found in Stanley Park.
At two different Meetings, Luke read about Goren still at the cave where he killed the snake. He skins and cooks it and shares the meat with the celiat and then cleans up and prepares the skin and head to transport home as trophies. He decides to wait for sunrise before travelling and remembers the past when he decided to stay out of the combat troops of the military, in spite of what others thought. He became a lone hunter, like the celiat, which slept beside his tent that night.
Charity read twice about Trixie. After the girl had killed Brett, she takes his boots and knife and runs, afraid of being caught. She runs a zig-zag pattern to make it hard for Marley and his posse to track her. Hidden among the rocks in the sweltering heat, she sees the minister on horseback, sitting and watching the valley below. She forces herself not to move, trying to outlast his vigilance. Lots of tension in this scene.
Annette also read at both Meetings from the story she had started. Maxine was wanting to end a relationship with a man named Jarod. But he had been injured in a motorcycle accident and she needed to take time off work even though her boss wanted her to leave the man. She is at the hospital and meets a Ray Matthews, dressed in a coat and stethoscope, who tells her about Jarod’s injuries and asks for her signature for Jarod to have surgery. She questions the legality of her signing for that, but is told since there is no other family and that she had previously been designated temporary substitute decision maker, that her signature was valid. She realizes that Jarod will probably live and recover and that he needs her to help with that, but consequently she would have no freedom. Desperation is sometimes born of sacrifice to the needs of others.
I had read two Honey stories. In May I read “Reluctant Mr. Fixit” about Honey telling me he was done after doing three chores for me at home. Then I read “Lost And Found” about our road trip to Thunder Bay and the trials and tribulations of so much togetherness, ameliorated upon finding home again.
Guy didn’t read in May, but did at the last Meeting. He said he is just jotting down events in rough draft and read this time about George as a teen living with his grandmother, and being more interested in partying and drinking with his friends than school. He had a dream of being a pilot, though, and applied for ROTC with the Air Force. His application was accepted but when he went for the physical exam it was discovered that he was colour blind and his dream was denied.
Crystal Colligan was a new member who joined us for the first time on Wednesday. She writes mostly poetry and shared with us that a lot of her writing was about being recovered from anorexia. She read to us a poem entitled “Broken Things”, and it was raw, pulsating pain trying to survive past hurts and re-invent herself, and not at all sure of who she should be. This poem was naked emotion on the page and we hope will find publication somewhere. And Crystal did say she writes a blog, so we will have to ask where to find it.
Somebody asked me if the Rams were going to take some time out during the summer, and I replied I didn’t know. So give that some thought. In the past we have sometimes taken the month of August off, so if people want to do that, we can. I don’t have any travel plans this summer, so to keep having Meetings during July and August is fine with me if others want to attend. We will decide at the next Meeting, which will be Wednesday, June 21st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I look forward to seeing you then, which will be the longest day of the year!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Had a great Meeting here on Wednesday after the cancelled Meeting in May due to the car accident in which I suffered some injuries. Have mostly recovered now and can type again so no more excuses for not writing a Review. Will try to incorporate information from both of the last two Meetings to make up for the missing Review.
At the Meeting in May, Margaret F. read a fictionalized chapter from “Babes In The Wood” in which she tells about a young Clifford Olsen who was always in trouble and had a penchant for torturing birds. While his father was horrified, his mother seemed to make excuses for him. It should be interesting to see how Margaret ties this in with the rest of the investigation of the murdered children found in Stanley Park.
At two different Meetings, Luke read about Goren still at the cave where he killed the snake. He skins and cooks it and shares the meat with the celiat and then cleans up and prepares the skin and head to transport home as trophies. He decides to wait for sunrise before travelling and remembers the past when he decided to stay out of the combat troops of the military, in spite of what others thought. He became a lone hunter, like the celiat, which slept beside his tent that night.
Charity read twice about Trixie. After the girl had killed Brett, she takes his boots and knife and runs, afraid of being caught. She runs a zig-zag pattern to make it hard for Marley and his posse to track her. Hidden among the rocks in the sweltering heat, she sees the minister on horseback, sitting and watching the valley below. She forces herself not to move, trying to outlast his vigilance. Lots of tension in this scene.
Annette also read at both Meetings from the story she had started. Maxine was wanting to end a relationship with a man named Jarod. But he had been injured in a motorcycle accident and she needed to take time off work even though her boss wanted her to leave the man. She is at the hospital and meets a Ray Matthews, dressed in a coat and stethoscope, who tells her about Jarod’s injuries and asks for her signature for Jarod to have surgery. She questions the legality of her signing for that, but is told since there is no other family and that she had previously been designated temporary substitute decision maker, that her signature was valid. She realizes that Jarod will probably live and recover and that he needs her to help with that, but consequently she would have no freedom. Desperation is sometimes born of sacrifice to the needs of others.
I had read two Honey stories. In May I read “Reluctant Mr. Fixit” about Honey telling me he was done after doing three chores for me at home. Then I read “Lost And Found” about our road trip to Thunder Bay and the trials and tribulations of so much togetherness, ameliorated upon finding home again.
Guy didn’t read in May, but did at the last Meeting. He said he is just jotting down events in rough draft and read this time about George as a teen living with his grandmother, and being more interested in partying and drinking with his friends than school. He had a dream of being a pilot, though, and applied for ROTC with the Air Force. His application was accepted but when he went for the physical exam it was discovered that he was colour blind and his dream was denied.
Crystal Colligan was a new member who joined us for the first time on Wednesday. She writes mostly poetry and shared with us that a lot of her writing was about being recovered from anorexia. She read to us a poem entitled “Broken Things”, and it was raw, pulsating pain trying to survive past hurts and re-invent herself, and not at all sure of who she should be. This poem was naked emotion on the page and we hope will find publication somewhere. And Crystal did say she writes a blog, so we will have to ask where to find it.
Somebody asked me if the Rams were going to take some time out during the summer, and I replied I didn’t know. So give that some thought. In the past we have sometimes taken the month of August off, so if people want to do that, we can. I don’t have any travel plans this summer, so to keep having Meetings during July and August is fine with me if others want to attend. We will decide at the next Meeting, which will be Wednesday, June 21st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. I look forward to seeing you then, which will be the longest day of the year!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, April 21, 2017
THE REVIEW
DEDICATED DUET
Luke and I were the only Rams here on Wednesday night. Charity had come down with a cold and Kay said she had to work late. I don’t know what happened with anyone else. But Luke and I had lots of time to discuss various issues, which was enjoyable.
I read first, a short piece called “Haunted” which was a second place winner in the Wired Monk writing contest back in 2005. It was about the guilt I felt after refusing to give money to a pregnant woman who stopped me at a fast food restaurant and said she hadn’t eaten in three days.
Luke read the next scene in his novel, which has Goren in the den of the spine snake, which is littered with the bones of previous victims. He is engaged in a battle with the snake but is able to pin it to the ground and then he slices its head off to take as a trophy. He lets the other animal live and they both dine on snake meat. Later in the chapter some backstory explains about Goren’s preference for tracking and exploring over military combat. After betrayal at school, he prefers solitude and freedom. The conflict for Goren will be in learning to accept help from others. I asked Luke if he could put more tension into the battle with the snake to better engage the reader. That’s when Luke said he is much more a world builder than an adventurer and that he prefers reading all the detail of foreign environments himself. It’s true there are all kinds of readers and that tastes differ enormously. Being a girl who doesn’t like snakes, I needed something to entice me to keep reading.
I then read another “Honey” story, this one called “Face To Face”. It’s about when I wanted a new cell phone mostly for taking pictures but ended up with an Android that has internet access on it with Wi-Fi, and how I became so absorbed with using it that Honey had to email me to get my attention. He had tried calling me with it but I didn’t know how to get out of the game I was playing and answer the phone. Luke said he liked the story and thought it was funny.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Keep writing even though it’s spring and you want to be outside playing!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Luke and I were the only Rams here on Wednesday night. Charity had come down with a cold and Kay said she had to work late. I don’t know what happened with anyone else. But Luke and I had lots of time to discuss various issues, which was enjoyable.
I read first, a short piece called “Haunted” which was a second place winner in the Wired Monk writing contest back in 2005. It was about the guilt I felt after refusing to give money to a pregnant woman who stopped me at a fast food restaurant and said she hadn’t eaten in three days.
Luke read the next scene in his novel, which has Goren in the den of the spine snake, which is littered with the bones of previous victims. He is engaged in a battle with the snake but is able to pin it to the ground and then he slices its head off to take as a trophy. He lets the other animal live and they both dine on snake meat. Later in the chapter some backstory explains about Goren’s preference for tracking and exploring over military combat. After betrayal at school, he prefers solitude and freedom. The conflict for Goren will be in learning to accept help from others. I asked Luke if he could put more tension into the battle with the snake to better engage the reader. That’s when Luke said he is much more a world builder than an adventurer and that he prefers reading all the detail of foreign environments himself. It’s true there are all kinds of readers and that tastes differ enormously. Being a girl who doesn’t like snakes, I needed something to entice me to keep reading.
I then read another “Honey” story, this one called “Face To Face”. It’s about when I wanted a new cell phone mostly for taking pictures but ended up with an Android that has internet access on it with Wi-Fi, and how I became so absorbed with using it that Honey had to email me to get my attention. He had tried calling me with it but I didn’t know how to get out of the game I was playing and answer the phone. Luke said he liked the story and thought it was funny.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Keep writing even though it’s spring and you want to be outside playing!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, April 6, 2017
THE REVIEW
HIGH FIVE
Five of us met last night in spite of the rain. Shannon, Luke, Charity and Guy all joined me for an awesome evening of readings and conversation.
Charity read first, from “Trixie Trouble”, her next chapter. Trixie goes back to where her Pa had been hung, missing him, and she finishes off the flask of brandy. She nods off and dreams of her Pa, but is awakened by Brett Marley who assaults and tries to rape her. In a desperate struggle, she shoots him with his own shotgun. This chapter was a total surprise as it was in stark contrast to previous humorous chapters. Charity says she likes to surprise the reader.
Luke is working on his novel “The Heart Of The Earth” and has added a new first chapter, with the character Gorin. We see him hunting a beast known as a celiat, following it up a mountain. He suspects the beast is also hunting something. But when he follows it into a cave and finds it collapsed, he realizes the beast had been used to lure him, a bigger catch, into the cave of a spine snake. We don’t know yet who is at the top of the food chain here.
Guy didn’t read anything. He says he’s trying to sort out what he wants to write about the life of a seventeen year old boy. Guy did ask us about copyright. We all agreed that writers are automatically the owners of copyright to their work but if they want to register the copyright they can do so for a fee at the Copyright Office of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. However, it is still up to the owner to do the policing for any possible theft of reproductive rights of their own material.
Shannon read Chapter 1 of her novel, “Senior Citizens’ Serial Killer”. As the ambulance sits outside Howard’s trailer where he died on top of Bethany, a crowd of seniors gathers outside, fueling the gossip mill. Julie, a private investigator wanting to be a detective, is there with two friends, speculating about the possibility of a crime having been committed, when the police arrive. Shannon wasn’t happy with this chapter and plans to re-write it to add more excitement to the appearance of an ambulance in this quiet seniors’ community.
I read “Honey’s Next Degree” about Honey suffering while I underwent surgery, and then finding his feet when he had to obtain specific medical and mobility aids for my recovery. He used his engineering skills to source the right equipment. I did say I had finished editing the collection and am now formatting the manuscript. I was struggling with inserting a table of contents, but Shannon gave me a tip I will try. And I still have to decide if I will submit hard copy or email copy to the publisher I’m thinking about. Charity said she thinks hard copy probably garners more attention than an email. A large chunk of actual mail is harder to ignore.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 19th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Happy Easter to all the Rams in the meantime, and eat all those chocolate bunnies for me since I can’t have them any more.
TONGUE IN CHEEK: A bibliophile is one who loves or collects books, while a biblioklept is one who steals them.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Five of us met last night in spite of the rain. Shannon, Luke, Charity and Guy all joined me for an awesome evening of readings and conversation.
Charity read first, from “Trixie Trouble”, her next chapter. Trixie goes back to where her Pa had been hung, missing him, and she finishes off the flask of brandy. She nods off and dreams of her Pa, but is awakened by Brett Marley who assaults and tries to rape her. In a desperate struggle, she shoots him with his own shotgun. This chapter was a total surprise as it was in stark contrast to previous humorous chapters. Charity says she likes to surprise the reader.
Luke is working on his novel “The Heart Of The Earth” and has added a new first chapter, with the character Gorin. We see him hunting a beast known as a celiat, following it up a mountain. He suspects the beast is also hunting something. But when he follows it into a cave and finds it collapsed, he realizes the beast had been used to lure him, a bigger catch, into the cave of a spine snake. We don’t know yet who is at the top of the food chain here.
Guy didn’t read anything. He says he’s trying to sort out what he wants to write about the life of a seventeen year old boy. Guy did ask us about copyright. We all agreed that writers are automatically the owners of copyright to their work but if they want to register the copyright they can do so for a fee at the Copyright Office of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. However, it is still up to the owner to do the policing for any possible theft of reproductive rights of their own material.
Shannon read Chapter 1 of her novel, “Senior Citizens’ Serial Killer”. As the ambulance sits outside Howard’s trailer where he died on top of Bethany, a crowd of seniors gathers outside, fueling the gossip mill. Julie, a private investigator wanting to be a detective, is there with two friends, speculating about the possibility of a crime having been committed, when the police arrive. Shannon wasn’t happy with this chapter and plans to re-write it to add more excitement to the appearance of an ambulance in this quiet seniors’ community.
I read “Honey’s Next Degree” about Honey suffering while I underwent surgery, and then finding his feet when he had to obtain specific medical and mobility aids for my recovery. He used his engineering skills to source the right equipment. I did say I had finished editing the collection and am now formatting the manuscript. I was struggling with inserting a table of contents, but Shannon gave me a tip I will try. And I still have to decide if I will submit hard copy or email copy to the publisher I’m thinking about. Charity said she thinks hard copy probably garners more attention than an email. A large chunk of actual mail is harder to ignore.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 19th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Happy Easter to all the Rams in the meantime, and eat all those chocolate bunnies for me since I can’t have them any more.
TONGUE IN CHEEK: A bibliophile is one who loves or collects books, while a biblioklept is one who steals them.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, March 17, 2017
THE REVIEW
THE GIFT OF THE GAB
Luke, Charity and Annette all joined me Wednesday and it was so nice to see Annette again after such a long absence. With only 4 of us present, we had lots of time for catching up with each other.
Luke read his final chapter that has Dalin cleaned up and in his new uniform, going to pick out the soldiers he will take with him to the city. Torch is one he wants but she resists until he assures her he needs her to watch his back, mostly as a friend he trusts. The ending of this chapter wrapped things up nicely, but also left room for continuation in a later story. Well done.
Charity read the next chapter about Trixie Trouble, after she runs from the barn when Fat Marley says he wants to become mayor. Donovan follows her and declines the brandy she offers. The two of them argue and he leaves. She is devastated that people who killed her father for horse stealing would elect for mayor someone who stole even more from people.
I read a ‘Honey’ story, “Friday The Thirteenth”, which shows a cast of strange characters at the local Legion branch one Friday night. Luke and Charity both wanted me to make the ending less abrupt and I will see what I can do with it.
Annette didn’t have a story to read, but shared with us the plot she has devised for a mystery night she has planned for ladies at her church. After a party, there is theft of some jewels and participants are given clues and alibis and must discover who stole the jewels. Annette promised to advise us of who the culprit was after the mystery night.
Kay, Guy and Shannon were all unable to attend but we hope to see them again soon. Kay has said she will come back the middle of April. Guy said he will come back the next Meeting. And Annette has said she will come back in May. I look forward to seeing them all.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 5th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. So kiss the Blarney Stone today and write down all the words that flow!
Tomorrow, Saturday the 18th, I’m meeting Kay at the Lemon Bakery in Langley City at noon for probably a couple of hours for lunch, writing, gabbing, or whatever. If you want to join our writers’ corner there, you are welcome.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
My Motto: Hook, Line and Printer!
Luke, Charity and Annette all joined me Wednesday and it was so nice to see Annette again after such a long absence. With only 4 of us present, we had lots of time for catching up with each other.
Luke read his final chapter that has Dalin cleaned up and in his new uniform, going to pick out the soldiers he will take with him to the city. Torch is one he wants but she resists until he assures her he needs her to watch his back, mostly as a friend he trusts. The ending of this chapter wrapped things up nicely, but also left room for continuation in a later story. Well done.
Charity read the next chapter about Trixie Trouble, after she runs from the barn when Fat Marley says he wants to become mayor. Donovan follows her and declines the brandy she offers. The two of them argue and he leaves. She is devastated that people who killed her father for horse stealing would elect for mayor someone who stole even more from people.
I read a ‘Honey’ story, “Friday The Thirteenth”, which shows a cast of strange characters at the local Legion branch one Friday night. Luke and Charity both wanted me to make the ending less abrupt and I will see what I can do with it.
Annette didn’t have a story to read, but shared with us the plot she has devised for a mystery night she has planned for ladies at her church. After a party, there is theft of some jewels and participants are given clues and alibis and must discover who stole the jewels. Annette promised to advise us of who the culprit was after the mystery night.
Kay, Guy and Shannon were all unable to attend but we hope to see them again soon. Kay has said she will come back the middle of April. Guy said he will come back the next Meeting. And Annette has said she will come back in May. I look forward to seeing them all.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, April 5th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. So kiss the Blarney Stone today and write down all the words that flow!
Tomorrow, Saturday the 18th, I’m meeting Kay at the Lemon Bakery in Langley City at noon for probably a couple of hours for lunch, writing, gabbing, or whatever. If you want to join our writers’ corner there, you are welcome.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
My Motto: Hook, Line and Printer!
Saturday, March 4, 2017
THE REVIEW
FOUR LIONS
There were four Rams here on Wednesday, trying to roar like lions to bring in the first of March. We all had something to read, which made for a good start to the month.
Luke read first, his next chapter with Dalin and the General. The General admitted to Dalin there had been a spy among his support staff, but he blamed Dalin publicly to fool the spy, Commander Sark, and catch him. Dalin was promoted to Commader of Capital Garrison, and the General asked him to defend the city. We asked Luke if he could break up the constant dialogue in this chapter with relevant action on the part of the characters. And since it was not the end of the book, I thought it could use a small hook at the end rather than what seemed like closure. Now that I’m thinking again about the reading, I want to ask Luke if this piece was all one point of view, or if there was a switch made within this scene. You know me, I’m a stickler for not changing point of view willy-nilly in the same scene.
Guy read to us some more about George, called “Lost Upon Discovery”. We’re told George worked on one family farm where he socialized with the daughters, then went to work at a chicken eviscerating plant. As his mother wanted him back in school, he then went to live with another family where he did farm chores in return for room and board while he went to school. We suggested Guy give us some dialogue between characters and more detail of these various settings, and some idea of what George was thinking and feeling at the time. It’s great that Guy is listing all these events, but the reader needs more to connect with the character and care about him. However, it is becoming clear that George just packs up and moves on whenever something isn’t working out.
Shannon has written and published one cozy mystery called “Mobile Home Murder” in digital format with Amazon. She plans to write a series based on the shenanigans of seniors in a mobile home park in Florida. Her parents live in such a place and she has visited them and knows whereof she writes. She read to us the prologue of her second book “Senior Citizen Serial Killer”. It shows us a 68 year old Gertrude physically pinned on the bed by a very dead 89 year old lover on top of her. She can’t get him off her and is terrified of what everyone will think of her. Her predicament is revealed with humour and insight and we look forward to hearing more.
I read another ‘Honey’ story I’ve edited. This was “Don’t Rock The Boat” about a funny attempt for us to watch the Canada Day fireworks over Lake Okanagan, with family and a friend, from onboard a houseboat when the barbecue catches fire and the boat rocks precariously as some passengers scramble to discard marijuana as the police boat approaches with siren wailing.
Margaret Moffatt’s goodbye to readers of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine was published in their March issue. We really hope her health will improve that she might again write and submit her articles on the history of B.C.
Kay and Charity were unable to attend, but Kay did say she had published her script, “Porcelain”. We wish her luck with it.
We give thanks to Guy for the chocolates he brought, which he and Luke seemed to really enjoy. Do I dare ask them if chocolate is as good as…..?
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
There were four Rams here on Wednesday, trying to roar like lions to bring in the first of March. We all had something to read, which made for a good start to the month.
Luke read first, his next chapter with Dalin and the General. The General admitted to Dalin there had been a spy among his support staff, but he blamed Dalin publicly to fool the spy, Commander Sark, and catch him. Dalin was promoted to Commader of Capital Garrison, and the General asked him to defend the city. We asked Luke if he could break up the constant dialogue in this chapter with relevant action on the part of the characters. And since it was not the end of the book, I thought it could use a small hook at the end rather than what seemed like closure. Now that I’m thinking again about the reading, I want to ask Luke if this piece was all one point of view, or if there was a switch made within this scene. You know me, I’m a stickler for not changing point of view willy-nilly in the same scene.
Guy read to us some more about George, called “Lost Upon Discovery”. We’re told George worked on one family farm where he socialized with the daughters, then went to work at a chicken eviscerating plant. As his mother wanted him back in school, he then went to live with another family where he did farm chores in return for room and board while he went to school. We suggested Guy give us some dialogue between characters and more detail of these various settings, and some idea of what George was thinking and feeling at the time. It’s great that Guy is listing all these events, but the reader needs more to connect with the character and care about him. However, it is becoming clear that George just packs up and moves on whenever something isn’t working out.
Shannon has written and published one cozy mystery called “Mobile Home Murder” in digital format with Amazon. She plans to write a series based on the shenanigans of seniors in a mobile home park in Florida. Her parents live in such a place and she has visited them and knows whereof she writes. She read to us the prologue of her second book “Senior Citizen Serial Killer”. It shows us a 68 year old Gertrude physically pinned on the bed by a very dead 89 year old lover on top of her. She can’t get him off her and is terrified of what everyone will think of her. Her predicament is revealed with humour and insight and we look forward to hearing more.
I read another ‘Honey’ story I’ve edited. This was “Don’t Rock The Boat” about a funny attempt for us to watch the Canada Day fireworks over Lake Okanagan, with family and a friend, from onboard a houseboat when the barbecue catches fire and the boat rocks precariously as some passengers scramble to discard marijuana as the police boat approaches with siren wailing.
Margaret Moffatt’s goodbye to readers of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine was published in their March issue. We really hope her health will improve that she might again write and submit her articles on the history of B.C.
Kay and Charity were unable to attend, but Kay did say she had published her script, “Porcelain”. We wish her luck with it.
We give thanks to Guy for the chocolates he brought, which he and Luke seemed to really enjoy. Do I dare ask them if chocolate is as good as…..?
Next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Saturday, February 18, 2017
THE REVIEW
GENERATION X
Had a great turnout for the Meeting on Wednesday. Shannon, Jason, Luke, Guy, Charity and Kay all joined me in honour of The Muse. Guy is my generation, but everyone else is much younger and the difference in age and experience was brought home to me three times. Once was when I said my favourite author, Stuart McLean had passed away, and somebody didn’t know who that was or what the Vinyl Café was. Then Guy and I mentioned the book “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and we were the only two who knew about its importance in ‘sex education’ during our formative years. And then I read a “Honey” story about a birthday lunch at the Seniors’ Center, and everyone looked blank and politely refrained from comment. Too funny. I am just so thankful to see the younger generation is interested in writing and storytelling and hope they find The Rams a comfortable place to share their musings, in spite of my elderly presence.
Guy read first, a short piece that is the beginning of a biography about George. He is a young man in the 1950’s who is trying to figure out where he belongs in the world and what he should be doing with his life. We asked Guy if he could add some more detail to the story to better inform the reader of its setting and of George’s thoughts and feelings at the time.
Kay is working on a movie script about a Canadian girl and her misfortunate trip abroad. She explained to us how the story plot has to have precise timing in order to fit the parameters of a movie.
Luke read his next scene where Dalin is taken before the General and they discuss his possible punishment. But then the General says Dalin was right, that there was a spy. That’s a wonderful hook to end the scene, or chapter.
Shannon told us she produces a comic strip with her husband. She writes the story, and he does the graphics. They post a new episode online each week and have about 80,000 followers. It’s about a 30 year old male and his dog, trying to make his way in the world.
Charity read the next chapter from “Trixie Trouble”, and we see her in the hot barn during the church service, with all the sinners from the night before. Donovan tells her that her debt has been paid, that she is safe. Then Fat Marley announces he has absolved all gambling debts and hands out leaflets saying he is running for mayor. Trixie turns and runs out of the church for her own salvation.
I read “The Birthday Gift”, about Honey taking me to the Seniors’ Center for lunch on my 62nd birthday, and realizing I was still pretty young in comparison to other attendees.
Jason said he had contacted Good Reads and asked some beta readers to read “Provoked” and give him some reviews. He had been going to read us one or more, but the conversation segued into Jason saying he is going to leave writing for the time being and move on to other things in his life. On leaving the Meeting, he told me he will let me know any time he plans to attend any Meeting in the future. We all wish Jason well and will miss him greatly.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 1st, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. And may the vault of your inspiration be unlocked and open wide for you.
TONGUE IN CHEEK: What did the thesaurus eat for breakfast? A synonym roll.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Had a great turnout for the Meeting on Wednesday. Shannon, Jason, Luke, Guy, Charity and Kay all joined me in honour of The Muse. Guy is my generation, but everyone else is much younger and the difference in age and experience was brought home to me three times. Once was when I said my favourite author, Stuart McLean had passed away, and somebody didn’t know who that was or what the Vinyl Café was. Then Guy and I mentioned the book “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and we were the only two who knew about its importance in ‘sex education’ during our formative years. And then I read a “Honey” story about a birthday lunch at the Seniors’ Center, and everyone looked blank and politely refrained from comment. Too funny. I am just so thankful to see the younger generation is interested in writing and storytelling and hope they find The Rams a comfortable place to share their musings, in spite of my elderly presence.
Guy read first, a short piece that is the beginning of a biography about George. He is a young man in the 1950’s who is trying to figure out where he belongs in the world and what he should be doing with his life. We asked Guy if he could add some more detail to the story to better inform the reader of its setting and of George’s thoughts and feelings at the time.
Kay is working on a movie script about a Canadian girl and her misfortunate trip abroad. She explained to us how the story plot has to have precise timing in order to fit the parameters of a movie.
Luke read his next scene where Dalin is taken before the General and they discuss his possible punishment. But then the General says Dalin was right, that there was a spy. That’s a wonderful hook to end the scene, or chapter.
Shannon told us she produces a comic strip with her husband. She writes the story, and he does the graphics. They post a new episode online each week and have about 80,000 followers. It’s about a 30 year old male and his dog, trying to make his way in the world.
Charity read the next chapter from “Trixie Trouble”, and we see her in the hot barn during the church service, with all the sinners from the night before. Donovan tells her that her debt has been paid, that she is safe. Then Fat Marley announces he has absolved all gambling debts and hands out leaflets saying he is running for mayor. Trixie turns and runs out of the church for her own salvation.
I read “The Birthday Gift”, about Honey taking me to the Seniors’ Center for lunch on my 62nd birthday, and realizing I was still pretty young in comparison to other attendees.
Jason said he had contacted Good Reads and asked some beta readers to read “Provoked” and give him some reviews. He had been going to read us one or more, but the conversation segued into Jason saying he is going to leave writing for the time being and move on to other things in his life. On leaving the Meeting, he told me he will let me know any time he plans to attend any Meeting in the future. We all wish Jason well and will miss him greatly.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, March 1st, at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. And may the vault of your inspiration be unlocked and open wide for you.
TONGUE IN CHEEK: What did the thesaurus eat for breakfast? A synonym roll.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, February 2, 2017
THE REVIEW
STAY HEALTHY!
Luke, Charity, Kay and new member Guy, joined me last night for our Meeting even though three of us were not feeling very well. Jason said he was spending the evening celebrating his wife’s birthday.
Guy asked how the group functioned in our Meetings, and what was expected. So I read a story of mine called “Predator and Prey” about a woman calling to ask about the group, but who was very sarcastic and nasty with her comments and then hung up on me after I explained we were mostly a support group and not a writing class. We learn from each other.
Then Guy mentioned the comments I had made to him about his character Ursula, a waitress in a bar, in his short story that I had read. I had said I could see where she was encouraging George as a suitor, but then pushing him away, more than once. Upon later reflection, I said I thought that could be typical behavior of a waitress in a bar, who is flirtatious with male patrons who could be big tippers, but not wanting a relationship with them otherwise. Guy also said he needs to change the ending of his story, to make it have a bigger impact.
Kay told us about thoroughly enjoying the screenwriter’s workshop she attended last weekend in Vancouver. It was very informative about story structure for screenplays, and how they differ from novels. She learned about all the rights the author signs away when selling a screenplay, and the possibility it might never be produced. But she was also given a list of contacts to sell a screenplay. She said she loved this form of writing and thought she had found her niche.
Charity read from “Trixie Trouble” and we see her on Sunday morning, in her room at Mrs. Fisher’s. Not wanting to face going to church, she sips some brandy. But Mrs. Fisher brings her a cup of coffee and helps her get ready for breakfast and church. As she heads to church in her bonnet and new shiny shoes, she still has the bottle of brandy in her pocket.
Luke read the next scene of Dalin locked in the wagon in camp. He’s stiff and sore after a long and painful night, and then endures the hot and sticky day. He hears the sounds of war as the wagon moves in starts and stops, through the pass and then enters the broad valley. Still locked in the wagon, he realizes he had been terribly wrong about what he thought would happen.
In honour of Valentine’s Day, I read first a poem that asks Bryon if he will be my valentine, written in 1994. Then I read a short prose piece demonstrating how we still hunger for each other’s smile after more than twenty years together.
Margaret Moffatt had an article about the history of Sandon, B.C. in the February issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. Margaret’s been battling ill health and may no longer be writing her historical articles. We wish her all the best.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. Stay healthy and keep on writing!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Luke, Charity, Kay and new member Guy, joined me last night for our Meeting even though three of us were not feeling very well. Jason said he was spending the evening celebrating his wife’s birthday.
Guy asked how the group functioned in our Meetings, and what was expected. So I read a story of mine called “Predator and Prey” about a woman calling to ask about the group, but who was very sarcastic and nasty with her comments and then hung up on me after I explained we were mostly a support group and not a writing class. We learn from each other.
Then Guy mentioned the comments I had made to him about his character Ursula, a waitress in a bar, in his short story that I had read. I had said I could see where she was encouraging George as a suitor, but then pushing him away, more than once. Upon later reflection, I said I thought that could be typical behavior of a waitress in a bar, who is flirtatious with male patrons who could be big tippers, but not wanting a relationship with them otherwise. Guy also said he needs to change the ending of his story, to make it have a bigger impact.
Kay told us about thoroughly enjoying the screenwriter’s workshop she attended last weekend in Vancouver. It was very informative about story structure for screenplays, and how they differ from novels. She learned about all the rights the author signs away when selling a screenplay, and the possibility it might never be produced. But she was also given a list of contacts to sell a screenplay. She said she loved this form of writing and thought she had found her niche.
Charity read from “Trixie Trouble” and we see her on Sunday morning, in her room at Mrs. Fisher’s. Not wanting to face going to church, she sips some brandy. But Mrs. Fisher brings her a cup of coffee and helps her get ready for breakfast and church. As she heads to church in her bonnet and new shiny shoes, she still has the bottle of brandy in her pocket.
Luke read the next scene of Dalin locked in the wagon in camp. He’s stiff and sore after a long and painful night, and then endures the hot and sticky day. He hears the sounds of war as the wagon moves in starts and stops, through the pass and then enters the broad valley. Still locked in the wagon, he realizes he had been terribly wrong about what he thought would happen.
In honour of Valentine’s Day, I read first a poem that asks Bryon if he will be my valentine, written in 1994. Then I read a short prose piece demonstrating how we still hunger for each other’s smile after more than twenty years together.
Margaret Moffatt had an article about the history of Sandon, B.C. in the February issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. Margaret’s been battling ill health and may no longer be writing her historical articles. We wish her all the best.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 15th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. Stay healthy and keep on writing!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, January 20, 2017
THE REVIEW
SEVEN SCRIBES
The end of the cold snap saw the end of our long hiatus from meeting as writers. Jason, Kay, Luke, Monica, Charity and Margaret all joined me Wednesday for a very inspiring Meeting. We talked a bit about our writing goals for 2017. Kay wants to finish her novel and then turn it into a screenplay. She is going to a screenplay workshop later this month. Jason wants something to happen with his submission, but feels at this point in his life, he needs to get back out into the world in some way he finds satisfying. He will probably always be a writer, but wants a greater connection with the real world than he’s had as a stay at home parent. Monica will keep working on her dissertation, but also wants to work on more creative writings to reconnect with her soul. Charity wants to finish “Trixie Trouble” and find an agent for it. Luke wants to finish his novel and take it to the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Margaret is still working on “Babes In The Wood”. And I’m going to finish re-writing “Honey Signed The Waiver” and submit it somewhere this year. We’ll have to check our progress at the end of the year.
Luke read a scene from his novel about the young soldier, Dalin. The scene shows him being blamed after the army was trapped when they followed his suggestions to counter a supposed ambush. He tells the General to look for a spy amongst them, but the General is very angry at the loss of 500 soldiers. Dalin is taken to lock up.
Charity read the next chapter from “Trixie Trouble” where Donovan stops her from being caught stealing a horse and covers for her when Brett comes looking for her. Donovan talks her out of running away and into coming to church the next day.
Monica read a short piece saying goodbye to 2016 and the losses she endured, and welcoming the hope and opportunity of the New Year. Then she read a poem, “Goodbye My Friend, You Live Within”. It was a heartfelt tribute to a friend who died, but also a look at her own remorse for not being able to visit her at the end or attend her funeral. It was a poem full of raw emotion.
Margaret read Chapter 11, “The File” from “Babes In The Wood”. After reading the file at the Vancouver Police Station, she goes home and tells her husband about dates and events and reports not making sense. She tells Chris she thinks somebody has re-written the report. And we all assumed it was to hide something.
Jason said he had updated “Provoked” for submission to the agent, but that he hadn’t also updated the version still available on Amazon. He is thinking of asking for reviews from readers at Good Reads.
I brought up the Whistler Independent Book Awards competition where the entry fee is $100.00 and the prize is help self-publishing, 100 hard copies of the published book, and a book launch at Whistler. I said I had emailed them to ask if my ‘Honey’ story collection would qualify, but hadn’t heard back. However, since that Meeting, I’ve received their response and my collection would qualify as non-fiction. I’m still thinking about submitting.
I asked Margaret and Kay, since they both belong to the Federation of B.C. Writers, if they could get the on-line listing for The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group updated. The listing still has us meeting on Thursdays and still has Susan Flanagan as a local contact. Though Susan still receives all emails, she did move back to Newfoundland about ten years ago. Most inquiries I receive about the group now originate from that one internet listing and people are sometime dismayed that we meet Wednesdays instead. I’ve asked them to update the listing before, but it’s never happened. I wasn’t too concerned when we still had the Rams website, but that is no longer there to provide information. Although lots of viewers in Russia and the U.S. seem to be finding The Review on the blog, I don’t think that gets us inquiries about joining the group.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Good luck working toward your goals and I so look forward to seeing you on the 1st!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
The end of the cold snap saw the end of our long hiatus from meeting as writers. Jason, Kay, Luke, Monica, Charity and Margaret all joined me Wednesday for a very inspiring Meeting. We talked a bit about our writing goals for 2017. Kay wants to finish her novel and then turn it into a screenplay. She is going to a screenplay workshop later this month. Jason wants something to happen with his submission, but feels at this point in his life, he needs to get back out into the world in some way he finds satisfying. He will probably always be a writer, but wants a greater connection with the real world than he’s had as a stay at home parent. Monica will keep working on her dissertation, but also wants to work on more creative writings to reconnect with her soul. Charity wants to finish “Trixie Trouble” and find an agent for it. Luke wants to finish his novel and take it to the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Margaret is still working on “Babes In The Wood”. And I’m going to finish re-writing “Honey Signed The Waiver” and submit it somewhere this year. We’ll have to check our progress at the end of the year.
Luke read a scene from his novel about the young soldier, Dalin. The scene shows him being blamed after the army was trapped when they followed his suggestions to counter a supposed ambush. He tells the General to look for a spy amongst them, but the General is very angry at the loss of 500 soldiers. Dalin is taken to lock up.
Charity read the next chapter from “Trixie Trouble” where Donovan stops her from being caught stealing a horse and covers for her when Brett comes looking for her. Donovan talks her out of running away and into coming to church the next day.
Monica read a short piece saying goodbye to 2016 and the losses she endured, and welcoming the hope and opportunity of the New Year. Then she read a poem, “Goodbye My Friend, You Live Within”. It was a heartfelt tribute to a friend who died, but also a look at her own remorse for not being able to visit her at the end or attend her funeral. It was a poem full of raw emotion.
Margaret read Chapter 11, “The File” from “Babes In The Wood”. After reading the file at the Vancouver Police Station, she goes home and tells her husband about dates and events and reports not making sense. She tells Chris she thinks somebody has re-written the report. And we all assumed it was to hide something.
Jason said he had updated “Provoked” for submission to the agent, but that he hadn’t also updated the version still available on Amazon. He is thinking of asking for reviews from readers at Good Reads.
I brought up the Whistler Independent Book Awards competition where the entry fee is $100.00 and the prize is help self-publishing, 100 hard copies of the published book, and a book launch at Whistler. I said I had emailed them to ask if my ‘Honey’ story collection would qualify, but hadn’t heard back. However, since that Meeting, I’ve received their response and my collection would qualify as non-fiction. I’m still thinking about submitting.
I asked Margaret and Kay, since they both belong to the Federation of B.C. Writers, if they could get the on-line listing for The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group updated. The listing still has us meeting on Thursdays and still has Susan Flanagan as a local contact. Though Susan still receives all emails, she did move back to Newfoundland about ten years ago. Most inquiries I receive about the group now originate from that one internet listing and people are sometime dismayed that we meet Wednesdays instead. I’ve asked them to update the listing before, but it’s never happened. I wasn’t too concerned when we still had the Rams website, but that is no longer there to provide information. Although lots of viewers in Russia and the U.S. seem to be finding The Review on the blog, I don’t think that gets us inquiries about joining the group.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Good luck working toward your goals and I so look forward to seeing you on the 1st!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, January 5, 2017
THE REVIEW
WRITERS THREE
Jason and Kay joined me last night for a short Meeting. We were able to enjoy some longer discussions.
Jason confirmed that he did send off his submission to Donald Maass. We are keeping our fingers crossed for him. And Jason did say he’s hoping to finish the second book in his series this year. It is always good to have a definite goal.
Kay said she has decided to use all her own personal experiences as background fodder for a work of fiction instead of something non-fictional. She has outlined an amazing plot for a psychological thriller and we look forward to hearing how it progresses. Last night she did read a short story she did as an exercise to write more effectively. It’s written in first person, about a boyfriend calling to end their relationship but the message she hears is that she must kill him. That’s an interesting twist.
I read two stories last night. The first was “Heaven And Hell”, a ‘Honey’ story about when he was out of town and the air conditioner failed during very hot summer weather. The second story was “Sticky Note”, a short story I started writing down at the Lemon Bakery one Saturday when Luke and I were there. The story came from a writing prompt app on my cell phone, and the prompt was about finding a sticky note on my car. I had meant to write a little horror story, but it didn’t turn out that way as it now stands. However, if I continued with the story it could easily become something more sinister.
Jason questioned me again about why I haven’t continued writing “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. He said if I want to make it a life story of the two main characters, that I should have the story start with them knowing each other as children and then have them re-connect as adults, as is done in “Forest Gump”. Something to think about. Unfortunately, I really like writing short stories because of the sense of accomplishment I get when I finish one. It just takes so long to write a novel to find the same satisfaction. It’s like waiting ten years to smell the rose you planted yesterday. And I’ve been successful with short stories. I don’t think I’ll ever be a great novel writer. But maybe I just need to be pushed. Keep at it, Jason!
The latest Polar Expression short story anthology entitled “Shoreline” contains stories by two Rams; one by me and one by Gemma Tamas. Mine was “The Unwritten Story” and Gemma’s was “On The Sky Train”.
In the December issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine is an article by Margaret Moffatt on the history of Haida Gwaii. I haven’t yet seen the January issue, so can’t report what article of hers is included there.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Have you set a writing goal for yourself in 2017? I think it’s important for us to do that instead of just hoping inspiration will strike at random, like winning the lottery. For myself, I need to spend time at the keyboard in order to accomplish any writing. Words and/or storyline do not flow for me unless I am actually putting them on the screen or on paper.
Maybe we can discuss the goals we’ve set at the next Meeting, Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Jason and Kay joined me last night for a short Meeting. We were able to enjoy some longer discussions.
Jason confirmed that he did send off his submission to Donald Maass. We are keeping our fingers crossed for him. And Jason did say he’s hoping to finish the second book in his series this year. It is always good to have a definite goal.
Kay said she has decided to use all her own personal experiences as background fodder for a work of fiction instead of something non-fictional. She has outlined an amazing plot for a psychological thriller and we look forward to hearing how it progresses. Last night she did read a short story she did as an exercise to write more effectively. It’s written in first person, about a boyfriend calling to end their relationship but the message she hears is that she must kill him. That’s an interesting twist.
I read two stories last night. The first was “Heaven And Hell”, a ‘Honey’ story about when he was out of town and the air conditioner failed during very hot summer weather. The second story was “Sticky Note”, a short story I started writing down at the Lemon Bakery one Saturday when Luke and I were there. The story came from a writing prompt app on my cell phone, and the prompt was about finding a sticky note on my car. I had meant to write a little horror story, but it didn’t turn out that way as it now stands. However, if I continued with the story it could easily become something more sinister.
Jason questioned me again about why I haven’t continued writing “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”. He said if I want to make it a life story of the two main characters, that I should have the story start with them knowing each other as children and then have them re-connect as adults, as is done in “Forest Gump”. Something to think about. Unfortunately, I really like writing short stories because of the sense of accomplishment I get when I finish one. It just takes so long to write a novel to find the same satisfaction. It’s like waiting ten years to smell the rose you planted yesterday. And I’ve been successful with short stories. I don’t think I’ll ever be a great novel writer. But maybe I just need to be pushed. Keep at it, Jason!
The latest Polar Expression short story anthology entitled “Shoreline” contains stories by two Rams; one by me and one by Gemma Tamas. Mine was “The Unwritten Story” and Gemma’s was “On The Sky Train”.
In the December issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine is an article by Margaret Moffatt on the history of Haida Gwaii. I haven’t yet seen the January issue, so can’t report what article of hers is included there.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Have you set a writing goal for yourself in 2017? I think it’s important for us to do that instead of just hoping inspiration will strike at random, like winning the lottery. For myself, I need to spend time at the keyboard in order to accomplish any writing. Words and/or storyline do not flow for me unless I am actually putting them on the screen or on paper.
Maybe we can discuss the goals we’ve set at the next Meeting, Wednesday, January 18th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
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