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 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