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

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