BACK ON TRACK
This past Wednesday saw five of us Rams here at a Meeting after the previous one had been cancelled due to members unable to attend. Margaret F., Kristi, Annette and Jason all joined me to re-connect as writers in need of other writers.
Kristi read two poems. One was about a wind chime made of sea glass that twirled together the wind and the colours. The second poem was called “Portrait” and was about a confident woman unafraid of living in an explosion of colour.
Kristi also said she thinks she needs a plot outline in order to continue writing “Jane And The Midnight Daisies”, that she may be the type of author who needs that structure to start with. I asked if she had any idea of what the end of the book would be, and she said no. Knowing the end of my novel was something that helped me write towards a specific goal. I might not have been able to keep going otherwise. But Jason and Margaret both contend the act of writing will lead you to where the novel wants to go. Different things work for different writers.
Margaret read Chapter Two of “Babes In The Wood” and this chapter shows how she dared travel to Vancouver’s downtown Eastside to see an exhibit of police evidence collected on the Babes in the Wood case. She tells explicitly what she saw both on the street and inside the museum. The depravity of the murders are expanded by the decay and insanity in the neighbourhood where the display is housed. And in the telling of this, Margaret includes the symptoms of her own Asperger’s Syndrome that compel her to keep asking questions and dig deeper, desperately needing answers.
Jason read his next Chapter, which shows Damianos and the Amazon woman, Kwen, after he has saved her and removed the arrow from her shoulder. He has fed on those he killed and regained his strength. The two of them spar verbally and seem to be flirting, though she is so much larger than he is. Damianos wants to know what world they are in, but Kwen doesn’t tell him. He tells her she should enlighten him before he grows hungry again.
Annette said she didn’t bring anything to read, but has been devising a plot for a novel as she spent the past two days working, driving a tractor. The novel would be about the kidnapping of a young girl and its aftermath until she graduates from high school. She said she would incorporate some things she experienced herself while growing up.
Annette also told us she has been unable to keep writing her novel “A Touch Of Wormwood” since we all said we wanted her main character to be more dynamic. One party did not like the character at all and voiced that opinion. So this brings up the question of critiquing and how it’s done. We need to remember we should only comment on writing technicalities, never content or personal likes or dislikes. Some members want in-depth critiquing and others find that too off-putting to keep them inspired. I’ve had members quit for both reasons, because we critiqued too much and because we didn’t. Perhaps we need to ask those who read what it is they specifically want from those of us who are listening. That way any advice we have would be directed where it’s really wanted.
I had been recovering from some emergency surgery I had the end of September, and after another anaesthetic wasn’t feeling too mentally active. However, I did write a short ‘Honey’ story of 500 words entitled “Locked Out”. It’s about trying to find space to write in this house I share with Honey when he is at home and locks me out of the den while he works on his own project.
Chris Potter has been away but hopes to join us again at the next Meeting. Another writer has also queried about the Rams and said she will join us then, too. I have gone online and placed our Meetings on the Event Calendar for the Langley Times as well as the Abbotsford, Aldergrove, Surrey and White Rock papers.
Since the Langley Legion closed, I will have to make an effort to find a copy of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine each month so I can report on the articles Margaret Moffatt keeps writing for them.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, November 4th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place and I hope to see you then. Stay safe for Halloween!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, October 23, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
THE REVIEW
CHANGES
Jason, Kristi, Margaret F., and new member Christine (Chris) Potter, joined me last night in honour of The Muse. Welcome, Chris, to this motley crew of aspiring scribes.
I read first, and since Margaret was the only one last night who had already heard my latest ‘Honey’ story, that is what I read again. It’s not that I like to hear my own voice, just that I had nothing new to read. However, I had done some editing and changed a few things.
Jason read a chapter from his second book, about Damianos and the giant female, Kwen, in the jungle. He helps her defeat attackers, and then starts to devour them to assuage his hunger. Kwen is shot by an archer, and as she falls pleads with Damianos not to eat her, too! Lots of blood and gore in this chapter!
Kristi, back after a long absence, said she really hadn’t had much time to write. But she did read to us a poem, “Bones Of Dead Stars” and then a short story, “Sea Glass Lover” where a woman is torturing a man to obtain his password. He gives it to her and she then kills him. But leaving the room, she also leaves the simulation and they then discuss what the real password was. Dark. Surprising. I would love to read this story myself in print to fully appreciate its nuances.
Margaret F. read to us her latest re-write from “Babes”. This is her first chapter, and explains why she was so compelled to ask questions about this murder of two young children that was never solved. It is first person memoir, creative non-fiction which gives the reader an intimate point of view from which to watch. We all thought it was very well done, and that this is the voice Margaret should be using.
Chris read us a poem, “Wrinklies On The Road”, about a group of elderly people who have gone out on a day trip. It is full of crystal clear images of both old and young and their disconnection in today’s world. I suggested Chris send it to Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.
Marilyn Sergi will have a new article about her uncle in the Abbotsford Genealogical Society Newsletter. It is about becoming a British Bobby.
Annette won’t be joining us now until about December, as she is in Grand Forks attending her mother during cancer treatment. Jim and Leah were both unable to attend last night, no reason given. Wendy hopes to join us again perhaps around the end of October, after dealing with things since her mother passed away. Gemma, over in Victoria, says hi to everyone and wants members to know they are most welcome to visit if they come to the Island.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. Happy writing in the meantime.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Jason, Kristi, Margaret F., and new member Christine (Chris) Potter, joined me last night in honour of The Muse. Welcome, Chris, to this motley crew of aspiring scribes.
I read first, and since Margaret was the only one last night who had already heard my latest ‘Honey’ story, that is what I read again. It’s not that I like to hear my own voice, just that I had nothing new to read. However, I had done some editing and changed a few things.
Jason read a chapter from his second book, about Damianos and the giant female, Kwen, in the jungle. He helps her defeat attackers, and then starts to devour them to assuage his hunger. Kwen is shot by an archer, and as she falls pleads with Damianos not to eat her, too! Lots of blood and gore in this chapter!
Kristi, back after a long absence, said she really hadn’t had much time to write. But she did read to us a poem, “Bones Of Dead Stars” and then a short story, “Sea Glass Lover” where a woman is torturing a man to obtain his password. He gives it to her and she then kills him. But leaving the room, she also leaves the simulation and they then discuss what the real password was. Dark. Surprising. I would love to read this story myself in print to fully appreciate its nuances.
Margaret F. read to us her latest re-write from “Babes”. This is her first chapter, and explains why she was so compelled to ask questions about this murder of two young children that was never solved. It is first person memoir, creative non-fiction which gives the reader an intimate point of view from which to watch. We all thought it was very well done, and that this is the voice Margaret should be using.
Chris read us a poem, “Wrinklies On The Road”, about a group of elderly people who have gone out on a day trip. It is full of crystal clear images of both old and young and their disconnection in today’s world. I suggested Chris send it to Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.
Marilyn Sergi will have a new article about her uncle in the Abbotsford Genealogical Society Newsletter. It is about becoming a British Bobby.
Annette won’t be joining us now until about December, as she is in Grand Forks attending her mother during cancer treatment. Jim and Leah were both unable to attend last night, no reason given. Wendy hopes to join us again perhaps around the end of October, after dealing with things since her mother passed away. Gemma, over in Victoria, says hi to everyone and wants members to know they are most welcome to visit if they come to the Island.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then. Happy writing in the meantime.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, September 4, 2015
THE REVIEW
POWERFUL WORDS
Unfortunately, the power of the written word is not one that can also power our electrical lines. After the smashing windstorm last Saturday, some of us had restored power, and some of us didn’t. Alas, Annette had probably suffered the longest and her power wasn’t restored till Wednesday, and by then she wasn’t feeling at all well enough to attend a Meeting of The Rams. Jason said he was unable to attend, and as far as I know, Kristi may have still been away on holidays.
But Leah, Jim and Margaret F. all joined me here Wednesday and we had a good Meeting with just the four of us.
Margaret read first, from her book “Babes In The Wood”. This was a chapter that gave personal background information on the lead detective, Don MacKay. We all liked how it was written in first person from Margaret’s point of view, leading us to ask the same questions she hopes to pose in this book.
Jim read Chapter 15 from “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. This shows the ghosts Sara and Leanne trying to make contact with the living who come to the Wired Monk coffee shop, all their antics very amusing.
I read my latest ‘Honey’ story, “Lost And Found”. It was about several incidents of either being lost, or losing things, on our recent road trip to Thunder Bay. We were crying from laughing so hard when I read it. I hope that’s a good thing.
Leah read from her book “Bonguetopia”. I am not allowed to tell the storyline.
Margaret Moffatt has an article on the history of Kamloops in the September issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.
For the information of all members, I have decided to give up the domain name and the web hosting for our website, www.ramsheadwriters.ca The website is sadly out of date and I am unable to update it and Sonny, who originally set it up, has no time these days to work with it. Inquiries I receive about the writing group usually come to me through people finding the list of writing groups for Langley that is on the website for the Federation of B.C. Writers, and not our own website. I will continue to do the blog that contains The Review, as it is a separate entity and does not require any funding. I will continue to email all members each time an issue of The Review is posted at www.ramsheadwriters.blogspot.ca. These days, a number of our members write their own blogs or have their own websites, so I don’t see the loss of this one as being any great problem.
Since stores are now full of school supplies, it’s a great time to stock up on any office supplies you need. I went looking for a pack of red pens, for editing, to put in our goody box for the best piece of writing each month. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any. Hmmmm. Has there been a run on red ink? Maybe teachers hoard them? Or maybe accountants, since we are in a recession?
The next Meeting of The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group will be Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Unfortunately, the power of the written word is not one that can also power our electrical lines. After the smashing windstorm last Saturday, some of us had restored power, and some of us didn’t. Alas, Annette had probably suffered the longest and her power wasn’t restored till Wednesday, and by then she wasn’t feeling at all well enough to attend a Meeting of The Rams. Jason said he was unable to attend, and as far as I know, Kristi may have still been away on holidays.
But Leah, Jim and Margaret F. all joined me here Wednesday and we had a good Meeting with just the four of us.
Margaret read first, from her book “Babes In The Wood”. This was a chapter that gave personal background information on the lead detective, Don MacKay. We all liked how it was written in first person from Margaret’s point of view, leading us to ask the same questions she hopes to pose in this book.
Jim read Chapter 15 from “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. This shows the ghosts Sara and Leanne trying to make contact with the living who come to the Wired Monk coffee shop, all their antics very amusing.
I read my latest ‘Honey’ story, “Lost And Found”. It was about several incidents of either being lost, or losing things, on our recent road trip to Thunder Bay. We were crying from laughing so hard when I read it. I hope that’s a good thing.
Leah read from her book “Bonguetopia”. I am not allowed to tell the storyline.
Margaret Moffatt has an article on the history of Kamloops in the September issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.
For the information of all members, I have decided to give up the domain name and the web hosting for our website, www.ramsheadwriters.ca The website is sadly out of date and I am unable to update it and Sonny, who originally set it up, has no time these days to work with it. Inquiries I receive about the writing group usually come to me through people finding the list of writing groups for Langley that is on the website for the Federation of B.C. Writers, and not our own website. I will continue to do the blog that contains The Review, as it is a separate entity and does not require any funding. I will continue to email all members each time an issue of The Review is posted at www.ramsheadwriters.blogspot.ca. These days, a number of our members write their own blogs or have their own websites, so I don’t see the loss of this one as being any great problem.
Since stores are now full of school supplies, it’s a great time to stock up on any office supplies you need. I went looking for a pack of red pens, for editing, to put in our goody box for the best piece of writing each month. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any. Hmmmm. Has there been a run on red ink? Maybe teachers hoard them? Or maybe accountants, since we are in a recession?
The next Meeting of The Ram’s Head Writers’ Group will be Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Look forward to seeing you then.
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, August 20, 2015
THE REVIEW
AUGUST JOTTINGS
Leah, Jim, Annette and Jason all joined me last night for our most recent Meeting of the Rams. Kristi is away on holidays. Margaret F. said she had to rewrite her blog she lost to cyberspace before it was posted. She also wants to travel here by bus from where she lives in Surrey and I told her the service in this area leaves much to be desired, and it is a long walk from the stops on 200th St. And if she has to transfer at the loop on Logan, it’s not the safest, especially in the dark at night. I live where Translink doesn’t. But we do have street parking.
Jim read Chapters 13 and 14 from “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. This shows the death of the kitten, Sara, and how she decides to become a ghost who remains to haunt the coffee shop with Leanne. These chapters switched easily from a scene of sadness, to one of light and laughter, and then on to one showing Jason killing people to collect their souls for his master computer, hoping to find his dead parents somehow.
After Annette told us her escapade trying to catch a rat in her house, I decided to read one of my first ‘Honey’ stories, “Hostilities on the Home Front”. It tells of our house being invaded one spring by rats and the subsequent battle fought for supremacy of this dominion. Leah laughed and said she enjoyed the military references.
While I was visiting back east in Thunder Bay, I did have occasion to read several of my ‘Honey” stories to a varied group of my family and my daughter’s friends one evening at camp. They were very well received and one fellow came back the next day to ask what time the next reading would be! And several said they would be very happy to buy my book when it’s published. Now I just have to find a publisher.
Jason and Annette didn’t read anything. They have both been overwhelmed with family responsibilities this summer. Never thought I’d say this, but I think we need some rain to keep us inside and calm things down a bit. I am definitely done with this long, dry summer.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and that everyone can do some writing in spite of the heat and smoke from fires and kids and relatives and health and work and vehicle issues. It’s all just grist for the mill and only makes us better writers!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Leah, Jim, Annette and Jason all joined me last night for our most recent Meeting of the Rams. Kristi is away on holidays. Margaret F. said she had to rewrite her blog she lost to cyberspace before it was posted. She also wants to travel here by bus from where she lives in Surrey and I told her the service in this area leaves much to be desired, and it is a long walk from the stops on 200th St. And if she has to transfer at the loop on Logan, it’s not the safest, especially in the dark at night. I live where Translink doesn’t. But we do have street parking.
Jim read Chapters 13 and 14 from “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. This shows the death of the kitten, Sara, and how she decides to become a ghost who remains to haunt the coffee shop with Leanne. These chapters switched easily from a scene of sadness, to one of light and laughter, and then on to one showing Jason killing people to collect their souls for his master computer, hoping to find his dead parents somehow.
After Annette told us her escapade trying to catch a rat in her house, I decided to read one of my first ‘Honey’ stories, “Hostilities on the Home Front”. It tells of our house being invaded one spring by rats and the subsequent battle fought for supremacy of this dominion. Leah laughed and said she enjoyed the military references.
While I was visiting back east in Thunder Bay, I did have occasion to read several of my ‘Honey” stories to a varied group of my family and my daughter’s friends one evening at camp. They were very well received and one fellow came back the next day to ask what time the next reading would be! And several said they would be very happy to buy my book when it’s published. Now I just have to find a publisher.
Jason and Annette didn’t read anything. They have both been overwhelmed with family responsibilities this summer. Never thought I’d say this, but I think we need some rain to keep us inside and calm things down a bit. I am definitely done with this long, dry summer.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, September 2nd at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Hope to see you then and that everyone can do some writing in spite of the heat and smoke from fires and kids and relatives and health and work and vehicle issues. It’s all just grist for the mill and only makes us better writers!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Friday, June 19, 2015
THE REVIEW
AND THE PRIZE GOES TO?
Leah, Kristi, Jim and Margaret F. all joined me on Wednesday for another inspiring Meeting of the Rams. Jason was busy elsewhere. Lorelei was having a bad day. And Annette was attending someone’s birthday party.
Leah gave us a printout of “10 Ways to Promote Your Self-Published Book”. It covers all the basics to self-promote.
Margaret read first, two posts from her blog on caregiving. The first was “Caregiver’s New Year” where she tells us that watching another’s journey in dying is really a privilege and not something to evoke sympathy. The second post was “The Diagnosis” which tells of the shock for both the patient and the caregiver when the diagnosis is terminal, that nothing can be done. Both pieces tell of courage and heartbreak with end of life issues. You can find Margaret’s blog at www.caregiverme.com
Kristi read next, a short story called “TLC”. It is first person and tells of her going to work upset, and all the things going wrong, and then seeing that her first dental patient would be someone she detests. But when both are faced with each other’s tears, they learn they each lost a beloved dog the night before and end up uniting in their grief and consoling each other. And Kristi herself was in tears remembering the death of her dog. It’s remarkable how the printed word can elicit raw emotions from the writer, the reader, the listener. Powerfully written, for sure.
Jim read Ch. 5 of “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. In this chapter, Leanne appears for the first time after midnight to both her mother, Patty, and her sister, Olivia. Patty faints. We teased Jim because he had her body ‘prostate’ instead of ‘prostrate’. This was a really fun chapter and should thrill young readers.
I read again from “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”; the prologue, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. This explains the death of the child, that DeeDee drowned her, that she wants Nigel to understand, and that her mother is burdened by the event and is worried about what friends from church will think. I haven’t written more yet, but am editing what I have so far, trying to get back into the flow of the story.
In a conversation with Gemma, I did learn she is now involved with a writing group in Victoria and participated in a local event and sat a table where the writers were selling their own work. She said she was able to sell another copy of her book about her dog, Heidi. Good for Gemma!
At the end of the Meeting, we decided that Kristi deserved an award from our prize box for the story that was the best tear-jerker. She chose a small journal.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 8th at 7:00 p.m., here at my place. Hope to see you then, and that fathers have a wonderful Fathers’ Day, and that everyone enjoys Canada Day! Write on, Rams!!!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Leah, Kristi, Jim and Margaret F. all joined me on Wednesday for another inspiring Meeting of the Rams. Jason was busy elsewhere. Lorelei was having a bad day. And Annette was attending someone’s birthday party.
Leah gave us a printout of “10 Ways to Promote Your Self-Published Book”. It covers all the basics to self-promote.
Margaret read first, two posts from her blog on caregiving. The first was “Caregiver’s New Year” where she tells us that watching another’s journey in dying is really a privilege and not something to evoke sympathy. The second post was “The Diagnosis” which tells of the shock for both the patient and the caregiver when the diagnosis is terminal, that nothing can be done. Both pieces tell of courage and heartbreak with end of life issues. You can find Margaret’s blog at www.caregiverme.com
Kristi read next, a short story called “TLC”. It is first person and tells of her going to work upset, and all the things going wrong, and then seeing that her first dental patient would be someone she detests. But when both are faced with each other’s tears, they learn they each lost a beloved dog the night before and end up uniting in their grief and consoling each other. And Kristi herself was in tears remembering the death of her dog. It’s remarkable how the printed word can elicit raw emotions from the writer, the reader, the listener. Powerfully written, for sure.
Jim read Ch. 5 of “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. In this chapter, Leanne appears for the first time after midnight to both her mother, Patty, and her sister, Olivia. Patty faints. We teased Jim because he had her body ‘prostate’ instead of ‘prostrate’. This was a really fun chapter and should thrill young readers.
I read again from “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”; the prologue, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. This explains the death of the child, that DeeDee drowned her, that she wants Nigel to understand, and that her mother is burdened by the event and is worried about what friends from church will think. I haven’t written more yet, but am editing what I have so far, trying to get back into the flow of the story.
In a conversation with Gemma, I did learn she is now involved with a writing group in Victoria and participated in a local event and sat a table where the writers were selling their own work. She said she was able to sell another copy of her book about her dog, Heidi. Good for Gemma!
At the end of the Meeting, we decided that Kristi deserved an award from our prize box for the story that was the best tear-jerker. She chose a small journal.
The next Meeting will be Wednesday, July 8th at 7:00 p.m., here at my place. Hope to see you then, and that fathers have a wonderful Fathers’ Day, and that everyone enjoys Canada Day! Write on, Rams!!!
Lisa A. Hatton
Author
Thursday, June 4, 2015
THE REVIEW
PAPER CLIP BONANZA
Jason, Leah, Annette and Jim joined me last night for the latest meeting of the Rams. And I am now one box of jumbo paper clips richer. Jim said he can only buy his favourite jumbo clips by the case and he ended up with a thirty year supply. It was his birthday, and he said since he probably wouldn’t outlive his supply of paper clips, he was spreading them around. Something every writer needs, right?
Jason read what might become Chapter 16 of his novel. This chapter was from the point of view of Damianos and shows him starving in an alternate reality/world where he views a beautiful amazon woman at least three feet taller than he is. He saves her from the arrow of a killer and she softens towards him. But he still views her as dinner. We all loved this chapter because Damianos is such a vivid, colourful character, capable of both good and evil at the same time.
Annette read Chapter 25 in “A Touch Of Wormwood”. We see George West moaning on the floor after Alyssa’s father shot him with a stun gun. Mike shows up at the door, badly beaten, but having subdued one of West’s men on the porch, and beat another two of them besides. Alyssa can’t decide whether to wait at the cabin for John, or leave in the ambulance with Mike. Her father tells her to go with Mike. We are still waiting for Alyssa to make up her own mind about who she wants.
Jim read us Ch. 3a, 3b, 3c and revised 3, from “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. Judge Jeffreys visits the ghost of Jane Seymour and asks her to befriend Leanne of Coventry and try to keep an eye on her to avert trouble, as the young girl exudes more power than she knows how to control. Meanwhile, Leanne uses her powers of telepathy with her sister, Olivia, to have her come to the coffee shop with their mother, Patty, who now cleans the shop three nights a week. Patty tries to remain ‘rational’ but can’t explain all the weird things that happen at the coffee shop. Olivia knows the telepathic link with her sister remains, and she still misses her terribly. We urged Jim to supply some reason why Patty was willing to work at the coffee shop located right where Leanne died outside. Even rational mothers need some good reason to work where they are reminded of a child’s death.
Jason, Jim and I all admitted we hadn’t written anything new to read but had been working at editing previous drafts of work we’ve done.
However, Jim did write an article about prologues, that is in the newsletter at Linkedin. He included my prologue to “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” as an example of a very short prologue, 89 words. Shorter is better he says.
Margaret Moffatt has an article on the history of Vancouver’s North Shore in the June Issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.
Marilyne Sergi has an article about Canada’s Pier 21 in Halifax in the Abbotsford Genealogical Society Newsletter, June 2015 issue. Also in that issue is her “A Narrative Poem” relating to the history of Edmonton.
Kristi was unable to join us last night as she had no one to look after her children for her. And Lorelie was not feeling well after babysitting a sick grandchild earlier in the week. Hope to see them both next time.
When Jim handed out the paper clips last night, I suggested we start a box of donated writing gifts that we can use as prizes. Further discussion led us to decide we should all contribute something a writer could use, maximum cost of any item under $5.00, and then once a month award a prize for something like the best piece of dialogue, the best action scene, the best character description, the best sex scene (Jason’s suggestion), etc. Prizes we donate to the box could be a box of paper clips, pens, scratch pad, ream of paper, ruler, dictionary, thesaurus, book on writing, USB memory stick, etc. And the winner each month can draw whatever he or she would prefer. Each month we will all submit on a piece of paper our choice of which piece of writing meant the most to us and why, and then we will have someone draw from the collection to determine the winner. Maybe we will go alphabetically to determine the sequence of who draws the winning entry. Okay, Game On! Now you have to write your best!
Leah tells me the Langley Arts Council is meeting next Tuesday, June 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Langley Community Music School, 4899 – 207th St., near the Al Anderson Pool. She said they are looking to connect with any Langley writing groups and have more literary artists showcased in the community. I think I will go with Leah and represent the Rams. Watch out, there could be public readings coming soon to your future profiles as writers!
Next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, June 17th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Keep writing. Don’t get frazzled by the warm sunshine. And bring your donations to the prize box. See you on the 17th.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Jason, Leah, Annette and Jim joined me last night for the latest meeting of the Rams. And I am now one box of jumbo paper clips richer. Jim said he can only buy his favourite jumbo clips by the case and he ended up with a thirty year supply. It was his birthday, and he said since he probably wouldn’t outlive his supply of paper clips, he was spreading them around. Something every writer needs, right?
Jason read what might become Chapter 16 of his novel. This chapter was from the point of view of Damianos and shows him starving in an alternate reality/world where he views a beautiful amazon woman at least three feet taller than he is. He saves her from the arrow of a killer and she softens towards him. But he still views her as dinner. We all loved this chapter because Damianos is such a vivid, colourful character, capable of both good and evil at the same time.
Annette read Chapter 25 in “A Touch Of Wormwood”. We see George West moaning on the floor after Alyssa’s father shot him with a stun gun. Mike shows up at the door, badly beaten, but having subdued one of West’s men on the porch, and beat another two of them besides. Alyssa can’t decide whether to wait at the cabin for John, or leave in the ambulance with Mike. Her father tells her to go with Mike. We are still waiting for Alyssa to make up her own mind about who she wants.
Jim read us Ch. 3a, 3b, 3c and revised 3, from “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. Judge Jeffreys visits the ghost of Jane Seymour and asks her to befriend Leanne of Coventry and try to keep an eye on her to avert trouble, as the young girl exudes more power than she knows how to control. Meanwhile, Leanne uses her powers of telepathy with her sister, Olivia, to have her come to the coffee shop with their mother, Patty, who now cleans the shop three nights a week. Patty tries to remain ‘rational’ but can’t explain all the weird things that happen at the coffee shop. Olivia knows the telepathic link with her sister remains, and she still misses her terribly. We urged Jim to supply some reason why Patty was willing to work at the coffee shop located right where Leanne died outside. Even rational mothers need some good reason to work where they are reminded of a child’s death.
Jason, Jim and I all admitted we hadn’t written anything new to read but had been working at editing previous drafts of work we’ve done.
However, Jim did write an article about prologues, that is in the newsletter at Linkedin. He included my prologue to “Nigel Wingate Is Dead” as an example of a very short prologue, 89 words. Shorter is better he says.
Margaret Moffatt has an article on the history of Vancouver’s North Shore in the June Issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.
Marilyne Sergi has an article about Canada’s Pier 21 in Halifax in the Abbotsford Genealogical Society Newsletter, June 2015 issue. Also in that issue is her “A Narrative Poem” relating to the history of Edmonton.
Kristi was unable to join us last night as she had no one to look after her children for her. And Lorelie was not feeling well after babysitting a sick grandchild earlier in the week. Hope to see them both next time.
When Jim handed out the paper clips last night, I suggested we start a box of donated writing gifts that we can use as prizes. Further discussion led us to decide we should all contribute something a writer could use, maximum cost of any item under $5.00, and then once a month award a prize for something like the best piece of dialogue, the best action scene, the best character description, the best sex scene (Jason’s suggestion), etc. Prizes we donate to the box could be a box of paper clips, pens, scratch pad, ream of paper, ruler, dictionary, thesaurus, book on writing, USB memory stick, etc. And the winner each month can draw whatever he or she would prefer. Each month we will all submit on a piece of paper our choice of which piece of writing meant the most to us and why, and then we will have someone draw from the collection to determine the winner. Maybe we will go alphabetically to determine the sequence of who draws the winning entry. Okay, Game On! Now you have to write your best!
Leah tells me the Langley Arts Council is meeting next Tuesday, June 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Langley Community Music School, 4899 – 207th St., near the Al Anderson Pool. She said they are looking to connect with any Langley writing groups and have more literary artists showcased in the community. I think I will go with Leah and represent the Rams. Watch out, there could be public readings coming soon to your future profiles as writers!
Next Meeting of The Rams will be Wednesday, June 17th at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Keep writing. Don’t get frazzled by the warm sunshine. And bring your donations to the prize box. See you on the 17th.
LISA A. HATTON
Author
Published eBooks available at Kobo Books:
FIRE: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739615
LOVE FOUND: http://kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991739608
Friday, May 22, 2015
THE REVIEW
SNOOZE-FEST?
Can’t say whether it was the warm temperature or that our writing was boring, but a few eyelids had trouble staying up on Wednesday night when Leah, Jim, Lorelei and Jason joined me here for a meeting. Hope it was just that I didn’t have the air conditioning on high! Kristi was busy with her son’s fifth birthday, and Annette had been marooned in Princeton with a vehicle breakdown on her way home from Grand Forks. We missed them both.
We discussed how best to indicate to the reader there is a change in point of view within a chapter, and agreed additional space between paragraphs is warranted. However, on looking up the subject, the advice I found was: Change of scene can be indicated with an extra space. Change of POV or timeframe will need either the # or ***, in the middle of the space between paragraphs. Jim uses the # key in his writing. I always start a new chapter when I change POV. Each to their own, I guess. Just don’t leave the reader confused as to whose head they are roaming around in.
Lorelie handed around a print-out of what we all surmised to be an attempted scam via email. This one was very well written but we were skeptical that anybody would still be falling for something like that.
Jim read the edited version of the prologue and first few chapters of “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. The prologue shows the death of Leanne and the first few chapters show how she is learning to haunt the coffee shop. Also, Judge Jeffreys is introduced near the beginning and he tells Leanne the rules of haunting and that breaking them means being exiled to Drakko. Wanting to communicate her thanks to the ladies who had tried to save her, she appears after midnight to each successive cleaning person at the coffee shop, but ends up scaring them all away.
The writing reads much smoother and Jim likes what the editor has suggested, but is still having problems getting the process to move ahead more quickly. At the rate it’s been going, he could see it taking two years for an edit he would like to see completed in maybe a few months. He did say he needs to speak with the editor. Luckily, he didn’t pay up front for the service.
Since Jason has several times asked me what was happening with “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, I had pulled out the beginnings of that novel that I hadn’t looked at in a couple of years and at the meeting I read the prologue and first chapter. I thought they still read fairly well and Leah said she wanted to keep going and hear what was happening. Jason suggested I include a little more information on where the Cariboo and Watch Lake are located and Leah had the perfect wording to do that, so I will add that information right at the beginning. Jason also told me not to forget that just because this story is based on a true incident, I don’t have to only write what really happened; that I can make the story more compelling by adding fictional elements. He’s right, as I always intended this to be fiction anyhow. And that is when Lorelei perked right up and took notes. You don’t have to be fettered by only the truth when you write.
I also told Jim that I had managed to group all my ‘Honey’ stories in one manuscript file on my computer, and have also done some formatting so the whole thing is visually readable. Next will come the editing. Someone asked if I had decided what order to put the stories in and I said I had chosen an order for the time being. But I may ask someone, or several someones, to read the order and give me their thoughts on the subject.
The Meetings in June will be the usual dates, the first and third Wednesdays. However, as the first Wednesday in July is actually July 1st, a holiday, we decided to move that meeting to July 8th. And since I will be away the end of July and the beginning of August, there will be other changes, as well. So after discussion, here is the intended schedule for June, July and August.
June 3rd
June 17th
July 8th
July 15th
August 19th
All Meetings will be at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Be sure to mark your calendars. Really hope that you will be able to attend. Happy writing everyone!
Can’t say whether it was the warm temperature or that our writing was boring, but a few eyelids had trouble staying up on Wednesday night when Leah, Jim, Lorelei and Jason joined me here for a meeting. Hope it was just that I didn’t have the air conditioning on high! Kristi was busy with her son’s fifth birthday, and Annette had been marooned in Princeton with a vehicle breakdown on her way home from Grand Forks. We missed them both.
We discussed how best to indicate to the reader there is a change in point of view within a chapter, and agreed additional space between paragraphs is warranted. However, on looking up the subject, the advice I found was: Change of scene can be indicated with an extra space. Change of POV or timeframe will need either the # or ***, in the middle of the space between paragraphs. Jim uses the # key in his writing. I always start a new chapter when I change POV. Each to their own, I guess. Just don’t leave the reader confused as to whose head they are roaming around in.
Lorelie handed around a print-out of what we all surmised to be an attempted scam via email. This one was very well written but we were skeptical that anybody would still be falling for something like that.
Jim read the edited version of the prologue and first few chapters of “Coventry Ghosts – Book I”. The prologue shows the death of Leanne and the first few chapters show how she is learning to haunt the coffee shop. Also, Judge Jeffreys is introduced near the beginning and he tells Leanne the rules of haunting and that breaking them means being exiled to Drakko. Wanting to communicate her thanks to the ladies who had tried to save her, she appears after midnight to each successive cleaning person at the coffee shop, but ends up scaring them all away.
The writing reads much smoother and Jim likes what the editor has suggested, but is still having problems getting the process to move ahead more quickly. At the rate it’s been going, he could see it taking two years for an edit he would like to see completed in maybe a few months. He did say he needs to speak with the editor. Luckily, he didn’t pay up front for the service.
Since Jason has several times asked me what was happening with “Nigel Wingate Is Dead”, I had pulled out the beginnings of that novel that I hadn’t looked at in a couple of years and at the meeting I read the prologue and first chapter. I thought they still read fairly well and Leah said she wanted to keep going and hear what was happening. Jason suggested I include a little more information on where the Cariboo and Watch Lake are located and Leah had the perfect wording to do that, so I will add that information right at the beginning. Jason also told me not to forget that just because this story is based on a true incident, I don’t have to only write what really happened; that I can make the story more compelling by adding fictional elements. He’s right, as I always intended this to be fiction anyhow. And that is when Lorelei perked right up and took notes. You don’t have to be fettered by only the truth when you write.
I also told Jim that I had managed to group all my ‘Honey’ stories in one manuscript file on my computer, and have also done some formatting so the whole thing is visually readable. Next will come the editing. Someone asked if I had decided what order to put the stories in and I said I had chosen an order for the time being. But I may ask someone, or several someones, to read the order and give me their thoughts on the subject.
The Meetings in June will be the usual dates, the first and third Wednesdays. However, as the first Wednesday in July is actually July 1st, a holiday, we decided to move that meeting to July 8th. And since I will be away the end of July and the beginning of August, there will be other changes, as well. So after discussion, here is the intended schedule for June, July and August.
June 3rd
June 17th
July 8th
July 15th
August 19th
All Meetings will be at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. Be sure to mark your calendars. Really hope that you will be able to attend. Happy writing everyone!
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