Meeting Minutes, June 26, 2011

We welcomed Danielle who joined our group for the first time.

Kelli asked whether and when she should re-submit to a publisher after making revisions. She said they had responded that it required editing and that she made revisions and wants to re-submit. Marilyn suggesting writing them and telling them in the query letter that she had made the revisions as they suggested. Everyone agreed.

Sonja joined us after a lengthy absence (indoor soccer season is over for her son). She read the first chapter of the fantasy novel she has been working on and received lots of positive feedback. Sonja said she is thinking of writing a prologue. Everyone gave comments on the pros and cons of prologues. Most fantasy/Sci-Fi writers do start their novels with prologues. Others said readers want to be intrigued at the beginning and back story can be weaved into the story. Another suggested writing the prologue for herself, perhaps to look back on and insert the pieces of information where they fit in the story.

Nancy suggested checking Robert J. Sawyer's website, a Canadian Sci-Fi writer who has lots of info on his website.

Marilyn read a short story called "Professionalism".

The prompts were provided by Nancy. Most were song lyrics and Nancy posed the question if anyone knew from what songs. One she had hand-written in, "Do you know..." which brought up quite a few responses. "Do you know the muffin man?" "Do you know the way to San Jose?" I came up with another at home: "Do you know where you're going to? Do you know what life is showing you?" Then my daughters sang yet another song beginning with that phrase. Me thinks there may be many songs starting with "Do you know..." How many do YOU know?

Prompts:

1. Why I have writer's block. (not song lyrics)
2. It's written in the scriptures and it's written in blood.
3. She/he walked into an empty church...
4. I will speak no more...
5. If there is a choice...
6. From the broken hill...
7. The sun poured down like honey...
8. I forget to pray...
9. Do you know...

We never attempted to guess what songs the other prompts were from and I've drawn a complete blank. My father (The Music Man) is probably rolling over in his grave.

Kelli wrote "The sun poured like honey...". A sound affect made by another member caused Kelli to stop reading and laugh as the next line described that particular sound affect to a T. How convenient, Clare.

Sonja wrote from "She walked into an empty church...", a piece geared towards her novel.

Judy wrote from "I forget to pray", a dialogue between two friends about when to pray and what prayer is.

Marilyn wrote about "If there is a choice..."

Clare wrote, "Brother Basil walked into an empty church..."

Ron chose, If there is a choice between life and death... a thoughtful question which turned into a humorous story about a cat who caught a chipmunk.

Pat also wrote "I forget to pray" gearing it towards her novel.

Nancy and Danielle passed. Joe had to leave early but took the prompts with him. Hopefully we will hear a wee story from one of the prompts at a later date.

Anyone willing to do so, please post your prompt results here and share with others because frankly, I can't stay focused enough to write down everything. (Diane, where are you?)

Next meeting is July 24th. Clare will be leading.

Writing Prompts

Don't get all excited now, I'm not putting in a list of actual writing prompts.
Someone asked me the other day where to get some good prompts from. Just thinking off the top of my head, I told him try using song lyrics (okay, so I write song lyrics). Then I started to think of the various ways people in our group do come up with ideas for prompts.

There are various books available that will give you some great ones. Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones has several ideas. You can get ideas from:

lines from songs

sentences from books and magazines

quotations

use weird words from the dictionary

photographs or pictures from magazines

newspaper headlines

phrases you overhear in the coffee shop

things your kids have said or done

In short, life is one big prompt. Ideas for prompts should be simple so the writer can feel free to run with whatever crosses their minds and not feel restricted.

There is always something to write about.