We met at Taliah’s house on Thursday 16th
February.
News
TJ: none
AM: posted a new blog on the merits of the Health &
Social Care Bill (she couldn’t find any); has presided over two sessions of her
Creative Writing course at Worcester Uni which have gone well except for the
age (youth?) of her students and entered a poetry competition.
TD: may be emigrating (depends on the referendum) – at any
rate, she’s leaving Worcester at the end of March to spend three years in the
Orkneys. Vacancy at the Pen club – must like choccie biscuits.
TB: has written two short stories.
CE: got twenty-five quid for a recipe.
Critique
CE’s Chance/Chancer was found confusing – how many
characters were there ? – what kind of man was Dennis, the main character?
Was the opening scene in the boardroom necessary? Overall the plot was ok and
pacy but definitely in need of some work.
TB read a new flash fiction short, the heroine of which
resembled a Agnetha Fältskog/Alien crossbreed – lots of
long blonde hair and very sharp teeth. The fun was not quite able to hold at
bay the sinister, which made it a very intriguing (and enjoyable) exercise.
TJ followed that with a lovely poem for children about a train
ride; plenty of fun here too, but malign malevolence was (quite rightly)
abjured.
Other biz:
To read or not to read: after discussion we agreed ‘to read’
and unanimously approved Alison’s suggestion that the reader should be someone
other than the author.
Meeting plan: again we were unanimous in feeling that one
reading plus critique was sufficient but there should always be additional
diversions (flash fiction, poems, whatever).
Blog: we agreed to carry on with it but to rotate writing
duty. Tim is to investigate (or get on with) the creation of a new site to
which we can all have editing access.
Next meeting: venue Taliah’s house; date Thursday March 8th;
time 7.30; author : Taliah; reader tbd.
