We met at the old Boarders store (now BAM) in Concord, NH. Attending were Brad, Monica, Mary and me.
Monica didn't present.
Brad presented another scene from his SiFi magical powers fiction. He is playing with the physical compatibility problems. Like "How do you walk through walls but don't fall through floors?" I'd suggest the 'real' story is imaginary implants rather than actual teleporting. But, there I go again, trying to make stories fit with physics.
Mary gave us some more of her YA sentient buildings story. She was trying to show kids involved in teacher/administrator confrontations. I like the way Schultz portrayed parents in 'Peanuts.' Just a blasting horn sound. But, Mary's kids are a bit older and can follow adult conversations... why may be a mystery but what they say is understood.
I presented only a portion of 'Assault' Chapter Ten, Scene 11, 'Three Docs and a Marker.' Again, I need to step back a little farther. I include too much. 'I' think the detail is necessary but the reader won't. They suggest I summarize each paragraph (in a five word sentence) and retell it just as an observer.
We will meet again 2012/02/11.
 

We met at the BAM store in Concord, NH.
Attending: Monica, Brad, Mary, Lee and Clint.
Monica didn't present. Brad presented an installment of his magical fiction. He tried to tackle the problems of ghost travel in four dimensions. When can you become solid and what are the consequences if you become solid in the middle of a wall? Interesting.
Mary switched back to one of her YA stories with characters a little out of whack.
Lee gave us more tunnel drilling problems and a bit more of the history of the times.
I presented "Assault" Chapter Ten, Scene 10, "Delaware Circus," WDC

ID: 1833049   (Rated: 18+) Delaware Circus  Scene 10, Complications with negotiations. by Clint

Sunday afternoon writing group at B&N Manchester.
Brad and I were the only attendees.
I read "The Event" and "Last Transmission" as the end of my NaNoWriMo novel. He saw the story as contiguous and didn't notice the long time lapses (as intended). Also, the inevitability of the crew's fate and their acceptance of it wasn't foreign because there are many stories with that kind of sacrifice (war stories, medical, etc).
Brad read the first chapter from his YA novel he is editing now. Good use of suspense and description. He ends with a cliff hanger.
We will meet a week earlier next month. The 4th Sunday is Christmas so we will meet the 18th.

 

We met in the café at the old Boarders store (now BAM) in Concord, NH. The old Boarders manager (Cynthia) is now the manager at the new BAM store. She gave out great BAM book-bags.
Attending: Lee, Brad, Mary and me. Monica wanted to come but had a conflict.
Lee gave us more of his “Through the Mountain” story. His MMC is getting serious about the MFC and Lee is writing the romance in the style they did in 1860... interesting.
Brad gave us a Sci-Fy intro with godlike characters and magical happenings.
Mary continued her incest trial with strange courtroom antics and dialogue.
I presented “Assault” chapter ten scene [9], “You've Got To Be Kidding.” I’ve got to ditch the time-tags. They are too distracting. Also, the amount of dialogue wasn’t too realistic. Lee suggested I just summarize big portions and only put in dialogue to break up the heavy background info. “Remember, a story is about what people do. An essay is used to distribute information.”

ID: 1825600   (Rated: 18+) You've Got to be Kidding  Scene [9] State wants money back, do we have to do their job too? Moret a threat again? by Clint

Write-In at B&N, Manchester. Eleven were there for the first hour... then seven.
Four simultaneous conversations filled the air. Two serious, a third dominated by a non-writer and a fourth about the latest sit-coms on TV.
Boys poke each other as mere grammatical gestures, steal pencils and paper to tease the girls and seem more interested in cookies (the food) than verbs.
Girls giggle for every reason.
Adults put-up-with the kids just to avoid baby-sitting expenses.
The sounds from the canteen fill the dead spots in conversation.
"Mom" is way behind in word count. Daughter is writing NaNoWriMo to get credit for an English class.
Every conversation requires an in-depth familiarity with movies, TV and Harry Potter. The big problem with that is much of a movie experience depends on the director. And that is not normally written into the script. In fact it is frowned upon... directing from the page.

I worked on "Cosmic Progeny" amid all the noise from the kids doing Fan Fiction.

For the second hour I worked on the ending for "Passing Acquaintance."

ID: 1826130   (Rated: 18+) The Event  The end of a mission. by Clint

4th Sunday writing group at B&N Manchester.
Brad and his 9-year-old son Edward were at the table. Nobody else showed up.
We talked about YA and content for YA readers.
Brad read his short story adventure piece beginning about an artifact that has magic powers. It is like a hard-boiled detective "Maltese Falcon" story aimed at kids like his son. Edward liked it.
I presented Ol'Sanduleak as the prologue for "Cosmic Progeny." They both liked it. We talked about SF and how far you can go with science before it becomes fantasy.

ID: 1821020   (Rated: 18+) SN1987A  The collapse and supernovae of Sanduleak. by Clint

We met at the Londonderry, NH library.
We arrived 10 minutes early and were let in with an employee at 09:55.
The room had a table, six chairs and a closable door.
Attending: Mary, Monica, Brad, Lee and me.
Lee gave us more of his tunnel story. He had a lot of history in his piece... the Dred Scott Decision of 1857, the Filibusters of Venezuela, slave catchers and anti-slavery arguments. He showed the technical problems of rock miners in the 1850s.
Mary continued her YA piece about incest, courtroom scenes and customs of the court.
Brad didn’t present but his critiques were appreciated.
Monica gave us a pick-pocket scene at an airport from her hard-boiled detective introduction.
I presented Assault, Chapter Ten, Scene [8], Hard Options. Was received better than my last piece. I don’t need so much about Harr and I should get rid of the timestamps.
Lee will check with Books-A-Million in Concord to see if we can meet there again.

ID: 1821533   (Rated: 18+) Hard Options  Scene [8] Planning to win, but if we lose, reasons to write the book. by Clint

We met at the Dunbarton, NH library.
We got there a bit early. Nancy, the librarian, opened for us and showed us into the meeting room.
Attendees: Mary, Monica, Bradley and me.
Mary gave us more of her incest story. It was a courtroom scene with rather graphic descriptions. Rough stuff for a children’s book, but I think done appropriately.
Bradley (Monica brought him for the first time) read a poem he created for one of his wife’s paintings.
I presented Chapter Ten, Scene [7], Sad Return. I still have too much equipment detail. I need to show the emotions we had with the slow bureaucracy, not the minutia of the process of getting the machines. Our reactions to the loss of Angle went well.
We will meet next at the Londonderry, NH library, on the 22nd.

ID: 1817027   (Rated: 18+) Sad Return  Scene [7] Kimee returns to NEPC and a loss of an Angle. by Clint

         From the announcement on the New Hampshire Writers’ Project web page: “Writers' Night Out is your chance to meet and mingle with other writers in your area.”

         Ferne and I went to the one at The Barley House, 132 North Main Street, Concord. We ate before we went, didn't know it was a good restaurant. Next meeting we will eat there... drinks are expensive though.

         Attendees: Lee, Frank, Cherie, Tracy, Kevin, Ferne and me.

         Kevin works in TV & films and writes true crime novels.

         Tracy is working on a literary fiction novel (currently @ 400 pages).

         Lee and Frank are working on historical fiction novels.

         Cherie writes short stories and loves to do research.

         I write short stories and am working on a large memoir.

         Ferne specializes in editing and proof reading (my stuff).

         The crime topic of the Martha Moxley case came up. She had just won her appeal and had been released. But, the prosecutor was threatening to recharge her before she could get out of the country. The only crime she was guilty of was disrespecting the police. Obviously, the legal system there works very differently than here. Much more aligned with personal and political power.

         Cherie lived in Venice for a few years. She says Italians are preoccupied with circumventing their laws. They examine the law as written and, rather than conform to it, spend inordinate time trying to figure out ways to get around it. They are not interested in paying taxes either.

         Kevin wrote a nonfiction novel of the Sheila LaBarre murder case in 2008. He had been working on it for years, but had it ready to publish within weeks of when the guilty verdict was announced. That’s the way to do it!

         Tracy is a working mother and has scarcely little time to write. But, she loves twitter and has a large group of writer friends that takes more of her precious time.

         Lee and I are able to write as much as we want. He is going to his 50th H.S. reunion next month and won’t be able to attend for November. I told him about my 50th in August. Most at the table wouldn’t want to see any of their H.S. classmates. I felt that was too bad. Shutting out a major part of your life means something was wrong with either your ‘friends’... or ‘you.’

 

Writing group at B&N Manchester, final Thursday, 18:30-21:30.
Attending: Cindy, Noreen, Laura, Kevin, Mari, Don and me. Noreen is a retired nurse so I'll have to really be good at medical stuff if I go that way.
The task last month: Write a story in 6 sentences. Since I wasn't going to be there, I sent it by email. Here is what I submitted.
My six sentence story (or maybe just a prologue):

Heaven or Hell
Years ago I had a crush on a girl back in high school.
Nothing intimate, but we'd talk about all things important to teens.
We've kept in touch; phone calls, an occasional letter, but we've unfortunately missed meeting on my infrequent returns to Oregon.
Over the years she's confided she liked me a lot, too.
On August 27th we will meet again at our 50th high school reunion.
My wife will be there to referee.

So this month I presented "The Rest of the Story' about that 50th reunion in Oregon last month. The crowd scene dialogue was acceptable (done like that by other authors).
Laura is still concerned about critiquing. I told her to ignore the personal comments she's gotten by email.
Mari gave us a poem we can critique for her. "The Cousins" about two boys (I'd guess about 12 years old) who are being separated. I promised I'd review it and email the group.

ID: 1815311   (Rated: 18+) The Rest of the Story  With a tip of my hat to Paul Harvey, my trip to Oregon. by Clint