Newsletter October 2007

Coventry Writers Group

Newsletter.

Tuesday 3^rd October 2007

Chair: Mike Sherratt, 34 Bexfield Close, Allesley Village, Coventry CV5 9BL (telephone 02476 – 405232. E-mail: michael.sherratt1@btopenworld.com

Secretary: Christine Rutherford 23 Frances Road Harbury Warks CV33 9JG

(tel 01926 613757 e-mail krismonsen@btopenworld.com)

1. Chair’s Notes – Maxine’s new email is maxineburns@sky.com without the capitals.
2. Apologies Mary Ogilvy
3. Correspondence/info/notes

· Friends Meeting House in Hill Street do a writing course under the auspices of Warwick University.

· Warwick Words Literary Festival Thursday - Sunday

· ***CHRISTMAS DINNER*** 7.30 Friday December 14^th Harvester Restaurant. Suitable for all, £13.00 Christmas menu with 3-4 choices for each course and a really good salad bar. £5 deposit PLEASE BRING SOME CASH TO THE NEXT MEETING!

4. Achievements
1. Ann: Dogs Monthly; Collectors Gazette; Telegraph; editing of the third book of her trilogy n its final stage of editing. Ann brought the ms and the corrections to show how it is done.
2. Brenda had a letter published in Warwickshire Life.
3. Mike won 3^rd prize in Scenes of Clerical Life competition. Chris R was meant to bring the judges comments but forgot them so they are attached with this newsletter.
4. Chris Jarvis wrote the ‘offstage’ scenes in The Holmes Service which was performed by the Wheatsheaf players.
5. Phil has spoken to a professional reader and a BBC producer, whom he met at the Festival of Science and both agreed to read his book.
5. Round table.
1. Roddy Doyle’s path to success is about his self-publishing victory in a book which is 75% dialogue, which proves the rules are always flexible.
2. Ordinary writing is not like literature and good writing is not written to a formula.
3. A writer’s journey might be as follows:

i. Normal world

ii. Call to Adventure

iii. Refuses the call

iv. Meets a mentor who persuades

v. Starts the adventure.

4. There is a balance between writing for one’s own pleasure and writing for a market. Discuss
5. Discussed our thoughts on Phil’s book and the comments of his Reader.

6. Readings
1. Mike’s prize winning story, The Vicar’s Tale
2. Maxine’s article: Slugs for Amateur Gardeners

c. Chris Jarvis – extract from The Holmes Service

4. Margaret: Blue Wayne.

7. Exercise for November The Photograph – this was the title of a national competition recently – can you find an original take on it?
8. Suggestion for the next meeting: we might work in groups to produce 3 half hour plays based in the same place with a maximum of 4 characters. You can download a script format free at www.celtx.com note the spelling – NOT celtex. It’s a big file and takes a few minutes to download.