Present: Cath, Terry, Robyn, Geoff, Helene, Mandy, Wendy, David C, Jo, David R.
News: Helene - had a mystery message on Facebook from Kooka Burra wanting to join the writing group. Mandy took the church service last week and people laughed - not sure if people are supposed to laugh. Wendy – nothing exciting. David C – lots have happened and saw a whale at Collingwood Beach and found a book of sayings by Bryce Courtney. Jo got electrocuted using a lamp at home last week. Cath has been away driving for 3 weeks, Bathurst, Oberon, Goulburn etc. Terry saw Jennifer Byrne on fantasy stories last night which stimulated his thinking on writing. Robyn is getting ready for her cruise and working out how to pay for it. David R has been up in the Blue Mountains and has been researching the writer Edgar Allan Poe and read out a poem he wrote about him and the poem “The Raven”.
Word of the day: Geoff – egregious – extremely bad flagrant – redolent – reminiscent or smelling strongly. Mandy - Egalitarian - equality of all people. Wendy – The chiropractor had a chauffeur who played chess and sang in the choir – a sentence showing the use of different pronununciations of “ch”. Swashbuckler – a flamboyant swordsman. David C - incunabula - swaddling clothes, birth place or cradle and a book printed before 1500. Jo maniac – maniacal. Dolphins and porpoises are different. Cath - abstruse – hard to understand. Terry - nebulous – indistinct, hazy. Also discussed the word prestige. David C - surcease – cessation or relief.
Homework readings; Geoff brought a cutting about M J Hyland as he was inspired by her ability to encourage him to read her depressing story. Helene read a poem about wanting to live in a haunted house. Mandy read her short story of Asher a young girl sole survivor of a ship wreck. David C wrote an indigenous story. Terry (never without homework) read out an article about how Nicole Krauss starts writing and read the story of Cloud and a smart talking ghost. Robyn wrote the story of Donna who moves into a haunted house. David R read a poem of Miranda where the sun turned off.
Exercise
Terry challenged us with an acronyms and word meaning exercises from Word Buff – Quiz Book.
Quick write - your character picks up a hitch hiker on the way home from work.
Stories included an old a man and a dead tree, an artistic student, a young man with bad tooth, a minister who picks up a hitchhiker, how to get rid of a hitchhiker, a prostitute, a guide for hitchhikers, a hitchhiker in drag and taking home a hitchhiker.
Homework due 20 July 2011
Use the following words in your homework - Retirement home, escape, imprisoned, family.
