Record of meeting 7th October 2015  

The Writers 

Leonie, Cathy, Melissa :), Di, Terry, Juan, Lynn - Great to have a visit from Melissa 

Words of the day

Habituated - to make or become accustomed to something

Scales of Justice - symbol of modern law, fair distribution of law

Paucity - scarcity or small amount

Anachronism - attributing an event, object or custom to the wrong period

Acerbic - bitter or harsh 

Bonanza - rich vein of gold, abundance

Exigency - an urgent need or demand

Deontic - relating to duty and obligation as in ethical concepts

Given the eclectic choice of words some very inventive stories were written in the short space of 10 minutes. These were about TV Football commentators, court cases, fairness, Wild West and exploring the emotional aftermath when things are not fair.

Reading of Homework

The exercise was "Antique" and the description of the Hillbilly antique shop complete with accent to match was a gem, followed by a descriptive and poignant story of a chance discovery of a jewellery box. The poem on the antique shop on the hill in Milton galloped along with a Man from Snowy River lilt that Banjo would have been proud of. 

Other poems read were a moving tribute to trees and their importance in the environment and a very funny poem on the humble but not so loveable rat.

   
Exercise of the Day 

Write a descriptive essay on hands, the observation perhaps of someone sitting in a doctors waiting room, or watching someone's hand in the making of something. A potter, labourer, knitter, shipwright, builder, pianist, a cook an artist. Are they young hands worn before their time, gnarled, veined, beautiful, graceful. The majority of writers wrote from experience of either their mums or grandmothers. One with an intriguing twist was about blood on the hands of what turned about to be a worker in an abattoir.

Homework

You receive a letter from the past. Focus part of the story on the external appearance of the envelope, is it typed or handwritten, do you recognise the writing, can you see the postmark, if it has one? Are there faded letters on the envelope? Describe the letter itself, the feel, the smell, the paper, the emotions on reading it. Where are you when you receive it and where are you when you read it? What were you doing and what mood were you in before and after the letter came?