Record of meeting 21 September 2011

Present: Mandy, Gary, Melissa, Helene, Terry, David C, David R, Leonie and Geoff. (More males than females.)

News: Gary has been to hospital and told us about his experiences. Mandy had someone look at her house but no offers yet. Leonie has had a frustrating week with her house construction but saw a great exhibition by Fred Williams in Canberra. David R is back swimming in the Bay and found money on the beach. David C saw Susie Quattro at the Entertainment Centre in Nowra and it was a great show. Geoff had reunion with his former writing group 11 people attended. Terry injured his knee last week but is recovering, and thanks Leonie for her input to one of his poems.

Word of day: Gary – hamartithia – being likely to make a mistake and gossypiboma a surgical sponge left inside after surgery accidentally. Mandy - monumental has many uses. Leonie – umbrageous – sense of fright, injury or offence and callow – inexperienced raw, unfledged. David R oenophile – connoisseur of wines. David – curt - short and sharp. Geoff outcome and fledge – tail feathers and arrows. Terry – from Donald Trump appreciates depreciation. Helene - Skittish – apt to start or shy, restlessly or excessively lively, fickle uncertain, coy. Melissa - in situ - a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position' It is used in many different contexts.

Homework readings
Leonie – Madeline deep in thought about her time in London and a chance meeting with Mr Jonathan Williams. David R – a poem Bridges – connect us our love is here to stay One thousand miles – I can live without you a humorous poem. David C - The best laid plans – A humorous story of Brandy and battery acid. Terry read a moving poem - Why – leaving his land and his love she stands beside me.  Helene – thinking of many and varied things. Melissa –Wondering - lost thinking about her past 3 husbands and dinner. Mandy – the pirates – love making with an android and 10 years in space.

Other issues
Youth worker wanted 8 hours a week by the church. Contact Mandy for details if you are interested.
We discussed the definition of published work. Geoff will ask the NSW Writers Association.
Geoff also told us about a free primary school music concert at 10:30 am on Sunday at Lady Denman Museum Huskie.



Exercises
1. We wrote an internal monologue of a character in a social situation where they are extremely uncomfortable.Melissa – a weak handshake and banal banter. Gary – I wanted to stamp on his belligerent head. Mandy – how could she live here. Leonie – waiting in the doctor’s surgery. David R – situations and fit as a trout. David C – a gay man at a baby shower. Geoff – Does this suit me? Terry – Julia her inner thoughts was very entertaining. Helene – Humiliation at a make up party.

2. We described the smells we associated with the Moon –Sadness – Cowardice – Velcro – Silver and Sand

Homework- Write a poem or story about Water music

  

Reminder next meeting 28 September at Melissa’s house

Record of Meeting 14 September 2011

In attendance: Leonie, David C., David R., Mandy, Helene, Geoff, Melissa


News: Leonie’s house is coming along; Geoff celebrated his son’s 45th birthday in Sydney; Melissa entered her song “I Know a Place” into a competition; Helene visited a naturopath who gave her a potion and now feels better than ever; Mandy has had a wonderful week despite not selling her house, and celebrated her granddaughter’s 18th birthday; David R wrote a limerick “The Vet From Tibet”; David C played bass guitar at a gig at the Husky Community Hall!


WOD:
Leonie: bohemian – socially unconventional person such as an artist/writer; boreal – of the north or artic or of the northwind Quiescent - peaceful
Melissa: blurple – a mixture of blue and purple
Helene: a quote: “Even silence has an end” – Enid Bechenthorpe
David R: sangfroid – in cold blood, composure, equanimity
David C: bombastic – in an inflated manner or style


Homework reading: What is a friend?
Leonie read last week’s homework about a dolphin, a magical story for children of all ages: The Story of a poster Dolphin
Melissa – a smart story using song titles based on friendship
Helene – a story: Like Minded Friends
Mandy – a story: What a Friend
David R – two poems: What are Friends? A Friend in Need
David C - a poem: What are Friends?


Exercise:
We used the words of the day to create a 5 line limerick - bohemian – boreal – quiescent - blurple – silence - sangfroid – bombastic.

David R - The group, David C - The man from Peru Leonie – Blurple lips. Geoff - the Canadian. Melissa – A man from Sydney. Helene – The boreal on my face.


Quick write - The city
David C – first time Jury duty in Sydney. Leonie – I want to go home. Geoff – Life in the city now impatient to leave. Melissa – limericks the man in the city and the woman who was pretty. Helene – the black heart. Mandy – Jack has been to the city. David R - dust, dirt and grime, painted claws.


Homework - She stands besides me a thousand miles away.


Special message - Meeting of 28 September at Melissa’s house 23 Benson Road Creswell. Plenty of time to work out how to get there or phone Melissa on 0404 985 616.

Record of meeting - 7 September 2011

Present: Wendy, Mandy, Gary, Helene, Geoff, Terry, David R, Demetri (short visit).

News: Wendy can’t wait for the Rugby Union World cup to start, Mandy made cheese kisses and sausage rolls for her grand daughter’s birthday, Gary is amused at the sign at his sister’s house “beware of the vicious wife”. Helene has bought three e-stories to read on her holiday in October. Geoff had another letter published in the Fin Review and he read out the letter. Terry attended a very good 3 day seminar in Sydney. David R has a date for his op.

Words: Mandy fecundity – fertile, Wendy – Gammon deceit, David R – flatulence and inexorable – impossible to stop or prevent, Terry ignominious – shameful: enclosed and inclosed...mean the same thing. Geoff – atavistic – savage throwback. Gary – shattered – very descriptive needs no explanation.

Homework reading;
David R – Dolphin talk. Wendy – Guess what - an amusing poem about a non exotic pet. Mandy – Wave dancer (a moving story of a dying woman who is free to dance with dolphins in the waves). Gary the truth revealed – In Sulawesi dolphins are worshiped and scientific research into the true life of dolphins showed they are the only other mammals who have sex for pleasure. Helene – Surrounded by dolphins. Terry - Fear - swimming on a cold morning shadows in the dark – an excellent word picture.

Reading and training

1. Poetry reading in Nowra details on Arts in Shoalhaven site.
2. Geoff has nominated for the Writing for Life course in Sydney to be held on two Sundays 25 Sept and 2 Oct full cost $290 and $175 member concession. Details can be found on the NSW Writers Centre website.

Exercise - Guess what animal we described Panda bear, rainbow lorikeet, goldfish, rat, teenage boy and giraffe.



Quick write - The night train

Helene – Romance on the night train to Paris. Geoff - Failure to book on the night train from Tokyo. Terry – the night train from Melbourne. David R – the night training. Wendy – travel with Nick and Rosa – the Greeks. Mandy – death at midnight on the train tracks. Gary – Albert Einstein has no ticket but Gary knows where he is going.

Homework – What are friends?

Record of meeting 31 August 2011

Present: Terry, Leonie, Geoff, Helene, Gary, Wendy, Robyn, David C, David R and Mandy.


News: Terry bought in the 2012 wildlife calendar from Wildlife Rescue South Coast for sale @ $10, great for gifts. Leonie - work is progressing on her house. Geoff went to the Art Gallery NSW and saw an exhibition of German art and bought a catalogue. Helene has had two sons staying and lots of fish for dinner. Gary loves Burma and told about a new line with a train that travels at 350 kph. Wendy has a new lap top and digital TV attachment (the attachment from EBAy was $20). Robyn’s youngest son is getting married again and has two new poodles in the family. David R’s eldest daughter sent her some photos of his grandchildren and ex wife. Mandy has just put her house on the market. David C is no longer king of the chamber pots and has the pots up for auction in Warrawong on Saturday.


Word of the day
Terry – bellicose – war like, fond of fighting - this word came to him after he woke one night. Leonie - phalanx – a line of battle. Geoff – sequestrate – separate and store. Helene –credenza - a sideboard used in domestic, office or restaurant situations. Gary chattel - any tangible movable property (furniture or domestic animals or a car etc). Wendy – bromance – a non sexual relationship between men. Robyn – paragon – work beyond ones main work. David R – mellifluous – sweet or musical: expatiate – went into detail: hodgepodge and hotchpotch – a confused or disorderly state. David C hebetude - dullness or stupidity.


Reading of homework
Terry read us Guilt...a poem of murder and suicide. Leonie entranced us with the story of The ladies maid with ambition. Geoff a mini story of Jessica, drugs and drink. Mandy is she dead - a horse, day dreams and storm water drain. Gary - will she ever give up – an ex lover singing songs on the phone. Robyn a story told by Granpa of a strange creature with a purple eye. David R three short poems The deserted house, Manchancer a strange creature and The mouthy mother outlaw and the parrot who repeated phone conversations.


Exercise and quick write
We used the word president to make as many words as possible. Many people displayed their extensive vocabularies. We were asked to do a quick write using the words reliability and president.


David R wrote about the reliable ute. Robyn told us about graceful retirement. Wendy – a poem using the words of the day. Gary – President McCarthy in Zimbabwe. Mandy – broken dreams of a president. Geoff wrote about 2023 in Australia with Lucy Turnbull as President. Leonie wrote about President Obama. Terry wrote about the dummy spit at Parliament House. David C the buck stops here.


Homework
Write a story or a poem about a dolphin.

Record of meeting 24 August 2011

Present: Terry, Leonie, Geoff, Mandy, Wendy, Helene, Robyn, David C, Melissa and welcome to Gary


News: David C went to Wellington to see his new great grand daughter Ruby Blu. Helene has a new washing machine. Wendy is getting ready for a trip with her car club. Mandy has arranged for Michael to demonstrate how to record our own talking books. New member Gary is happy to be here, he had back surgery in July and is slowly recovering and walked about 100 yards for the first time, his sister has encouraged him to get out and attend our meeting. Geoff was interested in an article on world trade and protectionism. Leonie is happy and now has walls on her new house. Terry’s daughter is on medication for the next three months and then has another MRI. Robyn had an interesting Saturday went to State Archives Centre in Sydney, found the will of her husbands great, great grandfather and other family members. Go to the Trove website for more information. Melissa turned 40 yesterday and had a great day and had the song she wrote “I know a place” about Jervis Bay and sung by her husband Scott, broadcast on community radio 99.7 and you can ring the request number 4443 9644 to request Melissa’s song “I know a place”.


Word of day
Geoff - piquant – spicy or sharp taste. Wendy parvenu – with new wealth not accepted. Melissa - skipping – removing food from bins outside supermarkets. David C parochial – local small area, someone who lives in a parish and looks after the poor. Robyn – mulligrubs – state of depression or low spirit and worm disease in dogs. Terry – rubric – title of heading of chapter printed in red and set of rules for behaviour. Prescribe and proscribe banish. Leonie – strange – foreign, not well know, unexpected, extraordinary


Reading of homework - strange characters
Mandy – friends you pull off and on like socks, Camilla Double-Barrell surname the most fussy hostess. Wendy the in laws. Helene neighbours and fences. Melissa the strange person in the mirror. David C a one eyed friend. Terry with his strangest friend on a wild mini ride. Leonie read the story of Darren a man living alone and feeling like he is from another planet. Gary feels literacy is important – you can’t have democracy if you can’t read. Gary also told of his experience of feeling helpless when not being able to read the written language in foreign countries. Geoff bought info about his family tree and talked about it.


Exercise
We worked to find the largest number of words from the letters in the words – writing and holiday. A fun exercise and a good test of word knowledge thanks to Leonie.


Quick write - Destiny
Melissa found destiny is swirling around us. Helene’s Destiny a game player, Wendy wrote about Destiny the stripper, Many saw destiny as a destination, Leonie found a new partner at a personal growth group. Terry asked “Why are we here?” While David C asked “Is this it?” Great stories everyone.


Homework due Wednesday 31 August 2011
She put the phone down and turned to him and said “its her again”

Record of meeting 17 August 2011

Attending
Mandy, Jo, Terry, Leonie, Melissa, Wendy, Robyn, Dave C, Helene and Geoff


News of the Week
Jo attended the Community Forum to try and elicit support for some issues. 
Terry has become reacquainted with an old friend who is also a writer and they have been swapping stories and he was really impressed with the quality of his friends writing and they are encouraging each other.
Leonie has nothing much happening.
Geoff has not too well with a middle ear infection so we promised not shout at him.
Melissa will have a song she has recorded played on the radio next Tuesday morning
Mandy has now sold 10 books on Smashwords.
Wendy. Told us she found Real Ins. was the cheapest for house and contents insurance.
Robyn’s husband Joe is not well and they might not be able to go on their cruise. Robyn is not happy about his health.
Helene drove back from Canberra this morning (how dedicated) she is always going back and forth.
Dave was pleased to find a tape of a song he had recorded years ago. Still hasn't sold his hundreds of pottys. We wonder why he collected them?

Word of the day
Leonie - Redolent means fragrant strong smell or strongly reminiscent
Geoff – is looking for another word for accountable, he is fed up with politicians using it - we suggested liable.
Mandy – Mephistophelian meaning Devil like looking.
Wendy –Stuffication - New word means to be overwhelmed by all the stuff you have accumulated.
Wendy - Intexticated -distracted by texting and coffice. using a cafe as an office.
Robyn – Oblation - Anything offered in divine worship.
Helene - Ado - trouble
Dave - Pica - means black letter also can mean eating rubbish such as dirt and sand
Jo - Spongy with an e or without - soft and absorbent
Demagogue - Someone who stirs up the people by stirring up their emotions and feelings. The chief aim of a demagogue is money and power.


Homework readings
Wendy – A poem Ideas - her usual funny style
Robyn - Day Trip - great descriptions
Helene - The Mystery House a funny end we all laughed
Dave - Nature Break - a sad story
Jo - A Hauntingly Familiar Tale a short story
Terry – A poem Megs Revenge - Well done Terry great poem
Leonie - Middle Aged Men in Lycra sport from a different perspective
Geoff read a chapter from his story set in Japan which we all enjoyed

Exercise
Melissa found the following exercise on the site www.writingfix.com
Describe the following without using the actual word.
Kitten - A soft purring bundle of fluff
MacDonalds - Drivers fast food friend
Bananas - Monkeys favourite fruit
Writing - Creativity in print
Scrabble - Point scoring word game
Hawaii - The land of Lai Lanai
Swimming – he propelled himself across the pool
Harry Potter -The boy wizard
Indiana Jones - Whip cracking adventurous archaeologist
Mum - a woman raising a child in the role of parent


Homework
Write a story in science fiction or other genre with the strangest person you know as the main character.


Writing Contests on Line
Peter Porter's Poetry Prize
ABR the Calibre Prize
E J Brady Short Story Comp
Mona Brand Award
Bondi Writers
FAW Site Short Story
Marjorie Barnard Award 2011
The 2011 Rolf Boldrewood Awards.

Record of meeting 10 August 2011

In attendance: Wendy, David R, David C, Jo, Robyn, Terry, Geoff, Helene, Di and welcome to Jacinta our newest and youngest member.


News: Wendy is disturbed about what is happening in the UK at present. Jacinta our newest member is studying Media, Advertising and English Literature at the Uni of Wollongong. Geoff wrote a poem about a friend who died six months ago. Helene drove back from Canberra this morning after attending the Wakakirri in Canberra last night. Terry’s daughter’s brain tumour is likely to be benign. Robyn cholesterol level is good but blood sugar is a bit high and is in good health. Jo talked about Mad Joe McCafferty a murderer who blamed his behaviour on his wife for killing their baby. David C has just become a great grandfather of Ruby Blue. David R drove all the way from Sydney this morning to attend the meeting after seeing Jersey Boys at the Royal Theatre and other activities in Sydney. Di has not been busy for the past week.


Word of the day: Wendy anarchy – a state of lawlessness and sedition an action or rebellion against the government. Di Quisling – a traitor who co operates with the occupying enemy. Helene benevolence well-wishing friendliness or concern for the needs and desires of others. Geoff – traduce means slander, defame. Terry axiom – a statement to be taken to be true without proof. Robyn - Colportage meaning distribution of publications from the French to carry. Jo shuntle brilliance of a diamond ring or a sexual term and louche a facial expression dubious shady and disreputable. David C fortitude meaning strength and countenance appearance especially of the face. David R bearing has eight different meanings standing, relevance, level of tolerance, a structural point, direction or position, a device or charge.


Homework readings


Di the hill climb and the life climb. Wendy – thanks Cadell. Helene – the Census collector wearing Lycra. Geoff read of a poem 18 cafes memory of an old friend and sharing ideas with friends. Terry Lycra man is a scary sight. Jo a poem - risking a stroke wearing Lycra. David C three wishes dinner at house on the hill. David R endangered mamil from the dangers of too tight Lycra.


Current competitions


2011 Rolf Boldrewood Literary Awards entries close 16 September 2011, best entries in the categories prose and poetry categories. Entry fee of $10 with each entry and entry form. Entry forms are available from Macquarie Regional Library on 02 6801 4501 and www.mrl.nsw.gov.au Entries to the Convenor Rolf Boldrewood Literary Awards, PO Box 1042 Dubbo 2830. First prize $500, second $250, third prize $150. In addition Highly Commenced and Commended certificates will be awarded at the judge’s discretion.


50 Something National Seniors Competition to win $5,000 for a non-fiction manuscript, send an email to judedavetas@gmail.com for more information.


Exercise
As a group we developed two characters listed below.


Unnamed 55 year old male, has slight limp in right leg, charismatic gentleman, balding red hair, photographer, has nerves, alcohol problems, who is highly uncoordinated in his dressing, wears nylon stockings, owns a BSA motor bike and side car, wears a flying helmet and goggles, he reads, has a strong accent, he is short, wears a skull ring on right finger and has a short fuse.


Irene - Female 49 years old, has a wig, green eyes, is an artist, not assertive, wears little or not make up, likes to wear suits, has a squint in her left eye which is more obvious when stressed, speaks in a deep voice, occupation photo colourist, she has children, she has a secret love, she has a burn on her left arm, very tall, laughs a lot, she is maternal and has trouble sleeping


Homework – you are driving along a country road and see a decrepit old house write the story of who built it and why it stands empty using the characters listed in the exercise above.