Record of meeting 16 March 2016

More romance for the month of March

The writers

Terry, Juan, Roslyn, Lynn, Di, Pauline, Leonie, Helene and Wendy

The words of the day

Delta – the forth letter of the Greek alphabet, a code word representing the letter D used in radio communication, area of low flat land, where a river divides into several smaller rivers flowing into the sea.

Paramour – a lover married to someone else

Cinerarium – a place for ashes

Puerile – childish, trivial

Insouciant – indifferent, unconcerned

Scintillate – to spark or flash

Abet – help a criminal

Hardnosed – a person unwilling to give in

Lust – animal desire for sexual indulgence

Writing from words of the day

The scintillating group of writers took the words of the day to create the following stories and poems - Memories, Not many visitors, Delta Hardnose, The meeting place, I don’t need another lover, Family discussion, Champagne and roses; He walked into the room and Lust or bust.

Reading of homework

Six romantic writers read out stories and poems as follows - To become a jillaroo by Terry, The couples by Juan, The rodeo by Ros, Life and money by Pauline, A day of surprises by Leonie and Out of her class by Wendy.

Shoalhaven poetry prize

First prize $1,000 with a two week artist residency at Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon on the Shoalhaven River.

Second prize $300 and third prize $100.

Also $200 Geoff Bolton award for an entry from a Shoalhaven resident.

Entries close on Friday 3 June 2016 and winners will be notified in September 2016.

Romance writing

Terry read out information about romance writing on character development and plot researched by Lynn. The information will be sent out to all members by email in the next few days.

Exercise - Take a type of love and develop one of the characters

The writers used the information presented to develop characters and or plot for a romance. The stories were on the topics - Helene – The matchmakers; Wendy – two different worlds. Terry – love at first sight;  Ros – a cousin at a wedding; Lynn – In the penthouse; Di – love from the past; Pauline – too honest for his own good.

Homework

Take the characters or story you created today and develop it further. Or using the romance information you receive by email develop two characters and start their romance story

Shoalhaven Poetry Prize now open

First prize $1,000 with a two week artist residency at Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon on the Shoalhaven River.

Shoalhaven River near Bundanon

 Second prize $300 and third prize $100.

Also $200 Geoff Bolton award for an entry from a Shoalhaven resident.

Geoff Bolton on right with writing group May 2013

Entries close on Friday 3 June 2016 and winners will be notified in September 2016.

Download an entry from the FAW Shoalhaven website www.fawnswshoalhaven.org.au

Record of meeting 9 March 2016

Continuing the month of romance

The writers

Wendy, Juan, Cath, Elizabeth, Helene, David C, Terry and Lynn

The words

Vacillate = dither

Penchant = bias towards

Vitriolic = spiteful, bitter

Picnic = a meal eaten outdoors

Lapse = temporary drop in standards

Palaver = talk profusely, time wasting fuss

Dalliance = act of fondness, amorous toying

Sensuous = effecting the feelings in a pleasurable way

  

Writing from words of the day

The eight writers used the words of the day in a dalliance with a penchant to lapse into palaver to create some amazingly sensuous stories about - In love with a shirt, He sneaked away, Revenge, Picnic cancelled, The politician’s wife, The damage he caused, Fruit and vegetables and Scared to touch.

Reading of homework

Six writers read out their homework on the topics - Pamela and the Sheik by Helene, True Love a poem from Wendy, Jayne Austin from Juan, Surprise from David C, Young love a poem from Terry and Customer service in a country store by Elizabeth.

Exercise – forbidden love

The group of diligent writers created a tasteful bunch of stories of forbidden love titled – Peanut butter cheesecake, He made my life worth living a political poem by Wendy, What is it?, My heart beating in my ears, Frozen to the core, In the shower, 

Red with black leather trim 

and Getting what I want.

Homework

Lust in the dust

Record of meeting 2 March 2016

March is the month of Romance for Bay and Basin writers

Writers

Wendy, Helene, Juan, Roslyn, Pauline, David C, Elizabeth, Lynn and welcome back David R

Words of the day

Collude = conspire

Firmament = sky or heaven

Intimate = detailed or deep

Latent = hidden or concealed

Lachrymose = tearful or sad

Miscreant = wrong doer, vile wretch

Sirvente = a poem praising someone

Watershed = a river divide or a turning point

Romance = a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love

Writing from words of the day

The writers considered the words of the day and some cried while creating watershed moments with latent talents producing the following stories and poems - Not a fairy tale, Escape on a cruise, Divided loyalties, Romance, Twist and shout, Keeping quiet, In church, Across the dance floor and Your daughter.

Reading of homework

All writers read homework updating an old fairy story into 2016. The stories were Apple Pell, Love is good, True story of Cindy, Driven snow, Black sheep market, Some explaining to do, The Instagram picture and Miss ing u.

Romance writing

Helene made a presentation on romance writing covering

• History starting with the publication of Pamela in 1740 and Pride and Prejudice in 1847
• Statistics - 74.8 million reading an English language romance novel in 2008. Estimated romance sales in 2013 is $1.08 billion (source: BookStats)
• Subgenres (Contemporary, Erotic, Historical, Inspirational, Paranormal, Suspense and Young adult)
• Romance Writers of Australia information
• Writing romance Top ten tips from Helene Young Australian author of Romantic suspense stories
• Interesting quotes
  

Format percentages of romance sales 2014

E-books 39%

Mass market paperback 32%

Trade paperback 18%

Hard cover 9%

Audio 1%

Other 1%

Romance exercise

We wrote short romantic stories and poems including the phrase “they sat facing each other” and using show not tell.

The stories and poems created were - Reminded of another time, On the shelf, Café on the bay, A romantic moment, Heart in mouth, Holding hands, Speed dating, Centenial Park and Pamela and Princess.

Homework

1. Write a romantic story or poem using The Sheik and Pamela identify your subgenre from the list above or create a new one or
2. Research and write a story about a romance writer.

Record of meeting 24 February 2016

The writers

Wendy, David C, Helene, Roslyn, Elizabeth, Juan, Lynn, Leonie and Elizabeth

The words of the day

Vindictive = spiteful, malicious, cruel

Flagitious = deeply criminal

Perpetual = permanent during life

Impiety = lack of reverence

Jeremiad = lamentation or tale of woe

Epitaph = inscription on a grave or a speech

Cosset = pamper or spoil

Pensive = deeply thoughtful

Writing from words of the day

With reverence the writers cosseted the words of the day and created a range of perpetual epitaphs on the topics Vince and Jeremiah, At his beck and call, She wanted an epitaph, the Roman Empire, Peter was upset, It will come in handy, Sadness in the community and It made me cry.

Reading of homework

Five studious writers read out their homework as follows - Good to see Koko from Helene, Not eligible – a funny story from David C, The same MO and the Tontine also from David, The grand ball by Leonie, Run Darcy run by Lynn and The investigation continues by Roslyn.

Poisonous passions

Lynn made a passionate presentation titled Poisonous passions starting with “all substances are poisons” and gave us information on the top poisons and use of poisons by crime writers. We also found out that 77% of poisonings are accidental

Top poisons - Analgesics, sedatives, household cleaning supplies, antidepressants, cardiovascular drugs, alcohol, tobacco, fumes gasses, stimulants, pesticides, anticonvulsants, antihistamines, cosmetics and personal care products, plants, anti-microbaterial soaps – Triclosan, food poisoning, carbon monoxide

Common poisons used in writing

Arsenic, Botulism, Cyanide, Mercury, Tetrodotoxin, Dimethylmercury, Belladonna, Aconite or monkshoods, Hemlock

 

Familiar poisons

Cyanide, strychnine, mushrooms, anti freeze, oxalic acid, heavy metals, insulin, Succinyl chlorine, corrosive chemicals.

Exercise

To create stories and poems for our exercise we selected a poison from the lists above and added three of minor and major symptoms

Minor symptoms - rapid breathing, restlessness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea/vomiting rapid heart rate

Major symptoms - convulsions, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, lung injury, and respiratory failure.

From the information we created the following stories and poems - Our poisonous excitement, The horrible man, Dinner in the oven, Weak and dizzy, Belladonna Lilies and Cinderella was wrong.

Homework

Select a fairy tale/fable involving poison or other criminal activity. Write the story or poem in 2016.

Record of meeting 17 February 2016

The writers

Wendy, Cath, Roslyn, Helene, Elizabeth, David C, Lynn and welcome back to Terri and Muriel

Words of the day

Abrasion = process of scraping or wearing something away

Extemporise = speak or perform without preparation

Halcyon = peace and happiness

Sorn = free board and lodging

Ignominious = humiliating

Recalcitrant = rebellious

Emerge = to come forth

Immerge = to plunge in

Alibi = elsewhere

Petty = small

Writing from words of the day

The recalcitrant writers emerged to create petty and ignominious stories and poems from the halcyon words of the day - The injury, The mêlée, Questions from the lawyer, Emerge from the closet, Friends who come to stay, The bludger, The brother in law, Erosion and My old mum.

Reading of homework

Five diligent writers read their stories and poems with the titles -The plan from Helene, My first day at Kindy from Wendy, Maud’s demise by Roslyn, Rodney & Harry from David C and Reinvented read by Muriel.

Forensic presentation by David C

David C made a verbal presentation on Identity theft defined as using information to take on the identity of another person for gain.  David discussed the use of Drivers licences, Passports, rates notices, tax file numbers, receipts, garbage bin contents etc to establish a false identity by another person.  David strongly suggested that if you are the victim of identity theft to report immediately to the police and your financial organisations to put a stop on your accounts.

Also have a look at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ for further information

Exercise.

We wrote stories and poem about our experiences with Identify theft.

The stories and poems were titled - One more piece of the puzzle, The drawing, I was sunburnt at the time, Can I help you lady, The email, The people next door, Evil Eve & Next time I’ll try garbage bins. 

Homework

Write about identity theft.

Record of meeting 10 February 2016

The writers

Wendy, Helene, David C, Terry, Elizabeth, Lynn, Di, Juan, welcome back to Trish and welcome to Roz

The words of the day    

Panoply = a splendid display  

Counterfeit = make to deceive 

Lucid = clear and easily understood

Atrocious = very bad, wicked, cruel

Cheiloscopy = study of lip prints

Flailed = whipped or waved about wildly

Jocund = marked by high spirits and laughter

Crackerjack = exceptionally good, a tasty treat

Impeach = to call to account or bring to account

Pannel = In Scotland the accused person or member of the jury in a court

Writing from words of the day

The writers took the panoply of words and created the following lucid cracker jack stories and poems - Eating an unpeeled onion, I have been impeached, The restaurant, On the nose, In the court, Melting candy floss, False evidence, All because of his lip prints, Words on show a great poem from Terry and Spoiling the goods

Reading of homework

Six forensically minded writers wrote on the topics - Patterns in the dust, Definitions of murder, terrorism and corruption, Things are not as they seem, The perfect plan, Premeditated crime and The Trespasser.

Forensic presentation

Terry led a discussion of a suicide scene covering the use of Physical and trace evidence, Fibre and soil analysis. In particular we discussed the use of non recycled paper, wellington boots providing evidence, smashing of a window, only one print on the glass, fibres on one side only, two different type of scotch, share market evidence, fingerprints too perfect and indentations on the carpet

Changes to dates for forensic topics

The following timetable will apply

20 Feb – David C – Identity theft, Touch DNA, Bite marks, Tyre tracks

27 Feb – Lynn – Toxicology

Homework

Based on Terry’s presentation above explain how investigators proved it wasn’t a suicide. Or write on the topic - things are not as they seem.