Record of meeting 11 October 2017

The writers

Helene, Ron, Cath, Terry, Pauline, Pat, Trevor

The words of the day

Catalyst – something that causes something to happen

Handspring – a cartwheel or similar summersault

Piste – a course or run for skiing

Yahoo – despicable character

Incogitant – inconsiderate

Lave – to wash

Writing from words of the day

The writers sprang into action writing about skiing, despicable characters, remembering that day, Inspired, Removed with a warning & Didn’t fit the norm.

Reading of homework

A wide array of homework stories were read out on the topics of - Wear clean underwear, The north Korean combat zone, President Enrique, Beware of bumps, Outside the Fargo office and Malcolm Turnabout.

Exercise – Love the earth

The writers loved this philosophical exercise and wrote about - Survival, Thick or thin Love the earth, Aboriginal art, Fell over a book – a brilliant story, Anger and Lola the showgirl.

Exercise - Life as a fruit fly

The writers wrote from the position of a fruit fly on the topics - Reconstitute yourself, Being a fruit fly is not easy, My dream to fly, From Politician to Fruit fly, Rotting fruit a brilliant poem & Stolen goods.

Homework

Use the words below in a story or poem

Cold hearted, lustrous, savagery, swagger and watch dog

Record of meeting 4 October 2017

Neozic rock

The writers

Helene, Trevor, Pat and welcome to new member Ron

The words of the day

Psychopath – a person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behaviour

Mimic – imitate especially in order to ridicule

Hebdomadal – occurring every seven days

Donald Trump – President of the USA

Pimento – allspice, Jamaican pepper

Smitten – be strongly attracted

Smithereens – small fragments

Neozoic – the most recent rocks

Writing from words of the day

The writers were smitten by the words of the day and created great stories - The gunman, Love that word, From another era & Line from Nazi Germany.

Reading of homework

Two dedicated writers read their homework -We all know someone & avoiding ill people.

Exercise - On holiday as a famous person or stolen goods

The writers embraced the topics and wrote about Carlotta from the Cross, A Crime report, Double to Mark Richard the surfer & A sense of security.

Homework

Write either
A media statement announcing the President’s sudden resignation or

The passenger safety instructions for a stage coach

Record of meeting 27 September 2017

The writers

Helene, Terry, Jenni, Pauline, Cath and welcome back to Trevor

The words of the day

Disabled – limited in movement, senses or activity

Flump – fall, sit or throw down heavily

Captious – peevish, find fault

Tangent – to diverge suddenly

Erudite – knowledgeable

Odd – strange, different

Writing from words of the day

The writers captiously did not go on a tangent but instead wrote about - The kill switch, Women on his mind, Some intelligence, Skid marks, Its what one tends to do & Became tedious.

Reading of homework

Five writers read stories and poems on the topics - Bojangles, Rain and cold living like a settler, my clothes line, A big cook out & Total blankness.

Exercise - Silver and sunshine

The writers took the words and other clues and wrote about -

Watching the Anzac day march, In spring time, A mental leap,

Two lovely perfumes & A diamond necklace

Homework

Visiting a sick friend

Record of meeting 20 September 2017

A very laid back meeting with lots of chatter

The writers Terry, Cath, Pat

Words of the day (2 each)

Antinome…something opposite or contradictory

Swinge…to chastise

decumbent…lying flat on the ground

operose…industrious

castigate…to severely reprimand

feign…pretend

The writers produced Interesting poem/stories from these words

Reading of homework

Terry…The window as an entry to the soul (poem)

Pat…Looking back in the window...not out

Homework

the line was down and if you need more inspiration include an eccentric idea, person or event

Next week’s facilitator

Be prepared to nominate on the day 

Record of meeting 13 September 2017

The writers

Terry, Pat, Cath, Helene

A Phrase and words of the day

The light began to dim

Subtle – fine, cunning

Eclectic – choosing the best of everything

Recourse – the right to claim compensation or to get help

Paisley – intricate pattern of carved feather-shaped figures

Writing from words of the day

The writers did not need recourse to create eclectic stories from words of the day - Overdressed, Maggie T, Walking down the street and The curtain opened.

Reading of homework

Three writers read out their homework - Mr Always Right, Strange Jack, Somewhere in my brain plus Terry read out riddles from Derek in Cooma.  

Terry read the first few pages and recommended the book Jamrach’s Menageries by Carol Birch

Exercise

Pat who was calmly in charge asked us to write for two minutes each on what we could can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.

The writers wrote about black swans, kookaburras, strawberries, salt, sun, lamb roast, shadows, chocolate, air con, bleach, comfortable chairs, how we see colours, pen clicking, tapping on the roof, second hand smells, sweat and feeling the tired

Homework

What you see when you look out a window

Facilitator for next week

Nominations to Terry please before 20 September

Record of meeting 6 September 2017

To start, our excellent facilitator Dennis provided us with the quote

“We saw that life did not narrate, but made impressions on our brains.

We, in turn, if we wished to produce on you an effect of life, must not narrate but render impressions.”

Ford Madox Ford – In a memoir regarding his collaboration with Joseph Conrad

The writers

Helene, Dennis, Juan, Pauline, Jenni, Elizabeth

Phrases and words of the day

In the heat of the night

I saw the face and then

Sensational in the press

I couldn’t find the words

Frustration

Writing from words of the day

The writers were inspired by the phrases and words and wrote about - I’m sorry but time flies, my heart was full, air conditioners were banned, Adonis, Which grapes and what the doctor said.

Adonis

Reading of homework

The writers read and told stories about Travel to a birthday party, My baby wasn’t breathing, The sheep in the plane, Changing the past, The drug bag and Momentous moments.  

Exercise – Update a classic story 

The writers created stories about Natural foods and nature (Mary Poppins), On Phillip Island (from The Great Gatsby), A student journalist meets a robot (pure creativity), Without our knowledge (school bullies), Macy in stiletto heels (Mary Poppins) and Left in the gutter (Richard 111). 

Homework

I’ve never met a person who was wrong

Facilitator for next week

Pat

Record of meeting 30 August 2017

The writers

Dennis, Pat, Lynn, Cath, Helene, Pauline, Terry, Elizabeth

Thanks to Pauline who did a great job facilitating an enjoyable meeting

The words

Diaphanous – translucent

Nemesis – retribution, avenger

Sardonic – smirking, patronising
Pernicious – hostile, unpleasant
Punctilious – fine point, particular detail
Egregious – prominent, inappropriate, outrageous, shocking

Salamander – a lizard like animal, person to endure great heat
Seaweed – large algae growing in the sea or on rocks below the high water mark

Writing from words of the day

The writers grabbed the finer points from the words of the day and wrote about - Saving our society, A cure, A flower in a button hole, Her eyes fixed on me, He fell on seaweed, I see and smell, Abandoned and human enemies.

Reading of homework

The enthusiastic writers read out homework about:  Peter – not sure where he went wrong, Bimbo wore only mink, Remembering a name and skin texture, On the veranda, Sir Gordon, Hockey teams, Cheryl a story teller and Cowboys and Indians.

Exercise – a black dot on a white page

A mysterious exercise which resulted in the stories: Love of white, A peep hole, a well, a dress makers pin, on the mountain side, Donald Trump in deep water, It’s a sign not a song, cotton mills, black holes, a trick, a blunder, a bee, and a clean white sheet.

Exercise – disappearance of soap an international mystery

The writers wrote about soap with the following stories: In Warsaw, Scattered cushions, In Paris, London and Ireland, Barnaby and terra bytes, I sniffed the air, She took the Swiss soap to Kenya and no soap in Vincentia.

Homework

Write about your moods and emotions from a memory of a moment of your life (Professor Brian Cox describes it as a moment in space and time)