C. L. Norman

I’ve been co-running the local writing group at Barnes & Noble for a year now and have learned a thing or two. Things that help when the time comes for 2 to 8 faces, with high expectations for themselves and for the group, turn towards me for where we will be heading tonight.

I have learned that being prepared with notes and possibly handouts is a must. Preparation in general is key. Some nights I am tired and a little frustrated with how things are going and I don’t prepare as well as I should. These nights usually turn into social hour. Not productive and it adds to my frustration.

Read and critique sessions are all very well but when you have an open attendance policy it leaves new people out in the cold. They haven’t had a chance to read the pieces that are up for discussion. It leaves them feeling left out and I hate that feeling and don’t want to inflict it on others. Writing prompts and discussion of different writing techniques, markets, and events are much more successful. Everyone can contribute and join in on the fun.

A note on read and critiques: If you do them be careful not to let any one person monopolize the speaking time. Then it becomes a lecture and that is a whole different kind of meeting.

Forums for the group are only handy when used. If traffic and posting on the site is sporadic at best, the tool gets rusty and no one wants to use it.

Come early to set up the space but not too early or you end up alone with passersby staring at you. Having the space ready for the members is nice as they can come in and set down their grande/venti mocha-whatever and start catching up on the news. This allows for gossip and the like to get out of the way before the serious business of writing discussion begins.

Be open to new events around town and share, share, share, with the members of your group. Open mic nights, writings conferences, lectures; all of these things could be of interest to one or more of the group. Sharing with them encourages them to share back. The group learns more and bonds more over these kinds of events.

In general the most important thing is to be willing to learn and change your mind as things go along. Open attendance combined with once or twice a month meetings that last for barely more than an hour means things can’t always go the way you want. Being flexible and ready to go with the flow, as long as that flow is towards better writing, is a good thing.

Note: I have also learned I ramble.

What have you learned about writing groups? Have you any suggestions for me?

        

This week started off with a lot of cleaning. And when I saw a lot, I mean A LOT. The store has a tradition every year following the holiday crowds, chaos, and general emptying of the shelf of all books that anyone could possibly want. This tradition is affectionately known as “snap-back.” Snap-back is not unlike spring cleaning. It is the time when the store needs to go from dingy and disheveled to shiny and sparkling. The amount of dust bunnies I made friends with this week were so many I lost track of some of their names and developed a close friendship with others. (Fifi, George: Remember we have lunch scheduled next week)

Tuesday is storytime day and I had a lot of my little friends show up to hear me read. It is my favorite part of working. Those shining faces waiting anxiously for me to start the stories and more importantly to finish them so they can have their cookie. Never underestimate the importance of cookies.

Also learned of a writer’s workshop at our local con that I hope very much to participate in. I am working furiously on birthing the character who I hope will carry me through the story I want to submit.

Writer’s group this week had very small turnout but a lot of ideas and momentum were generated. I hope we can keep that energy going throughout this year.

I also had a good laugh when I discovered the 5 Star Wars Facebook updates via a blog I read regularly.

I read two books in the Once Upon a Time series for kids, the retellings of the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty fairy tales by Cameron Dokey. I love fairytales and have toyed with the idea of going for a degree in Folklore but money and location become a problem. Instead I settle for reading a lot of versions of the fairytales. I also read Tempted by PC and Kristen Cast and was slightly disappointed. This book felt very predictable and more as if it were a transition book than a fully realized plot of its own. It felt like it was bridging what had gone before with what will come after.

I had a birthday party for my older son who will be 9 this week, a birthday party/baby shower for a very close friend who is expecting in a couple weeks. She almost didn’t show up for her party but we had a load of fun when she finally did.

Today we went and saw Leap Year together and I was right. I loved it. A wonderful romantic comedy with the funny and sweet spots all in the right place. Though I felt the symptoms of not writing enough keenly as I found myself analyzing the formula of a romantic comedy during it. As each scene started I was thinking “This is one of those kinds of scenes that reveals this kind of information to the audience or to the protagonists.” Ah well. I enjoyed it and that is all that matters. Right?

How was your week? Did you have a good one or do you just want to forget it and move on to the next?

        

Here is a list of movies that will be released this month that I am looking forward to seeing.

Leap Year on January 8th: With Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, this is a sweet romance with all the mystery of Ireland and Leap Year thrown in. I’ve been a fan of Amy Adams for a while and I am looking forward to seeing her chase after her boyfriend and find love in this movie. The plot reminds me a bit of  French Kiss and I adore that film.

The Book of Eli on January 15th: With Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman, how can this not be a good movie? Besides it is a post-apocalyptic tale and so it appeals to the geek in me (and my husband who adores that genre). It appears to have several good action sequences which I am a sucker for. I am also dying to find out what is so special about the book. Is it the only bible to have survived the apocalypse or is there something different about it?

The Spy Next Door on January 15th: It’s a Jackie Chan comedy. What else needs to be said?

Extraordinary Measures on January 22nd: With Harrison Ford and Brendan Frasier, this movie looks like it is guaranteed to provoke a tear or two. It also looks like it could be a feel good type movie which I like on occasion. Couple that with Harrison Ford AKA Han Solo & Indiana Jones, and Brendan Frasier AKA Rick O’Connell, and I’ll love it.

Legion on January 22nd: With Paul Bettany and Dennis Quaid and thrills and special effects, this movie is again for geeks. As of this posting it isn’t yet rated but from the trailer I would say it will probably be R. The violence hinted at in the trailer has be wincing a little but everything else about this movie looks neat. If my husband comes and holds my hand, I’ll be watching it. Watching it between the times I am hiding my face against his shoulder.

When in Rome on January 29th: With Kristen Bell and a touch of magic, this romantic comedy hits all the things I love in a movie. Add in Danny DeVito and Angelica Huston and this movie looks like a fun romantic ride that will be just the thing before February and Valentines Day.

How about you? What movies are you looking forward to in January? And why?

        

Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with us.