Once again there were three of us at the meeting, plus one apology. We wish a speedy to recovery to our member who is currently getting over a recent operation.
The theme for this week’s meeting, for those not already working on something, was “this is the end”. One member had also been set at least one of the previous themes prior to her coming along.
“P” was first to start, with her contribution entitled The Old Man. It was about 830 words long and told of the friendship between a child and an elderly man.
I went next, with Scene 7 of The Fool, which was only 600 words. This was the first scene from a different character’s viewpoint. Those listening decided that they quite liked this change of narrative and they enjoyed the descriptive passages that brought the location to life.
Then, because her next contribution was both to this week’s theme and a continuation of her first contribution, “P” read out her This is the End, which was of approximately 900 words. It was suggested that she merge the two together to make one story, tweak some of the continuity and repetitive issues, re-title it, and send it off to a magazine, something she had never thought to do in the past.
I went next again with Scene 8, of around 800 words. This was Stevie’s first day on her new job where she meets the character who is to become her antagonist. I’d rattled this scene off yesterday morning so that I had something new at least to read at the meeting. They could tell the difference between this effort and the earlier one, which had been written and already proof-read several weeks earlier.
Next up was “R” with his last chapter of the first book from The Ruhak Chronicles. This is the final battle scene that has been inside his head for a very long time. It was close to 3,000 words long and he’d written it the previous evening – and the words must have poured out of him. It was very good and brought characters we haven’t met yet to life.
I had Scene 9 with me as well, of The Fool, which is the second scene from a different character’s viewpoint, this time Police Constable Fal. He is bored out of his skull waiting for a crime to happen in the sleepy village, and just as he’s nodding off, the call comes through on his radio. The others thought that this was another good narrative that brought to life Fal’s boredom.
We didn’t set a theme for next week. Instead, each of us was given something task-specific.
“P” was advised to merge together all of her existing anecdotal memoirs to see where there are any gaps. If she has time, we also said we’d like to hear a revised The Old Man from her.
“R” wanted to go back to his second chapter, which had been his first exercise for the group, and finish that.
And I was asked to either work more on Fal’s scene, or finish one of the scenes I’d already started and read out earlier.
Goldthorpe Writers meet every Monday at Goldthorpe Library, Barnsley Road, Goldthorpe, Barnsley S63 9NE, from 2:30pm until 4:00pm. There is free parking to the rear of the library, buses stop almost outside, and the railway station is a short walk away. Refreshments are also currently available for free. All are welcome.
