23 July meeting notes; 30 July reading list

23 JULY MEETING NOTES

Eight people attended: Burt, Casey (read a chapter from The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly), Donna (read a chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), JoAnne, John M., Lance (read two chapters from the Fake reboot), Maddie and Rosie.

News and Notes

We once again discussed the idea of reading a writing-related book, and the assembled members agreed it was a good idea. When we did this in the past, we’d pick a book and set aside one reading slot (50 minutes) per month to discuss a certain number of chapters; discussion leadership circulates among members. We’ll take nominations for books over the next two meetings, then select the one we’ll begin discussing in September. The list of the last few books we read is available here. Qualifications:

• The book is widely available online or in bookstores;
• The author is/was a working writer who wrote things other than books about writing;
• The subject should be applicable to a wide range of genres; and,
• The book should be practical rather than theoretical.

Books nominated so far:

• How Not to Write a Novel, by Howard Mittelmark & Sandra Newman
• Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder
• Screenwriting Tricks for Authors, by Alexandra Sokoloff

The 21 July LIT UP! was a success, drawing eighteen audience members to an otherwise empty Kean Coffee. Debra Marshall, Christopher Noxon, and PFL’s own Steve Jackson shared excerpts from their latest works. The next LIT UP! will be held on 18 August at Kean Coffee in Tustin. Find more details on the LIT UP! Facebook page.

30 JULY READING LIST

Rosie (7/23)
Shari (7/9)
Maddie (7/23)
JoAnne (7/23)
Jo (7/16)
Steve J. (6/18)
Mark H. (6/25)
Burt (7/23)
Marianna (7/9)
John M. (7/23)
Glenda (7/16)
Casey (7/23)
Donna (7/23)
Lance (7/23)