Next Meeting: Thursday, 12 March, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
7 Nov meeting notes; 14 Nov reading list
7 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Back into double digits! Ten people attended: Burt, Casey, Jo (read a chapter from Moonspell), JoAnne, Lance, Maddie, Richard, Rosie, Shari (read revisions to the final two chapters from Raised to Win) and Stace.
News & Notes
We have three meetings left this year: 14 and 21 November, and 5 December.
The PFL Holiday Party is a month away. Shari has volunteered to host it again, on Wednesday, 11 December. Directions and a food signup should be appearing in the next two meetings.
We once again discussed possible new directions for PFL.
- Maddie suggested that PFL members begin gathering contact information for reading/writing groups to add to the PFL mailing list.
- Two weeks ago, we assigned homework for the members: what kinds of events would you be interested in attending? Some of the candidates: a writer’s retreat; readings in which the author quizzes the audience on reactions and ideas (a la SCR’s NewScripts); talks by agents or publishers; a write-in (a group gathers to spend time writing together and discussing problems and ideas); and, a writers’ happy hour, or informal meetup with writers in a social setting.
14 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Stace (11/7)
Richard (11/7)
Casey (11/7)
JoAnne (11/7)
Rosie (11/7)
Glenda (10/24)
Lance (11/7)
Maddie (11/7)
Burt (11/7)
Jo (11/7)
Shari (11/7)
South, Lance Charnes, thriller
Luis Ojeda owes his life to the Pacifico Norte cartel. Literally. Now it’s time to pay.
Luis led escaping American Muslims out of the U.S. during the ten years following a 2019 terrorist attack on Chicago. He retired after nearly being killed by a border guard. But now in 2032, the Nortes give Luis a choice: pay back the fortune they spent saving his life, or take on a special job.
The job: Nora Khaled – FBI agent, wife, mother of two, and Muslim. She claims her husband will be exiled to one of the nation’s remote prison camps to rot with over 400,000 other Muslim Americans. Faced with her family’s destruction, she’s forced to turn to Luis – the kind of man she’s spent her career bringing to justice.
But when the FBI publicly accuses Nora of terrorism, Luis learns Nora’s real motive for heading south: she has proof that the nation’s recent history is based on a lie – a lie that reaches to the government’s highest levels.
Torn between self-preservation and the last shreds of his idealism, Luis guides Nora and her family toward refuge in civil war-wracked Mexico. The FBI, a dogged ICE agent, killer drones, bandits, and the fearsome Zeta cartel all plan to stop him. Success might just free Luis from the Nortes…but failure means disappearing into a black-site prison, or a gruesome death for them all.
In a day-after-tomorrow America where government has been downsized and outsourced into irrelevance, and none but the very wealthy few can afford hopes or dreams, Luis and Nora must learn to trust each other to ensure the survival of the truth – and of the people they love.
Available for Kindle on Amazon US/AU/BR/CA/DE/FR/IN/IT/JP/MX/UK
ePub available on Nook, Kobo and iTunes
Trade paperback available at Amazon US/CA/DE/FR/IN/IT/JP/UK | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Indiebound | Powell’s | Vroman’s
Lance Charnes has been an Air Force intelligence officer, information technology manager, computer-game artist, set designer and Jeopardy! contestant, and is now an emergency management specialist. He’s had training in architectural rendering, terrorist incident response and maritime archaeology, but not all at the same time. Lance tweets (@lcharnes) on shipwrecks, scuba diving, archaeology and art crime.
31 Oct meeting notes; 7 Nov reading list
31 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Serves us right for meeting on Halloween…five people attended: Burt (read reworked prologue and epilogue from Jocks), Casey, Lance, Richard and Shari (read the final two chapters from her rewrite of Raised to Win).
News & Notes
Burt brought an announcement for The Art of the Story, a 4-day intensive workshop in San Francisco led by former Esquire / GQ/ Paris Review / Scriber’s editor Tom Jenks. The workshops occur on 30 Jan-2 Feb and 20-23 Feb 2014. Attendance is limited to twelve people per workshop; acceptance is based on an evaluation of each applicant’s work. The announcement and website carefully don’t mention the cost. For more information, check the class page at Narrative Magazine.
Maddie forwarded a link to the San Diego Writers, Ink program calendar. More grist for the discussion mill regarding an expansion of PFL’s scope.
Lance’s near-future novel South officially releases on 1 November. Look for the post on the Published PFL Authors page.
7 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Stace (10/24)
Richard (10/31)
Casey (10/31)
JoAnne (10/24)
Rosie (10/24)
Glenda (10/24)
Lance (10/31)
Jo (10/24)
Maddie (10/24)
Burt (10/31)
Shari (10/31)
24 Oct meeting notes; 31 Oct reading list
24 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Eleven people attended: Burt (read the finale of Jocks), Casey, Glenda, Jo, JoAnne, Lance, Maddie, Richard, Rosie, Shari and Stace.
News & Notes
We once again discussed Maddie’s idea to branch out and emulate San Diego Writers, Ink by organizing events geared toward the larger writing community in Orange County. This could involve workshops, author events, and writing salons. We’d need to take care not to duplicate what other groups, such as SCWC, are doing. Homework: PFL members should consider what kinds of events they’d (a) enjoy and (b) support. We’ll go over ideas in a couple weeks.
Yes, we are meeting on Halloween.
31 OCTOBER READING LIST
Stace (10/24)
Richard (10/24)
Casey (10/24)
JoAnne (10/24)
Rosie (10/24)
Glenda (10/24)
Lance (10/24)
Jo (10/24)
Shari (10/24)
Maddie (10/24)
Burt (10/24)
17 Oct meeting notes; 24 Oct reading list
17 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt (read three chapters from Jocks), Casey, Lance, Maddie (read a chapter from Hit Me), Richard, Rosie, Shari (read three chapters from Raised to Win) and Stace.
News & Notes
Rosie reminds us there is a slate of pre-NaNoWriMo activities scheduled hereabouts to get you set up for NaNo madness in November. Meetups and events are posted in the Nano website’s Orange County North forum.
Shari has volunteered to host the PFL Holiday Party. The tentative date is Wednesday, 11 December. More to follow.
Maddie brought up the idea that a way to grow the group — and to help promote indie authors, of which we have three in our normal rotation — is to take a page from San Diego Writers, Ink and consider organizing events geared toward the larger writing community in Orange County. This could allow us to make connections with the various other writers’ groups in the county, as well as provide value-added for ourselves and prospective members. She’ll gather some ideas from SDWI, Pen on Fire, and other similar efforts. Consider this, and we’ll discuss it in a couple of meetings.
24 OCTOBER READING LIST
Stace (10/17)
Richard (10/17)
Casey (10/17)
JoAnne (9/26)
Rosie (10/17)
Glenda (10/10)
Lance (10/17)
Jo (10/10)
Shari (10/17)
Maddie (10/17)
Burt (10/17)
Joe H. (9/5)
10 Oct meeting notes; 17 Oct reading list
10 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Burt, Casey, Glenda, Jo (read a chapter from Moonspell), Lance (read two chapters from South), Rosie and Stace.
17 OCTOBER READING LIST
Stace (10/10)
Richard (10/3)
Casey (10/10)
JoAnne (9/26)
Rosie (10/10)
Shari (10/3)
Maddie (10/3)
Glenda (10/10)
Burt (10/10)
Lance (10/10)
Jo (10/10)
Joe H. (9/5)
3 Oct meeting notes; 10 Oct reading list
3 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
It’s autumn — ten people attended: Burt (read five chapters from Jocks), Casey, Glenda (read a short essay, “The Treetoppers”), Jo (read a chapter from Moonspell), Lance, Maddie (read a chapter from Hit Me), Richard, Rosie, Shari and Stace.
News & Notes
If you’re interested in joining the NaNoWriMo madness fast approaching, you can attend the NaNo Write-Ins hosted by Rosie at our very own Panera Bread, Fridays 6-9 p.m. The Write-Ins are both instruction and support groups for NaNo participants.
10 OCTOBER READING LIST
Stace (10/3)
Richard (10/3)
Casey (10/3)
JoAnne (9/26)
Rosie (10/3)
Shari (10/3)
Lance (10/3)
Maddie (10/3)
Glenda (10/3)
Burt (10/3)
Jo (10/3)
Joe H. (9/5)
26 Sep meeting notes; 3 Oct reading list
26 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt, Casey (read a query for the novel formerly known as Francine Stein), Glenda, Jo, JoAnne, Lance (read three chapters from South), Maddie and Shari (read a chapter from Raised to Win).
3 OCTOBER READING LIST
Stace (9/19)
Richard (9/19)
Casey (9/26)
Maddie (9/26)
Glenda (9/26)
Joe H. (9/5)
JoAnne (9/26)
Burt (9/26)
Rosie (9/19)
Jo (9/26)
Shari (9/26)
Lance (9/26)
19 Sep meeting notes; 26 Sep reading list
19 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Burt, Glenda, Jo (read a revised chapter from Moonspell), JoAnne, Lance (read two chapters from South), Richard, Rosie, Shari (read two chapters from Raised to Win) and Stace.
News & Notes
The Independent Writers of Southern California meet at the Tustin Library on the third Thursday of every month. According to their website, IWOSC “provides writers of the greater Los Angeles area with several opportunities to get together with other writers each month.”
26 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Stace (9/19)
Richard (9/19)
Casey (9/12)
Maddie (8/29)
Glenda (9/19)
Joe H. (9/5)
JoAnne (9/19)
Burt (9/19)
Rosie (9/19)
Shari (9/19)
Lance (9/19)
Jo (9/19)
12 Sep meeting notes; 19 Sep reading list
12 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt (read two chapters from Jocks), Casey, Glenda, Jo (read a chapter from Moonspell), Lance, Rosie (read a revised chapter from On Thin Ice), Shari and Stace.
News & Notes
Casey got the PFL Twitter feed going (@pureficleague). The tweets are now reflected in the timeline on the PFL website sidebar. If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still see the feed at http://www.twitter.com/pureficleague. Good job, Casey!
19 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Stace (9/12)
Richard (8/22)
Casey (9/12)
Maddie (8/29)
Glenda (9/12)
Joe H. (9/5)
Shari (9/12)
Lance (9/12)
JoAnne (7/25)
Burt (9/12)
Jo (9/12)
Rosie (9/12)
PFL’s on Twitter!
The @pureficleague Twitter feed is now live, and tweeting about things writerly or literary.
If you’re in Twitter, follow @pureficleague. If you’re not, go to https://twitter.com/pureficleague on your browser, or come to the website and read the tweets on our new Twitter timeline widget.
Many thanks to Casey for getting this going.
5 Sep meeting notes; 12 Sep reading list
5 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Casey, Joe H., Lance (read a chapter from South), Rosie, Shari (read three revised chapters from Raised to Win) and Stace.
News & Notes
After more discussion, Casey will begin to implement a PFL Twitter feed. It will be used to pass on writing-related Web discoveries and tweets that could benefit both members and outsiders. It could also raise the group’s visibility, which could bring in new members. Once the account is set up, Lance will add a Twitter timeline to the PFL website’s right-hand sidebar so non-Twerps can see what’s gone out.
Joe H., having just joined PFL, will be going off to his own three-month writer’s retreat in the wilds of coastal British Columbia. Watch out for the bears.
12 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Stace (9/5)
Richard (8/22)
Casey (9/5)
Burt (8/1)
Jo (9/5)
Rosie (9/5)
Maddie (8/29)
Glenda (8/22)
Joe H. (9/5)
Shari (9/5)
Lance (9/5)
JoAnne (7/25)
29 Aug meeting notes; 5 Sep reading list
29 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
A cozy six people attended: Casey, Joe H. (read part of the first chapter of Anywhere But Here), Lance (read a revised chapter from South), Maddie, Rosie and Stace.
News & Notes
Casey floated the idea of a PFL Twitter feed. It could be used to pass on writing-related Web discoveries and tweets that could benefit both members and outsiders. It could also raise the group’s visibility, which could bring in new members. WordPress.com allows for widgets that display tweets from a single account, so we would be able to display the PFL tweets on the blog. We’ll discuss this further next time.
Maddie brought up the issue that PFL is hosting fewer readings these days. Members who drive some distance during rush hour to get to our meetings would appreciate getting an entire meeting for their trouble. She pointed out that the group guidelines allow members to read twice during a single meeting if there’s an empty spot that would otherwise go unused. She encouraged members who can do so to bring a “standby” reading in case there’s a hole to be filled.
5 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Stace (8/29)
JoAnne (7/25)
Richard (8/22)
Casey (8/29)
Burt (8/1)
Jo (8/22)
Rosie (8/29)
Maddie (8/29)
Glenda (8/22)
Shari (8/22)
Joe H. (8/29)
Lance (8/29)
22 Aug meeting notes; 29 Aug reading list
22 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Casey, Glenda (read Part 2 of the revision of her short story “The Ancestor Train”), Jo, Joe H., Lance (read a chapter from South), Maddie, Richard, Shari (read a reworked chapter from Raised to Win) and Stace.
News & Notes
Joe H. told us about Authonomy, an online community for authors run by HarperCollins. According to their FAQs, “Authonomy invites unpublished and self published authors to post their manuscripts for visitors to read online. Authors create their own personal page on the site to host their project – and must make at least 10,000 words available for the public to read.” Readers then can rate and review the excerpts. The site also occasionally sponsors themed writing-related contests. HarperCollins editors may use this site as their slush pile.
29 AUGUST READING LIST
Stace (8/22)
JoAnne (7/25)
Richard (8/22)
Casey (8/22)
Burt (8/1)
Jo (8/22)
Rosie (8/8)
Maddie (8/22)
Joe H. (8/22)
Lance (8/22)
Glenda (8/22)
Shari (8/22)
15 Aug meeting notes; 22 Aug reading list
15 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Casey, Glenda (read Part I of the revision of her short story “The Ancestor Train”), Jo, Joe H. (now an official member), Lance, Maddie (read a chapter from Hit Me), and Shari (read a reworked chapter from Raised to Win).
News & Notes
Casey shared a post on Lit Reactor written by Chuck Palahniuk about “thought verbs” and how to replace them with shown action. Lit Reactor features a number of essays on writing topics written by working authors.
The Red Line is an online zine publishing short fiction. Its selection process takes the form of a contest: writers send in submissions of up to 3500 words, the entries are culled down to 6-8 per bi-monthly edition, then a panel of judges selects the best, which wins £50. If you’re interested, check the site’s Submissions page.
22 AUGUST READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (8/1)
JoAnne (7/25)
Richard (8/8)
Casey (8/15)
Burt (8/1)
Jo (8/15)
Rosie (8/8)
Lance (8/15)
Glenda (8/15)
Maddie (8/15)
Shari (8/15)
Joe H. (8/15)
Pure Fiction League 