May 22nd Meeting
Summary

In attendance:  Mike Redfern, Sue Shaw, Mike Whitney, Heather Wattie and Cindy Postnikoff

Sue facilitated this meeting and provided us with the material.  Thanks Sue!  We were to have read Chapter 4 from the Creative Writing text we are using. It covered the following: writing what you know and don't know, memory/association, benefits of daydreaming/imagination, using our cultural memory and nostalgia plus the invaluable tools of research.

In a nutshell, the assignment was to take something interesting, fiction or non-fiction and ask yourself, 'What if..?'  What if certain details of a character were changed?  Cultural events, gender, family size, job etc. Heather did a few short pieces in a free association kind of style starting with 'What if...', using her own life as a base for possible changes using this technique. Sue shared a piece about the pulp mill where many events were interwoven all on the same day, very intriguing idea with details about a work tragedy, war time protests, shady custom officers and a raven's prediction. Mike R. never did the assignment and for the life of me, (because I didn't write it all down), I forgot Cindy and Mike W.'s contribution!  Thank God for cut and paste so hope to have theirs in eventually.

We then did an in meeting writing session where we had to pick a period in our lives and capture the cultural details of that time period using the techniques from the chapter we'd read. It was varied and interesting, that at least I remember, with details to be added later if I can get them from my fellow members.  Ahhh, the immense value of writing things down. My apologies fellow writers and shan't happen again! See you on Wed. the 12th with pens poised high!  Write on!

Thursday, May 2nd meeting

In attendance:  Mike Redfern, Heather Wattie, Suzanne Shaw, and Sharla Smith

Summary provided by Mike Redfern

The group had studied workbook Chapter 3, Writing What You Know, continuing from our last meeting. Sue, Sharla, & Heather read their response to Activity 3.3, writing down what they had perceived in an indoor location using their five senses. Sharla used vivid imagery to enhance her descriptions of her sensory perceptions. Mike had not done his homework so had nothing to offer!

We then read an excerpt from Seamus Heaney's poem 'Death of a Naturalist' in which sensory perceptions were described with simile and metaphor, not a cliche to be seen, and an excerpt from Laurie Lee's coming-of-age memoir 'Cider with Rosie', in which the focus was on chronological ordering of memories.

We then read an excerpt from Lesley Glaister's 'Memory: the true key to real imagining' in which past memories were written in the present tense and clear memories were mixed with uncertain memories, creating an authentic feel to the memoir. We then each wrote about a personal memory using the present tense, except for Heather who ignored the instructions and did her own thing! (not quite true Mike but close enough) These were shared, discussed and enjoyed.

 

Sue agreed to prepare the next meeting's assignment and studies from Chapter 4 of the workbook. She will email assignments and reading materials to the members of the group.

 

The next meeting day has been changed to a Wednesday to accommodate a prospective group member (whose name I missed) so we will meet on Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. in Centre 64.