Minutes of Scribblers meeting held on Tuesday 17 November 2015
Present: Dave, Richard, Mairead, Jeanette, Liliane, Tony, Beryl,
Gerry, Cathy.
Apologies: Caz, Dick, Carolyn, plus Jane and Hayley whose emails Dave received
when he arrived home after the meeting.
Business items:
- Dave acknowledged our
sympathy for those involved in or affected by the recent atrocity in Paris.
- Jeanette – congratulations
are due to her as she has secured another publishing deal – now all she
has to do is write a further 40,000 words by the end of the year! Well
done, Jeanette.
- Mairead – shared the happy
news that her niece, at home raising two small children, has managed to
secure payment for scripts written for Star Wars video games. She ought to
be an inspiration to us all!
- Dave has sent two stories to
Suzy, as requested, and she’d be delighted if anyone else could send some.
- Our best wishes go to
Dick, who is currently unwell.
Homework readings on a spooky theme:
As ever, some amazing tales emerged – spooky – horrific – entertaining –
we had them all.
Jeanette – Fingers. (Jeanette only planned to read half of it, as it was
2000 words, but we were all so gripped by the horror of it we had to hear the
ending, so she kindly read it out in its entirety).
Synopsis - 'How many pieces of yourself can lose before you no longer
want to survive?'
Richard – What are you looking at?
Mairead – The misplaced ghosts of Landguard Fort
Synopsis - Terry Pringler, smuggler and exporter of stolen antique
goods, and his team go deep-sea diving near the Walton Roman Fort. Donating
some of their stolen goods from the Roman Fort, as a cover for their
operations, to Landguard Fort, they unleash a series of cataclysmic outrages. A
night of hellfire that the visitors for the Halloween events at Landguard Fort
will never forget.
Dave – Feelings
Synopsis - Imagine intensely disliking the old house that was haunted by an unseen
ghost. The old rocking chair becomes a struggle between occupant and ghost
shifting from one place to another. The ghost materialises, soon a further
ghost appears wearing a cassock, holding a cross and bible and muttering inane
words...
Beryl – Billy finds a friend
Gerry – Manor Grange
Synopsis - The narrator's children are part of a party of trick-or-treaters doing
the rounds in a small village. Arriving at the home of a family of
wealthy newcomers, they find an unexpectedly warm welcome, but afterwards, the
children suddenly seem to have grown into their Halloween characters ...
Liliane – Ghosts Galore
Tony – Centre calls
After the readings, Dave thanked everyone for braving the appalling
weather to attend – I think we’d all agree with his comments that the meeting
was especially good, and that the standard of creativity in the writing was
exceptionally high.
Next meeting: 1 December, when the homework ‘stimulus’ is the
word ‘phone'.
