Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 10:45 AM
Subject: The Ram's Head Review

Hello Fellow Scribes,
 
Fun meeting here Thursday.  As always, Bob did the honours and served everyone a drink and some cookies.  He's a great guy to have around for entertaining.
 
Susan shared some news about the Surrey International Writers' Conference, naming writers and agents who will be there.  She has registered to attend.
 
Gemma had brought a copy of submission guidelines for poetry at ON SPEC magazine.  She was very upset at the editor's narrow criteria for accepted submissions, especially his refusal to consider rhyming poetry.  But it was pointed out by one of our group that it's better to know in advance so we don't waste time submitting our work where it is not wanted.
 
I read a short personal piece that I had not titled.  Of course I was razzed for not having a title when I'm the one who gives others such a rough time when they don't title something.  So I called it "Beginnings And Endings", as it is about a birth and a forthcoming death in the family.  But I'm not happy with that title.  It sounds cliched to me.  Any suggestions?
 
Ellie read some more from her novel.  We see  Brekken, Nadika and Meron safe the next morning, although it is a cool, fall morning.  To the south we here of Gamadon travelling with Melrick's body, upset with Jarod for killing his accomplice.  Gamadon's powers are waning and he needs to restore them at the pool of fire.        And Ellie even had some dialogue in this section.
 
Lynette read a poem of hers called "No Victime Of Time", voicing her decision not to let advancing years and the certainty of death stop her from fulfillment of this life at this time.
 
Jean told us she's been researching the beaches near Welland, Ontario, trying to pinpoint the exact location of her story about the lost girl.  She may have to rewrite and change specifics if she can't get the information she wants.
 
Gemma had Susan read her story about King Matyas, called "The Bootmaker".  In the 14th Century (in Hungary?) those who made boots were called boot masters.  The story is of one boot master who gave the King a pair of boots, expecting great reward in return.  When told of this, the King gave them back filled with hay.  Thereafter, the greedy fellow was called a bootmaker, not a master. 
 
Susan read to us from her brother's novel "Deal With The Devil", chapter 4.  We are introduced to the character Cleaver Bill, so called because of when he used a cleaver to cut and steal a cake meant for the Captain on board a naval ship.  He later became a biker, and worked sporadically in the shipyard in between sojourns in jail.
 
Nathaniel had intended to join us, but was waylaid by a family emergency at the last minute.  One of these days he'll make it to a meeting.
 
Next meeting here at my place, Thursday, Sept. 14th at 7:00 p.m.  Keep writing, and look forward to seeing you then.
 
Lisa