THE RAM’S HEAD REVIEW

August 25, 2007

Thursday saw a new face at our meeting. Neil McKinnon joined Bob, Ellie, Ann and me at another lazy summer meeting.

Neil has just recently settled in Richmond after a few years in Mexico, and is looking for a writers’ group, checking out several to see what fits his needs best. While working in archeology and travelling worldwide, he started writing travel articles and then became a full time writer of magazine articles, before expanding into non-fiction and fiction storytelling. He is a past winner in both the fiction and non-fiction categories in the Canadian Author’s Assoc. writing contest. His first collection of short stories has been published by Thistledown, and is titled “Tuckahoe Slidebottle”. At present he is working on three projects: non-fiction stories of Canadians, a collection of humourous short stories, and a piece of historical fiction. Neil had some fascinating stories to tell and we hope he will join us again.

I read an email from Margaret, explaining health issues she is dealing with. We hope she’ll soon be feeling well enough to liven up our Thursday nights again with her Peabody collection of stories.

Bob read his next section in his re-write, about Jacoby Bros. He told of switching to a one-write bookkeeping system and hiring a new bookkeeper, and that his brother had to learn the necessity of having money in the bank before writing a cheque. In 1960, Bob had to do the sales trip east to Winnipeg, and he clocked 8000 miles, there and back, in his Mercedes. During the 1960s, the office started opening for a few hours on Sundays, serving alcohol while selling jewellery, which turned out to be illegal and they were visited by some police officers to advise them of this. They switched to serving coffee. In 1969, they moved to Seymour, and in 1970 were victims of an armed robbery. This all reads much better in its first person presentation.

Ellie read more from a previous story, telling of three companions making their way through underground caverns, having dealt with a giant spider, but still looking for a way out after three days. They find a chimney hole and one climbs up to discover it leads to the surface. He returns to the other two to tell them.

Ann is between creative writing courses at the moment and decided to enter a contest with Writers’ Digest, with the lead-in “After years with a travelling carnival, the strong man and bearded lady try to adjust to a normal life as a married couple.” Ann read us her first draft of a story she plans to enter. The recently married couple is trying to settle into the Sooke area on Vancouver Island, and the story is told from the wife’s perspective, of how she longs to fit in because she’s lonely, and the rumour mill she encounters.

I did not have anything completed to read, but did tell the group I had outlined the next seven chapters in my novel, so I know where I want to go with it. I had been afraid that I had written myself into a corner with Fiona duct-taped and locked in the shed. I really had no idea how I was going to get her out of there. Bob said he didn’t want me to divulge the outline because he likes being surprised with each chapter, but I did reveal some of it as I can now see a light at the end of the tunnel and I feel excited.

I had an email from Susan to say she had mailed a letter snail mail. That will be exciting to receive.

Carolann says she hopes to start attending our meetings again now that her health has improved and her husband is well enough that she can go out and leave him. He had quadruple bypass surgery last month.

My thanks to those who have donated to the fund for our domain name on our website. Much appreciated.

I’ve had mostly good comments on our plans for a “Letters From Afghanistan” page, and Sonny said he will see about setting it up for us. He also said he will try to make it possible for me to add each weekly “Review” while he’s gone, as he probably won’t have time to do it.

Next meeting here at my place, Thursday, August 30th at 7:00 p.m. Look forward to seeing you then.

Lisa