Fourteen people joined us for December’s Writers’ Mill meeting – a smaller number than usual, but perhaps everyone’s busy this time of year. Seven attended in person at the library and seven online. I promise I’ve tried to take good minutes for those members who were absent and the ones who couldn’t hear the speaker online. Unfortunately, sound and room setup are complicated for hybrid meetings, but we’re glad you’re all persevering!
Mollie Hunt was a wonderful speaker, and we all had a great time. In person, we were able to share in the Book Exchange and to buy some of Mollie’s books. Online members exchanged book recommendations which will be included in these minutes.
CONTEST NEWS
Liz announced the voting results for our December e-magazine. The topic was “The Last Time I was in…” and those of you who haven’t read the ezine should look for it at https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/contests/dec-2023-contest-page/dec-2023-entries-voting-page/
- Submissions receiving MOST VOTES is a TIE between
- Nora for her poem “The Last Time I Was in Santiam Pass” (this was her first Ezine/Contest Entry), so thank you for joining us Nora, and congratulations!
- Judy for her story “I Buried My Ex-Boyfriend”
- SECOND most votes went to Karin for her essay “My Grandparents’ Garden” and
- THIRD went to Sheila for her story “Doggert”
OTHER ENTRIES were:
- A Short Visit – by Peter
- Happy Memories – by Jessie
- Of Man and Beast Episode 2 – by Robin
- The Last Time – by Mark
UPCOMING CONTESTS
word count limits, anything from 4 or 5 to 1,200 words: any genre: deadline end of the first Sunday of the month: entries go to contest@portlandwritersmill.org: and PLEASE use your own creative title, not the name of the theme!
- January 2024 – Deadline is January 7th
- Host: Lyndsay Docherty
- Theme: Euphoria
- OPTIONAL challenge to consider three rarely used words which categorize Euphoria in different ways.
- Confelicity – joy in someone else’s joy
- Apricity – joy in the natural world’s beauty
- Eucatastrophe – joy in the favorable outcome of dire events
- PLEASE use your own creative title for the piece, not Euphoria
- February 2024 – Deadline is February 4th
- Host: Elizabeth Maggio
- Theme: When I’m daydreaming, I… Finish the sentence and continue into your essay, story, poem OR just let the response become the inspiration for the story, essay, or poem that you create.
- There is NO requirement to include the words of the theme, and PLEASE use your own creative title.
- March 2024 – Deadline is March 3rd
- Host: Judy Beaston
- Theme: Season of Mystery: Compose a mystery story or merely focus on the sensory blossoms that accompany this mysterious time of year when we transition from bare branches, not-much-color to the vibrant awakening of Spring.
- PLEASE use your own creative title
DETAILS for these three themes and – soon – April’s theme, can be found on the website under UPCOMING CONTESTS located below the CONTESTS header. https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/contests/upcoming-contests/
SPEAKER
Mollie Hunt is a cat writer and award-winning author of the Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries, the Tenth Life Paranormal Mysteries involving a ghost cat, the Cat Seasons Sci-Fantasy Tetralogy and a COVID memoir In her spare time, she pens a bit of cat poetry as well. Notes from her talk are below, or find them at https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/18/cats-on-the-keyboard-with-mollie-hunt-dec-17th-2023/ on our website. Mollie’s website is https://molliehuntcatwriter.com/ and you can send any questions to molliehuntcatwriter@gmail.com . Find her handout by clicking on the link at https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/handout-cats-keyboard/
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
- From Robin: “Coiled” by H.L. Burke. A fantasy novel set in an ancient Greece background
- From Robin: “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer. The first of a series based on fairytales in a SF future setting
- From Nora: “The Anubis Gates” by Tim Powers. It somehow combines time travel, sorcery, and Samuel Coleridge, while remaining believable!
- From Endrya: Jamie Ford’s “The Many Daughters of Afong Moy”, a story about Afong Moy, the first Chinese Lady in the United States and her descendants of many generations, Historical Speculative Fiction. She was a real person and met President Andrew Jackson!
- From Robin: “The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts” by Maxine Hong Kingston. It was required reading in 2 of her college classes. And Robin had the privilege of meeting the author
- From Judy: “This Time Tomorrow” — an odd but fascinating sort of time-travel and yet not — story. By Emma Straub
WRITING EXERCISE
We ended the meeting with the story dice, using their images to provoke discussion on character, scene, and plot.
To set the scene, Sheila rolled three dice, giving: horseshoe magnet, smiley face, and fountain
For the character (protagonist) she rolled: a directional arrow, bee, and happy/sad masks
And for plot (suggesting this might be the end point of the story) she rolled: eye, arrow, and dice
Discussion ranged from magnetic fountains to dancing bees, and the resulting short story (and poetry) ideas covered fantasy, a wonderful children’s book idea, humor, pathos and romance. If you weren’t there, try it for yourself – give yourself ten minutes and write something. Try to include a sense of Euphoria and you’ll have your submission for January’s ezine ready made!
NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting is Jan 21st
Sheila invited us all to look at the schedule page on the website. At present, it doesn’t go beyond today, but she will update it shortly for the new year. Underneath the schedule you’ll find lists of past speakers and topics. Please think about topics you would like us to cover, speakers you’d like us to invite back, etc.
At January’s meeting we will review the triumphs of 2023 (you will all have triumphed), and we’ll make plans for the year to come. PLEASE be sure to join us. It’s your chance to help steer the Writers’ Mill in a direction that’s helpful to you!
Meanwhile, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and be sure to make time to WRITE!!!!!