Weekly Round up of Writers Rendezvous

Quick Minutes
Peta is still compiling upcoming writer’s events and will hopefully get her submission to Vicki as soon as possible.  This will assist in arranging a time for the inaugural Dayboro’s Writers Convention (working name) to ensure maximum attendance.
 
Member News
Jane has submitted a piece for the James Patterson co-author competition.  We wish Jane the absolute best!

Peta starts her GCEP (Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing) next week.  Thank you for all your wonderful comments on Facebook.  You are all incredibly inspiring and wonderful people (chocolate cake to celebrate next meeting if I remember!).  I especially want to thank James, Vicki, Jane and Tina listening to me and encouraging me to make my final decision.

Reminders
Our homework task is now under the “Current Task” on our website.  Please email Vicki with your contributions.  Constructive criticism is welcome regarding the homework task or if you wish for someone to read their homework out at our next meeting, please make a comment.  Comments can be created by clicking on the brown “Comments” url at the top of the blog.  I can’t wait to read your homework.  As encouragement, I am doing a final edit about Ned Kelly being a clown on the edge.  I will hopefully finish it this week.

A Week in Review (from Facebook)

Jane has entered the Master Class Co-Author Competition for James Patterson.  You can find the information here:
https://www.masterclass.com/co-author
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Jane also put up a great you tube video by Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories.  Well worth the watch. You can locate it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ

Vicki has put up several posts this week.  This one is on World Building (which admittedly I did use but not referenced in my talk). It’s an excellent guide and can be located here:
https://writerswrite.co.za/world-building-for-every-genre-the-ultimate-setting-list/

Writers DO NEED readers
http://www.tomiadeyemi.com/blog/4-ways-to-read-like-writer?utm_content=buffercc02f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Carleton put up an excellent article on tips to avoid “Telling” writing.  You can find the article here:
https://www.facebook.com/writerscircle/photos/a.469562786290.301523.110046421290/10154876905361291/?type=3&theater

Social Welfare (?) put up an excellent article on 7 Steps to deal with Overwriting.  You can find the article here:
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/02/18/avoid-overwriting/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare
 
I will continue to post upcoming events onto the google calendar of events.  You will need to have a Gmail account.  Please let James know so he can add you to the calendar.  You can email him at [email protected] for further information on how to obtain a Gmail account and be added as an administrator to the calendar so you can add events.

That is the round of Rendezvous News for this week.  If you have any news, articles or interesting books you are reading please let me know at [email protected] or on our Facebook page.
Signing off
Peta Culverhouse

Constructive feedback from homework:
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Feedback Etiquette: (taken from Writing Fiction Course Future Learn, 2016)
Giving Feedback
Here are some feedback guidelines:
• You are asked to focus on the writing for the homework piece. Feedback for other tasks should be given to the author personally.
• If you think an aspect of the writing works well, try to analyse why, but also look for its faults. Usually there will be some.
• If you think an aspect of the writing doesn’t work, again, analyse why. Make sure you look for the parts that might be working better in the piece. Almost always there will be positive things to focus on as well.
• Try to go beyond ‘Oh, I liked that, but I didn’t like that.’
• Always comment on the idea and its implementation, not on the surmised personality of the writer.
• Bear in mind that, often, you will be passing comment on a ‘work-in-progress’, a piece of writing that is not finished. Try to assess where it might go and what tactics might be used in its development.
• Always try to show evidence for whatever claims you make. Evidence, in this instance, is the part of the writing you are talking about. Point out the use of language you are focused on so that the writer knows which part you mean.
• Rather than being imperious in your comments, explain what you mean, point out the evidence – but also freely suggest there may be other opinions. This can be done with little nudging queries: ‘I wonder if anyone else thinks this?’
• Think about how well the writing is geared to its intended readership.
 
Receiving feedback
Here are some guidelines:
• When assessing comments you may wish to rewrite the idea completely. Don’t rush into this.
• You may wish to tweak your story a little, rewrite completely or just leave it as it is. Any of these options is possible. There is no correct way of responding to critical comments. You may choose to accept some comments and reject others. Remember: you are the final arbiter; you are the writer.
• If you are lucky and receive more than one lot of feedback, pay special attention to areas where there seems to be a consensus, even though it might be an opinion with which you strongly disagree. Ask yourself: ‘Have I ever had doubts about this before I got these comments?’ Be honest with yourself. If the answer is ‘Yes’, then the area almost certainly needs attention – even if it happens to be your favourite section.
• Ask yourself whether the piece under discussion is going to be developed any further. If so, how?
• If it isn’t going to be developed, what can be salvaged from it? You might wish to use a character, a metaphor, a line of dialogue. It’s important to realise that even if you eventually abandon an idea, there may be some small part of that idea – sometimes just an image, a line or even a phrase– that you can use later, in another piece.
• Remember: your fellow writers are commenting on a piece of work at a particular stage in its development, not on a finished article, and they are certainly not commenting on you personally.
 
Feedback: (please mention stories name and contributor).