MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS CIRCLE ZOOM MEETING ON 20 MAY 2021

Present: Tricia, Hilary, Alan, Liz, Greg, Carla, Heather 

Apologies: Alix, Danny, Sarah DD, Amanda

News

Carla has attained her PhD – many congratulations, Carla! She is reading submissions and commenting on them for Litro magazine and the editors then decide whether to publish. Carla has also revised an article about her grandmother that she wrote before Christmas and this will be published by Memoir Magazine.

Alan’s ghost story, ‘The False Note’ was originally published on the NAWG website and a recording of Alan reading this and other stories is accessible from Woking Writers website via the link to Alan’s website.

Liz reported that the Book Group had read Wise Children by Angela Carter and admired it greatly. The next meeting will be on 7 June and the book to be discussed will be Shuggie Bain, winner of the Booker Prize.

Hilary is doing a six-week course, ‘Finishing Your Novel’, run by Curtis Brown and is finding it useful.

Heather had reached the final six in the ‘experienced amateur’ category of the King Lear Poetry Competition.

Readings

Tricia read part seven of ‘The Deadly Crown’ which plunged her listeners into a world dominated by the Covid virus. Tricia painted a vivid picture of rich countries keeping the virus at bay, while poorer countries were unsupported in their struggle. Corruption was rife. The descriptions of the changes in London, with the emptiness of Trafalgar Square and absence of cafes were vividly drawn. Hilary commented that each part of the work was very powerful and that Tricia might look at connecting the different parts in a more seamless way. 

Greg read a poem, ‘The Paper Round’ (after Simon Armitage) which impressed with its vivid images and the satisfying way it came full circle. A reference to ‘garden paths’ cleverly linked Greg’s future career in journalism with his boyish enthusiasm for reading the front pages of the papers and making his ‘fingers grubby with newsprint’. 

Carla presented two poems, both of which were greatly enjoyed. The first, ‘Doodling’ drew on memories of her father doodling geometric shapes with sharp edges. Carla also doodles, but in ‘a lighter way’. Her second poem ‘Wedding’ examined etymology and described in vivid terms the difference in mood between the bride and groom. She is anxious, ‘stomach churning’ while he seems very relaxed. The final lines were very dramatic. Carla is thinking of doing more work on this poem and was asked to bring it back to WWC in due course.

Heather read a poem, ‘May Masquerade’, which was a description of a morning in May when the garden was full of ‘tricks’, with snail slime appearing as a necklace on a fence and nails shining like rubies. In this magical, shining world, even the laurel, ‘dusty and Victorian in July’, looks as if she might lift up her skirts and dance across the lawn.

Alan’s story, ‘Light Camouflage’, responded to the theme of the homework, ‘Maybe’. As always, tension was maintained throughout with the listeners not being sure what was going on – which was, of course, the author’s intention. The dialogue successfully carried things forward without the need for descriptive passages which could have slowed things down.

Liz read from her journal which she had started in a new spiral notebook. She had started dating her entries and including a note of actions to be taken at the end of each entry. The journal had immediacy and a range of emotions, most notably in the references to the milkman no longer calling and memories of past associations with milking cows. All agreed that the associations with milk and the changes in the milk industry would be very marketable, particularly as they were recorded by ‘the daughter of a dairy farmer’. It was suggested that ‘Best of British’ magazine might be a marketing opportunity.

Hilary contributed a piece written for a course exercise which required the writer to put somebody in a position of jeopardy. Hilary had chosen a woman walking home at night down ‘Solomon’s Cut’. Hilary’s listeners were on the edge of their seats as the woman  walked over the uneven stones and heard a whistle half-way along the path. She heard the call, ‘Specko’, and looked at the ground as instructed, only to see her shadow who threatened to leave her.  Fortunately, none of us had to follow that!

Date of next Zoom meeting: 17 June 2021, 7.30pm

Homework: Wonderland