Writers’ Block

Remember everybody- There is NO MEETING this upcoming Wednesday or over break. The next Writers’ Block meeting will be on March 25th at the student center [2nd floor]. See you then!

Things we talked about:

• Is Beeswax worth it? Does anyone actually care? Comment below.
• The pros and cons of being put into Artemis
• Should we read a novel next quarter? Is there something short (under 250 pages) that you’d like to read? Comment below.
  

Things we Read:

• The Murder by Joe (Week 8)
• Discussed The Great Lint Adventure by Joe (Week 9)

What we Talked About: 

• Budget Allocation. Writers’ Block has $130.00 for the Spring term. $100 will be put into the lit mag, and $30.00 will be put into an event of some kind. Comment below for suggestions. 
• The need for more members. 

Writers’ Block was awarded the $130.00 requested for Spring 2009. One Hundred dollars of this is to be used for the production of our literary magazine and the remaining funds are to be used for a movie night [or likely any event of some description]. 

If you have ideas for how our $30.00 should be spent than please write them in the comments. You input is very greatly appreciated. Also, if you’re keen on a movie night- suggest a movie.

In this weeks entertainment weekly, EW took a quick look at what Neil Gaiman is doing at the moment given that his book The Graveyard Book won the 2008 Nebula and Coraline has hit the big screen. Gaiman is currently writing in Wisconsin.

Of Wisconsin he says;

” The setting is interesting enough that if I get stuck and need to stare out the window, there’s something to look at, which isn’t interesting enough to make me stop working and look at it for long.” 

There you go. Wisconsin- a great place to write because it exists, but sucks pretty hard.

What we talked about: 

• Writers’ Block WILL NOT be putting out a winter issue of Beeswax. We received few submissions and problems occurred with our funding. If you have submitted or plan to submit to the Winter issue- your piece can be considered for the Spring issue at your request. 
• Writers’ Block asked for $130.00 for the Spring term. Evaluation of budget applications is on February 12th- an answer should come within a week.

What we talked about

• Beeswax - No submissions have been made. Please submit or we will be unable to do a magazine this quarter. Beeswax is a lot of work, please show you care and take interest. Guidelines are on the side and under the Beeswax tab.
• Spring Budget Allocations- We discussed if we should set aside a lot of money to do a full lit mag and decided against it given the current state of the Winter issue. Money will be set aside for an issue similar to what was done in Fall, and is being produced now.
• The Book Festival is this week. Go. Have fun.

My memory of this meeting is a little hazy. I don’t really remember much about anything that was talked about.

What We Read

• A comic script by Annah
• Love Potion Devotion, a short story by Joe
• An untitled webcomic concept by Yidi

I apologize that I didn’t post this sooner, but I don’t get much time to watch the news anymore. John Updike passed away earlier this week on the 27th from lung cancer. He was seventy-six. The Pulitzer-prize winning writer was best known for his “Rabbit” series but also highly reguarded for his essays, poems, short shorties and criticisms. Updike was a substantial figure in American, and 20th Century Literature, and his passing will be felt in the literary world.

John Updike

1932-2009

I have his short story Separating in a short story collection, as well as an essay he wrote about writing. I think it would be great if we could look at them next meeting, and discuss Updike as a writer. Thoughts?

– Joe

I’d like to make this blog a little more than just a information center for the club… so I’m going to try to post some relevant information about literature/writing/etc.

If anyone has a problem with that… feel free to speak up.

The video attached is a vlog by teen fiction author John Green. The text in the video concerns the status of the publishing industry in our current economy. Please watch.

watch?v=nvWETi5KNF0

Interested in knowing more about John Green? He vlogs with his brother Hank, and created a community of teen readers/activists called nerd fighters. He has three published novels and one novella. If you’re interested in reading his work, check out his first book Looking for Alaska.

– Joe

Okay, so not so canceled. We had the meeting on the third floor. I’m going to write this post in the same spirit of the meeting so that you can all share in it’s wonderfulness.

What We Read:

• A comic script by Annah.
• A Lord of War flash fiction by Imani
• Another flash fiction by Imani

What We Talked About:

• Batman/Comic books
• Comic book formatting
• The Twilight Zeitgeist
• Lord of War

– Joe