JULY 6, 2017

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Kathy Flotz, Sharon Buckman, Sharon Palmeri, Bob Philpot, Caren Von See, Al Koch, Diane Stratton, Ruthann Graczyk, George Miga, Mary  Lu Cowley, Donna Eckelbarger

GUESTS PRESENT:

Angelina Mendoza, Rhonda Garcia

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the June 15, 2017 minutes was first given by CAREN VON SEE and seconded by RHONDA GARCIA

NEW BUSINESS:

Since we had two new guests and a few of our members hadn’t met each other, it was decided that each member would introduce themselves to the guests.

LITERARY NEWS:

GEORGE MIGA stated that he had finally gotten his book, “Medal of Dishonor,” published.  This was a novel that most of our members were familiar with and all applauded when we were told.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM:

SHARON PALMERI opened the program by explaining how writing a script may help writers who struggle with writing dialogue, and may help them get more familiar with their characters. She discussed elements of screenplay writing and explained the difference between screenplay writing and play-writing.  Sharon loaned members a booklet of information on screenplays that included several articles on the subject -- beginning with an Interview with Michael Hauge, entitled “Essential Elements of a Successful Script.” Sharon explained that these elements were also necessary for writing good novels. She also stated you must belong to the Screenwriter’s Guild to even have your screenplay looked at or considered for purchase by anyone well-known in the movie industry, (unless you have a personal contact, or "know someone in the business." She also gave members a booklet called Breaking Out Today – Tips and Techniques to Quantum Leap Your Writing Above and Beyond the Literary Pack.  In addition, she also passed around two books on writing screenplays. Sharon ended the program by asking members to try to convert one of their short stories (or part of one) to a screenplay. She emphasized that this was NOT an “assignment” but a suggestion or challenge to help writers with dialogue and getting better acquainted with their characters.

READINGS:

BOB PHILPOT read four pages of his novel, Strange Friends.  This part of his novel starts with Zeb entering an old western store for a drink.  The old owner of the store told him there had been a man coming into the store earlier looking for him.  The man looked like a “ugly cuss” that might mean harm.  Upon telling this to Zeb, the man entered the store, telling him that he had a message from Don Miguel saying that he had no problem with Zeb killing a man named Raul.  He had come in peace.

CAREN VON SEE read her four-page short story written from a prompt on our W.O.H. Facebook group page.  The story, entitled, “The Egg,” began with Charlene returning home to find the house door opened, most of her furniture removed, and rooms trashed.  Vowing vengeance she sought out her ex-husband, telling him she knew what he was really after.

KATHY FLOTZ read her free verse, five-stanza poem, entitled “The Awakening.” The poem, written several years prior at her cabin in Michigan, tells of awakening in the morning to the sounds of birds singing, woodpeckers hammering and all the birds “proclaiming their praises.”

DONNA ECKELBARGER read her one page children’s story entitled, “Penny, Don’t Forget Your Library Book!”  The story tells of five-year-old Penny trying to get ready for school and having to fight each morning with her bed, who keeps trying to stop her.

DIANE STRATTON read her two-page short story entitled, “That Concert of My Dreams.”  The story tells of true events when she went, with a friend, to see her favorite country star Eddie Rabbitt.  Before entering the Star Plaza Theater they get invited into the trailer which the stars traveled in – which turned out to be Dottie West’s band.  Before they left that night Dottie West befriend them and invited them for a back-stage view or the show. She left the show with a great deal of respect for Dottie, and she became a favorite singer of Dottie West. Oh, yes – she and her friend did see Eddie Rabbit, who completely ignored them as he walked by.

AL KOCH read his hilarious two-page short story entitled, “Laughing Sheep.”  His true story told of his time as a teacher when one of his students asked him where steel wool came from.  He decided that telling them the truth was much more boring than the story he told them that steel wool actually came from a special breed of sheep, and of how these certain sheep almost became extinct, due to rusting.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN

JUNE 15, 2017

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Sharon Buckman, Dave Wilgus, Beverly Stanislawski, Caren Von See, Marilyn Kessler, Kathy Flotz, Hardarshan Valia, Diane Stratton, Al Koch, Amy Brailey, Helena Qi

GUESTS PRESENT:

Norma Dewes, Karyn Stockwell

OLD BUSINESS:

A vote of approval for the June 1, 2017 minutes was first given by DAVE WILGUS and seconded by CAREN VON SEE.

LITERARY NEWS:

DAVE WILGUS stated he would be at the Plymouth, In. library on Saturday June 17^th and the Valparaiso library on June 24^th for a book signing for his newest book, Cub Fans Dreams Come True.

READINGS:

MARILYN KESSLER read her one page short story entitled, “Port of Call.” The story comes from a picture given as an assignment to W.O.H. members and begins with the description of a picturesque city in Ireland called Cork.  It tells of a woman coming from America to visit her Irish cousin.  After driving through the city, they decide to visit the old farmhouse where they remember walking down the old lane to comfort her family after her sister’s death. 

AMY BRAILEY read her two-page short story entitled, “The Observer.”  The story began with a Megan entering a coffee shop where she loved to go watch people and write about them.  She sat down with her notebook and pencil, and began to wonder about the four women sitting in the corner, and what was so hilariously funny.  As Megan sat there watching the various tables she began to make up stories about each one.

CAREN VON SEE brought two short stories, both are prompt stories directed as a challenge to W.O.H. members.  The first story entitled, “The Barons,” is a story  which must include the words, Battle, Soothe, Elaborate, Sparkling and Tower.  Caren manages to include all of these words in her short story, which takes place between two villages deep within the Sailughem Mountains.  The second prompt story, entitled “Forever Face to Face”  is an explanation of why two stone formations of a man and a woman are facing each other, nose to nose.

DIANE STRATTON read her true short story entitled, “The Brick,” which told of the memorial of her close friend.  The friend was a wonderful person and caregiver who always took care of everyone else, including her mother, father and elderly sister.  After her retirement her and her husband planned on retiring in Florida, however, due to the friend’s “brain bleed” they never made it.

AL KOCH read his uplifting short story entitled, “A Joyful Lesson.”  The two-page short story began with Al asking himself, “Am I satisfied with my life?” He finally discovered that happiness was an accident.  He stated that the question he now asks is “Am I Joyful?  Because joyfulness is a choice.”

KARYN STOCKWELL read her four-page short story entitled, “Toni and Me.”  This humorous story, taking place in the 50s, describes what happened when her mother gave her a Toni home permanent.  The permanent was given the day before her school picture was to be taken.  The photographer grinned and said, “Honey, you’ll remember this picture forever.”

VALIA HARDARSHAN read his two-page story telling of his journey, and fellow Sikhs journey, to Indiana.  He began by saying that coming to Indiana had changed his life dramatically, for the better.  In telling of his first commute to work from Griffith he related how driving down Ridge Road, he re-created in his mind the 10,000 – 12,000 year history of the iced lobe of Lake Michigan melting away. This gave most of W.O.H. members a good history lesson.

HELENA QI brought two poems.  The first poem was a Haiku, told of a beautiful autumn on the Wabash River and the “silky white quilt of Old Man Winter’s gift.”  The second poem, entitled “My Favorite Hobby/Pastime,” told of the beautiful freedom feeling of swimming and the wonderful feeling of playing the piano, as “every note sings joy and gratitude.”

BEVERLY STANISLAWSKI read her four-page short story entitled, “The Rat Trap.”  The story begins with two men planning to rob an old man.  After following the old man to his shack they remembered that he had always talked about his old dog, Rat Trap.  They watched the old man through the window until they thought he was asleep, then rushed into the shack only to find that “rat trap” was all the rat traps the old man had set, foiling their plan.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 P.M.

Respectfully submitted:

SHARON BUCKMAN