Hello everyone,

General:
I want to start by saying thank you to Margie for flagging up how boring these alphamails have been. She’s absolutely right. It makes me wonder how sad people can be comedians! My mind is so blinkered about houses and builders and all of those continuing concerns, that it has been near impossible for me to think about writing. It’s also (he says guiltily) made me think about me and not you.

Geoff and his retirement, an event to be savoured. And his move to pastures new, equally worthy of comment. I haven’t found where he is yet because my atlas is still packed away somewhere… But Geoff, from all of us, enjoy your retirement away from those Generals.

So many of you doing amazing things, that I read in the LOG. And I know I haven’t been keeping up with all this and talking to those concerned.

Margie spoke about the group being about more than just writing and she’s absolutely right. Over the years, we have had the craziest of discussions online. We have shared much, and I’m truly sorry that now the group is under my stewardship things are slipping a bit.

I’d wear sackcloth and ashes but I’m not sure which packing case the ashes are in!

The other weekend I was reading the [literary] review pages of a newspaper and my eye was progressively drawn across the two-page spread from an item on Graham Swift; to the headline ‘two legs good, four legs better, six legs brilliant’; and downwards to two items, one with the headline ‘a lovely travel idea has one problem, it’s impossible’ and next to it an item which proclaimed that Moose don’t exist. (In case you’re worried, the other eye did catch up with the first one as it was drawn across the pages!)

Which lead me neatly (well neat for me) to our recent challenges.

Challenges:
My, my… How these last couple of challenges have set you free! Even freer than Chris’s rabbit… from Santa Fey to the Shetlands. From leprechauns to rhyming Lions. There have been some wonderful pieces – including the ones for challenge nine that you haven’t seen yet. Geoff’s challenge could well make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck before you even write anything! And I must congratulate Julie – streets ahead of the rest of us with her residency story.

The scores (including challenge 8 – courtesy of the time zones between here and Dianne/Maya!): Chris has 18 points and ***, Margie 18 and *, Christine 17 and **, Rosemary 14 and *, Maya 13 and *.

These are followed closely by Margaret and Julie with the rest of us in their wake. But with two challenges left (that’s a maximum of eight points) anything could happen!

By the way, those saying thank you to me for Challenge Nine, please remember that this isn’t mine but Patrick’s. I’m sure he’d be pleased to know you enjoyed it.

Criteria:
However, having said all that, I want to make a few comments about criteria.

As those of you who have organised challenges this season will vouch, one of the things I’ve spent time over with each organiser is the phrasing of their challenge. Sadly, challenge 8, for me, brings all this into stark outline.

Dianne and I spoke about the fact that she wanted the piece to be ‘an essay’. Fine, except that the Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms describes an essay as “…a short written composition… [which] discusses a subject or proposes an argument… [but is] more relaxed than [a] dissertation.” And so, as I put in my observations “only about half struck me as being ‘essays’.”

You may disagree with my opinion – of course you may, and you will! But to me it highlights the need for adherence to the given criteria and that we all understand what the criteria mean. We’re quick enough to whinge if a piece is two words over; or not sent in by the given date but do we actually seriously consider the criteria? I hope you all nod sagely and say ‘yes’. But I found it hard to match some of the quality writing that people offered with being ‘an essay’ and yet others of you scored these same pieces highly. And this is not ‘sour grapes’; I’m confused (it doesn’t take much).

I know my thoughts will set off a positive earthquake of responses from people who don’t agree. But what I hope it does, is make us all think about the criteria we use for our challenges and how we (when writing and voting) interpret those criteria.

By the way – challenge nine has the key criterion of being impossible. I bet there’ll be more fireworks as we interpret that!

New members:
One of the other points Margie made in her mail was about Teresa. I’ve found this an enigma. Olaf and I sent her several mails at the beginning of the season to check that all was well. The rest, as they say, is history. I’m also bothered about Tara who hasn’t participated for a while. I’ve sent her a mail in the hope that we’ll get to know what is blocking her participation.

Sally and I have been talking about the website and she was saying how busy she is and likely to be out of things for a few weeks. We all have times like this when things get in the way but it’s good to know about it and maintain a welcome when the person concerned is ready to rejoin us.

And on that subject, I’ve heard from Margaret who’s under the weather and so opting out for a while. I know she’s reading mails though! So from all of us, take care of yourself Margaret, and we look forward to you rejoining us soon.

Now, it’s a long way to season six. However, I’m looking to recruit new members – assuming I haven’t bored you all to tears and you want to opt out or give me the sack. I shall contact Di and Ann, to see if they want to be back in the swing. I’ve also had a mail from another NZ lady (is this a takeover bid???) who’d like to join us. From the mails we’ve exchanged, she seems to be new in NZ, having been in a writing group in the UK. I trust this course of action will meet with your corporate approval.

Olaf and I are discussing something for Writers News in advance of season six…

So I hope that we can increase active numbers for next season.

Finally...:
Well, several ‘finalies’ actually…

Margie’s mail about not making contact with Geoff and has he changed his address. My response to this was that he hasn’t, he and I have been mailing quite frequently about his challenge. But Chris made a comment in one of his mails to me about occasional problems with France – now just Christine. So far from being a world wide web, it seems there are a few holes! And we need to double check that we type addresses properly.

So I’d ask two things, please: one is that you do let me know if there are individuals with whom you have e-mail problems (mail being bounced, etc) so that we can see if there are solutions; and secondly, could we (for the next couple of mails or so) make sure we send back an acknowledgement of any mails, just to check out possible problems. Thanks all.

I had some spam on my blackberry! (I shall have to make enquiries if this means I can also get viruses in there) And it’s all down to my frequent mailings with you folks in NZ. MacDonalds (NZ) sent me a satisfaction survey and there’s 50 NZ$ in it for me too! That the fifty dollars is as much use to me as the bucket of pre-Euro French centimes I have is neither here nor there. Like many aspects of my life of late, you wonder where you draw the line at ‘impossible’ things!

I know from time to time people have written about what they’re reading, Chris spoke about his latest read in a recent mail, and I wondered if we should re-introduce the opportunity for people to talk about the book they have by the bed/by the loo/in the greenhouse/next to the pool. Sally has already made an offering. I think, considering what Chris had to say, I would be interested to know why people choose the books they do, possibly even more than what they think of them!

Anyone wishing to rise to that bait, please feel free to share your thoughts with us all under the subject strip of ‘a book at bathtime’.

best wishes all

- David