Hello everyone,

General:
It’s that time of year, I suppose, that time is less than the demands on it. Last time, I had nothing of significance to report to The Log, having done no serious writing, and there is nothing this time. It’s not that I haven’t been writing: I have been, but my usual monthly column for the village newsletter isn’t of any great significance in itself, and my management analyses, although they have to be carefully and persuasively presented, don’t really count either.

There’s an emailed newsletter from the Arts Council, which doesn’t really contain much interesting information, so I won’t forward it, and there’s been another from Writing Raw, which you can consult on the internet.

But at least, I did finish my Christmas Quiz and distributed it on time, which I hope those of you who enjoy word challenges will attempt.

Challenges:
Every season, we have had the spur to gain points for doing well in particular challenges, and this season is no exception. The scheme is devised so that there is an incentive to enter every challenge (that should guarantee 10 points for the season) and because of the closeness of writing ability within the group, the winners’ names will vary considerably, meaning that the overall winner is likely to end up with a total in the low 20s, and that the overall winner will probably be decided at the last challenge.

Points which count towards the season’s winner are awarded by the ‘leader’ (I don’t know if I like that word) on the basis of 3 for the best entry, usually – but not always - the next two will get 2 points each and the next two get one point each. But apart from the best entry, the others are chosen on the basis of how I see the separation of the marks gained. There may not always be two seconds or two thirds, and I can award the better of the seconds or the thirds, and sometimes a runner-up, a ‘star’. The season’s overall winner will be the member who gets the most ‘points’. The accumulation of ‘stars’ exists only to separate members on equal points. Every member who contributes an entry gains 1 point in addition to any gained above.

Challenge 1. Celia 3 points, Rosemary 2 and a *, Geoff and Christine 1 point each, with Chris getting a *.

In addition, all entries (Sally, Sue, Christine, Celia, Geoff, Tara, Rosemary, Clare, Olaf, John, David, Zena, Chris, Betty) get a point.

Challenge 2. Sally gets 3 points, Christine and Geoff get 2 points each, Clare gets 1 point and a *, and Zena gets 1 point.

In addition, all entries (Clare, Sue, Celia, Rosemary, Chris, Betty, David, Olaf, Geoff Christine, Tara, John, Zena and Sally) get a point.

Accumulated Points after the first 2 challenges.
1, Celia 5
2. Sally 5
3. Geoff 5
4. Christine 5
5. Rosemary 4 and a *
6. Clare 3 and a *
7. Zena 3
8. Chris 2 and a *
and Sue, Tara, Olaf, John, David and Betty all have 2 points each.

Opening Out:
We’ve had some good challenges already, and this is the backbone of our existence, but it shouldn’t be our sole endeavour. I’d like to think of doing something more. There are two themes which I think we might explore, perhaps in the new year.

I have mentioned this before, but the idea of short articles for the NAWG (National Association of Writers’ Group) magazine. That’s the one which printed Christine’s article about the Log. We have had several themes in our discussions, and I’d like you to think about whether you could prepare a short article for their bi-monthly magazine, The Link. Generally speaking, the articles range from 1 page (about 400 words making a single point) to 2 pages (about 800 words, addressing a theme). You get no money for it, but you do get some satisfaction from having your thoughts circulated amongst members of writing groups – and sometimes there is interesting feedback for those who take the magazine.

As an email group we are at a disadvantage, because we cannot join as a ‘Group’, because we have no funds, nor can we easily circulate the magazine. But anyone can join as an individual (last year the cost was £16) and for that you get 6 issues of The Link. The last issue of the magazine (December 2009) contained 8 articles of about 1 page, and 7 of about 2 pages. With extra items such as an editorial and a letters page, it adds up to some 24 pages: a new editor has taken over from January, though, and I don’t know if there’ll be any change in policy. Their website is www.nawg.co.uk

The other theme is to revert to a longitudinal exercise, in the way that David has done before. His approach was for those who wished to participate to write a chapter which followed on from the previous ones, but with some kind of constraint to the chapter – each chapter starts with a telephone call, or as we did in the first story, end each chapter with a ‘cliffhanger’. But that meant that everyone joining in had to write a full chapter. I’m wondering if we could do a similar exercise, but this time developing solely on the plot. Contributions from each member would be, say, about 100 words or so of notes about the developing plot. Long-standing members will remember that we did something like that in our first year, but that was more closely controlled: we didn’t know each others’ capabilities at the time, either.

So could we attempt something like that? We’d need to specify the genre, and I’d suggest simply ‘A Mystery’. The first member would identify lead character, era and general setting – just in note form, remember – and some kind of hint about a mystery. (Doesn’t this seem a bit like what we’ve just written for Clare’s challenge? – perhaps we could take the winning entry to start it off). We’d have to agree that the aim is to make it a viable plot: in the cliff-hanger story, I think we sometimes tried to create a cliff-hanger where it posed extreme problems for the next writer.

However, if you think that another attempt at a novella in the style we have done before, please say, but also suggest some constraint for the chapters.

Anyway, ponder on these ideas, and I’d like some of your reactions in the New Year. We’ll all be too busy before then – all of you have the extra problem of solving my Quiz.

Meanwhile:
I hope you all have a very happy Christmas and New Year holiday break.

Best wishes all

- Olaf