Cleckheaton Writers Group meeting 16 February 2015

Cleckheaton Writers Group met last night at Cleckheaton Library, A, M, P and K in attendance, J, L, N and P having passed on their apologies.

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed and Andy informed members that he has been plot planning a lot since the last meeting.

For the feedback sessions, K and Ps work was shared.  A felt that although the prologue to Ks piece had action in it and it was from a female POV, there was too much detail and M felt that it needed to be a younger narrative voice.  A felt that this prologue and the second chapter were not needed and M felt that if the prologue was kept, it should be written in the third person POV.  In chapter 3 there is a POV change and this needs to come out.  A used an example of his novel VH that he cut his first line and it worked better, K would need to cut 2 of the 4 chapters.

For Ps piece, M suggested that if it could be lengthened (752 words), it would be suitable for submission to Take A Break Fiction Feast twist in the tale (1k words).  A and M liked that it lead you down a different path to make the reader believe the narrator is not who she really is.  K felt this worked well and hopes that P does submit it to Take A Break.

K informed the members about the Headingley Literature Festival, including two crime events and updated them on CLF.  M and P suggested a free facebook page for the festival rather than paying for a website and K reported that the festival now has 3 confirmed female authors for the crime panel event.

It was felt that as only A and M had forwarded work to be considered for the anthology suggested by N at the first January meeting, that we should look to compiling this after the CLF.  It was agreed that the anthology should be aimed at adults and maybe a children's one considered for the next CLF should there be one.

The feedback slots are available for the next meeting, which will take place on Monday 2 March 6-8pm at Cleckheaton Library.