Writing circle notes (22. September, 1996)

This document serves as a literary time capsule from September, 1996, capturing the candid and collaborative atmosphere of a small writer’s circle known as the “Soup Council”. The following notes offer a rare glimpse into the creative process, showcasing how writers navigated the nuances of “showing vs. telling,” technical consistency, and the emotional weight of personal storytelling during the late 90s.

To protect the privacy of the participants, all names have been anonymized (except mine).

Attendees: Sarah, Jeff, Sam, Lee and Vane.

Topics: How this soup council works. Suggestions for further reading.

<Sam> welll .... I have started writing again recently

<Sam> thanks to the absk types I associate with

<Sam> and I wanted a “safe” place to talk to friends abbout it

<Sam> cause despite the positive feedback

<Sam> I am not real confident

<Sam> and that is not a fishing trip

<Sam> I thought today we should talk about what we want out of this

<Sarah> big bucks :)

<Sam> humor to calm the nerves ...

<Lee> I need someone expecting me to write

<Sam> my biggest problem is definitely making time

<Vane> Yeah, time is an issue.

<Sarah> I think regular discussion would kick my butt

<Lee> It would also be nice to have someone who can tell me when my writing is unclear or dull

<Sam> I have read all the stuff about you just make time

<Sam> but that doesn’t make it easy

<Sam> I am definitely looking for feedback

<Sarah> i’m getting to the point where i think some of my stuff *might just* be publishable...I want my hand held :)

<Vane> Feedback is very important. Writing is fun, but it can get tedious if you never get any feedback.

<Sam> so we want encouragement to write and feedback criticism of what we write

<Lee> Yeah, and I’ve gotten where I see the computer and think of it only as a device to get on the Net

<Lee> I need some noodging

<Sam> I have been writing more with pen and paper

<Lee> What kind of stuff do you guys like to write mainly?

<Sam> I write short stories at this point

<Sam> and it has always been pretty “up: till my latest venture which is very dark

<Vane> No surprises here: I like both kinds (short & long), and I love fiction and non-fiction writing. Mostly fiction, that is. And in that category: humour, adventure, science fiction.

<Sarah> now i think A Good father is normal and the Girl and the throw is Golden

<Lee> I like sf/fantasy, but I’ve been very unsuccessful writing it

<Lee> The only stuff I’ve had luck with is <ych> regional

<Sam> the only reason I am puzzling about no changes is cause it is a 1st draft you saw

<Lee> But the text is clear and compelling. It ain’t broke.

<Sarah> I’ve got a sci fi coming up, but mostly it’s just life with a twist

<Sam> I have a feeling that to write successfully you have to just write ... and accept the genre that comes out

<Lee> The only other writer’s group I have been in handled meetings one way...wanna hear?

<Sarah> yeh, my observer just tells it as he sees it

<Lee> Well, free chitchat at first, then we settled in

<Lee> And one person at a time got their last weeks story talked about

<Lee> We exchanged them and had a week to look them over

<Lee> the rule was you could only submit something twice

<Lee> Because some people would beat one story to DEATH

<Lee> You just can’t drag everyone else with you.

<Sam> that will also serve the encouraging us to write purpose

<Lee> Oh, no line reading...the critiques limited to where things are unclear or confusing

<Sam> and suggestions too no?

<Lee> I mean no nit picking

<Sam> weekly it is

<Sam> at 1 eastern time

<Sam> on sunday

<Sam> for an hour or so

<Sarah> 2 submissions only

<Lee> Jeff, you do realize that you’re gonna have to show us your work?

<Sarah> and on that topic, could i ask that nothing i give here goes to anyone else without my knowing apart form partners

<Lee> Which means, dammit, that you have to WRITE some

<Jeff> I havent shown my work because I dont really have any to show

<Lee> Absolutely. Cone of Silence.

<Jeff> What goes on here stays here. Period.

<Vane> Ok, then the “guide lines” are set and the time and date is agreed upon.

Suggestions for reading:
**Most links were dead. I added archive.org link to the ones that had something stored.

<Lee> The Artists Way by Julia Cameron

<Lee> [http://bel.avonibp.co.uk/bricolage/welcome.html]

<Lee> [http://www.sff.net/people/wpshunn/index.htp]