Minutes of the meeting at La Rosa Hotel on the above date.
Present: Michele, Jonathan, Pip, Jenny, Ian (chair).
Apologies: Peter, Adele, Lesley, Gill, Kaz.
Topic: Members’ work-in-progress.
Members’ Readings
Jenny — continued her historical novel being written in conjunction with Karen, about Mary Eleanor Bowes, the heiress of a vast fortune from the Durham coalfields.
Young Mary comes back from her morning outing to lunch with the family, an elaborate affair with several hot and cold dishes. Over lunch, George (Mr Bowes) announces out of the blue that he will be away on a business trip for the next three days. Meanwhile the servants carry on with their duties and personal lives, which are beginning to get interesting.
Pip — invited discussion of her plans for a second book to follow on from where Caicos Moon leaves off: viz at the point where she leaves the island and decides on a career at sea. She joins P&O as a finance officer.
An enthusiastic discussion followed concerning the special problems facing a working woman entering what was traditionally a male preserve: the officer class in the merchant navy.
Michele — recounted her patchy experience with a Facebook group for authors, who read each others’ books in return for writing a review on Amazon. How does one proceed with an author whose book turns out to be unreadable?
Jonathan — read a poem: Yutton, a nostalgic evocation of his home village Hutton-le-Hole, which has since changed out of all recognition.
Ian — read a poem: Patty Piggie, about a sow who flees the sty with her piglets.
In the time remaining, the meeting returned to a topic raised by Michele: experience with Goodreads. Ian said he for one would like to know more.
Whitby Writers Group 