Dana set the writing prompt last night as, “Select a tabloid headline and write a piece assuming it’s totally real.”

The tabloids are pretty much all star gossip these days, which is certainly fine to use if you find something inspiring in that. If you prefer though, there are several ways to go back in time to the more bizarre headlines.

First, you can do a Google Images search for “tabloid headlines:”

http://images.google.com/images?q=tabloid%20headlines

There are also some sites out there that collect some of the classic
headlines:

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/anniversary/35th/n_8568/

http://www.rockthelist.com/2008/10/02/the-35-most-bizarre-tabloid-headlines-ever/

http://www.manofest.com/Content/the-40-funniest-tabloid-headlines-of-all-time.html

Finally, there are tabloid headline generators:

http://tabloidheadlinegenerator.com/

http://thesurrealist.co.uk/standard.php

Just thought I would share the gems I found in my search for the
perfect headline.

James Edward Gray II

We’ll talk about the experience of writing a book in 30 days and the challenges it presents. See who completed the challenge, who came close, and who pulled their hair out due to unfair real life time constraints.

If you didn’t participate in NaNoWriMo this year, don’t worry; we’ll still have plenty of fun stuff to cover in the meeting, such as information on self-publishing and a new writing prompt. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Don’t forget to submit your writing prompt before the meeting! Even if you can’t attend the meeting join up with our mailing list and take part in the group virtually.

One last thing: The guys at the CoCo are being generous enough to provide a cool opportunity for people participating in NaNoWriMo. Check out the promotion here!

As a reminder, the writing prompt is DUE ASAP! Post your submissions on the mailing list! As a reminder, here is the writing prompt:

Write a scene of any length or style that SHOWS character emotion and
action rather than TELLING us about it. Use the following:

- A character who is nervous and suspicious
- An authority figure who is getting angry and impatient
- A plucky, happy-go-lucky teenager
- Use an aged, falling apart building as your scenery

Try to follow the guidelines for showing instead of telling. If you
missed the meeting and don’t know what I’m talking about, check out
the slides on http://geekwriters.net and check out this website for
more info: http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/sep01/browne.htm

The first meeting will consist primarily of us getting to know each other so we’ll have an idea of what kind of writers we have in the group. We’ll talk about what we enjoy writing, anything we’ve written in the past, and our future writing goals. We’ll also discuss what we’d like to get from this particular group and determine the best possible day and time for subsequent meetings.

I plan on bringing food and drinks, so I need to get a rough idea of how many people will attend this first meeting. If you plan on coming, please let me know. The best way is to join our mailing list and send out a message, but any means of communication is acceptable.

Currently we plan on meeting monthly. The time and place are still to be determined. The meetings will consist of a variety of activities, from presentations, “howto” talks, creative writing prompts, reviews of written works, and of course free food/drinks. The direction of the group will be influenced by what you want, so make your opinion heard!

We look forward to having our first meeting very soon.  More details to come!