RENEGADE WRITERS' GROUP: 22ND DECEMBER

Xmas bash time at the Renegade Writers! So we all gathered at the Jolly Potter for pies and festive words one of which was 'drabble'.

Peter stunned by the groups lack
of knowledge of the X Files

I had never heard the term drabble before but as Peter explained it relates to stories which come in at under one hundred words and then proceeded to read one penned by Neil Gaiman. As I advised someone else, I think drabbling is a young man's game, all wham, bang and thank you ma'am. It's not for me, my brain no longer has the required ductility.

Jan read out some verses by Dorothy Parker. I don't know if it's my sort of stuff or maybe I just prefer to remember her as a quippologist. Anyway, the next of Jan's offerings was more interesting: 'A Child's Xmas in Wales' by Dylan Thomas. Some of the imagery was - as you'd expect - terrific. I particularly like 'ice-bound boots' and a by-blow of this is now going to feature in The Demi-Monde: Summer. I'll be buying Thomas' book.

Jan and Tim wondering who Moulder is

Tim read from 'The Rat' by Gunter Grass. Tim's writing style reminds me a little of Grass' so his one and only New Year's Resolution should be to finish the sex-o-drama! He also read from 'Christmas Poem to a Man in Jail' by Charles Bukowski. There were a couple of great lines here notably 'I don't believe in perfection, I believe in keeping the bowels loose'. Tim very kindly let me have his copy so I can study the poem a little more closely.



Peter with his collection of
Jack the Ripper mince pies

 Peter - the other Peter - brought along a Jack the Ripper story which I think has great potential. The open sequence needs a little work: the principal lead character should show more fear when confronted by the Ripper. I also think the two parts of the story need to be linked; maybe a paragraph describing the lead character's emotions at seeing the body at his feet and this being what drives him to go to the pub? Anyway I don't think Peter should relegate it to a drawer but continue worrying at his edit of it.

I had written a 1000 word story (flash fiction I'm told) entitled 'Father Xmas 2010'. Peter seemed to think it might be a candidate for next year's Xmas edition of Wild Stacks, so I'll tweak it a bit and rename it 'Father Xmas 2011'.

All-in-all a bloody good evening and much recommended to all those of a literary bent.

So to all my fellow Renegades, from Nelli and me, a Happy Christmas and Published New Year!