12/2/09: My workshop that met this morning brought two new members–both men.  They fitted our group very well, and though they are just now setting words to paper  with publication in mind, I am greatly impressed with the quality of their writing.  One, a retired police officer, has a Tom Clancy-like who-done-it going; the other, a  former college psychology professor, and ex-Catholic, has a murder story involving Catholic Priests and the pedophile problem.  Wow!  Both people have saleable manuscripts–when completed–in my opinion.

I was proud of the comments offered by the other members. One caught something I missed–proof of the value of workshops!  In reading the manuscript she had brought once before, Member R said "this represents my final effort on this piece." Member L suggested that R should bring back at the end, reference to how and why she had begun the particular quest she was detailed at the beginnin of her essay.  "How true!" I thought and complimented L on her insight. R agreed that L's wisdom was exactly what the essay needed to bring it to a finished conclusion. 

Another plus for the day:  The article (profile) about me in today's issue of the local paper has already brought two new inquiries about membership.  –Willma