The Writers Network News: July 16, 2004 http://ezezine.com
July 16, 2004
The Writers Network News
“No Rules; Just Write!”
Editor: Bobbie Christmas (Bobbie@zebraeditor.com or bzebra@aol.com)
New! Bobbie Christmas Blog for Writers: http://journals.aol.com/bzebra/BobbieChristmasBlogforWriters/
NOTE: Next Roswell meeting date: Friday, August 6, 2004
12:00 noon at Wok & Chops Gourmet Restaurant
You don’t have to live in Georgia or attend meetings to enjoy the benefits of this e-zine—most of our subscribers are in other states and even other countries. If you happen to be in Atlanta on the first Friday of the month, though, take your membership a step further by networking at our meeting. See directions to the meetings at the end of the e-zine.
In This Issue:
1. Kudos: Walter Lawrence, Jo Sanders, Sandra Yee, Bobbi Kornblit
2. From the editor’s desk: Videotape and a-blogging we will go
3. Q and A: E-mail, ghostwriters, correspondence courses and point of view
4. Subjects of interest to writers
5. Jobs, contests, grants, agents and markets
6. New Feature! Writing Assignment
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Quote of the Day: “I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the paperwork.” –Peter De Vries
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One: Kudos
[Kudos: noun: praise or honor: praise, credit, or glory for an achievement]
Congratulations to the following members:
Some of us don’t believe it’s true until we see it. Here’s news from member Walter Lawrence: “Okay, it’s official. I have an article in the current edition of North Fulton Living magazine and another in Cobb Living magazine. (I hold them in my hands as we speak.) I've been ask to write one next month for Forsyth Living magazine, and we are negotiating the terms for an article for their Coosa Valley Living.”
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Member Jo Sanders wrote a review of The Summer in Santa Fee Storytelling Class, and the University of Oklahoma posted it online on the conference Web site. See http://www.cafe.ou.edu/santafe/student%20letter.pdf
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Sandra Yee announced her first book signing taking place on Thursday, July 22, at Borders Books, 3637 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA, 7:00 p.m. She says, “My essay ‘Rice Girls’ was published by Ballantine Books this spring in the book collection called Aunties: 35 Writers Celebrate Their Other Mother. The editor, Ingrid Sturgis (editor of www.essence.com and author of The Nubian Wedding Book), and another of the anthology writers, Jeffrey Higa, will also be there.”
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Bobbi Kornblit has had several works accepted for publication. In October 2004 her poem, “Nellie Mae’s Hands,” will appear in O’ Georgia! A Collection of Georgia’s Newest & Most Promising Writers. Her nonfiction short story, “Burning Chanukah Candles,” is scheduled for publication in Christmas Stories from Georgia, an anthology published by the University Press of Mississippi, available in October 2005. An essay about poet, Sonia Sanchez will run in the Kennesaw State University Share Art & Literary Magazine in the fall. “All Choked Up,” a short story received first place in fiction in Lessons Learned, Volume II, to be published in September 2004.
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Two: From the editor’s desk: Videotape and Blogs
I give seminars and workshops all the time, and I've never had anyone videotape them. Today a national seminar group requested that I send a 15-minute video of my presentation, because it is considering adding me to its roster. Yikes! I don't have a video camera. If you want to videotape any of my upcoming seminars for me, I'll get you in for free, in return. Interested? E-mail me or call me, if you’re interested. See this newsletter for events scheduled for July.
Speaking of videos and technology, I come from another era. I used to be a beatnik, then a hippie. Now I’m an old fart who had to be dragged into the computer age. At the Georgia Writers Spring Festival of Workshops, speaker after speaker said, “You have to have a blog, if you want to promote your book.”
Blog? Finally Poet Collin Kelley explained it stands for Web log. It’s a personal diary you write online, and anyone can read it. He must know something; he’s sold about 3,000 copies of his book of poetry, and he blogs.
I caved and started my own blog on the day my book launched, June 15. Since that time, more than 30 people have read my blog. I’m amazed. Who are these people? If you’d like to be one of them, you see http://journals.aol.com/bzebra/BobbieChristmasBlogforWriters/
With this newsletter we begin a new feature that members have said they’d like to see. Writing assignments (or prompts) spur many writers to write, so you’ll see one at the end of each newsletter. I hope it makes your creative juices flow.
Enjoy this newsletter, and be sure to send your kudos, questions, comments and leads, to share with members of your network.
--Bobbie Christmas
Author of Write In Style (Union Square Publishing, an imprint of Cardoza Publishing)
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Three: Questions and Answers
Point of View, E-mail, Ghostwriters and Writing Programs
Q: I want to use multiple viewpoints to get into each of my main characters' heads, so I can show what drives them without belaboring the story with narrative explanations. I will need to make my viewpoint transitions clear, smooth and natural, so they don't create confusion or break the flow of the story.
I am just learning about viewpoint, what it is and how to establish and use it. I would like to know if you have written anything that would be a good resource for me in this area. If so, please let me know what it is, how much it is and how to order it. Also, if there are any other resources you would recommend, please do so.
A: I have a bit of information on viewpoints (also called point of view or POV) in my desk reference book, Purge Your Prose of Problems, which covers hundreds of other subjects for writers, as well. It sells for $29.95 through my Web site, www.zebraeditor.com. First I’ll quote the information from Purge Your Prose. Below it, I have other comments on viewpoints.
Point of View
Point of view (or viewpoint) is the vantage point from which a piece of information is presented. POV refers to the person or thing that observes the action or thinks about it.
Although a story can have several points of view, editors recommend that each scene be from only one viewpoint, usually the main character in the scene. As you write each scene, decide whose point of view is most important to that scene.
Point of view confuses writers, so here are examples of how POV sneaks into manuscripts:
John looked around and saw only two women, Mary and Tina, in a room full of men. (John’s POV because of the word “saw”) Tina, conscious of John’s dilemma, walked over. (Tina’s POV because of the word “conscious”) “Hello,” she drawled.
Mary, afraid of what Tina might tell John, joined the couple. (Mary’s POV, because of “afraid”)
To avoid POV flaws, rewrite the scene in only one point of view, such as John’s:
John looked around and saw only two women, Mary and Tina, in a room full of men. He caught Tina’s attention, and to his delight she walked over.
“Hello,” she drawled.
Soon after, Mary joined the couple.
What if the scene were in Tina’s POV? It might come out like this:
Tina saw John walk into the room and glance around at the women. She strolled over to him. “Hello,” she drawled. To Tina’s disgust, Mary soon wheedled her way into the conversation, too.
For a book on point of view, consider this one, although I haven’t read it: Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card. To order, see: http://www.writersdigest.com/store/booksdisplay.asp?id=10620
Now for a word of warning: Be cautious about getting into characters’ heads. Internal dialogue is still telling, rather than showing, and good novels show, rather than tell. (Internal dialogue might go something like this: Tina smiled at John. Can I get him to ask me out before Mary gets her claws in him?)
To cut down on internal dialogue, give each character a vent person, someone with whom the character discusses personal opinions. In that way, the information comes out in dialogue, rather than internal musings. One character might have a counselor, another may have a spouse, and another may have a best friend. When each vents to his or her counselor, spouse or friend, readers see the information emerge in a scene with action and dialogue.
Q: May I ask you a dumb question? It has to do with AOL email. When I respond to an e-mail, I use the reply button and write a whole new e-mail in response, but I see that you are able to reply right in the context of the e-mail that was sent to you, with a little blue bar indicating the part of the e-mail you are responding to. How is that done?
A: First, dumb questions are only the ones you don’t ask—dumb means mute, right?
The trick is an AOL feature. Highlight the part (or whole) of the e-mail to which you're replying, and when you hit "reply," that portion is copied over onto the message you will write, along with the blue bar beside it. This method reduces my time typing and keeps clients clear about my answers, because they can see their questions, as well.
In other services, such as Yahoo, I think the same thing applies, except that you get “greater-than” and “lesser-than” marks (<< >>) around the lines you highlight and transfer to your response. Getting to know all the tricks that save you time and add to the clarity of your message is far from dumb.
Q: How do I find a good ghostwriter?
A: Ah, the key word is “good.” You can find wannabe writers everywhere, but a good ghostwriter will be one who has experience and has sold a considerable amount of his or her work. Unfortunately, you cannot find a “good” ghostwriter for free. Most want to be paid in advance of the sale of your book and may want to participate in the profits, as well. Be sure you have a clear contract that sets out what each of you expects and what you are willing to do. Now, how do you find one? Ask around at writers meetings and look on the Web sites of organizations for writers. Georgia Writers lists several ghostwriters on its Website (www.georgiawriters.org). If you’re willing to pay the big bucks, look at some of the better-known autobiographies on the market today and check the acknowledgments to see who the alleged author thanks. Chances are the ghostwriter will be among those folks, but he or she won’t be named as such. Some books are written “as told to,” and those people are professional ghostwriters you might contact, as well.
Q: Do you know anyone who has ever taken courses from Writer’s Digest Associate Programs?
A: I don’t know of anyone who has taken courses from Writer’s Digest, but most writers agree that almost any course has value. Correspondence courses are great for those who don’t want to commit to going to a classroom a certain number of days a month. Correspondence courses also allow you to work at your own pace. The drawback is that you won’t feel pressed, either, and many writers work better under deadlines and other restrictions. Only you can decide what’s best for you.
Writer’s Digest is a reputable company. I wouldn’t worry about the courses it offers. It has its reputation to maintain, so it probably provides good course material.
A question for readers: What motivates you and inspires you to write? Do you perform any rituals or make adjustments that help motivate you, when motivation doesn’t come naturally? Let me know. Your answer may appear in this newsletter or in my next book! Send answers to me at Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
For More Q & A by Bobbie Christmas, see: http://fictionaddiction.net/askexpert8.html
Do you have a question? Send it today to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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Four: Subjects of interest to writers
In the last newsletter I asked readers what organizations they belong to. I’m especially pleased to have heard from members across the country. Here are a few of the answers I received:
“Networking is vital for writers, and I recommend joining three organizations, if possible. One should be a national organization whose focus is on the type of writing you do or the issues that are most important to your business. For me that's the Periodical Writers Association of Canada, which has more than 500 members across the country and works to improve contracts and rights for all writers. PWAC is at: www.pwac.ca.
”The second organization I belong to and recommend is a local group that
meets monthly and has a variety of types of writers, which stimulates networking across genre lines. Ottawa Independent Writers, founded 20 years ago, fills the bill perfectly. It holds an annual three-day book fair, local workshops, and outreach programs for students. It’s at www.oiw.ca.
”I also think many writers benefit from belonging to an organization that reaches beyond their national borders. The Cassell Network of Writers (www.writers-editors.com) publishes an excellent newsletter (Freelance Writers' Report) with wide distribution and covers all of North America as well as markets abroad.”
Barbara Florio Graham
www.SimonTeakettle.com
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“The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators - www.SCBWI.org. You can join as an associate member, if not published in the field of children's writing. It's an international organization, more than 35 years old, with chapters worldwide. Our national conference is held in Los Angeles, this year August 6 - 9 at the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa (Century City). Info on the Website. Also a conference in February in NYC. Each chapter has its own activities throughout the year.
”Also I am in the MFA program, Writing for Children and Young Adults,
at Vermont College. It is a two-year program with leading children's authors as faculty. It was started in 1997 and is the only program like it in the country.”
Reva Solomon
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“I belong to Poets and Writers, Inc., mainly for the terrific magazine it publishes bimonthly. I've been getting it since it was a 32-page stapled-in-the-middle and mailed-when-they-got-around to it magazine. On a recent trip to NYC to visit my daughter, I walked by the offices and saw the "Poets House" sign painted on a second-floor wall. I walked in to the office, was welcomed by the staff, and given (not sold!) a copy of its recently published book of essays. I spent time in the reading room and poetry library, loaded up on bookmarks and pins promoting writing (I left a donation), and although I'm not a poet, the environment was so conducive to writing that I could have spent all day there. When it was time to board my return flight the next day, I was so inspired by my time at Poets and Writers that I scribbled the beginnings of a short story. When I ran out of scrap paper, I used the margins of a paperback book. I hardly noticed takeoff and stopped writing only when the airplane door opened in Atlanta. The Web site for Poets and Writers, Inc. is http://www.pw.org/. It offers online courses, calendars for deadlines for contests, a writers forum, and you name it. ”
Linda Rehkopf
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“I belong to Independent Writers of Southern California, otherwise known as
IWOSC ("eye-wosk"). Founded in 1982, IWOSC helps freelance writers of all types and all career levels with the business of writing, through networking and education. We have monthly panel discussions (recent topics: magazine editors, documentaries, ghostwriting, publishers), weekend seminars and workshops (research tips, autobiographical writing, query letters, etc.), and several different informal drop-in satellite sessions in various parts of LA. Our yahoo e-group is open to anyone, member or not. We're launching a series of members-only events; the first is a "Conversation With..." noted writer and comedian Shelley Berman (an advantage of living in California). Our first ‘IWOSC Reads Its Own’ event at Borders will take place this month. We also have a summer and winter networking party, at a venue with literary, historical, or architectural significance. For more information, go to www.iwosc.org. Regards, and thanks again for your wonderful e-newsletter.”
Flo Selfman
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Write Your Memoirs In Style
Friday, July 30, 2004, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Record your lifetime for lifetimes to come, and do it with aplomb. Bobbie Christmas will give an interactive presentation Friday, July 30, at the William G. Long Senior Center, 231 Arnold Mill, Suite 400, Woodstock, GA 30188. Attendees do not have to be members of the center. Cost: $35.00. Copies of “To Our Children’s Children” by Bob Greene and D. Fulford will be distributed, as well as other useful handouts to help you write your memoirs in a way that your descendants will read them for many generations. Call 678-445-6518 to sign up or for more information.
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Writers: Use Timing to Your Advantage and Leap Into a New, Productive Era!
Learn WHEN to write, when to revise, when to rest, when to research and when to submit.
Learn HOW to rewrite, what to remove and how to submit your work to increase sales.
Recognize and roll with the wave of time.
Dell Dorenbosch, astrologer, tells you about timing.
Bobbie Christmas, book editor and author, tells you about writing.
Saturday, July 31, 10:30 – 4:30
$99
For more information call 770/993-5885.
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On July 30, The Chattahoochee Review is hosting a reading at The Jimmy Carter Library in Atlanta. The event is called An Evening With Townsend Prize for Fiction Nominees and features Sheri Joseph and John Williams reading from their respective novels, Bear Me Safely Over and Lake Moon. Reception at 7 p.m. Reading at 8 p.m.
Free and open to the public
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56.6% of adult Americans said they read at least one book, fiction or nonfiction, between August 2001 and August 2002 compared to 60.9% ten years prior.
--Reading at Risk, a report published by the National Endowment for the
Arts (http://www.arts.gov) reported in PW Newsline by Jim Milliot. July 8,
2004
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_Purge Your Prose of Problems_, a book doctor’s desk reference book compiled by Bobbie Christmas, is now available by charge card. Save thousands and edit your own book. To order, go to www.zebraeditor.com and click on Bookstore.
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What's...UP?
The essay below has gone around the Internet a few times, but it bears repeating. I’ll bet you’ll find a way to delete or change UP your words after reading this.
Why it takes a while to understand English
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meaning than any other two-letter word, and that is "UP."
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we waken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?
Why do we speak UP and why are the officers up for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends, we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.
We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.
At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.
This UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning, but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP.
To be knowledgeable of the proper uses of UP, look UP the word in the dictionary. In a desk-size dictionary, takes UP almost 1/4th the page and definitions add UP to about thirty. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more.
When it rains, it wets UP the earth. When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP.
I could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so I'll shut UP.
--T.
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Rev Up Your Writing and Win! Seminar Available on Tape
Rev Up Your Writing and Win is a high-quality cassette recorded at the Harriette Austin Writers Conference in Athens, Georgia. The package includes all accompanying materials and handouts. Only $14.95 plus $4 shipping (total $18.95). To order, call Bobbie Christmas (770/924-0528) or write to bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
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Clarence Thomas earns top Supreme Court book royalty income
Three Supreme Court justices earned money on the side in 2003 by writing books. The memoirs of Clarence Thomas brought in the biggest payday.
Thomas received a $500,000 advance, more than 2 1/2 times the justice's annual salary of $194,000. Thomas’s autobiography prompted a bidding war among publishers in 2003. The book, expected out in 2005, will cover his childhood in segregated Georgia and the bitter 1991 fight (remember the pubic hair incident?) over his confirmation.
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, author of a new history of the disputed presidential election of 1876, received a $25,000 book advance and more than $10,000 in royalties in 2003. Justice O'Connor, who has written two books in the past two years, received about $10,000 in royalties. Source: AnvilPub BookNews Newsletter, an online newsletter for publishers http://anvilpub.com/BookNews.htm
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American wins Canadian poetry prize
U.S. poet August Kleinzahler has won Canada's $29,200 Griffin Prize for his book The Strange Hours Travelers Keep. Kleinzahler, a New Jersey native who has lived in San Francisco for the past 24 years, won over 422 other books. The prize is awarded annually for the best books of poetry published in English the previous year. Source: AnvilPub BookNews Newsletter, an online newsletter for publishers http://anvilpub.com/BookNews.htm
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eBook sales set record in first quarter. eBook units sold in the first quarter 2004 were up 46 percent and eBook revenues were up 28 percent over the same quarter in 2003. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code topped the monthly list of best-sellers in May for the third straight month. Kevin Ryan's Van Helsing, Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction and Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason's The Rule of Four rounded out the top 5 eBooks on the list. The top 30 bestselling eBooks for May can be found on the Open eBook Forum website at http://www.openebook.org. Source: AnvilPub BookNews Newsletter, an online newsletter for publishers http://anvilpub.com/BookNews.htm
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Georgia Writers to give nonfiction workshop
“Narrative Nonfiction: What is it? How To Write It, How to Sell It”
Saturday, August 14, from 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM
Dunwoody Library, 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia
Directions: www.dekalb.public.lib.ga.us/branches/DUNWDIR.htm
Presenter: Carol D. O’Dell
Carol D. O’Dell, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, is a published writer whose work has appeared in numerous anthologies and such publications as Atlanta Magazine, AIM – America’s Interracial Magazine, Jacksonville Magazine, Storyteller Magazine and Blue Moon Review. Fee: $10 for members of Georgia Writers Association; $20 for nonmembers. Pre-Registration (required to ensure sufficient handouts): georgiawriters@mindspring.com
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Do meetings work? Listen to what attendees have had to say:
The diversity of attendants was like being in a candy store! Each of them had something that was stimulating to my imagination and left me tingling with possibilities! Thanks so much for bringing all this together and allowing me to be part of it. –Sandy Speer
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Five: Jobs, Contests, Grants, Agents and Markets
Permanent Marketing Communications Manager (Atlanta, GA) Job # CT 215
ProEdit has an immediate need for a Marketing Communications Manager for a full-time, permanent position in Atlanta, GA. The Marketing Communications Manager will be responsible for managing the sales and marketing activities within a fast-paced, emerging company. This
position is also responsible for managing lead-generation campaigns, coordinating print and web-based content development, and tracking the
effectiveness of the company's marketing efforts. In addition, the marketing
communications manager will be in charge of ensuring a consistent
corporate brand throughout all product lines, promotional collateral, and
trade events. This position reports directly to the Chief Marketing Officer
and works closely with the Sales team, Product Managers, and
writing/editorial group.
The successful candidate will have exemplary communications, leadership, and project management skills. The marketing communications manager should be a creative force but also have a strong background in strategic marketing best practices." Qualifications for this position include
- At least 5 years of experience as a marketing communications manager in a fast-paced, enterprising environment.
- Previous experience in strategic marketing, advertising, or sales.
- A minimum of 1 year experience managing a creative team including graphic designers, writers, and copyeditors.
- At least 2 years' project management experience.
- Excellent organizational, writing, and communications skills.
- Ability to coordinate workflow and successfully meet department deadlines.
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, journalism, communications, or related
field.
If you are interested in applying for this position, visit the Employment page of our web site at http://www.proedit.com/employment.html to complete an Application Form. A recruiter will contact you if your skills match the job qualifications. To speak with someone about this position, contact a recruiter at 770-886-6255.
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Mothering Magazine, Inc.
Address: PO Box 1690
Santa Fe, NM 87504
Ashisha, Articles Editor
Phone: (505) 984-6293
Fax: (505) 986-8335
www.mothering.com
"Mothering is both a fierce advocate of the needs and rights of the child and a gentle supporter of the parents, as we strive to empower decision-making that will embrace and consider the needs of all the family members. We address contemporary health, personal, environmental, medical, and lifestyle issues in an upbeat, intelligent, compassionate, and courageous way. Each issue contains philosophical inspiration and practical advice about family living. Topics are as diverse as circumcision, vaccinations, organic foods, childhood illnesses, home birth, ear infections, parenting teens, web site information, midwifery, and homeopathy." Pays: 5-8 cents per word
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I am writing a book, under contract, called "Living Off-Balance." This book explores the combination of mental illness with raising a young family and working, and ways to cope.
The book core is my own narrative but I weave in stories and experiences from other parents. Please, if you have any experience with mental illness and have struggled to handle this issue along with raising a family, I'd love to hear from you. Your name can be changed in the book if you wish. amarieburke@hotmail.com.
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Ms. Magazine’s first fiction contest
Ms. Fiction Contest
433 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
*Email submissions will not be read and will be returned. No phone calls please.
Both new and published writers are invited to submit short stories up to 4,000 words. The winner will receive $1,000 and his or her story will be published in the spring 2005 issue. Runner-ups will be published on MsMagazine.com.
- All entries must be postmarked by Aug. 1, 2004
- Stories must be previously unpublished
- Stories must be 4,000 words or less and submitted in English
- Name and contact information must appear on the cover letter of the submission
- Do NOT put your name or other identifying information on the manuscript
- Entries must be accompanied by a reading fee of $15 (or $20 U.S. if submitting internationally) in the form of a check or money order payable to Ms. Magazine
- Ms. Magazine fiction editor Amy Bloom will choose the winning entries
- Entries will be read beginning in June
- Second prize: $500
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“Flutters of the Heart is in the business of selling personalized items as well as unique keepsakes and business stationery. We are in constant need of writers for our website and we're a paying market. We are looking for articles written in a personal essay-style with a ‘How-To’ twist. We want articles that lift you up, make you feel good, and, at the same time, are based on one of our products.” http://www.fluttersoftheheart.com/writers.shtml
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Gay-Positive Arts Projects Based on or Inspired by History
Short Fiction in all Disciplines 2004
www.aabbfoundation.org/
"The board of directors of The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation is pleased to announce a writing competition for the Foundation’s 2004 writing grants. Submissions may include short stories, one-act plays or short film or video projects. All works must present the gay and lesbian lifestyle in a positive manner and be based on, or directly inspired by, a historic person or event. (You may think your affair with the dancer from the Russian ballet was historic, but it doesn’t count.)" $1000 prize. Deadline November 30, 2004.
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The 27th International Three-Day Novel Contest
http://www.3daynovel.com/
The world's most notorious literary marathon is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend, September 4–6, 2004. The 3-Day Novel Contest demands that would-be novelists produce a masterwork in a mere 72 hours. The 3-Day Novel Contest has spawned what is probably the only genuinely Canadian genre in world history and has garnered a reputation as the cheeky and uncompromising rebel of literary forms.
Attracting hundreds of writers worldwide each year, the contest has been called "a fad," "a threat," "a great way to overcome writer's block," and a "trial by deadline." The contest flies in the face of the notion that novels take years of angst to produce.
Grand Prize: Publication! (Spring 2005)
2nd Prize: $500 cash
3rd Prize: A library of 3-Day Novels
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STORIES WANTED ON WEDDING IDEAS
We're compiling wedding ideas and are looking for "the most interesting, unusual,
different, perfect, beautiful, touching and special wedding ideas you've ever seen or heard of." You can be as detailed as you like. It can be a complete story of the wedding or it can be one sentence that tells what made this wedding special.
To submit your story e- mailto:stories@collinspartners.com
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LOOKING FOR FEARFUL FLYERS
Do you get up in the air about being up in the air? Has the fear of flying ever kept you grounded? If you are one of the estimated 60 million people who are afraid to fly, we invite you to take part in a survey of fearful flyers at www.fearless-flight.com brought to you by the creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul Presents The Fearless FlightKit: The Remedy for a Fearful Flyer. www.maryglenn.com. --Mrygln@aol.com
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Greeting Card Companies Want Your Ideas
Tip: Before attempting to break into the greeting card market, buy a good book on writing for the greeting card market and learn what and when to submit, and especially how to submit. The format and method is not the same as submitting to other markets.
The following information comes from www.WritersMarket.com.
Blue Mountain Arts, Inc., bought more than 200 ideas last year. Prefers writers submit seasonal and holiday material four months in advance. They pay $300 or more for work chosen for publication on a card. http://www.sps.com/greetingcards/index.htm
The Paper Magic Group, Inc., receives 500 submissions a year. Half the company's cards are freelance written. Submit seasonal and holiday material six months in advance. Limit ideas to 6-12 per batch. http://www.papermagic.com/
Portal Publications bought 100 ideas last year, with about 25% freelance written. Portal pays on publication and also creates calendars and posters. The editors say they want "upscale, cute, alternative, humorous cards for bookstores, card stores, chain stores, and college bookstores." http://www.portalpub.com/
Recycled Paper Greetings bought 3,000 ideas last year. RPG is the third largest greeting card company in the United States. "Please send ideas for specific occasions, such as Birthday, Friendship, Thank You, Miss You, and Thinking of You." Does not accept entries without accompanying artwork. Read submission guidelines here: http://www.recycledpapergreetings.com/artists.htm
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Desdmona’s Typewriter Story Contest - an erotic short story contest
www.desdmona.com/
"All stories must work a typewriter into the story. No word processors, no computers, but one of those good old fashioned keyboards that hammers inked letters into a sheet of paper. How you work the typewriter into your story is up to you: be imaginative! Dust off that old piece of machinery in the back of your mom’s closet and write us a story that will roll our platens!”
Winning authors agree to have their winning stories published at Desdmona.com for a period of one year. Stories that do not win a prize will not be displayed at Desdmona.com. Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Only one story is permitted per author.
"The submission should include the author’s name or pseudonym to be used should the entry become a winner. The story must have a title. The story must be 3500 words long or less. Our provider does not permit child pornography; please, no underage sex. The story must not have been published, in whole or in part, prior to the contest deadline." Prizes: $200, $100, $50 Deadline is August 1, 2004
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Books for New Business Owners
Entrepreneur Press publishes 50 titles a year, primarily for entrepreneurs or those interested in becoming entrepreneurs. In fact, the editors say their audience is "people who are thinking about starting or growing their own business, and
people who want to become successful and effective in business and management." Recent titles include Niche and Grow Rich, by Jennifer Basye Sander, and Million Dollar Habits, by Brian Tracy. http://entrepreneurpress.com/
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Opinion Magazine Wants YOU
If you think you have what it takes to be a writer, let our professional staff take a look at your work. You can share your Opinions and show off your talents with the most popular Magazine on the Net. http://www.theopinionmagazine.com/submission_info.htm
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HUMOR WRITER
“Jest Magazine, a humor magazine headquartered in New York City, is seeking submissions for its September issue. We are a bimonthly, topical publication featuring current and news-related humor. Ideally, we’re seeking pieces relating to world politics, as well as those documenting trends in society and culture. In short, we want to pay attention to what is going on in the world through a sophisticated, scathing, and humorous lens.
“Submissions to Jest Magazine should be approximately 1,500 words and should be informative, inspired and most importantly, funny.”
Deadline for the September issue is July 23rd. To get a sense of who we are, you can visit our website at jest.com.
Please send submissions to: submissions@jest.com and include your contact information, a short query letter including any prior publications, and a brief synopsis of your piece.
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AUTHORS WANTED (“generous compensation”)
“Major book publisher is looking for authors to write short books on a variety of business related subjects, including:
Government compliance (508, Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, OSHA,
etc.)
Certification (PMP, SAT, GRE etc.)
Management
Quality
Six Sigma
Selling
Other soft skills
“You must be an expert on the subject and have writing and teaching or training experience.”
Please send a cover letter, your resume, and writing samples indicating the subject(s) that you are interested in writing about. We will contact you after evaluating your material.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wri/35052983.html or reply to job-35052983@craigslist.org
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First Reader Essay Contest
www.lpwordsolutions.com
"Bluelines, a print newsletter exploring the relationship between readers and writers and the words that connect them launches a personal essay contest. Submit a personal essay about a book or reading experience that influenced your early life as a reader and/or writer.
"Guidelines 500-750 words – shorter or longer pieces cannot be considered. The work must be original, and previously unpublished Optional critique of your entry: $5 / £3"
PRIZE: $100 and publication in Bluelines and on the
www.LPwordsolutions.com Website
ENTRY FEE: $5
DEADLINE: November 30, 2004
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The Robert Olen Butler Fiction Prize
www.webdelsol.com/DelSolPress/
"Del Sol Press announces the Robert Olen Butler Fiction Prize for the best short story, either published (in a periodical) or unpublished, 2000-8000 words. We invite contest submissions from both emerging and established writers. In keeping with the philosophy of Web del Sol, we are only interested in the very best fiction, regardless of source or type.
"Open to writers who are at least 18 years of age and who live inside or outside the United States."
PRIZE: $1000, publication in an anthology and 20 copies
ENTRY FEE: $16
DEADLINE: October 1, 2004
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The 2004 Mid-American Review Awards in three genres Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry
http://www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/
"The entry fee is for each set of three poems, or each story/essay up to 6,000 words. These contests are for previously unpublished work only."
PRIZE: each genre: $1000 + Publication
ENTRY FEE: $10
DEADLINE: October 1, 2004
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The Norumbega Fiction Awards
http://www.mediadarlings.org/norumbega/
"Founded by students at the University of Maine to recognize the work of unpublished writers, self-published writers, and small-press publishers. The competition is held once a year and the winners are based on submissions nominated by writers and independent publishers. We accept short stories,
novellas, short story collections, and novels regardless of genre or length.
"The idea was to establish a prestigious award that gave cash prizes and plaques to talented writers who are under-represented in mainstream literary circles. We firmly believe that writers should be able to make a living off their work and promote alternatives to the “traditional” publishing process.
"The Norumbega Fiction Awards are open to all American and Canadian writers and small publishers who have completed a work of fiction. The competition is sponsored in full by Media Darlings Literature, Art & Sound of Bangor, Maine. Media Darlings is an independent book publisher and record label that was started to promote and support working artists.
"All nominated fiction must be in the English language and have been written and/or published after 2002. Work published by major book publishers (you know who you are), their subsidiaries, or imprints are not eligible for competition. Anyone affiliated with our sponsor (Media Darlings Literature Art & Sound) is also prohibited from entering.
"All nominations are judged equally on the following criteria: originality, strength of prose, strength of story, thematic approach, character development and overall quality as a work of literature.
Categories:
SHORT STORY (5,000 words or less)
NOVELLA / SHORT STORY COLLECTION* (40,000 words or
less)
* Collections longer than 40,000 words will be judged as novels.
FULL-LENGTH NOVEL (40,000 words or more)
PRIZE: $200, $150, $100, $50 depending on the category
ENTRY FEE: $10, $15, $20 depending on the category
DEADLINE: August 31, 2004
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job-35332677@craigslist.org
National women's magazine seeks freelance writers to contribute feature articles and columns on wide range of topics. Send cover letter, resume and clips/writing samples. Experience writing about or familiarity with the Hispanic community strongly encouraged but not required.
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resumes@yourworldpublishing.com
Your World Publishing, creator of family, foundation, and corporate histories, seeks writers with excellent story-telling skills to draft chapters using provided outlines and organized interview transcripts and archival materials. Must be able to work closely with editors within our established writing frameworks.
Based in Baltimore with an office in New York, we are a growing start-up with clients in several cities.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and three writing samples (preferably long profiles or features) to resumes@yourworldpublishing.com
.http://www.yourworldpublishing.com/
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Woman This Month wants fiction and nonfiction
Editor Paul Balles
Redhouse Marketing, P.O. Box 20461, Manama, Bahrain
editor@womanthismonth.com
Woman This Month invites queries from freelance writers. We're looking for articles based on women in the news, up-and-coming women, women who break gender stereotypes, and interviews with notable current women in business, medicine, education, art, science or social work.
Our articles run between 800 and 1400 words, interviews 1500 - 2100 words. We also welcome queries from freelance writers who can write a 1600 - 2400 word short story of interest to women. We pay from $50 to $100 for articles and interviews, depending on length, and between $75 and $100 for fiction. Payment is issued upon publication.
Payment is made in US dollars
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Six: Writing Assignment
Write a first-person essay or short story in which you tell of something a bit over the top that you have done, seen or experienced, but make it pure fiction. Your job is to take an unbelievable story and make it believable. For example, you might write about the time you were a contestant on Fear Factor, even though you’ve never even considered applying as a contestant.
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Direction to meetings:
Directions to monthly meetings held the first Friday of each month at Wok & Chops Gourmet Restaurant, Roswell, Georgia.
The restaurant is in King’s Market on Holcomb Bridge, Roswell, Georgia, one block from Hwy. 400. If on 400, take Exit 7 toward Norcross (7A if going north, exit 7 and turn left, if going south). If on Holcomb Bridge already, turn into King’s Market by turning onto Market Boulevard beside SouthTrust Bank, turn left behind the bank, and you’ll see the restaurant in the hollow on the right. Restaurant phone: 770-552-8981.
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