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W R I T I N G W O R L D
A World of Writing Information - For Writers Around the World
http://www.writing-world.com
Issue 8:03 5,544 subscribers March 6th, 2008
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SPECIAL NOTICE: Please DO NOT REPLY to this e-mail; any messages
sent in reply to the newsletter are deleted. See the bottom of
this newsletter for information on how to subscribe, unsubscribe,
or contact the editors.
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CONTENTS
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The Editor's Desk
THE INQUIRING WRITER: Four Niggles, by Dawn Copeman
NEWS from the World of Writing
FEATURE: Writing a Family History, by Moira Allen
The Write Sites -- Online Resources for Writers
FEATURE: Writing from Anticipation, by Sheila Bender
COMING UP NEXT MONTH IN WRITING-WORLD
WRITING CONTESTS with no entry fees
The Author's Bookshelf
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CHILDRENS WRITERS.
Read by most children's book and magazine editors in North America,
this monthly newsletter can be your own personal source of editors'
wants and needs, market tips, and professional insights to help you
sell more manuscripts to publishers in this growing market segment.
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
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A big thank you again, from me to you.
--------------------------------------
As I first said when I took over Moira's role, it can be daunting
to step into someone's shoes, especially someone who has done such
a sterling job as Moira. That is why I wanted your opinions on
Writing-World, to ensure we continue to meet the needs of writers
everywhere.
So now I want to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time
to email me with comments on the structure of Writing-World. I'm
delighted that most of you enjoy receiving Writing-World each month
and that many of you say it is your favorite writing e-zine!
Regarding the structure of the newsletter, most of you said you are
more than happy with things as they are. You enjoy the news
section and appreciate the summary of the main news events in the
writing world and the chance of a link to follow the story further;
so that stays.
Although not all of you like the contests section, quite a few of
you 'skim' it in fact, those of you who do use it would prefer
listings of contests with deadlines occurring in or just after the
next five weeks. Some of you would rather we also covered fee
paying contests too, but we're committed to providing information
on free contests only in the newsletter. There are several contest
sites that can provide detailed information on all types of
contests and I've included a few that might be of interest in the
sites listings below.
Finally, you all, or rather, all those who responded, enjoy the
balance of articles in Writing-World and are looking forward to the
fiction/nonfiction split in each newsletter. However, if I am to
maintain this split, I really do need more articles on fiction
writing - so if you have a good article, original or reprint, check
out our guidelines and submit it please!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of moving house, so
I'll go now. But if there is anything else you would like to see in
the newsletter, do let me know.
-- Dawn Copeman, Newsletter Editor
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CHILDREN'S WRITERS COMPETITIVE EDGE.12-page monthly newsletter of
editors current wants and needs--up to 50 each month. Plus market
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THE INQUIRING WRITER: Four Niggles
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by Dawn Copeman (editorial"at"writing-world.com)
Following my request for problems last month Karen Snyder has
written in with not one, but four questions that, as she says:
"niggle me no end."
She writes: "How do you find the focus that lurks in an idea for an
article? I write short articles - 1000 to 1500 words - and have
plenty of big, fat story ideas and plenty of trouble narrowing
those general ideas into angles.
"How do you organise a slew of notes (papers, papers everywhere)
into a framework so you can write an article?
"How do you come up with good leads?
"Solving those three will help this one, but I need all the tips
you can give me on how to write faster. I stall a lot and can't
even start until I have a lead I like. So what are your suggestions
for speeding the production process?"
I've already pointed Karen in the direction of Moira Allen's
excellent book "How to Write for Magazines" (see below), and also
directed her to my series of articles on article structure, but do
you have any tips to share with Karen?
Email me with the subject line: Inquiring Writer, at
editorial"at"writing-world.com
You can also email me at this address if you have any questions or
problems of your own to put to the Writing-World community.
Until next time,
Dawn
How To Write for Magazines, by Moira Allen.
http://www.writing-world.com/books/index.shtml#moira
How to Craft a Great Article Part I: Structure, Focus, Unity and
Flow
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/dawn06.shtml
How to Craft a Great Article Part II: Hooks, Leads and Endings.
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/dawn07.shtml
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HIRE EX-MACMILLAN EDITOR http://www.AnitaMcClellan.com.
Fiction,nonfiction for all ages: Get the big picture from in-depth
editing, evaluations, synopsis & proposal critiques. Email
adm"at"AnitaMcClellan.com Subject "DeptWWorld".
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NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING
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World Book Day
--------------
Yes I know that everywhere else World Book Day takes place on April
23, in the UK and Ireland it is today. The tradition of World Book
Day began 80 years ago in Catalonia where, on St Georges Day, gifts
of books and roses were given to loved ones. The main aim of World
Book Day is now to encourage a love of reading in children and
adults alike. All children have been given a £1 token and a series
of children's books have been produced to retail at £1 each. For
adults a new series of Quick Reads, books written in easy to read
English have been produce. For more information visit:
http://www.worldbookday.com/about-wbd.asp
CBC Literary Award Winners Announced
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The winners of the 2008 CBC Literary Awards have been announced.
Presented annually, these awards honor excellence in unpublished
work submitted by emerging writers, in both French and English,
from across Canada. Each first place winner won $6000 and each
second place won $4000. To see the names and titles of all
winners, http://tinyurl.com/3d945l
Rare Semicolon Sighting In New York
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Believe it or not, the sighting of a semicolon on a sign in a
subway in New York has hit the headlines! The sign, which simply
asks people to put used newspapers in trash cans, has enthralled
the city by its correct and rare use of a semicolon. To find out
more about the furor visit: http://tinyurl.com/2re844
Scottish Crime Writers Turn To Opera
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Famous crime writers Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith,
together with emerging writers Suhayl Saadi, Bernard McLaverty and
Ron Butlin, have each penned a fifteen minute opera for Scottish
Opera. For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/37owar
Citizen Journalists To Get Paid In Holland
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We've all become more aware of the rising tide of 'citizen
journalism', where everyday folks gather news footage on their
mobile phones and send it to news organisations or post it direct
on the web, but now these journalists look set to get paid too.
Skoeps, a Dutch citizen journalism site, has decided to spend the
money it normally spends on advertising to pay contributors
instead. Contributors to this site can already earn 250 for the
best photo each day, and earn half the fee if their work is sold to
other news agencies, but Skoeps is hoping that by increasing the
amount citizen journalists can earn, they will attract more
contributors. For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/2pf562
Blogger Wins Journalism Award
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Joshua Micah Marshall, editor and publisher of US political blog
Talking Points Memo, has become the first blogger to win a
prestigious journalism award. He has won the George Polk Award for
legal reporting for his coverage of the dismissals of several US
attorneys. The George Polk Awards have been distributed by Long
Island University since 1949 to recognise excellence in journalism
and it awards prizes in 14 categories. One of the awards this year,
the George Polk Award for Local Reporting, is being awarded
posthumously to the first journalist in the US to be murdered in a
targeted killing since 1993. To find out about the other awards and
their winners and for more information on the awards, visit:
http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/press/2007.html
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Writing A Family History - A Step-by-Step Guide
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by Moira Allen
"You should write all that down!"
That comment from my mother-in-law prompted me to write my first
family memoir. I'd intended to create a print-on-demand album of
digitized family photos, but those photos kindled memories, the
memories kindled stories, and... well, the rest, as they say, is
history!
In this digital age, we have the resources to turn family archives
and historical documents into a work of art and literature that
will be treasured for generations. With a scanner, we can digitize
(and preserve) photo archives to create family albums that everyone
can share. With the Internet, we can research the histories of
long-dead ancestors. And with a basic grasp of layout and design,
we can assemble all the elements of a family history into a
beautifully designed book and send it straight to the printer with
the touch of a button! Here's how to get started.
1) Decide what to write about.
------------------------------------
The term "family history" encompasses a host of possibilities. Do
you want to write your own story? Do you want to write the story
of your immediate family? Do you want to research the history of
your ancestors? Do you want to create a memoir of a specific time
or event in your family's history? Do you want to record the life
of a particular individual?
Family histories typically fall into one of three broad categories:
The memoir, the biography (or autobiography), and the genealogy.
Think of these categories rather like a camera lens zooming in or
out. Thus, a memoir generally focuses in on a specific period,
event, or location within an individual's life, Many veterans, for
example, have written memoirs of their military experiences. Books
like Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Farm or Frances Mayes' Under the
Tuscan Sun focus upon the author's experiences in a particular
place. Events in the subject's life that may have occurred outside
that place or event may be touched upon tangentially, but rarely
play a large role in the memoir.
A biography (or autobiography if it is your own story) covers an
individual's life history, often from cradle to grave. A biography
will generally touch, at least briefly, on every significant stage
of the subject's life, including childhood, education, career,
marriage, major events, and so forth. However, as the timeline of
a biography tends to be much longer than that of a memoir, a
biography may not offer as much detail about specific periods or
events in the subject's life as a memoir.
A genealogy widens the focus even farther, to cover family,
extended family, and long-dead ancestors. Some genealogies are
little more than a record of births, marriages, and deaths. Others
provide more historical detail -- and with the Internet, it is
becoming increasingly easy to track down such information. For
example, I recently came across a newspaper account written by one
of my ancestors in the early 1900's, recounting his pioneering
experiences in 19th-century Ohio.
Another important factor in determining the type of history you
want to write, and how you want to write it, is your audience.
When I sat down to write Mendocino Memories, an account of life at
our family's "weekend cabin" in the backwoods of Mendocino,
California, I realized that while this book would be enjoyed by
family members who had shared my experiences, it would also be read
by those who had never even visited the cabin. Thus, I knew I
couldn't just write, "Remember how we enjoyed decorating the house
for Christmas?" Instead, I'd have to record exactly what we did for
Christmas, from scouring the woods for the perfect tree to digging
a mouse-nest out of the creche that had been stored in the attic.
It's also important to remember that your readers may not share
your knowledge of the time and place about which you are writing.
It's not enough to say, "Uncle Henry was a captain in the Mosquito
Fleet" if your readers don't know what that is! It came as quite a
shock to me to discover that my British-reared niece had never
heard of Pearl Harbor and was completely unaware that the US had
fought in the Pacific during WWII! Your readers may also be unaware
of the social, cultural, and physical milieu of your story. It
will give your readers a much better picture if, instead of telling
them that your great-grandmother fixed supper every night, you
explain that she had to chop the wood, light the fire, harvest the
vegetables from the garden she had planted, and quite possibly kill
the pig!
2. Gather your documents.
------------------------
One factor that may influence the type of family history you choose
to write is the availability of material. The inspiration for The
Andersons in Black and White, an annotated family album that
covered my family history from the 1930's to 1950's, came about
because my sister wanted to get rid of a bulky photo album full of
black and white snapshots. I'm currently working on a memoir of my
father-in-law's WWII experiences, having come across his letters
and photos while scanning my husband's family archives.
Start by determining what sort of documentation you already have.
This may include official documents such as birth and death
certificates, marriage licenses, immigration papers, and baptismal
and burial records. It may also include personal documents such as
letters and journals. It may include photos. (If you're lucky,
some thoughtful family member will have noted who a photo is of and
when it was taken -- but all too often, this information is
missing).
Once you've searched your own closets, start asking other family
members to search theirs. My sister was convinced that I had all
the family documents -- only to find an entire box of official
papers, plus a collection of my grandfather's writing and artwork,
stowed on a closet shelf. Ask your family members to share their
photo albums (a good way to encourage them is to offer to scan the
photos).
Keep in mind, however, that not everyone in the family may be
enthusiastic about sharing personal documents and papers. Some may
feel that these materials are too private; others may feel that
they are simply too uninteresting; still others may be concerned
about raking up issues they'd prefer to forget. In some cases,
digging up personal papers means digging up painful memories; when
my father-in-law died, my mother-in-law wanted to destroy all his
old letters and papers because they were too painful to keep
around. Fortunately, she let us take them home instead!
If you have little success in locating documents within the family,
an alternative is to hire a professional genealogist. Most of my
knowledge of my family past comes from the efforts of a genealogist
hired by my sister; now, I can trace my ancestors back to Colonial
days and beyond. A genealogist may also be able to put you in
touch with other branches of the family who have conducted their
own historical research; one of the documents located by the
genealogist included letters written by my great-grandfather.
Once you've gathered your documents, it's a good idea to scan them.
Old papers can be fragile, and can be harmed by repeated handling.
Scanning them not only gives you an easy way to refer to them
without damaging them, but also enables you to preserve these
documents and share them with your entire family (or even
incorporate them into your history as illustrations).
3. Ask questions.
-----------------
If your goal is to create a history based on memories of living
relatives, it's time to start interviewing them. If at all
possible, try to do your interviews face-to-face, as this creates
much more opportunity for give-and-take and information gathering.
Keep in mind, too, that you're talking to family: An interview
should be a conversation, not an interrogation.
Beyond that, all the tips and techniques for successful
interviewing still apply. Prepare in advance by developing a list
of questions that you'd like answered, or topics that you would
like to cover. Set a specific time and place for the interview.
Use open-ended questions, such as "Where did Uncle Henry serve
during the War?" or "What do you remember best about Aunt Phoebe?"
It's a good idea to use a tape recorder, so that your subject can
ramble on without worrying about having to slow down so that you
can catch up on your notes. Be as patient and polite as you would
with someone you were interviewing for an article -- if not more so!
When interviewing family members, remember that you're not just
after "facts," such as names and dates. You're after a story -- so
in this type of interview, you actually want your subject to ramble
or "go off on a tangent." When asked to recall when something
happened, an older person is often likely to try to "place" the
event by recalling details of the period or location, such as
"Well, let's see, I remember that I caught the streetcar to go to
John's house, so that means it had to be before 1925..." This sort
of reminiscent rambling is just what you need to bring color and
detail to your story!
Photos can be another excellent way to elicit memories from family
members. Just start passing old photos around and ask questions
like "Who was that?" or "Where was this taken?" or "What was this
gathering about?" Photos can trigger far more memories than
questions alone. If, for example, you asked, "Who attended
Grandmother's birthday party in 1932," your subject might be
hard-pressed to remember. But if you can hand your subject a photo
of that party, chances are that you'll immediately get a list of
names, relationships and recollections to accompany those
sepia-toned faces!
4. Check your facts.
--------------------
Don't assume that everyone you interview is going to be truthful!
In some cases, you may end up with a collection of family stories
that have been passed along until everyone believes them. In other
cases, you may find that someone is telling outright lies!
My grandmother, for example, invented a completely fictitious
background for herself. Her children and grandchildren grew up
believing that she had emigrated from Britain and was a descendant
of Sir Francis Drake! We later learned that she was born and
raised on a farm in Idaho. Such fictions can also spill over into
official documents. While my grandmother listed her birthplace as
Idaho on her first child's birth certificate, on a later birth
certificate she listed it as England. Her marriage license gives
an incorrect name, age, and place of residence; even my
grandfather's name is misspelled (though I suspect this, at least,
was a clerical error).
The more documents you can find, the easier it will be to
cross-check family stories and papers. Official genealogical
records can also help, though the older the records, the less
likely they are to provide accurate dates. If, however, you find
that some of the family stories are false or misleading, tread
carefully. Even if the family members who invented these fictions
are long-dead, surviving relatives may prefer the story to the
reality -- and may not appreciate your efforts to explose the
"truth"!
5. Put it together.
-------------------
Kipling once wrote, "There are nine and sixty ways of constructing
tribal laays, and every single one of them is right." Similarly,
there are many ways to tell a family history. Do you want to tell
the story in your own words, or to use the words and voices of
other family members? Will letters, journals, or other family
documents stand alone, or do they need to be annotated,
paraphrased, or interpreted? Do you want to stick to "just the
facts" or add creative elements, such as descriptive scenes or
invented dialogue?
You also have a wealth of options for presenting your family
history. Those scanned photos or family documents can be
incorporated directly into your text as illustrations. If you're
familiar with desktop publishing, you can import scanned images
directly into your document; otherwise, just leave blank pages
where you'd like your images to go, and format those images
separately in a program like Photoshop, then import them into a
final PDF document.
Today, dozens of print-on-demand firms are wooing the family
history market, but the only one that charges no upfront fee is
Lulu.com. At Lulu, you can have your book printed in black and
white or color, in a variety of page sizes, and pay only for the
books that you order. If you need help with interior or cover
design, or with converting your document(s) to PDF, you can find a
number of "consultants" on Lulu.com to assist you for a reasonable
fee.
Another way to distribute your family history is electronically.
If you'd prefer not to go to the trouble (or expense) of producing
a printed book, you can simply save your text and images as
separate files on a CD-ROM. This is a wonderful, inexpensive way
to let the entire clan share photos and documents that were once
relegated to someone's closet.
Researching and writing a family history, memoir, biography or
genealogy isn't just a great way to share and preserve family
stories and memories. It's also fun. In fact, you may find it
addictive. I know I have; if you'll excuse me, I have another
memoir to write!
Resources
---------
Lulu.com
http://www.lulu.com
Life Story Network
http://www.lifestorywriting.net
Association of Personal Historians
http://www.personalhistorians.org
A site dedicated to those who want to preserve personal history.
What is a Memoir?
http://www.inkspell.homestead.com/memoir.html
Writing the Memoir: Truth to Life, by Judy Barrington
http://www.judithbarrington.com/writingthemem.html
Ancestry.com
http://www.ancestry.com
A good place to find information about one's ancestors; requires a
paid membership to review such resources as journals, newspaper
clippings, etc.
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Copyright (c) 2008 by Moira Allen
Moira Allen, publisher of Writing-World.com, has published more
than 350 articles and columns and seven books, including How to
Write for Magazines, Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer,
The Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals, and
Writing.com: Creative Internet Strategies to Advance Your Writing
Career. Allen has served as columnist and contributing editor for
The Writer and has written for Writer's Digest, Byline, and various
other writing publications. In addition to Writing-World.com, Allen
hosts the travel website TimeTravel-Britain.com and The Pet Loss
Support Page. She can be contacted at editors"at"writing-world.com.
For more information on writing your family history visit
http://www.writing-world.com/creative/relative.shtml
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(866) 405-3003. Absolutely no subscription or purchase necessary.
We'll share our know-how with you. In our 15th Year!
*********************************************************
THE WRITE SITES
=========================================================
Winning Writers
----------------
A site that lists mainly poetry, but also fiction and nonfiction
contests, both free and fee-based. The basic membership is free and
enables you to search their contest database. A useful site to
bookmark. http://www.winningwriters.com
OnceWritten.com
-----------------
Site with its own contests for beginners to the writing contest
world, as well as listings of global contests too. Free to access
and has useful newsletter too.
http://www.oncewritten.com/Contests.php
FirstWriter.com
----------------
You need to purchase a membership of this site, which starts at
£2.65 or around $5.00 a month; it also has cheaper quarterly or
annual subscription options. If you are serious about entering
contests, this site not only has a searchable database of contests
from around the globe but it can also provide you with email alerts
regarding upcoming contests to your inbox.
http://www.firstwriter.com/
Beginning Creative Writing
-----------------------------
A free to download e-book by Bruce Anthony on how to start creative
writing. This is a comprehensive beginners guide and even covers
how to type and suitable writing software.
http://tinyurl.com/2tv7ca
The Society of Professional Obituary Writers
---------------------------------------------
New organization and new site for all obituary writers with
contests and meetings. No membership fee whilst organization in
infancy stage. The site aims to honor distinguished obituary
writing and hone their writing, researching and multimedia skills.
http://www.obitwriters.org.
ReadingandWritingLounge
------------------------
A useful site to visit. This is a blog that contains books reviews,
articles and links to many useful and little known sites, such as
Productivity 501. Check out the previous posts too.
http://www.readingandwritinglounge.com
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WRITE BETTER; WRITE FASTER; WRITE IT RIGHT! Discover a simple
five-step process for creating flawless written text. Write It
Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like The Pros shows you
how! $17.95 + s/h.
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WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER - You can download a free list of
writing markets if you subscribe this week. Discover almost 2,000
writing markets from USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australasia.
http://www.worldwidefreelance.com
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CAN'T GET PUBLISHED? Be a Well-Fed Self-Publisher and make a
living! Control the process and timetable. Keep the rights AND most
of the profits. Here's the step-by-step blueprint used to create a
full-time living from ONE book! By the award-winning author of The
Well-Fed Writer. http://www.wellfedsp.com.
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FEATURE: Writing From Anticipation
=========================================================
By Sheila Bender
A human tendency you can harness for good writing topics
Here in the Northwest, despite the unusually cold temperatures we
recently experienced, daffodils, crocuses and blossoming fruit
trees add yellow, purple and pink to our current landscape. And
under a week of consistently sunny skies, we find ourselves
anticipating spring. We wake to light and prepare dinner before
dark. The winter season's short daylight slowed us down and brought
us inside to read and reflect -- all valued -- but I find myself
rejoicing: Such light after the short days of December and
January; such bright harbinger of the coming long days of summer!
When I walk past the shyly bent heads of the newly blossoming
daffodils, I think of a favorite William Wordsworth poem:
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay,
In such jocund company;
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
The poem makes me realize that I not only anticipate spring, but
also what I might write that will bring me a "wealth of images and
memories."
To get started with some new writing, I created some prompts
inspired by the word "anticipation." I believe they will help me
generate freewrites (ten to twenty minutes of writing time each)
that I'll then develop and shape into essays and poems. I also
think the prompts will help you commit your experience to the page,
no matter the part of the world you live in or the weather your
season brings:
(1) Think about what you are anticipating. The finish of a
project? The welcoming home of a child away at school? A promotion
or a new job? The opening of a new restaurant in your neighborhood?
A vacation trip? An award? A new job? A new responsibility? A new
pet? A dream coming true? Or, perhaps you anticipate something
sadder--the loss of a relative or a friend, the end of a
relationship, the demolition of a building you love, the end of a
project or job. Additionally, you might want to write about
anticipating medical test results, an accountant's report, the
trial of a relative or friend, or the tally of a vote.
When you note something that most interests you right now, write
about what it is that you are anticipating and what it is like
right now where you are doing the anticipating. Describe where you
are with images that come in through the senses and what you are
anticipating with details that show and evoke the person, event or
situation
(2) Write about a much earlier time in your life when you
anticipated something with great excitement or with great dread.
What happened when the anticipation was or was not fulfilled? You
might write about anticipating the arrival of a baby sibling, a
litter of puppies, a new bicycle, a particular relative, a friend
coming home, or the opening night of a play you were in.
Alternatively, you might write of partings--the day you knew you
would have to say goodbye to someone who mattered, for instance, or
have to leave a community you enjoyed. Graduations, promotions,
transfers and accepting awards offer such a writing opportunity.
Fully imagine the arrival or the departure you are thinking about.
What did you think things would smell, taste, sound, look and feel
like? What did things smell, taste, sound, look and feel like when
the arrival or departure actually happened?
(3) Think of something you would like someone else to anticipate
that the person is not already anticipating or at least not
anticipating with a fully drawn idea: growing up, marrying, having
children, traveling abroad, going to college, learning a particular
form of creative expression, or finding a career, for instance. In
the form of a letter to this person, write what you wish for him or
her and how you know that the very anticipation of the thing or
event you wish for the person changes lives.
(4) Make a list of words that rhyme or half-rhyme with
anticipation: constipation, trepidation, emancipation,
unification, creation, for example. Read over your list and write
about a time you were anticipating something and experienced a
situation associated with one of the rhyming words.
(5) Think of another time you were in a state of anticipation.
Write twelve paragraphs about that time, one for each letter in the
word anticipation. Starting with an "a" and following with an "n",
etc., make the first sentence of each of the twelve paragraphs open
with a word that begins with the next consecutive letter in
anticipation.
Now that you are warmed up to the idea of writing about what you
are anticipating, and have done freewrites from these exercises,
you will undoubtedly find something important flashing "upon that
inward eye."
What you connect with will help you revise this material for
shaping essays and poems, to create fields of your own "sprightly"
daffodils. Although anticipation can cause anxiety and is also a
way of keeping from living in the moment, it is nevertheless a part
of our lives and a fecund source from which to write. As Emily
Brontė wrote in her poem titled "Anticipation":
To the enduring seas - ;
There cast my anchor of desire
Deep in unknown eternity;
Nor ever let my spirit tire,
With looking for what is to be!
Make use of this very human trait as it plays out in your
individual experience.
>>-----------------------------------------------------<<
Copyright (c) 2007 by Sheila Bender
Sheila Bender is a poet, essayist, author, and publisher of
http://www.WritingItReal.com. Her poems appear in many North
American literary journals and anthologies such as Poetry
Northwest, The Seattle Review, Writers' Forum, Northern Lights, and
We Used to Be Wives, among others. Her many books on writing
include Keeping a Journal You Love, A Year in the Life: Journaling
for Self-Discovery, Writing Personal Poetry: Creating Poems from
Life Experience, Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life
Experiences for the Page, and Writing in a New Convertible with the
Top Down. She is a past contributing poetry editor to Writer's
Digest Magazine and is on the faculties of the Colorado Mountain
Writer's Conference and the La Jolla Writer's Conference.
She holds a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing from the University
of Washington and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Keane College
in New Jersey.
For more information and advice on writing poetry visit:
http://www.writing-world.com/poetry/index.shtml
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COMING UP in THE NEXT ISSUE OF WRITING-WORLD...
=========================================================
Nonfiction
-----------
Sean McLachlin teaches us how to break into the guidebook market.
Fiction
--------
Emily Hanlon will take us through how to access our creative mind
and silence our ever-present inner critic.
Plus your responses to the Inquiring Writer and advice from Moira
in the Writing Desk.
Coming soon: Writing software; your reviews - more information
next issue.
Your next issue will appear in your inboxes on April 3rd.
*********************************************************
RECOMMENDED WRITING CLASSES
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TheFictionWritersJourney.com is the website of writing coach and
novelist, Emily Hanlon. Emily demystifies the writing process with
her two pronged approach of teaching technique and unleashing
creativity. She offers coaching, workshops, and TeleSeminars and is
holding a weekend retreat in Litchfield, CT May 2-4.
http://www.thefictionwritersjourney.com/Journey_Into_the_Imagination
_Wisdom_House_May2008.htm
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WRITING CONTESTS
=========================================================
This section lists contests that charge no entry fees. Unless
otherwise indicated, competitions are open to all adult writers.
THE FOLEY POETRY CONTEST
----------------------
DEADLINE: March 31, 2008
GENRE: Poetry
DETAILS: One unpublished poem, max 30 lines.
PRIZE: $1000 & publication in America Magazine.
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2rma9l
EMAIL: america"at"americamagazine.org
L RON HUBBARD'S WRITER OF THE FUTURE CONTEST
-------------------------------------------
DEADLINE: March 31, 2008
GENRE: Short stories
DETAILS: 17,000 words max on Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Horror: All types
of science fiction, fantasy and horror with fantastic elements, are
welcome.
PRIZE: $1000 each quarter, grand winner $5000.
URL: http://www.writersofthefuture.com/index2.htm
EMAIL: etoth"at"galaxypress.com
BALTICON SF POETRY CONTEST
--------------------------
DEADLINE: April 1, 2008
GENRE: Poetry
DETAILS: 1-3 poems, up to 50 lines each, on the themes of Science
fiction, fantasy and horror
PRIZE: $100, $75, $50 & publication
URL: http://www.bsfs.org/bsfspoetry
EMAIL: poetry"at"bsfs.org
FAVORITE CONCERT MEMORIES
---------------------------
DEADLINE: April 15, 2008
GENRE: Nonfiction
OPEN TO: Babyboomer women writers.
DETAILS: You have 500 words to tell us your favorite concert
memory. Lay it on us. Knock yourself out. Take us back. Who were
you with, what were you wearing, and what music were you jammin'
to? Submissions should be written in a Word document and sent as an
attachment to contest"at"nabbw.com with FAVORITE CONCERT MEMORY in the
subject line.
PRIZE: $100 and F-R-E-E membership or renewal in the National
Association of Baby Boomer Women.
URL: http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com.
EMAIL: contest"at"nabbw.com
THE FOUNTAINHEAD ESSAY CONTEST
---------------------------------
DEADLINE: April 25, 2008
GENRE: Young Writers
OPEN TO: 11th and 12th graders.
DETAILS: 1600 word essays on one of the three topics from the
website. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and
logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding
grasp of the philosophic and psychological meaning of The
Fountainhead
PRIZE: $10,000.
URL: http://tinyurl.com/yuaqs9
GLIMMER TRAIN STANDARD SHORT FICTION
------------------------------------
DEADLINE: April 30, 2008
GENRE: Short stories
DETAILS: 12,000 words max. No minimum word count, but rare for
pieces of less than 500 words to read as a story. Max 3
submissions per author per month. Online submissions preferred. No
children's stories.
PRIZE: $700, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 10 copies of
that issue.
URL: http://glimmertrain.com/test.html
BOOKHABIT UNPUBLISHED BOOKS
----------------------------
DEADLINE: Several weekly contests, last date for 1st Round May 11,
2008
GENRE: Unpublished books, any genre, minimum 50,000 words.
DETAILS: Each week the 5 most popular books, as rated by readers,
will make it through to the Round 2, plus one Bookhabit wildcard
book. Popularity is determined by the number of points a book has
at the end of the competition week. Points are earned through a
combination of first chapter and full book ratings as well as the
number of downloads. Only registered users can rate books and
ratings are only counted once (per book). The first chapter of each
book is available as a free download.
A book can be uploaded at any time during the week and is available
to be downloaded and rated until the end of that competition week.
The five weekly winners and Bookhabit wildcard will be posted on
Bookhabit.com after the end of each week. 60 books will advance
through to Round 2.
PRIZE: $5000
URL: http://www.bookhabit.com
*********************************************************
AUTHOR'S BOOKSHELF: Books by Our Readers
---------------------------------------------------------
Allies of Humanity: An Urgent Message About the Extraterrestrial
Presence in the World, by Marshall Vian Summers
Embittered Justice, by Michaela Riley
Narrow Windows, Narrow Lives: The Industrial Revolution in
Lancashire, by Sue Wilkes
TIME TO WRITE: More Than 100 Professional Writers Reveal How To Fit
Writing Into Your Busy Life, by Kelly L. Stone
Find these and more great books at
http://www.writing-world.com/books/index.shtml
Have you just had a book published? If so, let our readers know:
just click on the link below to list your book.
http://www.writing-world.com/books/listyours.shtml
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Writing World is a publication of Writing-World.com
http://www.writing-world.com
Website Editor: MOIRA ALLEN (editors"at"writing-world.com)
Newsletter Editor: DAWN COPEMAN (editorial"at"writing-world.com)
Copyright 2008 Dawn Copeman
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