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WIWA NEWSLETTER
News from the Whidbey Island Writers Association
Vol. 5, No. 4 August - September 2005
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CONTENTS
Letter from the MFA Program Director
Notes from the WIWA Board
On the Island
Public MFA Readings
WIWA Fall Classes
Off the Island
The Semi-Colon
by Dr. Richard Lederer
Recent Releases
Cheers
The Writer's World is Flat
by Dr. Gerald L. Kovacich
Create a Writing Presence on the Web
Contests and Market Requests
CyberSurfing
To Contact Us
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe
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WHIDBEY WRITERS WORKSHOP
by Wayne Ude, MFA Program Director, Whidbey Writers Workshop
When the MFA program's first Residency begins on August 13, just over three years will have passed since the WIWA Board of Directors first decided in August, 2002, to develop a low-residency MFA program. I was asked to serve as chief developer and program director (on a volunteer basis for at least the first two years of the process). Previously I'd designed the current MFA program at Old Dominion University in Virginia and co-designed the MFA at Colorado State; this would be my third -- and by far most challenging and interesting -- trip through the process of developing a program and applying to a state's educational oversight commission for authorization. It turned out to be a 20-hour-a-week volunteer commitment for the next two years, and probably the most fun I've had on Whidbey.
We knew no creative writing MFA degree had ever been offered except by a college or university, but we also knew graduate degrees were offered by independent programs in theatre, music, dance, and art/design. We believed that a free-standing graduate program in creative writing should be possible. The question was would the State of
But Dr. Ball and Karen Oelschlager, his administrative assistant, turned out to be the most helpful and cooperative public officials any of us had ever dealt with, and that has continued through all three years of the program's development. In no time, we knew that if we could put together the financing and an operational program, the state would support and encourage our efforts.
We found the same sort of support and encouragement here at home, including the financial support of many wonderful and generous donors. WIWA put together a design team (Toni Grove, Susan Wilmoth, Celeste Mergens, Marian Blue, and me, later joined by Andy Clay and Whitney Christiansen; Eva Shaw would join the MFA Board about the time the application was approved). We set out to design a program that would be unique in combining the best features of low-residency and standard MFA programs, and we have. The team met every two weeks for the next two years as we designed the program, raised the first year's operating funds, submitted the application to the WIWA Board, and then submitted the application to the state in October, 2003.
In July 2004 the Whidbey Island Writers Association received official authorization to offer the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and we became the only non-university in the country to offer a creative writing degree.
The year since then has been hectic but exciting as we've recruited part-time faculty, admitted students, contracted with
We have a staff now, and they've been excellent –– real lifesavers: Office Manager Erika Sanders, Registrar Elaine Woods, and Online Librarian/Web Coordinator Philip Williamson. Each goes above and beyond the call of duty so often that we sometimes take it for granted and forget to thank them. Our core faculty is equally strong: fiction writer Bruce Holland Rogers, poet Christopher Howell, nonfiction author Susan Zwinger, and children's author Kirby Larson.
At the annual meeting of Associated Writers and Writing Programs in
As I write this, the first residency is coming up in exactly a month. The evening readings by our permanent and visiting faculty are free and open to the public (see On the Island, below, for the schedule). Daytime sessions are available for a fee, and a number of WIWA members have registered to be a part of this program. The first semester, carried out online with the Catalyst system developed by BigMindMedia of Langley, will begin subsequent to the residency.
We hope to see you at those evening readings as we celebrate this first-ever freestanding MFA degree program.
For a complete schedule of the inaugural MFA residency visit: http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa/residencies.htm
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NOTES FROM THE WIWA BOARD
The WIWA Board of Directors has been busy reviewing the progress of the strategic planning group as it continues to design a five-year plan for the organization. As a result of those efforts, the board has adopted a committee structure to support and oversee the various elements of our programs. These committees include: Membership, Finance, Personnel, Communications, Local Programs and Fundraising.
One board member will serve on each of these committees working to expand the groups with volunteers from the membership at large. The efforts of the committees will be directed at coordinating the activities under their purview and recommending policies and programs to the board. The goal in forming these active committees is to ensure that WIWA continues to be a dynamic and thriving member-driven organization.
The board welcomed new member Cameron Castle at the June meeting, where Jerry Mercer was elected board secretary for the coming year. Other officers include Gail Madden, president, and Linda Beeman, treasurer. The board was pleased to announce that Elizabeth Guss will remain as Conference Director for the 2006 WIWC.
Coming in September: Local members should stay tuned to E-news for WIWA Members for an announcement of an upcoming Readers and Writers Sale to be held to raise funds for the launch of Soundings, our new and exciting literary magazine edited by Marian Blue. So, save those books and journals for the sale!
The Readers and Writers Sale will also be a social event for WIWA members with time in the program for local authors to read from their work and discuss their writing interests with one another.
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ON THE ISLAND
Public readings offered at 2005 MFA Residency
The Whidbey Writers Workshop faculty, staff and pioneering students invite WIWA members and the public to join them at the inaugural MFA residency for free public readings presented by the program's permanent and guest faculty. Each reading will be held at 7 p.m. in Coupeville at the
August 15: Kathleen Alcala, fiction; Kirby Larson, children's literature
August 16: Jill Johnson, storyteller
August 17: Sheila Bender, poetry; Randy Powell, young adult
August 19: Marvin Bell, poetry; Susan Zwinger, nonfiction
August 20: Frances McCue, poetry; Christopher Howell, poetry
August 21: Peggy Shumaker, poetry and nonfiction; Bruce Holland Rogers, fiction
Books by the authors will be available for purchase before and after each reading. Information about each author can be found on the faculty website at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa/faculty.htm . For more information contact the Services Coordinator at wiwa@whidbey.com or 360-331-6714.
WIWA CLASS OFFERINGS, FALL 2005
Register now for WIWA sponsored writing classes. Take advantage of these local classes to improve your craft, find new inspiration and meet other local writers. WIWA members receive a discount on the registration fee for all classes. Classes will be held at
So You Want To Be A Travel Writer…
Thursdays, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sept.15 - Nov. 3
Instructor: Tom Snyder; cost: $95 WIWA member/ $105 nonmember
It’s a shared dream: flying to exotic locations, driving scenic byways and discovering fine restaurants, with complimentary stays at four-star inns. But what does it take to make it as a freelance travel writer? Is it a way for couples to take that dream vacation? Are women better travel writers? (Often, they are.) This class emphasizes skills needed, with individualized attention given to concept development and writing samples. The instructor is a best-selling travel writer, with top-ranked guides at St. Martin’s Press and articles in periodicals throughout the
Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
Thursdays, 1-3:30 p.m., Sept. 15-Nov. 3
Instructor: Tom Snyder; cost: $95 WIWA member, $105 nonmember
Participants will be free to focus on their own projects, with emphasis on any of the following: Set-up; Narrative and Dialogue; Story or Subject Development; and Characterization or Conclusion. Mastery of each is a hallmark of top-ranked authors – the result of awareness and practice. Examples and supportive feedback from the instructor will form an integral part of each session. Intended for writers committed to publication of book-length works or shorter pieces in either fiction or nonfiction. Limited to 12 participants. Questions? Write: wordwhispers@comcast.net
Advance Fiction Workshop (Novel Writing)
Mondays, 2-4 p.m., Sept. 12-Nov. 28
Instructor: Wayne Ude; cost: $95 WIWA member, $105 nonmember
This workshop focuses on works written by group members. You will share excerpts of longer works and have the opportunity to present three chapters to be discussed in class and critiqued by the instructor. Limit 12 students. Note: This class has pre-registered full.
Short Story and Novel Workshop
Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m., Sept. 14-Nov. 2 or Nov. 16 (8 or 10 weeks)
Instructor: Wayne Ude; cost: $95 WIWA member, $105 nonmember
This class is intended both for those who are writing short stories and for those who are working on a novel (or writing in both forms). Class will last for two hours each meeting, one day a week. Each participant will turn in three stories and/or chapters for discussion during the course.
At each class, three people will bring copies of their work to pass out to everyone. We’ll take those home, read them carefully (I suggest one quick reading to get an overview, and a second reading with pen or pencil in hand so you can write comments on the page), and discuss each in detail at the next class. With a two-hour class (120 minutes) and allowing for a break halfway through, each story or chapter should get about 35 to 37 minutes of discussion. Then we’ll return the copies with our written comments to the author.
The first class will be an introductory class, and then we’ll pass out copies of the first three pieces for discussion at the following class. If we have eight participants, the class will meet for eight weeks; 10 participants will mean 10 weeks.
Characters, Setting and Dialogue: Building the People, Place and Language of Your Story
Saturdays, Sept. 17, Oct. 1, Oct. 22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., location TBA
Instructor: Gail Madden; cost: $60
Spend four hours on each of three Saturdays working on these key elements. You already have a story to tell, but you want to make the characters come alive in a believable (or perhaps unbelievable) setting. You want to create a place that is as comfortable as an old shoe or prickles a bed of nettles. You want characters that people care about, love, or love to hate. Your characters need to exchange information, learn about one another, talk about one another, and talk to the reader in ways that make them unforgettable individuals. This course is designed to discuss and practice all of these elements through reading, exercises and shared writing practice. Requirements are pen, paper and a creative imagination.
Introduction to Multimedia Writing
Mondays, Sept. 12 -Oct 31, call for information regarding time
Instructor: Barbara Moran; cost: $95 WIWA member, $105 nonmember
Textbook: Crafting Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations
Multimedia writing is presented on a computer screen. Examine differences between traditional print-based writing and multimedia writing. This entry-level course is for anyone curious about the ever-growing "new media" world for writers. Regardless of your current computer skill, this exploratory class is for you. Just bring a pencil! Explore layering, effective word choice, styling, tone, editing, and legal issues. In multimedia words can change colors, size and even move. But how much is too much? Why is viewing text on a screen harder than reading text on your paper? If you have ever thought about putting your words on your own web site, CD-Rom, or "blog", find out what's involved and craft your own state-of-the-art content.
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WIWA-SPONSORED WRITING GROUPS
Oak Harbor Writers' Group meets twice a month on Tuesday evenings at
The North Whidbey Writers' Group is meeting regularly at Great Times Espresso in Coupeville on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 1p.m. The informal format includes a sharing of information about opportunities to enhance skills and to publish; some "fun" quick-write activities; and the reading of members' works-in-progress for group feedback. The climate is friendly--writers helping each other. Writers of all genres and experience levels are welcome. Contact wiwa@whidbey.com with questions.
The South Whidbey Writers' Group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at
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OFF THE ISLAND
Jack Straw Reading Series, Aug. 17, 7 p.m., Jack Straw Productions, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE (Seattle’s University District); free admission. Hear Paula Gilovich, Kimball MacKay, Laura McKee and Deborah Woodard; http://www.jackstraw.org.
Book Launch
The Bethel Avenue Book Company, formerly
Living Legends: Writing Your Life - One Story at a Time
Six weeks of life writing exercises, feedback, handouts, practical information and resources delivered to your in-box. Begins Sept. 30. Instructor Carol M. Upton is a personal historian and writer/editor whose work has appeared in numerous North American newspapers, magazines and ezines. To register or receive more information, visit: http://www.memorybooks.ca .
Check out these other sites for events of interest:
Seattle Mystery Bookshop; http://www.seattlemystery.com
Third Place Books, Seattle; http://www.thirdplacebooks.com
Song & Word, San Juan Islands, WA; http://www.songandword.com
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THE SEMICOLON
By Richard Lederer and John Shore
From their upcoming book, Comma Sense: a Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation (St. Martin's Press).
Conjure up an image of a period hanging suspended in the air. It’s just a vagrant dot –– until a curly comma jive-walks in from stage right and places itself directly beneath that period. With the wa-wa-wa of the slide trombone and the pitter-boink-boink of the xylophone, with a brash piano’s tinkling heat, the clarinet’s cry, and the snare drum’s beat, we present one of the most eclectic and sophisticated marks in all of punctuationdom –– the semicolon.
The main function of the semicolon is to indicate a pause more strongly than would a comma and more weakly than would a period. Maybe that’s why the semicolon is composed of a period balanced on top of a comma. The coalescence of that standard and staid period and that squiggly, swinging comma creates something quite new –– the semicolon. It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.
The innovative melding of the rhythms of disparate elements. The improvisational meeting of tradition and originality. Eclectic. Sophisticated. It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.
Are we talking about the semicolon, or are we talking about . . . Duke Ellington? Well, we’re talking about both, baby.
He was the Duke – Duke Elegant. Duke Eloquent. One of the most famous figures in American jazz. One of the world’s greatest composers and performers
Eclectic is a fancy word for “melding the best of various elements and styles.” That, surely, is what Duke Ellington did: He composed enduring, sophisticated jazz pieces such as “Mood Indigo,” “In My Solitude,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” and, of course, “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.” He also created longer orchestral pieces and gospel and religious symphonies. Like
Talk about eclectic audiences: By the end of his 50-year career, Duke Ellington had played more than 20,000 performances worldwide. He played for Queen Elizabeth II and for Richard Nixon. He played at society balls and embassy parties. He played at the Cotton Club. He played from
Wherever he went, stylish Duke Ellington always bore in mind that scoring a jazz composition was just like punctuating a sentence. All flights of innovation must take wing from the bedrock of the rules. The rules for the semicolon are especially challenging, but now that you’re such a virtuous virtuoso of punctuation, these guidelines will be an easy set:
Use a semicolon to join closely related independent clauses in compound sentences. (You do remember what independent clauses and compound sentences are, don’t you? If not, please go back and review commas.)
“I often blow my own horn, trumpet my achievements, and beat the drum for my career; it’s my way of saying to the world, ‘Hey, I’m fit as a fiddle, and I don’t fiddle around or play second fiddle to anyone!’
“The authors of this book try to strike a responsive chord, pull out all the stops, and never soft-pedal any aspects of punctuation; our competitors, on the other hand, play it by ear and give you a second-string performance.”
When the second clause is introduced by a conjunctive adverb (then, however, nevertheless, moreover, thus, therefore, and the like), use a semicolon. Employing a comma in this situation results in a sentence error called a comma fault:
“We don’t wish to chime in too much and harp on this subject; nevertheless, we hope to tune your tin ear to the tenor of our language.”
NOT:
“We don’t wish to chime in too much and harp on this subject, nevertheless, we hope to tune your tin ear to the tenor of our language.”
Use a semicolon to separate independent clauses that already contain commas:
“We, your keynote speakers, sing the praises of accurate punctuation to beat the band; but we don’t work for a song, waltz in and teach you the cymbalism, and then waltz right out.”
“We, your unsung heroes, wouldn’t want to imply that it’s time for you to hop on the bandwagon, face the music, and sing a different tune; but we’re not whistling Dixie when we say that it’s time for you, Johnny One-Note, to know your brass from your oboe.”
Use a semicolon as an extra-powerful comma between items in a series that already contain commas:
“Although we have tried to explain in a tasteful, melodious manner the distinctions among introducing marks of punctuation, such as commas, colons, and dashes; separating marks, such as commas, semicolons, and periods; and end-of-sentence marks, such as periods, question marks, and exclamations points, you probably still feel that this book is filled with too much sax and violins.”
Now that you’re all jazzed up about the semicolon –– and about punctuation marks in general –– you’re ready to harmonize your thoughts with your writing and make beautiful music to the world. You Won’t Be So Cool If You Don’t Got That Rule –– and all that jazz.
Dr. Richard Lederer, WIWC 2005 presenter, is the author of more than 3,000 books and articles about language and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series. His latest book, A Man of My Words: My Career-Capping Reflections on the English Language, was selected by the Book of the Month Club, Literary Guild and Quality Paperback Books. You can explore his Web site at http://www.verbivore.com.
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RECENT RELEASES
Mergers & Acquisitions Security: Corporate Restructuring and Security Management
Co-authored by Dr. Gerald L. Kovacich, Elsevier’s Butterworth-Heinemann Publishers.
This year Kovacich he is also completing three co-authored books: two second editions – Information Assurance for Springer-Verlag London Ltd. and High Technology Crime Investigator’s Handbook for Butterworth-Heinemann; as well as a new book for Butterworth-Heinemann entitled: Security Metrics Management. Kovacich’s Web site also has some interesting information about writing found under "Being a Writer." (See his article below.)
A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism: Homeopathic Care for Exceptional Kids
by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, LCSW, Robert Ullman, ND, and Ian Luepker, ND (Picnic Point Press, 290 pgs, May 2005). Visit: http://www.drugfreeasperger.com .
A groundbreaking new book from WIWA members, the authors of the best-selling Ritalin-Free Kids, documenting a safe, effective and natural treatment for children with Asperger Syndrome and autism. Homeopathic medicine offers renewed hope for parents of children on the autism spectrum without the use of conventional drugs. Includes 17 actual cases drawn from the authors' extensive clinical experience treating a wide range of children with developmental, behavioral and learning challenges. Also included is information on the characteristics of children with Asperger Syndrome and autism, other natural approaches, advice and resources for parents, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about autism and homeopathic medicine.
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CHEERS
Cheryl S. Smith's recent book, The Rosetta Bone, was highly honored by the Dog Writer's Association of America. The book won a Maxwell medallion as best training/behavior book of the year and won a special award for best bound publication on training. The 52 Maxwell winners are judged against each other for the Pro Plan President's Award, and The Rosetta Bone also was honored with that trophy and check.
Marcia Preston, editor and publisher of ByLine magazine, won the 2004 Mary Higgins Clark Award for her second mystery, Song of the Bones (Intrigue Press). Her women's mainstream novel, The Butterfly House, was released in January 2005 (MIRA Books). Her mysteries appear under the byline M.K. Preston; the general novels under Marcia Preston.
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THE WRITER'S WORLD IS FLAT
by Dr. Gerald L. Kovacich,
Thomas L. Friedman wrote a book, The World Is Flat –– Brief History of the 21st Century, that explains how high technology (that technology based on the microprocessor) has caused the world to go flat and has driven globalization. It is a book worth reading to provide some great background information for anyone writing a novel or a nonfiction book where one has to understand and describe our modern society. It also contains some great ideas on which to base a novel.
As I was reading the book, I thought of how the world of the writer, my world of writing, has changed. The first writers were, of course, those who wrote in pictures on the walls of caves. Later, when we humans developed our languages as a form of communication, we began to tell stories to other clan members around the fires. Then came writing on papyrus, pen and paper, manual typewriters and later the electric typewriter, even ones with a type correction capability! How many of us, especially those of us who are the “two-fingered typists,” at that time thought, “Wow! It can’t get any better than this!”
In the “old days,” research for our writings was done by physically going to museums, libraries, newspaper archives and the like. To do research, one had to go where the information was stored. Technology changed all that. Now, one can do much of the research through the Internet in the comfort of one’s home. We can access the information of the world while we enjoy the life of actually living on an island. Even interviews can be done through the Internet from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world via email or Internet voice communications – and all this without leaving the
Think back at how difficult it was for a writer when compared to today: writing with pen and paper and correcting that copy and writing again, correcting that copy, and on and on. Then the stories would be sent by snail mail to potential publishers, taking days to weeks. The writers would wait and wait for a reply. When the rejection came, then another copy would be sent to someone else, then more waiting. Yes, the world of the writer, as with other professions, was one of a slow pace, as were our lives. However, technology changed all that.
Yes, today’s world of word processors, email and the Internet has changed the life of a writer. Now, one can do an automatic edit for spelling and grammar. One can also easily rewrite the paragraphs over and over again. Now, after our stories are written we can search the Internet for publishers, check out their genre and acceptable format for submissions and email our stories as an attachment. We receive our rejections or acceptance notifications via the email. However, it seems the lawyers are often slow to respond to the use of high technology and, alas, our contracts still come in snail mail for signature, in three copies if you please. That soon will hopefully also change.
Since writers are readers and researchers looking for references, we can also now download books to read on our computer screens or even print them out. We can access the world of millions of books. Here on the Island, we can go online to the Sno-Isle Library web site, search for books, order them delivered to our local library, check their status online and even receive an automated voice message when they are ready for pickup. We can even purchase books online and have them delivered to our door. After all, since the days around the campfires, we as writers are still just storytellers. Whatever makes the telling of a story or reading a story easier is something I am all for.
So, as writers and readers, our world is changing – some say for the better and others are not so sure. But wait, it does get better! Let me close with a story on how I use technology to make my writing life easier where I can concentrate on ideas, on stories and not on the administration that goes with all that.
At a conference in
When we were finished, I emailed the manuscript as an attachment to the
But wait, it gets better still! Now, for writing, I use a software program that has become much more accurate now that it is on Version 8 compared to when I started using the product as Version 3. That product is Dragon Naturally Speaking8. (NOTE: I am not endorsing this product but just explaining how writers can use today’s technology to support their writings). Using a headset microphone, I just dictate my book and the words magically appear on the computer screen. And they appear without typos!
You may say, “That’s nice but I come up with ideas and writings when not at my desk.”Great! So do I. So, as I did with the Dragon software, which I ordered online and had delivered directly to my home, I went to amazon.com (again no endorsements just explaining what I use) and searched for a digital recorder that would be compatible with the Dragon software. I found it in the Sony ICD-BM1 micro-recorder. So now I can dictate into the Sony recorder, later hook it up to my computer’s USB port and download my voice as voice or as text into the Word document I am writing! Furthermore, the memory stick is the same type used for my Sony digital camera. They are not only interchangeable and both easily downloaded to my computer, I can now easily also use digital photographs in my books.
So, now I dictate my writings directly into my computer. When I am not at my desk, I dictate into my digital recorder, which subsequently shows up as Word documents on my computer. By the way, the software allows you to edit your documents by voice command also. When my writings are semi-finalized, they are emailed back and forth (also written using voice commands of Dragon software) to my applicable co-author who may reside in Chicago, Los Angeles, Wales or Ipswich, England and then on to publishers in Florida, New York, London or Boston.
But there’s more! I am thinking about flattening my writing world even more. To make it a flatter writer’s world, writers can do all of the above but then establish their own websites and sell their books through the websites, collecting money through customers’ credit cards through the websites. The customers can then download copies of the books as e-books! So, now a writer can also be a publisher. But what if the customer wants a hard copy but does not want to print it out on a home computer printer? One can subcontract to a self-publishing house to print the books and send them to you for subsequent distribution to the customers.
You can also have the self-publishing house do the distribution for you and also do some marketing for you. They or you can work with the online book sellers like amazon.com and have your book listed as any other book published by a major publisher. You can even integrate your marketing into the mainstream book marketing sources via potential buyers’ websites and through emails announcing your new book. Some writers’ self-published books have sold so well using this approach that major publishing houses have purchased the copyrights for the books for subsequent publication and sale under their names.
So, through technology, you become your own global researcher, writer, publisher, marketer and distributor, all while in the comfort of your own home – and at reasonable costs while keeping all the book sale profits!
As a “two-fingered typist” with many ideas but short, even after all these years of typing, on the administration tolerance that comes with writing books and articles, all I can say is, “Ain’t technology grand?”
Dr. Gerald L. Kovacich is an author of books on high technology security topics. Visit his Web site, http://www.ShockwaveWriters.com.
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CREATE A WRITING PRESENCE ON THE WEB
Writers, WIWA wants to promote you and your writing by helping you develop a presence on the Web. If you have a personal Web site and you are a member of WIWA, we'll create an online link from the Resources section of our Web site, http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Resources_Links/Resource_Home.htm, to your personal Web site about writing. This is your opportunity to showcase your writing, sell your books or advertise your writing services. All sites must be about writing and are subject to WIWA's approval. To set up a link, email the Webmaster at WebAdmin@WriteonWhidbey.org with your full name and the link to your Web site. This service is free to WIWA members.
Need help creating a Web site? Contact the Webmaster at WebAdmin@WriteonWhidbey.org about design and publishing services that are available for a reasonable fee. In addition, WIWA can host your writing site on its Web site for $50 a year. Let WIWA help you connect your writing to the Web.
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CONTESTS AND MARKET REQUESTS
Deadline Extended for WIWA Cookbook Submissions
WIWA is compiling a cookbook filled with recipes and the stories or poems associated with those recipes. We are asking you to join us in creating this very special anthology. Tell us a story; evoke a memory; relive a moment associated with a particular dish -- and send us the recipe.
Submissions must be postmarked on or before September 30, 2005. Mail submissions and entry fee to: Whidbey Island Writers Association,
Margin Free Verse Contest
This year's theme is "Evidence of Miracles." Free verse poems witnessing miracles; the humorous, the unpredictable and the outlandish have a good chance here. Patently religious poems won’t. Feel free to employ the popularly iconic, the socially secretive, the irreverent. Prize: $100; winner and honorable mentions published in Margin Autumn 2005. Postmark deadline: Aug. 1; inquiries to: http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/contests.html
Submit poems by Aug. 1 for the second annual WPA juried anthology. Poems will be blind-judged by a panel of three independent, non-member judges. Their top selections will be printed in the anthology. Go to the WPA Web site for submission details: http://www.washingtonpoets.org
American Short Fiction magazine
After publishing regularly from 1991-98, American Short Fiction is relaunching in Fall 2005 and is now accepting manuscripts. The magazine has featured the work of writers such as Naguib Mahfouz, Joyce Carol Oates, Reynolds Price, Hortense Calisher, Andrea Barrett, Antonya Nelson and Dagoberto Gilb.
Visit http://www.americanshortfiction.org to learn more.
The Wandering Hermit Review
A new, twice-yearly independent arts and literary journal, is looking for poetry and fiction, essays and reviews, comics and art. The Hermit will be a perfect bound, digest size journal of 120 to 150 pages. Send questions and submissions with a brief bio to: whrev@yahoo.com
The Predator Press Chapbook Competition
Inkwell Literary Services invites submissions to the annual Predator Press Prose Chapbook Competition. One winning manuscript will be chosen and published as a professionally-designed chapbook with a four-color, glossy cover. The winning writer will also receive $400 and 25 copies. Deadline is October 15; call 806-438-2385 or email inkwellliterary@mac.com.
Short Story Anthology
Both established writers and new voices are welcome to submit short stories to Hourglass Books for its anthology, Peculiar Pilgrims: Stories From the Left Hand of God, exploring the spiritual realm: "adventures in unorthodoxy, encounters of the fourth kind, mysterious ways, unbounded grace, strange coincidences ... things you will never read about in Sunday School (except in the church of your imagination)." See the author submission guidelines on http://www.hourglassbooks.com.
O2
Philip Levine Prize in Poetry
The MFA Program in Creative Writing at
Creative Nonfiction contest
A $1,000 prize is offered by the magazine Creative Nonfiction for the best submission focusing on Italian-American writing (or writing about Italian-Americans; you needn't be Italian-American to submit). Complete guidelines are at http://www.creativenonfiction.org .
Ballyhoo Stories
This online anthology publisher is seeking an intern to help for two or three hours a week, offsite, with researching and contacting authors for its 50 States Project. Other tasks will include researching bookstores that do not currently carry the magazine and publicizing events. Submission reading is not part of the position at this point. Although unpaid, the intern will receive a listing on the masthead, both online and in print. Those interested should contact editors@ballyhoostories.com.
Ascent Aspirations Magazine
The independent press has issued a call for submissions for the second issue, poetry and flash fiction, to be in print in the late fall of 2005. Deadline is Oct. 30. See details at: http://www.bcsupernet.com/users/ascent/poetryflashfiction.htm
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CYBER SURFING
Dr. Gerald Kovacich suggests the website http://www.howstuffworks.com as useful in providing background information for stories.
Victory Schouten encourages writers to read the Washington Poets Association newsletter by visiting http://www.washingtonpoets.org.
If you find a Web site you think other writers would like to visit, send us the URL.
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TO CONTACT US OR SUBMIT AN ARTICLE
We are interested in hearing from you. Perhaps you’ve been to a recent book fair, heard a favorite author speak, or learned valuable tips from a writing class. Perhaps you’re a professional willing to share your expertise. If you would like to submit an article; tell us about your good news for the Cheers or Recent Releases columns; send us your favorite quotes, markets, contests and cyber sites; or contact us about the newsletter for any reason, please email wiwa@whidbey.com. For information about the Conference, email writers@whidbey.com. The WIWA Web site is www.writeonwhidbey.org.
Your newsletter editor is Joan Soltys.
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