Whidbey Island Writers Association

In case you’re a new WIWA member (like me), or simply hadn’t noticed yet, the Whidbey Island Writers Association and its conference are growing up. Having just completed the eighth Annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference in March, WIWA has posted its Call for Presenters for the ninth, and, well, it’s just a short hop skip jump from there to completing a full decade of bringing amazing and emerging writers together for three days of workshops and presentations that are nationally recognized for quality and motivation.

How do they do it? Marian Wright Edelman said, “Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.” I believe it is this attitude of purposeful service that WIWA and its conference staff and presenters have come to embody. In a world of commercial exploitation and unreliable resources, WIWA and all who work to make the annual conference a success do so with the unique goal that each attendee goes home a better and more confident writer.

And what do we do with that improvement and confidence? Mark Twain said, “Write without pay until somebody offers to pay.” That advice is as true today as it was in Samuel Clemens’ time.

So here I am, writing without pay. This, my debut edition as volunteer interim newsletter editor, is dedicated to all the wonderful people met and experiences enjoyed at this year's conference – where the theme of “write who you are” echoed through every class and gathering. If this newsletter says anything about who I am, then it says that I am a collector of voices and disseminator of stories, an instigator of self-expression that will push you to write who You are and, for goodness sake, enter it in one of those contests or submit it to a publisher!

This is an especially exciting newsletter for me (apart from being my first for WIWA). There are some remarkable workshops and festivals coming up. I’ve managed to convince two of the conference’s writing competition multiple-award winners to write even more (okay, it wasn’t that hard). Wayne Ude reminds us why WIWA started its groundbreaking MFA Program. There are exciting and challenging writing competitions on the boards. And Marian Blue gives us an update on Soundings, WIWA’s new literary journal.

It is truly a pleasure to be able to serve WIWA as interim newsletter editor. If my husband and I weren’t planning to move to Mexico this fall, I’d be plotting to keep the position all to myself. Unfortunately, WIWA wants their editor to be local (imagine that!), so this edition still contains a call for a regular volunteer editor and I know someone will take up the reins sooner than I will want to relinquish them. Until then I will continue to ask, as Vincent van Gough asked, “How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?”

Keep in touch.

Warmest regards, Achaessa

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WIWA ANNOUNCES

Call for Presenters

The eighth Annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference was, as usual, a resounding success. Advance planning is always a factor in achieving excellence. The ninth annual conference is scheduled for March 2-4, 2007, and the Call for Presenters is already posted for those interested in applying as faculty. Deadline for submissions is June 10, 2006. Find the Call for Presenters form on the WIWA homepage at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org.

WIWA Local Classes – Summer Quarter 2006

As of press time, summer classes have not yet been announced. Be sure to check the Classes & Groups home page for up-to-date information, http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Classes_Groups/. Of course, WIWA members receive discounted registration fees for all WIWA sponsored classes.

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ON THE ISLAND

Ilya Kaminsky Workshop

Award-winning poet Ilya Kaminsky will lead a day-long, personalized workshop on Friday, April 28, 2006, on Whidbey Island - the day before the Burning Word poetry festival (below). Ilya will critique up to three of your poems (a maximum total of six pages per participant). He'll offer a line-by-line reading of your poems; give you handouts tailored to the themes and forms in your poems; and hold six hours of small group workshops. Cost is only $75 per person. Space is limited to 10 participants. You'll meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, April 28, at the Jim Davis House at Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island. Sign up before April 10. You'll receive a follow-up email with details -- directions, instructions for sending your work, and where to send your payment. If you're interested, send an email to John Burgess at jopajaay@comcast.net or call 206-789-4989.

Burning Word 2006 – The Festival of Poetic Fire!
At Historic Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island, WA
Saturday, April 29, 2006 - All Day! All Day-All Event Passes: $15 Adults, $7.50 Students

The Washington Poets Association will commemorate its 35th anniversary Saturday April 29 by presenting "Burning Word 2006", a dynamic, all-day celebration of poetry, music, performance, and workshops, featuring more than 40 talented poets and musicians, ranging from renowned award-winning poets to hot new talents you'll want to discover.

For more information contact Victory Lee Schouten, Festival Co-Chair, at 360-331-7099 or victory@greatpath.com.

WIWA-Sponsored Writing Groups

Oak Harbor Writers' Group meets the first and third Tuesday evening of each month at Skagit Valley College. Group members critique writing in various stages of development. So far the group has worked with chapters from several novels, short stories, poetry, and a family memoir. Contact Erika at wiwa@whidbey.org or call 360-331-6714.

The Central Island Writers' Group is a multi-genre writers' group that meets the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at Anna's Tea Room on Main Street (next to the Methodist Church) in Coupeville at 1 p.m. This critique group is informal, friendly, and helpful. Writers of all ages and levels of experience are welcome. Dot Read facilitates. For more information, contact the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or wiwa@whidbey.com.

The South Whidbey Writers' Group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland (Hwy 525 and Woodard Rd.) The meeting is in the small building closest to Highway 525. For more information, contact Natalie Olsen at thegnat@whidbey.com or call 360-331-7709.

Children’s Writing Group. Have you written a children's book? Do you want to write one? WIWA plans to sponsor a writers group for children's book writers in the central Whidbey area. Writers of all levels of experience are invited to join this group for review of their work, to see what others are doing, and to investigate the possibilities of being published. The exact times and place have not yet been established, but if you are interested, please contact Jerry Mercer at 678-4813 or lamont1040@earthlink.net.

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OFF THE ISLAND

Looking for a Writer: We are a six-person writers' critique group looking to add another member. Participation requires advance submission of written work to the group for constructive critiques and providing thoughtful critiques of other members' submissions. Our group consists of two novelists and four nonfiction writers. All of us are published. We are open to adding either a fiction or a nonfiction writer. We meet at Hugo House in Seattle on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information or to express your interest please send an email to Phil at winbp@msn.com.

TheFilmSchool, Seattle; http://www.thefilmschool.com/courses.html

After a smashing open house on February 28 (with screenwriting legend, Stewart Stern of Rebel Without a Cause and Sybil fame), TheFilmSchool is starting their 2006 Spring Session on April 29 offering several fundamental screenwriting classes. The application deadline is April 10, 2006, so hurry over to their Web site for more info.

Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer's Journey, will be presenting his inspiring workshop on Bainbridge Island on Saturday, October 7, 2006, courtesy of Fields End, a Bainbridge Library affiliate. If you'd like to stay in the loop on this upcoming event, please e-mail info@fieldsend.org and ask to be added to the email newsletter list.

Songs and Words in the San Juans

Join a writing or songwriting workshop in a secluded waterfront home on Shaw Island. Workshops limited to eight women due to accommodations. Mentoring includes one-on-one time with a presenter. Writers’ retreats can be arranged. The 2006 schedule: “Storyteller: One Woman’s Journey in the Craft,” novelist Karen Fisher (A Sudden Country was a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist); “Creating a History: World-Building in Fiction,” fiction/fantasy author Alma Alexander; “Compelling Writing: Fun Ways to Research, Plot & Write,” adult/YA author Pam Withers; “Nature Journaling: The Key to Stronger Writing,” nature writer Frances Wood; “People Making: Creating Characters Who Are More Than Corpses,” mystery writer Patricia Rushford; “Goosing Your Song Muse,” songwriter consultant and author John Braheny; “Picture Book CPR,” children’s author Clare Meeker; “Songwriting Construction Zone,” songwriter Sue Ennis. For details: www.songandword.com or info@songandword.com, or 360-468-3964.

Check out these sites for events of interest:

Benaroya Hall Seattle; http://www.lectures.org/current.html

-- April 4, Tony Hoagland, poet

-- April 10, Poets Peter Gizzi, Tyehimba Jess and Mary Ruefle

-- April 25, Paul Matthiessen, novelist and conservationist

-- May 17, Writers in the Schools; students read from their work. Tickets are free.

Richard Hugo House, Seattle; http://www.hugohouse.org/events/

-- May 20, 21, David Wagoner's play First Class

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CONFERENCE CLOSE-UPS

FROM THE CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

We had a full house, welcoming people from across North America as both participants and presenters. Many sessions were full to bursting--learning and teaching in a constant flow, creating and building life giving energy for the stories that want to be told.

In many one-on-one meetings, agents and editors encouraged writers to send in their manuscripts. I heard several enthused comments from these publishing professionals about what they'd encountered and hope that the submitted work would match its prepared pitch.

Keynote presentations offered a variety of perspectives to remind all conference attendees that success comes with lots of work; finding support and help along the way is as important as writing good paragraphs.

Early Bird presenters discovered that many people were interested in their topics and the rooms were barely large enough to hold the participants who wanted to learn.

Meals became an ideal opportunity to visit informally with authors and publishing professionals, creating both memories and learning to draw from.

Storytelling was featured in new ways this year--drawing from the oral tradition of native, tribal groups and in the poetic memoir performance, The Immigrant's Table. Thinking outside the boundaries, participants learned new ways to think about and present the stories they want to tell.

Through the intense weekend, we thought and read and played with ideas and words. We worked hard and left exhausted and renewed. Thanks for all you each did to make the experience great for one another. We breathe in satisfaction at the beauty of our time together and begin to think about March 2007--the 9th Annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference.

See you then!

Elizabeth Guss

WRITING COMPETITION RESULTS FROM THE 8^TH ANNUAL WHIDBEY ISLAND WRITERS CONFERENCE

By Marian Blue

Special thanks to the judges who each year make this contest work:

Final Judges:

Children’s: Kirby Larsen

Essay: Doris Booth

Fiction: Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Poetry: Peggy Shumaker

Preliminary judges: members of WIWA (conference team).

Poetry

First Place: “American Gothic” by Lois Parker Edstrom, Coupeville, WA

Second Place: “Writing Your Life” by Ann Gerike, Coupeville, WA

Third Place: “Ginger Root Hands” by Taylor West, Portland, OR

Essay:

First Place: “Family Portrait” by Helena Dolores Solano, Ypsilanti, MI

Second Place: “Icebox Therapy” by Taylor West, Portland, OR

Third Place: “Wild Bill Cody: And the Gang of Four Plus Counsel” by Frank Milligan, Woodbridge, VA

Children’s

Tie for First Place:

“Grandmother Moon” by Terry Irvin, Langley, WA

“Elsie’s Gift” by Jody Schwarz, Seattle, WA

Second Place: “Dragon Island” by Lois Parker Edstrom, Coupeville,

Third Place: “Is It My Turn Now?” by Sharon J. Nicholson, Oak Harbor, WA

Fiction

First Place: “Billy’s Eyes” by Gail Madden, Clinton, WA

Second Place: “The Tidying Angel” by Ann Gerike, Coupeville, WA

Third Place: “Of Course” by Nina Bayer, Bothell, WA

Overall Winner for 2006: “American Gothic” by Lois Parker Edstrom

Everyone who entered received critiques from the preliminary judges. If you did not include an SASE and would like your critique sheets, please send Marian Blue a request for your manuscripts at wiwa@whidbey.com.

Follow this link to the 2006 winners list and the full text of Lois Parker Edstrom’s overall winning entry “American Gothic”: http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Contest_Scholarships/conference_writing_contest_winners.htm

WIWC – RETROSPECT

By Taylor West, 2006 Benefactor's Award Writing Contest double award winner in the categories of Poetry & Essay

It was day four of prolonged, almost painful episodes of Whidbey Island withdrawal. You know, that pit-of-the-stomach sense of loss – it’s over; now what? About mid-day the phone rang. A voice on the line introduced himself as Bob Martin from Northeast Publishing Company. Publishing? For me? But how? There was a flash image of my conference award certificate being thrown out into the universe. Reeled in by Bob? The adrenaline surge felt almost life-threatening.

“I’d like to speak with Carol Overby, please.” Bob yanked me back to reality. What? Slowly, it sank in: this call was not for me. Had I stopped breathing? It must have seemed so to Bob.

“Hello? Anybody there? Is this Carol Overby?” With great reluctance and even greater sadness, I had to confess that I was not Carol and, further, that there was no Carol Overby at this number. Bob’s apology for the inconvenience bounced off my beat-skipping heart onto deaf ears. I had already moved on to wonder how gratifying it might have been, if only for a moment, to impersonate Carol and find out what Bob had to offer and how much he was paying.

Was this interruption serendipitous or just plain weird? I couldn’t help but laugh as I typed the incident into a Word file, changing names, of course, to protect the identity of Bob, my unsuspecting ego buster. As the giggles waned, I collapsed onto the couch for the long overdue reflection on my first writers’ conference. Bob had let me know, albeit unwittingly, it was time.

For years, I referred to myself as a would-be writer. With my retirement in 2004 came a time-based freedom that allowed me to follow my dream. Gentle nudges, positive workshop feedback, and first memoir vignettes transformed me into an emerging writer. And that was the state of my being as I checked into Langley accommodations and headed for my pre-conference session: Making the Most of your Writers Conference.

Within a fleeting five hours, I was free from all expectations, stripped of my pre-conference jitters, and no longer prey to intimidation. Released to be of open heart and mind, I became a sponge, eagerly soaking up everything that flowed by. I staggered back to my motel each evening exhausted from inspiration overload and beyond euphoric.

From the comfort of my couch, I grasped with far greater clarity the recurring themes of my inaugural conference. Perseverance: write your way out of Rejection Letter Blues. Learn your craft: keep writing while skill building. Practice humility: learn and write through your mistakes, process flaws, and crazy ego trips. And their point is? Write!

Yes, I got the message. They guided me to it – those incredibly honest, thoughtful, gifted, and skilled motivational presenters made me realize I’m not a “would-be.” I’m not “emerging.” I AM a writer. I now know, even if I never receive a call from Bob or one of his colleagues, I must write. I was born to be a crafter of words and a crafter of words I shall be. Anything beyond that is simply icing on my cake.

Thanks for the call, Bob.

LETTER FROM THE BENEFACTOR'S AWARD WRITING CONTEST OVERALL WINNER FOR 2006

By Lois Parker Edstrom, 2006 Benefactor's Award Writing Contest Grand Prize Winner

Achaessa James invited me to contribute to her debut edition of the newsletter and I am pleased to have this opportunity to thank everyone in this community of talented writers. I have taken many classes offered by WIWA and have benefited, beyond measure, from the expertise and patience of the dedicated instructors. Classmates and other writers are generous with gifts of friendship, encouragement, and helpful critique. I feel blessed to be a part of this exciting and inspiring organization.

Thank you for honoring my poem, "American Gothic" with the Benefactor's Award. At the announcement I was so shocked that the woman sitting next to me, who didn't know me, but had apparently read my name tag, reminded me of my identity and prompted me to move by saying, "That's you."

The poem was inspired by Grant Wood's painting of the same name. I agree with the idea that if you are open to the possibility, poems are everywhere. That has been my experience and the exhilaration of it all is enough to make me feel as if I am often in a near state of hyperventilation.

I am indebted to WIWA for introducing me to the intriguing notion that perhaps I could write poetry. I have enjoyed poetry since I was a child, but had never written a poem until Gail Madden encouraged me to take Lorraine Healy's poetry class in the spring of 2004. I also had the extreme pleasure of attending Marian Blue's poetry workshop this past winter. For a nonfiction writer this adventure into the writing of poetry has seemed mysterious and magical.

"….there is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident."

Henry Louis Mencken

Thanks to Marian Blue, Contest Coordinator, WIWC staff, and all WIWA members. I am deeply appreciative.

GENRES

By Jerry Mercer

Our conference reinforced my opinion that writers go out of their way to meet new friends. Some came from the east coast and although they were often agents, they still seemed friendly. Everyone seemed so outgoing! By Saturday I started to imagine I was in this writers’ bar where the opening line had nothing to do with astrology.

“Hello. What’s your genre?” That was usually followed by a monologue of what was being written, why it was absolutely essential, and if I knew the friendly agents in attendance. Many of us attend writers’ conferences for similar reasons. We want to refine our craft, know we’re writing well, and make some contacts that will help get “our baby” into print, maybe into the movies too.

By Tuesday I couldn’t drive the question of genre from my mind. It’s also a question of gender sometimes. I thought a Chiclet was something you bought from kids on the streets of Mexico. I didn’t realize there’s an exclusive society of writers who only do “Women’s Writing” and apparently requires a degree in midwifery. During my research I discovered “Jewish Genres” which made me wonder if the Catholics, Baptists, Mohammedans, and Druids have clandestine genres too.

Furthering my education on genres, I discovered an ominous portion lurking beneath the literary seas awaiting our unsinkable double hulled dogmatic doctrine. There are brilliant theses on genre, its evolution, and how it is used to instruct elementary students. Amy Devitt, professor of English at University of Kansas explains in Writing Genres, “Genre highlights variations in text necessary for creativity” not just a means of constraining and homogenizing. Apparently we have gone beyond the bounds of mere classification and yet I awoke this morning with an urge to classify writing genres. My list (shown below) is probably incomplete but might be of some interest to others.

Some “antique” genres have become obscure. For example, Allegory is defined by David Cody, English professor at Hartwick College, as a “systematic symbolism which is a form of metaphor, a figurative narrative which conveys a moral meaning.” Examples are Dante’s Divine Comedy, Spenser’s Faerie Queen, and Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. There was a fashionable subgenre during the 1820s and 1830s called The Silver Fork Novel. This was escapist work, describing the elegance and glitter of aristocratic society.

Whatever you write and however you wish it to be classified, I wish you the best, amazing success, and satisfaction in your writing. May you always know where your keyboard leads you and may you find an agent that is interested in your genre!

Remember, borders are for crossing and gray areas help avoid the stark contrast of black and white. My list of genres is for your consideration. Some items listed are perhaps formats rather than genre, but should still be recognized. Also, sometimes the narrative overlaps the transactional and nonfiction contains fiction, while fiction contains facts.

Nonfiction

Creative Non-fiction

Essay / Speeches / Criticism

Technical Writing / Procedures

Policy

Business / Memorandum

White Papers

Legal

Medical

Scientific

Memoirs /Autobiography /Diarists/ Journals

Biography

Self Help

Travel

Textbook

Creative Skills (Cooking, Art,Writing, etc.)

Humor / Satire

Ethnic

Homosexual

Philosophy / Religion

Political

Journalism

Sports

Book and Performance Reviews

Poetry

Song Lyrics

Traditional Forms

Non-traditional Forms

Prose

Greeting Cards

Fiction

Realistic (modern) Fiction

Commercial

Literary

Romance

Westerns

Historical

Maritime

Science Fiction

Fantasy

Erotic / Pornography

Mystery / Crime / Suspense

Horror / Occult / Supernatural

War / Military

Humor / Jokes / Satire

Women’s

Young Adult

Children’s

Homosexual

Melodrama

Screen / Plays / Television

Short Story

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MFA PROGRAM UPDATE

A SUCCESSFUL JANUARY MFA RESIDENCY BEHIND US, LOOKING FORWARD TO AUGUST

By Wayne Ude, MFA Program Director

Talking with other writers as well as with agents and editors at the Whidbey Island Writers Conference, I was once again reminded of our hopes for the Whidbey Writers Workshop low-residency MFA program. Most of all, we wanted to bring together the strongest elements of residential MFA programs, especially the workshop method of teaching creative writing, and of low-residency programs.

But the workshop wasn’t the only element we imported from standard MFA programs. We also created Craft courses in form and technique for each genre: fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. For our Fall 2006, residency and semester we’ll be adding a Craft course in children’s literature.

We also offer Directed Reading courses in each genre to push students to read works with which they’re not familiar, as well as to re-read and re-think some favorite works. Finally, we require a creative thesis, a book-length manuscript of publishable quality. All are familiar elements in standard MFA programs.

From low-residency programs, we took the low-residency concept itself: each semester begins with a ten-day intensive residency here on Whidbey Island, followed by a sixteen-week online semester in which our courses are taught online. In addition, we took from low-residency programs the use of a number of different visiting faculty at each Residency to broaden the student’s experience.

Many older low-residency programs go back before the Internet, when the US Post Office and correspondence courses were the only way to offer courses at a distance. Such older programs continue to require a fifteen-credit “block” each semester, in which the student works one-on-one with an instructor. Today many such programs use attachments to email rather than the USPS.

We wanted to take full advantage of modern Internet course-offering technology, which would allow us to use the workshop method and create a stronger community among our students and writers than does the one-on-one method used by older low-residency programs.

Now, as we pause for Spring Break about half-way through our spring semester, and following a successful fall semester, we can see that our vision is working. Students are being challenged by the program, finding that their Workshops, Craft courses, and Directed Reading courses are bringing a degree of connection and cross-fertilization between courses that surpasses our wildest hopes.

And an addition which is apparently unique to our program seems to be working equally well: English 500, The Profession of Writing, taught only at the Residencies, has brought to our program working writers, editors, agents, literary center administrators who discuss the business side of writing. For the August 2006 Residency, we’ll bring two more agents and an editor.

At the recent annual Conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, I was reminded once again of how much flexibility our program has. Where most programs take up to two years to make a change in curriculum, we’re able to listen to our students and faculty and make adjustments before another semester begins. That flexibility is part of the program’s core design. Add the willingness of the MFA Board and the WIWA Board to support flexibility and responsiveness, and directing the Whidbey Writers Workshop low-residency MFA Program is a pure delight.

Applications are now being accepted for the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA degree program beginning with the August 2006 Residency and Fall Semester. Applications will be accepted until May 6, 2006. A limited number of slots are available, so early application is recommended. Further information and a downloadable application form are available through the Admissions link on the MFA home page, www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa.

Applications for those wishing to participate on a non-degree basis in the August Residency only (that is, not enrolled in the fall semester) will be open from May 15 through June 15, 2006. See the Residency link on the MFA home page for further information.

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RECENT RELEASES

The Templar Legacy: A Novel, by Steve Berry (Ballantine Books, February 21, 2006) Former WIWC presenter, Steve Berry, strengthens his writing reputation with his fourth novel, The Templar Legacy. The history of the rise and fall of the Knights Templar, a group of warrior-monks created for the protection of Christian pilgrims that evolved to a society whose wealth and power rivaled that of the Roman Catholic Church, is as fascinating as it is mysterious. The novel’s protagonist, a retired covert agent of the U.S. Justice Department, is sent on a thrilling search to connect the dots between past and present, history and . . .

For more information about the book, please visit the publisher’s Web site at

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345476159&ref=emailtemplar

A Change of Maps, by Carolyne Wright (Lost Horse Press, March 1, 2006)

Carolyne Wright, WWW MFA Faculty, explores in poetry what it means to live in different worlds, and probes with great sensitivity what it means to live in two or more different worlds at the same time.

For more information about the book, please visit the publisher’s Web site at http://www.losthorsepress.org/books/maps.html

The Piano Man, by Marcia Preston (Mira, April 1, 2006)

Editor/Publisher Marcia Preston, a former WIWC presenter, is receiving good reviews for her latest novel The Piano Man. Three years after the tragic death of her son, Claire O'Neal tracks down Mason McKinnon, the man who received her son's heart in a transplant operation. McKinnon, a former symphony violinist, smokes and drinks and plays piano in a seedy bar He's wasting the second chance her son gave him and that's not acceptable.

For more information about book, see Marcia's Web site http://www.bylinemag.com/default.asp

Craig English's and James Rapson's Anxious to Please: 7 Revolutionary Practices for the Chronically Nice, will be released nationally by Sourcebooks, Inc. in April of 2006. Anxious to Please unveils seven powerful practices - a synthesis of personal and clinical experience, psychological theory, Buddhism, and gender studies. These seven practices are designed to heal the chronically nice person, transforming a life of anxiety into one that brims with self-confidence, serenity, and passion.

For more information about the book and workshops, please visit their Web site at http://www.anxioustoplease.com. Anxious to Please is currently available for pre-order at all your favorite outlets.

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CHEERS !

The 2006 WIWA Student Writing Contest for grades 1 through 6 is now complete. After careful consideration of the 170 entries, the judges have picked the winners who will each receive a certificate for framing, a ribbon, and a prize. Their winning compositions will be displayed at each Sno-Isle Library. Each student who entered receives a certificate of participation and comments on their work.

Fiction

First Place: Ainsley McCloud, Grade 5, Oak Harbor Elementary

Second Place: Loren Douglas, Grade 6, North Whidbey Middle School

Third Place: Kimberly Forster, Grade 4, Olympic View Elementary

Hon. Mention: James Itaya, Grade 4, Wellington Day School

Poetry

First Place: Taya Fiona Jae, Grade 6, Whidbey Island Waldorf School

Second Place: Brendan Ameluxen-Coleman, Grade 4, Coupeville Elementary

Third Place: Brittney-Jo Rusinski, Grade 6, North Whidbey Middle School

Hon. Mention: Heni Barnes, Grade 4, Coupeville Elementary

Hon. Mention: Orion B. Bentley, Grade 4, Whidbey Island Academy

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CONTESTS AND MARKET REQUESTS

NOTE: When you place in a competition or get a submission accepted for publication, please let us know. We love to celebrate your successes in our CHEERS section.

2006 Student Writing Contest, Grades Seven and Above

The WIWA 2006 Student Writing Contest is underway, accepting submissions until April 28. For more details on submissions, prize donations and event volunteering please contact the administrator Jerry Mercer at StudentContest@writeonwhidbey.org or call 360-678-4813

Earth Day Essay Contest for Whidbey Island Students: How Can I Help Sustain the Environment? Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island (UUCWI) with the assistance of WIWA. Environmental Education Week begins April 16, 2006, and culminates on Earth Day, April 22nd. UUCWI encourages all teachers and students to engage in environmental activities at that time and offers this essay contest as one of them. The contest is in three sections, one for each of the following grade divisions – elementary (grades 3-5), middle (6-8) and high school (9-12). Essays are to be from 300 to 500 words long. A $50 prize will go to the winner at each level. Submission deadline is April 28, 2006. For submission guidelines, please call 360-221-5262.

75th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition
For 75 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. And best of all, they’re celebrating their milestone year by giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes! Submission deadline is May 15, 2006. For more information, visit http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/annual/75th/

The Inspired Pen is now accepting submissions of short fiction, poems and vignettes for its monthly literary publication. Visit http://www.inspiredpen.net for complete submission and/or subscription details.

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition