| WIWA Publications | Newsletter | Newsletter Archives |
| Soundings Review | Critique Mania | Critique Mania Authors |
WIWA NEWSLETTER
News from the Whidbey Island Writers Association
Vol. 7, No. 3 June - July 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
Letter from the Editor, by Achaessa James
WIWC 2008 Conference News
WIWA Announces
On the Island
Off the Island
MFA Program Update:
Going First Class , by Nancy Ruff
Application Season for Whidbey Writers Workshop , by Wayne Ude
Elizabeth George Foundation Scholarship Announcement
An Interview With Kirby Larson – 2007 Newbery Award Winning Author, by Achaessa James
Recent Releases
Cheers!
Contests and Market Requests
WIWA Web Site News and Member Services
WIWA’s Wish List
Quotations
CyberSurfing
Writers Ask / Writers Respond
To Contact Us or Submit an Article
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe
**************************************************
It’s finally spring in the Pacific Northwest, but WIWA members are harvesting as if it were already fall. Once again the Cheers! section is overflowing with acknowledgements and awards, the 2007 WIWA student writing contest winners are posted in WIWA Announces section, and the Elizabeth George Scholarship recipient is named in the MFA Program Update section. I’m especially pleased to include an interview with MFA faculty member Kirby Larson. Her book, Hattie Big Sky, just keeps winning awards and nominations left and write.
We have some exciting new 2008 conference presenters committed to be with us and, even though I was recently scolded for posting contests with deadlines in the first week after publication date, if you want to join the WIWC conference as a presenter in 2008, you’ll have to apply by June 5. Check out the details in the WIWC 2008 Conference News section.
Local events include WIWA-sponsored, one-day summer workshops (in the On the Island section) and, *BIG DAY*, the MFA program’s first graduating class will walk down the aisle on Saturday, August 25! That’s news definitely worth a few asterisks and an exclamation point.
I, personally, have come down with a spring cold and am using it as a good excuse to procrastinate on my writing. Except for two new poems, and a new character sketch, and . . . well, you get the idea. Even when we’re procrastinating we can be productive in bits and pieces.
So get out there, plant some penned seeds, and bring in another good harvest for our Cheers! and Recent Releases sections. My recommendation: check out the call for submission from the Rattle 2007 poetry contest, the grand prize is $5,000. I also recommend checking out the new resources listed in the CyberSurfing section (along with an update on the Simon and Schuster contract revision scandal) and, if you’ve had some experience conducting surveys for your books or using online survey services, read over Diane Schuller’s question in the Writers Ask section and send me your empirical advice.
Keep writing and keep in touch!
Warm regards, Achaessa
**************************************************
WIWC 2008 CONFERENCE NEWS
Last Call for Presenters
The 2008 Tenth Annual Whidbey Island Writers Conference dates are February 28-March 2, 2008. The Call for Presenters is posted for those interested in applying as conference faculty or pre-conference workshop presenters. The deadline for submission is June 5, 2007. Details and application form are available on the conference Web site at 2008 Call for Presenters.
Presenter Update
Our conference director is excited to announce a new and unique nonfiction presenter for 2008 - celebrated cookbook author Deborah Madison, www.deborahmadison.com. Other newly signed presenters include: Christopher Vogler, acclaimed author of The Writer’s Journey; mystery writer Garth Stein; the prolific and mysterious Katherine Ramsland, author of Anne Rice Reader and The Blood Hunters. And too many more to list. Keep your eye on this section of the newsletter for presenter updates throughout the year.
Art Celebrates Writing
WIWA is going to be ten years old. Help us celebrate ten years of great writing by entering the Whidbey Island Writers Conference Art Competition. The winner will receive free registration to the main session of the Writers Conference, February 29-March 2, 2008; registration is transferable. All Whidbey Island residents and members of the Whidbey Island Writers Association 16 years of age and older are eligible. Entries must be postmarked no later than June 20, 2007 or hand delivered to the WIWA office by June 25. To learn more about the art contest, 2008 WIWC Art Contest.
**************************************************
2007 Writing Contest Winners for Grades 6 through 12
The Whidbey Island Writers Association is pleased to publish the winners of their 2007 writing contest for students in grades 6 through 12. More than ninety Whidbey Island middle and high school students submitted entries in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Winners received award certificates, ribbons, and books. All submitting students received a certificate of participation.
“This is the highest number of entries we’ve had from these grades and next year we hope to have even more. We have some excellent student writers here on Whidbey,” said Jerry Mercer, administrator for this contest. Copies of each winner’s work will be available in local libraries during the next few weeks. The winners, their schools, and the titles of their work are . . .
Grade 9-12
Fiction
1st PlaceDarcy Page (Grade 11 @ SWHS) Beach Glass and Poppy Seeds
2nd PlaceLisa Jones (Grade 12 homeschooled) That Was All
3rd Place Julie Clark (Grade 9 @ CHS) Messing with Mortals
Poetry
1st PlaceKarina Reddy (Grade 9 @ OHS) Queen Em
2nd Place Stewart Edwards (Grade 10 @ OHS) More Than a Metaphor
3rd Place Cody Thomas (Grade 10 @ OHS) The Moon
Hon. Men. Eva Denka (Grade 11 @ SWHS) When We Pretend to be Grown Up
Hon. Men. Benjamin Snow (Grade 10 @ SWHS) Condemned
Nonfiction
1st PlaceJenny Martell (Grade 11 @ CHS) The Night of Defection
2nd PlaceJulie Clark (Grade 9 @ CHS) Confessions of a Teenaged Time Bomb
Grade 6-8
Fiction
1st PlaceSarah Sonnenfeld (Grade 8 @ OHMS) The Lavender Elf
2nd Place Preston Ossman (Grade 8 @ LMS) The Stone
3rd Place Brianne Ross (Grade 7 @ Home Connection) A Time to Run
Poetry
1st PlaceHope Crandall (Grade 6 @ OHMS) Shadow and Light
2nd PlaceKatie Wynn (Grade 6 @ NWMS) Secrets of the Sea
3rd PlaceLaura Krouse (Grade 7 @ CMS) Anorexia
Non-fiction
1st PlaceSarah Sonnenfeld (Grade 8 @ OHMS) The Wok Through the Ages
2nd PlaceMax Corell (Grade 6 @ LMS) A Wonder Called Stonehenge
3rd PlaceCaleb Welch (Grade 8 @ Home Connection) The Life of Brilliant Tesla
###
WIWA Fall 2007 Classes. WIWA’s spring classes are underway but they’ll be finishing up in June. If you’ve been wondering how to strengthen your writing credentials (i.e. build your “platform”), sell more books, find new inspiration, work past your writers block or prepare for all the public speaking you’ll do on your next book tour - it’s time for you to teach a local class this fall. If you are interested in teaching with WIWA, please e-mail the office right away at wiwa@whidbey.com . To get a good response, we need to start advertising your class as soon as possible.
Editor’s Note: WIWA is also looking for a volunteer class and workshop coordinator. For details, go to the WIWA Seeks section, below, or e-mail the office at wiwa@whidbey.com .
**************************************************
ON THE ISLAND
3rd Tuesday Whidbey Island Writersat 3 Cats Cafe, the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Bayview Corner. In April WIWA’s own Molly Larson Cook read from her jazz novel, Listen, and there was live jazz to go with it – who knows what literary delights are planned for June and July. Dessert, espresso drinks, wine available. Call 360-221-5460 for more information.
Poetry Slam at the Dog House , 230 First Street, Langley, September 19 and November 14, both are Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. The slams have become so successful that two more venues have asked for our poets to come party in Coupeville and Oak Harbor. For details on these out-of-town round ups, contact the WIWA office at wiwa@whidbey.com to be put in touch with the Grand Slam MC, Jim Freeman.
###
WIWA Summer 2007 Workshops. The eight-week spring classes are coming to a close and we’ve got an enticing lot of one-day summer workshops coming up led by some of our favorite past conference presenters. See the summaries below and then call the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or write to wiwa@whidbey.com to register.
Funny Writing & Writing Funny, with Pat & Gnat. Authors Pat Detmer and Natalie Olsen will lead with their funny bones. Last day to register is June 6. One day class, Saturday, June 9, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Workshop details.
What to do When You’re Stuck. Local novelist Jill Barnett will show you the way out of the briar patch. Last day to register is June 20. One day class, Saturday, June 23, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Workshop details.
Making a Good Book Great. Prodigiously published Susan Wiggs will share her secrets for award-winning success. This workshop will be at a lovely, private residence on the south end of Whidbey Island, so the last day to register is August 6. One day class, Saturday, August 11, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Workshop details.
###
WIWA-Sponsored Writing Groups.WIWA sponsors a broad selection of writing groups, both on-island and online. You can find the details for your particular locale or genre on the WIWA Web site at WIWA Writers Groups.
Writers and Facilitator Wanted for Group in Oak Harbor Area. WIWA is seeking writers and a volunteer in the Oak Harbor area to facilitate the North End Writers Group. The facilitator is responsible for scheduling the participants' critiques, coordinating with WIWA, and helping the group stay on track during discussions. If you are interested in joining or facilitating the group, please contact the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or writers@whidbey.com.
Whidbey-poets@googlegroups.com is an online poetry critique group open to all members of WIWA. To subscribe to the group, e-mail your request to wiwa@whidbey.com. During each month of 2007 we have a suggested topic for writing, however, subscribers to the group are encouraged to circulate poems on any topic at any time. Remaining 2007 topics:
June – Memory
July – Ordinary Things
August – The Battle of the Sexes
September – The Prose Poem
October – Hate and Loathing
November – Anniversaries
December – No Ordinary Trip
Editor’s Note: WIWA encourages its members to be creative in forming writing groups that meet your genre’s special needs. If you have an idea for a writing group and you’d like to take the lead in making it a reality, we’d love to assist. The proposal form and group guidelines can be found at: New Group Proposal. You don’t have to be a WIWA member to join a writers’ group, but you will have to become a member to remain in the group once you’ve joined.
**************************************************
OFF THE ISLAND
Washington Poets Association 2007 Contest will be celebrating its winners at the Bellevue Arts Museum at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 10. The winners will be honored, they will read their work, and the judges will be invited to share their perspectives.Editor’s Note: WIWA member and online Poetry group participant Ann Gerike won first place for the William Stafford Award for her poem (unrestricted) "Going Up" and third place for the Charlie Proctor Award (humor) for her poem "Out of the Closet in the Sistine Chapel." See this and other announcements about Ann in the Cheers! and Recent Releases sections, below.
SoulFood Poetry Night . Every third Thursday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at SoulFood Books, 15748 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA. Featured readers, followed by open mic. Free. June 21 - John W. Marshall and Paul Hunter. July 19 - Peter Pereira and Nancy Pagh. For directions, visit www.soulfoodbooks.com or call the store at 425-881-5309 or e-mail info@soulfoodbooks.com.
Pacific Northwest Writers 2007 Summer Writers Conference. July 26-29, 2007, Seattle Airport Hilton. Keynote speaker J. A. Jance, over 75 workshops. For details, go to www.pnwa.org.
Oregon Writers Colony has a wide range of offerings in Portland this summer, including a Writer-in-Residence weekend, June 15-17; and two-day workshops in July, August and September. For details, visit www.oregonwriterscolony.org
WAY OFF THE ISLAND
Through September 30 – The Narrative Art Center in New Mexico has put together a series of unique retreats known as the Carson Conclaves: Small Group Weekend Intensives for writers with work in progress. Each three-day weekend joins one award-winning presenter and four attendees with a goal toward creating an intense, rewarding and productive writing experience. Retreat topics vary. Details on their Web site at www.narrativeartcenter.com.
October 6-13, 2007 – BelleCora Press & Workshops is pleased to announce that award-winning poet, novelist, playwright and respected writing instructor Karen Blomain will facilitate a week-long writing workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, titled Personal Writing: Poetry & Memoir. Details on their Web site at www.bellecora.com/Workshops.html.
2007-2008 Portland Arts & Lectures Season - Literary Arts in Portland, Oregon, is pleased to announce five speakers for the 2007-2008 Portland Arts & Lectures series. Details on these and other events may be viewed on their Web site at www.literary-arts.org.
**************************************************
Editors Note: The Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program is a low-residency program that consists of four 16-week semesters and five 10-day residencies. Residencies are held on Whidbey Island in August and January, each followed by an online semester.
Going First Class
by Nancy Ruff, EdD, MFA advisory board chair
A little over three years ago, when former WIWA Executive Director Celeste Mergens asked me to constitute and chair a Governing Board for our Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, I was not convinced that the Board would ever have a program to govern! We were unique, the first program to be totally independent of a university and the first to be designed and administered by a group of writers. Would the powers-that-be in the state of Washington see us as an opportunity or as a threat to traditional institutions? Would they allow us to blaze a new trail of writing instruction? Would our online workshop model of instruction actually make a difference? Would our residency setting, a historic military installation, be too rustic for students looking for the inspiration of our beautiful island but also wanting espresso stands, cell phone service and high speed Internet? Would the two years our volunteer design committee spent crafting the program, and the hours of fundraising to secure funds to pay the first year's expenses, be for naught?
I accepted the challenge after a great deal of thought, as the desire to be a part of something new and different overshadowed my worries about the program's approval by the state. Little did I know that the "exalted" position of Board Chair would not only mean using my education and experience to govern the new program but would also entail scrubbing toilets, hauling supplies, cleaning refrigerators, savoring food tastings and wearing a tiara.
We are preparing for our first graduation on Saturday, August 25, and the last three years have been an exciting set of roller coaster rides! The hard mental and physical toll on my old brain and body have fallen into the background when I have witnessed the bonding which has occurred in our students who trust one another enough to both critique and be critiqued; when students express their thanks for the program and the difference it has made in their lives as well as their writing; when core faculty express their appreciation for an opportunity which has reinvigorated their teaching and their own writing; and when visiting residency faculty praise the quality of both our students and core faculty.
I hope I have a chance to wear my tiara at what I know will prove to be a unique graduation ceremony, but for now, where's my bowl brush?
Nancy Ruff, EdD, MFA advisory board chair holds a Bachelor of Science in Education, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Texas Tech University and a Doctor of Education from North Texas State University. In addition to her activities with the Whidbey Island Writers Association and Whidbey Writers Workshop, Ruff is on the board of the South Whidbey Schools Foundation. She is a founding member of the WIWA conference team.
###
Application Season for Whidbey Writers Workshop
Low-residency MFA’s residency-only participants
by Wayne Ude, MFA Program Director and Fiction Faculty
Though not everyone is aware of it, Whidbey’s MFA program has a continuing education option designed for those who aren’t interested in obtaining a graduate degree. The residency-only option allows individuals to participate in the August intensive residency, including workshops, craft courses, directed readings, and presentations by visiting writers, editors, agents, and publicists. Costs are reasonable: $400 for the 5-day version, or $750 for the full 9 days (does not include travel or room and board). Applicants are billed on acceptance; there is no fee for applying for the residency-only option.
Applications are being accepted until June 15. Applying is easy: send a one-page letter about your writing experience along with up to twenty pages of your writing (one poem to a page for poets) to the Whidbey Writers Workshop, PO Box 1289, Langley, WA, 98260. If possible, also send an electronic copy of the writing sample as an attachment to an e-mail to wiwa@whidbey.com. Applicants must select a genre: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or writing for children and young adults.
Teachers may also take the 9-day residency for 60 clock hours for an additional $90 fee. Clock hours are offered in cooperation with Whidbey’s Heritage Institute.
For more information, visit the Workshop’s residency page at www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa/residencies.htm and the residency-only page at www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa/nondegreeresidency.htm, e-mail the WIWA office at wiwa@whidbey.com, or call 360-331-6714.
The Whidbey Writers Workshop low-residency MFA is a program of the Whidbey Island Writers Association.
###
Whidbey Writers Workshop Student Sharon Mentyka wins Elizabeth George Foundation Scholarship; MFA awards six scholarships
The Whidbey Writers Workshop low-residency MFA Program announced today that incoming student Sharon Mentyka has won the Elizabeth George Foundation Scholarship. The EGF Scholarship supports a student’s tuition and residency fees for one academic year, and is renewable for a second year. Mentyka, whose work focuses on writing for children and young adults, won for the opening section of her novel, Chasing at the Surface.
The faculty scholarship committee also awarded half-tuition/residency fee scholarships for 2007-2008 to poetry student Caleb Barber and to children/young adult student Stephanie Lile. In addition, quarter-tuition/residency fee scholarships were awarded to fiction writer Stephanie Freele, poet Kelly Davio, and fiction writer Vicki McNeil. Barber and Freele are second-year students in the MFA program, while Lile, Davio, and McNeil will begin study with August’s residency.
Scholarships were awarded based on writing samples submitted by the applicants. A faculty committee made up of one member each in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and children/young adult read all submissions and made the selections. Scholarships do not cover residency room and board, travel to and from residencies, or books and other supplies.
The Whidbey Writers Workshop gratefully acknowledges the sponsors of its student financial aid program. Funding for the Elizabeth George Foundation Scholarship comes from the Elizabeth George Foundation. Other donors to the student financial aid fund include Nancy Nordhoff, JoAnn Kane, Patricia Bradley, Sue Ellen White, Bruce Holland Rogers, Anne Mendel, Michael Nutt, Nancy Ruff, Wayne Ude & Marian Blue and all 2007-2008 MFA students: Caleb Barber, Nina Bayer, Ann Beman, Nancy Boutin, Lois Brandt, Tanya Chernov, Nancy Cluts, Loren Cooper, Stefanie Freele, Jo Meador, and Helen Sears.
Contributions to the MFA financial aid fund may be sent to the Whidbey Writers Workshop, PO Box 1289, Langley, WA 98260.
###
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 through June 15. For further information, please visit the Residency-Only page.
The application period for the 2007 Fall Semester of the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA degree program has been closed. Further information and a downloadable application form are available through the Admissions link on the MFA Program page at MFA Program.
Want to see what the MFA Program students are up to? Visit the student site at www.whidbeystudents.com - student publications, student blogs, interviews with writers, agents and editors, Northwest small press directory and much more.
**************************************************
AN INTERVIEW WITH KIRBY LARSON – 2007 Newbery Award Winning Author
by Achaessa James
Kirby Larson is a Children’s Literature faculty member at the low-residency Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program. She is the author of five books for children, most recently winning the 2007 Newbery Honor Award from the American Library Association for Hattie Big Sky (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, September 26, 2006). Hattie Big Sky has also just been announced as a finalist for the 2007-2008 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award.
AJ - I asked you to do this interview as a follow up to your receiving the 2007 Newbery Award for Hattie Big Sky, but I hear you’ve been nominated for the 2007-2008 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award – the winner chosen by the vote of Vermont schoolchildren. Does it feel different, knowing that your target audience decides this award instead of adult judges? What has been the most surprising thing that has happened to you at a book event with children?
KL - It's quite an honor to think that children will be reading and voting on the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award and I am, of course, delighted by all the attention Hattie's receiving (she was also honored with the Montana Book Award). But decisions about awards are out of our hands. So I'm trying to focus on doing my best at what I can control: my writing. Regarding kids and books events, I continue to be amazed and gratified that kids are such passionate and deep readers.
AJ - It’s said that the writer’s life is a solitary one, however, in your blog I note that you regularly hang out with other authors, many of whom, like yourself, have presented at the Whidbey Island Writers Conference or are past or current faculty for the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program. How important has networking been to your writing career?
KL - "Regularly hang out" is relative. Most of each day is spent alone in my study. There are several writers I check in with nearly every day, commiserating or celebrating as the case may be. A few years ago, I read Carolyn See's Making The Literary Life. In it, she advocates writing one charming literary note a day. While I am not quite that prolific, since reading that book I have adopted the habit of writing -- not e-mailing! -- authors and editors whose work I admire. That has led me to some wonderful pen-pal friendships. One, with Candace Fleming, has led to our doing a workshop at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) national conference on creating networks, called "Just Connect."
AJ - Has being a WIWA member had any special benefit for you professionally?
KL - Being a member of WIWA and on the staff of the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA program has been a tremendous boost to my writing, and my career. I found my agent through my WIWA connections and Susan Zwinger inspired me to begin writing day poems, a daily discipline I've followed since I first met Susan, nearly 3 years ago.
AJ - What has been your best experience as faculty at the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program? Have you found that your teaching obligations complement your writing obligations? Do you have any books in the works right now? How do you keep all these balls in the air – MFA faculty, writing, blogging, conferences, Hattie Big Sky appearances, Hurricane Katrina cleanup?
KL - There is no one best experience! My colleagues have inspired me to push my work to a higher level and their generosity continues to amaze. The faculty and students have a great working relationship, rooting for one another not only as writers but as friends. My teaching obligations are an enriching complement to my writing obligations; I always learned more about writing as I prepared to teach a topic and I always learned something fresh from my students. I do have a book, a nonfiction picture book (which grew out of my Katrina clean-up trips) coming out in August 08 which I'm revising now. I've just set aside one historical novel which wasn't going anywhere but I have another I'm eager to dive into, as well as a contemporary novel to revise. Regarding juggling balls, I'm letting a few drop. The Newbery Honor Award has given me an opportunity I never imagined having -- that of being a full-time writer. I've decided to let myself take that opportunity.
AJ - The next MFA residency is in August. At what stage in his or her career should a writer be before considering attending as a residency-only student?
KL - Any student who has gotten serious feedback on his/her work and is well-read in the genre in which they hope to write is ready for the residency-only program. It's a terrific and life-changing experience. [Kirby’s clarification to what is serious feedback: “I meant has another writer read it, not doting family members!”]
AJ - Like you, I was a library addict as a child and at 40-something I still regularly enjoy reading children’s and young adult books. Other than the age of the protagonist and the general lack of vulgarity, what would you say distinguishes writing for children from writing general fiction?
KL - My bias is that adults are missing out on a rich and thought-provoking world of literature when they bypass books for children and young adults. No matter how old we are, we are still searching for what it means to be a decent human being, what it means to be a friend, what it means to love another. These themes are explored as richly in children's and young adult literature as they are in adult literature. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, "any children's book that is only enjoyed by children is not a very good children's book."
AJ - All the reviews I’ve read on Hattie Big Sky mention your strong and compelling characters. Do you find that having children as your target audience makes you build your characters differently than if you were writing for an adult audience? If so, how so?
KL - I do not think about my audience as I write. Period. I think about how to tell a story as honestly as possible. I spend a lot of time prewriting. I hate doing character bios; what I did with Hattie is have her write letters to other characters in the story. From those letters (a few of which ended up in the book), I got a good sense of who she was, and of who the other characters were. I also wrote a cinquain for each of the different chapters, which captured the emotional essence (for me) of that chapter. Those poems did not appear in the book, either, but were key in my getting a good handle on the characters and other story elements.
AJ - A few business questions: After all your awards, do you still submit book proposals or do you just go ahead and write the book first? Do you have anyone else review or edit your book before you send it to the publisher? Do you have any tips for unpublished children’s writers?
KL - I'm still writing books on spec -- call me old fashioned (or dumb!). I meet with a critique group to help me polish my work and my agent also gives me feedback. Tips for unpublished children's writers: read, read, read; join SCBWI; don't be sentimental or feel you must teach a lesson. Write a story from a young person's point of view, and have them solve the story problem on their own.
AJ – Last question…NANOWRIMO…how did it go?
KL - Thanks to the challenge from colleague Stephanie Bodeen, I did write a rough draft of a novel during November 2006, National Novel Writing Month. That is the contemporary novel I'm eager to dive back into to revise.
Kirby Larson’s other books include: Second Grade Pig Pals, named a Seattle Times' Best Book for 1st and 2nd Graders; Cody and Quinn Sitting in a Tree, nominated for a Missouri Young Reader's Choice Award; The Magic Kerchief, multiple-award winner including the Oppenheim Platinum Award, Banks Street Best Books and International Story Tellers Award. Kirby is also the winner of an International Reading Association Excellence in Literacy Award. For more information on Kirby, visit her Web site at www.kirbylarson.com, for more information on Hattie Big Sky, go to www.hattiebigsky.com.
**************************************************
Fierce With Reality: An Anthology of Literature on Aging (Revised Edition, Just Write Books, 2006) includes the essay of longtime WIWA member, Ann Gerike, “On Gray Hair and Oppressed Brains.” This timeless essay has been reprinted in various forms in 2000, 1995, 1990 since originally appearing in the Journal of Women & Aging in 1990.
The TV Writers Workbook (Bantam/Dell, 2007) by Ellen Sandler, past conference presenter and Emmy Award winning producer/writer for Everybody Loves Raymond. For those of you who enjoyed meeting Ellen at this year’s conference or had the opportunity to attend one of her May classes in Seattle, the book she promised is now available for purchase.
**************************************************
NOTE: When you place in a competition or get a submission accepted for publication, please let us know. We love to celebrate your successes!
WIWA member Stephen Dennis had his beautifully written article “Retiring Relationships – Managing the Nonfinancial Side of Retirement” published as the feature story in the April edition of Reflections magazine, the slick member magazine for the Bellevue Club. Check it out at Reflections, April 2007.
WIWA member and online Poetry group participant Ann Gerike of Coupeville won first place for the William Stafford Award (unrestricted) for $150 for her poem "Going Up" and third place for the Charlie Proctor Award (humor) for $50 for her poem "Out of the Closet in the Sistine Chapel" in the Washington Poets Association 2007 Contest. Thousands of poems were submitted. The winners will be honored at the Bellevue Arts Museum at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 10, where they will be reading their work, and the judges will be invited to share their perspectives. Annis also writing a monthly column, frequently humorous, for Senior Connections, the 8-page newspaper distributed island-wide around the first of each month, with all those pesky sales inserts. Even if you consider yourself above aging, you may find it helpful as well as entertaining if you were born in any year after 1957.
WIWA member and past conference presenter Larry Karp just keeps logging successes with his book The Ragtime Kid (Poisoned Pen Press). Though released just last November, this historical mystery has received heavy press and high praise from the ragtime community and music historians for the accurate portrayal of a cultural icon. In fact, the city of Sedalia, Scot Joplin’s hometown, seems to have adopted the book and the Liberty Center Association for the Arts, in Sedalia, Missouri, has invited Larry to give an hour's talk at this year's Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival (June 2, 11am, Lona Theatre, Sedalia).
Editor’s Note: The Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival sent us this lovely note thanking us at the WIWA newsletter, but we thought it was also a great Cheers! announcement for memberSarah Martin: “[S]ometime in March I asked for a blurb in your newsletter about a writer for the Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival. Sarah Martin responded and she has done a wonderful job! I wanted to thank you for sending her my way. We needed a volunteer to investigate publications in which we could put information about our Festival and would be cost-free. We also needed someone to create a brochure. Thanks to Sarah, we now have a professional brochure and many more places to advertise than in past years. Thanks again, for making Sarah aware of our needs.”
Past conference presenter Jules Older was one of two of the recipients of the 2007 Harold S. Hirsch Award for Excellence in Snowsports Journalism for his work in Columns Writing. The journalism awards are given out each year by the North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA) during their annual meeting. The Harold S. Hirsch Awards are sponsored by HEAD Ski & Snowboard Company and Sport Obermeyer. Older is a five times winner of this prestigious journalism award. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Ski Press USA and Ski Press Canada, snowsports publications distributed throughout North America, as well as online. He also writes adult & children books and produces articles, editorials and columns for many publications including radio and video commentary.
Beloved conference supporters Dee and Chuck Robinson (the owners of Village Books, the bookseller for our annual conference) have started a new artistic venture. The Chuckanut Radio Hour is a variety show that includes famous authors, local authors, music, dramatic readings. Guests have so far included Clyde Ford, Eric Larson, Sherman Alexie and Susan Vreeland. The Chuckanut Radio Hour usually airs every other Saturday at noon on KMRE 102.3 FM or you can listen on the Web at http://www.americanradiomuseum.org/site/radiostation.html. Most shows are taped at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity in Bellingham, tickets are $5. For more information, visit their Web site at www.thechuckanutradiohour.com.
WIWA member and online Poetry Group moderator Julian Taber has had two poems accepted by CowboyPoetry – “Crow's Autobiography” and “The Ballard of a Bull Rider Bureaucrat.” Check out Julian’s work and that of other poet-lariats at www.cowboypoetry.com.
**************************************************
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.
DATED CALLS:
Writing it Real Essay Contest. Sheila Bender's Writing It Real, an online magazine for those who write from personal experience, announces an essay contest with cash prizes and publication of the top three essays. Contest deadline is June 30, 2007. Seeking creative non-fiction essays based on personal experience. For submission guidelines, go to www.writingitreal.com/contest.html.
Lunch Hour Stories short fiction magazine announces its 2007 Short Story Contest. Stories must be previously unpublished. Submission deadline is June 30, 2007. Cash and publication prizes. Complete submission guidelines are at www.lunchhourstories.com/short_story_contest.html.
Writers of the Future Contest provides an opportunity for new and amateur writers of short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. The contest awards quarterly cash prizes for first, second and third place winners and one annual $5,000 cash prize. Remaining submission deadlines for 2007 are June 30 and September 30. The contest year for the annual prize judging ends September 30. Complete contest rules and submission guidelines at http://www.writersofthefuture.com/.
The international Cat Writers' Association (CWA) is now accepting entries for its 14th annual Communications Contest for writers, photographers and editors in print, online and broadcast media. All published writers and photographers are eligible, regardless of CWA membership, and are encouraged to participate. Submission deadline is July 2, 2007. Get details and submission guidelines at www.catwriters.org.
6th Annual Kore Press First Book Award . $1,000 plus book publication will be awarded for a manuscript by a woman who has not yet published a full-length collection of poetry. Submission deadline is July 31, 2007. Get full guidelines at www.korepress.org/firstbook/firstbook2007.htm.
Rattle: Poetry for the 21 st Century is accepting entries for its 2007 poetry contest. This is an amazing print and digital magazine with serious cash and publication prizes. The nominal entry fee gets you a year subscription – how can you complain? Submission deadline is August 1, 2007. For details, go to www.rattle.com/rpp/rpp.htm.
ARM-UR (Association for Research on Mothering at the University of Regina) , whose mandate is to provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of research on mothering, and Demeter Press, extend this call for papers to all who wish to contribute to this exciting and important interdisciplinary (book) anthology to be published in spring 2009. Mothering Canada: Interdisciplinary Voices is seeking submissions in French and/or English, of creative nonfiction, personal reflections, scholarly writing, and critical essays as well as poetry and art on themes associated with motherhood in Canada in all disciplines. Submission deadline is August 31, 2007. The call can also be viewed at Demeter Press’s Web site http://armur.blogspot.com.
The Arabesques Review is now accepting submissions for two special issues on themes celebrating UNESCO's Rumi's 800th Anniversary year: Vol. 03, Issue 04, Peace & Cultures Dialogue - Submissions Deadline: August 15, 2007,and Vol. 04, Issue 01, Rumi's Love - Submissions Deadline: September 30, 2007. Details and complete submission guidelines are posted at www.arabesquespress.org/journal/guidelines.asp.
Word Forge Books is seeking submissions for an upcoming anthology scheduled for Fall 2008 release, tentatively titled Almost Perfect: Stories of Inspiration from Disabled Pets and the People Who Love Them. Submission deadline is August 31, 2007. Read full submission details at: www.wordforgebooks.com/forauthors/full_submission.htm.
OPEN CALLS
Common Ties is an interactive story blog, a grass-roots citizen journalism effort. We publish the very best of the stories submitted to the site – and we pay writers competitively for their personal stories. For more details, visit www.commonties.com/about.php. Editor’s note: If you been turned down for publication by Common Ties because your story was previously published, they’ve recently updated their submission guidelines with a new acceptance policy.
Inspired Pen is a new journal devoted to publishing a wide range of short work by established and new authors. For more information and submission guidelines go to www.inspiredpen.net.
Silver Boomers is now accepting submissions for an anthology of prose and poetry written by and about the baby boomer generation. Details and submission guidelines at www.silverboomers.com.
Unbound Press announces an open call for submissions. Single submission limits: 1-6 poems or 1 short story or 1 creative nonfiction. Prose maximum 5,000 words. Previously unpublished work, multiple submissions acceptable if disclosed in cover letter. For details and guidelines inquire at UnboundPress@gmail.com or visit their Web site at www.unboundpress.com.
The Vancouver Writers’ Mixer is accepting proposals for 20-30 minute presentations (advice, techniques, instruction) at their monthly event. For more information, or to submit, contact Carolyn Rose at bubba11@pacifier.com.
The Whidbey Student Choice Award for Short Forms has gone international -- our second winner writes in England. But as an organization located on an island in the Pacific Ocean, we'd love to also have a winner whose toes don't dip into the Atlantic. Each month is a new contest since each judge wears a different style of socks just waiting to be knocked off by a short piece of fiction, nonfiction, children's, or prose poetry. So even if you've submitted before, our new judge hasn't seen your work. Remember, there is no entry fee and with a $50 prize, the least you win is five cents a word. If you submit fewer words, your rate goes up. Please see www.whidbeystudents.com/WSContest for full details.
**************************************************
WIWA WEB SITE NEWS AND MEMBER SERVICES
Keep Up With Your Favorite WIWC Presenters
To make it easy for our members and conference attendees, WIWA links to the Web sites of past conference presenters who provide their Web site addresses to us. It’s a convenient place to look up your favorite presenters and find out where they’re reading and what they’re publishing. Just visit our Web site under Writers Conference/Prior Conference/Prior Presenter at http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/Prior_Conferences/Prior_Presenters.html.
If you’re a past WIWC presenter and your link doesn’t appear on our links page, but you would like it to, just let us know. The only requirement is that you provide a reciprocal link to WIWA and/or the conference Web site at: http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/.
**************************************************
The Whidbey Island Writers Association is looking for generous individuals or groups interested in donating any of the following items to help us in our efforts to offer outstanding and new programs to local writers and readers. Please contact 360-331-6714 if you have any questions or to make a donation, or e-mail wiwa@whidbey.com. WIWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations may be tax deductible.
–Work station (student desk size) with room for a computer and monitor
–Desk chair
–Computer and monitor to run sophisticated graphics software WIWA received through a recent grant. (Please contact Elizabeth Guss, Conference Director, for specific details)
–The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press
–AP Stylebook, Associated Press
–New books on writing (to be used as prizes in the annual youth writing contest)
–Phone cards
–Copy paper
###
WIWA Seeks Volunteer Class Coordinator
The WIWA Local Programs Committee is looking for a volunteer interested in coordinating local quarterly classes. This volunteer would work with instructors, WIWA staff and other amazing WIWA volunteers to coordinate quarterly writing classes as well as serve as a member of the WIWA Local Programs Committee. This is a great way to get involved in your local writing community, meet other writers and gain valuable experience. For more details, please contact Jerry Mercer, Local Programs Committee Chair, at lamont1040@earthlink.net.
WIWA Seeks Volunteer Roving Reporters
Fame! Glamor! Publishing opportunities! Join WIWA's team of volunteers as event-specific and beat reporters. I know you’re out there attending events and participating in our local writing community and our readers want to hear about your experiences. (Okay, fame and glamour I can’t promise, but two of our contributing reporters have been contacted by outside publishers as a result of their WIWA articles.)
There is no payment or stipend available for event or class tuition. Reporters will work with the newsletter editor to report on current events they attend to bring pertinent news back to our writing readership. For more information, please contact the Newsletter Editor directly at NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com.
WIWA does not pay for articles published in the newsletter, but your article will be circulated to approximately 2,000 writers, agents and publishers via our newsletter’s e-mail distribution list and posted on the WIWA Web site. After publication, all rights revert to the author, who may freely use publication in the WIWA newsletter as a publishing “clip” either in hardcopy, PDF format, or by citing to the newsletter archives on the WIWA Web site. All rights are retained by the author, but we’d love it if you cite the original publication with us when the article is republished.
**************************************************
NOTE: Please send us quotations about writing that you would like to share.
“All writers are vain, selfish and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives lies a mystery. Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” – George Orwell
“Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which waits always before or behind.” – Catherine Drinker Bowen
“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” – Anais Nin
“Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking.” – Jessamyn West
“Even the best writer has to erase.” – Spanish proverb
**************************************************
NOTE: If you find a Web site you think other writers would find useful, send us the URL.
The Authors Guild - http://www.authorsguild.org/. This trade organization has been around for over 90 years and they continue to be strong advocates for authors’ rights. On May 17, the Guild published a bold member alert warning about restrictive copyright changes to Simon & Schuster’s standard book contract that are angering agents and authors alike. On May 18, Simon & Schuster countered with a complaint that the Authors Guild was “overreacting,” but they’ve also decided to revise their position, now saying they'll negotiate the unprecedented terms "on a book-by-book basis." Check out the Authors Guild Web site for updates on this literary high drama and other subjects and services of interest to writers of all forms and genres.
Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List – http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943 Find 50 fantastic writing tools online, by Roy Peter Clark and Poynter Online. This Web site reference courtesy of my enduring favorite industry newsletter The Practicing Writer by Erika Dreifus. Erika’s e-newsletter is as comprehensive and informative as her other publications. For more information about Erika’s work, or to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.practicing-writer.com.
Poets&Writers Grants & Awards Submissions Calendar - http://pw.org/mag/0705/submissioncalendar.htm. State and national prizes in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, listing only prizes of $1,000 or more, prizes of $500 or more that charge no entry fee, and prestigious nonmonetary awards.
Poets&Writers article: Reading How You’re Read by Anne Pancake - http://pw.org/mag/0705/pancake.htm. Okay, so it’s not a Web site of itself, but this article, subtitled “The Art of Evaluating Criticism,” is definitely worth reading.
Poets&Writers - http://pw.org/mag/. In fact, you should just sign up for the Poets&Writers e-newsletter. The Web site is just as good as the print publication. Check out the Direct Quotes section where you’ll find some great interviews, like this one with Pulitzer prizewinner Robert Olen Butler http://pw.org/mag/dq_butler.htm, whose short story “The Trip Back” changed my life one night during one of those NPR moments in my driveway.
**************************************************
Do you have a question on writing or publishing that could use additional input? Do you have writing or publishing resources, information or experience that you’d like to share with our readers? Questions and responses can be sent to NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com and may be published in upcoming editions of the newsletter for the benefit of all readers.
From long time WIWA member Diane Schuller comes this question:
Since many of you have had to conduct surveys for your books, or perhaps for projects you've worked on, I was wondering if you have used any of the online survey services such as SurveyMonkey, Zoomerang, EZSurvey, etc.? If you have used one of these online surveys:
- which one did you use?
- did it satisfy your needs?
- what problems did you encounter?
- did you get value for your money?
- would you use it again?
I'd appreciate any feedback from those of you have conducted surveys and/or have used one of the online services.
Editors note: Please send your responses to me and, depending on the depth of your answers to Diane’s questions, I will publish your response here in our August edition and/or put you in direct contact with Diane.
*************************************************
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. We want your writing related articles. We want to hear your good news for the Cheers or Recent Releases columns, too. Have you discovered interesting markets, contests and cyber sites that we should know about? Or do you have a favorite quote to share? Contact us about the newsletter for any reason at NewsletterEditor@writeonwhidbey.com. For information about the Conference, e-mail writers@whidbey.org. The WIWA Web site is http://www.writeonwhidbey.org.
Remaining 2007 newsletter submission dates:
July 15 for August 1 edition
Sept 15 for October 1 edition
November 15 for December 1 edition
**************************************************
The WIWA Newsletter is published approximately every two months and posted to our Web site at http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Publications/. If you would like to receive an e-mail announcing when each new edition of the newsletter is available, send an e-mail, with SUBSCRIBE WIWA in the subject line, to wiwa@whidbey.com. If you would like to unsubscribe, please reply to this e-mail with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject, and we will delete you from our records. WIWA will not share or sell your name or e-mail address.