It must be my last edition because I couldn’t find one decent Web site to include in our Cybersurfing section. It’s empty. Mostly because I didn’t have time to look – and when a newsletter editor doesn’t have time to look for special resources for her readership, well, it’s time to turn in her keyboard.

Here, take it.

But wait, we’ve got no one waiting in line to keep up this correspondence! C’mon folks, I really have had a great time doing this and I know you will, too. Besides, the editor gets all the contest and publisher calls ahead of everybody else (and there are a ton of them in this edition). And you get to interview interesting people. People ask you for advice; other people help you give advice (see the great responses we got to the question “what is creative nonfiction?”). People tell you when they have reason to celebrate; you get to announce things that make people celebrate. And you become a real part of a writing community.

Okay I’m at a loss for words – it’s just a way cool job and I want someone who loves writing and loves the writing community to step forward and say . . . something pithy that is the equivalent of, “maybe it’s crazy but, pick me, pick me!” It really is that great and if you don’t believe me, track me down at the Writers Conference and ask me – and you’ll notice that all my gray hair is gone, due in no small part to the fact that being the WIWA Newsletter Editor is a joyful work (that and I finally found a good hairdresser here in Mexico).

So, bye. Adios. Hasta lluego. Later. I’ll be missing you. I’ll be seeing you.

Keep writing and keep in touch . . . with each other!

With digital tears and a wistful smile, Achaessa

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WIWC 2008 CONFERENCE NEWS

Conference Freebies

Freebie #1. Agent/Editor Consults. You’ve enjoyed the Whidbey Island Writers Conference in years past. You’re writing more and your writer’s network is growing. You’ve met writers who’ve never attended the Conference before. Convince them to come and tell them to mention your name when they register and you’ll receive a free agent/editor consult at the conference. That saves you $35 and puts you one step closer to publishing.

Freebie #2. The Magic Fan will be showing Friday, February 29, 7:00 p.m. at the Whidbey Children's Theater. The performance is free but seating is limited so pre-registration is required. Click here For free ticket information.

Freebie #3. Pre-conference Workshops. Okay, it’s not really a freebie. You do have to pay for the workshops – BUT you don’t have to be registered for the conference – anyone can sign up for the pre-conference workshops. We have lots of great instructors and topics this year, including “Adapting Children's Stories,” “Rev Up Your Manuscript,” and “Picture Book Critique.” Check out all of our pre-conference workshops here.

Check out the conference Web site, register soon, and tell your friends.

Conference Scholarships Announced. Every year, the Whidbey Island Writers Conference awards a student scholarship based on writing samples and an essay explaining why the applicant seeks the scholarship. Entries were so outstanding this year that sponsors were inspired to award two scholarships. The Adult Scholarship is sponsored by Wayne Ude and Marian Blue of Blue and Ude Writers' Services and the Student Scholarship is sponsored by Joe and Eva Shaw, friends and supporters of WIWA since its inception. Congratulations to Stephanie Pearmain and Chelsea Stoppelman for winning the scholarships to the 2008 Conference. Read the full announcements on our Home page.

Battle of the Sponsors. The Whidbey Island Writers Conference has been honored to receive two special sponsorships this year, proving once again the Island's reputation as a friendly place for writers. In January, Whidbey Telecom pledged $1,000 to the WIWA, to support local author presentations at the 10th Annual Writers Conference (25% of this year’s presenters are local authors). Immediately thereafter, the Port of South Whidbey awarded WIWA $2,000 in recognition of the Conference’s attraction of a literary visitor group that supports lodging establishments, restaurants, local businesses, theater and the arts of Whidbey Island. Read the full announcements on our Home page.

Write. Eat. Write About Eating. This year one of our "Dinner with an Author" opportunities will be open to the public. Conference registrants and anyone in the Whidbey Island community may sign up to enjoy a yummy Thai dinner with Greg Atkinson, Deborah Madison and Bharti Kirchner. This fundraising dinner has been discounted to $75.00. Participants will have an opportunity to listen to and chat with these fine food authors. Sign up soon and tell all your friends to join us. Sign up by calling the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or email wiwa@whidbey.com.

College Credit. Remember you can get college credit and clock hours for attending the Whidbey Island Writers Conference through two accredited institutions:

Skagit Valley College – sign up for LIT 152 and the conference for two credit hours. Call 360-341-2324 for more information.

Heritage Institute – awards teacher clock hours or graduate credits. Call 360-341-3020 for details.

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Presenter Interview – Katharine Sands: Pitch Like a Pro

Like all of the agents taking consults at the WIWA Conference, Katharine is actively building her client list. Attending her pre-conference workshop on Pitchcraft will give you an advantage when pitching your book at the conference or via written query. Editor’s note: Pre-conference workshops are open to the public, so if you can’t make it to the Conference you can still take advantage of the quality instruction offered at our pre-conference workshops.

AJ – In a June 2007 interview posted on Guide to Literary Agents.com, you mention that you met author Dawn Davenport (The Complete Book to International Adoption: A Step by Step Guide to Finding Your Child, Broadway, November 2006) at a writers' conference in the hallway. My research tells me that you present at many conferences and colleges, but how often does that really happen? How often do you meet an author at a conference that you end up representing? And how often do you meet unpublished writers at a conference that you end up signing?

Katharine – Conferences are fast becoming a wonderful way for agents to source new clients. Today many of us are proactively looking for projects, properties and authors by attending writers' festivals and literary events.

My book, Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye came about in direct response to meeting writers at conferences who were neglecting this all-important step. Practicing pitchcraft – writing about your writing, and speaking about your writing is every bit as important as the writing itself. You have to put as much attention, as much passion and as much crafting into your pitch as you do your project. Your writing life is divided into an arc: Getting Ready, Getting Read and Getting Readers, I want to tell writers in workshops: This is the way to get others excited about what is exciting to you.

AJ – In that same interview, you said that in author-agent meetings “Agents are listening in for a reason to be interested.” Can you elaborate on that? Is there anything about an agent’s “listening” that is different in a face-to-face meeting as opposed to in a query letter?

Katharine – Face-to-face meetings are an important part of conference culture. This kind of opportunity – to introduce yourself to a literary agent at a conference – is really comparable to speed-dating. The meeting does afford you an opportunity to impress an agent in ways you might not expect or anticipate. Dawn Davenport is a perfect example. We spoke briefly, but I was so taken with her. She is a dynamic, engaging woman with a great deal of insight into adopting internationally, with expertise as an attorney, an activist, and also as a parent. She offered unique insight through her experiences. She impressed me. She is articulate, humorous and passionate about the topic. My dowser rod starts to hum when I come across an author-to-be.

Agents cannot digest the entire scope of your work in one go. Initially, we read or listen in to identify elements, and look for sparks, for alchemy, to have a response, to have a reaction. For me to undertake a new client I have to know that I want to have 110 conversations about their project.

AJ – Your advice to not target agents who have succeeded in an author’s chosen genre is contrarian. In a profile on Wordsmitten.com, you’re quoted as saying "You can't target properly that way because the Chaos theory is in play." Please elaborate on this literary application of Chaos theory.

Katharine – The conventional getting-an agent advice is always to do your homework and to target a list of agents who specialize in a specific genre or subject area. While this would seem to make sense, I like to steer writers to have an alternate plan. Here is why: In practice new writers report how they apply the advice and take their first steps towards finding literary representation. When a new writer compiles a select list of names from the Association of Author's Representatives, the Literary Marketplace directory, and headline-making agency presidents, they will certainly have found an excellent, professional agent should any of the agents choose them. What may happen, however, is the writer will be crossing agencies off their list one by one as rejections come in. And this means missing out on dozens of potential agents. Why? The writer has not found the names of newer agents (who may not yet qualify for AAR), literary managers or agents with producing and publicity roles that fall outside the AAR practices are not members, also editors who have recently switched to agenting (a common occurrence), along with the assistants who are being promoted within an established agency or accepting a job with a different firm. Not only will these agents be building their client lists, newer agents may not have their areas of interest listed on Web sites or directories. You want to understand this literary deterministic chaos when you make your submission list. Agents choose for personal reasons, and happenstance and serendipity play a huge role in how and when you connect with an enthusiastic, capable and, most importantly, interested agent.

Looking for an agent who specializes also overlooks several unpredictable factors. Agents cannot always predict what they are going to like. Unlike lawyers who must pass a bar exam or surgeons who become board certified, agents do not become credentialed as a specialist. By this I mean an agent can choose to undertake any kind of project and sometimes it’s challenging and fun to stray outside a comfort zone and mix it up. An agent may feel over-inventoried in a category and decide to cut back. Also you must always allow for the potential falling in love process when it comes to agent-author marriages – sometimes an agent just loves the writing, and takes on a project that would seem to be a departure from their norm.

AJ – Everything I’ve found on you says that you’re gracious, pleasant, and one writer even blogged that “She is not only a fantastic speaker, she seems to have a sincere desire to help writers that always comes through.” That’s not the traditional agent image most of us have in our nightmares. Apart from the obvious economic reasons, why do you like authors so much and what would an author have to do to get on your “bad side”?

Katharine – I love to share an early memory . . . when I was growing up I went to hippie school in Greenwich Village. It was wildly progressive. We really did sit cross-legged and sing 'Kumbaya' and multicultural songs a lot. One day I brought in a poem I had written instead of the homework assigned and the third-grade teacher was happy to encourage me and invite the class to bring in all of our writings! From that day to this, the power of creativity has always been a great joy – especially when shared. As an agent, the most exciting aspect of working with writers is being midwife to a baby, and a book is your baby.

There many ways to get on my bad side – I doubt I would look very gracious or kind detailing them!

AJ – Your bio on the WIWA conference Web site says “For compelling reads in faction, memoir and femoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed….” Okay, call me out of touch, what are “faction” and “femoir”? Where would a reader find these at the bookstore?”

Katharine – Today there are many new terms to describe creative nonfiction or memoir. A femoir would be a female voice in a memoir. Chick non fic (the nonfiction version of chick lit or lit chick) could also be femoir. The older version is hen lit.

Faction is fact-based fiction, sometimes called a non-fiction novel, a term coined by Truman Capote when he was writing In Cold Blood. The term non-fiction novel is disliked by many agents being inaccurate along with fictional novel, which is redundant.

Judith Regan coined a genre called reality fiction in response to James Frey's pioneering the genre (calling fiction, memoir). The use of a term like reality fiction solves a lot of problems when publishing a personal account. Many new ones have been springing up lately, such as fratire and fabulist lit (think magical realism gone wild).

AJ – I know that writers are always advised to “write what’s in your heart and ignore the trends.” But I’m curious. How are new trends set in the publishing world? And how do agents and, thus, authors capitalize on them?

Katharine – Trends are not set by the publishing world. Trends come about of their own accord. They are unpredictable. PT Barnum said, "Genius is the ability to see what is all around you, just waiting to be seen."

AJ – The blurb on our conference Web site for your pre-conference workshop, Pitchcraft, is really brief (and boring). Give me a teaser about your Pitchcraft workshop that will make our readers click straight over to your bio (much more interesting), then Google you, then sign up for the workshop.

Katharine – My Pitchcraft workshop will help you: write an attention-getting pitch, craft a proposal, identify your selling points and hooks (tell you how to be a happy hooker), and how to avoid the querial killers, the series of mistakes writers make when they set out to woo, win and work with a literary agent.

Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye has a chapter called “15 Minutes to Fame: Pitching at a Conference” written by Andrew Whelchel and Jason Cangialosi),along with chapters such as “I am Willing to Be Seduced, Amazed, Charmed or Moved” by Sarah Jane Freymann and Harvey Klinger's “I Love to Tell a Publisher: 'Have I Got a Virgin For You!’”

AJ – Are you also doing consults at the WIWA conference? If so, what is the best approach for an author with only 15 minutes of your time?

Katharine – The 15 minutes is yours to shine in. If you want to show me pictures of your twins dressed as Freddy and Jason for Halloween – feel free, it's your time. It's where you are at this point in time. Use the time any way you feel gives you the best insight into what you would like to accomplish by attending the conference. If your goal is publication, the face-to-face meeting feature of the conference gives you the chance to practice pitchcraft, to ask questions, to ask for feedback, to explore the possibilities.

Katharine Sands is a literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. Katharine has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books. Highlights include Make Up, Don't Break Up with Oprah guest Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil; The Complete Book on International Adoption: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Your Child by Dawn Davenport; Ford model Helen Lee's The Tao of Beauty; and Elvis and You by Laura Levin and John O'Hara, to name a few. She is the agent provocateur of Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent's Eye, a collection of pitching wisdom from leading literary agents. Katharine is a past presenter at many well regarded conferences including the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, ASU Writers Conference, Womens Fiction Festival Fourth Annual International Writers Conference, Santa Barbara Writers Conference, New York Round Table Writers Conference, and in 2008 will present again at the San Francisco Writers Conference and many others. For more information on Katharine and the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency visit the agency Web site at http://www.sarahjanefreymann.com/.

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WIWA ANNOUNCES

Winners of 2007 Spirit of Writing Contest. Every year, WIWA sponsors three writing contests – one for students K-12, one for adults, and one for conference participants. Kathleen Morelock from Coupeville won the coveted grand prize in WIWA's 2007 Spirit of Writing Contest for adults. Her winning entry, a memoir entitled This Old House, earns Morelock admission to WIWA's 10th annual writers conference February 29 through March 2, 2008. First place winners in all genres include Diane Adair, short fiction; Sheryl Clough, nonfiction; Elizabeth Hubbard, children's literature; and Janice O'Mahoney, poetry. For a complete list of winners visit Contests .

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2007 WIWA Student Writing Contest Announcement

The 2007 Whidbey Island Writers Association’s Student Writing Contest has now begun. All Whidbey Island students from grade 6 through grade 12 are invited to enter and win prizes for poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Entry deadline is March 30, so start writing!

Entry forms and complete rules are available from your school secretary, language arts instructor, or other coordinator. Sno-Isle Libraries also have the forms and rules. Entries will be collected at each school and at Sno-Isle Libraries. Students may also mail their entries to the address below, but they must be postmarked by March 30.

Awards will be based on writing excellence as determined by the judges. Three major awards (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places) will be made in each category for both middle school and high school. Honorable Mention awards may also be made. Each winner will receive a certificate and a ribbon. A special award and special certificate may be awarded to student writers who best demonstrate excellence in writing. All participants will receive a certificate of participation. Cash or other prizes may be awarded if funding or donations permit.

WIWA Contest Administrator is Jerry Mercer, 360-678-4813 or lamont1040@earthlink.net. Entries may be mailed to Jerry at PO Box 114 – Greenbank, WA 98253.

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Reminder: WIWA Member Links. WIWA members in good standing can get a link to their Web site if the site is related to writing. We’ve put up some new links in the last few months, so check out our Resources page.

Reminder: WIWA Member Publications List. WIWA is putting together a list of member authors and their publications. This list is to be used in advertising and other related writing activities. If you are a published author, please respond with your list of publications to wiwa@whidbey.com.

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ON THE ISLAND

Winners of 2007 Spirit of Writing Contest have been reading their winning entries at Whidbey Island Libraries since January. Remaining readings are Tuesday, February 5 at 3:30 p.m. in Freeland, and Thursday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. in Langley.

3rd Tuesday Whidbey Island Writers at 3 Cats Café. We’re saddened to announce that after two years of hosting our monthly word-fests, the 3 Cats Café has closed (there’s no direct relation to hosting us and closing, eh!). We’re waiting to see what local gathering place will pick up the torch for our growing literary community. If you or someone you know has a local venue that would enjoy being filled by our famous and not-so-famous local authors once a month, give the WIWA office a call at 360-331-6714 or write to wiwa@whidbey.com and ask to be put in touch with Cameron Castle or Susan Wilmoth.

Burning Word: the Festival of Poetic Fire, returns to Greenbank Farm on Whidbey Island April 26. Details at http://www.washingtonpoets.org/burning_word.php.

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WIWA Classes and Workshops. Current winter quarter classes are running through mid-March and our next publication date isn’t until April 1, so be sure to check frequently for the posting of spring quarter classes at Classes and Workshops. If you’d like to teach a writing class or workshop, call the WIWA office at 360-331-6714 or write to wiwa@whidbey.com to find out how.

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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.

Whidbey-poets@googlegroups.com is an online poetry critique group open to all members of WIWA. To subscribe to the group, email your request to wiwa@whidbey.com. During each month of 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: December – No Ordinary Trip.

Topics for 2008:

February—Elegy

March—Shadorma

April—political commentary

May—Triolet

June—Haiku

July—Elegy

August—Thesis, antithesis and synthesis

September—Humor

October—Pantoum

November—fantasy

December—Fibonacci

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.

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OFF THE ISLAND

Richard Hugo House Events. February events being sponsored by Richard Hugo House. Details at http://www.hugohouse.org/events/.

WITS Student and Teacher Open Mic. Featuring students and teachers in the Writers in the Schools (WITS), in the Cabaret. FREE. Saturday, February 9, 2:00 p.m.

Stage Fright. Hugo House's open mic for writers 14-24, in the Cabaret. FREE. Wednesday, February 13, 7:00 p.m.

Hugo Literary Series – “Love is the Drug.” Rick Moody, novelist Monica Drake and Hugo House writer-in-residence David Wagoner present new work on the theme "Love is the Drug" with new music by Eux Autres, in the Theater. Party afterwards. Tickets $15-$25. Friday, February 15, 7:30 p.m.

Hugo Literary Series – “What is this thing?” Poet and Whidbey Island Writers Workshop MFA faculty David Wagoner and Hugo House executive director Lyall Bush have a conversation about love, in the Cabaret. Free to series ticket holders, otherwise $5. Saturday, February 16, 10:30 p.m.

Bridging the Generational Gap. A night of poetry with poets 25-85, in the Cabaret. FREE. Wednesday, February 20, 7:00 p.m.

Gay City: Volume One. The Gay City Health Project and co-sponsor Richard Hugo House are proud to launch an exciting new anthology of fiction, poetry, comic art and photography, in the Cabaret. $5 donation. Thursday, February 21, 7:00 p.m.

Fantastic Fiction "Readings and Conversation" Salon with Ellen Klages. Award winning short fiction author and novelist, in the Cabaret. $5 donation. Monday, February 25, 7:00 p.m.

Open Mic Poetry Jam. The second Friday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Arts Alive! gallery in Enumclaw (1429 Cole St) led by WIWA member Debbie Frank. February 8 and March 14.

The Washington Poets Association is pleased to announce the release of the first issue of its new annual member journal, Cascade. There will be a launch reading for the journal on Saturday, February 9, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Bellevue Arts Museum. For details and directions, visit www.bellevuearts.org.

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. February 21 and March 20. For directions, visit www.soulfoodbooks.com or call the store at 425-881-5309 or email info@soulfoodbooks.com.

826 Seattle is a non-profit no-cost writing center for students ages 6-18. Their workshops for adults support the children’s programs. 826 Seattle is conducting a yearlong adult writing series, one night per month, $27 for each workshop. The inaugural workshop, "How to Be Funny (Funny Ha Ha, Not Funny Strange)" takes place on Tuesday, February 26, 7:00 p.m. at 826 Seattle, 8414 Greenwood Ave. N. in Seattle (a.k.a. Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.) This workshop features McSweeney's writers John Moe (Conservatize Me) and Ryan Boudinot (The Littlest Hitler). For more information or to buy tickets, go to http://www.826seattle.org/events.

Ireland Writers' Retreat: Seeking two groups of 12 writers for weeklong writers' retreat in County Kerry, Ireland, May 2008. Week begins with seminar by notable Irish author Niall Williams. Fee includes all meals and accommodations in beautiful rural setting. For information and photos write to marcie.miller11@gmail.com.

Writing It Real In Port Townsend Writers Conference. With WIWA conference past presenter Sheila Bender, June 26-28. Details at http://writingitreal.com/page.php?p=writers_conference.

AuthorLink Online Classes. WIWA Conference presenter, Doris Booth, is the Editor in Chief of AuthorLink.com, a resource for online writing workshops taught by top New York editors, and award-winning published authors – all world-class instructors. It's easy to sign up, and take teleconference classes online! For more information click www.authorlink.com/classroom/classroom.php.

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RECENT RELEASES

NOTE: Let us know when you’ve got a new release or publishing contract. We love to celebrate our members’ publishing successes!

The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry (Ballantine Books hardcover; December 11, 2007). Another exciting Cotton Malone novel, set on an adventure in search of the truth about the lost tomb of Alexander the Great.

Chicken Farmer I Still Love You by Lana Hechtman Ayers (D-N Publishing; First edition, November 2007) as winner of the D-N Publishing National Manuscript Contest. From D-N's press release about the book: "Taking its title from graffiti on a now landmark boulder in Newbury, New Hampshire, the book observes, in exhilarating language, that despite the failings and inscrutability of human nature, the possibility for transcendence abounds. From love to war, from history to pop culture, from the mundane to the famous, from the ineffable workings of society to the plaintive yearnings of the individual soul, poem after poem, Ayers delivers the craft of a mature poet."

For more information visit Lana’s Web site at http://lanaayers.com/publications.aspx.

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CHEERS!

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 Cameron Castle was named a Finalist in HumorPress.com's latest "America's Funniest Humor!" Writing Contest and was published in HumorPress.com's online showcase during the month of January. Cameron’s entry, "Safety Devices," is about the trials and tribulations involved in baby-proofing one's home. HumorPress.com is one of the Internet's highest-ranking humor contest sites, with contests and publishing opportunities for writers who specialize in humor or have real-life humorous anecdotes to share.

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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.

DATED CALLS:

Poets&Writers. Deadlines for grants and awards and submission calendar for competitions, http://pw.org/mag/grantsawards.htm.

Glimmer Train accepts category-specific submissions all year round, but only for one month each. Confusing? Check out their submission calendar at http://www.glimmertrain.com/writguid1.html. The best news is that they’re now accepting simultaneous submissions.

The Literary Journal of the University of South Carolina proudly presents The Pocataligo Poetry Contest. $500 prize. Submission deadline February 15. Details and guidelines at http://www.yemasseejournal.org/contests.html.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest. The eight finalists in each category are read by agents and editors, some of whom attend the PNWA conference. Submission deadline February 22. Details at http://www.pnwa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=13.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2008 Literary Contest. Entry form available now. Don't miss this opportunity to put your work to the test and compete with some of the best in the northwest at the 2008 PNWA Literary Contest. 12 categories, cash prizes, and accepted entries receive two valuable critiques. Winners are announced every year at the Summer Conference in front of writers, agents and editors. Submission deadline February 28. Details, contest rules and entry form are available online at www.pnwa.org or e-mail staff@pnwa.org.

Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry is now accepting submissions of persona poems for Volume III Issue 1, slated for release in early June. Also accepting submissions of relevant essays, book reviews and interviews. Submission deadline February 28. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.poemeleon.org/submission-guidelines2/

AWP Award series for books in fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Postmark deadline before February 28. Full guidelines at http://www.awpwriter.org.

CutBank is pleased to announce the Montana Prize in Fiction, the Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and the Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry. Submission deadline for all three competitions is February 29. Details at http://www.cutbankonline.org/contests_new/index.html.

Paddlefish, Mount Marty College's literary journal, is currently accepting submissions for their 2008 issue. Submit poetry in all genres and styles. Submission deadline February 29. Details at http://www.mmcpaddlefish.com/submit.html.

The Ledge 2008 Fiction Awards Competition. Submit previously unpublished fiction of 7,500 words or less. Submission deadline February 29. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.theledgemagazine.com/Fiction%20Awards%20Contest.htm.

11th Annual Bart Baxter Contest for Poetry in Performance. The Washington Poets Association is accepting submissions for this contest with cash prizes: 1st place – $500, 2nd – $200 and 3rd – $100. Submission deadline March 1. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.washingtonpoets.org/2008_wpa_contest_guidelines_bb.php.

Upstreet literary magazine seeks quality submissions with edge for fourth issue – fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction. Submission deadline March 1. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.upstreet-mag.org/guideline_layers.html.

The Word Works Washington Prize 2008. $1500 and book publication. 48-64 pages of original poetry read anonymously by published poets. Postmark entry by March 1. Entry fee $25.00. Full guidelines at http://www.wordworksdc.com/washington_prize.html.

River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize. Cash prize and publication by the University of Nebraska Press is given annually for a book-length manuscript of creative nonfiction. Submission deadline March 1. Details at http://www3.ashland.edu/academics/arts_sci/english/riverteeth/guidelines.htm.

Switched-on Gutenberg, an e-zine founded in 1995, is now accepting submissions for its 2008 issue on the theme: Science and Technology. Submission deadline March 1. Details and submission guidelines at http://faculty.washington.edu/jnh/guidelines.htm.

NEA Fellowships for Creative Writers. Currently accepting applications for poetry fellowships. Submission deadline March 3. Details at www.nea.gov/grants/apply/Lit/index.html.

Leaf Press – Chapbooks. Submissions accepted March 1 through March 31. More details at http://www.leafpress.ca/guidelines.htm.

The 2008 Omnidawn Poetry Prize is Omnidawn Publishing’s first annual contest for a first or second full-length collection of poems by a poet writing in English. The contest will be judged by Marjorie Welish, with a cash prize of $2,000 and Fall 2009 publication by Omnidawn Publishing. Manuscripts will remain anonymous until a winner is selected. Submissions accepted between March 1 and June 30 only. Details at http://www.omnidawn.com/contest.htm.

2008 Annual Francine Porad Award for Haiku. The Washington Poets Association is accepting submissions for this contest with cash prizes: $100, $75, $50. Submission deadline March 15. Details at http://www.washingtonpoets.org/2008_wpa_contest_guidelines_fpa.php.

Willow Springs poetry and fiction awards. Five poems or one story. Submission deadline March 15. Details and guidelines at http://willowsprings.ewu.edu/Contests.htm.

The Arts & Letters Prizes competition offers publication and $1000 for winners in fiction, poetry , drama and creative nonfiction. $15 submission fee. Postmark before March 15. For complete details visit: http://al.gcsu.edu/prizes.htm.

Prairie Schooner $3000 prize and publication. Postmark before March 15. Book of fiction and book of poetry. Details at http://prairieschooner.unl.edu.

www.slopeeditions.org 2008 first book contest. Ms. 40 – 90 pages and $20 reading fee: winner receives $1,000 and publication. Submission deadline March 15.

Bellingham Review has a number of contests, submission deadlines of March 15 in poetry fiction and creative nonfiction. For full guidelines, visit http://www.wwu.edu/~bhreview.

2008 Periphery Online International Contest. Annual contest for Magical Realist Flash Fiction /Prose Poetry. Theme: "Funny Bone." Cash prize and publication. Submission deadline March 28. Details at http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/MRCentral/guidelines.html.

Blue Begonia Press, independent publisher of poetry for thirty years, is accepting submissions of full-length manuscripts for publication in 2008 from poets residing in Washington State who have never published a full-length poetry book. (Chapbooks OK). Submission deadline March 31. Details at http://www.bluebegoniapress.com/index.php?page_id=317.

The 2008 Marjorie J. Wilson Best Poem Contest. Grand prize $2500. Submission deadline March 31. Details at http://www.margiereview.com/CONTESTS/marjwil08.html.

Four Way Books. 2008 Prize in Poetry. Open to US citizens who have not published a book-length collection of poetry. Submission deadline March 31. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.fourwaybooks.com/contest.php?PHPSESSID=e6242a550460ff401f767415726f65b9.

Ominidawn accepting short story submissions for Fabulist and New Wave Fabulist Fiction. Submission deadline March 31. Details at http://www.omnidawn.com/fiction_submissions.htm.

West Branch A Twice-Yearly Journal of Literature Published at Bucknell University's Stadler Center for Poetry. The 2007-08 reading period is open. Fiction and nonfiction submissions may be sent by email, poetry submissions only by postal mail. Submission deadline is April 15. Submission guidelines at http://www1.bucknell.edu/Arts_at_Bucknell/West_Branch/Submit.html.

Fred Bonnie Memorial Award For Best First Novel, sponsored by River City Publishing. Entries must be postmarked before April 30. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.rivercitypublishing.com/newsite/bonnie.html.

Sol Books Poetry Series grants one annual award for a book-length collection of poetry. The winning entry will receive a standard royalty contract, including a $500 advance, and be published as an ebook, with the possibility of a printed version being produced at a later date. Finalists may also be offered a publishing contract. Submission deadline April 30th. Details and guidelines at http://solbooks.com/contests/poetrycontestrules.html.

The 2008 Mid-American Review Fineline Competition for Prose Poems, Short Shorts, and Anything In Between. First prize $1,000 plus publication. Submission deadline May 1. Guidelines at http://www.bgsu.edu/studentlife/organizations/midamericanreview/2008fineline.html.

Third Annual Rising Star Competition for High School and College Writers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. by The Nature of Words, Central Oregon's premier literary event. Submission deadline May 10. Details and guidelines at http://www.thenatureofwords.org/Writing-Contest/default.aspx.

Many Mountains Moving Press 2008 Poetry Book Contest. $1000 and publication. Submission deadline June 1. Details at http://mmminc.org.

OPEN CALLS

Absey & Co. accepts mainstream fiction and nonfiction, poetry, educational books, especially those dealing in language arts. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.absey.com/.

Carnifex Press is proud to announce the formation of our new imprint, which will focus exclusively on Young Adult Fantasy and Horror novellas. Reading period is open until further notice. Details and guidelines at http://carnifexpress.net/blogs/index.php?cat=61.

Coffee House Press publishes emerging and midcareer authors – literary novels, full-length short story collections, and essays. Details at http://www.coffeehousepress.org/resources.asp.

ColumbiaKids. The Washington State Historical Society is proud to announce a new online children's magazine called ColumbiaKids, due to launch in August 2008. Thanks to a grant from the Verizon Foundation, this new e-publication wil bring a whole new twist to exploring Washington history. Written especially for kids up to age 12, ColumbiaKids will feature amazing people, places, and objects from the Pacific Northwest's past. With exciting stories and special departments such as "One Day in History," "Homework Helper," and "Northwest Hotspot," ColumbiaKids will not only be a great read for children, it will be a fabulous resource for teachers who want to integrate reading, writing, and Pacific Northwest history. Writers and illustrators interested in receiving submission guidelines should email columbiakids@wshs.wa.gov.

Dreamriver Press is a freshly launched publishing house. We print books contributing to the positive change taking place on the planet – moving us into a new age. We are mainly interested in works on topics of "spirituality/mind-body-spirit" and "environment." For more information, view our Web site at www.dreamriverpress.com.

Leaf Press – Monday's Poem. We select 4 poems from those we receive each month. Please email your poem and bio to ursula@leafpress.ca. Subject Line: Monday's Poem. We ask for non-exclusive

one-time electronic rights only, but poets are given an option to archive the poem on the site.

Please supply credits for poems previously published in the journals; poems published in books or on another Web site are not eligible. We will ask selected poets to email us a quirky photo as well. We regret not being able to pay in cash—10080 minutes of fame is the best we can do. More details at http://www.leafpress.ca/guidelines.htm.

Main Channel Voices: A Dam Fine Literary Magazine seeks eclectic, accessible poetry. Rolling submission periods. Details at http://www.mainchannelvoices.com.

Mid-List Press is a nonprofit literary press dedicated to the survival of the mid-list, those quality titles that are being neglected by the larger commercial houses. Our focus is on new and emerging writers. Details and guidelines at http://www.midlist.org/generalsubmissions.cfm.

Narrative Magazine welcomes submissions of previously unpublished manuscripts of all lengths, from short short stories to complete book-length works. We regularly publish fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including stories, novels, novel excerpts, novellas, personal essays, humor, sketches, memoirs, literary biographies, commentary, reportage, interviews, and features of interest to readers who take pleasure in storytelling and imaginative prose. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.narrativemagazine.com/shared/submit.php.

No Record Press is a new press specializing in literary and experimental fiction and poetry titles. They also publish The Red Anthology and Poetry Flyer. Someone on their staff reportedly said, "We accept only previously unpublished writers who have neither obtained, nor are in the process of obtaining, an MFA in fiction." http://www.no-record.com/

River City Publishing publishes books of national appeal, with an emphasis on Southern writers and Southern stories. Details http://www.rivercitypublishing.com/newsite/contact/submissions.html.

SNReview is looking for short stories of less than 7000 words, creative nonfiction of less than 7000 words, and poetry. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.snreview.org/.

The Sylvan Echo online literary journal is accepting electronic submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, editorial works, book reviews and artwork. Please see submission guidelines at http://sylvanecho.net.

Unbridled Books dedicated to publishing high-quality works that are moving, beautiful, and surprising. Details and guidelines at http://www.unbridledbooks.com/.

The Whidbey Student Choice Award for Short Forms. The Whidbey Student Choice award is open to writers of all genres, locations, and levels of professional attainment. We only require you keep the word count below 1,000 and follow the posted guidelines. Don't delay. The submission mailbox closes each month as soon as a winner is chosen. Guidelines and submission portal can be found at www.whidbeystudents.com/WSContest. Some great editing suggestions can be found at http://www.whidbeystudents.com/WSContestChecklist.htm.

Wolf Pirate Publishing. Another new press. Wolf Pirate specializes in genre fiction: Contemporary Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Suspense, Thriller. Details and submission guidelines at http://www.wolf-pirate.com/.

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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 at http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/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.com/.

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WIWA'S WISH LIST

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 email wiwa@whidbey.com. WIWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations may be tax deductible.

Wanted: The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press (Looking for an angel who would order a used one through Amazon.com and have it shipped to us at WIWA, P. O. Box 1280, Langley, WA 98260).

Ongoing: Phone cards, copy paper, and new books on writing (to be used as prizes in the annual youth writing contest) always appreciated!

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WIWA SEEKS

Volunteer Newsletter Editor

Okay, not strictly volunteer – for one year’s work, six editions, you get free conference registration, worth over $300. And my two awesome peer reviewers say that good humor is a MUST qualification. Okay, here’s the official Want Ad:

WIWA Seeks Volunteer Editor for Newsletter – This position calls for an enthusiastic individual who is interested in taking an active role in all aspects of the Whidbey Island Writers Association, including the annual conference, local programs, the master of fine arts program and membership benefits. The editor will solicit and edit news, information and articles as well as develop and report stories and news events of interest to writers and the Association. Click here for details.

Volunteer Roving Reporters

Fame! Glamour! 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 email 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.

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QUOTATIONS

NOTE: Please send us quotations about writing that you would like to share.

“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” – Zora Neale Hurston

“He who seldom speaks, and with one calm well-timed word can strike dumb the loquacious, is a genius or a hero.” – Johann Kaspar Lavater

“A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.” – Mark Twain

“In the real world, nothing happens at the right place at the right time. It is the job of journalists and historians to correct that.” – Mark Twain

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CYBERSURFING

NOTE: If you find a Web site you think other writers would find useful, send us the URL.

Aack!! I have no cool Web site discoveries to share with you this edition!

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WRITERS ASK / WRITERS RESPOND

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?

In the December edition, we published a question from WIWA member Dan McGuire asking: What exactly is "creative" nonfiction? We got three great responses from two experts in the field.

Writers Respond #1 – Wayne Ude, Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Fiction Faculty

Creative nonfiction can include the kind of article writing done in magazines and newspaper special sections but includes other kinds of nonfiction as well. The focus is usually on the author's experience and personal reactions and ideas as much as on the material covered. The "genre" also tends to use techniques borrowed from fiction and poetry which are not always used in journalism, including a less down-to-earth writing style. However, it doesn't "fictionalize" the experience, but stays closer to the facts than does fiction. Memoir and nature writing are a couple of examples of creative nonfiction.

Tom Wolfe was (and still is) one of the leading practitioners in his books of nonfiction. John McPhee is another. Truman Capote's In Cold Blood is an example of creative nonfiction which uses a lot of techniques normally associated with fiction.

Journalism tries to be fact-based and to keep the writer's opinions out except on the editorial page and in first-person feature articles in special sections of the newspaper ("Living" or "Travel" for example). It also strives for a very down-to-earth style since the focus is on reader understanding, while creative nonfiction tries for a more literary style.

A lot of magazine feature writing could be called journalism or creative nonfiction, since the two definitely overlap.

Writers Respond #2 – Christina Baldwin lives in Freeland and teaches “The Self as the Source of the Story,” at The Aldermarsh in Clinton and across the continent. Her Web site is: www.peerspirit.com or www.storycatcher.net.

I have been teaching creative nonfiction for twenty years and am quite aware of the dilemma inherent in the name of this genre. And as both a teacher and writer, I’ve had to explore this dilemma countless times. So here’s my current understanding:

Creative nonfiction is writing that has broken free from the legal requirements of courtroom testimony (“the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God…”) and from the restrictions and expectations of journalism (who/what/when/where/why and how…) and yet remains solidly tethered to the writer’s personal experience. The life experience being explored in a piece of creative nonfiction needs to have actually happened: I grew up in Minnesota. My parents’ divorce sent me into the stories of their marriage. My brother served in Vietnam while I served in the peace movement. I have two adopted stepchildren… As a reader, you need to be able to trust that all this is true, that it represents a factual reality and structure in my life and in my story. That’s the nonfiction part.

The creative part is where the dilemma gets activated: in this genre the writer will sometimes combine several characters into one, or disguise certain defining characteristics, to protect personal identities of those who may not be thrilled to find themselves in someone else’s published work, or to protect the writer from libel, or to simplify the story. The writer may take memory of an event and augment it with details that make for better writing without actually remembering whether the table-cloth in a certain scene was checkered or not, or if I was eating spaghetti or lasagna when my college boyfriend was breaking up with me. Or I may combine several visits to the family homestead into one trip. The goal in creative nonfiction for the writer is to make meaning out of raw experience, to donate one’s life to creative process and come up with something slightly different—the story of what happened, and, eventually, seeing that story provides us with a way to make peace with what happened. When this insight happens the personal tale becomes a universal teacher—and just as we were compelled to write it, we now desire to share it. Story is a map: the story that gets one person through can help get another person through. This is the great promise of creative nonfiction: story informs and enlightens the human condition. And to serve each other in that way, we have to cut a little slack around the edges of literal truth.

In my book, Storycatcher, Making Sense of our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story, I address the dilemma this way: “We understand that story is not the gospel truth, or journalism, or courtroom testimony. Story is life …slightly distorted by personal experience, perception, inclination, and fancy. This is the nature of story. The fish gets a little bigger, the storm gets a little wilder, the love gets a little stronger, our bravery or disappointment gets a little exaggerated in the telling over time. There is creative tension in story. When we hear it, when we read it, when we speak it, when we write it, we filter words through our own experiences and our need for meaning.”

And it is this legacy of meaning-making that most inspires me as a writer and a reader. I am in awe of people’s abilities to mine the territory of their lives for meaning, to go into very dark places with a candle of courage and take us with them and show us our own capacity to spin life’s straw into gold. “What is truer than truth?” is asked in Hasidic tradition—and the answer: “the story.”

Writers Respond #3 – a postscript from Wayne Ude after reading Christina Baldwin’s response.

This is a great definition – much more detailed than my bare-bones answer. It also gets into one of the key issues for creative nonfiction: how much combining and re-arranging and making up of a typical day or experience is allowed. I think the key is this: creative nonfiction sometimes re-arranges the facts in order to get at the inner truth. But it must always focus on that truth, including, as she suggests, the basic reality – a single child probably can't invent five brothers, for example. But that child could combine a couple of childhood friends in order to help re-create what that childhood was like.

I think there is a distinction at times between facts and truth, which is an idea not everyone would accept.

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.

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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. 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, email writers@whidbey.com. The WIWA Web site is http://www.writeonwhidbey.com.

2008 newsletter submission dates:

March 15 for April 1 edition

May 15 for June 1 edition

July 15 for August 1 edition

September 15 for October 1 edition

November 15 for December 1 edition

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TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE

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 email announcing when each new edition of the newsletter is available, send an email, with SUBSCRIBE WIWA in the subject line, to wiwa@whidbey.com. If you would like to unsubscribe, please reply to the announcing email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject, and we will delete you from our records. WIWA will not share or sell your name or email address.