****************************************************************** W R I T I N G W O R L D A World of Writing Information - For Writers Around the World http://www.writing-world.com Issue 8:02 5,544 subscribers February 7, 2008 ****************************************************************** SPECIAL NOTICE: Please DO NOT REPLY to this e-mail; any messages sent in reply to the newsletter are deleted. See the bottom of this newsletter for information on how to subscribe, unsubscribe, or contact the editors. ****************************************************************** CONTENTS ================================================================== The Editor's Desk Guest Editorial - Moira Allen NEWS from the World of Writing FEATURE: As Easy As ABC by Theresa O'Shea The Write Sites -- Online Resources for Writers THE WRITING DESK: Why Can't I finish my book? by Moira Allen COMING UP NEXT MONTH IN WRITING-WORLD WRITING CONTESTS with no entry fees The Author's Bookshelf ****************************************************************** EARN AN MFA IN WRITING through the brief-residency program at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. Call (800) 896-8941x2423or email mfa"at"spalding.edu and request brochure FA90. For more info: http://www.spalding.edu/mfa ****************************************************************** WRITERSCOLLEGE.COM has 57 online courses. Prices are low. If you can reach our web site, you can take our courses. http://www.WritersCollege.com ****************************************************************** DISCOUNTED SOFTWARE FOR WRITERS -- PowerWriter, DramaticaPro,StoryCraft, WritePro, MovieMagic, StyleWriter, plus many more. HUGE SAVINGS! GREAT SELECTION! Save online at: http://www.MasterFreelancer.com ****************************************************************** LEARN HOW TO BREAK INTO PRINT. Train with an experienced professional author--online or by mail. Create manuscripts that are ready to submit to editors in the $200 billion publishing market. Train online or by mail. Free Writing Test offered. http://www.breakintoprint.com/T6640 ****************************************************************** RETIRE THIS YEAR . . . WRITING Imagine a writing job in which you set your own hours, and live wherever you please. As a copywriter, you can. Learn more http://www.thewriterslife.com/rty/wworlda6 ****************************************************************** FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK ================================================================== Thank you - now I want your help --------------------------------- I would like to start this editorial by welcoming our new subscribers and thanking all of you who have re-subscribed to Writing-World following our change of newsletter host. Prior to our change of host we had over 16,000 subscribers, however, it turned out that many of these 'subscribers' were in reality inactive email addresses - hence the sudden drop in numbers. At least our new host provides us with accurate information and we now know exactly how many real subscribers we have. We have gained 800 new subscribers since the beginning of January and I want to thank you all for your support --without you there wouldn't be a Writing-World. So, thank you. But I also want to remind you all that there is much more to Writing-World than the newsletter; don't forget that we have an archive of over 600 articles online, covering all writing genres. If you want to know something you can find it at Writing-World. However, I want to ensure that we continue to provide you with the best of writing information and in the best format. So over the next few months I will be asking your opinion regarding possible changes to the newsletter. For the moment I have decided to suspend the Inquiring Writer as we're not getting many questions from writers, or replies to writers' questions. So, rather than running this column every month I will now only run it when we have questions from writers to put to the rest of the writing community. So, if you do have a niggle, a problem you can't quite get to grips with, something that is bothering you and you wonder how other writers deal with it -- let me know and I'll put your question to the Writing-World readers. I would also welcome your feedback regarding the newsletter on the following three items: news, contests and genres. First of all, I want your opinion on the news section. Do you use it? Is it useful to you? Would you like to retain it as it is or would you prefer to have just the headlines and a link to the story? Secondly, what do you think about our contests information? Should we give you longer notice, i.e. tell you about contests with deadlines occurring later than next month, as I have done this issue, or keep it as it normally is with contest information limited to contests with deadlines falling within the next five weeks? Finally, are we covering the genres you want to see covered? We are Writing-World and I want to ensure we do cover the whole world of writing opportunities. As such I am not only open to submissions again, but I have also determined that each issue should have a nonfiction item and a fiction item, to start to give some balance to these two aspects of writing. But before you dash of your suggestions, remember, we do also have a huge archive of articles on every genre under the sun; as I always say, if you want to find it, you can find it on Writing-World. So to help me to make this newsletter the best resource for writers, I would like your comments on the above three items only. Send your comments to editorial"at"writing-world.com with the subject line Comments. As there are always new developments in writing, new areas, new approaches, new tacks on old topics; I am finally open again to submissions -- both original works and reprints. Before you dash off your query letter though, do first of all check our archive of over 600 articles to ensure we haven't already covered that topic. We want articles aimed at the fairly experienced freelance writer as well as the newbie and we want articles written by people with experience in the topic matter they are covering. I don't want articles on "How to create a gripping first chapter" from an author who hasn't been published. Once I have sufficient articles for the next twelve months I shall once again close to submissions. Queries and articles should be sent to: editorial"at"writing-world.com. Please allow 3 weeks for a reply. I look forward to hearing from you. -- Dawn Copeman, Newsletter Editor ****************************************************************** CHILDREN'S WRITERS COMPETITIVE EDGE.12-page monthly newsletter of editors current wants and needs--up to 50 each month. Plus market studies and genre analyses loaded with editors tips and insights into subjects and writing styles they're looking for right now. Get a Free sample issue. http://www.thechildrenswriter.com/M0509 ****************************************************************** LINGUISTIC DEPRAVITY CRIME/MYSTERY GENRE NOVELLA ANTHOLOGY CONTEST. First Prize $300, Second Prize $200, Third Prize $100 plus copies. Submit an unpublished novella in mystery/crime fiction genre of 17,500 to 40,000 words. Reading fee: $25.00. Deadline for submissions: midnight, February 28, 2008. Winners announced May 2008. Visit www.linguisticdepravity.com for complete guidelines. ****************************************************************** GUEST EDITORIAL ================================================================== Don't Do Us Any Favors.... ----------------------- It has been said that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Surely, therefore, outright COPYING must be even more flattering, right? That seems to be the opinion of a number of writers, editors and website hosts these days. Or so we have come to feel this past month, when Writing-World.com seemed to be hitting the jackpot on what certain editors considered "favors" -- but what we (and the law) consider to be theft. The first "favor" came from a newsletter published by a reputable writing group (we won't bother to name it), run by experienced writers whose stated purpose is to INFORM other writers about the business and craft of writing. Dawn was less than delighted to discover that this group had taken one of her articles off the Writing-World.com website and posted it in the newsletter. Unfortunately, the first Dawn heard of this was when a reader of that newsletter wrote to congratulate her on being "published" in such a prestigious venue. Dawn didn't bother to point out to the kind reader that her article had, in fact, been published in an even more prestigious venue already -- a venue that had actually PAID for the privilege of using her work. (Yes, I mean us.) She did, however, point this out to the editors of the offending newsletter. Their answer (paraphrased a bit): "Oh, gosh, well, (a) most writers are really THRILLED when we use their material as it gives them extra publicity, and (b) we assumed that the material was copyright-free and for public release." One might suppose that the copyright notice prominently posted with the article would have provided a clue as to the article's copyright status (that's why we put it there!). As for assuming that material found online is in the public domain or free for public use, that's the sort of mistake that one expects from, at most, utterly new and inexperienced writers or webmasters. It is NOT the sort of excuse one expects to hear from experienced, published writers who, presumably, are fairly anxious to protect their OWN written materials. When Dawn pointed this out, she got the best excuse of all: "Well, actually, we farm out the newsletter to another organization, so we're not responsible..." Yes, you are. If your name is on it, you are responsible for what's in it. Finally, garumping and harumphing, the newsletter apologized to Dawn and agreed not to post any more of her articles (or any others from Writing-World.com) without permission, even though, as they reminded us, MOST people considered this a FAVOR... Next to arrive was a link to a webpage run by a person whom I have to assume DOES fall under the category of "new and inexperienced." This writer (with, I truly believe, the best intentions) first contacted Dawn to ask if Dawn would consider writing a column for her. Dawn said yes. The next thing Dawn knew, one of her older columns was prominently featured on this writer's website, followed by the entire text of one of our newsletters. This time I decided to get involved, and wrote a (reasonably) polite note to the writer, pointing out that the materials that she had posted were covered by copyright, that she had not received permission to use them, and that we did not grant permission to post our newsletters online. I also pointed out that the newsletter contained an article by yet another writer who owned copyright to that material and who would need to provide permission for such reprinting. I received no reply. The materials remained online. Finally, feeling a bit testy, I wrote a stiffer note, pointing out that the first warning had been the nice one, and that if she did not remove the offending materials, she was breaking the law and I would be forced to contact her ISP to request that her site be shut down for copyright violations. At this point the writer contacted Dawn again (for some reason she doesn't seem to want to talk to me, possibly because I bite), and claimed to have written several e-mails to Dawn (which were never received), but that since Dawn didn't want her work online, the materials would be removed (which they were). But, the writer protested, MOST writers really APPRECIATE having her put up "links" to their work... She was just doing us a FAVOR! So here's the plea: Writers, editors, website hosts -- don't do us, or any other writer, this type of "favor." Using someone's work without their permission is not a favor. It's copyright infringement. Put bluntly, it's stealing. Both Dawn and the writer whose article appeared in the stolen newsletter are professional writers who get PAID for their work. Hence, using that work for free isn't doing either of them any "favors." But the issue isn't about payment. The issue of theft doesn't arise just because a publication uses one's work without payment. It arises when a publication uses one's work WITHOUT PERMISSION. The irony is that, in many cases, writers are more than happy to say "yes" to requests to reprint our material. The key word is "requests." All either of these folks needed to do was to ASK. Instead, they took. If one really believes that one is "doing a writer a favor," then there should be no reason NOT to ask that writer first, right? By not asking, one conveys the strong impression that one is not seeking to "help the writer" -- but to "help oneself." The truth is that many writers, like Dawn and myself, really do appreciate being "sought after" even when no money is involved. Our primary goal is to help writers, not to get rich. In fact, the majority of my own articles on Writing-World.com are available for reprinting absolutely free. But it's not simply "nice" to be asked first. It's necessary. Before you decide to do a writer a "favor," do them the ultimate favor first and ASK PERMISSION. Otherwise, you're infringing upon that writer's copyright. And the next writer may decide to bite considerably harder... For more information on rights and permissions, see: Getting Permission to Publish: Ten Tips for Webmasters http://www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/articles/ilaw/pub_permission.html -- Moira Allen, Publisher ****************************************************************** HIRE EX-MACMILLAN EDITOR http://www.AnitaMcClellan.com. Fiction,nonfiction for all ages: Get the big picture from in-depth editing, evaluations, synopsis & proposal critiques. Email adm"at"AnitaMcClellan.com Subject "DeptWWorld". ****************************************************************** WANT PUBLICITY IN MAJOR MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS? Join Us Thursday, Feb. 13th for a free telephone seminar and discover how to get major print publicity. http://www.getmajorpress.com/call11008 ****************************************************************** NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING ================================================================== Call for Entries: The Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship ----------------------------------------------------- Nickelodeon is offering writing fellowships in live action and animated television to writers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Participants will have hands-on interaction with executives writing spec scripts and pitching story ideas. The program, developed to broaden Nickelodeon's outreach efforts, provides a salaried position for up to one year. The next submission period runs from January 2 - February 28, 2008. Applications are welcome from US citizens aged 18 years old or older. Applications and submission guidelines are available at http: www.nickwriting.com. Information via phone: 818.736.3663 Information via email: info.writing"at"nick.com End in site for Writers' Strike? --------------------------------- According to many reports in the media, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is in serious talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to bring the writers' strike to an end. It is hoped by many in the industry that the deal struck between the Directors' Guild of America (DGA) and AMPTP for better working conditions could lead to an agreement between the two parties to bring the strike to an end. The strike has now been running for 13 weeks and 3 days and has cost the industry an estimated $1 billion. In the UK the strike has even affected the BAFTAs (British Film and Television Awards) as many Hollywood actors are refusing to attend in support of the strike. For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/2sgucj or http://www.wga.org/ Copyrighted Getty Images to be made available ---------------------------------------------- Thousands of copyrighted images from the Getty archive will soon be legally available to bloggers, publishers and websites. PicScout, a developer of online digital tracking technology has reached an agreement with Getty Images to make these images available to users of PicScout's new digital application PicAp. All the images will, however, carry advertising and the revenue this generates will be shared between Getty Images and the person using the photos. For more information visit: http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/531009.php Rise in complaints to Press Complaints Commission ------------------------------------------------ The Press Complaints Commission (PCC), an independent body in the UK which deals with complaints from members of the public about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines, has seen a surge in the number of complaints it receives. Last year it received, investigated, resolved or upheld more complaints than at any time in its history. 4340 complaints were made to the PCC, a rise of nearly a third (31%) over 2006. For more information visit: http://www.pcc.org.uk/news/index.html?article=NDkwMw== New York Times to send news to cell phones ------------------------------------------- The New York Times has set up a service that will deliver the latest news, features and columns from the newspaper as well as features from The Times Magazine to cell phones and mobile devices. To receive the latest three articles from a given section or the most recent column from their favorite writer, users simply need to send a text message with the appropriate keyword. For more information and to access the list of keywords visit: http://tinyurl.com/2xj7bc AFP reporters banned from using Facebook ---------------------------------------- Agence France Presse (AFP) has banned its reporters from using sites such as Facebook or Wikipedia as sources for stories and articles. The company made the decision due to the problems of ensuring the truth of claims made on these sites. For more information visit: http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/530941.php Publishers go green ------------------- The international publishing houses are trying to improve their environmental reputation and to cut their carbon footprint, according to an article in Publishing News. Major American and British publishers have joined the recently formed Booksellers Association/Publishers Association Environmental Action Group which will meet quarterly to discuss ways in which the publishing industry can go green. They will be looking at the type and source of paper used to produce books, the environmental impact of returns and ways to reduce energy consumption. For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/2jlzpm ****************************************************************** LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED MENTOR? Work privately with a widely published poet and writer, poetry editor, college writing instructor, life coach, and licensed psychotherapist through telephone conferences and E-mail. 616-942-7179 or Loschneide "at"aol.com References available ****************************************************************** As Easy As ABC ================================================================== by Theresa O'Shea Early on in my writing career, I came across an article in a gardening magazine entitled 20 Things you Never Knew about Mistletoe. Inspired, I researched and sold two similar features: one on holly and ivy, the other on Easter eggs. Since then, among the hundreds of articles I have had published worldwide, around one in five has been in a non-straight text format. These include 20 Things, Top Tens and A-Z's. The advantages of choosing such formats are many: - Editors love them and will often use the title on the front page to hook readers - Bite-sized chunks of information are in - look at the success of books such as Why don't Penguins Feet Freeze? - They are perfect for recycling previously published articles - They can be researched and written in short bursts - They force you to produce tight, crisp text - Structure is straightforward Twenty Things you Never Knew about ... ---------------------------------------- The editor of a general interest magazine will have lost count of the seasonal articles she has received on the history of the Christmas Tree / Halloween / Valentine's Day etc. Dig up a few unusual facts, look for modern snippets as well as historical ones, and suggest a 20 Things feature, and you're much more likely to grab her interest. The same approach works for specialist publications. For a cat magazine, for example, you could suggest 20 things about a particular breed; for a healthy living magazine, 20 things about the latest wonder food. The number 20 is not written in stone: 21 and 15 both work well, too. At first glance, the number 28 might not seem very inspiring, but I recently sold a timely piece called 28 Things you Never Knew about Andalucía to an expat publication in Spain, February 28 is Andalucía Day, so the number worked perfectly. How about 17 Things for Saint Patrick's Day, 14 things for Valentine's Day, or 24 things for ...? Well, you figure something out. Catchy titles won't necessarily sell your pitch, but they certainly help. Writing about quirky aspects of a Spanish Christmas I used Navidad instead of Christmas to give the alliterating 20 Things you Never Knew about Navidad. And wouldn't you at least be curious about an article entitled 20 Things you Never Knew about Nipples? Can't find an alliteration, then change the number: 17 Things you Never Knew about Siamese Cats, 14 Ways to Feng Shui your Office, and so on. Top Tens -------- Travel Top Tens are hot right now. They are useful, digestible and as the Americans say, actionable. Open any travel or property magazine and you're sure to see Top Tens - or Fives or Sevens - of everything from Golf properties and spas to yoga retreats and fun parks. Contact details and costs, if relevant, are usually given at the end of each entry. Think of a sector - vegetarians, disabled people, solo women travellers, people travelling with pets - and aim the roundup at them. Ten Vegetarian Tapa Treats, Ten Pet-friendly Hotels, Top Ten Disabled Destinations; once you start brainstorming it's hard to stop. Get more mileage out of your original idea and go from global to local. I wrote a piece about naturist beaches and resorts called Ten Places to Get Your Kit off for a European in-flight magazine, focusing on the airline's destinations. Narrowing the scope, I then re-wrote it for one of the Spain magazines, and finally, narrowed it further still for a publication on the Costa del Sol. Find a reason for writing about a particular destination - to coincide with a festival, for example - and turn out a Top Ten Things to do / places to visit there. And don't forget the downsides, either. Try a best of / worst of approach: Barcelona: What not to miss, What to avoid, The Highs and Lows of the Munich Beer Festival, and so on. A-Z's ------ The mechanics of the A-Z are slightly more complicated. If you write one entry per letter for a 1500-word article, this means an average of 57 words per entry. Sometimes, though, you will need more than one headword for certain letters, making the average length of each one considerably shorter. This can be tough, but provides great practice in making every word count. A-Z's are attractive to the editor because they are quirky and eye-catching. For the writer, they are especially useful for revamping and updating old articles. I have re-written features on subjects such as aphrodisiacs, hangovers, learning to drive, and natural beauty into A-Z's that were easy to sell and quick to turn around. The format also works well for beginners guides that explain the jargon related to a particular hobby or activity: An A-Z Guide to Digital photography / for Naturist Newbies / of Bullfighting. If you're targeting country-specific magazines, the A-Z is an ideal vehicle for language-related topics. In a feature on shops in Spain, I wrote the headwords in Spanish, followed by a brief translation, and then a commentary. The success I have had with this kind of article actually led to me co-writing an entire book about Spain in an A-Z format. Peter Mayle has done a similar thing in his Provence A-Z. Tips ----- - Top tens, A-Zs, and 20 Things are NOT a soft option. Triple check all facts and write tight - While a conclusion is not necessary, an introductory paragraph may be useful to draw in the reader and set the context - Strike a balance between more well-known and lesser-known snippets when writing 20 Things and A-Z articles - Word can play havoc with numbered points in an article. Write the entries first, decide the order, and then number them - With A-Z's, it's OK to omit one or two tough letters, like Q or X. You will need a Z, though, so browse the dictionary and think creatively >>-----------------------------------------------------<< Copyright (c) 2008 by Theresa O'Shea Theresa O'Shea is co-author (with Valerie Collins) of an A-Z book, called In the Garlic: Your Informative, Fun Guide to Spain (Santana Books). Her website is at http://www.inthegarlic.com For more information on writing and selling list articles visit http://www.writing-world.com/freelance/lists.shtml ****************************************************************** GRANTS FOR WRITERS: FOLLOW THE MONEY! Download this recorded class jam-packed with useful specifics for locating grant money to help actualize your writing project. Don't leave money sitting on the table! Go to http://www.lulu.com/content/1270501 for details and to order. ****************************************************************** NEW AND ESTABLISHED MARKETS FOR YOUR WRITING. Up-to-date submission guidelines/leads for poetry, short prose, and book projects. You'll receive your FREE report TODAY via email NEWSFLASH. Visit http://www.writersrelief.com or call toll-free (866) 405-3003. Absolutely no subscription or purchase necessary. We'll share our know-how with you. In our 15th Year! ****************************************************************** THE WRITE SITES ================================================================== Interview with Moira Allen -------------------------- Moira was interviewed by Debbie Ridpath Ohi for Inkygirl. http://www.inkygirl.com/interview-with-moira-allen/ The Desk Drawer ----------------- An e-mail writing group that posts weekly writing exercises for members to complete, share and critique. http://www.winebird.com A Book Inside -------------- New free monthly ezine geared toward new writers, written by an author with three published books. http://abookinside.blogspot.com. Ink Provoking ------------- New site offering a new writing prompt daily from Monday to Friday. http://www.inkprovoking.com/ 11 Rules of Writing -------------------- I think there are more - but this is a good introduction to the 11 most common offences against English grammar and punctuation. A very useful site. http://www.junketstudies.com/rulesofw/ OWL handouts ------------- The Online Writing Lab is mainly aimed at students learning how to write thesis papers and essays, BUT has some useful handouts for general writers too. Check out the articles on how to avoid wordiness, coping with writing anxiety and outlining for a start. It also has tips on poetry. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/index2.html Admit 2 ------- Unusual online literary magazine that only accepts work written by two or more authors working together. Very useful for writing circles and writing partners and a good read too. http://www.admit2.net/admit2.htm ****************************************************************** WRITE BETTER; WRITE FASTER; WRITE IT RIGHT! Discover a simple five-step process for creating flawless written text. Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like The Pros shows you how! $17.95 + s/h. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0974496626/peregrine ****************************************************************** WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER - You can download a free list of writing markets if you subscribe this week. Discover almost 2,000 writing markets from USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australasia. http://www.worldwidefreelance.com ****************************************************************** CAN'T GET PUBLISHED? Be a Well-Fed Self-Publisher and make a living! Control the process and timetable. Keep the rights AND most of the profits. Here's the step-by-step blueprint used to create a full-time living from ONE book! By the award-winning author of The Well-Fed Writer. http://www.wellfedsp.com. ****************************************************************** THE WRITING DESK - Why can't I finish my book? ================================================================== By Moira Allen Q: I have been working on romance book for more than three years!!! The same one. I have my story, which I think is perfect. I have kept my basic story line, but I am always changing it and rewriting it over, because I am afraid it may be too much. My husband says that I have become obsessed with this book. Also, should I send a publisher the entire book when I am or ready or just a summary? A: I know the problem well -- I've done the same myself. However, if you are truly interested in finding publication, eventually you will have to decide on the version of the story that seems to work best for you, and start working on submitting it to publishers. It is always tempting to rewrite -- but sometimes too much rewriting can do more harm than good -- in changing too many things, you may lose track of some of the ideas that inspired you to write this particular story in the first place. Could it be that you're afraid that if you let this story go, you won't be able to find another? Or could it be that you are so deeply involved with this set of characters that you find it difficult to "let them go" and write about someone else? It can be difficult to let characters go (they're like our children) and move on to another novel or story, but again, if you truly want publication, you'll have to make this move eventually. Here's a suggestion: Put your story aside for awhile, and try writing some short stories. Use completely different characters and a completely different setting. Play with ideas that you haven't used in your novel. This can help give you some different perspectives and ideas that you wouldn't otherwise discover or explore by rewriting your novel. (Rewriting the same novel keeps you limited to that world, that perspective, those characters -- until it can be hard to see anything beyond that setting.) The stories you write don't have to be good, even marketable -- but they will serve as an exercise to stretch your creative boundaries beyond the world in which your novel takes place. Once you've "played around" with some ideas beyond your story, this may give you a new and clearer perspective on the novel itself, and what exactly you want to do with it. It may also help you put aside that rewriting and focus on new projects (which you'll need to do once you send that novel "out the door" to a publisher.) In seeking a publisher, the answer to your question is "find out what the publisher wants." Publishers have very specific guidelines, and those guidelines can usually be found in the current issue of The Writer's Market. You can also locate many publishers' guidelines online. Since this is a romance novel, look up the publishers of romance novels that you like to read, and find their websites; their guidelines will usually be posted. There, you can find out whether to submit the manuscript, or an outline, or whether you'll need an agent to submit. >>-----------------------------------------------------<< Copyright (c) 2008 by Moira Allen Moira Allen, publisher of Writing-World.com, has published more than 350 articles and columns and seven books, including How to Write for Magazines, Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, The Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals, and Writing.com: Creative Internet Strategies to Advance Your Writing Career. Allen has served as columnist and contributing editor for The Writer and has written for Writer's Digest, Byline, and various other writing publications. In addition to Writing-World.com, Allen hosts the travel website TimeTravel-Britain.com and The Pet Loss Support Page. She can be contacted at editors"at"writing-world.com. For more information on writing novels visit: http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/index.shtml ****************************************************************** COMING UP in THE NEXT ISSUE OF WRITING-WORLD... ================================================================== Nonfiction ----------- Moira Allen will teach you how to write a family history step-by-step. Fiction/Poetry -------------- Sheila Bender will provide us with some handy writing exercises to boost fiction and poetry writing. Plus we'll have the results of your feedback on the content and structure of Writing-World. Your next issue will appear in your inboxes on March 6th. ****************************************************************** RECOMMENDED WRITING CLASSES ================================================================== Fundamentals of Fiction, by Marg Gilks. 8 weeks, $150; enroll at any time! http://www.writing-world.com/classes/fiction.shtml ****************************************************************** WRITING CONTESTS ================================================================== This section lists contests that charge no entry fees. Unless otherwise indicated, competitions are open to all adult writers. TRAVELING STORIES MAGAZINE WRITING CONTEST ----------------------------------------- DEADLINE: February 28, 2008 GENRE: Nonfiction DETAILS: 300 - 1000 words traveling story or a traveling article. You could provide travel advice, or address philosophical questions pertaining to the traveling community. PRIZE: $150 URL: http://tinyurl.com/2m4zaj EMAIL: travelingstories"at"gmail.com THE INNERMOONLIT AWARD FOR BEST FIRST CHAPTER OF A NOVEL -------------------------------------------------------- DEADLINE: March 1, 2008 GENRE: Books DETAILS: 2000 words max, all genres accepted. Over 18's only. All work to be submitted anonymously via email only. Entrants must specify that they are entering the Best First Chapter of a Novel Contest and must indicate the number of words in their submission. PRIZE: $100; $50; third prize: a signed copy of one of Brian Agincourt Massey's novels. URL: http://tinyurl.com/2s2uve THE HUMANIST ESSAY CONTEST -------------------------- DEADLINE: March 3, 2008 GENRE: Young Writers DETAILS: Contest is open to students residing in the United States or Canada who are enrolled in grades 9-12 as of the entry deadline. 1,500-2,500 word essay on a humanist topic (see magazine for ideas) written in English. PRIZE: $1000 URL: http://www.thehumanist.org/essaycontest.html EMAIL: contest"at"theHumanist.org. ODES TO OLYMPIANS POETRY CONTEST ----------------------------------- DEADLINE: March 31, 2008 GENRE: Poetry DETAILS: The Tapestry of Bronze is sponsoring a series of poetry contests to celebrate Greek and Roman mythology and the Olympian gods. The subject of the first contest is Zeus (also known as Jupiter), the King of the Gods. Each poem may be no longer than 30 lines and each poem must be in English. There are two categories of entry: under 18, 18 and over. No entries to be received before February 15. PRIZE: $50 in each category URL: http://www.tapestryofbronze.com/OdeForm.html WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST -- ------------------------------- DEADLINE: April 1, 2008 GENRE: Poetry DETAILS: Find a vanity poetry contest and submit your parody poem to a vanity contest as a joke. Then submit your entry to us. Poets of all nations are welcome. Your poem must be in English (inspired gibberish also accepted). Please submit only one poem during the submission period. Your poem may be of any length. PRIZE: 1st: $1,359 & publication, 2nd: $764 & publication, 3rd: $338 & publication, Twelve honorable mentions $72.95 each and publication. URL: http://tinyurl.com/yuaqs9 PORTIA STEELE AWARDS --------------------- DEADLINE: April 15, 2008 GENRE: Poetry/Nonfiction DETAILS: For women aged 50 or older. Submit poetry no longer than one and one-half pages, prose no longer than 500 words with word count noted. PRIZE: $100 in each category URL: http://www.portiasteeleaward.org/contest.htm EMAIL: contest"at"portiasteeleaward.org. ****************************************************************** AUTHOR'S BOOKSHELF: Books by Our Readers --------------------------------------------------------- The Authentic Self: Journaling Your Joys, Griefs and Everything in Between, by Shery Arrieta-Russ Journaling Kit - Your Personal Journaling Steroids, by Shery Arrieta-Russ Find these and more great books at http://www.writing-world.com/books/index.shtml Have you just had a book published? If so, let our readers know: just click on the link below to list your book. http://www.writing-world.com/books/listyours.shtml ****************************************************************** ADVERTISE in WRITING WORLD or on WRITING-WORLD.COM! 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