“Imitate other writers while you’re learning, deconstruct their books and learn from them. Then break out and be you.” – Christopher Isherwood.
BULLETIN: The
Fall 2020 NCWN Conference has been canceled. Instead, the Writingest
State Online Conference, a virtual alternative will be offered 11/10-14.
Registration starts in early September. See www.ncwriters.org for more details.
WMO Survey Results:
Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey. It is gratifying
that y'all seem to like what we are doing and most like the day and
time. A number of people expressed interest in having more open
discussions about writing and we will be announcing details of Writers
Discuss Away next month. We appreciate your comments and suggestions,
and invite you to contact me (Carol Phillips) if you would like to talk more about our future plans.
The 2020 WMO theme is “Inspiration.”
Together we’ll inspire each other to writing greatness (or, at least,
mediocrity). The current pandemic could inspire great literature as we
react to the events surrounding it and the unexpected consequences good,
bad, and ugly. Life goes on; writing goes on.
WMO MEETINGS will ZOOM
on the third Saturdays at 1:00 pm, through the end of the year, at
which time we will re-evaluate. Zoom invitations will be sent the
morning of each meeting. The NCWN sponsors WMO. Carol Phillips heads WMO. WMO’s blog.
Note:
We plan to continue to open our meetings with short check-ins about
what you are working on or what solutions you have found to difficulties
you were having. In order to keep have time for planned presentations,
we ask you keep your responses to 25 words. Think of it as practice for creating your elevator speeches.
July 18th is “Flash Fiction.” Zoom instructions
will be sent on Saturday morning, 07/18. Come join award-winning author
Ashley Memory as she emphasizes the ins and outs of flash fiction
writing. This topic coincides with this year’s Ultimate Flash Fiction
(UFF) contest. See below for details.
August 15th is “Writing Appetizers” with Jody Savage. Zoom instructions
will be sent on Saturday morning, 08/15 for this memoir writing
workshop., Jody will offer two short exercises, or “appetizers,” to be
completed during the meeting. Please have your laptop or pen and paper
ready to write. The exercises come from books on memoirs Jody
particularly likes, and additional exercises will be included in a
handout to be sent after the meeting, to help us decide which book will
be most useful to our writing style.
September 19th is “Negotiating”. Negotiating with a Midsize Press without an Agent with Jody Savage. More details coming later, but it sounds interesting.
WRITING-RELATED TIMELY EVENTS. Have one? Let Rick Bylina know.
*The Eleventh Annual Ultra Flash Fiction Contest will consist of two contests. Guidelines are below and on the WMO blog
Classes, Critique Groups, and Workshops
*07/09. 7-8:30 p.m. Pre-register at Poetry & Prose: A Virtual Gathering on Zoom. Orange Cty Pub Lib.
*07/13-16. Limited to 10 writers. Summer 2020 Creative Writing Online Workshop with Miranda Lutyens.
*Free online, self-paced course from Jody Savage (Stella Fosse) for midlife women interested in writing memoir through the lens of the erotic life.
Submission Opportunties
For new and on-going calls for submission from journals, contests, agents, and editors check out Poets and Writers and click "Publish Your Writing."
Submittable lists submission opportunities and you can sign-up for Duotrope's free monthly newsletter listing various opportunities.
*07/15. Deadline. Light and Dark Magazine. Fiction under 3K words.
*07/15. Deadline. storysouth. Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction.
*07/15. Deadline. $$. PRISM’s Nonfiction Contest.
*07/21. Deadline. $$. The Faulkner-Wisdom Competition. Nine categories for unpub/self-pub works.
*07/30. 7 p.m. Register in advance. NCWN community conversation “Black Voices, Vibrant Southern Cities.”
*07/31. Deadline. $. Press 53 Award for Poetry. Award to unpublished collection of poems.
*07/31. Deadline. $. Crazy horse Short-short Writing Contest.
*08/01. Deadline. Main Street Rag. Anthology of Mental Health Recovery. Uplifting stories.
*08/01. Deadline. $. South 85 Journal—poetry and flash fiction.
*08/15. Deadline. County Lines: A Literary Journal. See WMO Blog for guidelines.
*08/15. Deadline. The Crossroads Project (playwriting, no musicals).
*08/31. Deadline. $. U of New Orleans Press is looking for fiction manuscripts. $10K advance/pub contract.
*09/01. Deadline. $$. Steel Toe Books 2020 Prize in Prose.
*09/02. Deadline. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology. Dark material. Sci-fi. 4,500-6K words.
*Open-ended. Cold Mountain Review seeks works engaging eco- and social-justice issues and experiences.
*Open-ended. $. Blue Mountain Review. Poetry and fiction.
*Open-ended. Trampset, an online literary journal of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction seeks your stuff.
*Deadline. 21st of each month. 53-word story contest. Sponsored by Press 53. ‘Natch.
*Dates vary. Redbud Writing Project. Writing courses for an adult education writing school in Chapel Hill.*NCWN maintains a comprehensive list of opportunities for its members. See Members Only on the NCWN website
WRITING-RELATED ONGOING EVENTS (monthly unless otherwise). Have one? Let Rick Bylina know. If you go, how was it?
Most seem to be canceled. We’ll keep checking.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Remember: Don’t forget. The NCWN offers critiquing and editing services. See their website.
Legit or Forget it: Want to know if publisher or contest is legit? Writers' Beware may be able to help.
New Local Group: Raleigh Book Self-Publishing.
Links: Don’t rely solely on WMO for your reading events. Link to local bookstores Event’s Calendar.
July #1 Indie Pick: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
How to Write Flash Fiction Course (free): Flash Fiction Magazine.
Ten Ways to Support Your Favorite Author: (1)
Buy their books, (2) Write reviews, (3) Give their books as gifts, (4)
Tell ten people about the author or book, (5) Read for a book club, (6)
Recommend on Goodreads, (7) Request at your library, (8) Promote on
social media, (9) Post pictures holding their book, (10) Send the author
a fan letter.
Ultra Flash Fiction Guidelines
1. Ultra Flash Fiction Monosyllabic submission guidelines:
1. Submission Period: July 1 through July 31, 2020
2. Any fiction genre
3. Open to NCWN members
4. Manuscripts must be no longer than 300 words, including the title, as calculated by Microsoft Word.
6. Manuscripts must be double space in 12pt Times New Roman
7. Manuscripts must be accompanied by a cover page listing name, ms title, word count, and email address.
8. Manuscripts must not have name or contact info.
9. Manuscripts and cover sheet must be emailed to Carol Phillips as .doc, .docx, or .rtf attachments
10. Include in subject line of email: UFF 1-Syllable: [Title of work]
2. Ultra Flash Fiction (UFF) Submission guidelines:
1. Submission Period: July 1 through July 31, 2020
2. Any fiction genre
3. Open to WMO members.
4. Manuscripts must be no longer than 300 words, including the title, as calculated by Microsoft Word.
5. Manuscripts must be double space in 12pt Times New Roman
6. Manuscripts must be accompanied by a cover page listing name, ms title, word count, and email address.
7. Manuscripts must not have name or contact info.
8. Manuscripts and cover sheet must be emailed to Carol Phillips as .doc, .docx, or .rtf attachments
9. Include in subject line of email: UFF: [Title of work]
By
submitting an entry, you are assumed to be granting us one-time reprint
rights. If you do not wish a winning entry to be so posted, let us
know.
[END] Shouldn’t you be writing?
