"Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to
start somewhere." - Anne Lamott. "I write really shitty first drafts. Don't make me prove it to you." - Rick Bylina 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. 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. . 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. To have time for planned presentations, keep your responses to 25 words. Think of it as practice for creating your elevator speeches. Happy August, everyone. I hope you are all holding up well and keeping safe under the continuing restrictions. Tracy Crow, the Randolph County Regional Rep, is interested in exploring ways we can combine our efforts to serve writers. Our schedules have not yet allowed us to talk about the possibilities, but we hope to next week. I'll keep you informed. Last month I said I would discuss details of a second meeting for open discussions--Writers Discuss Away--but I don't have any. Yet. I'm having major work done on my house and currently living in temporary quarters. I'm just now determining how Zoom will work here. As some of you know, I've written a memoir about the brain injury I incurred in the 1990s. Having done so, I am pretty bored with writing about myself and prefer writing fiction. However, I find that much of what I learned while writing the memoir--both in terms of process and craft-- translates nicely into writing fiction. Even prompts designed to elicit memories I find useful to delve into a character's memory. I tell you this because Writers' Morning Out's program this month is ostensibly about memoir. However, those who write fiction may also learn something about using a different POV, or using senses or setting to a create story. I hope you will join us. Take care ~ carol August 15: "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 19: "Negotiating with a Midsize Press without an Agent" with Jody Savage. Zoom instructions will be sent on Saturday morning, 09/19. Think you need an agent to publish your book? Maybe not. Join twice-published author Jody Savage for hints on finding a publisher, negotiating a contract (including an advance), and the subsequent process from book design through marketing. Is an agent worth the money? Only you can decide. October 17: "Slush Pile!" Zoom instructions will be sent on Saturday morning, 09/19. Not even a pandemic will stop the Fourth Annual WMO Slush Pile! For the uninitiated: A Slush-Pile is that pile of 50 or more unsolicited manuscripts publishers and agents receive each week. They read them hoping for that gem, but looking for reasons to reject to reduce the pile. We're going to imitate that procedure. Anonymous one-page submissions will be read to our panel of judges. They will explain why they would reject that submission, or why they think that submission has real promise. We'll provide details for submitting in our October email. In the meantime, polish up that first page or poem. Applause! Applause! Have a writing success story? Share it! Let Rick Bylina know. *Rick wrote 19 pieces of flash fiction in July based on prompts from Writers Write. Writing-Related Timely Events. Have one? Let Rick Bylina know. *08/08. 1:30 p.m. Zoom gu> . Turning an Idea into a Novel by Sisters-in-Crime National President Lori Rader-Day. *08/25. 7 p.m. Open Source NCWN-BYO Query. Space is limited. Currently full, but check back. Classes, Prompts, Critique Groups, and Workshops. *Free online, self-paced course <https://page.stellafosse.com/journey> from Jody Savage (Stella Fosse) for midlife women interested in writing memoir through the lens of the erotic life. *Writing Prompts available. Rick likes: writers write <https://www.writerswrite.co.za/> and Reedsy prompts <https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/?utm_source=mailparrot&utm _campaign=writing_prompts_welcome_e_mail&utm_medium=writing_prompts_welcome_ e_mail_1> . *Follow the NCWN Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/NCWriters/?ref=page_internal> , including their 100-140 word writing prompts on Saturdays. Submission Opportunties. *Poets and Writers <https://www.pw.org/> has on-going calls from journals, agents, and editors. Click "Publish Your Writing." *Submittable <https://manager.submittable.com/opportunities/discover> lists submission opportunities. *Duotrope <https://duotrope.com/account/signup.aspx> has a free monthly newsletter listing various opportunities. *08/15. Deadline. County Lines: A Literary Journal. See WMO Blog <http://pittsboro-wmo.blogspot.com/> for guidelines. *08/15. Deadline. The Crossroads Project <https://forms.illinoisstate.edu/forms/diversevoices> (playwriting, no musicals). *08/15. Deadline. $. Poetry. Red Wheelbarrow <http://www.deanza.edu/english/creative-writing/red-wheelbarrow.html> . *08/21. Deadline. Short Edition <https://short-edition.com/en/contest/color-it-in-summer-2020> . Various formats. *08/31. Deadline. $. U of New Orleans Press <https://unopress.submittable.com/submit> is looking for fiction manuscripts. $10K advance/pub contract. *08/31. Deadline. $$. Barthelme Prize for Short Prose. <http://gulfcoastmag.org/contests/barthelme-prize/> Sponsored by Gulf Coast. *09/01. Deadline. $$. Steel Toe Books 2020 Prize in Prose <https://steeltoebooks.submittable.com/submit.> . *09/01. Deadline. $$. Black Warrior Review Writing Contest <https://bwr.ua.edu/> . For poem, short story, essay. *09/02. Deadline. The Insecure Writer <https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/the-2019-annual-iwsg-antholog y-contest.html> 's Support Group Anthology. Dark material. Sci-fi. 4,500-6K words. *Open-ended. Cold Mountain Review <https://coldmountainreview.submittable.com/submit> seeks works engaging eco- and social-justice issues and experiences. *Open-ended. $. Blue Mountain Review <https://bluemountainreview.submittable.com/submit> . Poetry and fiction. *Open-ended. Trampset, an online literary journal <https://trampset.org/submissions-6e83932b0985> of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction seeks your stuff. *Deadline. 21st of each month. 53-word story contest <https://www.press53.com/53word-story-contest> . Sponsored by Press 53. 'Natch. *Dates vary. Redbud Writing Project <http://www.redbudwriting.org/> . 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 <https://www.ncwriters.org/> Writing-Related Ongoing Events. (monthly unless otherwise). Have one? Let Rick Bylina <mailto:anilyb@earthlink.net?subject=Writing-related%20Ongoing%20Events> know. If you go, how was it? EXTRA! EXTRA! Remember: Don't forget. The NCWN <https://www.ncwriters.org/> offers critiquing and editing services, even online. Legit or Forget it: Want to know if publisher or contest is legit? Writers' Beware <https://accrispin.blogspot.com/> may be able to help. Links: Don't rely solely on WMO for your reading events. Link to local bookstores Event's Calendar. August #1 Indie Pick: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. Book Sales: If you're selling in a store, increase sales by putting your books near the toilet paper. How to Write Flash Fiction Course (free): Flash Fiction Magazine <https://learn.flashfictionmagazine.com/p/free-course?fbclid=IwAR3fw1K1ThwKc EHZxcflVz3anPkOQTkiGcR1NFzkzaZh8xyiRgS8FuFYFS0> . 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. Yes, this is THE END. The rest is up to you. Work on that WIP and you too can type: THE END.
