VOLUME 24, ISSUE 13 | MARCH 22, 2024 |
MORE ON WRITING GROUPS I was rather surprised at the great deal of interest in what was considered a good writing critique group. A lot of people were rejuvenated to find one. Others decided to start one. Some expressed their disappointment at the ones they'd attended. That last one is what I wanted to share here,
and I will list them in the order of most often expressed. - The groups talked too much about writing instead of actually critiquing.
- Too much socializing.
- Members got feelings hurt if their advice was not heeded.
- Members wanted to argue about issues in a piece.
- The person submitting a piece to be worked wanted to justify themselves.
- Too few pages were critiqued.
- There's always one person who wants to dominate.
- Some members submit but don't want to listen/not open to suggestion.
- Too many people to be critiqued each meeting.
Sometimes you have to shop around for a critique group. Sometimes you have to create your own. Just remember what you did not like in past groups when you create the new one. But people are different. Some writers are serious and others are not. Some will
write the same for their whole lives, while others will goggle up any suggestion in an attempt to grow. It takes work to find/develop a genuinely talented and worthwhile critique group. But you will never find it until you start looking now. |
There's a reason writers throughout history have felt the call to travel, get out in nature, and immerse themselves in unfamiliar territory.
Research shows all of these boost creativity, sharpen observational skills, and help move ideas from possibility to ppage. That's why they are the foundation of Compass Writers small-group walking writer workshops. Join us for our annual Walking Women Writer's Retreat September 20-29, 2024 in Scotland.
This retreat moves along gorgeous St. Cuthbert's Way, an ancient footpath in Scotland's lush borderlands. Together, we'll write, explore writing forms, and see where the abbeys, historic sites, castles, rivers, and wildlife we encounter take our imaginations and words. Grounded in the Amherst Writers & Artists method, women writers of all
levels are welcome. AWA's core belief is simple: every person is a writer, and every writer deserves a safe environment in which to experiment, learn, and develop their craft.
This workshop will take place September 20-29, 2024. Participants are encouraged to plan to arrive in Edinburgh one to two days before. Space is limited to 6 participants. Registration closes on May
30, 2024.
To register, email Cherylmurfin@gmail.com. Or, you can register online and make a deposit at Compass Writers. On the registration calendar, select September 20, 2024.
Come walk and write with us! Good company, good food, good words await. It will be a journey you won't soon forget. THE GUTSY NOVELIST WRITING RETREAT For the longest time, I was not a fan of writing retreats. I had a study I adored, with a view on a lake, and my family, pets, and gardening
close by. My gym every morning. Why would I ever want to leave? For years I'd admired The Gutsy Great Novelist founder, Joan Dempsey, and when she started offering a seven-day retreat at Sol's Cliff House, Bar Harbor, Maine, admittedly I was tempted. We'd become online friends by then, but I had my own seclusion, I told myself. Why write
elsewhere? Then I was invited to be a mentor and guest at said retreat. The location beckoned, and what writer doesn't like being surrounded by fellow writers? So I attended in June 2023, along with a dozen others. I was invited to mentor, be available for questions, even edit. The experience was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I thought I understood what it was like to be diligent with my writing time, but this trip took "time to write" to a whole other level. You arrive on a Saturday and leave the next Saturday, with one free day in between to see the sights.
The rest of the time, you eat writing, drink writing, talk writing, and share writing with others, but mostly, you write. Like six to eight hours a day write in a setting that overlooks the Maine harbor and its temperate weather, maybe beside a fire outside, listening to lobster trawlers in the harbor, or tucked away in one of the rooms in the historic stone manor. Here I had zero excuse to avoid writing. But I also found myself sinking more deeply into my writing, more devoted, more in tune with what had to be done. And I got it done. I literally edited one entire novel and wrote six chapters in a new work in progress. Atop it all, you have Joan Dempsey, a writing teacher most excellent. She took her first fiction workshop at Grub Street Writers in Boston, and has been writing ever since. Her debut novel, This Is How It Begins, was published in October, 2017 and has won awards. After earning her MFA in creative writing at Antioch University Los Angeles, she achieved her Post-Graduate Certificate for the Teaching of Creative Writing and has
been teaching writing ever since. She's the most patient, calm, empowering teacher. I know. I watched her in action last year. You learn to love her to pieces! Well, I decided to return to the retreat this year, June 1-8, 2024, and they have five open slots remaining. These will go fast, people. If you have any inkling of attending a retreat and truly
devoting yourself to your work, you are invited to consider this opportunity. You won't forget it. https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/writing-retreat/ Donkeys and starry skies, oh my! Venture into the rolling foothills of Appalachia for a unique residency opportunity in a farm-stay style experience. Follow the long tradition of
writer's retreating into nature for inspiration and the quiet rhythm to focus on your work. Whether you are planting seeds of a new project, giving yourself a challenge like NaNoWriMo, or ready to edit, organize, or polish before sending your words into the world, you will find this residency the place that will nourish you and your work.
Escape the hubbub of the normal world and routines that may be challenging
to carve out focus time. Spend 1, 2, or 3 weeks in a special place where time is a bit squishy and there's little light pollution. Interact with our 15 donkeys (mostly minis), chickens and roosters, two peacocks, camp cats, and two farm dogs during your stay. Or maybe you are ready to sink into a month or two of writing and exploring, which is also an option.
This residency program was founded and is managed by
a former tenured design professor who is a book aficionado, an advocate of the arts and humanities, and an artist with various interests such as photography and ceramics. She is also a certified Forest Therapy guide and those staying at least two weeks will receive a complimentary guided walk on a special section of the 17 acre 'campus' that includes about 500 ft of Buffalo river and riparian zone. Camp Wonder Wander is located twenty minutes between two small towns and about 2 hours drive southwest of Nashville. Creative and comfortable furnished lodging with several room style options. Dog and family friendly. Ask about Farm-stay scholarship and Family-friendly summer program. For
more information and to apply visit www.sarasvati.space -March 24, 2024 - Writer's Digest Mystery/Thriller Virtual Conference - presenter - Keeping Pace in the Middle of Your Mystery - 1 PM Eastern -May 29, 2024 - A Moveable Feast, presenter C. Hope Clark, Restaurant TBD,
Pawley's Island, SC -June 1-8, 2024 - The Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat, Bar Harbor, Maine -
writer-in-residence
-June 22, 2024 - Richland County Library, Ballentine, 1200 Dutch Fork Rd, Irmo, SC - time TBD - July 9, 2024 - South Congaree-Pine Ridge Branch Library, 200 Sunset Dr, West Columbia, SC 29172 - 5:30-7:00
PM -May 17, 2025 - Pelion Library Book Club206 Pine St, Pelion, SC, Saturday, 1-2PM
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end. – Ursula K. Le Guin
Dear Hope, In a past newsletter you presented the opportunity for submission fee help for poets through Poetry Bulletin . I reached out to them for this help and was graciously given funds to help with submitting a poetry chapbook. I wish there were more gracious folks like this as willing (and easily) able to help the unsung poets and emerging creators such as I. Whether I win this contest or not, thank you for holding up the newbies and the "lesser known" writers and creators who are just seeking to make a difference for good in the world around them through their writing! Encouraged, Matt Berg <<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >>
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Creating and Keeping Writing Connections
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By Alex J. Coyne Writing connections are important: connections with other authors, but also vital connections with clients. It’s sometimes about who you know (and how) that influences how you’re able to move in writing circles, and who your clients will be. Here’s how to create and keep writing connections in a world
where people tend to forget how. Support Other Authors Authors support authors. Celebrate other authors when they achieve success. Congratulate the book releases and award-winners, leave comments, and send fan-mail. I’m a regular sight in journalism groups like JournalismSA and The Writers Write Group. Sometimes,
a connection becomes a job offer. Be active in newsgroups and writing forums. Where writing advice is asked for, you can often find people asking for editors or proofreaders, too. If you have written about something topical or useful, send it to other writers. I received great feedback from a FundsforWriters reader who shared “AI
and Copywriting” with their writers group - and feedback like this, always helps. Ask Again I applied for a job at The South African, a news publication, back in 2018. While I didn’t get the job, I spotted another offer in 2023 - and decided to submit another application. This time it was
successful. If you aren’t successful at first, ask again at another time. Timing can be everything, and rejection can mean: “Just not now.” Keep Trying I might have pitched at least 50 features to some publications before one
successful article took. Sometimes, sheer persistence is rewarded. Afrikaans publication Taalgenoot accepted a feature on Dalene Matthee after three years of my pitching for it, each time tweaking it to fit. I finally edited for an unnamed literary agency this year, but pitched them my details back in 2016. That’s a long lead time, but many writing connections don’t happen overnight. It was a matter of asking companies and agencies to keep my details on file, even when there wasn’t anything to do yet. Cultivate these connections like long-term relationships, and never seek to be a quick client or expect fast income. Professional
Conversation Keep clients talking. Share useful industry statistics, ask them how they’re doing, or ask their thoughts on writing. Professional conversation like this means they will be more likely to remember your name when “needing a writer” is necessary. Simply, don’t let your connections fade just because they haven’t had work in a few weeks or months! It’s how you get a client to say, “Do you have a moment for proofreading today?” when they might have otherwise just contacted someone else who stayed fresher in their minds. As a professional, it’s your job to make sure you aren’t forgotten. When Editors
Change Editorial connections can switch, when one editor takes over from another or a position changes. Johan Jack Smith passed away shortly after the Taalgenoot issue’s publication of my piece. The magazine will continue under new editorship. Changes happen. Introduce yourself when an editor has changed, and never forget simple human kindness when others are going through trying times. It matters. Calls to Action Negotiation means that you’re getting people to say “yes” to deals and pitches. Phrasing is everything in this arena. Present clients with questions that have two options, instead of questions where “no” is too easy to say. Freelancer Tiffany Markman explains in an email that tough clients can be like children. When asking questions, give questions that have two options and where “no” isn’t the first thing they can choose. Remember this for your “calls
to action” on websites and in mailing lists. For example: “Would you like me to write for your website?” compared to: “Would you like an article for your website about Detective Fiction, or would you prefer the article about World Mysteries?” A client might say no to the first question, but think towards a yes when presented with
the second question. When communicating and negotiating, it’s important to phrase things correctly. Are you giving people a negative-option choice, or calling them to your choice actions - clicking, reading, commenting, and sharing? Zoom
Calls and More Can you read this in my voice, or do you have no idea what it sounds like? This illustrates the point of barriers: the walls we put up by working only via writing. Connect with clients through phone and webcam on occasion, too. This way, you’re not just an impersonal phrase on a page - but feel more real to
your clients. This can help when it’s time for clients to decide whether to hire you (or someone else). About the Author: Alex J. Coyne is a journalist, author and proofreader. He has written for a variety of publications and websites, with a radar calibrated for gothic, gonzo and the weird. His features, posts,
articles and interviews have been published in People Magazine, ATKV Taalgenoot, LitNet, The Citizen, FundsforWriters and The South African, among other publications. Sometimes, he co-writes with others.
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Inception: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel Authors & Artists Eligible. Beginnings have the power to spark passion or curiosity. They might immediately connect a specific place and time with an emotional tone. The best openings offer a gripping
feeling, atmosphere, action, or image, and hints at more to come. For Sunspot Lit’s Inception contest, send your best opening. There are no restrictions on theme, category, or the length of the piece or collection from which the excerpt comes. Word limit is 250 for prose, 25 words for
poetry. Graphic novel and comic book entries should be the first page (unlimited number of panels on that page) with a maximum of 250 words (cut the number of panels in order to meet the word count, if needed). Art entries should be the first in a series, the first in a gallery lineup, the first in a themed collection, etc. Entries are limited to one image of a painting, sculpture, mixed media
form, collage, or other artwork. Close: March 31 Entry fee: $12.50 First Prize: $500 cash plus publication. Publication will be offered to runners-up and finalists. Sunspot asks for first rights only; all rights revert to the contributor after publication. Works, along with the creators’ bylines, are published in the next quarterly digital edition as well as the annual fall print edition. Enter as many times as you like on Submittable or Duotrope, but only one piece per submission. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but
please withdraw your piece if it is published elsewhere before the winner is selected. AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY AND TELEPLAY COMPETITION
https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/screenplay-and-teleplay-submissions-2/
$60-70 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 19, 2024. Many categories. First place prizes up to $5,000. Additional fellowships will be chosen from entrants, entitling them to mentorshop from professionals in the industry. MAX RITVO POETRY PRIZE
https://milkweed.org/max-ritvo-poetry-prize
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1-May 31,
2024. Prize awards $10,000 and publication by Milkweed Editions to the author of a debut collection of poems. Poets may submit one complete, book-length collection, defined as a manuscript of forty-eight or more pages. The submitting poet must reside in the United States.
BERKSHIRE PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://www.tupelopress.org/berkshire-prize/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2024. The Berkshire Prize for a First or Second Book of Poetry includes a cash award of $3,000 in addition to publication by Tupelo Press, 20 copies of the winning title, a book launch, and
national distribution with energetic publicity and promotion. Ppen to anyone writing in the English language, whether living in the United States or abroad. Submit in the area of 48 to 88 pages of poems. THE ORISON PRIZES IN FICTION AND POETRY
https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/orison-prizes-poetry-fiction-eyhfu
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 1, 2024. he winning entry in each genre will be awarded publication and a $1,500 cash prize, in addition to a standard royalties contract. Poetry
manuscripts must be 50-100 pages of poems. Fiction manuscripts may consist of short stories, a novel, a novella, flash/micro fiction, or any combination of forms, as long as the manuscript meets the 30,000 word minimum. WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING CREATIVE NONFICTION ESSAY CONTEST
https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php#EssayContest
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline: April 30, 2024. Seeking creative nonfiction on any topic (1000 words or less) and in any style--from personal essay and memoir to lyric essay and hermit crab, and more! The
mission of this contest is to reward bravery in real-life storytelling and create an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives. Open internationally. Limit: 300 entries. First Place: $500, publication, interview, and one item from CreateWriteNow's Store. Second Place: $300, publication, interview, and item from store., Third Place: $200, publication, interview, and item from store. Seven Runners Up receive $25 Amazon Gift Cards, publication, interview, and one item
from store. Ten honorable mentions. FABULA PRESS CONTEST
https://www.pressfabula.com/guideline/
FREE AND
PAID ENTRY FEES, based on dates. Free deadline April 3, 2024. Regular deadline June 11, 2024. The Contest is open to all writers worldwide. Not less than 2500 words, and not more than 7000 words. First Prize: US$500. Second Prize: US$250. Third Prize: US$100. In addition, all authors selected for publication will be paid an honorarium of US$75. GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING HUMANITAS NEW VOICES FELLOWSHIP
https://www.humanitasprize.org/new-voices-fellowship-2024
Deadline April 1, 2024. A six-month mentorship program for emerging television and screenwriters who are exploring the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. The program identifies and empowers five writers each year who are currently working on a 30- or 60-minute pilot or feature-length screenplay. Fellows are paired with award-winning showrunners for one-on-one mentorship. Each fellow receives a $7,500 stipend. Location
California. WHITING CREATIVE NONFICTION GRANT
https://www.whiting.org/writers/creative-nonfiction-grant/about
Deadline April 23, 2024. The 2024 Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant of $40,000 will be awarded to as many as ten writers in the process of completing a book-length work of deeply researched and imaginatively composed nonfiction for a general adult readership. Whiting welcomes applications for works of history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, food or travel writing, graphic nonfiction, and
personal essays, among other categories. Nothing academic. Projects must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US. PEN AMERICA US WRITERS AID INITIATIVE
https://pen.org/us-writers-aid-initiative/
Deadlines April 1, 2024, July 1, 2024, October 1, 2024. Offers grants for writers in the United States facing acute financial need following an emergency situation. To be eligible, applicants must be professional writers based in the United States, and be able to demonstrate that this one-time grant will be meaningful in
helping address a short-term emergency situation.
You think you know how to write a sentence? Think again. Taking notes from literature, advertising, and artificial intelligence, we’d explore how a sentence is formed, how it communicates
an idea, and how you can create sentences worth reading (and actually enjoy writing). Each week of this 3-week workshop contains four daily in-depth lessons, each with their own required response assignment that helps you read, understand, analyze, and engage with sentences in nuanced, thoughtful ways. Each weekend, you’d get to work on a project that further
stretches your understanding and application of things you’re learning. I personally respond to each homework assignment with thought-provoking feedback. - Materials: Everything–lessons, assignments, project outlines, and detailed comments–will be provided via email.
- Cost: $195 USD
- Who this class is for: Artists, writers, would-be authors and anyone who loves and/or works with words.
- Instructor: I’m Odelia – freelance copywriter, AP English Composition teacher, and published novelist. I share my thoughts sporadically with the internet on my blog, where I explore the soul, mind, and environment of the creator.
Visit this
page to learn more, see what past students have to say, and sign up! WRITING TUTOR TRAINERS - SC
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/applytotrain
Deadline March 31, 2024. As a Tutor Trainer, you will use our custom training materials to prepare new volunteer tutors, many of whom have never taught, to provide effective one-on-one literacy education. You will lead up to four Tutor Workshops annually (one per quarter) based on program needs. You will help support Turning
Pages SC’s overall training objectives each quarter. New Trainers attend a two-hour initial orientation to learn about our curriculum. Up to $2000 maximum per year. Turning Pages SC teaches adults to read through personalized, one-on-one tutoring that is free of cost.
WWAD - WOMEN WRITERS ARE DOPE
https://www.womenwritersaredope.com/write-for-wwad
We pride ourselves on publishing stories that encourage women to meet their true selves with radical acceptance and embrace their individual paths towards self-empowerment. well-crafted, compelling personal essays. Pays $150 for 300
words.
MAISONNEUVE
https://maisonneuve.org/contribute/
Maisonneuve considers and publishes primarily
long-form narrative journalism and visual art. No longer accepts unsolicited submissions of fiction or poetry. Comment articles are opinion-driven essays of roughly 1500 to 3000 words. Open house articles are thematically varied essays and reported pieces. They tend to fall between 1500 and 3500 words. Features 4000 to 6000 word range. Pays roughly 15 cents/word. STUDIO
https://www.studiomagazine.ca/submission-guidelines
Deadline March 31, 2024. Theme SPECTACLE. We’re interested in how craftspeople, processes, materials, and work are used to
draw attention. Studio Magazine is a national publication committed to thoughtful, careful, and engaging writing about contemporary Canadian craft and design. Pays 30 cents/word. PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA SEEKS FREELANCERS
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/campaign/2334/internships-freelance-opportunities#freelance-opportunities
We are eager to connect with freelancers across Canada who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, and members of the
LGBTQIA2S+ community or another underrepresented group and who are keen to participate in shaping and sharing new and established voices. If you are interested in copy editing, text and audio proofreading, indexing, cold reading, and authenticity reading opportunities, please email hrcanada@penguinrandomhouse.com or visit our website for more information. NEW
INTERNATIONALIST
https://newint.org/misc/editorial-submissions-form
Welcomes story pitches for website and print magazine. Articles range from features on under-reported topics and struggles in the fight for global justice, to
punchy comment pieces and radical and solutions-focused analysis with an international – or internationalist – perspective you won’t see elsewhere. Usually 800-2,000 words. Occasionally investigative reports and in-depth features of up to 5,000 words. Website 800-1,200 words. Pays 0.27p per word. TUNDRA BOOK GROUP
https://tundrabooks.com/submissions/
Children's
books. Seeking writers and illustrators. Currently only accepting manuscript and art submissions by creators from underrepresented communities. If you identify as Black, Indigenous or as a person of color, LGBTSQI2S+, having a disability or have ever had refugee status, we want to hear from you! We love to hear from Canadian writers, but we’re happy to hear from writers all over the world. TURNSTONE PRESS
https://www.turnstonepress.com/contact/submissions.html
We publish Canadian authors and landed immigrants and strive to publish a significant number of new writers, to
publish in a variety of genres, and to have a portion of each year's list authored by Manitoba writers and/or books featuring prairie content. We do NOT publish young adult, young reader, children’s, romance, horror, cookbooks, self-help, business, family histories or personal memoirs (a.k.a. “life writing”). While we remain open to receiving our usual interests of literary fiction, literary non-fiction, and poetry, we have seasonal interested posted on the site. CORMORANT BOOKS
https://www.cormorantbooks.com/submission-guidelines
We publish literary books by authors from across
Canada whose life experience and work reflect the diversity of the country. Because we are a literary press, we place great emphasis on the quality of the writing and the editing process, paying attention to each manuscript individually. GROUNDWOOD
https://houseofanansi.com/pages/groundwood-submissions
Groundwood Books publishes award-winning books for children and young adults — literary picture books, fiction, poetry, nonfiction and graphic novels from Canada and around the world. BOTTOM DOG PRESS
https://smithdocs.net/who_we_are_mission_staff_guidelines
We publish about six books a year of
literary and social worth. We believe in a sense of place and person, in writing that reveals through its directness an essential human story. We also support the history and development of Working Class Literature and Appalachian Literature. Location Ohio. Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact hope@fundsforwriters.com for permission. Do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your publication is considered a valid right to publish out of ours.
C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com Copyright 2000-2024, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326 Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. Use information listed at your own risk. FundsforWriters gives no warranty to completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, contests, and grants although research is done to the best of our ability. FundsforWriters finds open submission calls, contests, and markets from a wide variety of sources, including Erika Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Poets & Writers, Duotrope,
Winning Writers, Write Jobs Plus, LinkedIn Jobs, Emily Stoddard, and other newsletters and online sites. Many announcements are submitted directly to FundsforWriters. All must be paying opportunities. Contests must pay a minimum of $200 first place. Submit potential listings to hope@chopeclark.com **Note that FundsforWriters.com places paid advertising in this newsletter. ALL ads are related to writers and the business of writing, screened by FundsforWriters to make sure the information is suitable for writers and their endeavors to improve their careers. While the mailing list is not sold to third parties, other parties do advertise in the newsletter, to include
the occasional solo ad. You will not receive this newsletter without your permission. It's physically impossible since recipients must opt-in, giving us permission to send the newsletter. If at any time you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, click the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of each newsletter. We want you to enjoy this newsletter at your pleasure, not be forced to read anything you do not wish to receive. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site. | |
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