VOLUME 25, ISSUE 34 | AUGUST 22, 2025 |
BUT HOW DO YOU WRITE? This week, someone in a writer's group said to her friends that she received a good hard critique, but she didn't know what to do with it. The characters didn't have depth. The pace was slow. The opening had no motivation. Her concern was the person didn't tell
her how to fix any of that. Some people suggested how-to books, but I'm afraid no book out there is going to tell her specifically how to correct her work-in-progress. I think she wanted more precise corrections, like how to do those things in the story she had in her hands. Honestly, I think she was very lucky getting such good feedback without paying the person.
To get something more detailed, to me, commanded compensation. I would be thrilled at that critique, but this poor dear was stuck. Writing is harder than a lot of people realize. "There is no pace in the opening chapter" can be rectified in a hundred different ways. Start the chapter further down. Change the verbs. Increase and improve dialogue. Add a character. Remove a character. Does the setting add anything. Where is the threat?
How can it be more ominous? I could go on and finish the rest of that 100-method list, but you get the picture. I am not bashing her at all. To be told in generalities what is wrong with your story is a treasure to some and agony to others. Either way, it's opportunity to grow. You have to dig down and learn what corrects those criticisms and makes the story stronger. That takes lots of practice, lots of throwing away words, and many
more critiques. One go-around won't fix it. Learning doesn't happen overnight, but the harder you work at it, the more you have to learn it on your own and sweat over it, the longer the lessons last, the more permanent they become, and the better writer you get to be. Don't expect a lone critique to do all that. |
FREE Webinar to fast track your writing success
 Let’s get your memoir into the world… Do you have a memoir you long to write … but aren’t sure how to go from story idea to published book?
On Wednesday, August 27 join award-winning authors Nicole Breit and Rowan McCandless for a FREE webinar that will help you move past blocks, write your book and share it with the world.
Learn more & sign up for the free webinar!
In this 75-minute webinar and Q&A you’ll learn: - The most common mistake writers make when starting a memoir project
- An approach to completing your manuscript that will save you hours of time and unnecessary stress
- How Rowan overcame blocks like fear + resistance when drafting her
award-winning memoir.
- Key takeaways to streamline your journey from story idea to finished
manuscript
- Details about the Spark Your Story Intensive, a 12-week program for writers who want 1:1 personalized support as they
work on their memoir-in-progress.
Learn more & sign up for the free
webinar!
Meet your webinar hosts… Nicole Breit is a multi-award winning author whose work has been widely published in Canada and the US. Her poetry and creative nonfiction have appeared in Room, Brevity, The Fiddlehead, Pithead Chapel, Swelling with Pride: Queer Conception and Adoption Stories
and Getting to the Truth: The Craft and Practice of Creative Nonfiction. Nicole’s award winning lyric essay “An Atmospheric Pressure” was selected as a Notable by the editors of Best American Essays 2017. She is the co-author of Bloom: Letters on Girlhood with Claire Sicherman (Caitlin Press, 2025).
Rowan McCandless is an award-winning author of fiction and creative nonfiction who writes from Treaty 1 territory. Her debut memoir,
Persephone’s Children: A Life in Fragments, co-won the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book in 2022 and was a finalist for the 2022 Governor General’s Award for Nonfiction. She has been longlisted for the Journey Prize, won the Constance Rooke Creative Non-fiction Prize, and received gold for One of a Kind Storytelling at the National Magazine Awards. Rowan is the CNF editor
with The Fiddlehead.
Learn more & sign up for the free
webinar!
Important registration details…
Immediately on signing up you’ll receive an email in your inbox with the subject line “You’re in!”
If you don't see your confirmation email in your inbox immediately after signing up please check your spam or junk folder.
Any questions? Please contact info@sparkyourstory.com for support.
Learn more & sign up for the free
webinar!
DON'T FORGET THE LOCAL LIBRARY - WHEREVER IT IS
I received a sweet email from a fan of my novels. "Hi Hope. I just wanted to thank you again for your newsletter and
to let you know I requested Murder in Craven at the Vancouver, WA library. I have a goal to read forty books this year and am hoping to add the Craven series to the list. Money is tight right now, so I try to add books from local authors to my library's collection." What a wonderful gesture! Authors ask their fans to buy their books all the time, but do they ask them to order the books via the library? Because if the book is not on
the library shelf, and someone asks, there's a chance the book will be purchased and stocked. And if the book is part of a series, even better. A library buys a title once for it to be read free by dozens of readers. To some authors, that means dozens of readers not buying the book. While that is partly the case, those readers just might buy other books in the series, or buy another book outside the series, tell their book club about
the book they read from the library, or tell enough people that there is a waiting list for the book, making the library order more copies, or people on the waiting list to buy it in lieu of the wait. Putting your book in a local library, wherever it happens to be, earns more readers. It also earns more paid readers than you had before, even if the initial reader read it for free. Don't discount a library. I was seated in my grandsons' Ju Jitsu class a few weeks ago, and an elderly gentleman asked if I was C. Hope Clark. I said yes. He said he was number 11 on the library waiting list for my latest book. Yeah, an author can float on that for a few days, don't you think? That's at least a dozen readers reading my book, with most of them telling at least one other person about the book, and possibly
mentioning the author. Want to Write a Story That Works? Start Here.
Most writers spend years chasing conflicting advice and still can't finish a draft they're proud of.
There's a better way.
The Story Grid is a
proven method for mastering the craft of storytelling—used by editors, bestselling authors, and thousands of writers around the world.
We're giving away the full digital edition of The Story Grid—completely free.
Inside, you'll learn:
✅ Why most stories fall apart
✅ The 5 key moments every scene needs
✅ A step-by-step method to analyze and improve your writing
Whether you're just starting out or you've been writing for years, this book will help you finally understand what makes a story work—and how to fix the ones that don't.
-Aug 30, 2025 - Signing Edisto Bookstore, Edisto Island, SC - 3-5 PM -Sept 9, 2025 - Chapin Library, Chapin, SC - 1-2 PM -Oct 4, 2025 - Signing The Coffee Shelf, Chapin, SC 8AM-NOON -Oct 13, 2025 - Edisto Art Guild, Edisto Island, SC - 7-9
PM -Oct 14, 2025 - Moncks Corner Book Club, MC Train Depot, 100 Behrman St, Moncks Corner, SC - 3-6 PM -Nov 22, 2025 - Christmas Market - 8AM-2PM - ICRC Rec Ctr, Chapin, SC
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. “The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity.” —Amelia Earhart
<<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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Tips for Generating Ideas for a Regular Column-Writing Gig
By Dawn Colclasure What writer hasn't wished for regular income from a regular column? This year is my third year as a columnist, and I love it.
Believe it or not, some markets are looking for columnists. They are also open to serials, which are similar to a column. You can pitch column ideas to your local newspaper, magazine or regional publication. Some markets that
are open to columns include Wellcome Collection (https://wellcomecollection.org/get-involved/propose-a-story), The Cut and Inc.com.
You can also go solo, writing a
column on Medium or through Substack, and once you get traction and regular readers, an editor may approach you to write your column for their publication. If not, approach them with statistics under your belt; statistics showing you have the material
for column writing, and you have the talent to attract followers. Any editor would love you bringing your readership with you to theirs.
Once you land a column, or are in the throes of establishing one, here are tips to keep it going:
Know the Audience Know and understand who you are writing for. The editor who enlisted me to write a column about books emphasized that the audience is readers, but I need to be able to reach any age and address any
genre.
Questions to ask yourself:
• What would the general audience of a given publication like to read?
• What are their needs?
• What topics are relevant to unrepresented and marginalized members in my audience?
Pay Attention to Patterns Like my column audience, I'm a booklover. I scan bookstores, online, and reading apps in a search for patterns. This logic
came in handy recently for an article idea on new dessert cookbooks.
Questions to ask yourself about your topic:
• What's in high demand?
• What do I see a lot of?
• What similarities and patterns are developing?
Special Days and Observances Readers are always interested in books and articles about special occasions. National Poetry Month, Teacher Appreciation
Week, and Veterans Day are all prime occasions for articles. I wrote about LGBTQA+ books for Pride Month and spooky books for the October (Halloween) issue.
Notice Trends Trends are great but must be broken down into a topic. Suppose celebrity memoirs are trending. Break it down. For example, write an article on memoirs by celebrities who are also children's books authors.
Questions to ask yourself:
• What's
trending?
• How does it relate to my audience?
• How can I break it down to a more specific, unique topic within the trend?
Recognizing What You Love I am not just a booklover but also a book collector. I collect Guinness World Record books and biographies of the U.S. presidents. My own collections have generated ideas.
Questions to ask yourself:
• What do I
love that my audience would love, too?
• In what way can I use my personal interest as a column topic?
• How can I give it a fresh spin?
Going With What (and Who) You Know As a columnist, you position yourself as a voice of authority whether about motherhood, technology, or cars. Mine your expertise for topics. Tap other experts in your field, tap them for quotes or extra
resources.
Questions to ask yourself:
• Who do I know that my audience would care about?
• Who do I know is the right person for a quote?
• What other resource can complement my expertise in the topic?
These tips can help you create topics for your columns. Soon you'll have unlimited ideas to keep it going strong.
BIO: Dawn Colclasure is a writer who lives in Eugene,
Oregon, USA with her husband and son. She writes poetry, essays, articles, short stories and books. She is the author and co-author of over five dozen books. She is also a book blogger. This year marks her third anniversary as a columnist for First Chapter Plus Magazine. Her methods in this article have helped her come up with a new topic to cover month after month. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She publishes the free monthly newsletter for writers,
the SPARREW Newsletter. Her nonfiction has appeared in Women Who Submit, MUTHA Magazine and The Ability Toolbox.
https://dawnsbooks.com/ / https://www.dmcwriter.com/ / Instagram dawn10325
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OXFORD POETRY PRIZE
https://www.oxfordpoetry.com/prize.html
£10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 31, 2025. The winner of the Oxford Poetry Prize receives £1,000, the runner-up £200, and third place £100.
The winning poets are also offered publication in the print magazine. Entries should consist of one poem per uploaded PDF file. Each poem may comprise no more than 50 lines. FISCHER PRIZE
https://www.tellurideinstitute.org/fischer-cantor/fischer-prize-submissions/
$12 ENTRY FEE. Deadline August 31, 2025. An international poetry contest open to English language writers of all ages living anywhere in any country. Prizes include $1000 first place award and five $250 finalist awards. Limit 125 lines including spaces total / No more than three pages per poem / 12 point San Serif (Arial or Calibri preferred). DOGWOOD LITERARY PRIZES
https://dogwood.submittable.com/submit
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 5, 2025. Offers three $1000 prizes, one in each of the three genres of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. All submissions are considered for publication (nonpaying). Submit fiction or nonfiction up to
22 pages. Submit one, two, or three poems (max ten pages). RICHARD-GABRIEL RUMMONDS POETRY CONTEST
https://www.exophidiapress.org/contest/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 15, 2025. Open to poets at any stage of their career. The author of the prize-winning book receives
$2,000, ten copies of the book, and an author discount on additional copies. Open to all authors writing in English who reside in the United States. No international authors. Manuscripts must consist of from 50 to 100 numbered pages, including a title page and table of contents. THE PALETTE POETRY PRIZE
https://www.palettepoetry.com/the-2025-palette-poetry-prize/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 21, 2025. Winners will be selected by the Palette editors. The winner will be awarded $3,000 and publication, the first runner-up will receive $300 and publication, and the second runner-up will receive $200 and publication. Finalists may also be considered for publication. All poets of all levels welcome. Submissions are open
internationally, to any poet writing in English. Your submission must be no more than three poems and under ten pages. GEMINI MAGAZINE FLASH FICTION CONTEST
https://gemini-magazine.com/flash-fiction-contest-2025-2/
$8 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 2, 2025.
First prize: $1,000. Second prize: $100. Four Honorable Mentions: $25. Word limit 1000. All six finalists will be published online in the Fall 2025 Issue of Gemini. Any subject or style.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING MARYLAND CREATIVITY GRANTS
https://msac.org/programs/creativity-grants/creativity-grants-projects
The Creativity Grant for Projects is available to independent artists and arts
organizations. There are two options to choose from: the Planning & Development grant is intended to support the early stages of research and development for a proposed project; the Implementation grant is intended to support the execution of a specific arts projects/event/program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from July 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 with a monthly review process. Grants are $1,000-$4,000. ARTS SOUTH ARTS IN COMMUNITY GRANTS
https://www.southarts.org/grants-opportunities/arts-community-grants
Deadline September 3, 2025. Arts in Community Grants are designed to support deeper engagements between Southern communities and artists. Through these grants, we aim to increase
access to the arts, expand audiences for artists, and broaden our reach. Eligible projects require a Southern artist/company visiting another Southern state for a community residency of three days or more. The residency must include at least three in-person or live, virtual public activities with a minimum of four hours of artist engagement spread across the three activities. Funding supports Southern film directors, traditional artists, visual artists, performing artists, or writers. Based on
the artist fee, the maximum request is $10,000. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match (for example, an applicant that requests $10,000 must provide a $10,000 cash match for a project with a $20,000 artist fee). ARIZONA ARTIST OPPORTUNITY GRANTS
https://azarts.gov/news/apply-now-artist-opportunity-grant/
https://azarts.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Guidelines_AOG_FY2026.pdf
Deadline October 16, 2025. Artist Opportunity Grants help Arizona artists take advantage of unique opportunities that can significantly boost their careers. AMY LOWELL POETRY TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP
https://www.amylowell.org/
Deadline October 15, 2025. American Poet Amy Lowell died in 1925. Her will established an annual scholarship to support travel abroad for gifted American-born poets. The money won is generally spent on travel and living expenses. The 2026 - 2027 Scholarship
award will be approximately $76,000, adjusted for inflation. If there are two winners, each will receive the full amount. CENTRAL COAST WRITERS' CONFERENCE (CCWC) MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS
https://www.cuesta.edu/writers-conference/CCWC-Scholarships.html
Deadline
September 10, 2025. The Anna Unkovich, Paul Alan Fahey, and Linna Thomas Memorial Scholarships were created for writers battling or recovering from a serious illness. Awards cover full conference registration for CCWC (Sept. 26–27, San Luis Obispo, CA), valued at $300. The 41st Annual Cuesta College Central Coast Writers' Conference will feature 40+ presenters, hands-on workshops, a networking event, master classes (additional fee) and a teen writers program. Applicants: submit
a story or poem (800 words or less) using the writing prompt, "It's Time!" Free to enter, one entry per person. Six will be awarded based on need and the writer's authentic voice.
NO GODS NO MASTERS ANTHOLOGY
https://www.sanspress.com/submissions
Deadline August 31, 2025. Open for short story submissions! We are looking for stories of any genre that respond to our title and/or cover art. Selected writers will
receive a flat rate of €200. No Gods No Masters is an anthology for the stories that are ready to get their hands dirty in the making of a newer, fairer world; it is for the characters that are driven not for the love of power but for solidarity, for genuine belief, and for a refusal to surrender to cynicism and despair. The call will be open until August 31 or until they hit the 2,000 submission cap. We are currently at 12% (05/08). THE BLACK ORDINARY
https://www.theblackordinary.com/opportunities
Deadline August 30, 2025. The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches from artists, archivists, historians, researchers, and writers of all backgrounds and experience levels to pitch ideas for writing topics relevant to the preservation of Black-American histories
and culture. All contributors whose pitches are accepted will be granted a $250 stipend, to be paid at the time of publishing. All published contributions must adhere to a strict 750 word limit in order to stay within W.A.G.E.'s suggested stipend amount ($0.30 per word) for freelance writers. PLAY THE GAME
https://www.playthegame.org/news/open-call-2025-for-journalistic-articles-and-investigations-on-sports-integrity-and-governance/
Play the Game invites journalists, writers, and investigative reporters worldwide to submit pitches for individual articles or investigations into topics related to sports integrity
and governance. We intend to spend our budget sum of 10,000 euros on more than one project, and we encourage everyone to apply – also if you have not written for us before. GRAMMY.COM
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1U7nSyiB3Wuu8UE-5nfBKrNHozQw3Y1_66zRUMdW8Y7c/edit?tab=t.0
https://www.grammy.com/news
GRAMMY.com is looking for pitches about diverse artists, genres and musical communities with national relevance. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Q&As and features we’ve published on our site. We are mainly
looking for larger culture features and lists highlighting the intersection of music with broader issues such as politics, history, health and technology. These pieces may focus on a rising local/statewide musical group or scene, which has a larger tie to mainstream culture. We are also interested in stories about the behind-the-scenes creators (producers, songwriters, engineers, etc) contributing to popular music today. Pay is $250–$500 per article. IN-HOUSE FICTION GHOSTWRITER NEEDED
Email victoria@punctuatemedia.com
Our multimedia company is looking for an experienced, in-house fiction ghostwriter to join our creative team. If you have a strong portfolio of fiction books that span genres and thrive on turning story blueprints into binge-worthy books, we want to hear from you. We’re looking for ability to consistently
produce 15,000 words per week that will accumulate to 60k - 80k word books, experience ghostwriting in multiple fiction genres: romance (dark romance, CR, romcom), mystery (crime, legal, drama), historical fiction, erotica (not smut; literary focused erotica with depth and meaning) and more. Must have a proven ability to follow a detailed book spec, including chapter-by-chapter outline with action, plot, and beats per chapter; character profiles and development arcs; pre-planned word count per
chapter; and specific tones/styles per project. The Ideal Candidate should have professional ghostwriting experience (portfolio required); have a flexible writing voice that can adapt to different genres and tones; be reliable, detail-oriented, and deadline-driven; and be comfortable with regular check-ins with our editorial/creative team. Location: Remote position. Workload: Part-time with ability to move to full-time, steady projects. Compensation: Competitive, based on experience. If this
sounds like you, please email victoria@punctuatemedia.com and be prepared to send the following:
1. A list of published titles you’ve written or ghostwritten (if you don’t have this, that’s okay; your portfolio will be what we rely on to determine writing maturity)
2. Your fiction ghostwriting portfolio (max three chapters per writing project)
3. Your preferred genres to write in
4. Confirmation you can meet the weekly word
count
5. Compensation expectation per word
RENAISSANCE PRESS
https://pressesrenaissancepress.ca/who-weare/submissions/
Renaissance is dedicated to publishing novels, anthologies and graphic novels from diverse Canadian voices. We publish fiction in every genre, though we
have a strong preference for the stories which don’t fit neatly in one genre. We specialize in fiction but are open to narrative non-fiction and memoirs. SCRIBE
https://scribepublications.com.au/about-us/submissions
We are a trade-publishing house (that is, we publish books
for general readers that are made available nationally and internationally through the book trade). Accordingly, we only consider proposals for books of this nature. We are generally interested in literary fiction and serious non-fiction. Please note that, at present, we do not accept poetry, plays, young adult fiction, individual short stories, or children’s picture books for Scribble. Open to submissions 1 September through to 21 September, 2025. ANNICK PRESS
https://www.annickpress.com/Submission-Guidelines
Annick Press is currently accepting submissions of picture books, early chapter books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction, graphic novels, and non-fiction for kids of all ages. We also encourage illustrators to submit their portfolios for
consideration. As an independent Canadian publisher, Annick works primarily with Canadian creators; however, we are open to working with authors and illustrators from around the world. HARLEQUIN MEDICAL ROMANCE
https://harlequin.submittable.com/submit/29558/harlequin-medical-romance-approx-50-000-words
Intense, uplifting and relatable romances set in the medical world. Experience the rollercoaster of emotions, ambitions and desires of today's medical professionals. Focus of the story must be on the development of the central romantic relationship against the backdrop of a contemporary medical setting. Word count 50,000. FLAME TREE
https://www.flametreepublishing.com/submissions.html
We are a trade-publishing house (that is, we publish books for general readers which are made available through all channels in the book trade). We are generally interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror and suspense, supernatural. We are looking for novels in the
range of 70,000 to 120,000 words.
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 2000-2025, 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
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