VOLUME 25, ISSUE 46 | november 28, 2025 |
THANKSGIVING This year has been a difficult one for me. Husband's recovery from open heart surgery. I got Covid that hung on for a month, then got shingles that is still hanging on after three weeks. Some family issues. Lost a dear cousin then unexpectedly her husband only a month
later. Lost a friend in a nursing home that my husband had become power of attorney for in order to protect him. We'd known him for almost seven years. But I am quite thankful for this year. Through it all we learned how precious life is, how important healthy living is, and how important it is to be our own biggest ally in this effort to live this life to its fullest. And how important it is not to take anything for granted. My
family is well. No looming disasters. And my books are good, my readers are amazing, and my writing continues on. Sometimes it takes conscious thought to stop and take measure of what we have to be grateful for. That in itself tells you how lucky you are, regardless of how things are going. Be grateful. And be thankful. |
FRIDAY DEADLINES
This newsletter has gone out for 26 years. I have missed two Fridays in that time period. I've been asked how I do it, and all I can say is it is such an instilled habit that a Friday cannot arrive without me wondering what's left for the newsletter. Then I'm
asked what's the hardest part. Finding grants or markets. Culling feature submissions from so many writers. Dealing with ads, maybe. In reality, it's writing these editorials. In the beginning I would rack my brain for new ideas. Over time, however, I developed a perpetual eye and ear. If I struggled, surely someone else did. If I hit a wall, surely someone else did. I've even been known for collecting enough ideas to write a month
ahead. But it was not anywhere near that easy to start with. It started with giving myself a weekly deadline. To miss it was to receive feedback asking why. Then I learned rather than wait for ideas to come to me, I watched for them. Everything I read, heard, watched was fodder. I might read another editorial in another publication and wonder why they didn't say this or that
or something different. I'd take a wrong turn, regret it, and write about it. Everything I thought, did, and touched held potential. But by Friday, the article(s) had to be written. No excuses. What that did was this: 1) Erase writer's block.
2) Create habit.
3) Teach myself to be keen for ideas in any place, any time, any capacity. Once those habits were in place, I evolved. Now I do it with ideas for fiction. Push yourself to follow through no matter what. Learn new habits. And tell yourself that there is zero reason for not getting it done. You'll develop a routine, ritual, and desire to write regularly, and writer's block will become a thing of the past.
-Feb 10, 2026 - Book Club, Mt. Horeb Church, Lexington, SC - noon-2PM -Apr 15, 2026 - Book Club, Noon to 2 PM - Elgin, SC (members only)
Email: hope@chopeclark.com to schedule events, online or otherwise. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” —Frederick Douglass Hope - The June 20, 2025 edition of FundsforWriters included a piece by Sean McLachlan titled "The Facebook Author Page: An Essential Marketing Tool." I'd thought about creating a Facebook Author Page for awhile, but didn't know how to go about it. This article gave me both the information I needed, and the motivation, to take the plunge. I put a post on my general page telling people I was creating an author page, so they could follow my writing news there. One learning point for me: I was so excited about
finally getting my author page together that I started sending Facebook friend invitations to authors who were my friends on the general site to friend me on my author page. Because of all the scams out there, some of them reached out to me asking if it was really me, or someone pretending to be me. One of the factors they cited was that there weren't a lot of posts on my author page, which looked suspicious. So if I had to do it again, I'd still put a note on my general page about creating an
author page, so people could gravitate there if they liked. But I'd wait until I'd put several posts on the author page before reaching out to proactively invite people to friend me there. That being said, no regrets. My author page has a much more focused purpose, which has helped me decide who to reach out to and who to follow. Plus, having that page has removed my reluctance to "bother" my general/casual friends by posting about my
writing (true or false, it's the way I felt, so it posed a barrier). Thank you for including McLachlan's article in FundsforWriters! Lisa Timpf
https://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/
Facebook: @lisa.timpf.author
Bluesky: lisatimpf.bsky.social
<<If you have a success story you believe was prompted by FundsforWriters, please share with us! Send to hope@chopeclark.com >> How to Effectively Use Three-Act Structure in Film Scripts
By Mark Heidelberger
Early in my career an executive once told me, “Great story, mediocre script.” When I pressed him on what made the script mediocre, he fumbled trying to explain – how it took too long to get to moment X or that moment Y had no
conflict between the hero and villain – before finally settling on the fact that, “Look, it just didn’t read the way professional scripts usually read.” I told myself his lack of articulation meant he didn’t understand. However, as I acquired more experience, I started to better understand what he meant. A viable script will have a clear three-act structure that’s driven by the protagonist’s actions and his interactions with an
antagonist. This ensures that needed drama occurs as the story progresses, at a pace that will satisfy audience expectations. While sounding rote, the tried and true formula attracts studios, producers, directors, actors and others. Most screenwriters have heard of three-act structure, but too often distill it down to having a “beginning, middle and end.” This won’t cut it. Hollywood professionals see three-act structure executed in a
more precise way, where certain beats involving certain characters happen around certain pages. They might not realize your first act break didn’t involve your hero or that your midpoint came 10 pages too late, but they’ll “feel” that it’s off. And they’ll pass. Note the key anchors needed in a 120-page script so you avoid the feedback I got years ago: Teaser & Set-Up Establish the protagonist’s ordinary world in the first 15 pages – his life before something alters its course. Where we learn the kind of character we’re following, what he wants and what flaws he has. Moreover, the first two to five pages should be an opening sequence that teases the story to come and is so darn interesting, it immediately hooks the reader. Inciting Incident Something changes the protagonist’s world around page 15. Whatever it is, it should set up the conflict with the antagonist. You have some flexibility, but if your inciting incident goes much past page 20, you have too much set-up. First Act Break The protagonist needs to make a choice around page 30 to send him on his
journey. Note: It can’t be someone else making the choice or the choice being made for him. Structure is built around the hero’s actions. Rising Action From pages 30 to 60, the protagonist makes progress in his endeavors. He and the antagonist act and counteract, back and forth. Ultimately, the protagonist rises toward his goal. Think of the character
trajectories like this: as the protagonist rises, the antagonist falls and vice versa. This inverse relationship serves as the heart of screenplay conflict. Midpoint The protagonist hits a false high point around page 60. Why is it false? Because the protagonist hasn’t yet learned his lesson, overcome his flaw, or defeated the antagonist regardless of how
things appear. It’s also critical to have another incident that alters the protagonist’s trajectory downward. Falling Action & Betrayal Moment From pages 60 to 90, the protagonist loses ground to the antagonist, and his life starts falling apart. He still hasn’t heeded the story lesson, and he alienates many around him. Halfway through this section, there
is often a “betrayal moment” as well, where either the protagonist breaks someone’s trust or has his trust broken by someone else. Second Act Break The protagonist needs to be at the lowest point we’ve ever seen him around page 90. Lower than he was at the beginning. Lower than he’ll be at the end. All seems lost. Take your hero and drop him off a
metaphorical cliff. At this point, some outside influence rallies him to stand up and fight. Climax The last quarter of the script is, of course, the showdown between protagonist and antagonist, including the build-up to get there. How it ends will define whether it’s a comedy or tragedy. If the protagonist prevails, he’s overcome his flaw, learned the
lesson, and got what he needed, even if it’s not what he originally wanted. Coda While not necessary, the last couple pages can wrap up loose ends and offer the reader closure. No more than one or two scenes, though. There’s a lot of creative leeway within this structure, and faithful execution is
often what sets apart Joe Pro from Joe Schmoe. Once you find success following the rules, you earn wiggle room to break them, because others will know you understand them. Read as many professionally written scripts as possible (Drew’s Script-O-Rama has tons) to observe how the structure is employed in practice. Creating properly means not only a great story, but a great script, too. BIO - Mark Heidelberger co-founded
Beverly Hills-based Treasure Entertainment in 2000, serving as a film executive, producer and literary manager until 2011 before going freelance. Film and TV credits include Harsh Times, Comfort, Ninja Apocalypse, The Basement, Take the Night, Pray for Rain, Hallmark Channel's You've Got a Friend and the recently released Last Night on Earth. Often times, he performs ghostwriting services on screenplays in addition to his producing duties. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America. He
holds a BA in Film Studies from UCSB and an MFA in Producing from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television. INTREPID TIMES TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION
https://intrepidtimes.com/travel-writing-competition-a-human-moment-win-300/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 10, 2025. Write a true travel story about a
moment of human connection. Write 1500 – 1800 words, and win up to $300 USD. One winner and up to four runners-up will be published right here on Intrepid Times. EGGTOOTH CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://eggtootheditions.wordpress.com/home/contest-guidelines/
NO ENTRY FEE.
Deadline December 15, 2025. Winner receives $250 prize, publication of the winning manuscript as a physical book, and 20 author’s copies of the chapbook. Submission fee is waived for 2025, limited to 100 submissions. The Eggtooth Editions Chapbook Contest is open to anyone writing in the English language who has not previously published a full-length book (defined as a solely authored work of more than 50 pages, self-publishing included). Manuscript should be 15-50 pages in
length. LITMAG'S VIRGINIA WOOLF AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION
https://litmag.submittable.com/submit/331342/litmags-virginia-woolf-award-for-fiction-2025-first-prize-2-500-publicat
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December
31, 2025. First Prize: $2,500, publication in LitMag and agency review by Sarah Fuentes of UTA, Molly Glick of CAA, Lisa Bankoff of Bankoff Collaborative, Erin Harris and Sonali Chanchani of Folio Literary Management, Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency, David Forrer of Inkwell Management, Monika Woods of Triangle House, Emily Forland of Brandt & Hochman, and Nat Sobel of Sobel Weber Associates. Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered possible agency
review and publication. Entries must be short stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. DISQUIET LITERARY PRIZE
https://disquietinternational.org/the-program/contests-scholarships/the-disquiet-prize/
$15 ENTRY FEE. Deadline: January 5,
2026. Entries are accepted in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. One winner in each category will be published in Granta.com (fiction), NinthLetter.com (non-fiction) or The Common (poetry). One grand prize winner will receive a full scholarship, accommodations, and travel stipend to attend the fourteenth annual DISQUIET International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal (June 28-July 10, 2026). Genre winners will receive a tuition waiver for DISQUIET 2026 in addition to publication.
Winners who are unable to attend the program in Lisbon may elect to receive a $1000 cash prize in lieu of the tuition waiver. RATTLE CHAPBOOK PRIZE
https://rattle.com/page/chapbookprize/
$30 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 15, 2026. Three winners will receive $5,000, 500 copies,
distribution to Rattle’s 8,000+ subscribers. At least one of the winners will be a poet who has never published a full-length collection of poetry (48 pages or more) prior to 2025. Open to writers, worldwide; poems must be written primarily in English (no translations, except by the author). Manuscripts may be 15 – 30 pages of poems.
GRANTS / FELLOWSHIP / CROWDFUNDING SAN FRANCISCO DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND GRANTS
https://www.sa.gov/Directory/Departments/Arts/Grants/Artist-Grants
Opens January 2026. Arts & Culture offers Artist Grants to San
Antonio-based professional artists working in the following disciplines: literary arts, media arts, multi-disciplinary arts, performing arts, visual arts. Annual grants of $7,500 and $15,000 support artists in their creation of new work. Artists can apply individually or as part of a collective/ensemble. THE RONA JAFFE FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP
https://fawc.org/apply/
Deadline December 15, 2025. Generous support from The Rona Jaffe Foundation has established the Rona Jaffe Foundation Fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center. This fellowship will be awarded each year, beginning in 2022-23, to an emerging woman writer of exceptional promise. The fellowship fully funds the 7-month residency and includes a $2,500 prize to help defray the cost of travel and living expenses.
Rona Jaffe Foundation fellows must be permanent residents of the U.S. and may not have published their first book in the standard edition. All eligible candidates will be automatically considered for this fellowship by the Fine Arts Work Center. There is no separate application process for the Rona Jaffe Foundation Fellowship. Location Provincetown, MA. FINE ARTS WORK CENTER FELLOWSHIPS
https://fawc.org/apply/
Deadline December 15, 2025. Each year, the Work Center offers 20 seven-month residencies to a juried group of emerging visual artists, fiction writers, and poets. Each Fellow receives an apartment, a studio (for visual artists), and a monthly stipend of $1,250 plus an exit stipend of $1,000. Residencies run from October 1 through April 30. During this time, Fellows have the
opportunity to pursue their work independently in a diverse and supportive community of peers. Location Provincetown, MA. FELLOWSHIP ACCESS FUND
https://fawc.org/apply/
Deadline December 15, 2025. The Fine Arts Work Center has established a Fellowship Access Fund, to increase access to the
7-month Fellowship opportunity for select candidates with particular financial needs. This Fund supports extraordinary expenses that may prevent a selected candidate from accepting the Fellowship or from fully participating during the 7-month period. One-time awards will be limited, and range from $500 to $2,500. Allocations are made following review by a committee made up of FAWC leadership, which includes staff, Trustees, and Fellowship Committee members, and will be paid upon selection. There
is no separate application process for the Fellowship Access Fund. Location Provincetown, MA. SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY STEINBECK FELLOWSHIPS
https://www.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/awards-fellowships/steinbeck-fellowship/apply.php
Deadline January 4,
2026. Offers emerging writers of any age and background the opportunity to pursue a significant writing project during their fellowship tenure. The emphasis of the program is on helping writers who have had some success but have not published extensively, and whose promising work would be aided by the financial support and sponsorship of the Center and the University's creative writing program. Fellowships include a stipend of $15,000. Award recipients will be required to reside within
the counties of the San Francisco Bay Area or adjacent counties of the California central coast or central valley during most of the fellowship period. The fellowship period is for one academic year (approximately September - May).
NOEMA MAGAZINE
https://www.noemamag.com/masthead/
Noema is an award-winning magazine exploring the transformations sweeping our world. We publish essays, interviews, reportage, videos and art on the overlapping realms of technology, philosophy,
governance, economics, geopolitics and culture. In doing so, our unique approach is to get out of the usual lanes and cross disciplines, social silos and cultural boundaries. From artificial intelligence and the climate crisis to the future of democracy and capitalism, Noema Magazine seeks a deeper understanding of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Pay is $1/word. THE FORWARD
https://forward.com/about-us/employment/
The Forward is American Jewry’s essential, independent news organization, delivering incisive coverage of the issues, ideas and institutions that matter to American Jews with rigorous, unbiased reporting and balanced, thoughtful commentary on news, politics, arts and culture that are acclaimed in the news industry. To apply, please send detailed
proposals including a list of sources to be interviewed, length range, proposed fee and deadline to editorial@forward.com. GRIFFITH REVIEW
https://www.griffithreview.com/for-writers/
Deadline November 30, 2025. Non-fiction and fiction call-outs generally open four times
a year and invite full submissions in response to a loose edition theme. Poetry call-outs are open four times a year and invite full submissions for poetry on any subject (poetry doesn’t need to align with edition themes). We occasionally open call outs for specific projects such as GR Online and the Griffith Review Emerging Voices competition. We want pieces that are no longer than 4,000 words. Theme is "Lost and Found." Pay is AUD$0.75/word for fiction and nonfiction. THE BOLD ITALIC
https://www.thebolditalic.com/how-to-write-for-the-bold-italic/
The main mission of The Bold Italic, an independently-owned online magazine, is to celebrate the freewheeling spirit of San Francisco and the Bay Area at large. We want to be a place where locals—including
natives, those who have been here for a while, and new transplants—can turn for fresh, compelling, and unexpected stories about where they live. We pay $200–300 per story depending on the research required for the piece. If you’re interested in pursuing a longer form project that would require more time, we can explore a higher rate. THE LAND, FOOD, AND FREEDOM JOURNAL
https://www.landfoodfreedom.com/contribute
The Land, Food, and Freedom Journal is the interdisciplinary editorial offering from Blackademics, the research arm of the National Black Food & Justice Alliance. The NBFJA is a coalition of Black-led organizations focused on food sovereignty and land justice. Blackademics supports research and publishes reports on Black farmers’ innovations. Our
work is centered in Black food sovereignty and liberation. We developed this journal as a space to cultivate ideas, promote scholarship, and celebrate art, to catalyze and support movement building. Whether you identify as an academic, farmer, land steward, grower, earth lover, activist, freedom fighter, artist, intellectual, street scholar, organizer, culture worker, or culinary artist, your voice is central to this movement. For written work, please share via a Google Docs link. Please ensure
submissions are no more than 2000 words. Pays $350-$750.
VULPINE PRESS
https://www.vulpine-press.com/submission-guidelines
We currently accept all manner of books, including those that straddle genres. Primarily your work is most likely to be accepted if it is doing something different, or
something exceptionally well. We enjoy reading fiction and personal non-fiction alike, as long as it shares those same characteristics of innovation or creativity which we pride ourselves on. WISE WOLF BOOKS
https://wisewolfbooks.com/submissions
We strive to publish teen/young-adult books from
writers of all genders, ethnicity, race, and ability that young readers will love while also staying true to our unique business model. We are accepting both unsolicited and agented submissions at this time, and we appreciate Teen/YA authors who have a backlist or are writing books in a series. ZIBBY PUBLISHING
https://zibbymedia.com/pages/zibby-books-submissions
We primarily publish fiction and memoir and are open to work by both debut and established authors. We are looking for books that make you feel, that have a strong voice, deep characters, and a strong sense of place. Currently, we are not looking for science fiction/fantasy, poetry, historical fiction, historical biography, romance, self-help/parenting, political, or children's books. RED ADEPT PUBLISHING
https://redadeptpublishing.com/submissions/
Minimum length is 50,000 words. Red Adept Publishing is an independent publisher of genre fiction. Since our first release in 2012, we have published over 100 novels, including 4 national bestsellers (NYT and USA Today). We love
providing a home for new and established authors. GREEN FERNS PUBLISHING
https://greenfernspress.com/submissions/
Green Ferns Publishing House is an author-led press based in the Carolinas, specializing in Southern fiction and coastal mysteries. We welcome submissions from emerging and
established voices who celebrate place, character, and emotional depth. We are looking for unique stories that immerse readers through twisty plots, unforgettable characters, and rich worlds. We represent the following genres: mystery, thriller, fantasy, fantasy romance, and Southern literature. Currently, we are looking for submissions with richly depicted Southern settings and strong narrative voices, particularly in the mystery and/or thriller genres and southern literature. Novels:
60,000–100,000 words. Must be first in series and unpublished.
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
receive. Direct any complaints, suggestions, and accolades to Hope Clark at hope@fundsforwriters.com. We are an anti-spam site. | |
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