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SO-CALLED WRITING REQUIREMENTS

A remarkable part of this profession we've chosen is that there are no age restrictions. We can be young, fresh out of school, and thanks to our wide-open, untethered, rose-colored glasses view of life, we can create a remarkable tale because we've never been told that sort of tale won't sell. We can be retired, a wealth of knowledge collected from life experiences, and choose to mold those moments and thoughts into stories before our time is done. And we can be anything in between.

Bram Stoker was 50 when he published Dracula.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was 64 when she wrote her first Little House book.
Frank McCourt was 66 and waited until he'd retired from teaching to write his first book, Angela's Ashes. 
Raymond Chandler was 51 when he published the first Philip Marlowe mystery noir. 

On the other side...

Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein at age 19.
Alec Greven published How to Talk to Girls at age 9.
Helen Keller wrote her autobiography at age 22.
Christopher Paolini published Eragon at age 18. 

The moment you tell yourself you are too young or too old, you are simply throwing up obstacles in front of yourself, because age doesn't matter to anyone else. Writing is about pure word mastery . . . at any point in your life. 

Likewise, education is not a requirement. You may earn an MFA in creative writing or start in high school. What matters most is your motivation. My degree was in agronomy (agricultural plant science), yet I've published six mystery novels. 

Amanda Hocking was a millionaire with her fantasy works by the age of 25 after only two semesters of community college. Jonathan Franzen isn't a fan of authors getting an MFA, but Alexander Chee is. Junot Diaz has an MFA and still doesn't think anyone needs it. Read more in this piece, 27 Writers on Whether or Not to Get Your MFA - http://flavorwire.com/476264/27-writers-on-whether-or-not-to-get-your-mfa 

Then there are the high school dropouts: Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), Augusten Burroughs (Running with Scissors), Jack Kerouac, William Faulkner, and Jack London.

When you set conditions on being a writer, you're fooling only yourself. The biggest requirement is an intensity to write, and a fire in your belly to be better, and better, until you can write no more.




 

PS -
C. Hope Clark has a newsletter just about herself and her fiction. Join now to learn about giveaways, new releases, and appearances. Here's where you can raise your hand for review copies (and she does this a lot). Here's where you might find insight on the next book, or what direction Hope might be taking a character. Sign up at http://chopeclark.com/  - see SUBSCRIBE at the top.



WE HAVE 2 NEWSLETTERS - THE FREEBIE and THE PAID SUBSCRIPTION . . . 

Remember that FundsforWriters, this newsletter, is free. Send it to whomever you like and share it liberally. But if you are serious about writing income resources, and your time is limited, consider subscribing to TOTAL FundsforWriters. It comes out biweekly, with 70 contests, markets, grants, retreats, publishers, freelance gigs, magazines and more, It's huge, but it saves you a lot of time searching. It's $18.75 for a year, or 26 issues. To subscribe, simply go to www.paypal.me/chopeclark/18.75 . It will be sent to the email you used unless you specify otherwise.

NOTE TO THE WISE: Send a receipt for one of Hope's books and receive TOTAL for free.    
(**and feel free to steal this graphic for your own site!)


 

 WORDS OF SUCCESS

"To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed."

~Bernard Edmonds~

 

Success Story

If FundsforWriters has aided your writing in any way, please share.
We'd all like to celebrate your success story. Email to hope@fundsforwriters.com

featured article

Why a Writer's Conference and Why Killer Nashville?

By Rona Simmons

After over 30 years in corporate America, planning and goal setting come natural to me. So it only made sense as I embarked on my trip to Killer Nashville 2016 that I decide what my goals for the conference were. I’d attended my first writer’s conference five years ago and had not known quite what to expect, but with that experience under my belt, this time I was better able to approach the conference with a purpose. Seven purposes in fact.

Manuscript Submission. Having the opportunity to meet face to face with literary agents, editors, and publishers is what distinguishes writer’s conferences from other book or literary festivals. Attendees are guaranteed an audience with an agent who is looking for new work and new authors. You can’t ask for more - except that at Killer Nashville, the agents were there to find new mystery and thriller works.

Networking. When even a handful of like-minded people gather in one location, there’s an opportunity to make a connection. When 300 gather, there’s no excuse not to make several connections. At Killer Nashville, there were people from home I knew would be at Killer Nashville, there were authors I’d heard of that I wanted to meet, authors new to me, aspiring authors, agents, and of course professionals from the law enforcement community.  

Education. In my case, this might have been the primary reason for attending Killer Nashville. My work-in-progress (The Martyr’s Brother) is a thriller / suspense novel, a new genre for me. Where better to learn some of the fundamentals of the genre and how those bones can be twisted and tweaked to individual styles than in the thirty-something panels and workshops? 

Book Sales. Killer Nashville combines a bit of book festival with its writer’s conference - so, after hearing one of the featured authors or panelists speak there was ample time to browse Parnassus’ onsite bookstore to snap up a copy of their book and have it autographed. What’s more, once I was accepted to appear on a panel, I was invited to have my own “crime” novel (Postcards from Wonderland) sold in the bookstore.

Book Signing. It’s the icing on the cake. Parnassus was kind enough to offer time slots for authors to sign their books in the onsite store. “Hand selling” is my forte. I love to engage with readers and potential readers and talk about my book, and of course to sign and sell copies. 

Awards. On Saturday night, after cocktails and dinner and one more chance to meet and mingle, Killer Nashville announced its annual awards, everything from the Claymore to the Silver Falchion award to, of course, the Dupin Detective Award. With the help of a glass of wine or two, I could just imagine my name being called at a future conference.

Fun. And if book sales and signing are the icing on the cake, then the sugar inside has to be the ingredient that ties them all together. I’d never been to Nashville, so strolling the city’s Honky Tonk district and then seeing the Grand Ole Opry live on the free Friday night were unexpected bonuses. But the fun was not limited to the downtown city blocks, it permeated every corner of Killer Nashville, from the opportunity to read my manuscript to an audience, to taking a selfie with Janet Evanovich, to examining the staged crime scene, to celebrating a friend winning an award at the banquet, to selling books, and meeting new readers. 

The 2017 Killer Nashville conference is a short ten months away. Start making your own list of goals today.

P.S. I would be remiss in not mentioning that Hope Clark and Funds for Writers made my Killer Nashville attendance possible through her generous scholarship. Thank you Hope!

Rona Simmons
www.ronasimmons.com
@rona_simmons
rona_simmons@bellsouth.net
 

COmpetitions

MAUREEN EGEN WRITERS EXCHANGE AWARD
http://www.pw.org/about-us/maureen_egen_writers_exchange_award
NO ENTRY FEE.
Writers from the state of Maine are encouraged to apply for the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. One fiction writer and one poet will be selected. Winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to meet with top literary professionals, including editors, agents, publishers, and prominent writers. This year’s judges are are Tania James for fiction and Cynthia Cruz for poetry. The submission deadline is January 9, 2017. In addition, each winner will receive a $500 honorarium; present a public reading in New York City, hosted by Poets & Writers; and have the opportunity to participate in a one-month residency at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Wyoming.



WELLS COLLEGE PRESS POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
https://wellscollegepress.submittable.com/submit
$20 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline November 30, 2016. The author of the chosen manuscript will receive 20 copies of the letterpress-printed, hand-sewn chapbook. The author will also be invited to read from her or his new chapbook at Wells College in the fall of 2017, and receive a $500 honorarium + room and board for the reading. We print editions of 150 signed and numbered copies. Submit 18-30 manuscript pages. 



TETHERED BY LETTERS FALL LITERARY COMPETITION
http://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest/
$8-$15 ENTRY FEE. 
There are three submission categories: 1) short stories of any genre ranging from 1,000 to 7,500 words, 2) flash fiction with a word limit of 750 words, and 3) poetry no longer than three pages. Winners of the contest will be published in a future issue of F(r)iction alongside stunning original artwork from TBL’s talented team of artists. Flash and poetry winners receive $300 first price. Short story winner receives $1,000. Deadline November 1, 2016. 



GLAMOUR AMAZING REAL-LIFE STORY
http://www.glamour.com/story/have-an-amazing-real-life-story-tell-it-to-glamour
NO ENTRY FEE.
Every woman has a moment in life that changes everything. What’s that moment for you? We'd love to find out. To enter this year’s contest, send us your essay—no more than 3,500 words—by November 1. You could win $5,000, see your story in Glamour, and speak with a top New York literary agent.
 

GRANTS

PATRICIA BIBBY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.tebotbach.org/bibbyscholarship.html
Deadline November 1, 2016. The 2017 recipient will receive a scholarship to attend the five-day Post-Conference Workshop in Poetry and Short-Form Prose, February 21 – 25, 2017, led by poet Cecilia Woloch, in association with the San Miguel Writers Conference in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The scholarship covers the cost of the workshop, airfare, and lodging. The recipient may, at her or his own discretion, travel to San Miguel prior to the workshop, to attend some or all of the conference events at his or her own expense.



SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR THE WINTER POETRY & PROSE GETAWAY
http://wintergetaway.com/registration/writers-conference-scholarships/ 
Five scholarships are being offered for first-time participants of the 24th Annual WINTER POETRY & PROSE GETAWAY, January 13-16, 2017 in the Atlantic City area. Recipients may choose from workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, songwriting and more, including special advanced sessions with Stephen Dunn and Sharon Olds. In addition, the conference also offers open mics, tutorials, sunrise yoga, dancing at the Getaway Disco and writerly camaraderie. Deadlines are November 15 and November 30, 2016.



ARQUETOPIA, OAXACA, MEXICO RESIDENCY
http://www.arquetopia.org/our-artist-residencies/writers-residency
Deadline November 30, 2016. Open to emerging or mid-career writers, journalists, playwrights, translators, and graduate students; minimum age 25. For a limited time, we are now welcoming applications for Winter/Spring (January thru April) 2017. Self-directed sessions of 3 to 8 weeks in the countryside of Oaxaca, southern Mexico. USD $529 per week. Residency includes the following: 

Staff Support: Each resident meets weekly with our staff for individualized research assistance/resources, project guidance, and critiques. Accommodation, Meals, and Local Transportation: Furnished, private bedroom, Meals and 24-hour access to the kitchen and dining room, Wireless Internet, Private bathrooms with modern fixtures and showers, Housekeeping, Though cheap, everyday public transportation is also available from the residency vicinity into the city, Arquetopia provides scheduled transportation into downtown Oaxaca twice per week by van. Workspace: Individual live/work space with natural light provided with table or desk. 



WARBLER'S ROOST RESIDENCIES
http://warblersroost.ca/artist-residencies/
Warbler’s Roost is located on Deer Lake, 20 minutes’ drive west of South River, Ontario in the beautiful Almaguin Highlands region. Warbler’s Roost is now offering short-term accommodation year-round at discounted seasonal rates for artists who want to focus on their work in a distraction-free environment. Artists enjoy clean and private accommodations, continental breakfast, bright and spacious common areas, a shared kitchen and 2.5 bathrooms, free WiFi, kayak/snowshoe rentals, 14 acres of beautiful outdoor countryside and 230 feet of waterfront on Deer Lake. January 5 to May 11: $275 CDN per week. 
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

BENNINGTON REVIEW
http://www.benningtonreview.org/submit/
We pay contributors $100 for prose of six pages and under, $200 for prose of over six pages, and $20 per poem, in addition to two copies of the issue the piece is published in and a copy of the subsequent issue. For poetry, please send no fewer than three and no more than five poems per submission. For fiction and creative nonfiction, please send no more than thirty pages per submission; any excerpts from a longer project must work as self-contained essays or stories. For film writing (and/or television writing), we are not looking for evaluative “reviews”; rather, please send essays  that engage with cinema in a unique and/or personal way. Deadline May 15, 2017. 



OUTDOORS NW
http://outdoorsnw.com/contributor-guidelines/
Topics: Outdoor Recreation, Adventure Travel, Training Evaluation and Tips, Health and Nutrition, Local Outdoor News and Trends, Local Athlete Profiles, Local Outdoor Business Profiles, Outdoor Fitness Product Reviews, Book Reviews, and Humor/Essay. Payment Schedule: News Brief 300 to 600 words—$75; Article 650 to 1,000 words—$100; Feature (Over 1,000 words)— $125; Cover photograph—$125; Inside photo—$35; Illustration—$50-$75.



SEATTLE MAGAZINE
http://www.seattlemag.com/writer-guidelines
The average department length story (1,200 words) pays about $350 and the average feature length story (1,500-3,500 words) pays from $400-$1,000, depending on the story. Some very short pieces (200-300 words) pay $50-$100. These rates are not guaranteed and vary widely. You will, however, receive the best looking local clip you'll ever get and have a ball working with our team. People pick up Seattle magazine to learn more about this city and the surrounding region, we rarely publish travel stories on Mexico, Europe, etc. But our readers do love to take trips within the Northwest, so we're looking for interesting regional travel stories for the upscale traveler that haven't been widely covered elsewhere in the media. We cover the geographic area between B.C. to Portland to Spokane (or a bit further east) to the coast. Know how to write newsy stories as well as the lighter stuff. The majority of our pitches are from travel and food writers, which is fine, but what we're really in need of are writers who want to write about juicy, newsy topics going on in the Seattle area. 



RENAISSANCE MAGAZINE
http://www.renaissancemagazine.com/subguide.html
Renaissance Magazine accepts unsolicited queries and manuscripts related to the Renaissance and late Middle Periods, including but not limited to: historical articles, martial arts, travel, interviews with artisans, articles on the SCA and related re-enactment groups, and the Renaissance Faire experience. Authors are strongly advised to query the editor to ensure that your proposed topic is appropriate and has not been reserved for another writer. Average feature article is approx. 2,000 words in length although longer work may be considered. Pays ten cents/word.
 

JOBS

JENNY MCKEAN MOORE WRITER IN WASHINGTON
https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=176360525
The successful candidate will teach a small poetry workshop each semester for members of the metropolitan Washington community. No tuition is charged for these workshops, which are not open to University Students. The successful candidate will also teach two classes, one each semester, for students at The George Washington University. The writer must have significant publications (a book of poetry published by a well-regarded press) and teaching experience, though not necessarily in a conventional academic setting. The writer need not have conventional academic credentials. He or she should reside in the Washington area while the university is in session, 1 September through early May. Advertised Salary: $60,000. (Thanks to www.erikadreifus.com) 
 

Publishers/agents

CHARLESBRIDGE CHILDREN'S BOOKS
https://www.charlesbridge.com/pages/submissions
At Charlesbridge, we are always seeking new voices, new visions, and new directions in children’s literature.



MELVILLE HOUSE
http://www.mhpbooks.com/about/submissions-policy/
No longer taking fiction queries, but will accept nonfiction proposals to include memoirs. Great, good-reputation publishing house. 



NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PRESS
http://www.nupress.northwestern.edu/content/submissions
We are a nonprofit publisher. If funding or a university subvention is available for your project, please indicate that in your cover letter. Go to the Contact page for direction contacts. Subject areas for each editor are listed below their contact information. They will consider fiction, but with scholarly value. The Press’s award-winning imprint, TriQuarterly Books, is devoted primarily to contemporary American fiction and poetry. In 2010, Northwestern University Press acquired the prestigious publisher of world literature Curbstone Press. The Curbstone imprint remains active and committed to its original mission. The Press publishes important works in continental philosophy, Slavic studies, literary criticism, and European and world classics, publishing series in many of these fields.



WIDO PUBLISHING
http://widopublishing.com/submissions/
We are currently accepting manuscripts for submission and are especially in the market for women’s fiction, light romance, memoirs, and mystery/suspense. In nonfiction, we will consider essay collections and imaginative and outstanding memoirs with a strong platform. We are not accepting scholarly works or illustrated children’s books at this time.
 

SPONSORS

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Writers in the WritingStrides 21-Day Challenge have done more than write something new—they've found the courage to finally call themselves writers and gone on to write more short stories, memoirs, and even poetry collections. 

Register today for the WritingStrides 21-Day Challenge.  Runs October 24 – November 13. $37
Visit http://writingstrideschallenge.pagedemo.co/





 

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Fine print

Please forward the newsletter in its entirety. To reprint any editorials, contact hope@fundsforwriters.com for permission. Please do not assume that acknowledgements listed in your publication is considered a valid right to publish.

C. Hope Clark
E-mail: hope@fundsforwriters.com
140-A Amicks Ferry Road #4
Chapin, SC 29036
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2016, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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