SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOUR WRITING IS ANY GOOD. 

NOTE FROM HOPE: Ever asked yourself that question? Sure you have. When someone asks me that question, I send them to Joan Dempsey. She'll help, and she'll tell you what you need to hear to take your writing to the next level.

Here's how to determine once and for all if your writing is really any good so you can stop worrying about whether or not you’re wasting your time, and focus instead on making sure your writing is as good as it can possibly be.

Joan Dempsey is a remarkable woman, and I'm lucky to call her friend. When a writer asks me for a mentor or teacher or person able to help them through issues in their writing life, Joan is at the top of my list. Yes, you can trust her.

 

USING REAL PLACES IN YOUR STORY

I received this question recently from a writer who had read my Edisto series and had concerns about using actual places and entities in her own stories.

<<Can you address the issue of what a writer needs to do if they want to include an actual location (town, store, restaurant, company, etc.) in their story - do they need to get permission?>>

We live in a litigious society where so many are quick to point out where someone has done someone else wrong, so it's understandable how using a real place in fiction might cause trepidation. All of my fiction, in case you haven't read the books, takes place in real settings. I love the extra oomph of reality and find it exciting to build a story around that reality.

The Carolina Slade Mysteries are in Charleston, Edisto Island, Beaufort, St Helena Island, Columbia, and Pelion . . . all real settings in South Carolina. The Edisto Island Mysteries all take place on Edisto Beach and Edisto Island, but I take place even deeper that a town or island. Especially in the Edisto series, I use real streets, landmarks, parks, and restaurants. How do I get away with that and not make someone mad?

I am aware of only two people who've ever taken issue with my efforts. One in particular showed up at a signing and said he did not like me showing murder taking place on Edisto, because Edisto is not crime-ridden. That's okay. He loves Edisto that much. My logic in depicting Edisto in mysteries (which means bodies) is to take a place that is so free of crime and pretend with "what-ifs," making for a fun read. Just like the police chief is not a woman in real life. Just like the mayors are totally unalike. People thoroughly enjoy seeing a street they know and pretending danger takes place in a twisting-turning tale. Two restaurants have thanked me for the attention.

But, and this is a very big but, you do not depict businesses, restaurants, or addresses in a negative light. All of the bodies/murders in my stories occur at fictitious places. A lady once asked me where the murder site was in Lowcountry Bribe, because she drove up and down the road looking for it. I made it up. And...that's why you do not have bad things happen at real places. Just like you don't have bad people in your stories strongly affiliated with real places (i.e., owner of a real restaurant) or have real places involved in the crime (i.e., food poisoning). Avoid shedding negative light in any way on real people and businesses.

But you can take real towns, counties, states, and regions, and treat them as you like. The smaller the place the more likely someone will take issue with you. That's it. Pretty simple, frankly. Keep the negative on the bad guy, and you'll usually do fine. 



 




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!)






SISTERS IN CRIME PRESENTS ROBERT DUGONI - SAT. JANUARY 21, 2017

I want to take this moment to comment about a group I belong to, Sisters in Crime. I am a founding member of the Palmetto Chapter in SC, and on January 21, at 1PM, mystery/suspense author Robert Dugoni is coming to speak to us, and will be interviewed by the remarkable Cathy Pickens, also a well-known mystery author. There is no cost and it's potluck, which interprets to lots of cool homemade dishes. Location St Paul's Lutheran Church at 1715 Bull Street in downtown Columbia, SC. Lunch is at 1PM and the program is at 3PM. Please consider attending if you're in the state, or even passing through. Nothing like learning from the successful. 





 

 WORDS OF SUCCESS

"In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking."

~Sir John Lubbock~
 

Success Story

Dear Hope --

I've been following Funds for Writers for I-don't-know-how-long, and today, after a particularly interesting month or two, I'm compelled to write to you with something of a Success Story.

I just had this piece published in USA Today <http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/13/obamacare-nixon-health-insurance-kidney-transplant-column/96499100/>. Forget the politics of it, it was the writing of it that felt so amazing. 

Thing is, I think that after 40 years of trying to work at and with words; after publishing a novel with St. Martin's Press and a memoir with Hub City Press; after miles and miles of newspaper and magazine copy - I think I finally feel as if I might be learning how to Write.

I've been a journalist for years, worked at major-metro papers. Last month, I got my first byline in The New York Times as a stringer, though in my latest foray with them, I only reported on the Gatlinburg fires; I didn't actually write this article <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/gatlinburg-tennessee-wildfire.html> . Still, I learned about facts, collaboration, and writing.

At the same time, I continue looking for an agent for my newest novel. (I sold my first one over the transom, a miracle if there ever was one, a complete fluke.) I'm crazy about this novel and continue tweaking it. I'm also working on a stage play and fiddling with a musical. With each and every draft and re-draft of everything I do, I find I'm learning how to write. With a capital W.

Meanwhile, I earn something of a living with journalism, turning out feature stories primarily for local magazines, in addition to some other freelance work.

All the while, too, I love seeing you and FundsforWriters pop into my Inbox. I love the encouragement, inspiration, and your place for learning about writers and writing and the outlets and people supporting them.

Thank you.
John Jeter
Adjunct Professor, Converse College
864 380 8546

featured article

How to Write LGBT Romance Stories

By Behlor Santi

According to the first large-scale government survey on sexual orientation and gender identity, reported in 2014 by the National Health Interview Survey, 1.6 percent of Americans identify as gay or lesbian, and 0.7 percent identify as bisexual. A 2011 report by the Williams Institute state that 3.8 percent of Americans identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Online surveys reveal even higher amounts of LGBT orientation, due to the anonymity of the internet which makes people report less socially-desired responses.

With millions of Americans belonging to a sexual minority, romance novels and stories with LGBT characters have become increasingly common. Publishing houses such as Bold Strokes and Bella Books specialize in LGBT romances. Prominent lesbian romance novelists include Melissa Brayden, Kristen Zimmer, and Georgia Beers, while romance novelists that write gay male characters include Madeleine Urban and J.L. Langley. While writing, researching markets, and submitting manuscripts is the same across all genres, there are some pitfalls to avoid when writing LGBT romance stories.

What if you're straight and writing LGBT characters? Avoiding cliches when creating characters is vital in LGBT fiction. Do any of your characters fit these stereotypes?

=> The effeminate gay man. While some gay men do tend to emphasize their feminine qualities, too often the "effeminate" stereotype is used to denigrate gay and bisexual men, with terrible real-life consequences.

=> The mannish lesbian. While some lesbian, bisexual, and straight women prefer to emphasize their masculine qualities, this is another stereotype used to denigrate women who don't meet the heterosexual standard.

=> The sexually promiscuous bisexual. Bisexuality is still a poorly understood concept, leading too many writers to write bisexual characters who sleep around, are unfaithful; or in the case of bisexual men, spread HIV/AIDS to their female partners.

If you're straight, and you write a gay, lesbian, or bisexual character, try to find fellow writers who are themselves a sexual minority. Have them read a draft of your story. If your reader finds something that they consider questionable, believe them. If you're writing for the LGBT market, it's not a good idea to offend people who will buy your book or short story.

Once you've polished your manuscript, research markets that accept LGBT romances. Note that LGBT markets are just as diverse as the markets for heterosexual romances. Some markets specialize in romances featuring gays and lesbians of color. Some markets are not too keen on explicit sex and violence. Other markets emphasize more explicitly erotic stories. Read books and short stories by publishers that you want to work with. Send stories to publishers that share your values and aesthetics.

Here are seven publishers that accept LGBT romance stories.

Body Parts Magazine
http://www.bodypartsmagazine.com/submissions.html
Accepts erotic LGBT fiction with dark and fantasic themes.

Headmaster
http://www.headmastermagazine.com/
Accepts erotic gay fiction with serious/literary elements.

The Letters Page
http://www.theletterspage.ac.uk/
English literary magazine that accepts LGBT love stories.

Sequestrum
http://www.sequestrum.org/submissions
Accepts erotic, romantic, and serious/literary stories with LGBT themes.

SHARKPACK Poetry Review Annual
http://spr.submittable.com/
Accepts sincere LGBT flash fiction without explicit sexual content or violence.

The Tishman Review
http://tishmanreview.com/submission-guidelines/
Accepts LGBT love stories.

Vine Leaves Literary Journal
http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/submissions.html
Accepts LGBT flash fiction with romantic themes.

BIO - Behlor Santi regularly contributes to fundsforwriters.com. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Email her at thebxscribbler1980@gmail.com

 

COmpetitions

KYSO FLASH CONTEST
http://www.kysoflash.com/ContestOLOE.aspx
$5 ENTRY FEE. 
We offer a writing competition whose theme is climate change, “One Life, One Earth,” in recognition of the written word’s unique role in celebrating and nourishing our little blue planet. We want to know what cries out inside of you, our artists, our most sensitive chroniclers of civilization and wilderness, as this crisis looms. The best, original works of 1,000 words or fewer in any literary genre of prose or poetry will win cash prizes, plus publication online and in print. $300 First Prize. $200 Second Prize. $100 Third Prize. Deadline January 31, 2017. 



CENTER FOR WOMEN WRITERS LITERARY AWARDS IN FICTION, CREATIVE NONFICTION, POETRY
https://center4womenwriters.submittable.com/submit
$10 ENTRY FEE.
Deadline February 15, 2017. Competitions are open to anyone writing in English, except current Salem Academy and College employees and students. Fiction submissions are up to 5,000 words. CNF submissions are up to 5,000 words. Poetry submissions: three poems; we ask that each poem appears on a separate page and that no single poem is more than 100 lines. Each category awarded $1,000 and an honorable mention of $100. 



MIDDLE GRADE ADVENTURE FICTION CONTEST
https://www.instituteforwriters.com/contestrules/default.aspx
$19 ENTRY FEE. 
The contest offers five cash prizes: $650 for the winner, $350 for second place, and $100 for third, fourth, and fifth places. Submissions must be no more than 750 words. The audience is seven to twelve year olds. Deadline February 28, 2017. The entry fee will also entitle you to free entry to an instructional and educational webinar with the judge of the contest to be held after the winners have been chosen. 



SEXTON PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://store.eyewearpublishing.com/pages/sexton-prize-for-poetry
$25 ENTRY FEE.
The Sexton Prize is an annual publication award with a $1,000 honorarium for an outstanding new collection of poetry by an American poet. The winning manuscript will be published, distributed, and marketed by Eyewear Publishing, Ltd. in both the United States and the United Kingdom simultaneously in the Spring of 2018. The Sexton Prize is open to poets at all career stages, from emerging to established; poets of every age and level of publication experience are encouraged to submit. Finalists will also be considered for publication. Deadline April 2, 2017.
 

GRANTS

INDIANA INDIVIDUAL ARTIST GRANTS
http://www.in.gov/arts/individualartistprogram.htm
Deadline February 3, 2017. This season they are accepting grant requests for dance, literary arts, music, and theatre. Applicants may request a maximum of $2,000. Grantees must plan a project, or phase of a project, which can be realized within the requested budget and completed within the proposed timeline. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and a legal resident of Indiana.



BROOKLYN POETS FELLOWSHIPS
http://brooklynpoets.org/workshops/fellowships/
Each workshop season, we award fellowships to promising students in need to take our workshops for free. To be eligible, applicants must not have previously published (or had accepted for publication) a chapbook or full-length collection of poems. Applicants are limited to one fellowship every four years, two fellowships lifetime. To apply for the upcoming season, submit four to five poems (seven pages maximum) along with a cover letter describing your writing background, interest in a particular workshop, and financial need by Sunday, January 29, 2017.



STORYKNIFE RESIDENCIES
https://storyknifewritersretreat.submittable.com/submit
Storyknife Writers Residency is currently being developed on ten acres of land outside of Homer, Alaska. We just can't wait for all six proposed cabins and main house to be built, so the Board of Directors of Storyknife is beginning with a single Storyknife resident who will live in the beautifully appointed cabin on the property. Women writers can apply for a two-week or four-week residency during the months of June, July, August, and September in 2017. The successful candidates will receive a $250 per week stipend at the end of their residency. This money can be used to cover the costs of travel, food, and a rental car if the resident is from out of the drivable area. The resident will need to purchase and prepare their own meals, with the exception of a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner, at the beginning and end of their stay. Deadline January 27, 2017.



STORME DELARVERIE WRITING RESIDENCY
https://balticwritingresidency.submittable.com/submit
The Baltic Writing Residency is extremely excited to announce the establishment of the Stormé DeLarverie writing residency, specifically aimed at under-represented writers. Offers six to seven days in a Victorian apartment in historic Old Louisville, or off of the Blue Ridge Parkway in idyllic Boone, North Carolina. The date of the residency will be decided through discussion with the winning writer, as will the choice of Kentucky or North Carolina. Each year one writer will be chosen. Applications are accepted by any author of poetry, plays, screenplays, fiction, or creative nonfiction writing in English, regardless of their home nation (translations are admissible). A modest honorarium of a minimum of $100 will accompany the residency. The writer will need to provide their own transportation.
 

FREELANCE MARKETS

NOTE AND APOLOGY: One of our feature writers listed Scary Mommy as a paying blog site, when in fact the site ceased paying anymore. The author had been paid for her piece before the site quit paying, so she was unaware and we did not catch it in her piece. We have written Scary Mommy and told them how disappointed we are in their changed guidelines. Sorry if FundsforWriters misled and caused you to pitch this market. We contacted ScaryMommy and this is their response:

Thank you for reaching out before notifying your readers. We now have a staff of over two dozen paid writers. In addition to publishing their work, we occasionally have slots for people to syndicate posts that have already published on their blogs and other outlets, and we typically do not compensate in those cases.

Best regards,
Lisa Sabatini
Associate Content Editor

http://www.scarymommy.com/write-for-scary-mommy/ 

- - - - 


EXPERIENCE LIFE
https://experiencelife.com/about-us/experience-life-writers-guidelines/
Experience Life is a progressive health/fitness/quality-of-life magazine (we call it “a healthy-way-of-life magazine”). It’s also the membership magazine of Life Time Fitness — a large and rapidly growing health and fitness organization with dozens of industry-leading facilities located throughout the country.



IDEA
http://www.ideafit.com/publications/author-guidelines
IDEA is known for publishing articles that meet the needs of the fitness professional on multiple levels. We are particularly adept at balancing theory with practical application. Remember that your article must target the professional, not the consumer. Write with a voice that is clear, concise, and easy-to-understand. 



TRAIL RUNNER
http://trailrunnermag.com/contributors
Trail Runner is the country’s leading magazine for off-road running enthusiasts. In-depth editorial and compelling photography informs, entertains and inspires readers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoors and to improve their health and fitness through the sport of trail running. Your well-written query should present a clear, original and provocative story angle, not merely a topic or idea, and should reflect your thorough knowledge of the magazine’s content, editorial style and tone. When submitting a query, identify which department your story would be best suited for. 

 

JOBS

WRITER
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/462094900/
The Wilson Center was established by an Act of Congress in 1968 as the national, living memorial honoring President Woodrow Wilson. Write content for all of the Wilson Center’s print and digital platforms, (www.wilsoncenter.org; www.wilsonquarterly.com; social media and email marketing platforms) including but not limited to, news and feature articles, opinion and analysis, speeches, talking points, newsletters, policy briefs, press releases, marketing materials, handbooks, high-level correspondence and social media posts. Applicant must have a sophisticated knowledge of international affairs and be able to write about a variety of subjects in a style and format that is platform specific and suitable for an educated, global, public policy audience. Location Washington DC. 
 

Publishers/agents

QUILL SHIFT LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.quillshift.com/
Quill Shift Literary Agency, LLC is a boutique agency representing the intellectual property rights of authors who create quality books for children and young adults. 



WAXMAN LEAVELL LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.waxmanleavell.com/
WLLA is a development-oriented firm, specializing in representing nonfiction and fiction authors with powerful stories. Our strength lies in our ability to match authors with ideas and to connect them with the best possible publisher for their book. Our clients are accomplished journalists, experts in their fields, celebrities, and first-time writers with an exceptional story or message to share. 



DAW
http://www.penguin.com/meet/publishers/daw/
DAW accepts unsolicited submissions of science fiction and fantasy novels. We cannot consider short stories, short story collections, novellas, or poetry. The average length of the novels we publish varies, but is almost never fewer than 80,000 words. A literary agent is not required for submission. 



TRIANGLE SQUARE
https://www.sevenstories.com/imprints/triangle-square
We see children and young adults as active readers and doers who will change the world for the better. Triangle Square Books for Young Readers breathes progressive new life into the world of children's and YA books through our inclusive imprint. Triangle Square books are published in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats, in English and Spanish, throughout North America and around the world. Triangle Square supports social justice, multicultural literacy, restoration of the environment, kids’ rights, and freedom of the imagination.
 

SPONSORS

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ScreenplayCoverage.com along with its sister site NovelCoverage.com is a trusted writers' resource, serving thousands of authors over the last 8 years. The top 3 screenplays each month are offered exposure to thousands of industry professionals. They have the most experienced staff you'll find anywhere online, many of whom read for agents and studios for over 10 years before starting with them. 

They do coverage reports, treatments, proofreading, and even performed audio of your script! They haven't raised their rates since they began, and if you tell them Hope sent you, they'll knock 20% off for first-time clients as an introduction to the service. Just e-mail Skyler at info@screenplaycoverage.com and ask about the discount, or see if they're online right now through the chat widget on their site. 
http://www.ScreenplayCoverage.com











Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest (no fee)


16th annual free contest sponsored by Winning Writers. $2,250 in cash prizes, including a top prize of $1,000. Submit one humor poem online by April 1. Your poem may have up to 250 lines. No fee to enter. Both published and unpublished work accepted. All entries that win cash prizes will be published on WinningWriters.com. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Winning Writers is one of "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest). See guidelines, past winners, and enter online via Submittable at winningwriters.com/wergle


 

GET WEBSITES THAT ROCK, BOOK COVERS THAT SIZZLE

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EXISTING CLIENTS EARN 8% REFERRAL FEE FOR SENDING IN NEW CLIENTS 

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Services for authors: http://myhouseofdesign.com/services-for-authors/

A few testimonials from happy clients:

"Superb work, excellent customer service. Just marvelous overall.” —C. Hope Clark, author, founder of FundsforWriters, http://www.fundsforwriters.com

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http://wagnerjulia.com/
http://lisakwinkler.com/
http://kbhyde.com/
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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 2000-2017, C. Hope Clark
ISSN: 1533-1326

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