FundsforWriters - January 5, 2018 - Resolute in lieu of Resolutions

Published: Fri, 01/05/18

Volume 18, Issue 1 | JANUARY 5, 2018

Message from the Editor

I took time off for the holidays, short of doing the newsletters, and just started outlining the new book. I begin writing Sunday - 500 words per day minimum. I usually write more, but the 500 words always gave me a benchmark minimum requirement for those days the drain is clogged, so why break away from a habit that works?

This time of year excites me. The whole clean slate sort of thing. In reality the days are no different, but there's something rejuvenating at having a new chance at making a difference. . . at becoming better. . . at making longer and more productive strides toward a goal.

People have asked me what my goals are for 2018. I keep them simple. The next book in the contract, always before the deadline which doubly prompts me to write more, and something new with FundsforWriters. These are the must-haves. The nice-to-haves are two new books for FundsforWriters and a second novel.

As for that second novel, I keep saying I'll write a third series. I want it to be about a PI in lieu of a cop or amateur sleuth. Maybe still place her in the Carolina Lowcountry, but on a black river (look up the Edisto River....unique ecosystem) where she lives away from town until called upon to take a case. I have a notebook of ideas, descriptions, characters. I keep waiting for the idea to melt and fade away, but it hasn't after three years.

We'll see. Priorities first! But we all need our dream project which keeps the creative spark all the more alive in us.

- - -

As a reminder, Edisto Stranger, book 4 in the Edisto Island Mystery series, is on sale for $1.99 Jan 1-15, 2018!

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
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Back at work, my trusty
white board behind me,
ready to be erased and primed to start anew!

As usual, Ms. Clark delivers a riveting ride, with her irrepressible characters set squarely in the driver’s seat. If it wasn’t so much fun to be re-united with Callie Jean Morgan and the rest of the Edisto gang I might have to scold Clark for keeping me up way past my bedtime. But lucky for her, this read is worth every lost wink."

- Rachel Gladstone, Dish Magazine

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

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Contest Schedule

Antonym Poetry Contest
Write a four line poem to enter this poetry contest. Cash prize. Deadline  Tomorrow! Jan 5th

Dialogue Only Writing Contest
Write a story using only dialogue. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline  Jan 10th

5-7-5 Poem
Write a poem with only three lines that has the structure of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline   Jan 12th

Acrostic Poetry Contest
Write an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word. View an example in the announcement. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline  In 4 Days. Jan 13th

Flash Fiction - A Secret
Write a flash fiction story where a character has a secret that somehow influences the story. The secret does not have to be revealed. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Jan 17th

These are just a few of our contests. View the full listing here.

EDitor’s THOUGHTS

ARE YOU MAKING RESOLUTIONS OR BEING RESOLUTE?

This quote floats around each year about this time:

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

It sounds so glorious and simple. We have this clean slate, these clean and empty pages waiting for and wanting us to fill them with success. We take up the talisman and strike out...to fight our way to success. Each and every year we accept the challenge. But how many of us make it?

I recently asked my Facebook friends what their resolution was and to keep it brief. "Name your one writing or reading goal for 2018. Don't get wordy...just spit it out." I received 292 comments.

The answers boiled down to mainly:

-start a book
-finish a book
-edit a book
-publish a book
-do more, write more
-finish what I started last year

I loved the precise answers:

-find writing partners
-learn to use metaphors effectively
-write and submit one major piece of writing per quarter
-write a novel for publication in July
-publish one short story
-write 500 words per day

Goals need measurements and benchmarks. Some of the mentioned resolutions had titles or genre for these books, but most of the goals left me with questions. Hopefully, they just didn't have the room on Facebook to go into the particulars, plus, I'm of the mind that the more you brag about a goal, the less likely you'll meet it. But the answers still raised questions. For instance, I wanted to ask:

-was this the same goal as last year?
-are there dates for your goal, and its parts?
-how will you measure your progress?
-what will you do differently this year from last year to ensure you succeed?

If you want to write for money, or write for a business, you need a business plan that you visit periodically and adjust. That means a calendar, dates, and a board meeting with yourself every month to measure the journey. Just saying you'll do more will disappear almost as quickly as you spit it out because it has no accountability.

That doesn't mean you tell the world all your steps . . . but it does mean you set those steps and walk them.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

PREVIOUS FAVORITE POSTS:

On sale $1.99 on all platforms January 1-15, 2018.

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same."

~ Colin R. Davis

SUccess Story

Dear Hope-

I want to thank you again for featuring Equestrian Living magazine in your newsletter. I've gotten my second feature article published with them recently, a story on Quarter horses at the King Ranch in Texas. I am really glad to use my horse-related knowledge and write for such a nice publication! I have a great relationship with the editor now, and I'm working on more pitches for them.

Many thanks,

Caroline Blaha-Black

eatured article

The Pros and Cons of Screenplay Competitions

By Mark Heidelberger

Screenplay competitions have long served as a means for fledgling screenwriters to call attention to their talent, especially if they have little else to draw from in the way of Hollywood relationships. As a former literary manager and screenplay competition judge, I can confidently say that the most skilled storytellers will ultimately get noticed in such settings. However, there are a few thing screenwriters should know before submitting.

First, not all competitions are created equal. In fact, only a small handful will truly mean anything when it comes to advancing your career, and even then, only if you place in at least the top 10 percent. So, what competitions are worth your hard-earned 50 bucks? Below is a list of what I believe are the top 10 screenplay competitions today based on credibility and access they provide to the industry:

1.   Academy Nicholl Fellowship http://www.oscars.org/nicholl
2.   Sundance Screenwriters Lab http://www.sundance.org/programs/feature-film#labs
3.   Final Draft Big Break Contest https://store.finaldraft.com/big-break-contest.html
4.   TrackingB http://www.trackingb.com/contests/?contest_id=36
5.   Launch Pad https://www.tblaunchpad.com/
6.   Slamdance http://showcase.slamdance.com/Screenplay-Competition
7.   Scriptapalooza http://www.scriptapalooza.com/home.php
8.   PAGE International https://pageawards.com/
9.   BlueCat http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/
10.   Austin Film Festival https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/screenplay-and-teleplay-submissions-2/

What makes these competitions so widely trusted compared to others in the marketplace is their long history of rewarding quality writing and the high caliber of judges they hire – many of whom are respectable producers or managers. This translates to greater industry access for top finishers in addition to generous cash and other prizes. Several of these competitions, such as Slamdance and BlueCat, also provide written feedback to all entrants; so even if you don’t place, you get some constructive criticism that can be used to better your material for the next one.

Another key takeaway: it means more to do well in one or two highly respected competitions like the Nicholl or Sundance than to do well in dozens of lesser-known competitions. Industry types are more apt to trust the informed opinion of a few accredited peers than a bevy of unknowns. Furthermore, entry fees for preeminent competitions aren’t higher on average than less notable ones, meaning you’re spending less and getting more value for your dollar by simply picking quality over quantity.

So then, what scripts typically do best in competition? Readability is key. Proper formatting, spelling and grammar alone will elevate your material above half the submissions. After that, the focus is on craftsmanship. A coherent three-act story structure coupled with compelling characters, clever plotlines and crisp dialogue will catapult you to the quarter- or even semi-finalist stage. Reaching this level is all but guaranteed to generate reader requests and perhaps even some phone calls from interested parties.

However, the screenplays that advance to the finalist level and beyond – the ones that get you in-person meetings – often have one very special, very ironic ingredient: they boast unfamiliar ideas and storylines that may not be marketable enough to get the film made. Numerous colleagues of mine, from Nicholl judges to professional script consultants, have confirmed as much. Essentially, there’s a disconnect between scripts that place highly in competitions and those that get produced because competitions look at creative writing skill over marketability and reward highly original ideas that eschew the very market trends and genre conventions production companies seek.

Bottom line, screenplays that win competitions are less likely to get made than they are to serve as calling cards for agents, managers and producers who want talented writers-for-hire. While it may not be the path you planned, it’s still a step toward becoming a professional screenwriter. And a very viable one for those with real talent.

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. He has produced music videos for artists Janelle Monae, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj and John Michael Montgomery as well as commercials for Lamborghini, Con Air and Cox Media, to name a few. Film and TV credits include Harsh Times, Comfort, Ninja Apocalypse, It's Not You It's Me, Pray for Rain and Hallmark Channel's You've Got a Friend. Often times, he also 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 a MFA in Producing from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television.

http://www.markheidelberger.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0373914/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markheidelberger?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

COmpetitions

WISCONSIN WRITERS AWARDS
http://wiswriters.org/awards/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 31, 2018. The Council currently sponsors eight annual awards for deserving writers throughout the state and two biennial awards to individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to literature in the state, known collectively as The Wisconsin Writers Awards. Seven of the eight annual Wisconsin Writers Awards are judged by a writing professional who resides outside the state (read more about our contest judges) and are accompanied by a prize of $500. The lone exception, The Essay Award for Young Writers, is judged by the CWW Board and is accompanied by a prize of $250. In addition, our First Prize winners (excluding the Young Writers, Major Achievement, and Sholes awards) receive a one-week residency at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts. Judges for each contest may designate a single honorable mention in their category or may decide to make no award. An Honorable Mention is accompanied by a prize of $50 and a one-week residency at the Painted Forest in Valton, WI. The CWW owns no rights to submitted works.

YEMASSEE WRITING PRIZES
https://yemassee.submittable.com/submit
ENTRY FEE $17-$22. Deadline: January 15, 2018. The author of the winning poetry chapbook will receive $1,000 and 25 copies of their chapbook. Submit one chapbook with 20-26 pages of poetry. The author of the winning short story up to 7,500 words. will receive $750 and publication in Yemassee 24.2. The author of the winning poem will receive $750 and publication in Yemassee 24.2.

PERMAFROST BOOK PRIZE IN FICTION
https://permafrostmag.uaf.edu/2018-permafrost-book-prize-in-fiction/
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 15, 2018. We prefer manuscripts that are a minimum of 150 pages. Welcomes manuscripts from any writer, including non-US citizens, writing in English. Prize $1,000 and publication through University of Alaska Press.

JOAN SWIFT MEMORIAL PRIZE
http://www.poetrynw.org/joan-swift-memorial-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 15, 2018. Pays $500 and publication in Poetry Northwest for a poem or set of poems by a woman over age 65 now living and writing in the Pacific NW. Submit four to six poems to Poetry Northwest. For contest purposes, we will consider poets living in the following states and provinces: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, northern California, western Montana, British Columbia, and Alaska.

GRANTS

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MEDIA FOUNDATION GRANTS FOR WOMEN'S STORIES
https://www.iwmf.org/programs/reporting-grants-for-womens-stories/
Deadline January 29, 2018. These grants provide opportunities for women journalists to pursue international stories of importance through gender-sensitive coverage of underreported topics. Grants will average $5,000 USD. Grants will be awarded to cover reporting-related costs including travel (flights, ground transportation, drivers), logistics, visa fees, and payment for fixers/translators. All applications must be filled out online via the IWMF’s online application system.

EDITOR-WRITER MENTORSHIP FOR DIVERSE WRITERS
https://thewordmentorship.tumblr.com/application
Deadline January 21, 2018. Two aspiring writers from underrepresented groups (see explanation below) will each be paired with an experienced editor who will provide substantive feedback to help raise a strong manuscript to its best position for submission to potential agents and editors. This is an opportunity to learn from the knowledge of experienced acquiring editors. This program is free of cost due to the generosity of our volunteer editors. Andrea Davis Pinkney – Vice President, Executive Editor at Scholastic - Mentoring in Middle Grade Fiction. Nan Gatewood Satter – Independent Book Editor, Co-Director of the Editorial Workshop of the Denver Publishing Institute, formerly Editor at Doubleday - Mentoring in Adult Fiction. Aspiring or upcoming writers from underrepresented groups with a completed, unpublished manuscript in the middle grade, young adult, or adult fiction category may apply.

LITTLE TOKYO ARTIST RESIDENCY
http://www.ltsc.org/artist-residency/
Deadline January 15, 2018. Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) of Los Angeles is pleased to announce its inaugural +LAB Artist Residency Program. A Call for Entry on the Western States Arts Foundation CAFE´ ( www.callforentry.org ) web site is now active for California-based artists only, who wish to work within the Little Tokyo community. Offers $4,000 monthly stipend, up to $500 round-trip in-state travel, and up to $8,000 project budget.

RURAL RHODE ISLAND MATCHED SAVINGS GRANT
https://www.assetsforartists.org/blog/2017/12/8/apply-now-rural-rhode-island-artists
Deadline January 16, 2018. Participants are provided with grants of $1,000 or $2,000 to match a corresponding amount of savings, and the combined amount is used by the artist toward implementing a plan to strengthen their Rhode Island-based creative practice. Free professional development services, including artist-tailored workshops on financial management and business planning. These classes will be offered in various Rhode Island locations in spring/summer 2018. You may apply for this grant if you have a residence or studio in an eligible Rhode Island community, which include all towns in Rhode Island EXCEPT the following non-eligible cities & towns: Providence, East Providence, North Providence, Newport, Warwick, West Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Bristol, Lincoln, Central Falls, Portsmouth, and Barrington.

FREELANCE MARKETS

CITYLAB
https://www.citylab.com/faq/
CityLab is dedicated to the people who are creating the cities of the future—and those who want to live there. Through sharp analysis, original reporting, and visual storytelling, our coverage focuses on the biggest ideas and most pressing issues facing the world’s metro areas and neighborhoods. Pays up to 25 cents/word.

POLYGON
https://www.polygon.com/pages/write-a-feature-article-for-polygon
We’re looking for stories that show what’s happening behind the scenes in the video game industry and its related culture. We like stories that reveal how specific aspects of the industry work, and put a focus on people rather than products. We like rare interviews with important and fascinating people. We like stories that reveal substantial new information about their given topics. We’re generally looking for stories that range from 1,000 to 5,000 words. Pays up to 25 cents/word.

FRONTIER POETRY
https://www.frontierpoetry.com/submit/
Submissions for our New Voices poetry category are open year-round to any new and emerging poet who has not published more than one full-length collection of poetry. New Voices are published online only and will feature a number of poems from new authors each month. We are thrilled to offer significant payment to our partner poets: $50 per poem, up to $150. We are proud to be paying for published pieces but will be highly selective in our choices for publication.

INCOME DIARY
https://www.incomediary.com/write-for-incomediary
If you are an expert at anything to do with: Creating awesome websites, driving traffic, social media or making money online, we would love you to write for us. We do pay up to $200 for worthy articles of the highest standard – but we emphasize that your article needs to be of the highest standard and genuinely of interest to our audience.

JOBS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT - San Francisco, California
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/366072/editorial-assistant-trending-and-viral-features/
POPSUGAR is looking for a hard-working, fast-moving, internet-obsessed Editorial Assistant to join our Trending and Viral Features team working evenings and weekends in San Francisco. Our ideal candidate is a lifestyle and pop culture junkie with a smart, fun voice and a healthy habit of checking Instagram and Twitter every 30 seconds. If you’re the first to spot a trend in the making, live on Reddit and Tumblr, and have a knack for writing shareable headlines and witty ledes, we want to talk to you!

REPORTER - Charlotte, North Carolina
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/366060/reporter-fan-experience-facilities-and-venues/
Must have a strong interest and appreciation for the sports business and customer experience. Must be interested in real estate and related development and be comfortable and a fast learner on complex financial data, information and trends. The successful candidate will cultivate sources and dig out stories in the many sectors — teams, designers and builders, foodservice, sponsorship and more — that make up the sports facilities business, produce compelling pieces that get people in the industry talking, and work collaboratively with our other reporters and researchers to comprehensively cover the beat.

ASSOCIATE HEALTH AND MEDICINE EDITOR - Atlanta, Georgia or Boston, Massachusetts
https://www.mediabistro.com/jobs/description/366033/associate-health-and-medicine-editor/
We are looking for a health or science journalist and editor who is able to cover a range of issues – from the emerging link between allergies and antibiotic overuse to the political debate over the Affordable Care Act – to be Associate Editor on The Conversation US’ Health & Medicine Desk. We are looking for applicants based in either Atlanta, Georgia or Boston, Massachusetts.

Publishers/agents

BRICK ROAD POETRY PRESS
http://brickroadpoetrypress.com/general-submissions/
Deadline January 15, 2018. Submit an original collection of 75 to 100 pages of poetry, excluding cover page, contents, acknowledgments, etc. No reading fee.

JO FLETCHER BOOKS
http://www.jofletcherbooks.com/contact-us/
Jo Fletcher Books currently accepts unsolicited submissions, but only by email. If you wish to submit, please email the first 10,000 words, or the first three chapters of your novel. We only accept submissions that can be categorized as Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror. If your novel does not fall into any of these genres it will not be considered. We do not accept short stories or novellas. We do not publish children’s books or YA. We do not accept unfinished manuscripts.

COACH HOUSE BOOKS
https://chbooks.com/About-Us/Submissions
Coach House publishes innovative poetry, literary fiction, drama and select nonfiction. We do not publish children’s books, cookbooks, fantasy, historical romances, memoirs, mysteries, science fiction or self-help books. We publish only Canadian authors. We especially encourage submissions from members of diverse communities, including Indigenous writers, writers of colour, writers with disabilities, writers from the LGBTQ community and writers who identify with other marginalized groups.

TINY FOX PRESS
http://tinyfoxpress.com/submissions/
Tiny Fox Press first and foremost is in search of engaging stories needing a great home. We do have a small range of genres we prefer and some others we’ll consider, so be sure to familiarize yourself with what we’re after. If your text doesn’t fit neatly in one genre, as long as it’s not solidly in our “Not For Us” category, send it in anyway. For length, we’re mostly searching for full-length novels, but we are open to stellar novellas as well (no shorter than 20k words). Our primary focus is in the following genres of fiction: Commercial, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, MG/YA (all genres), Military, Bizarre. We will consider when the stars align, dogs and cats start living together, etc.: Magical Realism, Historical, Memoir as well as non-fiction revolving around science, religion/spirituality, humor, and skydiving. Even if the Four Horsemen ride in from the heavens and smite every other press out of existence, we are not right for: Mystery (barring something fun like The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse), Suspense/Thriller, Chic-lit, Romance, Erotic, Chapter Books, Early Readers, Literary, Short Stories (including collections), Poems or nonfiction not mentioned above.