FundsforWriters - August 24, 2018 - Tough Love on Writing Daily

Published: Fri, 08/24/18

Volume 18, Issue 34 | AUGUST 24, 2018

Message from the Editor

Nothing says love like your grandson finding Grandma's books at the local coffee shop and asking to pose for a picture. . . with a cheesy smile! :)

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters
Email Hope | Visit Website | Sign up for Newsletter
Newsletter: ISSN: 1533-1326
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TWITTER - http://twitter.com/hopeclark
AUTHOR SITE - http://www.chopeclark.com
FACEBOOK - http://www.facebook.com/chopeclark
GOODREADS - http://www.goodreads.com/hopeclark
BOOKBUB - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-hope-clark

From Amazon reviewers:

Strong, well rounded characters are a hallmark of Hope Clark’s books, and this one is no exception.

- - -

A must-have for fans of high voltage action, mystery and just the right amount of romantic tension. Hope this series continues.

- - -

Wow, wow, wow. Stellar addition to the Carolina Slade series! Once again the author exceeds herself in writing this 4th book of the series.

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

WHAT’S THE WEAK LINK IN YOUR WRITING?

Choose from our collection of online writer workshops and strengthen your writing.

Support and personalized feedback
ONLINE….EASY….EFFECTIVE!

Use HOPE2018 discount code for 15% off any registration.

Short & Helpful Online Writer Workshops

http://ShortandHelpfulOnlineWriterWorkShops.com or just http://showws.com

EDitor’s THOUGHTS

OF COURSE YOU SHOULD WRITE DAILY

Most of my days lately are in hospitals with my parents. My book has five chapters to go, but I haven't written on it in 10 days. The characters are no longer as crisp in my head. The twists not as clear. I need to reread the book to remember the subtle nuances of red herrings and clues, to see if I can still recall where I was headed when I quit.

But as many excuses as I may have right now for not writing, they are not enough to remove the rule that you should write daily. Mainly because of the reasons I just mentioned above.

The one day I was writing in the hospital, Microsoft Surface on the edge of my mother's bed, a nurse came down the hall, saw me, and asked if I was really writing something. And why would I do that? I explained I was a mystery author, pulled out a couple of cards (my cards are very cool), and told her I was desperately trying to complete my ninth mystery and had an August deadline.

The next day she told me her mother bought all eight of my books for her vacation.

But, writing daily also keeps your writing profession in your head. I have done little marketing since Father's Day because of my mother's failing health. My income has noticeably dropped. That fall has a long lasting effect, too. My bank account will be less for months after the lull because of lost momentum.

Am I frustrated? Yes. I'm frustrated at Alzheimer's. Some days I get angry about the medical profession. But equally hurting me is the fact that family doesn't appreciate my loss. When I ask for moments to write, they don't see the need to give them to me. The calls, the demands.

And I can only blame myself, because there has to be 30 minutes in every day to focus on the writing. We often let the outside of our lives impact the inside, and in reality, we have to realize that it's just that. . . we are letting it happen. I went back to writing daily. Maybe no more than 200, 300, or 500 words, but these are new words, fresh words. And like Neil Gaiman says, regardless how difficult or how easy your day of writing was, in the end you do not see that in the finished product. Neither does the reader. And that is why you write daily. . . regardless of how hard it is.

PREVIOUS FAVORITE POSTS:

HOPE'S 2018 APPEARANCES
(Times in Eastern)

October 1 - 3-5 PM- Edisto Bookstore, Edisto, SC (also celebrating my birthday!)
October 27 - all day - Fall Arts Festival, The Coffee Shelf, Chapin, South Carolina
December 2 - 2 PM, Greenwood, SC Library Signing
December 18 - 1 PM Eastern, Dialogue! Blogtalkradio.com
January 20 - 2 PM, Friends of the Library, Florence, SC

NOTE: I've been asked by a few about the Philadelphia BookBaby Conference. Unfortunately, I will not be attending that event.

WORDS OF SUCCESS

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."

—David Brinkley

SPONSOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

Carolina Slade’s best girlfriend is a suspected embezzler in a case wrought with drugs, stolen tomatoes and slaves. When the farmer who knows the truth dies in a shrimp boat explosion, Slade copes to save her friend’s career, her life, and the lives of those around her when farming turns vicious . . . meaning people die and disappear in deep, South Carolina water.

Terrific. Smart, knowing, clever…and completely original. A taut, high-tension page-turner—in a unique and fascinating setting. An absolute winner! –Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity winning author

Book 2 - The Carolina Slade Mystery Series

SUccess Story

If you've found success via FFW newsletters, tell me! Email hope@chopeclark.com with a brief description so we can all share!

Featured article

Secrets I Found from Rereading Rejection Letters

By Jennifer Hinders

Recently, I did a strange thing as a writer, I reread my rejection letters. To reevaluate my writing goals and priorities, which I try to do annually, and to learn anything I could from them.

No writer wants to admit they have a bunch of rejections, except for people like Stephen King who hung all his rejection letters on the wall. That takes guts. We need to be tough enough to accept rejection, but self confident enough to keep on writing. It's a balancing act and I've had my fair share of emotional ups and downs over rejection letters, maybe meltdowns would be a better word.

Frankly, I missed a lot of good stuff the first time I read the rejection letters. This second go around though, I picked up valuable lessons.

Helpful contact information

Rejection letters usually contain the name, email address, and sometimes the phone number of a contact person for the magazine or literary agency. This is a great resource. File this contact information away to come in handy later.

Clarification of what editors want

Embarrassingly, I hadn't done my homework when I sent out some of my query letters. The editor's responses clarified their publication's audience, wants, and needs. For instance, I made the mistake of sending an article about homeschooling to a private school magazine.

Invitation to send future ideas

Two magazine editors specifically asked me to send them more ideas. Shame on me for waiting so long to follow up, because I may have missed a good opportunity. When an editor asks you to send other ideas, don't wait. Respond with more ideas and then ask what topics they're looking for. Your persistence could sway them to assign you an article.

Stay in touch with editors/associate editors

I once sent an idea to an editor who rejected my idea but asked me to write an article on a different topic I'd sent months earlier. She remembered me because I'd kept in touch. Reading my rejection letters prompted me to send off quick new queries asking if they had any writing needs.

Encouragement to send my manuscript elsewhere

Two literary agents "strongly" encouraged me to keep submitting my children's book manuscript. Competition is fierce, and agents are picky about what they accept, but when an agent specifically suggests you send your manuscript elsewhere, do it right then.

Perspective matters

Viewing my rejection letters as an opportunity to learn affected the way I read them. Not only did they open my eyes, but I came away feeling like I wanted to be a better writer and try harder. These letters revealed my blind spots as a writer: my carelessness, my lack of attention to detail, and my lack of persistence.

Rejection is an excellent tutor. After reading my rejection letters a second time, I realized that they contain much valuable information and often opportunities hidden between the lines. No doubt, I'll receive more rejection letters in the future. Hopefully, the biggest lesson I learned from reading these letters is that I need to read them carefully and glean the good stuff from them right away instead of waiting.

Bio: Jennifer Hinders is a freelance writer, poet and blogger currently writing a youth fiction novel. She lives in the Washington DC area with her husband and crazy dog, Sam. www.jhinders.com.

COmpetitions

PEN 2 PAPER DISABILITY-FOCUSED CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST
https://txdisabilities.submittable.com/submit
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 4, 2018. Seeks pieces of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and comics that treat the topic of disability. Fiction, nonfiction word limit: up to 5,000 words or about 20 pages double-spaced. Word limit for poetry: up to five pages. Word limit for graphic narrative/ comics: up to 20 pages. NOTE FROM HOPE: Mention of cash prizes but not amounts; however, I wanted to note this contest in case someone had a desire to enter.

MORTAN MARR POETRY PRIZES
https://www.smu.edu/SouthwestReview/Prizes-and-Awards/MarrPoetryPrize
$5 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2018. First place is $1,000 and second place is $500. Both winning poems will be published in Southwest Review. Contest is open to any writer who has not published a book of poetry. Entrants are to submit no more than six poems apiece. Only unpublished, formal poems are eligible: sonnets, sestinas, villanelles, rhymed stanzas, blank verse, et al.

MONADNOCK ESSAY COLLECTION PRIZE
http://www.bauhanpublishing.com/the-monadnock-essay-collection-prize/
$25 ENTRY FEE. The prize will be awarded for a book-length collection (120-160 pages) of nonfiction essays. The essays can take any form: personal essays, memoir in essay form, narrative nonfiction, commentary, travel, historical account etc. The winner will receive: $1,000 prize money, publication of their collection, 50 copies of the published book, and distribution with our other 2019 fall titles through our partner UPNE (University Press of New England).

DZANC BOOKS PRIZE FOR FICTION
https://dzancbooks.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2018. The Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction recognizes daring, original, and innovative novels. A $5,000 advance and publication in Fall 2019 by Dzanc Books will be awarded to the winner.

DZANC BOOKS SHORT STORY COLLECTION PRIZE
https://dzancbooks.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2018. The Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize celebrates imaginative and inventive writing in book-length collections. The winning submission will be awarded a $2,500 advance and publication in Fall 2019 by Dzanc Books.

DZANC BOOKS NONFICTION PRIZE
https://dzancbooks.submittable.com/submit
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline September 30, 2018.
The Dzanc Books Nonfiction Prize is awarded annually for the most innovative and inspiring book-length work of nonfiction - including but not limited to memoir, essays, polemical writing, historical writing, and biography. The winning submission will receive a $1,500 advance and publication in Fall 2019.

SPLIT LIP POETRY CONTEST
https://splitlip.submittable.com/submit/120740/split-lip-poetry-contest-volume-1
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 1, 2018. 1st Place: $500. Two Runners-Up: $50 each. The winner will be published in the 2019 print issue of Split Lip Magazine. All finalists will be considered for future publication. Submit 100 lines or less.

CONSEQUENCE MAGAZINE WOMEN WRITING WAR POETRY AWARD
http://www.consequencemagazine.org/contests/poetry/
$10 ENTRY FEE. Winner receives $250 honorarium and publication. Entries must capture the nuances of the cultures and consequences of war; the topic is not limited to military matters, but includes social, political, and cultural subjects. All entries will be considered for publication.

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

WRITERS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND
https://asja.org/For-Writers/WEAF
The Writers Emergency Assistance Fund helps established freelance writers who, because of illness, disability, a natural disaster, or an extraordinary professional crisis are unable to work. A writer need not be a member of ASJA to qualify for a grant. However, applicants must establish a record of past professional freelance nonfiction writing over a sustained period of years, which means qualifications generally similar to those of ASJA members. WEAF does not award grants to beginning freelancers seeking funding for writing projects, nor does it fund works-in-progress of any kind.

MARYLAND STATE ARTS COUNCIL SEEKS PANELISTS
https://www.msac.org/programs/panelist-resources
https://www.msac.org/sites/default/files/files/panelrsp.pdf
The Maryland State Arts Council is seeking panelists to review grant applications for the 2020 Fiscal year. Each year, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) relies on a diverse array of arts experts from the field to do the important work of evaluating grant applications submitted by Maryland arts organizations and arts programs. Panelists review grant applications, conduct on-site interviews and artistic evaluations, and submit written reports on assigned applicant organizations prior to a mandatory spring Grants Review Panel Meeting. Serving as a panelist is a great opportunity to learn about Maryland arts organizations and the granting processes of the Maryland State Arts Council.

(NOTE FROM HOPE: The best way to learn how to submit a successful grant to an arts council is to volunteer on a panel. It's wonderful knowledge.)

THE WRITERS' COLONY AT DAIRY HOLLOW FELLOWSHIP
https://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships
Deadline September 30, 2018. WCDH offers a fellowship to a writer working on a nonfiction story of success about the journey from mental illness to wellness. The fellowship entitled the recipient to a two-week stay at the Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow, in beautiful and charming Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Applications must be accompanied by two written references and a $35 application fee.

"MADE IN NY" WOMEN'S FILM, TV AND THEATRE FUND
https://www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/NYC-Womens-Fund
Deadline October 16, 2018. The program will provide finishing grants for film, television, digital projects and theatre productions. In addition to being made by, for, or about all who identify as women, projects are eligible if they feature a strong female perspective; and/or include a female director; and/or include a meaningful female producer credit; and/or include a meaningful female writing credit; and/or include a female protagonist(s). Projects must also meet the "Made in NY" criteria as described in the program guidelines. Grants will be given in the following categories (amounts listed are the maximum potential grant):
Fiction Feature (running time of 60 minutes or more) - $50,000
Fiction Short (running time of 59 minutes or less) - $25,000
Fiction Webisode/Webseries (all forms) - $20,000
Documentary Feature (running time of 60 minutes or more) - 50,000
Documentary Short (running time of 59 minutes or less) - $25,000
Documentary Webisodes/Webseries (all lengths and forms) - $20,000
Theatre Production - grant amounts up to $50,000
All projects must be completed by March 31, 2020.

CALIFORNIA DOCUMENTARY GRANT
https://calhum.org/funding-opportunities/california-documentary-project/
The California Documentary Project (CDP) is a competitive grant program that supports the research and development and production stages of film, audio, and digital media projects that seek to document California in all its complexity. Funding is available in three categories:

CDP NEXT GEN Grants up to $15,000. Deadline September 14, 2018.
Research and Development Grants up to $10,000. Deadline November 1, 2018.
Production Grants up to $50,000. Deadline November 1, 2018.

MASSACHUSETTS HUMANITIES PROJECT GRANTS
http://masshumanities.org/grants/project/
Through the program, grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded in support of humanities-based civic conversations; public lectures, conferences, and panel discussions; reading and discussion programs; film and discussion programs; museum exhibitions and related programming; theatrical productions with post- or pre-performance discussions; oral history projects; walking tours; audio projects; film pre-production and distribution; websites; or content-based professional development workshops for teachers. Letters of Intent must be received no later than September 17. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by October 29, 2018.

MASSACHUSETTS ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
http://artsake.massculturalcouncil.org/2019-artist-fellowships-dates-and-deadlines/
Fellowship awards will increase this year, from $12,000 to $15,000. Finalist awards will remain $1,000. There are two deadlines per grant cycle. The discipline categories are divided between the two deadlines. Applications are now being accepted in Crafts, Dramatic Writing, and Sculpture/Installation/New Genres with a deadline of October 1, 2018. Mass Cultural Council will accept applications in Film & Video, Music Composition, and Photography beginning December 15, 2018. Deadline: Monday, January 28, 2019.

BENNINGTON COLLEGE WRITING SEMINAR SCHOLARSHIPS - VERMONT
http://www.bennington.edu/mfa-writing/mfa-scholarships-financial-aid
Deadline September 1, 2018. One full tuition scholarship will be awarded to the top poetry candidate, as identified by Bennington’s admissions committee, for the January 2019 residency. Another full scholarship will be awarded in June 2019. Applications are open now. The deadline to apply for the January term is September 1, 2018. The deadline to apply for the June 2019 residency is March 1, 2019. Tuition, including room and board for two ten-day residencies at Bennington, is $20,500 per year, making the value of the full scholarship $41,000. The Writing Seminars offer scholarships to the emerging voices we want to support and read. Awards are made through a combination of merit and need; there is no additional application process. Major funding includes: The Donald Hall Poetry Scholarship (the full scholarship mentioned above); the PEN/Emerging Voices Fellowship ($10,000), and various others. In addition, we offer the Residential Teaching Fellowship, which provides full tuition remission for one term, plus housing and board.

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE FOR NEW JERSEY WRITING RETREAT
http://www.stockton.edu/murphywriting
Deadline: August 29, 2018. Murphy Writing of Stockton University is offering a full scholarship to a first-time participant of the Mini Writing Getaway, September 22, 2018 in Galloway, NJ. Need a brief break from your life? Need to rekindle your love affair with writing? Join us for this fall Getaway to give your creative spirit a much needed boost. No need to stay the night. No distractions. Just a day of writing.

FREELANCE MARKETS

EVENT
https://www.eventmagazine.ca/submit/
Fiction: We look for compelling characters, plots that surprise us, narratives that move us, stories that have something new to say. Poetry: We love poems that are lyrical without being overwrought, and profound without being pretentious. We look for honesty of emotion, and images that arrest us. We have two open submissions periods during the months of August-September and December-January. Submit up to eight poems, or one short story/essay (maximum 5,000 words), at a time. Payment of $35 per page up to $500.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
https://www.csmonitor.com/About/Contributor-guidelines/Contributor-Guidelines-The-Home-Forum
The Home Forum is looking for upbeat, personal essays from 400 to 800 words. We also welcome short poems. For seasonal material, be aware that if you submit something that is about a particular month, holiday, event (back to school, graduation), or season, we need to receive it a minimum of six weeks ahead.

CITIZEN
https://jobs.lever.co/citizen/59784576-6c98-49c8-877d-0e183ad81313
The Citizen movement is powered by technology that generates instant alerts about crime and other emergencies - as they occur. Each incident on the platform creates a temporary local network of people who use the Citizen product to protect each other, broadcasting live video and communicating with others nearby. Our technology is operated by a team of talented analysts who collect, process, and translate crime and emergency signals for the Citizen platform. The Citizen Central Operations Center protects New York, the SF Bay Area, and will soon launch in several other cities, providing real-time safety alerts to our users. Those who successfully complete the program will join the team as analysts. Please note that we run a 24/7 operation and new team members must have schedule flexibility to take on overnight and weekend shifts.

CRAWFORD ENTERTAINMENT
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Crawford-Entertainment/jobs/Show-Segment-Writer-7ced027e1cbe091e
Crawford Entertainment is looking to add freelance and contract positions for its broadcast-television series, and regional/national television specials and documentaries. Non-union candidates must have at least three years' experience in television production. Topics for our series and specials include travel, adventure, tourism, kids/teens, xeriscaping, and documentaries. This is a remote position, but we prefer someone in the Orlando, Florida area.

Publishers/agents

3 SEAS LITERARY AGENCY
https://www.threeseasagency.com/
3 Seas is a full-service literary agency, and we’re all about building our authors’ careers! We represent more than 50 authors who write romance, women’s fiction, science fiction/fantasy, thrillers, young adult and middle grade fiction as well as select nonfiction titles. In the 15 years since the agency doors were opened, our agents have successfully sold into all the major publishing houses.

A. M. HEATH LITERARY AGENCY
http://amheath.com/
In 2019, the A M Heath literary agency will celebrate its 100th Anniversary. 100 years of agenting some of the world’s leading and bestselling literary figures, finding talent and fostering careers across all media, from print to digital and dramatic, book, film, TV and stage. Represents all aspects of genres and niche books.

ADAMS LITERARY
http://www.adamsliterary.com/about-us/
Adams Literary is a full-service, boutique literary agency exclusively representing children's and young adult authors and artists.

AITKEN ALEXANDER ASSOCIATES
http://www.aitkenalexander.co.uk/about-us/
A leading literary agency in London. Represents writers and writing from around the world and sell work into the UK, US, and international territories, and across all media. They have a highly successful film and TV department with a fantastic "book to screen" record.

ANN RITTENBERG LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.rittlit.com/mission/
We represent authors first and books second. We’re interested in building careers and nurturing growth — artistic and commercial — with each book our clients write. Send only the first three chapters with your letter. If we want to read your entire manuscript, we’ll ask for it, so please wait for our answer before sending it in. What we don’t represent: Screenplays, Genre fiction, Poetry, Self-help.

ANNIE BOMKE LITERARY AGENCY
http://www.abliterary.com/
We represent a wide variety of adult and YA fiction and nonfiction, including commercial and literary fiction, upmarket fiction, mysteries (from hilarious cozies to gritty police procedurals and everything in between), historical fiction, women’s fiction, psychological thrillers, literary/psychological horror, self-help, business, health/diet, cookbooks, memoir, relationships, current events, psychology, and narrative nonfiction.

ANNETTE GREEN AUTHORS' AGENCY
http://www.annettegreenagency.co.uk/submittingmaterial_62233.html
Annette Green Authors' Agency handles a variety of work including but not limited to: literary fiction; general and mass market fiction, thrillers, comedies, horror; serious nonfiction (current affairs, history, science, politics, etc.); popular culture (film, TV, sport, music etc); memoir; biography; older children's and teenage fiction. We do not usually handle science fiction or fantasy. We do not consider poetry or dramatic scripts. Please send a brief covering letter, a short synopsis and the opening few chapters, up to a maximum of about 10,000 words. For nonfiction, please send a general overview of the project and a similar amount of sample text.

BARRY GOLDBLATT LITERARY AGENCY
https://bgliterary.com/submission-guidelines/
Handles young adult, middle grade and children's projects exclusively, including picture books and chapter books. Does not represent adult fiction or nonfiction.