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 The Writer's E-Zine

 

 Produced and published by the members of Writers' Village University since 1998    ISSN 1521-2639       
09 January 2009
Catherine's Kitchen  

Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

Turtle Season!

WELL, HERE WE ARE AGAIN. The rain has finally started which is good as we need it badly or 'goodly' which ever way you look at it! We are not getting the rain that Florida is getting, but it is good enough for me, an inch at a time is right as it allows it to soak in instead of running off with the soil into the sea. My lawn has turned green over night.

Barbados has very little top soil so we can't afford to lose it. History tells us that a lot of our soil came from the volcano in St. Vincent which is about 90 miles away and every time their volcano blew, it blew soil our way, plus ash etc. This is true, as when we were in England on a house exchange back in 1977/78 the volcano erupted and we came home to a black house, black pool, curtains, cars etc. Everything was thick with ash and even the sky was overcast with the dust, but it was good for our agriculture.

With the rain as well, the turtle (tortoise) eggs start hatching. The females bury their eggs close to roots of trees and plants. They dig a hole about 6-8 inches deep and usually lay about 6 eggs which hatch out in about 3 months or so. If I find them laying, I try to save the eggs, as I have a dog who's blind and deaf, but she can smell very well and has eggs for breakfast every morning. When I find them I take some of the same soil that they have been buried in and put them in pots and keep them warm and they generally hatch out quite well.

I'm not quite sure how many turtles I have now, but with all the babies, probably about 50. They are all shapes and sizes and ages! The 'nursery' in the house was getting over loaded as the new ones hatched, so I put 8 outside in an interim cage, where they'll stay until it is safe to let them out on the grounds when they can't get under the gate or through the fence, then the younger ones will go out to make way for the new ones!! There are now 16 inside. Yesterday I went out to find that Patra (the blind and deaf dog) had discovered a nest with 4 babies due to be born but not quite ready. She had one in her mouth, one upside down on the grass still in the shell and 2 still in the nest half born. I salvaged all, but am still nurturing one who is still attached to the sac and that keeps them alive as they are too young to eat. Somewhat like a placenta on a baby.

Don't worry, I'm not mad. I just heard a story about lady who has lived here for years and collected cats(I love cats too) and is now going back home and has nowhere to leave 80 cats, so she is carrying them with her on a ship to where ever she's going!! As I speak, one of the outside turtles has come into my study and is walking over my feet, so I have to go feed them, it's time. Strange but true, open house here! This all started with one baby turtle I bought for James when he was 4 years old, it has grown. I'm not going to give any turtle recipes!! I'm glad to say our sea turtles are now protected as they have been fished out and are now beginning to come back and there is an area on the west coast where you can swim with them.

I've been busy otherwise with stuff for the supermarkets and also the farmers market every Saturday morning. I overslept last Saturday, not good as I was very late. I get Natalie to wake me up at 5 am. to do the last minute stuff, like topping the pies and cooking them etc. as I have to leave by 7 am. but they went off to Puerto Rico for a week and left me Gerry's alarm clock. Either it didn't ring or I didn't wake up so I was late, luckily it only takes me 10 minutes at speed to get there!

One of the things that have been going well is the Lemon Meringue Pie and the Quiche. Everyone has their own favourite pastry and there are some good commercial ones that I have used, but I make my own using the food processor. The recipe is too large for the processor, so I cut it in half and it works well. The whole recipe makes 6 9" pies or about 8 6" double crusts.

Fool Proof Pastry

Freezes well, but work quickly as it is difficult to work with if it dries out.

  • 5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tst. baking powder
  • 4 tsp. brown sugar
  • 1/2 lb. lard frozen
  • 1/2 lb margarine frozen
  • 1 egg
  • vinegar

If not using processor, mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives. Break egg into measuring cup add vinegar and add to the 6 oz. mark. Gradually blend liquid into the dry ingredients with a fork, adding enough liquid to make dough cling together. You might not have to use all the liquid.

If using processor, divide quantities in half. Add half flour mixture to processor and pulse to mix together. Divide half of the lard/margarine and add to flour, pulsing to mix to pea size. Add enough liquid, a little at a time till dough just sticks together. If you want the entire quantity of dough, do the other half. Be careful not to make the dough too wet, you need it just to stick together.

Roll out on floured surface. Fit into pie pans. Fill and bake or freeze. I find that if I 'bake blind' I don't have to weigh down the pastry, it comes out well without that and the pastry is crunchy and holds its shape.

Lemon (Lime) Meringue Pie

  • 1 9" pie shell
  • 4 tbs. cornstarch
  • 2 tbs. flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 tbs. lime juice or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 2 tsp. grated lemon or lime rind
  • 2 tsp. butter
  • 6 oz. granulated sugar
  • 3 egg whites

Bring milk to boil, add butter. Combine dry ingredients with half a cup of cold water, then mix in lightly beaten egg yolks. Lower heat on milk mixture and slowly add cornstarch mixture, stirring quickly all the time. Cook slowly for about 5 minutes till the mixture thickens. Remove from heat, add lime juice rind and salt. Stir well. Pour into baked crust.

Beat egg whites till stiff with a touch of cream of tartar, add the 6 oz. of sugar gradually until the sugar is well blended. Spoon the meringue over the filling, covering the pastry well to stop shrinkage, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake at 325F till nicely browned. Cool.

Bacon & Spinach Quiche

  • Pastry crust from above. 9"
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cups fresh spinach lightly packed & chopped
  • 6 slices bacon chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups of mixed shredded cheese.
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup half and half, light cream or milk
  • salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste
  • nutmeg optional

Bake pastry shell till lightly golden at 400F. Be careful not to burn. Reduce oven temperature to 325F. In frying pan, cook bacon till crispy and add onion till tender. Drain.

In bowl mix eggs and stir in sour cream and half and half etc. Season well and add onion mixture, spinach and cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste and pour into pastry shell. Bake at 325F for about 40 minutes till knife in center comes out clean. Don't over cook. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or serve at room temperature.

Bon Appetit
Cath

P.S. Just found another baby turtle alive so have to go salvage, that's 17 now and one just cracking the shell! EXCITING!!! Gone!


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Crafting A Better Writer

by Diana K. McLean

Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Freelancer?

No dress code. No time clock. No alarm clock (most days). No boss looking over your shoulder or pestering you for progress reports. For that matter, no boss. Just you, your computer, and time to write. Sound like a dream job? It can be, but it also can be more work than a lot of aspiring freelancers realize.

Lots of writers, whether on staff at a magazine or newspaper or writing in their "spare time" and working at an unrelated job, wonder if they could quit their "day jobs" and be full-time freelance writers. If you find yourself thinking about it even on days when your boss hasn't made your life miserable, you should take some time to seriously evaluate whether you are suited for freelancing, and if so, whether you're in a position to make the leap to full-time freelancing now or should start building towards an eventual transition to that lifestyle.

While no one can accurately predict your success as a freelancer-the world of freelancing is too uncertain to predict, even for those of us out here in it-there are some things that can increase your odds of success. Some are physical, tangible assets; others are personality traits, which are less easy to check off as a "yes" or "no" when you ask yourself whether you have them. Take a look and see how you measure up.

A Client Base

I freelanced part-time for about five years before I gave up my "day job" in corporate America and made the move to full-time freelancing. The factor that finally made that move possible was the addition of a new client-one who gave me enough steady work to live on every month. There is a downside to having a single large client, however. A few years later my client quit using freelancers during a rough economic patch, and I was left with a significantly reduced steady income. Your best bet is to have steady work from several smaller clients, none of whom are crucial to your survival.

A Place To Write

You don't have to have your own office to run a freelance business, but it helps. Depending on their circumstances and personalities, freelance writers choose work environments ranging from rented office space away from home to a corner of the dining room in a crowded house. If you don't live alone and need peace and quiet to work (and for phone interviews, this can be critical), you need at the very least to have a room with a door you can close. This is especially true in a household that includes children.

If you have a room in your home that serves only as your office, or if you have the money to rent dedicated office space elsewhere, remember that you can deduct that office space on your taxes. However, you don't have that benefit if you work in an area of your home that also serves as the kids' homework station.

It goes without saying (or should) that this writing space needs to include appropriate equipment: a computer with an Internet connection, a phone, and furniture that lets you work comfortably for 40 hours (or more) a week.

A Savings Account

If you don't have at least six months' worth of money in savings (some even say a year), you are taking a huge risk by giving up a steady paycheck. You need to be financially able to get through those times without work or when clients are slow to pay you. (Of course, if you're independently wealthy or have a spouse who can support you, this doesn't apply.)

However, if you are determined to start freelancing despite not having a significant amount of savings, you need to pay particular attention to the next requirement.

A Backup Plan

If you are your only source of support (or if your income is necessary to your family's finances), you need to know what you will do if you encounter a slim time that outlasts your savings reserve. In my case, that's temporary clerical work. One of the jobs I held when I was freelancing part-time was as a secretary. I have the skills to get temporary work in that field whenever I need it, as I did recently when a steady client folded and left me with less income than I was comfortable with.

I prefer temporary work to finding a full-time job, because it means I can stay committed to my goal of full-time freelancing rather than re-entering the corporate world permanently. If you're not interested in or qualified to do temporary work like this, ask yourself whether you'd be willing to stand at a cash register in a bookstore or flip burgers at a restaurant if you run into financial hard times. If not, keep the job you have.

The Ability To Sell Yourself

If you can't convince others to buy your work, you can't freelance. Writing skill alone will not make you successful. You have to be able to get editors to want you to write for their publications. They will not magically appear at your door (or in your e-mail inbox) begging you to write for them. While you also shouldn't beg them for work, you should be prepared to keep asking editors for work-both those editors you already work for and those you want to add to your client list.

If having to pitch your stories-and your writing skills-on a near-daily basis is abhorrent to you, then freelancing isn't the work for you. Don't misunderstand me; I don't love that part of my work, either. If I could write without doing it, I would. However, I love the other parts of being a freelancer enough to make it worth doing what I call "the marketing end of the business."

Thick Skin

Your sales pitch won't always work. You need to be able to handle it gracefully when editors respond with a "no," which they will, probably more often than with a "yes." It doesn't mean you're a bad writer or a bad person, just that the article you pitched did not appeal to this editor, for this audience, at this time. To succeed as a freelancer, you need to be able to shrug off the rejection (taking to heart any useful feedback the editor provides) and look for another publication to which you can submit the idea next. My rule is to try to get rejected queries back "on the street" in the next day's mail.

Self-motivation & Discipline

If you work better with someone watching over you and checking up on you, freelancing is not for you. Typically, I am given an assignment and not asked about it again before I turn it in. (There are exceptions: One client expected outlines during the article's development.) If I couldn't motivate myself to work on assignments without pressure from an editor, I'd be better off as a staff writer than as a freelancer.

So, Are You Ready?

None of these "requirements" will determine your success as a freelancer. If you can say you meet most or all of them, though, you have a good chance. Don't let the naysayers scare you away from your dream job with, "Oh, you could never make a living at that." If you still feel after reading this article that you're ready to make the leap to freelance writing, make the leap and don't look back.

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Editor's Choice! The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Editor's Choice!

Margaret I. Carr

Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah are among my favorite authors and Meisha Merlin is a small press I really like. Now they are working together.

Meisha Merlin Publishing will be reprinting the Sime~Gen novels by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah starting next year with an omnibus volume including three of the books: House of Zeor, Ambrov Keon and Zelerod's Doom.

A completely new Sime~Gen book To Kiss or To Kill by Jean Lorrah will follow in 2004. The next year, 2005, will see two more novels First Channel and Channel's Destiny plus shorter works in a second omnibus volume.

2006 will bring another new book The Farris Channel by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and the schedule continues in 2007 with the third omnibus which will include the remaining previously published books Unto Zeor, Forever, Mahogany Trinrose and RenSime.

The Sime~Gen books explore many facets of Relationship including the often painful road from predator and prey through the development of empathy culminating in inter-dependence that enriches all involved. Well worth reading, and re-reading. Fans are delighted by Meisha Merlin Publishing's adopting these books.

Writers' Village University students will soon have the opportunity to chat with the authors.


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ePress

Margaret I. Carr

ePress Update

The ePress website has been renovated.

We have added Samantha the Duck by suz, a delightful children's story, and have improved payment options.

A Free coloring page from Samantha the Duck is now available to either color on-line or print out and color. Go to the bottom of the ePress for links to this page.

You may make and give away as many copies of the printable page as you wish, as long as you copy the complete page. The little advertising blurb at the bottom of the page tells people where to buy the book.


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Fiction Short Story The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Fiction Short Story

Rhoda Twombly

Happy Families

The room had turned silent and still, totally devoid of sound or motion. Months of hearing her father-in-law's labored breaths, coughs and sputters had turned the sounds of a dying man into a subtle concerto she was barely aware of. But Josephine noticed them now they were gone. That cold stillness of a death room crept out the door towards her and she didn't have to look at the bed to know what she would find.

Stepping into the room, Josephine tripped as her foot caught the edge of the rough carpet that the boys had never gotten around to tacking properly. It was a small room, and the gray light of near dawn made it seem even smaller, the walls crowding in on the sides of the double bed shoved into the far corner. Undecorated, other than an ancient holy picture of the Sacred Heart, the walls lent no warmth to the room, seeming to act only as supports for the cobwebs lacing all the corners. Even the chest of drawers stood lonely, giving little away about the secrets of its owner, except, perhaps, the old paraffin lamp, rosary beads and an old Stetson hat resting on its top.

Josephine leaned against the door, her hand grasping the cold, battered brass knob. Gazing at her father-in-law, she did not see him as he was, a shrunken corpse in a dingy, functional room. A film that was playing in slow motion in her sleep-deprived imagination showed them all together. Mr. Thompson, or Pops as everyone called him, tall and lean in his work gear, romping with his wife and children in the orchard next to the house. She saw Peter, the son she would marry some years later, pushing her on the old swing that hung from the gnarled apple tree. And she saw John, the eldest and by far best-looking of the four boys, racing his horse against the sun, his silhouette black against the sunset. He was waving his hat in the air, his contagious laughter urging them all to join in his amusement. The boys would have to be told, Josephine thought as she gazed at the figure in the bed before her. Once they had been inseparable, closer than most brothers. Resting herself on the deep windowsill, feeling the pale warmth of the dawn on her back, Josephine's mind wandered, peeling back the years.

So much had happened, since those early days when she had first met the gaggle of Thompson brothers and sisters in school. She had made herself at home in the old farmhouse that nestled into a knoll at the edge of the pasture land the Thompson family had owned for generations. It was a small house, a bit threadbare, but it was steeped in family history and love, not to mention the constant smell of Ma Thompson's cooking. Yeast bread, fruit cakes, soups and stews produced a cloak of aroma that never failed to wrap her in a feeling of belonging and well-being. Compared to her own house, the Thompson's was a palace of comfort and warmth.

Pops had seen the way Josephine looked at John when she thought no one could see. He had always known it was John she really wanted. It was clear that John didn't care for her in that way, but as a brother would care for a sister. It was the younger brother, Peter, who fell in love with Josephine and, rather than lose the family she had adopted as her own, she accepted his proposal of marriage. Unseen to everyone bar her father-in-law, Josephine had always held a torch for John. Only in her dreams had she ever done anything about these feelings, but the love she felt for John kept her a bit apart from her husband and created a pain, an incompleteness in her soul. Josephine had felt her father-in-law looking at her once as she gazed at John and, although he had cast his eyes away when she turned to face him, she could feel that he knew. Just knowing that Pops understood made her life a bit less lonely and she drew comfort through his unspoken sympathy.

The sound of their old sheep dog, Speedo, barking in the front garden broke the spell that death had cast over the room. Josephine looked out the window and saw her husband and his brother Tom just coming in the gate on the old John Deere. After waiting so many months for their father to die, none of them thought it would be today. Life and work went on as always.

She edged herself slowly off the sill and moved to the side of the bed, sitting on the worn quilt made eons ago by Ma Thompson and her quilting bee. There was still a faint smell of tobacco in the room, even though Pops had given up smoking ages ago. A new tang had taken over the room: a cold, dank smell that sent a shiver down Josephine's spine. Pops was so small in the bed, as though death had taken not only his soul, but his stature. She stroked the grizzled cheek, still warm but oh, so still. The hollows under the cheek bones no longer puffing in and out but concave and quiescent. She sat, stroking his cheek and smoothing his ruffled hair, thinking about his adventures and the stories of the rodeo he had told her. In his dotage, his mind becoming gradually more corrupted and confused, he had drawn Josephine closer to him, imagining that only she could care for him. Somewhere in his dementia he imagined she was the only one that really cared. And so, during the waning of his life, they became closer than he was to his own sons and daughters. Her face was wet with tears--tears that sprang from her loneliness, not his death. After all, his death was a release, her loneliness a lifetime sentence.

Josephine stood and bent over her father-in-law. He had been her unspoken confidant, her one small stopgap against a world of loneliness. If she had known what she would have to trade to belong to a happy, secure family, would she do it again? Josephine kissed Father Thompson on his death-smoothed forehead and knew in her heart that she would.

She gathered herself up, smoothed her skirt and wiped her face. It was time to tell the boys.


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[an error occurred while processing this directive] Journal Writing The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Journal Writing

Christina Sexton Wilcox

The Importance Of Audience
(Part I in a three-part series on successful journaling)

If your journal writing is as bland as morning toast, a change in your view of journals as daily documentation may renew your interest. If journals are used as communication tools, they can help flesh out your true voice and lead to more story ideas.

In most writing classes, beginner through advanced, the first order of business always seems to be keeping a journal. I have been endlessly instructed to write every day, diary-style, with the confidence that no one will ever read what I wrote. The intentions of these instructors are good. The theory is that if you think someone might find your journal or read your files, you won't be as apt to truly divulge your innermost thoughts and ideas. Fair enough.

The second part of the theory is that eventually you will get beyond merely recapping the events of your days and start getting down to your genuine perceptions of people and the world around you. You will start to learn more about yourself and your beliefs. As a result, within those pages will be gems of story ideas, dialogue, and workable plots. So you start a journal (or "diary" as they used to call it in sixth grade). You write your thoughts, snippets of conversation, and every "stupid" idea that comes to you.

Then in Week 3 or Week 4 of the class, the instructor throws you a curve ball and start on the topic of "audience." All writers need to understand in whose hands their words will ultimately end up. Is an article about Thai cuisine best suited for a food magazine, a travel magazine, or both? Is a short story about mother/daughter conflicts best suited for adults, children, adults with children? "Who is your audience?" these instructors ask. "There is no audience!" you cry. "No one is going to read what I write...you said so yourself!"

Telling A Story To An Audience

If you are having a hard time separating these concepts, you're not alone. The main question is this: "Why write if no one is going to read it?" A storyteller by definition tells a story to someone. Storytelling without someone to hear the story is like talking to hear your own voice. There is no point in telling a story about the rich old man you met on the train or the homeless guy's comment when you gave him a dollar if there's no one to listen. You already know what happened. The joy of storytelling is in the passing along of the story to others.

If you love to tell stories, then you probably love to build up the suspense, keeping the punch line or horrifying climax just out of reach until the right moment. You love to foreshadow important events, add details to paint a vivid picture of your characters and their problems, and, most of all, you love to end your story with a bang, a surprise, a bit of irony, a morsel of absurdity. Without an audience, you never have anyone to share these storytelling skills with. The same goes for your journaling, and it can have a thwarting effect on your very desire to tell the story.

But can these two elements of writing, the audience and the unencumbered expression of pure thought, peacefully coexist? In our journals, we are expected to record our thoughts, divulge our secrets, and explore our observations. For adults, the days of "Dear Diary" are probably long past, but the concept still works. When writing a friendly letter or e-mail, we know who the intended audience is. We divulge certain things to certain people. But because of the intimate nature of the journal, how do you decide who is worthy?

Visualize The Audience

To really be able to open up and effectively communicate your stories, you must find a considerate listener. If you already have someone whose opinion you trust to read your stories, start there. Ultimately, the considerate listener will be someone who understands your thought process and finds you utterly entertaining. Your considerate listener always laughs at your jokes, never tires of hearing your stories, and thinks you're the tops.

Journaling to someone in the same casual way we write letters or tell stories to our friends and family allows us to use our natural, relaxed voice. Directing our journal writing to a particular person, real or imagined, living or dead, is another way of loosening up and allowing you to speak naturally through your written words. In natural speech we use:

  • description ("The lion in the zoo looked like a starving old house cat.")

  • dialogue ("...and then the clerk said to me, 'I don't care where you take your business!' And then I said....")

  • background information ("You remember Old Man Beede, right? He's the one who....")

These tools help us to communicate effectively when we're talking directly to someone, and they're equally helpful in writing. Start thinking of your journals as a series of letters, write them as such, and visualize the recipient as you write.

In next month's installment of this series, I'll discuss how you can find topics to write about in your journals.


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Poetics The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Poetics

by Christine Henderson

Contests

In some previous columns, I mentioned entering writing contests. There is a lot of controversy over what is or is not a legitimate contest, and how to spot the frauds. Here s a little information that a colleague and I have gathered. We hope you will find it useful.

To Pay or Not to Pay...

Most contests require an entry or "reading" fee of a small amount - less than $15.00. The fee is usually used in the prize fund, to subscribe the entrant to the publication or organization that is sponsoring the contest, to furnish you a copy of the publication with the winners (even if it is not you), or a critique of your work. The general rule here is that if you get something for your money, it is not a scam. A few do not give you anything, but a $5.00 fee is not usually too much to ask for any contest provided that there are cash awards. DO NOT pay an entry fee for any contest when the prize is publication only.

The bottom line is to use your own judgement on entry fees. What do you know about the group or publication that is sponsoring the contest? Will your entry be safe from being used without your knowledge? Who is doing the judging? Why would they ask the entry fee? Some groups sponsor contests as a fund-raising effort and use the proceeds to fund the prizes and boost their treasury. Is this a bad thing? Depends on the group, but there is probably no harm as long as they pay up. The contests that do not have an entry fee at all may be more dangerous. How are they paying for the prizes? Are they just fishing for publishable writing? Are you sure your poem would not be used without your permission? Do a little research before you succumb to entry fever.

Let the writer beware...

The most loathsome of contests are a front for vanity press books. Most of the time these do not have fees. They grab you with words like "finalist", and promote special advance prices of the publication. Later, you will be notified that you didn't win but they would like to use your poem in the book and offer the book again at a special price. Offers for C.D., audiotapes, and more editions of the book will follow. Surely the number of books sold has a direct relationship to the number of entries they received.

The book itself will most likely contain every entry that was sent in to the contest with no winning poem designated. It will be about the size of a telephone book, in small print, and the poems will be in no particular order, so locating yours will be a challenge. My daughter has one. In 1978 the cost was $39.99.

What are you hoping to gain?

There are numerous rewards in winning contests. Obviously, the prize money is one. Some offer prize money and publication. If the contest called for research or experimenting with a new form, you have learned something. And of course, there is that warm, golden feeling that a perfect stranger likes what you do enough to reward you for it. Oh, yes, the certificates are nice, too!

When the prize is publication only, be aware of a few things.

  1. Even if they will send you prizes in publication (which is a copy of the book), don't pay a fee. Remember, they will sell this book or magazine and they are not paying you a dime for your contribution, so why should you pay them?

  2. This could be a ploy for getting submissions to a new or failing publication - a way to get things to print without compensating the authors. If you would not mind being printed without pay, then go for it.

  3. Once your poem, essay, or story is published, you cannot enter it in any other contest and you have lost your first rights for publication. This means that further down the road, you will get less money for it if you manage to sell it, because it has already been in another publication.

Very few contests will get you national recognition. Contests are not a gateway to fame, a foot in the door to being published, or a message to agents to beat a path to your door. They ARE a way to learn to improve your writing for public acceptance.

Other good things...

Most contests have no particular theme, so these allow your creativity to flow. Other competitions are very precise about their subjects, which is an exercise in discipline. The real advantage here is you have a reason to explore an unknown topic, and you can use what you learn immediately and in the future. Most of us get two or three more ideas while developing the first one.

If the previous winner of a contest you have entered is published, get a copy. You may find that your style is not what that group likes, or learn from the winning poems about how to improve your own, or decide to work on developing a different style in order to make yourself more competitive. Knowing what type of writing is winning the contests is a good step toward winning the next one.

You're On Your Own!

If the rewards interest you enough to make you want to venture out, watch for contests all over the place. Search for a branch of Poets Roundtable in your area. This organization has contests year-round. Writers conferences usually have contests, so watch your mailbox and check the ads in any writers magazines that you read. Search the Web! Just remember to be careful. And do not be embarrassed if you get scammed once in a while. Learn from it and pass it on.

For more information on contests and scams, check out these sites:

Contest Sites:

  • The Conpo mailing list for distributing guidelines for literary magazines and for literary contests. (Warning-Generates a lot of mail. Suggest you subscribe to the digest version)
  • Poets&Writers magazine's contests page
  • Poetic Voices contest listings

Scam Control:

Good Luck, and let us know how you are doing!

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Poetics Presents The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Poetics Presents

Louise E. Sawyer

Louise E. Sawyer is a writer and creativity coach living in Victoria, B.C., Canada. She writes poetry, essays, articles, children's stories, mystery stories, and screenplays. Louise coaches others as they work on creative projects. This series of haiku was inspired by her love of the seashore and her memories of White Rock beach near Vancouver, as well as Dallas Road beach (near Beacon Hill Park) in Victoria.

Writers' Village members look forward to reading more of Louise’s work.

A Day At The Seashore

Toddlers help parents
build castles with morning sand
--fantasy falls down.

Seagulls squawk protest
swooping low overhead at lunch
table--fish and chips.

Teenagers fly kites
swishing on afternoon wind
--puppy dog tails wag.

Sun rays reflect on
dark blue water--evening
waves say their good-bye.

Copyright © 2002 by Louise E. Sawyer


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Recognitions

Judy Hunt

Welcome to Recognitions, a column dedicated to proclaim the writing successes of Writers' Village University members!

The variety of awards Christine Henderson took home from the June Arkansas Writers' Conference illustrates the range and scope of her writing interests. She won Third Honorable Mention, Patricia A. Laster Award, with her essay, "Choices." Her poem "Transitions" ranked Second Honorable Mention, Voices International Poetry. She picked up First Honorable Mention, A.W.C. Prose Award, with her short story, "The Way of It." Christine won Third Place for the Grand Conference Award with a humorous short story entitled, "Mamie." The Grand Conference Award was the top contest at the conference. The story needed to include these elements: a 911 call, a character named Ansonius and the phrase, 'bumblebee on a cat's nose.' "It was really a blast writing this one!" she said.

Writing is more than a hobby for Christine. "I am serving my second year as President of a local writers' group, (White County Creative Writers in Arkansas), and have served as Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of that organization. We host a conference every year over the Labor Day weekend, and I have chaired that activity several times," she reported.

Christine is a Poetry Contributing Editor for T-Zero, and when not contributing, she is on its submissions board. Christine joined Writers' Village in 2000; her coursework focuses on short story writing and plotting. She dabbles in all types of writing but enjoys Poetry and Short Fiction best of all.

Jim Hall was the featured poet at the meeting of The Snapdragon Poetry Society at Tumbleweed Books in Pueblo, Colorado, on June 20. He will also be the featured poet at one of the weekly meetings of a new poetry group at the Wireworks Coffee Shop in Pueblo in the near future. Jim enjoys attending these meetings. "It is nice to have an audience to feed on. It is satisfactory to find oneself recognized as a poet, especially by other poets," he remarked.

The June 2002 Dana Literary Society Online Journal (http://www.danaliterary.org) published one of Jim's stories, "Two Out, Three On," selected from his book of short fiction, "A Balcony in Brooklyn." Another selection, "Panic in Connecticut," will appear in the August issue, along with one of his poems entitled, "A Childhood Friend."

A WVU Lifetime Member, Jim facilitates the Poetry Workshop course. He writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Charity Tahmaseb's essay, "Tolstoy's Happy Families," will appear in the summer issue of The First Line (http://www.thefirstline.com). Her essay is about the first line from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Charity said, "I've always been fascinated with the first line of Anna Karenina and what Tolstoy meant by it. As a Russian major, I've read the novel three times, once in Russian. I guess I wanted to put my degree to good use."

A Lifetime Member of Writers' Village, Charity facilitates the Writing the Mystery Novel course and is active in various groups.

Tammie Schaaf's poem, "If Kaitlyn Was A Butterfly," was published in the May 2002 issue of T-Zero. She joined WVU last year but has been writing for pleasure for more than 25 years. Tammie likes to write short stories for children and teens.

Hetty Austen's poem, "Block It Out," was published in the June 2002 issue of T-Zero. She joined Writers' Village last year with an ultimate goal to have a book published in print format.

Joan Myers' poem, "Hair--Unaware," was published in the June 2002 issue of T-Zero. A Lifetime WVU Member, Joan lives to write. She has been published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and won an honorable mention in the Westmoreland International Short Story Contest.

These fine writers took action to submit to magazines, e-zines and contests, and we are now lauding their accomplishments. Kudos, writers! Congratulations! We're proud of you!

The first step to being published is to submit. And then submit again! If we don't submit, we won't be published. We can't let the fear of rejection prevent us from submitting. So get out there and submit, submit, submit!

We look forward to reading about your writing accomplishments next month in this column. If you or someone you know has received recognition for writing, please send the information to recognitions@wvu.org Let us know!


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!

We look forward to reading about your writing accomplishments next month in this column. If you or someone you know has received recognition for writing, please send the information to recognitions@wvu.org Let us know!


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Signs of Life The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Signs of Life

Nancy L. Horner

Why People Fly

We were just exiting our neighborhood on the first leg of a two-day journey to Colorado when we heard a crash noise in the van.

"What was that?" I asked the kids.

There was a brief pause. "Uh, it was the TV."

"Shoot." We'd gone less than a mile and disaster had struck.

The eldest of our children has always traveled so well that it used to baffle me when people told me they stopped taking vacations because of their youngsters. "Why on earth would they stay home merely because they have a child?" I'd wonder. As far as I could see, you just packed them up and took off---easy as pie.

Then, our second son arrived. Unlike Daniel, who could entertain himself for hours on end with a small bucket of toys and books, William was nearly impossible to keep occupied. He would dump his bucket upside-down, play with each toy for approximately 30 seconds, throw them either at his brother or the floor, and then begin to wail. For several years, an adult had to sit in the backseat to read to him and otherwise distract him. Then, David came up with a brilliant plan: buy a TV-VCR that plugged into the cigarette lighter and fry the kid's brain for a good portion of the drive. The TV had been our salvation on our regular 9-hour jaunts to Oklahoma.

"Think it'll still work?" I asked David.

"Didn't sound good."

"Well, let's go find out."

We circled through the gas station parking lot and returned home to plug the TV into the outdoor electrical socket on our porch. The screen was totally blank; no power, whatsoever.

"Now what?" I glanced into the back seat, where our little wiggle worm was already on the verge of making his brother scream.

"The laptop has a DVD player."

"But we don't own any DVDs."

"We can buy some on the way. Hey, it's better than the alternative."

Ugh, the alternative. 22 hours of "Mom! He pinched me!" I nodded and David fetched the laptop. We would worry about an adapter and a DVD worth watching when we were in Arkansas and the stores were open. Hopefully, William would fall asleep until that point.

We hopped back into the van and hit the highway. Just a few minutes after crossing the Mississippi River Bridge into Louisiana, we were jolted by a huge "Whump!" on the front window. For a few long seconds, as we all recovered our breath, we simply stared at the dead bird that had hit the windshield on the driver's side. Then, everyone in the van said, "Ewwww" in unison and we all laughed at the timing.

The bird lay on the windshield with his foot caught under the windshield wiper and one lifeless wing flapping vigorously. We were trying to decide whether or not we should pull over to remove the dead body when, as suddenly as he had hit the windshield, the bird was lifted upwards. "Bumpita, bumpita, bumpita," went his body, all the way across the top of the van.

A leg and some feathers, tucked into the windshield wiper, were all that remained. That did it. We laughed so hard we all had tears streaming down our faces. A family in a large SUV passed by, waving and chuckling, gesturing that they'd seen the poor animal bounce across the top of our van. We waved back at them.

Finally, as we all calmed down and wiped the tears of laughter away, the van became quiet for a moment. "I just want you to know," David said, "that if anything else happens, I'm turning around and we're going home."

"Fine by me," I answered.

We had gone less than 20 miles. Fortunately, no third disaster ever struck; but for the next three hours, I think we all were quietly waiting for a meteor to fall on us and make the next great thump.


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Writer’s Read

Wynelda Shelton

Obsessions

Recently, it was brought to my attention that I had become a wee bit obsessed. Looking at my magazine rack, I can tell you that the person who brought this to my attention may have been right.

The magazine rack is filled to the brim with one kind of magazine. Not only is it full, more of the magazines are stacked on top of it, some are scattered through out the apartment as well. There's one on the coffee table. There are three next to my bed.

My obsession is wedding planning. As of the moment that I am writing this, I have twelve weeks to get this thing planned, paid for and organized. I have lists of hints from friends. A zippered binder has become my wedding bible: it contains calendars, receipts for my dress, pictures of my bridesmaids dresses, swatches, guest lists, to-do lists, food lists, readings for the wedding.

I know you're wondering what the heck this has to do with writing.

Last night, I was sitting on my bed looking through Modern Bride, Conde Nast Bride's and Martha Stewart's wedding magazine. I realized that the money I spent on my obsession could be put to another use as well. Market Research. In thirteen weeks, I'll be able to say that I have experience in putting together a wedding on a shoestring.

What kinds of magazines fill your racks? Do you have an obsession? If you're an avid gardener, you could do many kinds of articles ranging from how-to grow roses in extreme heat to how your first garden helped you bloom as well as the flowers. Are you a Civil War buff? You could write about battles that pique your interest. Or maybe how your shared interest brought you closer together with someone you loved.

It doesn't have to stop with non-fiction, either. My obsession has bled into other aspects of my writing, specifically my fiction, as well. Romance, which has never caught my writing fancy (although I read it), now has. That research you've put into a battle can become a short story or a scene in a novel. The garden that you work in can become the back drop for a pivotal scene in your story, allowing it to forever be blooming.

The only cap on what you can do is your own creativity.

Need proof?

I just used planning my wedding as the basis for a writing article.


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Writer to Writer The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Writer to Writer

Rie Sheridan

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, It's Off to Workshop I Go...

I would like to take a few minutes of your time this month to talk about a really great way to get over a writing slump, break a writer's block, or meet some other people with the same passions you have--attend a workshop. Several weeks ago, I got an email from a lovely lady inviting me to attend her writing clinic. It sounded like lots of fun and interesting companionship, but the budget didn't want to allow it. After a bit of persuading, I decided to go anyway, and drove thirteen hours from Texas to New Mexico to attend Milli Thornton's Tantrick Writing Clinic. It was worth the effort.

For one thing, Taos is a beautiful city, full of twisting streets, art galleries, and artists. Just standing and looking into the mountain-filled horizons is inspiring. We watched a storm over the mountains that cried out to be put down on paper. But more importantly, the workshop itself was designed to break up any lingering writing barriers and create an atmosphere conducive to inspiration.

There were a group of nine ladies, all of varying degrees of experience enrolled in the workshop, and we started off with an easy exercise, which had you reveal your deepest secrets--about chocolate… It was complete with samples, so it was a wonderful ice-breaker. This engaging of the senses outside the normal expectations for a writing exercise was thematic for the entire weekend. We had one unusual experience after another (and no, I'm not going into more detail--I don't want to give it away!) all designed to free the imagination and get the pen dancing. Key to the process was that everyone shared what she had written for each exercise with the rest of the group. There were no style critiques, or line-by-line edits, just sharing of what general impressions the piece had made on the audience.

I found myself moved to write scenes for two of my WIPs that I hadn't touched in months. Now, I am itching to get back to work on them. I even started a new children's piece and wrote an instrumental song based on the powerful inspiration of a piece of statuary located on the grounds of the site.

Back to my re-occurring theme--the networking I did at the workshop garnered me another publisher to query. I also found out some information regarding a possible printer for a project that I want to self-produce. I heard about some writers' organizations that I hadn't encountered before. I got to talk shop with Milli over a lovely dinner.

I strongly recommend looking at what workshops, conferences, and book fairs are available in your area. These opportunities are out there, and will help you keep a finger on the pulse of what is actually going on in the writing field. Sometimes it feels like a writer is working in isolation, but it isn't really so. The whole point of writing is to get your message out to other people. Finding out what is out there and contacting others who share your passions is the best way to do this. For more information on Milli's Tantrick Writing Clinic or her Fear of Writing workshops, drop her an email at workshops@fearofwriting.com. It is a great workshop, and your money will be well invested in your writing career.


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Submissions Guidelines (Updated)

Until further notice, only plain text submissions in the body of the email will be considered.
NO ATTACHMENTS.

What We Pay For

Fiction: Stories should be of interest to writers in general, not just a narrow group.

Fiction should be submitted to fiction@thewritersezine.com. Payment starts at $15.00.

If considered for publication, you will be asked to return an email agreement including your name and address.

Craft Features: Queries about Craft features should be sent to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Payment starts at $15.00, and, if considered, you will be sent an email agreement to fill out and return.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Please do not email us to ask what we pay for in other categories. When we can add to our list, we will include it in these guidelines.

What We Publish

Original short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, particularly non-fiction related to the craft of writing and interviews.

For fiction we prefer something with a plot and resolution. If we like the main character, we are more likely to accept the story. If the main character has a problem to resolve or has to make a choice, that's conflict, and we love conflict! Too many writers confuse conflict with fight scenes. Don't be one of them. Give us a protagonist who acts, makes choices no matter how hard they are to solve his or her dilemma, not a wimp who drifts along and has to be rescued.

Non-fiction should be related to the craft of writing or be good resource material for writers. Accuracy and originality are vital. No reprints. If it has already been published somewhere else, our readers will spot it and let us know.

What We Won't Publish

Anything that inspires "hate," is defamatory or is pornographic.

Simultaneous submissions.

Material that has appeared elsewhere (reprints).

Seasonal material submitted during the same month (i.e., a Christmas story in December). Our lead time is short compared to print publications, but we do need time to edit, html and proof submission. A good guideline is to submit the manuscript by the first of the preceding month (i.e., submit a Christmas story before November 1st).

Length Recommendations

  • For Fiction, under 1500 words is preferred. We will consider excerpts from longer works.

  • Poetry should fit on one printed page if possible. A maximum of five poems may be submitted at one time (when the hold is lifted).

  • Non-fiction or Craft features have the most leeway in word count. In general these manuscripts should be 750 to 2,000 words. We like to take advantage of the hypertext capabilities we have available and link to charts, graphs, lists and so forth. Thumbnail versions may be included in the body of the article.

Rights

All rights other than first electronic, non-exclusive 'anthology' (for collections of T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine works only), and non-exclusive archival rights (we keep back issues online) are and remain the sole and exclusive property of the author.

Formats We Will Accept

Plain text in the body of an email.

T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine is an HTML publication. This gives us access to a variety of options but it is also a limiting factor.

  • Underlining is used exclusively for links in HTML. Please do not underline in your manuscript. It you are including a link to a webpage for reference, please mark the link the following way: (WEB LINK) http://thewritersezine.com (END WEB LINK).
  • The less than (<) and greater than (>) signs are used to enclose HTML encoding. If you need to use brackets, please use the square [ ] ones instead.
  • Paragraph indentation requires time consuming insertion of multiple HTML symbols. Please separate paragraphs by inserting a hard, blank line between them.
  • Fonts need to be simple. No multiple fonts. We prefer standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier or Arial set at 12 point. If your subject matter requires something else, ask us first.
  • The curly (smart) quotes, apostrophes, the em dash (two hyphens together) and ellipsis … (three periods) become strange and exotic characters when copied from your word processor into email. Check your preferences or options to see if you can use straight quotes. 
  • Text formatting such as bold, italic, centering, bullet list, etc., should be noted in the text by using all caps in parentheses. For example, if you wanted to italicize the word submission, you would type: (ITALICS) submission (END ITALICS).

Editing

We expect you to run spell-check and to check your grammar and punctuation before submitting. We will not reject a submission for a few typos or errors, but will if there are an excessive number of errors.

Note: Since our reading audience is international, we do not require a specific version of English. Use the spelling appropriate to your region.

We will automatically correct obvious typos such as “ton” for “not” and may correct simple agreement problems. For anything beyond that, time permitting, we will return the submission to you with a request for corrections.

Getting to Know You

Fiction and Craft features published in T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine include brief third person biographical notes on the writers. For all submissions, please compose your own bio and include it to save our editors and yourself time later if/when your piece is accepted for publication. We suggest sharing a little about your background, occupation, geographical location and what inspired your story.

How and Where to Submit

We do not accept submissions via US mail. Email submissions only, to the appropriate department, in the body of the email. No attachments accepted.

Fiction should be sent to fiction@thewritersezine.com.

Craft Non-fiction should be queried first. Send query to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Include the type of submission (fiction, non-fiction) in the subject line.

Be sure to include your name and email address in the body of the email.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement that your submission or query was received within a week, please send a follow-up query with “Did you Receive?” in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include your name and email address, the title of the work submitted, and if different, the email address sent from. Do not resend the submission unless we request it.

Good luck!


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

© Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All rights reserved