Giveaway and Call for Submissions for Well Versed 2015

Well Versed 2009

Last Saturday I attended the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild annual Write Direction Conference in Columbia, MO. It was an inspiring and informative event--and extremely well run and affordable!

Over the next few posts I'm going to share some notes I took during the conference, but today I have a call for submissions and a giveaway!

One important announcement during the event was a reminder about the CCMWG's call for submissions for their annual award-winning Well Versed anthology.

The anthology accepts submissions of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and new this year--flash fiction. Members of CCMWG may enter for free. Nonmembers may enter for a modest fee.

You can find complete guidelines for the 2015 anthology at the link. Deadline is November 15, 2014.

Entries are judged independently by guest judges (for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) who select winners in each category and make recommendations for other submissions to be included in the anthology. The judges select the top choices to receive monetary prizes. All entries selected for inclusion in the anthology receive one contributor's copy, plus a payment of $1 for each piece included.

During the conference, attendees were encouraged to take free copies of past anthologies. Of course, I took advantage of that generous offer.

To carry on the CCMWG spirit of generosity, I'm giving away a copy of Well Versed that I picked up at the conference. The 2009 issue of Well Versed (pictured above) includes a foreword from Walter Bargen, Missouri's first poet laureate, who served as poetry judge for that issue.

For a chance to win a copy of the 2009 anthology shown above, leave a comment with your name here by October 31. I will select one winner and announce the name the beginning of next month.

CCMWG's Write Direction Conference 2014

The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild will hold its annual  "Write Direction" conference on Saturday, October 18, 2014, from 8:30-4:00 at the Unity Center, 1600 W. Broadway in Columbia, MO. 

Early-bird registration (by Sep 26) is only $35 for CCMWG members and $40 for non-members. 

Registration includes:

* Choice of break-out sessions,

* Sales/exhibition space in author’s hall,

* Breakfast snacks, lunch, afternoon tea

Keynote speaker Terry Allen will talk about "Writing Dialogue" and "Writing in Shadows and Fog." Dr. Allen is Professor Emeritus of Theatre Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire who taught courses in playwriting, directing, acting, stage movement, theatre history, theatre of the Holocaust, and American cinema for thirty-four years. 

Alan Proctor: "Submitting your Poetry: What Poetry Editors Want." Alan Proctor is a poetry editor for Kansas City Voices, a former humor columnist, tree surgeon, Vice President of a public university and classical guitarist. 

Mary Horner: "Write like a pro to sell your nonfiction writing." Mary is the author of Strengthen Your Nonfiction Writing, a guide to help you write like a professional. She teaches communications at St. Louis and St. Charles Community Colleges. 

Linda Rodriguez: "Riding the Tiger: Writing and Publishing Novels with a Big Five Publisher in a Chaotic Time of Transition."  Linda Rodriguez’s third Skeet Bannion novel, Every Hidden Fear (St. Martin’s/Minotaur), will be published May 5, 2014. 

Mary-Lane Kamberg: “What’s So Funny?” Put your sense of humor on paper. Her workshop includes practical advice for using humor in poetry and following the narrative form for humorous essays. Mary is a professional writer with more than twenty years’ experience. She is the author of 27 books. Her articles have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Marriage and Family Living, Christian Science Monitor, Healthy Kids and many others.

Gerado Mena:  "Unleashing your Inner Voice." His workshop includes generating material, sifting, and creating poems using modern structural techniques. War Poetry: (Closing Session) Iraq.  In this workshop he will read from his poetry book The Shape of Our Faces No Longer Matters and will share his journey from a head full of bad memories to a book of war poems. Gerardo Mena is a decorated Iraqi Freedom veteran. He spent six years in Spec Ops with the Reconnaissance Marines and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal with a V for Valor for multiple acts of bravery.  His poetry and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Ploughshares, Best New Poets 2011, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere.

For complete details, visit the CCMWG site.

Polishing Your Prose: Practical Editing and Revision Tips

Last Sunday I gave a workshop on "Polishing Your Prose: Practical Editing and Revision Tips" to about 25 members of the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. 

Thank you, Lori and the CCMWG board, for inviting me to come speak. Also, thanks, Eva, for taking photos.

I began the workshop by defining the basic stages of writing as: prewriting, writing, rewriting, editing, and proofreading. 
My focus for the workshop was on rewriting and editing. Here are some highlights of what I covered:

* Writing is a process of discovery. 

* During prewriting and writing, the focus is on the writer.  

* This is when writers brainstorm and come up with ideas and get their ideas down on paper.

* Tip: Organize your notes, write without editing, and save everything.

* "Write about what interests you." That was Daniel Woodrell's suggestion during a book talk I attended last month at the St. Charles Community College.

* Revision is the process of re-vision; to see again by taking a fresh look at what you've written. (More about clarity of vision below.)

* Rewriting, editing, and proofreading are part of the revision process.

* During revision, editing, and proofreading, the focus is on the reader.

* In an interview, the late Elmore Leonard said, "If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."

* In On Writing, Steven King recommended: "Write with the door closed; rewrite with the door open."

* Other revision and editing tips:

Don't do final edits on the computer screen
Print out a copy
Read the copy out loud
Read it backwards to catch mistakes
Always give your work a title (more on this below)
Don't give too much information too soon
Use vivid writing and specific, concrete language
Make good use of white space
Avoid lengthy paragraphs
Put statements in a positive form
Eliminate needless words
Place emphatic words at the end of the sentence
Place yourself in the background
Write in a way that comes naturally
Avoid foreign language
Always keep the reader in mind

At the end of the workshop, participants completed an exercise to edit sentences and eliminate needless words. They also took a for-fun mini-quiz. To emphasize the importance of titles, I gave them the original title of ten famous novels and asked them to guess the novels' better known titles. The CCMWG writers know their stuff--they got almost all ten right.

Here are a few of the before-and-after titles:
Atticus was changed to To Kill a Mockingbird
First Impressions became Pride and Prejudice
The Last Man in Europe is better known as 1984

When the topic of clear vision and focus comes to mind, I think about how eagles take a long view then zoom in and focus. 

How timely that on Monday, the day after my talk, my grandson spotted an eagle soaring above our place in Osage County, along the Gasconade River. 

I grabbed my camera and took this photo to capture the moment. Don't you wish you had his clarity of purpose and clear vision?

How about you? Do you have any revision or editing tips?

Bad News: Cardinals Lose World Series; Good News: Well Versed Deadline Extended

My nieces who live in Western Massachusetts -- not to be confused with my niece from St. Charles who is a Cardinals fan and got to go to Game 2 of the World Series -- are no doubt celebrating last night's Red Sox victory in the World Series.

But, if you're a St. Louis Cardinals fan like me you're lamenting the fact that the Red Birds lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox. At least it took six games this time and not four!

A good way to get over disappointment is by writing, which brings me to the good news.

This morning I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed, that the submission deadline has been extended.

Here is an excerpt from her e-mail:

"I’m extending the deadline to November 10. Electronic copies must be received before midnight on the 10^th. You do not have to postmark your hard copies until November 12. I’m not sure if the post office is open on the 11^th.
 

Visit our website for complete guidelines and prizes. Please read through the guidelines carefully. A section has been added to help you format your manuscript. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at wellversed2014@gmail.com.

You may submit five poems and three prose pieces. We do require both electronic and paper versions of each submission.

As always, CCMWG members pay no entry fee. Nonmembers pay a small fee, or can join CCMWG for $15 and pay no fee. Each edition of Well Versed is filled with outstanding prose and poetry, and we look forward to having your pieces considered for the 2014 edition.
 

My sincere appreciation to all who met the original deadline! To keep Well Versed on track, this is the only extension. Entries received after the extended deadline will not be used."

Good luck if you enter! Here's hoping one of you wins big!

A Day to Remember: Bastille Day, a Book Launch, and a New Heart

For many reasons, yesterday was a day to remember.

Historically, July 14 is Bastille Day, the day the French, and other countries, commemorate the conclusion of the French Revolution.

Locally, several writers celebrated the July 14 Well Versed 2013 book launch with the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild at the Unity Center in Columbia, Missouri. The Sunday afternoon event brought out writers, friends, and family members.

Lynn, Marcia, Donna, Sheree, Linda

For the drive to the launch, I carpooled with Sheree, Marcia, and Lynn, three other Well Versed contributors.

The room was crowded, and several chairs had to be added to accommodate attendees. One of Lynn's grade-school classmates showed up for the event, along with Lynn's critique group pals Sioux and Tammy. Sioux took several photos, including the one on the left.

During the celebration, editor Linda Fisher announced the names of the Judges' Picks in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. She also handed out certificates to winners and honorable mentions. Afterwards, several contributors read and signed books; conversations were friendly and snacks plentiful.

During the drive, Lynn, Sheree, Marcia, and I chatted and shared stories about our lives and how we met our husbands. I also told them about how anxious I was because of a call I received that morning.

For my family, July 14 is a day to remember because my sister-in-law has a new heart.

After months of hospital stays, setbacks, hopes, waiting and praying, yesterday morning my brother received a call to be at the hospital around 10 a.m. The transplant team believed they had a perfect match, and if all went well my sister-in-law's surgery would be late in the afternoon or early evening. I thought about going to the hospital instead of the launch, but one of my sisters convinced me we might get in the way. Coincidentally, yesterday was the day of a special Mass for our sister-in-law's heart health.

During the book launch, I discretely checked my phone for news from home. On the return trip, I received a call that surgery was a go for the evening. Late last night I received another call that, according to the surgeon, everything went "splendidly."

This morning when I spoke with my brother, we talked about how it truly was a miracle that his wife now has a strong, young heart, and how grateful we all are for the God-given talent of the surgeon and the medical team, for the generosity of the organ donor's family, but especially to God for the gifts he gives that others share.

So, yesterday will be a day I will remember -- for the book launch and for spending an afternoon with several writing friends, but most of all I will remember July 14, 2013 as the day one family's organ donation gave my sister-in-law a new heart and a second chance on life.

Launch of Well Versed 2013 at the Unity Center in Columbia on July 14

 

The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild has announced the launch date for release of the 2013 version of Well Versed. 

 

The launch will be Sunday, July 14 from 2-4 p.m. in the Founder's Wing of the Unity Center, 1600 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO. 

 

The Unity Center is tucked off of the main road in a residential neighborhood. Surrounded by trees, the Center is a peaceful place where wind chimes tinkle, squirrels scamper, and birds flit. Every time I visit the Center for a CCMWG event, I'm inspired to write. The Center is also easy to find.

 

 

The launch of Well Versed 2013 features:  

* author readings

* refreshments

* awards

* meet and greet of contributors

 

I'm honored that my essay, "Amo, Amas, Amat," was awarded second place in the Judge's Pick Essay category. I'm also excited to be in the same anthology with my writing friends from Coffee and Critique -- Marcia Gaye, Karen Guccione-Englert, and Jack Zerr -- as well as local writers Lynn Obermoeller and Sheree Nielsen.

 

Linda Fisher of Mozark Press does a fantastic job compiling and editing Well Versed. For a complete list of names of judges, contributors, and winners, visit the CCMWG blog.

 

If you're in the Columbia area and have some free time Sunday, afternoon, July 14, please stop by the Unity Center for the launch party.



Well Versed 2013 Cover Released

Hot off the press: Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed, sent an e-mail yesterday announcing release of the cover (at left) for the 2013 issue. In her e-mail, she asked contributors to share the cover on their blogs.

Well Versed is an annual anthology compiled and published by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. Each fall, CCMWG holds a contest inviting all writers (members and non-members) to submit short stories, essays, articles, and poems.

Judges for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction pick their top three selections, along with honorable mentions. In addition to the judges' picks and honorable mentions, other works of merit are selected for inclusion in the anthology.

For the 2013 issue, Velda Brotherton judged fiction submissions, Mark Pearce judged poems, and Deborah Marshall judged nonfiction entries. 

I'm honored that my essay "Amo, Amas, Amat" was awarded second place in the nonfiction category, and I'm excited to share ink with several writing buddies.

Three Coffee and Critique group members, who also belong to Saturday Writers -- Karen Guccione-Englert, Jack Zerr and Marcia Gaye -- have works in the anthology, as do Saturday Writers members Lynn Obermoeller and Sheree Nielsen.

The launch date for Well Versed 2013 is in June.

Steve Wiegenstein Sheds Some Light on Writing Historical Fiction and Nonfiction

Earlier this month I attended a meeting of the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. The guest speaker was college professor, journalist, and author Steve Wiegenstein, who spoke about writing historical fiction and nonfiction. Steve's historical fiction novel Slant of Light, published by Blank Slate Press, is set in the Missouri Ozarks during the Civil War.

 

Visitors to my blog know what a voracious note-taker I am, especially when I hear someone who knows what they're talking about give advice on writing. They also know how I like to share what I've learned with other writers, so here are a few notes I jotted down during Steve's talk.

 

* In historical fiction, details and specifics matter, but they do not matter as much as the story.

 

* Goals for writing historical nonfiction (which were shared with Steve by another historical novelist) are:  Entertainment and Empathy, not education (although it may become a side effect).

* In historical nonfiction, focus on the human drama of the characters.

* Nonfiction – bound by facts.

* Fiction – author has some wiggle room. For example: in Steve's book he did not mess with dates of a Lincoln-Douglas debate, but he did alter some dates and events of some non-signal characters to make the narrative more dramatic and exciting.

 

* Purpose of historical nonfiction: to tell a STORY.

* Avoid “Research Rapture," when a writer can’t bear not to share results of research.

 * Keep in the compelling parts of research.

* Small details matter a lot (e.g. clothing - zippers or hooks in 19th century).

 * EMPATHY separates rewarding historical fiction from throwaway books.

 * He didn’t put the emotion in the first draft, but in subsequent ones.

 * Lesson Learned for the sequel:

-- Don’t put your manuscript out for people to read too soon.

-- Let it lay for a couple weeks.

 

Hope my notes help shed some light on writing historical fiction and nonfiction. If you want to learn more, visit Steve Wiegenstein's blog.

 

P.S. In addition to all his other busy activities, Steve is the current President of the Missouri Writers' Guild.

 

Before his presentation at CCMWG he talked about the MWG conference, which will be Apr 26-28 in Maryland Heights. The MWG conference has a long list of speakers and topics of interest for writers. Unfortunately, a family event that weekend prevents me from attending the conference, although I might try to make it to the awards banquet on Saturday night. To learn more about the MWG conference, click here.

It's Not Too Late to Take Your Writing Career in the Write Direction

This Saturday, November 10, I'm excited to be giving a workshop at the "Write Direction" conference in Columbia, MO.

The annual conference, sponsored by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild,  kicks off at 8:30 and ends at 4 p.m.

The conference will be held at the Unity Center, 1600 West Broadway in Columbia.

CCMWG president Judy Stock, conference chair Carolyn Mulford, and everyone involved in planning the event have done a wonderful job obtaining presenters, laying out the agenda, and keeping the registration fee affordable.

Here's what you can expect:

Bill Clark, columnist with the Columbia Daily Tribune, will serve as the keynote speaker and inspire participants on The Joy in Taking the Next Step"

Other speakers and breakout session topics include:

Bridget Bufford on "Creating Characters through Archetypes"
Matthew Murie, English professor at Westminister College, on "Finding Your Perfect Pitch"
William Trowbridge, Missouri Poet Laureate, on "Humor in Poetry"
Dr. Edward Adelstein, anatomic and clinical pathologist, on "Every Death is a Short Story"
Donna Volkenannt on "Structuring Short Stories for Passion and Profit"
Linda Fisher from Mozark Press, Yolanda Ciolli from AKA Publishing, and Lou Turner from High Hill Press will participate in publisher/editor panels

Registration fee includes lunch, special-interest tables, book sales, and an afternoon tea.

Student discounts are available and Late registrations will be accepted at the door.

Hope to see you there!

Well Versed Deadline Extended

If you are like me you're always scrambling to meet deadlines, so here's some good news about a deadline that's been extended:

Late last night I received an e-mail informing me that the deadline for the 2013 Well Versed anthology contest has been extended until November 15.

The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild does a top-notch job soliciting and selecting submissions of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for their Well Versed anthology.

The deadline has been extended to give writers extra time to submit, especially if they are inspired to work on their manuscripts after they attend The Write Direction Conference in Columbia on November 10. (I'll be speaking at the conference so I sincerely appreciate the extra time!)

Next week I will post information about The Write Direction Conference, whose speakers include William Trowbridge, the Poet Lauerate of Missouri, and Medical Examinator Dr. Eddie Adelstein.




 

Well Versed 2013 Open for Submissions

 

The other day I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed.

 

Well Versed is the anthology published by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. The dandy logo on the left is from the chapter's website.

According to Linda's e-mail, the editors are now accepting submissions for Well Versed 2013.

Linda advises in her e-mail that the submission rules have changed this year, so please read the guidelines carefully. You can access them by clicking on this link.

The submission fees are modest, and prizes are awarded to winners in three categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. If your work is selected you will receive one contributor copy plus a nominal payment.

Last year the editors received a record number of submissions and published their largest volume to date.

The submission deadline for the 2013 anthology is October 31, 2012.

Personal Note: I had two nonfiction pieces in the 2012 anthology, which I found to be an extremely polished and professional publication.

Good luck if you submit!

Well Versed 2012 Press Release

This afternoon I received an e-mail and a press release from Judy Stock, President of the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild, which I thought I'd share.

Local Author Published in Anthology

Donna Volkenannt (that's me) of St. Peters, Missouri, has had work published in Well Versed, Literary Works 2012, an annual anthology published by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild. Well Versed features poetry, short fiction and creative non-fiction.

Volkenannt's non-fiction work, "The Magic of Writing," was awarded First Place in the Nonfiction Category and selected by a panel of independent judges for inclusion in the anthology. Her second non-fiction submission, "A Fine Day in November," was awarded an honorable mention and also selected for inclusion in the anthology.

Due to a record number of submissions and acceptances, the 2012 edition is the chapter's largest to date. The volume is available online at http://www.ccmwg.org/ (the group’s website), www.amazon.com, and at Taylor’s Bake Shop in historic Boonville, MO.

Sowing Seeds to Succeed

This spring, my writing career has blossomed because of writing seeds I planted in the cold, dark days of winter. 

One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to expand my horizions by submitting to more publications and entering more contests. I'm happy to announce that my plan has already begun to come to fruition.

On January 12, I entered an essay in the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition.

On March 1, I received a call from Debe Dockins of the Centerville Library in Ohio informing me I'd won first place in the Global Humor Category. 

This photo was taken at the April 18 Erma Celebration.

From left are: Debe Dockins, Contest Coordinator from the library; Christina Cahall, First place winner, human interest, local; Tracy Beckerman, syndicated humor columnist and guest speaker; Donna Volkenannt (me), First place winner, humor, global; and Gina Sandoval, First place winner, humor, local. Winners received cash awards, the winning essays were published on the library's website, and the winners were honored guests at the Erma Bombeck Workshop at the University of Dayton, April 19-22.

Back to my 2012 Goals: On January 15, I submitted two nonfiction pieces to the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild Well Versed Anthology Contest. In March, I received notification that I'd won first place and an honorable mention in the nonfiction category of the contest.

On May 6, 2012, the 2012 Well Versed anthology was launched in Columbia, MO.

The photo on the left is Judy Stock, president of the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild; Linda Fisher, editor of Well Versed 2012; and Donna Volkenannt (me), first place winner in the nonfiction category.

During the launch, more than a dozen readers shared their poems, essays, and short stories with those present. The afternoon flew by, filled with friendship and food and fun.

Lou Turner and Marcia Gaye drove to Columbia with me. Two of Marcia's poems won in the poetry category, and she had a total of four poems included in the anthology.

Here's Marcia reading one of her poems.

Critique buddy Alice Muschany also won two prizes in the nonfiction category, both of her essays are included in the anthology. Alice couldn't make the trip to Columbia, but I was able to pick up her certificates and prize money.

I hope this post and these photos can inspire some of my blogging buddies to write, submit, and enter more.

Who knows? The story, essay, or poem you are writing today could blossom into a beautiful flower later this year.

Call for Submissions from Write Integrity Press and Turner River Rats for the Arts

I love this logo from Write Integrity Press. It's so spring-like and filled with hope. The editors at Write Integrity Press are currently seeking submissions for three anthology series:

     Life Lessons from Moms
     Life Lessons from Dads
     Life Lessons from Teachers
     Word limit: 1,000
     Deadline: March 31, 2012
    Payment: $25, plus contributor's copy
Visit the Write Integrity Press website for complete submission guidelines.

Thanks to Denise from the Catholic Writers of St. Louis blog for letting me know about this submission opportunity.

Now, onto a chance to have your play performed!

The Turner Hall River Rats for the Arts is issuing an invitation to anyone interested in writing a very short play. Here are some details:

  Play length: No more than three minutes.
  Payment: Selected scripts will receive a staged reading and a small royalty.
  Deadline: Submissions are due by midnight on Sunday, April 1.
  Guidelines and format requirements are available via email to RiverRatArt@gmail.com or from (660) 882-3300. 

Thanks to Judy Stock from the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild for this call out from the Turner Hall River Rats for the Arts.


Good luck if you submit!