Missouri Resources, a Free Magazine with Resources for Writers

Image from the Missouri Resources magazine

Timing is everything, and this week the Fall 2016 issue of Missouri Resources magazine arrived in my e-mail box while I was in the middle of doing rewrites for a historical short story that features a teenage Sam Clemens. (Notice the subtle way I gave a writerly excuse for not posting on my blog for several weeks?)

Image from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Back to the magazine: Published by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the free magazine is filled with interesting facts, figures, and photos.

As a Missouri writer, I'm always searching for interesting tidbits about the "Show Me State" to weave into my writing or give me inspiration for a story or an article. And, as luck would have it, the fall 2016 issue includes the article "A Magical Tour on US 36."  US Highway 36 runs across the top third of northern Missouri and has been dubbed "The Highway of American Genius" because of some of the raw American talent with roots across that stretch of land. 

The "A Magical Tour on US 36" article features phots of the birthplaces or childhood homes of famous Missourians, including Samuel L. Clemens (aka Mark Twain) in Florida, MO; Walt Disney in Marceline, and General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing in Laclede.

Being a native St. Louisian, I also found the article "The Bricks that Built St. Louis," fascinating. This issue also includes a really cool photo from 1904, the year St. Louis hosted the World's Fair. The "Time Exposures" photo was taken in front of a shoe store in Old North St. Louis, which is the neighborhood where I was born and grew up, so that got my attention.

Did I mention the Missouri Resources magazine is free? Click here to read the latest issue.

A word of warning, reading this magazine can cause a writer to get lost in the fascinating articles and research material.

Poets & Writers Turns 40 in March

Today in St. Peters, MO: Overcast, 33 degrees.

If you're like me, you subscribe to writing magazines to keep abreast with what's going on in the world of writing and publishing.

One magazine I've subscribed to for some time is Poets & Writers. I also receive their newsletter in my e-mail. Their newsletter contains markets and writing contest information, including deadlines for submissions, plus some educational and inspiring articles.

In this article, Galen Williams, founder of Poets and Writers, tells the story of how the organization was born forty years ago, in March of 1970. Here's hoping Poets & Writers will be informing and inspiring writers for another 40 years!

Listen Magazine, A Paying Market with a Positive Message

Today's forecast for St. Peters: Chance of thunderstorms. Around 4 a.m. this morning I was awoken by a hail storm, and it's still cloudy outside.

This week has been quite busy, so I didn't get a chance to post Monday or Tuesday. So, to make up for it I want to share information about a paying market aimed at teenagers, with a positive message--Listen Magazine.

(Celeste Perrino-Walker at 2009 MWG Conference)

Last month at the Missouri Writers' Guild Conference I attended a workshop given by Celeste Perrino-Walker, Editor of Listen Magazine. The print and on-line magazine is a drug and alcohol prevention magazine, primarily aimed at teenagers.

According to its website, the magazine "encourages development of good habits and high ideals of physical, social, and mental health. It bases its editorial philosophy of primary drug prevention on total abstinence from tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Because it is used extensively in public high school classes, it does not accept articles and stories with overt religious emphasis."

Celeste receives between 800-1,000 submissions a year. During her workshop she shared writers' guidelines along with dos and don'ts of query letters. Reading some of the letters made me appreciate the work of a magazine editor--and realize how important it is to read submission guidelines and polish my queries before submitting them.

Some guidelines she stressed were: follow the word count; include an SASE; and do not include stats, street names for drugs, side effects, etc. because that information is a permanent part of the website.

Celeste said a good way to break in to Listen is an article about celebreties or famous personalities, especially if the article includes the celebrity signing the Listen pledge. The best way to find out their submission guidelines is by visiting http://www.listenmagazine.org/