Chicken Soup for the Soul Call Out - Grandmothers

Hey all you grandmothers and grown-up grandchildren, Chicken Soup for the Soul is looking for "great stories about the unconditional love between Grandmothers and grandchildren." Stories about step-grandmothers and honorary grandmothers are also welcome. Note: They are not looking for stories from children.

Deadline is August 31, 2010.

For complete guidelines, visit their website, where you can view all their possible book titles.

Good luck!

Blog Me, Baby - The Blood Red Pencil

The other day I realized it's been a long time since I've done a Blog Me, Baby post, which is my recommendation to readers of blogs they might find interesting and useful.

I ran across The Blood Red Pencil after visiting Colorado writer Patricia Stoltey's blog. A few months ago I won a box of books on Patricia's blog, including her own book "Prairie Grass Murders," which is a very good read. Patricia's blog is chock full of information about writing and books, and she has links to several other helpful blogs.

One blog linked to hers that I routinely check out is The Blood Red Pencil, where Patricia and other writers take turns posting their "sharp and pointed observations about good writing."

Today on The Blood Red Pencil, Patricia posts about a thorny problem for writers: Point of View. Yesterday's post was a Q&A with illustrator Eliza Wheeler on "Being Present." The Monday, July 26 post "Ten Steps to a Better Story" by award-winning author and journalist CJ Sellers, was also enlightening. Two of CJ's tips caught my attention. Tip #7 discussed when it's okay to tell and not show, and #10 laid out the order of importance of the components of a novel. Hint: It's all about story.

So, if you're looking for a place to pick up advice and tips on writing from those in the know, The Blood Red Pencil is my Blog Me, Baby site recommendation for the month of July.

Writing the West with Dusty Richards and Friends

WRITING THE WEST
with Dusty Richards and Friends
High Hill Press
188 pages
Trade Paperback, $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-60653-021-4

Full disclosure: I’ve known Dusty Richards for about 15 years, after meeting him and his wife Pat at an Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I got to know Dusty while serving as a board member of the Ozarks Writers League and have attended his workshops in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and at Saturday Writers in Missouri

More disclosure: Louella Turner, of High Hill Press, is a writing friend. Although Lou gave me a review copy of WRITING THE WEST, I’ve not been compensated to give a favorable review of the book.

Dusty has published nearly 100 novels and a dozen short stories. In 2007 he won two Spur awards from Western Writers of America. In 2010 he received the annual Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

No matter how many of Dusty’s workshops I attend, I always learn something new. Tucked away in a desk drawer in my office are several books of notes from his talks. That’s why I’m pleased he’s come out with a how-to book to use as a quick reference.

In WRITING THE WEST, Dusty uses plain language to share his thoughts on writing. He gives examples of the right and not-so-right way of doing things, and, like any good teacher, he gives assignments and exercises to show writers how to become better at their craft.

Topics in his book include: the importance of story, word count, dialogue, creating a strong sense of place, editing, scene and sequel, critique groups, first drafts, marketing, and creating memorable characters.

One suggestion that stands out is how to divide your book into quarters. Another tip points out words editors hate. On details and research: Who knew about the history of tumbleweed in America?

WRITING THE WEST also features essays by other acclaimed Western writers, all friends of Dusty’s.

Three-time RITA award winner and member of the RWA Hall of Fame, Texan Jodi Thomas’s essay “Romancing the West” offers tips to get writers started. She also stresses the importance of reaching the heart of your characters to connect with your readers.

Pulitzer-prize nominated author Jory Sherman’s essay on “Writing the Mountain Man Novel” immerses the reader in time and place. Sherman discusses research, conflict, setting, and taking your readers along on your character’s journey.

Wyoming writer and teacher and Spur finalist, John D. Nesbitt’s essay focuses on “Writing the Traditional Western.” His informative essay defines: setting, time period, word count, form, conflict, and structure.

Spur award winning author John Duncklee writes from his New Mexico home about mistakes to avoid when writing the West. In Duncklee’s essay he discusses the importance of research on geography, weaponry, history, customs, and other telling details.

Don’t forget the young’uns! YA Western writer Mike Kearby discusses the importance of understanding your audience through characterization, dialogue, and other age-appropriate topics.

The artwork of Western artist Michael Andrews adds to the enjoyment of the book.

Although I’m not a Western writer, I’m always eager to learn about writing for the best in their fields. In WRITING THE WEST with Dusty Richards and Friends, I’ve discovered a mother-lode of writing advice.

Copyright Donna Volkenannt

Ten Writing Tips from Janet Fitch

Each Friday on literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog he writes about "This Week in Publishing." Last week he posted a link to author Janet Fitch's blog, where she shares "10 Writing Tips That Can Help Almost Anyone."

I'm always interested in discovering ways to improve my writing, so I popped over to Fitch's blog and found some insightful writing tips. Her suggestions cover: the importance of writing good sentences, picking the right verbs, varying the length of sentences, writing in scenes, and much more.

The suggestions that got me thinking the most were:

#1: Write the sentence, not just the story. I especially like her suggestion at the end.

#5: Explore sentences using dependent clauses. I need to work on this.

#9 Write in scenes. Successful writers know how to do this. I've attended workshops where award-winning writers (Dusty Richards and Pat Carr are two that come to mind) have discussed the importance of writing in scenes, so this is definitely one I need to focus on when writing.

#10: Torture your protagonist. This isn't easy for me because I want to protect my characters, especially the likable ones, so it's another aspect of my writing that needs attention.

Thanks, Janet, for sharing your writing tips and for getting me to think more not only about what I write but how I write.

If you're the curious type whose always searching for ways to improve your writing, pop on over to Janet's blog and check out all ten of her writing tips. If you do, which ones caught your attention and why?

Missouri Writers' Guild Flash Fiction Contest

If you believe "brevity is the soul of wit" and as a writer you "write tight," the Missouri Writers' Guild has a flash fiction contest for you! Here are the highlights:

* Flash Fiction: 500 word limit, no gore or pornography
* Deadline: September 30, 2010
* Entry fee: $10 for non-members, $8 for members of MWG whose dues are paid by the date of entry.

* Prizes: 1st place - $100, 2nd place - $50, 3rd place - $25. Three honorable mentions receive certificates
* Certificates and prizes mailed by the end of October

* Winners announced on MWG website in October

For complete guidelines, visit the MWG website Contest page.

Good luck!

High Hill Press Website and Contest

I'm happy to announce my dear friend Louella (Lou) and her wonderful husband Bryan (Squeak) Turner have recently launched their High Hill Press website. They have been operating their publishing company for more than a year, but they've been so busy publishing books (almost 40 for more than 30 authors), Lou has just now got their website up and running.


Lou is not only a publisher and an editor, she is an award-winning writer who has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. (I tried to work a semicolon into that sentence, but I decided not to because everyone who knows Lou knows about her aversion to semicolons.)


Full disclosure: Lou and I have been friends for ages. We met at a critique group called Liars Ink more than 15 years ago and have belonged to about and/or started three other critique groups since then. Our latest group meets each Tuesday at the Rendezvous Cafe in O'Fallon, MO. We also are co-founders of Saturday Writers and have co-edited several issues of Cuivre River Anthology.


Over the years, Lou and I have driven to writing conferences before sunrise; we've sat in cold, hard chairs while listening to inspiring, educational (and a few not so much) speakers; and we've driven to our homes in the dark laughing so hard we had to pull of the road to find a bathroom. We've enjoyed lots of good times but also have been there for each other during the rough patches. That's why I am so thrilled all of her years of hard work, dedication, and generosity have finally paid off with High Hill Press.


To celebrate the launching of the High Hill Press website, Lou is sponsoring a "Write Us a Story Contest" using photos on the home page for inspiration. Deadline is Aug 15, and the full details are listed on the bottom of the Home page right beneath the graphic of the gunslinging cowboy. (Lou loves cowboys.)


While you're there, check out Lou's award-winning essay "My Unlikely Friend" about Jo, an unforgettable woman from Liars Ink who recently passed away in California.


Final Note: You'll be reading more about High Hill Press on Donna's Book Pub over the next few months. I will be reviewing books published by some of Lou's authors, including "Writing Fiction with Pat Carr" and "Writing the West with Dusty Richards."

So Congratulations, Lou and Squeak! Here's to many years of High Hill Press celebrating writers and their words!

I Write Like . . . Really?

Here's a quick way to discover which author your writing resembles. It's entertaining and somewhat enlighting, although I'm not sure how accurate the results are.

I Write Like is a site you can enter, copy and paste an excerpt of your writing into a text box, and find out which famous writer you write like. The site claims to use a statastical analysis tool to analyze word choices and writing style and compare it to famous writers to see which one your writing resembles.

Sounds interesting, right? So the other day I pasted an excerpt from a short story I've recently written. I was hoping to learn I write like Flannery O'Connor or Katherine Ann Porter, two of my favorite short story writers. I was surprised to find out my writing resembles . . . David Foster Wallace. Really?

His name is familiar, but I've never read any of his work. So, I did a search. The link above is one of many that talks about his writings, his life, and his death. Such a sad waste of talent lost too soon.

Back to the I Write Like site. Visiting the site is quick and easy, but its results are not without critics.

In today's New York Times, David Itzkoff writes about "Getting the Not-Quite-Right Stuff from I Write Like." In his article he relates how he tested the site with three well-known literary passages. The results are quite amusing.

If you're the curious type and don't take these statistical analysis tools too seriously, tool on over to I Write Like and give it a go. It's free and fun, and after you get your results, you can mention that your writing style is like (insert famous author's name) in you bragging "writes."

And if you're a brave soul, you can post your results here so we'll all know who you write like.