Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Writing quote for 10-30-07

When I first started writing plays I couldn’t write good dialogue because I didn’t respect how black people talked. I thought that in order to make art out of their dialogue I had to change it, make it into something different. Once I learned to value and respect my characters, I could really hear them. I let them start talking.

--August Wilson

Quote for 10-30-07

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.


--August Wilson

Writer Profile Project

Go over to Kelly's blog,here and introduce yourself to:

Mark Budman
and (scrolling down)
Steven McDermott
Randall Brown
Andrew Tibbetts
Alla Michelle Watson

all wonderful and interesting people/writers

SHINE! fiction contest

  • SHINE! The Journal
  • is having a contest:

    Rules:

    1. The First Annual “Let’s See Your Shorts!” contest is for flash
    fiction of 1000 words or fewer excluding the title.

    2. NO Poetry, NO non-fiction, NO Pornography.

    3. You’re free to write on any subject.

    4. Please single space between lines and double space between
    paragraphs.

    5. Make sure your name and word count appear on your submission. I
    will send to judges without any of this information.

    6. On 11-1-07 a link will be provided on the contest page for
    entries only. Do not use the regular submission page for the contest.


    There is no entry fee.

    Prizes:

    All winning work will be published in SHINE! The Journal and will
    receive a nifty little certificate in addition to *$$$ as follows!

    First Place $100.00
    Second Place $50.00
    Third Place $25.00

    *Winners will be paid through Paypal. If you can’t access PayPal let me
    know and I will try to work with you.

    Our timeline is a month: Contest begins on 11-01-07 and ends on
    11-30-07.

    Bachelor Number 3

    I hear this guy in Nashville is wondering where I am.
    Ha!

    It was raining men this summer (seems butts like mine are quite the commodity in the dirty south-- "Girl, you are thick," one guy told me. That's a compliment. Another said he wanted to put a pic of my butt on his rap album- hmmmmm. . . ) Anyway, I was attracted to three men, all of whom I gave the green light. Bachelor #1 fizzled out when it became apparent he'd have to do some work to have me. Bachelor #2, I ended up all ga ga over, a separate post about him later.

    Anyway, Bachelor #3 asked me out. I was in the middle of something and told him that we could talk about going out next time I saw him. He worked at a place I went to weekly.

    Well, the next week when I showed up, he was talking to someone. He said 'hello' and asked how I was, but he didn't extract himself from the conversation to make any plans with me. He acted as if he'd developed a case of amnesia from the week previous.

    Oh, well, I thought, though I admit I was a tad disappointed.

    I didn't see him anymore before I left. Seems he's noticed that I'm not around.

    Classic case of you snooze, you lose.

    Monday, October 29, 2007

    Flash fiction contests

    Announcing the Blue Earth Review's 5th Annual Flash Fiction Contest
    http://www.mnsu. edu/blueearth/

    We are now reading entries for our *fifth* annual flash fiction contest.
    Send us your brightest, boldest flash fiction - the only requirement is that
    each entry is 600 words or less.
    Reading fee is $5 for up to three entries. Checks can be addressed to Blue
    Earth Review.
    Three winners will be chosen and awarded $100, $75, and $25.

    Send your entries and a brief cover letter, along with an SASE, to
    Blue Earth Review
    Student Union 192
    Minnesota State University, Mankato
    Mankato, MN 56001.

    Please clearly mark the mailing envelope as "flash fiction contest."
    We will be reading until 1 December 2007.
    Entries postmarked 2 December or later will be read as fiction submissions
    but not considered for the contest.

    All entries will also be considered for general publication unless otherwise
    marked.
    Winners will be announced sometime in December and the three winning pieces
    will be published in Volume VI: Spring 2008.


    Sonora Review Short-Short Contest
    Prize: $250 and publication. Ten finalists will also be considered for
    publication.
    Judge: David Means

    Guidelines
    For our purposes, "short-short" means 1,000 words or less. Stories over 1,000
    words will not be considered. No previously published works, or works
    forthcoming elsewhere. A $10 fee is required; entrants may submit up to three stories
    (each 1,000 words max.) with each $10 fee, payable by check or money order
    made out to Sonora Review. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but fees are
    non-refundable. Cover letter must include name, address, phone number, and
    title(s) of stories submitted.

    Manuscripts need not be left anonymous. Postmark deadline: December 1, 2007.

    Contest is open to all writers, except those who are currently students or
    instructors in the University of Arizona's MFA program. Contest results will be
    announced on our website in the spring, and in our Spring 2008 print edition.
    All entries must include an SASE for notification. Manuscripts will not be
    returned. Judge's decision is final.

    Send entries to:

    Sonora Review Contest
    Department of English
    University of Arizona
    Tucson, AZ 85721

    --------------------------------------------------------
    The Heartland Review's Third Annual Short-short Fiction Prize

    1st Place - $100 and publication in The Heartland Review’s winter issue
    2nd Place - $75 and publication in The Heartland Review’s winter issue
    3rd Place - $50 and publication in The Heartland Review’s winter issue

    Submissions should be no longer than 1000 words, typed, and double-spaced.
    There is a $5 entry fee for each story. (Checks should be made out to The
    Heartland Review.) Send cover page with name, address, and word count. Name and
    address should not appear on the pages of the story.

    Submissions are juried blind by The Heartland Review’s Editorial Board.
    Post-mark deadline for entries is November 20, 2007. Winners will be announced in
    December and invited to read at the Morrison Gallery Poetry Series. Include
    Self Addressed Stamped Envelope for results.

    Mail entries to:
    The Heartland Review
    Short-short Fiction Prize
    c/o Mick Kennedy
    Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
    600 College Street Road
    Elizabethtown, KY 42701

    For more information e-mail Mick Kennedy at mick.kennedy( at)kctcs. edu
    (replace (at) with @)
    or call (270) 706-8407

    Wednesday, October 24, 2007

    Awaiting my return to this blog?

    Ain't you got something better to do??
    ha ha

    As agreed upon with my children, I got a J-O-B and damn(!) those things take up your time!!!!!!!!!!

    I'll be back soon. So much we have to talk about.

    The book? Not me, this time. Faulty printers, damaged computers & lost manuscripts... getting that work to you-- a story in itself!! You are learning patience. Remember that.

    I'm off to Detroit to conduct a workshop at a writer's workshop. That should be fun.

    Some works published-- "Emilio's Son" (a reprint) in Lily and "You Changed Your Mind" in the Boston Literary Magazine. Links at the right.

    Writing is a part-time endeavor now but I'm excited 'cause I'm collaborating on two stories about Viet Nam with the incredible Bob Arter !!!!!!!!!!!!!!(if you don't know how good he is, google him and find out)

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the woman that I was searching for-- a civil rights icon-- gave Fisk University almuni association permission to release contact information to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And you've been reading those Writer Profiles at Kelly's blog, haven't you? I haven't provided you reminders but you should know to just do that. So do it.