Greetings!
"Once Upon A..." are the three words that
take us to magical places and stir the soul.
And isn't that what being a writer is really
all about? Taking the reader somewhere new
and different, touching their lives, sharing
a part of ourselves with others.
For most of us, our love of writing
started
as a child with the love of reading. Either
our parents read to us in bed, filling our
heads with vivid candy-coated dreams, or gave
us books that we read with eyes
wide open, and still cherish to this day.
Remember reading Where
the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak,
or The
Giving
Tree by Shel Silverstein? Don't those
still evoke a feeling of warmth today? Or
perhaps your parents read you the classics
while tucked away under snuggly covers. Maybe
A
Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
Alice
in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll,
Treasure
Island by Robert Louis
Stevenson, or Tom
Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark
Twain.
And after you discovered the love of
literature and story,
you probably ventured out on your own,
reading Charlotte's
Web by E. B. White in class, and then
later as a young adult graduated to Are
You There God? It's Me Margaret by
Judy Blume.
But whatever your book of choice was
when you
were growing up, it sparked that fairytale
fascination,
didn't it? That belief in a magical world
where the good guys always win, and dreams
really do come true. Those mysterious places
where fairies are real, frogs become Princes, and
classic books are written. And this issue, we
celebrate those who pass this on to future
generations -- our most precious gift -- our
children.
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Welcome to the WOW!
Family:
A warm welcome to the family goes out to
new freelancers: Marina Kuperman, Kimberly
Ripley, Susan Sundall, and
Carol Smalley. Thank you ladies! We couldn't
have done it without you. And of course,
thanks to C.
Hope Clark, our one-and-only monthly
WOW!
columnist for her excellent article about
writing in tandem with a child. Also,
congratulations
goes out to Hope for her interview with Mary
Rosenblum of Long Ridge Writer's Group. It
was a very informative and fun two hours! You
can check out the transcript HERE.
Extra special thanks to our Editor Sue
Donckels for her Institute of Children's
Literature Review and feature with Sharon
Creech. And more kudos go out to our
Chynna Laird, Contributing Editor -- her essay,
"Kids Amaze Me" is now available in the
latest Chicken
Soup for the Soul. You can get to
know Chynna and her amazing little girl
Jaimie in our
Inspiration column.
And if you've ever considered submitting to
Highlights for Children, then don't
miss our 20 Questions column. I had the
privilege of chatting with Highlights Editor,
Kim Griswell.
Thanks goes out to Tracy Grand, CEO of
JacketFlap for answering our questions on
such short notice! She's amazing.
Ladies, you are what makes our issues
sparkle! All of us are a team of women
writers/readers, and everyone plays a part
in WOW!. Thanks again!
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Breaking News: WOW! Wins
P&E Award:
Yes, you heard it right! WOW! won
Preditors
& Editors "Truly Useful Site Award" for
September, and we were thrilled and honored
to find a
congratulatory e-mail in our inbox. What a
nice surprise! If you're interested, you can
see the award on our home page, or visit
P&E's site.
Thanks go out to Editor Dave Kuzminski for
breaking the news to us, and his kind quote,
"...our congratulations go out to you on your
success in creating such an outstanding
site... In admiration of your efforts..."
And thanks to all you ladies who've
freelanced and supported us to make the site
'outstanding' -- kudos to you!
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WOW! A Call for Graphic
Artists:
Ladies, we know some of you
have the gift, and if you read our online
magazine, please don't be shy to email us. We
offer competitive rates, and great guidance.
We are willing to train. We ask that you
have a knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and
illustrator. We provide templates and
one-on-one help for newbies or
students. We'll train you to be a
professional graphic artist:
Please email: [email protected]
to apply. If you have looked over our site
and think you have the ability to produce
WOW! flavored graphics, just shoot us
an email and provide a sample. No resume
needed. Please put, "Graphic Artist for WOW!"
in your subject header. We'd love to hear
from you.
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News: WOW!
Sponsors Award for Best Book in Women's
Literature:
Annual Literary Awards 2007
When Reader
Views asked us to sponsor their annual
literary awards geared toward women writers,
we couldn't refuse! The annual literary
awards were established to honor writers who
self-published or had their books published
by a small press, university press, or
independent book publisher geared for the
North American reading audience. POD books
are accepted.
Award: $100 cash prize from
WOW!. That's all they asked us
for, but of course, if you win, we'd be happy
to send you more goodies! Courtesy of us!
Visit: http://www.readerviews.com/Awards.html
for more details. There are many, many
categories besides the one we're sponsoring,
so take a look and see if your book fits!
Criteria from Reader Views: "May be
either fiction or nonfiction. Book must
express all the conflicts and struggles
influencing women as well as growth and
transformation. Qualifying female writers
must write with this commonality and keep
feminine awareness in mind."
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Updates on the WOW! Writing
Workshops
and Classes for Women Writers!
We're in the process of putting together some
great workshops from wonderful writers and
instructors. Here's just a sample:
-- The Trials and Triumphs of Teens by
Ann Gonzales
-- Breaking Into Magazines by Linda
Formichelli
-- Savvy Self-Promotion for the Shy
Writer by C. Hope Clark
-- The Ins and Outs of Writing S-e-x
Scenes by Kathryn Jordan
-- Writing the Non-Fiction Book Proposal
by Jean Lauzier
We have set a date for our first class so
watch for more announcements very soon.
And speaking of workshops, it's not too late
to enroll in the "Plotting Your NaNo Novel"
workshop by our editor Jean Lauzier. You can
email her for more information at [email protected]
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Don't Wait -- Enter NOW!
Fall 2007 Essay Contest:
Can you write a story about luck? Perhaps
you've found an item or discovered something
that brought you good or bad luck,
serendipity, a missed opportunity, or karma?
We want you to write about it and we're
giving you more words to do it in!
Minimum: 800 words; Maximum: 1200 words
The honorable C. Hope Clark of fundsforwriters.com
and WOW!
columnist will be our
fabulous Guest Judge for this season.
And as a bonus to our usual cash & prizes,
the winner will receive publication in
skirt!
print magazine and/or on the skirt! website!
Visit the Contest
Page for more details.
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Now on to the issue, enjoy!
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SUMMER '07 FF CONTEST WINNERS
The moment you've been waiting for is here!
Congratulations goes out to everyone who
entered the Summer Flash Fiction Contest! All
your entries were incredible this round, and
our esteemed guest judge, Jennifer DeChiara,
did not have an easy job:
-- 1st Place Winner: Alicia Stankay
-- 2nd Place Winner: Tiffany Chartier
-- 3rd Place Winner: Linda
Smith-McCormick
Runners Up (in no particular
order):
-- Laura Havens
-- Shannon Schuren
-- Beth Blake
-- Deborah Sharp
-- Judy A. Fancher
-- Daniella Barsotti
-- Amanda Frederickson
Read the top 10 winner's stories in our
contest feature!
Honorable Mentions (in no particular
order):
-- Diana Byrnes
-- Cheryl Ann Chamberlain
-- Cheryl Herndon
-- Patricia Karwatowicz
-- Elizabeth Margolis
-- Jillian Buckwald
-- Marie Powell
-- Danielle de Pass
-- Janet Paszkowski
-- Kimberly Morrisette
-- Jo Barney
-- Sarah Ulicny
-- Liz Boltz
-- Charlotte Franson
-- Kathy Diekman
-- Wemme E. Walls
-- Laura Barbara Seltz
-- Susan L. Eberling
-- Susan Tornga
-- Melaine Ryther
-- Kelley A. Swan
-- Tricia Ares
-- Jamie L. Ferris
-- Jyll L. Heiden
-- Joanna Smith
Congrats ladies! And congrats to everyone who
hit the send button -- we know it's not easy,
but each season provides a rebirth of
opportunity!
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Find out who donated books in our Contest
Feature!
A BIG thank you goes out to all authors
who've donated books this season. Your gift
to our contest winners and aspiring authors
is heartfelt.
Ladies, when you receive one of these
signed books in your prize-pack, be sure to
show the author your appreciation by leaving
a review on Amazon. Also, if you review one
of books, please submit your review to
WOW! for paid inclusion in our January
Readers Issue.
MORE>>
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MARKETS: CHILDRENS' AND TEENS'
Magazine seeking children's and teen's writers
Here is a sample from one of our
favorite
market guides, The
Best of the Magazine Markets for
Writers, brought to you by The
Writer's Institute Publications.
Dogs For Kids
BowTie, Inc.
P.O. Box 6050
Mission Viejo, CA 92690-6050
Editor: Jackie Franza
Description and Interests
This offspring of Dog Fancy fosters
responsible dog ownership in children by
presenting informative yet entertaining
articles in a vivid and easy-to-read format.
* Audience: 8-13 years
* Frequency: 6 times each year
* Circulation: 300,000
* Website: www.dogsforkids.com
Freelance Potential
50% written by nonstaff writers. Publishes 25
freelance submissions yearly; 20% by authors
who are new to the magazine. Receives 500
queries yearly.
Submissions
Query with writing samples. Accepts hard copy
and email queries to [email protected].
SASE. Responds in 8-10 weeks.
* Articles: 1,200 words. Informational and
how-to articles; profiles; photo-essays; and
personal experience pieces. Topics include
pet care and dog-related activities and
careers.
* Depts/columns: To 650 words. Tips on dog
behavior, health, and nutrition; canine news;
and new products.
* Other: Puzzles, activities, games, and quizzes.
Rights and Payment
First rights. Articles, $300. Depts/columns,
payment rates vary. Pays on publication.
Provides 2 copies.
VISIT THE MARKETS PAGE FOR MORE>>
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WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!
Have you checked out what we've been baking
for you in the daily Muffin? We've stirred
together some traditional ingredients with
new ones to deliver more interviews,
enlightenment, thought-provoking ideas, and
inspirational messages to help you through
those "gray" writing days.
Would you like to see your thoughts posted on
the WOW! Blog? Join Friday Speak
Out!
Share your thoughts on writing, how you
balance your writing within your "other"
life, or how you find and maintain
inspiration. Of course, you might have
another idea spinning in your mind. Go for
it. We'd love to read your work and hear your
voice.
This is a great free promotion for authors!
Please submit your posts of approximately 500
words with a 100 word or less bio to: [email protected]
Contest Winner Interviews:
Did you know that every Tuesday we
feature an
interview from a WOW! contest winner?
Check The
Muffin TODAY to see our FIRST Summer
Flash Fiction Contest Winner Interview!
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Recent Baked Goods:
How
Media Inspires Our Stories With the
recent news of Owen Wilson's suicide attempt,
Angela remembers how she ran into
him at a Hollywood premiere, which in turn
inspired this story. (16 Comments!)
Dare
I Say It? Time to Exercise
No, we're not asking you to crunch your abs
or wear funny belts, so don't worry. Jean is
great at cracking the whip, and in this post
she urges us to try something different and
work out our writing fingers! (6
Comments!)
Interview
with Caridad Pineiro, Author of South
Beach Chicas Catch Their Man
It's always interesting to hear a woman
author's journey into publishing, and
Caridad's success at being published by Simon
& Schuster is no small feat. Find out more
about this remarkable woman!
Ants
in My Kitchen, Traffic to Your Blog
Angela's anecdote about ants that invaded her
kitchen inspires a creepy-crawly thought
process on blog posting. Learn the basics of
how to produce a tasty story to keep the
readers coming! And what to do to divert
them. (8 comments!)
Find
Your Striker
If you're a soccer mom and a writer, you're
going to love Sue's post! Sue talks about how
queries and submissions are like being on the
field. She also urges poets to add a
comment. So if you are one, pass the ball to
your teammate and watch her score! (2
comments!)
Interview
with Carol O'Dell, Author of Mothering
Mother
This is such a beautiful interview, and one
not to miss. If you've ever considered the
questions:
- How do age-related changes affect our
parents?
- What should I do if a parent goes
through
Alzheimer's? And how can I tell?
- What do I do if my parents can no longer
take care of themselves?
Read Carol's interview, learn the answers to
these questions, and be inspired... it'll
bring tears to your eyes.
(2 Comments!)
Who's
Your Favorite...
Jean poses an interesting question: has
becoming a writer changed you as a reader?
(3 Comments!)
Associated
Content: A Great Place to Start!
Chynna talks about WOW!'s sponsor, AC,
and the benefit of writing for their
website!
(8 Comments!)
Writing
and the Purple Cow
What is a purple cow? And how do we find one?
Angela's post is about finding inspiration,
provoking odd thoughts, questions about story
arcs, and how our contestants write about
George Clooney!
(2 Comments!)
Spotlight
on Paula Schmitt & Mom Writer's Literary
Magazine
Last month we featured the MWLM on our
website pick of the month. Sue does an
excellent interview with the Founder and CEO
of the magazine and website.
(2 Comments!)
Note: In turn, WOW!'s Founder
and CEO, Angela Mackintosh did an interview
with MWLM which you can see HERE.
(6 Comments!)
Look
Up!
Sue's posts are always a great way to relieve
writer's stress, and this post inspires us to
LOOK UP, instead of down. She also
shares info on her favorite event: the
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta! Sue
encourages you to experience the events in
your town as writing inspiration. What great
advice!
(2 Comments!)
My
Essay for the Newest WOW Contest
Chynna writes about her first story that got
published! She was seven-years-old and wrote
about a 'Super Bug' with a size 11 shoe! This
fun post about serendipity sparked memories
from readers.
(4 Comments!)
What
do I do with all these Links?
Angela answers a question from Andie and
explains what all those crazy links are at
the bottom of our blog posts.
(3 Comments!)
Going
Seamless
Sue blends life with art, writing with art,
and gives us a beautiful description about
how the two meet. Where do the dreams of
fiction and reality converge? I love this
post because it provokes thought, and urges
us to realize the subconscious.
(3 Comments!)
A
Green Web Host! WOW!
Our intern, Sally Franklin Christie, created
her first post
about green web hosting, and we have to
applaud that! Of course, we love anything
concerning 'going green' and Sally's post is
informative and inspirational. Kudos!
(2 Comments!)
The
Power of Words
Jean was prompted to write this post after
Angela's
controversial interview with lunarpages
that sparked
a feminist debate
over a flattering comment that her
interviewer Tiara Rea
made -- fascinating stuff! Jean's post proved
the weight of words, and certain sayings and
phrases that have affected our lives over
time. What a great post!
(11 Comments!)
Tis'
the Season
Jean talks about NaNoMo! Yes, it's that time
of year... we're all going to buckle down and
get to that novel writing in November. Also
note that Jean has a special NaNo course --
for those that want some structure.
(2 Comments!)
WOW! Chats with Author Hazel Statham
Learn about Heather's journey as a writer,
and find out about her latest book!
Tag, You're It!
Chynna talks about how our writing
perpetuates an ongoing circle -- one person
writes about something, it influences
another, and soon you're creating a whole
other topic that started from your article!
(3 Comments!)
Ask
the Book Doctor About Book Contracts and
Slipstream
Bobbie Christmas, the book doctor, answers
questions about contracts and the art of
"Slipstream" -- a style of fiction that
pushes conventional genre boundaries.
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BLOGGERS: Comment, Track-back, Discuss, Tag
our posts, and Win!
We're offering you a special contest, just
for WOW! readers. Blog about our
posts, comment, and urge your visitors to
comment, and you can win!
BLOG CONTEST RULES:
We'll be logging the number of comments you
post a month. Please make them thoughtful and
noteworthy.
** Each comment counts as a point.
** Blog about our blog posts and that counts as 1
point (please be sure to tell us about them).
** Have one of your blog readers comment on
one of our posts (mentioning your blog post
in their comment), and that counts as 2
points!
The Blogger who receives the most points
by October 31st will win a $50 gift
certificate from Amazon! Good
Luck!
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There's a lot happening on The
Muffin!
Recently, we've just added a feedburner so
you can receive blog posts by email!
Visit The
Muffin and sign up where you see the "Get
posts by Email" and the feedburner button.
And as always we offer you some fabulous link
juice: Provide a link to WOW!
Women On Writing, either our blog or our
website, and we will include you in our Blog
Roll!
Spread the word, and we'll spread
yours. Be
sure to comment on our blog and let us know
that you linked to us. We only check once a
month through two different sources, and
sometimes they aren't as accurate as we'd
like them to be. So, tout your flair! Tell
us, and join the conversation. We always
appreciate your comments, no matter how large
or small -- your opinion matters
greatly!
MORE>>
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Take a F*R*E*E* Writing Test!
The Quotes Speak for themselves:
"This course has helped me more than I can
say," says Jody Drueding, Boston, MA. "It's
as if a little bird that was locked up inside
of me has just been given the freedom of the
garden."
". . . I was attracted by the fact that you
require an aptitude test," says Nikki Arko,
Raton, NM. "Other schools sign you up as long
as you have the money to pay, regardless of
talent or potential."
"I'd take the course again in a heartbeat!",
says Tonya Tingey, Woodruff, UT. "It made my
dream a reality."
"My most recent success has been the
publication of Dear Miss Ryan, You're Ruining
My Life, the novel I started for my last
Institute assignment," writes Jennifer Jones
from Homer, NY. "Thank you for giving me the
life I longed for."
FIND OUT MORE>>
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ANNOUNCEMENTS from WOW! ALUMNI:
Jean Lauzier Gets Published in
Mouth of Bullets Congratulations goes
out to
Jean!
Her Story
Tyger, Tyger is in the first print
issue of Mouth
Full of Bullets. Check out the cover!
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Annette Fix will be doing a spoken-word show
on "Fight or Flight"
Monday October 8th, 7:30 PM
The Powerhouse Theatre
3116 Second Street
(One block E. of Main St., Just South of
Marine St. )
Santa Monica, CA
Reservations: 310.396.3680
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Teresa Trujillo, founder and president of
Book Workshop, Inc., and former WOW!
interviewee, will be speaker at National
Educator's Conference.
October 30, 2007 -- San Diego, CA
The National Even Start Association promotes
family literacy and early childhood literacy
programs throughout the United States.
"The Read, Write, and Fun program gives
teachers new tools to use for positive
reinforcement in the classroom," explained
Trujillo. "So much emphasis has been placed
on reading that I would like to give students
a tool to balance creative writing skills
with reading. The ultimate goal of this
program is to boost writing skills and reward
student's efforts with a book of their
work." Book Workshop's program costs $10
per student, on average. Through the
innovative classroom publishing model,
students reinforce core competencies and
build skills that will enhance their
life-long learning, writing, and job skills.
Additionally, students learn about writing as
an outlet for creativity, communications, and
self-expression.
Find out more by visiting Teresa's
website: http://www.mybookworkshop.com
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Linda
Wang in the News!
Linda Wang's film "Linda and Linda" has just
been selected for the 2007 International
Sweet Onion Film Festival!
Check it out! http://www.myspace.com/spacenycproductions
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910972/
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Congrats to Winter FF Contest Winner
Charity Tahmaseb!
Charity
Tahmaseb's Winter 2007 Flash Fiction
Contest story, TP-ing Casa de Clooney was
featured on The Long and Short of It Website.
You can find it here: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/story.htm
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Are you an Alumni Member (previously featured
on WOW!) who'd like to be in
our announcements section?
We'd love to hear what you've been up to!
Drop us a note: [email protected]
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WOW!'s Website Find of the Month
An Upcoming Website for Women:
Unlaced
will be a 30-page ezine published
online on November 25th, showcasing the best
artwork, photography, short stories, poetry,
essays, and articles on young women and the
inherent power they all have. Emphasis on
violence against women (VAW), artistic
responses to the issue, and factual articles
on VAW are sought as well.
Currently, they are seeking staff for the
positions listed on their site.
FIND OUT MORE>>
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Support Women Writers by Nominating
WOW!:
If you feel that WOW! is a valuable
resource for writers, we urge you to nominate
WOW! for Writer's Digest's 101 Best
Web Sites. Simply send an email to: [email protected]
and put "101 Best Web Sites" in your
subject
line. Make sure you mention our web address:
http://wow-womenonwriting.com.
We appreciate your support. As long as
WOW! is here on this planet we will
continue to
support women writers across the globe, and
strive for new ways to continue our mission.
In Closing:
As always, we thank you, our devoted readers
for your continued support, including your
emails, comments, and suggestions. Knowing
that you enjoy WOW! makes us strive
harder with each issue. Of course, we hope
you find this issue as inspiring as the last.
Let's continue to look forward, dream, and
enjoy all stages of the writing process.
After all, writing has the power to connect
us all.
Warmest regards,
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