Greetings!
Some of the best writing advice I've
received
over the years has been from interviewees.
There's something about sitting down and
engaging in an intimate chat with a fellow
writer that can't be replicated in any other
form--not even a how-to article or a first
person account.
When we first started WOW! in
September 2006, the mission was to promote
the communication between women writers,
authors, editors, publishers, and readers. We
created the "WOW! conversation bubble"
logo you see on the site because interviews
are an integral part of our publication. That
mission still holds true today.
In celebration of our three-year anniversary,
we're doing what we do best: chatting with
successful women authors! This all-interview
issue features a diverse selection of authors
whose stories are as varied as the authors
themselves. I have to admit, this issue
hasn't been the easiest to put together. Some
interviews fell through, and we're still
waiting on others; but somehow we managed to
pull everything together and are thrilled
with the outcome. From a humor writer to a
ghost hunter, a love doctor to a career
counselor--one of these authors is bound to
inspire your writing.
One thing to remember: just like the
children's game, Follow the Leader, you'll
still want to look at the road ahead of you
and decide if it's the path you want to take.
We have authors who recommend self-publishing
and others who are vehemently opposed to it.
We have authors that think social networking
is a waste of time and others who think it's
the cat's meow. That's the wonderfully
unpredictable thing about interviews--you
never know what someone is going to say! The
best thing to do is listen to it all, take it
all in, bring a lunch or your favorite
beverage, and pull up to the screen as you
read. Enjoy the conversations, then follow
the advice that resonates with you.
----------------
A big, warm, Thank You goes out to our
freelancers & staff:
Below I share my favorite quotes/parts of
each interview.
A big thank you goes to WOW! columnist
LuAnn Schindler for her hilarious interview
with Doreen Orion, author of Queen of the
Road. I especially loved the part about
the nudist RV park and Doreen's quote, "You
haven't lived 'til you've done naked karaoke."
Thank you goes to WOW! columnist and
contributing editor Margo L. Dill for her
insightful and writerly chat with Christina
Baker Kline. One of my favorite parts of this
interview was finding out that Christina put
aside her latest novel, Bird in Hand,
for a few years before picking it up again. That
gives me some hope I will actually revisit my
novels-in-progress from many years ago and
complete them!
Another big thank you goes to WOW!
columnist Marcia Peterson for her interview
with Dr. Diana Kirschner. I wish I had
this advice
back when I was dating! Dr. Diana says
something that certainly some of us can
relate to: "I wanted the guys that didn't
want me, partied and tried too hard, settled
for crumbs, got dumped in humiliating ways,
and hid out with pints and pints of
Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream." Hmm... Sounds
vaguely familiar!
We welcome freelancer Sara Hodon to
the WOW! family and thank her for her
interview
with Dr. Katherine Ramsland. Get ready
for some chills! This interview is
fascinating to me
on all levels, but my favorite parts were the
stories Katherine told. One was about a time
when she agreed to meet a murderer out in the
woods--alone--to research her vampire book,
which she now says, "It was a risk that, in
retrospect, seems dumb." Another story was
about when she visited a cemetery at night to
record paranormal voices...and recorded one.
We welcome back freelancer C. Hope
Clark and thank her for her interview
with mystery author Kathryn Wall. You can
tell these two have a great relationship and
that makes the
interview that much more intimate. When Hope
asked Kathy how similar she is to her
protagonist, Bay Tanner, she said, "We both
smoked and quit, don't drink, swear
occasionally and mildly, and are
uncomfortable with praise or undue attention.
Nah, we're nothing alike."
We welcome freelancer Andrea Campbell
to the WOW! family and thank her for
her interview
with Elizabeth Lyon. These two have known
each other for years--they met while they
were both authors with Blue Heron Publishing,
now defunct--so I was thrilled when they
decided to share their chat with WOW!
readers. I learned that Elizabeth is a single
parent of two disabled children who are now
adults with lots of needs. She's an amazing
woman. And as a publisher, I found the
statistics Elizabeth shared on book
publishing in regards to the economy rather
interesting. Many of the categories are down
in sales, but it appears juvenile titles are
up! Who knew?
We welcome back freelancer Cathy C.
Hall and
thank her for her interview
with career expert Maureen Anderson. I
loved learning
about Maureen's first publishing clip (Good
Housekeeping) and reading her inspiring
stories of people who made a career switch.
My favorite quote in this interview is,
"Don't decide the best part of your life is
behind you." That really resonated with me.
Last, but certainly not least, I'd also like
to thank contributing editors Margo L. Dill
and Joanne Stacey for making the issue sparkle!
----------------
Announcements:
Social Networks:
Perhaps it was because of last month's issue
on self-promotion, or perhaps it's because
all the cool kids are doing it, but we
finally ramped up our social networking
platform! You can find WOW! on the
following social networks.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/womenonwriting/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/WOW-Women-On-Writing/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/wowwomenonwriting
Find out what happens behind the scenes and
keep an eye out for special giveaways!
----------------
Spring Contest Winners' Prizes:
We announced our Spring Contest winners last
issue. We had a bit of a delay in
printing, but we're back on track. You should
receive your prizes very shortly, before the
end of the month. Thank you for your patience.
----------------
Summer Contest Final Judging:
We are officially in final judging for the
Summer Contest. We sent out first-round
notifications a few weeks ago, and will be
sending out Top 10 notifications mid-month.
All winners will be announced with our
November '09 issue. If you purchased a
critique, you will receive your critique via
email shortly after the winners are announced.
----------------
Fall 2009 Flash Fiction Contest
DEADLINE: November 30, 2009 Midnight,
Pacific Time.
GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Noah
Lukeman
About Noah: Noah Lukeman is President of
Lukeman Literary Management Ltd, which he
founded in 1996. His clients include winners
of the Pulitzer Prize, American Book Award,
Pushcart Prize and O. Henry Award, finalists
for the National Book Award, Edgar Award, and
Pacific Rim prize, multiple New York Times
bestsellers, national journalists, major
celebrities, and faculty of universities
ranging from Harvard to Stanford.
Mr. Lukeman is also an accomplished and
bestselling author. His books for writers
include: The
First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to
Staying out of the
Rejection Pile (Simon & Schuster, 1999);
The
Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to
Life (St. Martins Press, 2002); A Dash of
Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation
(W.W. Norton, 2006 and Oxford University
Press in the UK, 2007); How
to Write a Great Query Letter (free
e-book); How
to Land (and Keep) a Literary Agent.
We're thrilled to have him as our honorable
guest judge this season!
PROMPT: Open Prompt
WORD COUNT: 750 Max; 250 Min
LIMIT: 300 Entries
Don't wait until the last minute! Enter
Today. Visit our Contest
Page and download our terms &
conditions ebook. Good luck!
----------------
Call for Submissions
WOW! is seeking submissions for their
upcoming themes:
December '09 Literary Agents:
This issue is now full on agent interviews,
but we still have the Freelancer's Corner
column open and the How 2 column open. Ideas
include:
- How to perfect your elevator pitch and
back cover copy
- Book proposal writing
- Publishing contracts
- After NaNoWriMo: manuscript editing
January '10 Beginnings:
This issue focuses on beginning/starting
something--we're open to ideas and
interpretation.
We are also looking for photo essays and
video on a variety of subjects:
workspaces,
tours of author's homes, how-tos, speakers on
craft of writing subjects, author interviews,
event coverage, balancing work/writing with
family, etc. If you have an idea for a photo
essay (300-500 words), or a video, please
query us with examples of photo essays/video
work you've previously completed.
Please review our submission guidelines on
our Contact
Page (scroll to the bottom) for pay rates
and how to submit. We look forward to hearing
from you!
To find out about first calls from
WOW! please subscribe to our Premium-Green
Writer's Markets. We share detailed
descriptions of specific articles we need
right now. Land one gig and it more than pays
for a year's subscription! We currently have
over 23 issues--ebooks filled with over 100
pages of markets--available for immediate
download with the purchase of your
subscription. Join the community that gives
back! And write-on!
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On to the issue, enjoy!
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Announcement: Participate in Family Relationships Blogging Day!
Come and join the party!
Be a Blogging Buddy - Write About Family
Relationships
This is going to be a great day! We already
have lots of participating blogs! If you have
a blog, we'd love you to join us.
When: October 13, 2009 (Tuesday)
Where: On your blog
Why: Our friend Therese Walsh, author
and owner of WriterUnoxed, is celebrating the
release of her debut novel, The
Last Will of Moira Leahy, on October
13, 2009. Therese will be at WOW! Women On
Writing's blog, The
Muffin, blogging about
family relationships and she'd like some
buddies writing on their blogs about family
relationships that same day.
What to blog about: The theme is "Family
Relationships." You can write about anything
from tracing your family history to the
family feud between your mom and aunt Martha
to planning activities that bring your
children closer together. Use your
imagination and have fun!
What to include in your blog post:
Make sure
you include the following blurb about the
blogging day at the top or bottom of your
post:
"Today I'm participating in a mass blogging!
WOW! Women On Writing has gathered a
group of
blogging buddies to write about family
relationships. Why family relationships?
We're celebrating the release of Therese
Walsh's debut novel today. The
Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random
House, October 13, 2009)
is about a mysterious journey that helps a
woman learn more about herself and her twin,
whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit
The Muffin
(http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/blog.html)
to read what Therese has to say about family
relationships and view the list of all my
blogging buddies. And make sure you visit
Therese's website
(http://www.theresewalsh.com)
to find out
more about the author."
Note: We have the book's title linked to
Amazon under our affiliate link, but you can
replace the link with your own or link to a
similar site like B&N, for instance.
How to participate: Contact Jodi at
blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com
if you'd like to
participate and we'll include you and your
blog link on the list of Therese's Blogging
Buddies running on The Muffin on October
13th. It's a fun way to introduce your blog
to The Muffin's community while helping a
fellow writer.
Goodie Giveaways: Besides link-love,
we have
several goodies to give away (gift
certificates, t-shirts, tote bags, books,
subscriptions). We will hold random drawings
for all bloggers who participate.
Come blog with us!
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Give Yourself the Ultimate Gift that Gives Back
Jump Start Your Freelance Career
Are you tired of markets newsletters
that simply
"list" a bunch of markets without any personal
guidance?
Get the Guide That Helps You Grow Your
Freelance Writing Career!
PREMIUM GREEN MARKETS
The Ultimate Guide for Freelance Women Writers
Will Show You the GREEN!
Premium-Green isn't just market listings,
it's a guide with community benefits. For
only $4 a month, you get a 100+ Page Ebook
delivered to your inbox every month, and
you'll have access to a private community of
women writers just like you!
We know that becoming a freelance writer
takes more than just market listings. You'll
need the opportunity to network with your
peers and have a support system to help you reach
your goals. And that's exactly what your
Premium-Green Markets Subscription will do.
Here's what you get when you subscribe to
PREMIUM GREEN:
- Monthly 100+ page ebook in friendly
PDF format: Easy to print, easy to save.
No need for storing emails to find links and
articles you missed!
- Articles to grow your Freelance
Career: These are articles not found
anywhere else: More than Your Magic 8-Ball,
I.T.T. In the Trenches, Tips & Tricks, Meet
Your Mentor, Get Writing Mamas!, Project
Workbook, and more...
- Access to the PG Subscribers
Group: Network with your peers through
the Google list-serve, post
discussions, ask questions, and receive
insider tips.
- Documents for PG Subscribers:
Upload, download, and share content with
the group. We put up f*r*e*e* articles,
contracts, and ebooks for the group each
month, so take advantage!
- First Calls from WOW!: We
give you
immediate calls for what we need on the spot
(or when we're in a crunch) to fill each
issue. Get on the ground level and write for
us!
- Pink & Green: Find women's markets
only, and get insight from the editors and
what their needs are right now.
- Markets, markets, and more
markets. We provide markets for all
aspects of freelancing. One example is,
"Niche Quiche," which includes greeting card
markets, slogans, and anything you can write
in a few words and get paid! Check
out our markets
page for more details.
Earn the money you deserve, and get a real
support team
who will help you grow your freelance
career.
Join Now and Download all 23 Premium-Green
ebooks Instantly!
The subscription price is $48 a
year, which is $4 per month. We want to
support
you!
Let's make this a
banner year for all women writers. We can
only do it by helping each other and creating
a strong network and community for ourselves.
Together, we can do it!
VISIT OUR MARKETS PAGE >>
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WOW! Women On Writing Workshops & Classes
invest in yourself, write now
Whether you are looking to boost your income
or work on your craft, we know that education
is an important part of a writer's career.
That's why WOW! handpicks qualified
instructors and targeted classes that women
writers will benefit from. The instructors
are women we've worked with on a professional
level, and these ladies offer high quality
courses on various topics.
How the courses work: All of the
courses operate online--whether through
email, website, chat room, or listserv,
depending on the instructor's
preferences--and are taught one-on-one with
the instructor. The flexibility of the
platform allows students to complete
assignments on their own time and work at
their own pace in the comfort of their own
home. It's a wonderful experience and an
excellent way to further develop your skills,
or to try your hand at something completely new!
Featured e-Courses (By Date):
MAGAZINE WRITING SUCCESS by Wendy
Meyeroff
START DATE: October 15, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a class
for writers who'd like to build a portfolio
(and make money). Magazine articles are a
great place to start. The class not only
discusses writing non-fiction articles for
well-known publications (e.g., Cosmo, Good
Housekeeping, Wired), it teaches students to
look beyond them and points out other avenues
for both income and recognition. This is NOT
a how-to-write class; it's about finding
saleable story ideas, marketing yourself and
your work, and getting the best price for it.
At the end of class, students receive a free
e-zine summarizing top 10 class highlights,
for easy review.
Limit: 25 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE
WRITER! YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO FREELANCE
WRITING BASICS, by Nicole LaMarco
START DATE: October 20, 2009
DURATION: 10 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class is for
beginning freelance writers or for those who
are interested in becoming freelance writers.
It includes all of the basics of freelance
writing: overviews of the different fields in
freelance writing, what is needed to begin,
how to store ideas, where to get ideas, how
much you should make, where to find clients,
and how to get clients.
In this class, I am your writing mentor
through every lesson and every assignment.
Make some extra money with your writing or
create your own full-time freelance career!
Learn from my personal stories, information,
resources, goals, activities, lessons, and
assignments. This class will provide the you
with the structure and guidance you need to
Get Paid to Write. A certification will be
given to those who pass the entire class.
Limit: 25 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
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SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES: An
Introduction to the Craft of Screenwriting by
Christina Hamlett
START DATE: October 27, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This 6-week class
provides an overview of the techniques and
formatting requirements to develop an
original screenplay. The lectures and
assignments cover character development,
dialogue, genre, structure, pacing, budget,
and marketability. All materials submitted
are critiqued by a professional screenplay
consultant and learners are free to ask as
many questions as they'd like about how to
turn a story idea into a commercial,
pitch-ready script.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
THE GATEKEEPERS: ALL ABOUT AGENTS AND
EDITORS--Getting them, Working with them,
and Growing as a Career Author, by Andrea
Campbell
START DATE: November 2, 2009
DURATION: 4 weeks
The Course Objectives
In order to succeed in this industry, you,
the writer, must know it intimately from all
sides. If you were a clothing designer: you
wouldn't start without creative talent, the
right materials, and a pattern to guide you.
If you opened up a retail business, you
wouldn't expect to: sell your products
without knowing how to produce or restock
your merchandise; you wouldn't open your
doors without having a business foundation or
center from which to sell, and you wouldn't
try operating without a market strategy or
knowing the competition. So why would you
expect writing to be any different? Yet
thousands of would-be authors do. They buy
into the philosophy that if I just pen a
terrific book, then I will become
successful.
Well, craft is surely something all writers
should work at and a beautiful book can
certainly open doors, but only those writers
who know and understand the business will
stay on to succeed. Now if you want to write
as a hobby or don't care to try to earn a
living at this work, then this course will
just be a knowledge primer. But if you want
to create and write for a living, then you
must learn the principles for this hard-knock
business.
By the end of this course you will:
- Know how the publishing business works
- Know what the key players do and how to
find them
- Know how to describe your product and its
features
- Be able to do a market survey and
assessment, and apply those skills over and
over to everything you do in the future
- Prepare business documents that help to
position you for a sale
- Ride the wave of rejection with style and
grace
- Learn brainstorming by yourself and with
others
- See networking as a subtle tool
- Make yourself a dream
client/writer/author
- Pave the way for your continuing career
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
SHORT FICTION WRITING by Gila
Green
START DATE: November 3, 2009
DURATION: 8 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Through writing
exercises and classmate and instructor
feedback we will delve into the fundamentals
of short fiction with a view to publishable
work. We will explore a variety of craft
elements including: character, plot, point
of view, description, dialogue, setting,
pacing, voice and theme.
Course objectives:
1. To complete at least one work that is
publishable.
2. To encourage you to read published short
fiction including, short stories, personal
essays and flash fiction (Fiction under 800
words).
3. To increase your confidence and skills as
a writer.
4. To develop a foundation for the skills of
crafting, editing, and revising.
Limit: 8-10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
----------
WRITING "REAL LIFE" FOR MAGAZINES by
Linda DiProperzio
START DATE: November 9, 2009
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Love reading about
ordinary people that have done something
extraordinary? Those are "real life" stories,
and magazines love receiving pitches
freelance writers who cannot only craft a
compelling tale, but find the people to
profile. Not only do I share my real life
experience as a freelance writer who
specializes in real life stories, but I also
offer valuable feedback on all assignments
and ideas. My previous students have been
published in such national publications as
Redbook, In Touch, Woman's World, Cooking
Light, Prevention.com, Vibe, and Ladies' Home
Journal.
Limit: 10-15 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
I hope you are as excited about our classes
as we are. WOW! Women On Writing
ensures that our instructors will work with
you one-on-one. In most cases you will
receive emailed course materials and
assignments, or for those with groups, you
will be able to download course materials.
Your instructor will give you assignments and
personal feedback, and guide you through a
charted course of learning. Our instructors
are wonderful ladies who go above and beyond
to help you achieve your writing goals.
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 on 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.
----------
Never Stale! Here's the Latest:
Tuesdays are contest interview
days!
If you are interested in
writing for our contests, check out the
interviews with previous Top 10 winners to
find out how they crafted their stories.
Spring
'09 Flash Fiction Contest 1st Place Winner:
Teresa Davis
Interview by Marcia Peterson
Spring
'09 Flash Fiction Contest 2nd Place Winner:
Laurel Robertson
Interview by Margo L. Dill
Spring
'09 Flash Fiction Contest 3rd Place Winner:
Elizabeth Barton
Interview by LuAnn Schindler
Spring
'09 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up: Ann
Imig
Interview by Anne Greenawalt
----------
Blog Posts of Interest:
Celia
Rivenbark, Author of You Can't Drink All
Day if You Don't Start in the Morning,
Launches Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
If you like your humor shaken, stirred, or
straight up, you're going to have a blast on
this tour! And if you like to write short
humorous essays, Celia's the mentor for you.
Not only is she the author of five essay
collections, she's also a humor columnist,
and a writer mama. This Southern author will
capture your heart. 46 comments! If
you're interested in short essay writing,
humor writing, or just want to laugh, Celia's
blog tour is not to miss! There are a few
more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Paul
Martin, Inspirational Author of Original
Faith, Launches His Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
We're thrilled to announce the launch of Paul
Maurice Martin's Blog Tour with WOW! Women On
Writing. Even though he suffers from a
debilitating illness that makes even the
simplest tasks extremely painful and
difficult, he continues to write through it
all and shares his personal journey and
insights with others. If you're in need of
some inspiration or have been feeling a
little down lately, this interview will lift
your spirits and encourage you to write and
live your life fully. 18 comments!
There are a few more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Caryn
Mirriam-Goldberg, Author of The Sky Begins
at Your Feet, Launches Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Caryn is a poet laureate, nonfiction writer
of memoir, biography, and instructional
writing books, and founder of the Master's
level program in Transformative Language Arts
at Goddard College where she teaches. And
yes, she's a breast cancer survivor. How she
manages to do it all with a smile and a
positive attitude is remarkable! In today's
interview you'll learn more about Caryn and
her love of writing. When she talks about
teaching and helping other women, she lights
up, and her energy is contagious! She also
shares many helpful resources for writers
that you may never have heard of. 9
comments! There are a few more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Sara
Morgan, Author of No Limits: How I Escaped
the Clutches of Corporate America to Live the
Self-employed Life of My Dreams, Launches
Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Four years ago Sara made the jump to
self-employment and despite challenges,
stayed true to her belief that a better, more
fulfilling life lay ahead. She now lives the
life she always dreamed of and she hopes to
inspire others to take the remarkable path
she has chosen. In this inspiring interview,
Sara talks about trading the security of a 9
to 5 job, why self-publishing is a better
option than traditional publishing, and her
goal to sell one million books. 12
comments! There are a few more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Movies
for Writers: State of Play
By Angela Mackintosh
If you're a writer and are curious about how
reporters get their scoops, State of Play
(now out on DVD) is a good model. It shows
the steps reporters take to research a story,
how they develop their content, follow leads,
verify information, and obtain permission
from sources. Of course, not all scoops are
this big, but it's a movie, after all. Tell
us about your other favorite movies for
writers!
Navigating
the Black Hole of Writing Job
Applications
By Elizabeth Humphrey
She loves writing for the versatility and the
sheer energy she can expend on her
assignments. It's the business of freelancing
that gives her a woozy feeling. One that
makes her wish that she'd never applied for
the job because then she wouldn't be watching
her mailbox like a shunned lover.
Progress
Can Feel Amazing, Can't It?
By Alison Diefenderfer
The first steps will be the query and
deciding where she wants to send it then
starting the proposal...who knows where the
steps will lead, but even just taking the
first steps feels amazing! Alison describes
how finding something to focus on and putting
the plans into motion are the keys to making
it all come together.
Will
Your Blog Bring You Fortune and Fame?
By Margo L. Dill
Having read the remarkably funny and
insightful book, Julie & Julia: My Year of
Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell, Margo
analyzes Powell's rise from blogging to book
deal. What can we learn from her and her
blogging experience? Don't miss part
two as well--you'll want the full list of
tips!
Writing
Is A Cop-Out
By Jill Earl
Is writing is a cop-out? A selfish excuse to
live perpetually in fantasyland, where you
can create, direct and watch the products of
your own head, as Charles Dickens once said?
Join the discussion!
Healing
With Words--the Best Medicine
By Chynna Laird
Life is filled with many adventures that
nobody else experiences the way you do. Why
not write them down, even if it's only for
you to read? Chynna shares examples of women
writing through pain, and describes how
healing through words has always been the
best medicine for her.
Searching
the National Archives
By LuAnn Schindler
The possibilities for story ideas from
information housed at the National Archives
and Record Administration is endless. Check
out this untapped resource and watch history
come to life. LuAnn shares how to do it!
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Want to contribute to The Muffin?
Friday's are "Speak Out!" days. We allow
posts from contributors for promotion. If
you'd like to submit a post, please make sure
that it's about women and writing.
Your post
can be about: writing inspiration, balancing
family life/parenting with writing, craft of
writing fiction/nonfiction, how-tos, tips for
author promotion/marketing/social media, book
reviews, writing prompts, special
opportunities (paying markets for writers),
publishing industry news/gossip, and anything
you think our readers will love.
Please make
sure that there is take-away value to our
readers. No press releases please. We're more
interested in hearing from our core
audience--personal essays and humorous
anecdotes are encouraged as well, as long as
they provide
something useful to our audience--including a
good laugh! ;)
How To Submit: Submit your 250 - 500
word post in the
body of your email to
our blog editor Marcia Peterson: marcia@wow-womenonwriting.com.
Upon acceptance, we will ask for your bio,
links, bio photo, and any other pics to
illustrate the article. We look forward to
hearing from you!
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Announcements from WOW! Alumni Members
News & Success Stories
Let's kick off the news:
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From Sarah Jane Stratford:
Sarah was a Runner Up in our very first flash
fiction contest (Fall '06)! When we
interviewed her on The Muffin in Feb. '07,
she mentioned her novel in progress about
vampire espionage. She wrote in to say,
"Well, that novel will be available
everywhere on October 13 from St. Martin's
Press. It's actually about vampires trying to
defeat the Nazis on the eve of World War II -
a thriller and a love story."
From WOW: Congratulations Sarah! We're
thrilled to hear about your success! Your
novel sounds fantastic, and we can't wait to
read it. We're always thrilled to hear from
previous contestants that made it!
Readers, you can find out more about Sarah's
upcoming vampire thriller, The Midnight
Guardian, on her website: www.sarahjanestratford.com.
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From Kimberly Zook:
Kim placed 3rd in our recent Winter '09 Flash
Fiction Contest, and she wrote in to share
some fantastic news! She just launched a new
literary e-zine, The
Motherhood Muse, which she created to
encourage mother writers to rediscover and
reconnect with nature through their bodies,
minds, and souls. They publish creative
nonfiction essays, articles, fiction, poetry,
columns and photos. The website also features
contests, a boutique, bookstore, blog, and
much more for mom writers! It's a fantastic
site that you'll definitely want to check
out. Visit The Motherhood Muse at: http://www.themotherhoodmuse.com.
Sign up for their newsletter to keep up with
the latest. They have great things in
store!
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Would you like to send a letter to the WOW
Editors? We will answer your questions,
post your success stories, kudos, comments,
suggestions, or
anything else you have on your mind. Email us
at: mailbox@wow-womenonwriting.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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In Closing:
We hope the interviews featured in this issue
will inspire your writing in many ways. These
successful authors share their advice (for
free, no less) in hopes it will help
other writers along their paths. They do it
because they are writing mentors and want you
to succeed. Believe me, it's not easy to
participate in a WOW! interview! Each
interview is no less than 3,000
words. So take advantage of the in-depth
chats we have with these wonderful authors
and welcome them into your home, office, or
wherever you pull up to the screen. And
remember to keep on writing. That's
what they'd want you to do.
Warmest,
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