Greetings!
Would you like to see your book, short
story, or article as a movie? For many
authors, this would be a dream come true, but
how does it happen? I've always been
fascinated by the adaptation process and have
even visualized my novels-in-progress as
feature films--with my favorite actors
playing the roles of my main characters, of
course! So to quench my thirst for knowledge
about the process, and I hope yours too,
we've put together a fantastic issue that
answers all the questions you may have about
book to film adaptations and more.
Last December, I posted a list
of movies made from books in 2009. It's
not a complete list by any means, but it
always surprises me just how many get made
and how many I didn't know about. I compile
the list every year, and every year it gets
longer. There are many reasons for this
growing trend, but the most apparent is that
Hollywood wants to cash in on a book's
established audience. It also comes down to
the excitement of the producers and directors
who want to take on the project. Most are
book lovers who've read a particular book and
thought it would be perfect for a movie or
telefilm (a movie made for TV). And yes, many
of the books are bestsellers, but not all.
Some are adapted from novels and short
stories written by emerging authors. One of
my favorite movies of all time, Fight
Club, was adapted from Chuck Palahniuk's
debut novel when he was virtually unknown.
So, as an author, how can you get your book
or short story made into a film?
In this issue, we talk to screenwriters,
directors, producers, filmmakers, script
consultants, literary managers, film rights
agents, and authors to cover every angle of
the process. We also cover book trailer
basics and how to format a screenplay. If
you've ever thought about screenwriting,
consider this piece of information from a
feature article in this issue: "a book (at
five hundred pages and $10,000) pays $20 a
page while a screenplay (at one hundred
twenty pages and $300,000) pays $2500 per
page." That's quite a big difference! But
you'll also find that the authors in this
issue say writing a novel is much more
satisfying than writing a screenplay.
I could go on, but I'll let the experts speak
for themselves. We have a fantastic issue
filled with informative articles, industry
advice, and lots of takeaway--all designed to
help you see the big picture.
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Announcement:
WOW! Receives Writer's
Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers 2010
Award!
We just found out from several of our readers
that WOW! Women On Wriitng was
selected as a Writer's Digest 101 Best
Websites for Writers 2010!
We're listed in the Genre/Niche section of
WD's May/June issue on page 60 with the
description, "Women writers supporting women
writers throughout the writing process." This
is our third year in a row and we're
thrilled. We'd like to thank all of you for
supporting us. This is a great honor for all
women writers!
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A big, warm, thank you goes out to our
freelancers & staff:
We're trying to cut down the size of our
newsletter since it's always so long! ;)
Please visit the Editor's
Desk for a complete list of thank yous
and the editor's comments on the issue.
----------------
Spring 2010 Flash Fiction Contest
Last month to enter!
DEADLINE: May 31, 2010 Midnight,
Pacific Time.
GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Jenny
Bent
About Jenny: In a career spanning 15
years, I have made a practice of making
bestsellers--either by spotting new talent or
developing careers for multi-published
authors. My list is varied and includes
commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary
fiction and memoir. All the books I represent
speak to the heart in some way: they are
linked by genuine emotion, inspiration and
great writing and story-telling.
I was born in New York City but grew up in
Harrisonburg Virginia in a house full of
books where I spent many lazy afternoons
reading in a sunny window seat. I went on to
England to get a BA/MA with first class
honors from Cambridge University. After
graduation I worked in magazines, bookselling
and agenting, most recently at Trident Media
Group, before founding THE BENT AGENCY in
2009. I now live in Brooklyn in an apartment
full of books and while there are not quite
so many lazy reading afternoons, I manage to
fit one in now and then.
Find out more about Jenny by reading her
interview on WOW! Women On Writing: Jenny
Bent Tells Us What Agents Want.
Visit The Bent Agency's website: www.thebentagency.com
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:
Creativity:
(Deadline for
queries/subs: July 15, 2010)
This issue is open to interpretation. Get
creative and send us your queries/subs!
The Freelance Union 3:
(Deadline for
queries/subs: September 15, 2010)
This issue covers all topics related to
freelance writing. This will be our third
issue on the subject, so we are looking for
article topics we haven't covered before.
Please visit our previous issues:
The
Freelance Union 2
The
Freelance Union 1
Some other issues that cover freelance
writing:
Breaking
Out of Your Cube
Money
Matters for Writers
Writing
the Web
You can also do a search of our site with the
Google Search box that is located on the
left-hand sidebar of every page of our site
to make sure we don't already have an article
covering the topic you are proposing. Note:
this is an all how-to issue. The only
sections that are open to interviews are the
20 questions column and the
Inspiration column.
Submission Guidelines:Also, please
review our submission guidelines on
our Contact
Page (scroll to the bottom under
"Submissions") for pay rates
and how to submit. We look forward to hearing
from you!
Some of the slots have already been filled
above because we announce first calls for
submissions in our Premium-Green Markets
newsletter. 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
30 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!
The Muffin Seeks Bloggers
Fiction Blogger: Are you a fiction
writer who
enjoys sharing your knowledge, tips, and
advice with fellow writers? We're looking for
a blogger who is dedicated to
fiction--someone who has a novel under her
belt and/or published short stories--who can
craft short posts on how-to topics related to
fiction writing.
"Tech" Topics Blogger: Do you like to
write
about SEO, social networking for
writers/authors, blogging, book promotion
online, etc? We're looking for a blogger who
can write about various "tech" (okay, not so
tech, but sort-of) topics in a woman-friendly
voice. A blogger who can guide newbies
through the labyrinth of the web. Posts can
be about anything from how to burn a feed to
how to find groups on Twitter. Posts should
be short, simple how-tos written for
beginners.
Apply as a blogger: All posts will be
roughly
250 - 500 words. Familiarity with Wordpress
and blogging is preferred. This is an ongoing
blogging position where you'd be required to
blog regularly and come up with your own post
ideas with little or no supervision. Starting
pay: $5 per post, paid monthly through
PayPal. If you'd like to join our team,
please send an email to
editors@wow-womenonwriting.com with "Fiction
Blogger" or "Tech Topics Blogger" in the
subject line. Include links to sample blog
posts related to the topic you're applying
for. Include links to your blog(s) and/or
links to blogs you currently blog for. Let us
know how many days a month or week you'd like
to blog. We look forward to hearing from you!
----------
On to the issue, enjoy!
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Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Contest Winners Announced!
Drum roll...
Congratulations goes to everyone who entered
the Winter '10 Flash Fiction Contest. All of
your entries were incredible this round, and
our esteemed guest judge, literary agent
Elise Capron, did not have an easy
job! But with her expertise, she dutifully
picked the winners, and we thank Elise!
All of the stories this season were
phenomenal! It was hard to narrow down the
entries to the Top 25 and then the Top 10.
All the stories were superlative in subject,
content, and style--it really came down to
technical aspects and the guest judge's
personal choice of which ones made it into
the Top 10. Every story is a winner in its
own right and has the potential to win a 1st,
2nd, or 3rd Place. They were that good.
I know you've all been waiting patiently, so
here's the results!
-- 1st Place Winner: Corinne
Mahoney
-- 2nd Place Winner: Lauren
Leatherman
-- 3rd Place Winner: Laura J.
Silver
Runners Up (in no particular
order):
-- Pia Padukone
-- Madeline Mora-Summonte
-- Marina Sabatini
-- Kelly Thompson
-- Wave Geber
-- Candi Sary
-- Elizabeth Esse Kahrs
Read the Top 10 winners' stories in our contest
feature!
Honorable Mentions (in no particular
order):
-- Norah Piehl
-- Ami C. Bair
-- Linda Courtland
-- Mary Ellen Sanger
-- Mary Jo Caffrey
-- Sharon Blacknall
-- Shelley Jewell
-- Michele Roach
-- Jennifer Smith Gray
-- Susan M. Nacsa
-- Steffanie Gamecho
-- Cody McCormack
-- Mikal Cardine
-- Patricia Ann McKinnes
-- Gayle Beveridge
Congratulations goes out to all the winners!
And congrats to everyone who hit the send
button--we know
it's not easy, but each season provides a
rebirth of opportunity!
So, go on already! Read the
stories!
Notes: if you purchased a critique for the
Winter '10 contest, we will be sending
critiques one at a time over the next couple
of weeks. If you haven't received your
critique by the end of May (make sure
you check your bulk mail), please send us an
e-mail and we'll resend. Prizes: all prizes
this season are digital, so we will be
sending gift cards, e-books, and cash prizes
electronically next week. Thank you!
MORE >>
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Make Your Book a Movie: Adapting Your Book or Story for Hollywood
By John Robert Marlow, with Jacqueline Radley
Is your book a movie? Most authors would like
to see their work adapted for the big (or
small) screen, but the path from here to
there is, at best, unfamiliar--and can seem
incomprehensible. Some best-sellers are made
into movies; others ignored. Even obscure
books, short stories, and magazine articles
are blessed by Hollywood's magic while
thousands of screenplays are turned away.
Harry Potter sells to Hollywood a mere
year after publication while The Lord of
the Rings takes nearly five decades to
hit the screen. What sense does that make? Is
there no rhyme or reason here? Well, yes,
actually. But it's hard to make out
when--like most writers--you're on the
outside looking in.
This 5,500-word-plus article, written by John
Marlow and Jacqueline Radley, will take you
through the looking glass and make some sense
of the enigma that is the Hollywood
adaptation process. More importantly, it will
explain why some books are made into movies
while others are not; and what you can do to
make your book (or story) more attractive to
filmmakers.
The article includes advice from experts:
producers Gale Anne Hurd and Julie
Richardson, director Lesli Linka Glatter,
story editor Christopher Lockhart, and
screenwriter Teena Booth.
This
article is definitely one to bookmark or
print out!
MORE>>
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Coming to a TV Near You: Telefilms from Books
By Mary Castillo
Back in the 80s, TV movies and miniseries
were part of a network's regular programming.
Sydney Sheldon, Barbara Taylor Bradford,
Danielle Steele, and Judith Krantz became
household names as their novels of glamour
and wealth were translated to the small
screen. But then like every trend, TV movies
and mini-series tapered off, and sitcoms rose
to prominence. But with recent productions of
adaptations of novels by Nora Roberts, Debbie
Macomber and Patricia Cornwall, television
movies, or telefilms, are finding new
audiences through cable. So how can you get
your book made into a telefilm? Mary chats
with experts from the Hallmark Channel and
Lifetime to find out how authors can tap
into this woman-friendly market!
MORE>>
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Real to Reel: Liliana Greenfield-Sanders Frames Love of Film on the Big Screen
By LuAnn Schindler
Do you enjoy short films? Discovering what
will make a film the best it can be drives
filmmaker Liliana Greenfield-Sanders to
produce thought-provoking and intriguing
movies. Whether it's an edgy drama or a
comedic glimpse into a serious subject,
Greenfield-Sanders captures the attention of
film enthusiasts. She has received numerous
awards for her short films, including Ghosts
of Grey Gardens, Miriam,
Anna, Samantha, and
Adelaide. In this interview, conducted by
LuAnn Schindler, Liliana shares her views on
filmmaking, discusses the inspiration behind
the name of her film company (Gluten Free
Films), and talks shop about being a
screenwriter, director, and editor. After
reading this interview, I bet you'll want to
try your hand at writing shorts!
MORE>>
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Premium-Green Writers' Markets: 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
that will help you grow your freelance
career.
Join Now and Download all 30 Premium-Green
e-books!
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 THE 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):
GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE
WRITER! by
Nicole LaMarco
START DATE: May 17, 2010
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, every assignment, and I
stay your writing mentor for life. 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.
Everything in this writing class is done via
e-mail. This class will provide you with the
structure and guidance you need to get paid
to write.
Limit: 15 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE CRAFT OF SCREENWRITING by
Christina Hamlett
START DATE: May 17, 2010
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>>
--------------------
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE: AN INTRODUCTION
TO PLAYWRITING by
Christina Hamlett
START DATE: May 17, 2010
DURATION: 6 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Since the time of
the Ancient Greeks, the live theater
experience has satisfied an audience's need
for entertainment that is immediate, intimate
and accessible to all ages and levels of
society. Whether performed in an outdoor
courtyard, on a vintage stage, in a school
auditorium, or above the din of an urban
coffeehouse, a play is an ever-evolving and
timeless art form that derives its energy
from both sides of the footlights. Unlike a
novel or a film which is financed and
produced only once, a theater script
undergoes a new transformation with each
change of cast and each change of venue. Even
the passage of time itself impacts how a
theatrical story will resonate with
successive generations, giving new definition
and perspective to old ideas or providing a
yardstick of how far we've come from social
mores that were once held as truth.
In this class, you'll be learning what makes
a play successful...and how to write one
yourself! Each module consists of a lecture
and writing assignment, as well as
interviews, websites and anecdotes. Ideally,
it should only take one week to complete each
exercise. The final assignment will be the
writing and submission of an original
15-minute one-act play, which will be
professionally critiqued for its adherence to
all of the principles addressed in class.
Limit: 10 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR AUTHORS: Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn, and more! by
Margo L. Dill
START DATE: May 24, 2010
DURATION: 4 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will
teach writers how to use Twitter, Facebook,
LinkedIn, and other social networking sites
such as Shelfari or JacketFlap (students'
choice) to network; to build a loyal
following of fans; to start working on a
brand/image; and to promote books, articles,
magazines, and blogs. Instead of using
Facebook and Twitter to write about your
fabulous dinner or disastrous day at the
grocery store, you will learn to sell
yourself and your writing!
Limit: 20 students
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
SHORT FICTION WRITING by
Gila Green
START DATE: June 1, 2010
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.
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>>
--------------------
THE GATEKEEPERS: ALL ABOUT AGENTS &
EDITORS by Andrea Campbell
START DATE: June 7, 2010
DURATION: 4 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: In order to
succeed in this industry, you, the writer,
must know it intimately from all sides. Find
out about agents and editors from an expert!
Andrea is known for her book proposal course,
which landed a student of hers a "very good
deal"--a $100K + advance. In this class, you
will learn about the book publishing industry
(a primer on business, how publishing houses
are set up, how a book is made); how to
define your product through bios, platform
and credentials; how to get an agent or
editor (queries, synopsis, business letters
and book proposals); and how to be a valuable
client (questions to ask before you sign,
contract tips, expectations, agent FAQs).
Special price for spring!
VISIT
THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>
--------------------
BLOGGING 101 AND MORE: Start a Blog,
Make it Unique, and Keep it Going by
Margo L. Dill
START DATE: July 12, 2010
DURATION: 5 weeks
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Blogging is one of
the best and cheapest ways to achieve an
Internet presence. This class will help
students start a blog. If you already have a
blog, it will help you target the readers you
want to reach. Students will also learn how
to create a unique blog, build followers
and/or drive traffic to their blogs, blog on
a schedule, connect posts to social
networking sites, and monetize their blogs.
This course is for beginning and intermediate
bloggers or for people who are looking to
spice up their blogs! **Please note: you do
not have to be technologically savvy to start
a blog and keep up with it!
Limit: 20 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.
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Contest Third Place Winner:
James Tipton
Interview by Margo L. Dill
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Pamela
Allison
Interview by Anne Greenawalt
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Stacy Post
Interview by LuAnn Schindler
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Martha
Katzeff
Interview by Marcia Peterson
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Catherine E.
Jones
Interview by Margo L. Dill
Fall
'09 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Jacquelyn
Malone
Interview by LuAnn Schindler
----------
Blog Posts of Interest:
Cindy
Hudson, Author of Book by Book: The
Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter
Book Clubs,
Launches Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Mother-Daughter book clubs offer a great way
for families to grow and share--with each
other and with other mother-daughter pairs.
Cindy Hudson offers all the how-to tips
mothers need to start their own successful
book clubs. Join us as Cindy starts her blog
tour with a great interview, covering her
book club experience as well as success tips
for non-fiction writers. There are more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Lisa
de Nikolits, Author of The Hungry Mirror,
Launches her
Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Lisa de Nikolits has lived and worked all
over the world, and has art directed on
magazines such as Marie Claire,
Vogue, Vogue Living and
Cosmopolitan. Her latest novel,
written in first person, is the story of
everywoman and her relentless struggle with
body image. The first stop of her blog tour
offers a compelling interview, in which she
talks about the idea behind The Hungry
Mirror, and whether it's based on real life.
She also shares the interesting road to
publication of the book. Link to a free book
excerpt included. There are more stops
to go on this tour, check it out! Check
the dates and join in.
Exercise
the Write Muscles
By Elizabeth King Humphrey
Can a vacation dull your writing abilities?
How important is it to write regularly?
Elizabeth tests her understanding about the
importance of consistent writing.
Book
Titles, Back Cover Copy, & Author Promotion:
Tips from Susan Kendrick
Interview by Angela Mackintosh
Susan Kendrick shares her expert advice on
choosing a winning book title, writing your
back-cover copy/synopsis, and the most
effective ways to market your book. There are
some wonderful tips and how-tos in this
interview that you can apply right away!
The
March 15 Blog that Probably Shows up on March
16
By LuAnn Schindler
As writers, it's probably happened to all of
us at some point. We think we can squeeze in
one more interview and get those notes
transcribed before we begin dinner
preparations. Or we focus on completing the
page of fiction or a line of a poem before we
fold the laundry. Listen in on a seasoned
writer's struggle to find the balance between
time and projects.
Prompts
on the Brain
By Jill Earl
If you find yourself hitting a wall in your
writing, think about using prompts. Perhaps
having 'prompts on the brain' can help keep
your writing fresh. We've got a few for you
to try!
Young
Adult Power Surge
By Margo L. Dill
Young adult literature is taking the world by
storm right now, and Margo gives you the
scoop about the "young adult power surge."
What is it about this genre? Why is it so
popular? Why are adults just as excited about
reading the latest YA books?
Spring
Resolutions for Writers
By LuAnn Schindler
Even if you aren't meeting your beginning of
the year resolutions, it's not too late to
set new goals. Spring is a time of renewal
and rebirth. Check out these great ideas to
get your writing back on track.
Slow
Down!
By Carrie Hulce
What happens when you're on a fast track and
can't seem to slow down? Carrie shares some
lessons learned and her list of how she'll
make a difference in her writing by slowing
down.
What
Can You Write in Ten Minutes?
By Jodi Webb
Got ten minutes? Try writing fillers--for fun
and profit. Jodi shares the three things you
need for filler writing success, as well as
the types of fillers magazines are looking
for.
Are
You Accidentally Using Copyrighted
Images?
By Angela Mackintosh
Sometimes, adding a picture to a blog post
comes as an afterthought. You spend so much
time crafting your article that only when
it's time to post you think, Gosh, what
image can I use to go with this post?
Then, in a mad dash, you do a search on
Google Images and hope to find a picture that
will illustrate your idea. And when you find
the perfect image, you think it's okay to use
because it's available online. But, the truth
is, it's not.
Pitching
to Agents and Editors at a Writing
Conference
By Margo L. Dill
Following her first post about her writing
conference experience, Margo shares more
details, focusing on what she learned when
she had pitch sessions with two literary
agents. Find out her three best tips!
In
the Company of Friends
By Elizabeth King Humphrey
Elizabeth explores the idea of starting her
own writing group, and asks for reader input.
Do you belong to a writer's group? If so, how
did you find your friends? If not, why
not?
Spring
Cleaning the Office
By Cher'ley Grogg
Spring cleaning is time to get out the
bandanna, the feather duster, and the MP3
player. A brighter, cleaner office makes for
better, happier productivity, which means
better writing! Check out these tips to get
your office in shape.
Should
Writers Specialize?
By LuAnn Schindler
Does specializing limit your writing style?
Or is it a good fit for you? This post will
help you determine if specializing will be
the best for your writing career. LuAnn
shares her experience and offers some helpful
tips for finding markets for your work.
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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.
Please put "Friday Speak Out! Submission" in
your subject line. 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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The Strongest Start Novel Competition 2010
Deadline: June 8, 2010
Submit the first three chapters of your
novel. Grand prize award of:
- $500 cash.
- $2,500 self-publishing solution from
CreateSpace.
- Feedback on every chapter you submit.
- The chance to meet other authors, get
motivated, and get noticed.
$100 cash awards for the following
sub-categories:
- Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
- Romance
- Memoir and Non-fiction
Everyone who enters receives feedback,
motivation, and advice.
Keep Us Reading
We know that writing a compelling start isn't
easy. So, for the fourth year we've put
together a motivational competition to help
you hone your first three chapters to
perfection (if you haven't already). We're
looking for opening chapters that will create
a burning need to find out what happens, how
the characters turn out, how the novel
resolves itself. The kind of start that gets
an agent to call back, a publisher to show
interest, and a reader to plunk down their
hard earned money. Above all, give us three
chapters that will keep us reading.
Deadline: June 8, 2010
Learn More About the Strongest Start Novel Competition>>
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In Closing:
We hope this issue has provided you with all
the information you need to know about
book-to-film and story-to-screen adaptations.
It's exciting to think about the
possibilities!
With the shift of digital
media comes a new audience for our work. And
even though book readers are declining as
technology advances, keep in mind that every
movie or telefilm first starts with a writer
crafting a solid story. That means you!
So, dig in, digest all of the knowledge
provided in this issue, and get back to the
page and write. We're here to support you!
Happy Writing!
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