Issue 41: Creativity Carnival for Writers
September/October 2010 
 WOW! Women On Writing
 Issue #41: Creativity Carnival for Writers ~ Turn Your Muse Loose!

In This Issue:
QUICK LINKS
ARCHIVES 2010
ARCHIVES 2009
ARCHIVES 2008
ARCHIVES 2007
ARCHIVES 2006
Visit our sponsors:

Visit our sponsors:

Featured books:

Imperfect Endings by Zoe Carter


The Do-It-Yourselfer's Guide to Self-Syndication by Jill Pertler
For WOW readers:

Fall 2010 Flash Fiction Contest


WOW! Workshops & Classes



Join our mailing list!

Greetings!


[Issue 41 was guest edited by Annette Fix]

I have a confession to make. I love playing carnival games. The intoxicating atmosphere of blinking lights, joyful music and laughter, game barkers and overstuffed prizes, and the sweet, lingering smell of cotton candy draws me in every time. When I put together this month's Creativity issue, the articles and the interviews reminded me of those tempting carnival booths, calling out and inviting me to test my skills, and most of all--to play!

When it comes to creativity, it's a carnival of possibilities for writers. There are so many different ways we can express ourselves and tap into the core of our creativity. Even the process of creating a new piece of work can be a wild ride.

Turn your muse loose on this issue and she'll be just as excited as a child at her first carnival. We have great interviews with the top creativity experts in the field and articles that take every colorful turn in the creativity kaleidoscope including brainstorming techniques, creating a vision board, sources for prompts and exercises, tips to break through writer's block, ideas on how to take your creativity on a much-needed retreat, and even ways you can give your home-office space a creative boost using Feng Shui!

Grab your WOW! tickets, let your muse out to play, and enjoy the creativity carnival!

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Announcement:

Last month, we received several e-mails from subscribers telling us that they weren't able to open our e-mail newsletter. We'd updated our template to a newer version, and I guess since our e-mail was so long some e-mail providers (like AOL) ended up compressing our e-mail into a Zip attachment that couldn't be opened. So we've decided to go back to our old template, and hopefully we won't have a problem this time. If we do, please let us know. But then again, if we do, you probably won't be able to read this! We apologize for any inconvenience.

Tip: if you ever receive an e-mail from us you can't open, you can always find it online. We archive most of the e-mails we send, so if you missed a newsletter, or can't open one, you can find it through by visiting our E-mail Archives Page.

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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.

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Please take a moment to visit our sponsors:

If you enjoy the free content on the WOW! site, please help support our efforts by visiting our sponsors and seeing what they have to offer. We handpick sponsors that we think will be of interest to WOW! readers. :) There are some fantastic offers this issue.

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Get Out From Under the Slush Pile With Pubmission

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FREE Classes, Webinars, & eBook from Tom Bird

Author Tom Bird is offering free classes and webinars, as well as his free ebook, You Were Born to Write. The free ebook will only be available until September 30th, so be sure to take advantage of his generous offer. Visit this hidden page on his site for his free offers. You can also contact him with any questions you have at [email protected].

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Bright Hub is Hiring Freelance Writers

Do you have a bright mind? Then write for us! Bright Hub is looking for talented writers to contribute to one of the fastest growing communities online. Come join the team at Bright Hub as a freelance writer and bring some major benefits to your work-at-home career:

Per Article Payments: Earn up-front payments and/or ongoing revenue share for the articles you produce for Bright Hub.
Flexibility: Work at your own pace and accept article assignments as your schedule allows.
Writer Training Program: We will help you through the process of learning how to use our writing and publishing tools and provide expert knowledge and tips to help you improve as an online writer! Next series of live training webinars are in the 3rd and 4th weeks of September.
Opportunities for Growth: Perform well as a writer with Bright Hub and move onto roles such as Senior Writer, Contributing Editor or Managing Editor.
Write About Topics That Matter to You: We need writers with knowledge regarding any one of our 40+ Technology, Health, Education, Parenting, Science, Mobile, Gaming, Electronics, or DIY channels. Apply today to write about topics you like.

Apply to Write for Bright Hub Here.

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The Word Queen is Offering a FREE Sample Edit of Your Manuscript!

Does the publishing deal of your dreams seem like a distant destination? Let The Word Queen whisk you there faster by editing your book until each sentence sparkles.

Click Here to get your first two pages edited for FREE. (Be sure to mention WOW! to receive this special offer.)

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Learn how to write your book, get it published and sold by the thousands in this 26-week online writing course.

Visit www.WriteYourBookMasterClass.com for complete details!

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FREE Manuscript Consultation from The Book Muse!

Editing/Manuscript Development for new and published writers by Nancy Butler-Ross, published author, editor, former Miami Herald columnist. Free Consultation. E-mail [email protected]. (Be sure to mention WOW! to receive this special offer.)

Website: www.TheBookMuse.com.

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Thank you for visiting our sponsors! :)

If you'd like to be featured in this section, please contact us about our special advertising rates. You can also view our media kit here.

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Fall 2010 Flash Fiction Contest

DEADLINE: November 30, 2010 Midnight, Pacific Time.

GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Wendy Sherman

About Wendy: Wendy Sherman is a seasoned professional withi over 25 years of publishing experience. She has held senior executive positions at Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Henry Holt. During her tenure at these major publishing houses, she served as Director of Subsidiary Rights, Director of Marketing, and Director of Sales, as well as, most recently, Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Executive Director of Publishing at Henry Holt. She became a literary agent when she joined the Aaron Priest Agency. With a desire to work more closely with writers, and have a key role in the development and management of their careers, she founded Wendy Sherman Associates, Inc. in 1999.

Wendy is a board member of the Association of Authors Representatives (AAR) and a member of The Women's Media Group.

Wendy is particularly interested in fiction with a strong voice and unique perspective. She loves quality women's fiction--whether literary or with more commercial appeal. Mainstream commercial fiction, literary fiction, upmarket women's fiction, and African-American fiction are strong categories for us. In non-fiction, she loves anything unique with a strong media platform. Narrative non-fiction, memoir, practical and prescriptive, self-help and mainstream psychology are general areas of interest, as are books that show us how to live life a better way.

Find out more about Wendy by reading her interview on WOW! Women On Writing: Secrets for Your Success: Signing the Perfect Literary Agent, an Interview with Wendy Sherman.

Visit Wendy Sherman Associates' website: www.wsherman.com

Wendy was also our honorable guest judge for our spring contest last year. You can view the winners of that contest here to get an idea of the types of stories she enjoys. ;)

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!

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Call for Submissions

WOW! is seeking submissions for their upcoming themes:

Get Fit! Physical Fitness for Writers: (Deadline for queries/subs: October 20, 2010)
Publication Date: January 1, 2011.

Each year, our January issue is always one of our most popular issues. It's the perfect time for writers to clear the slate and get a fresh start on their writing. We usually cover beginnings, organization, time management, resolutions, etc., but this year we decided to give it a twist. The theme, "Get Fit! Physical Fitness for Writers," is open to interpretation. You can take it literally, like writing an article on walking for writing inspiration or the best snacks to beat writer's block, or interviewing Jillian Michaels about her latest book. (We'd love that for our Inspiration column! Any takers?) Or you can come up with a creative twist on the theme like training for a full-time freelance career or going the distance with marathon novel writing or... You get the idea. Use something fitness-related and catchy in your title and apply it to a writing topic, or simply suggest a health and fitness topic that is of interest to writers. Sound fun?

Submission Guidelines: 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!

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On to the issue... Enjoy the ride!

 Take a Break for Creativity
 By Bridgid Gallagher

Take a Break for Creativity For writers, stress from juggling too many distractions manifests as difficulty in writing, plotting, and brainstorming, and can contribute to writer's block. As creative people, isolation can help us calm our minds and break through blocks. Read on to learn how taking a distraction-free break, even an hour at a coffee shop or thirty minutes behind closed doors, can give you the solitude you need to center yourself and get back to writing.

Bridgid Gallagher interviews authors--Dr. Shelley Carson, Therese Walsh, Katherine Center, Elizabeth Spann Craig, Kathleen Bolton, and Karen Walrond--who share their best ideas on how to take your creativity on a much-needed retreat so you can get back into the writing zone.


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 The Succulent, Bodacious, and Fabulous SARK
 By Sara Hodon

SARK No matter the genre, a writer's job is to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary--not always the easiest task. But one writer and artist has built a prolific career on this skill, and works with others, both writers and non-writers, to develop their own ability to celebrate both the ordinary and the extraordinary.

SARK (Susan Kennedy) is a best-selling author and artist, with sixteen titles in print and well over two million books sold, an acclaimed speaker and teacher, and creator of Planet SARK: a thriving business that creates innovative products and services designed to inspire your muse. Join Sara Hodon as she chats with SARK about how to channel your creativity, avoid creative dry spells, and make your creative dreams real. Not to miss!


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 Creative Brainstorming for Writers
 By Elizabeth King Humphrey

Creative Brainstorming Creativity, an integral part of writing, is often illusive. What can a writer do to try to recapture or increase creativity and allow it to flow onto the page? There are a variety of exercises and tools to help a writer tap into her creativity including brainstorming, listing, and mind-mapping. Elizabeth King Humphrey shares a collection of insights, ideas, and inspirations from Jill Bodonsky, Whitney Ferr�, and her own techniques for exercising your creative muscles!

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 20 Questions: Creativity Expert Christine Kane
 By Patricia Anne McGoldrick

Christine Kane Are you creating your life or just reacting to it? This is the question Christine Kane would ask you. Christine Kane is a singer-songwriter, life coach and mentor, retreat leader, and creativity consultant for the Federal government. She is the author of The Complete Guide to Vision Boards, which she offers as a free download on her website. In this interview, by Patricia Anne McGoldrick, Christine talks about how to keep perfectionism and negative self-talk from crippling your creativity, how creating your own success principles can bring you prosperity, and how to live your life as a Conscious Creative.

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 Creative Ideas to Get Pantsers Over a Writer's Block Wall
 By Beth Daniels

Writer's Block Wall You're a Pantser, a writer who likes to just sit down and see what grows organically from your keyboard or pen, but you've got a problem. Everything is blank. Oh, sure, you started out in a burst of creative ecstasy, but it was the equivalent of a one-night stand. Well, maybe a month-long stand. But you still need to know what happens next to move your story along. From storyboards to timelines, a wall of notes, and everything in between, Beth Daniels shows Pantsers a baker's dozen of creative ways to break through writer's block and stay true to their non-plotting passion.

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 Feng Shui for Writers: How to Create a Space You Love
 By Kerrie Flanagan

Feng Shui for Writers As writers, it is important to have a space that allows the words to flow and Feng Shui can help accomplish that. The good news is that it doesn't have to cost a lot and can be done with items you already have in your own home. In this article, Kerrie Flanagan shares simple ways you can implement Feng Shui into your writing space, making it a place that encourages creativity, inspiration, and success!

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 The Creative Life: An Interview with Julia Cameron
 By Annette Fix

Julia Cameron How do you harness your creativity and channel it onto the page? The Artist's Way creativity guru, Julia Cameron, author of The Creative Life: True Tales of Inspiration, will be the first person to remind you that creativity is "a process" and "you must stay open-minded." Join Annette Fix as she chats with Julia about her creative life, the pros and cons of collaboration, and her secret for how to channel your creativity onto the page.

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 Finding Creative Inspiration Through Prompts and Exercises
 By Erika Dreifus

Strike a Match! Prompts and Exercises for Writers Why does it so often seem that for some of us, the hardest part of "creative writing" is the "creative" part? How can simply coming up with an idea, getting those first few words out, and spinning something new seem so overwhelming? In her article, Erika Dreifus provides a guide to books, e-mail newsletters, blogs, and other online sources for prompts and exercises that are sure to inspire creativity and get your muse running to the page!

MORE>> 


 Premium-Green Writers' Markets: Give Yourself the Ultimate Gift that Gives Back
 Jump Start Your Freelance Career!

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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 34 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 >> 


 WOW! Women On Writing Workshops & Classes
 invest in yourself, write now

WOW! Classes 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):


CREATING AN EFFECTIVE BOOK BUSINESS PLAN by Deborah Riley-Magnus

START DATE: September 19, 2010

DURATION: 4 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: One of the most productive things an author can do is write a Book Business Plan. It's a required exercise for authors writing non-fiction book proposals and easily as important as actually writing the book, whether non-fiction or fiction. Why?

1) Writing is a business
2) Writing is YOUR business
3) Nothing reminds a business person about the importance of their business more than a business plan

This is the reason the very first serious effort you should make in building your platform should start with a Book Business Plan. Don't be afraid, it's not so bad. If you're writing fiction or non-fiction, this is a critical step in assuring the success of your project and taking yourself seriously as an author. For this workshop, we will explore why and how an author should put all the ducks in line, numbers where they belong and place everything in a neatly wrapped package.

Limit: 15 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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FINDING YOUR WRITER'S VOICE by Alison Dubois

START DATE: September 20, 2010

DURATION: 6 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Stop! Before you do anything else, you need to find your voice. This means before you even try writing you need to learn the ways to perfect and enhance your writer's voice. Just as you wouldn't expect a baby just learning to walk to be able to run you shouldn't expect a beginning writer to have the skills of a veteran writer.

Throughout the class I will be your guide, helping you through a series of exercises, tips, recommended reading and instruction to help you unlock your own unique writer's voice. Upon the completion of this class students are given a list of resources that are helpful for the beginning and intermediate writer to pursue their writing career.

Limit: 10 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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GET PAID TO WRITE: BECOME A FREELANCE WRITER! by Nicole LaMarco

START DATE: September 27, 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 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: 10 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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THE SECRET TO FREEING YOUR CREATIVE MIND by Kelly L. Stone

START DATE: October 4, 2010

DURATION: 4 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Make the most of your limited writing time by learning how to tap into your subconscious mind's unlimited wellspring of creativity using easy-to-learn techniques.

Limit: 50 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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BLOGGING 101 AND MORE: Start a Blog, Make it Unique, and Keep it Going by Margo L. Dill

START DATE: October 4, 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>>

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JOURNALING FOR HOLISTIC WELLNESS by Linda M. Rhinehart Neas, M.Ed.

START DATE: October 4, 2010

DURATION: 9 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Through writing prompts from a workbook created by the instructor, students will answer specific questions on the nine aspects of life found on the wellness wheel--physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural, economic, vocational, environmental, social and spiritual. These prompts will lead to self-discovery that will help the students to hone their writing skills. Various readings of other authors' work as well as writing assignments to share with the group will be assigned weekly.

Objectives:
- To increase understanding of who we are and why we are writers.
- To begin the process of self-reflection that is key to writing first-person narratives, memoirs and other forms of first-person writing.
- To complete drafts of writing in different genres that could include poetry, essay, fiction, flash fiction.
- Develop sound skills through the practice of reading and writing.

Limit: 10 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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BRING OUT THE STORY-TELLER IN YOU by Karlyn Thayer

START DATE: October 6, 2010

DURATION: 6 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class teaches story-writing from the idea of thinking before writing. Emphasizes correct story structure. Topics covered include: the value of an outline or synopsis; bringing characters to life; building a plot; viewpoint and mechanics; and keeping the action and conflict going.

Limit: 10 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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THE UNWILLING GRAMMARIAN by Karlyn Thayer

START DATE: October 20, 2010

DURATION: 4 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Do you hate grammar like you hate snakes? This class, "The Unwilling Grammarian" takes an easy and fun approach to grammar. Other grammar courses require students to learn dozens of complicated terms. This course begins by asking you to learn two terms only, and shows you how those two terms can be the key to writing success.

I don't want to mislead you. In no way will the study of grammar ever be a ride on a carousel or even a walk in the park. But in "The Unwilling Grammarian," you'll be asked for homework that will amuse you rather than frustrate you and send you screaming from your computer.

Students will look at grammar with a new perspective--not as a necessary evil, but as a study that's understandable and satisfying. Who knew that punctuation, often considered to be beyond understanding, could actually be fun?

Limit: 10 students

VISIT THE CLASSROOM PAGE FOR DETAILS>>

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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>> 


 WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
 Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!

The Muffin 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.

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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 2010 Flash Fiction First Place Winner: Sarah Warburton
Interview by Marcia Peterson

Spring 2010 Flash Fiction Second Place Winner: Caleb Collier
Interview by Margo L. Dill

Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Marina Sabatini
Interview by Margo L. Dill

Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Elizabeth Esse Kahrs
Interview by LuAnn Schindler

Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Candi Sary
Interview by Jill Earl

Winter 2010 Flash Fiction Runner Up: Madeline Mora-Summonte
Interview by Anne Greenawalt

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Blog Posts of Interest:

Diana M. Raab, Author of Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey, Launches Her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb

Award winning author Diana Raab's latest book reflects her experiences battling breast cancer at age forty-seven, and then multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, when she was fifty-two. Diana starts her blog tour with us, chatting about the journaling process, how she developed and wrote Healing with Words, and where she does some of her best writing. Her interview will give you an inspirational boost!

Mary Lynn Archibald, Author of Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, Launches her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb

If you've ever found yourself smack dab in the middle of a wacky adventure or even just wished for a wacky adventure, don't miss the tale of this couple who went from city dwellers to cowhands with the signing of a deed. Will they survive? Will the cows? Would you? Join us for author Mary Lynn Archibald's first blog tour stop, where you'll learn more about her humorous memoir, how it grew from her journal into a finished book, her writing habits and more!

Margo Candela, Author of Good-bye To All That, Launches her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb

When her Hollywood career goes haywire, a young woman must say good-bye to all that...or must she? Author Margo Candela's latest chick lit offering is lots of fun, and she chats with WOW on the first stop of her blog tour. Find out about the deal she made with her husband that got her first book written, the revision process she used on her new book, and what's different (and helpful) about her writer's group.

Gayle Trent/Amanda Lee, Author of The Quick and the Thread, Launches her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb

You may know Gayle Trent as the author of the Daphne Martin cake decorating series that includes Murder Takes the Cake and Dead Pan. Amanda Lee is the pseudonym Gayle is using for her new cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who owns an embroidery shop. Join us for Gayle/Amanda's second blog tour with us, where she shares her experience with multiple publishers and editors. Find out why so many blog commenters are excited to read her newest book.

Technology: The Hiccup in the Road to Being Read
By Elizabeth King Humphrey

Do you love technology so much that you're not able to write without it? Or do you look back, wistfully, wishing to tap into your creativity and share your writing with others without having to jump-start your laptop?

Finding Members of Your Genre
By Jodi Webb

Good writing is good writing, and a children's book author can critique a mystery manuscript, a romance writer can critique a science fiction manuscript and vice-versa. But a writer in your same genre can add something extra. This post includes links to organizations that link genre writers around the country (and world) together.

Top 5 Methods of Procrastination
By Anne Greenawalt

What keeps you from writing? Anne shares a list of her personal top 5 methods of procrastination--maybe you can relate? Find out what she learned this summer, and some good tricks to try to get you writing more.

Editors, Agents & Authors, Oh My!
By Jill Earl

Heading off to another writer's conference, Jill looks forward to participating in the one-on-one appointments with various editors, agents, publicists and authors. She shares a quick list of things to keep in mind while preparing for these encounters. Great tips for all conference goers!

Help or Hinder? Lots of Description
By Cher'ley Grogg

How much description is too much? It can be challenging to figure out what to add or leave out. Check out a sample writing exercise, and see what you come up with.

The Adventure of Working from Home
By Margo L. Dill

It's a common curse for women working from home to almost believe that their entire house has to be clean, errands have to be run, or children have to be entertained before they can start writing or creating. Margo cautions that this thinking has to change. Check out her firm but friendly suggestions!

Conquering the Blank Page
By Elizabeth King Humphrey

What do you do? The page is blank. Or, if you prefer, the cursor is blinking against a sea of white screen. Elizabeth imparts a few tricks to shake loose your ideas and get them flowing onto the page. Share your tips too!

Museunication: Understanding Your Muse (as told to Robyn Chausse by Sprite Bobbins
By Robyn Chausse

People think their muse isn't talking to them. Usually they just aren't listening; either that or they ignored the muse for so long that now they are getting the mute-muse treatment. Like any pixie, the muse wants--above all else--to be wanted...and heard. Read this post to find out how!

Perfecting the Interview - Asking the Right Questions
By LuAnn Schindler

Perfecting your interview style will enhance your writing and set you apart from others. It should be the sharpest tool in a freelancer's toolbox. In this post, an experienced journalist shares her best tips and ideas with you!

Who Will Stop You?
By Jill Earl

The latest rejection letter. A firm 'no' on that promising book proposal. The unsupportive spouse and kids. We encounter obstacles to our writing constantly. It's so tempting to chuck it all and go back to our former writing-free lives, isn't it?

Back to School Tips for Students and Writers
By LuAnn Schindler

School bells began ringing yesterday in this area. In other states, the kiddos will be learning the 3 R's after Labor Day. If you have children or grandchildren at home, you can adapt some back-to-school tips to your routine, too.

Writing Through Life's Storms
By Margo L. Dill

Whether it's weather related or personal, storms can stir up your usual routine and fill your mind with clutter. They can make it tough to get any writing accomplished. But don't let them deter your writing. Read Margo's inspirational post about writing through life's storms.

How to Write a How To
By Jodi Webb

There are books, TV channels, stores and yes, magazines dedicated solely to DIY (Do It Yourself). Don't miss this opportunity to add a new type of article to your resume. Check out this concise, five step process for crafting your own how-to article.

Where Do Ideas Come From?
By Anne Greenawalt

Since creative ideas aren't magically placed into our heads, we've got some ideas on how to find them. Anne shares three of her favorite idea-generating methods. Try one out whenever you're having a blockage.

Writin' and Snackin'
By Margo L. Dill

Margo shares her favorite morning snacks--ones that provide some nutrition and keep her focused on writing and not on a hungry stomach. What about you? What do you like to snack on while you write? Share your recipes or quick ideas!

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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: [email protected]. 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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 Promotions
 Imperfect Endings: A Daughter's Tale of Life and Death

Imperfect Endings by Zoe Carter By Zoe Fitzgerald Carter

[Featured Book of the Month]

Genre: Memoir
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 2010)
ISBN: 1439148244

Zoe Carter's busy life on the West Coast with her husband and daughters takes an unexpected detour when her glamorous, independent-minded mother, Margaret, decides she wants to "end things." Tired of living with Parkinson's disease, Margaret declares she is no longer willing to go where the illness is taking her. Unsure how -- or when -- she will end her life, she is certain of one thing: she wants her three daughters there when she does it.

Stunned by the prospect of losing her mother and concerned about the legal ramifications of participating in her suicide, Zoe does what she can to convince her mother to abandon her plans. But for nearly a year, Margaret will talk of nothing else. Calling Zoe at random times of the day, she blithely asks which would be better: overdosing on morphine or Seconal? Getting help from the Hemlock Society or doing it on her own? And when would be a good time -- February or May? Or how about June?

Shuttling between her family in California and her mother's house in Washington, D.C., Zoe finds herself increasingly drawn into her mother's "exit plans." She helps Margaret procure a lethal dose of drugs from a local psychiatrist and endures a bizarrely funny encounter with Bud, the Hemlock Society's "Caring Friend" who seems a little too eager to help Margaret kill herself.

Anxious to maintain her role as "the good daughter," Zoe finds herself in conflict with her older sisters, both of whom have difficult histories with their mother. As the three women negotiate over whether or not they should support Margaret's choice and who should be there at the end, their discussions stir up old alliances and animosities, along with memories of a childhood dominated by their elegant mother and philandering father.

Capturing the stresses and the joys of the "sandwich generation" while bringing a provocative new perspective to the assisted suicide debate, Imperfect Endings is the uplifting story of a woman determined to die on her own terms and the family who has to learn to let her go.

Visit Zoe's Site and Read Chapter 1 of Imperfect Endings>>


In Closing:

We hope this issue has inspired you to explore your creative side! Sometimes, as writers, we get so wrapped up in our daily writing routine, or writing to make a living, that we forget to play. It's just as important to take time to explore all the different methods available for unlocking your creativity and to try new things once and a while. Take some of the suggestions in this issue to heart and experiment! Let your muse run wild. We all have untapped creative potential and stories waiting to be told. The key is finding out how to get them to come out and play. You just might be surprised at what you come up with!

Explore your creativity, and happy writing!