Contests:
The Theme for the 2008 Coveted Dead Bird is:
Killing the Classics
Meet Poe, the Coveted Dead Bird. He dresses for the occasion each month.
Deadline is the August meeting.
Winners announced at the October meeting
Questions? Email the 2007 Bird Boss: Kim
Conferences:
ANNOUNCING: Changes for 2008. While my column will still list writing contests and conferences, I hope to make it more of a resource for pre-published writers. I encourage everyone to contact me with any information you feel will be helpful at: sierrajudy@cvip.net
THE WRITER’S RESOURCE
By Judy Gallardo
sierrajudy@cvip.net
The William Saroyan Centennial is a year-long event. Check the web site to see what is happening in your neighborhood www.saroyancentennial.org/
The fiction writer’s home library.
What do Janet Evanovich, Sandra Brown, and Jayne Ann Krentz have in common? They’re best-selling authors who got their start writing romance. Many women continue to do the same because of the demand for romance books. If your goal is to be published and you’re willing to try the romance route, here are a few writing books that will help you get started. (Alphabetically, by author.)
“You Can Write a Romance,” by Rita Clay Estrada & Rita Gallagher
“On Writing Romance” & “Creating Romantic Characters,” by Leigh Michaels
“The Romance Writer’s Handbook,” by Rebecca Vinyard
“Will Write for Shoes” how to write a chick lit novel, by Cathy Yardley
Writers’ Workshops
Sept 19-21. SeaScape “Escape to Write” Writers Retreat in Madison, CT. Instructors are: authors Hallie Ephron, S.W. Hubbard & Roberta Isleib. www.robertaisleib.com/seascape.html
Oct 22-27. Tomales Bay Writers’ Workshops, UC Davis Creative Writing Program. Keynote speaker, Jane Smiley. www.extension.ucdavis.edu/arts
Ongoing. Split Rock Arts Program, Online Mentoring for Writers—from the University of Minnesota. Starts with a $150 groundwork session in which you choose an individual mentor to work with for up to nine hours. www.cce.unm.edu/mentoring/
Writers Contests. Deadline is postmark date unless otherwise noted.
Aug 31—Family Circle Magazine. www.familycircle.com
Aug 31—2008 Midnight Hour Halloween Fiction. www.oncewritten.com/contests/ fictioncontest.php
Sept 5—SiWC Writing Contest. Surrey International Writers’ Conf., Canada siwc.ca/contest/index/php
Sept 15—Hillerman Mystery Short Story Contest $1500 prize + mag. pub., Cowboys & Indians. www.hillermanconference.com/
Nov 1—Pikes Peak Writers Conf.-Contest for unpublished writers. www.ppwc.net
Jan 2, 2009—San Francisco Writers’ Conf. Contest. Submit synopsis & first novel chapter. www.sfwriters.org
Upcoming conferences.
Aug 29-Sept 1 Maui Writers Conf. & Retreat www.mauiwriters.com
Sept 4-7 Orcas Island Writers Festival, San Juan Islands, WA www.orcasislandwritersfestival.com
Sept 5-7 East of Eden Writers Conf., Salinas, CA www.southbaywriters.org
Sept 12-14 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Colorado Gold Writers’ Conf. in Idaho Falls, ID. www.rmfw.org/
Sept 26-27 Idaho Writers League Conf., Boise ID www.idahowritersleague.com
Sept 26-28 So. California Writers’ Conf. in Irvine www.writersconference.com/la/
Oct 3-6 Write on the Sound, Edmonds, WA www.ci.edmonds.was.us/ArtsCommission/wots.stm
Oct 9-12 Bouchercon in Baltimore, “Charmed to Death.” www.charmedtodeath.com
Oct 10-12 Seattle Romance Writers present, “Emerald City Writers’ Conf., Seattle, WA gsrwa.org/emerald_city_con/
Oct 24-26 Women Writing the West, Austin, TX www.womenwritingthewest.org/
Nov 5-9 Tony Hillerman Writers’ Conf., “Focus on Mystery,” Albuquerque, NM www.hillermanconference.com
Nov 14-16 Crimebake, “Playbook for Murder,” co-sponsored by SinC & Mystery Writers of America, Denham, MA www.mwane.org/crimebake/
Preditors & Editors. An invaluable writer’s resource.www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/perating.htm
For more conference listings see:
www.sistersincrime.org/events/ AND www.mysterywriters.org/?q=mwaevents
Classes:
Send information regarding upcoming classes to Webmaster.