The Newstream, February 2009
The NewstreamA Newsletter for the Woodstream Writing Community . . .
. . . Where we share our news with you--and your good news with one another!
www.woodstreamwriters.com
to unsubscribe: remove@woodstreamwriters.com
JOIN US!: Writing Marathon in Altamonte Springs|
PUBLISHED, LAUDED, AND APPLAUDED: Teaching Turning Point in Florida|
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: YOU are Invited to Participate in the Life of Literature|
HOW NOW, BROWN COW?: Two Friends Want to Publish YOUR Fiction!|
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JOIN US!
Woodstream Events and Services
. . . in Altamonte Springs: Writing Marathon!
On Saturday, March 7th, we invite writers at all levels, working in any genre, to join us at our wonderful
writing retreat house in Altamonte Springs for a day-long Writing Marathon where, from 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.,
all writers will be invited to catch a spark from our writing prompts or to feed the flames of their longer
projects-in-progress.
Woodstream Marathon attendee Marge Clauser, former "Write On!" columnist for The DeLand-Deltona Beacon, says,
"The writing marathon was one of the best experiences I've had. At the marathon, I experienced a shift in my mind, spirit,
and writing. When the marathon was over, I wanted to stay in touch with the new possibilities the day had brought
both to my writing and my life."
The cost for the day, $175, includes breakfast, lunch, dinners, snacks, and beverages.
Register with Jamie@WoodstreamWriters.com or 407-644-5163 for more information.
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. . . in Dunedin: The Creative Writing Incubator!
ONE-DAY CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS to be held at
the Dunedin Fine Arts Center on Florida's Beautiful Gulf Coast
In these day-long creative writing workshops, held at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, just north of Saint Petersburg, writers at all levels of experience--and those with none at all!--will find their unique voices emerging as we create in a variety of short literary forms. Together, we will feather our creative nest with memoirs, stories, poems, and essays, all the while, exploring what makes good writing--of any ilk--tick.
Experienced writers, expect to jumpstart a new project or unstick a work-in-progress. Newer writers, expect to amaze yourself at your ability to give (beautiful!) language to your inner stories and thoughts. Each participant will leave our collective nest having hatched at least one fledgling piece--poetry or prose--to develop on his or her own, or, with those birds of a feather, your new writing pals!
Join us for one or both of these stand-alone writing workshops:
9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturdays, March 14th, and April 4th.
Per workshop cost: $135 for DFAC members, $165 for non-members
Contact either DFAC at http://www.dfac.org/ or Jamie@WoodstreamWriters.com to register
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. . . in Maitland: AWA Workshop for Spring!
What to Expect
Guided by Central Florida's first Amherst Writers & Artists certified workshop leader, ten to twelve creative writers--at all levels of experience--meet weekly to write and respond to one another's work. Using a "one-room schoolhouse" model, workshop members, acting as peers, share their work and support and affirm one another's strengths and styles.
Creative Writing for Everyone
In AWA workshops, experienced writers are encouraged to grow, to take risks that lead them into new territory. Newer writers discover surprising levels of confidence as they produce vivid poems and stories from the stuff of their own lives and imagination.This workshop is limited to 12 participants. Writers working at any level of experience, in any genre, are welcome!
Cost: $295. Includes one-hour private consultation with workshop leader.
Eight consecutive Monday evenings, 6:30-9 p.m., March 2-April 20.
About her Woodstream Workshop, Pan Macmillan novelist Julie Compton says, "A good writing workshop is a wonderful thing . . . it can motivate you to do more than just put pen to paper. It can help a writer to see potential in things that might have otherwise been delegated to the bottom of the desk drawer . . . Thanks, Jamie!"
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PUBLISHED, LAUDED, and APPLAUDED
Woodstream Writers' Latest Triumphs
The Long of It . . .
1) Woodstream's own poet laureate, Peggy Miller, has a new book of poems, Stone Being, available this spring from Custom Words. Thanks, Peggy, for the beauty you pour into this world.
2) Bennett and West Literary Agency published their own book of hot tips for writers seeking representation. An Agent Speaks is available through www.bennettwestlit.com. Good work, Joan! And thanks for including our input in the final version.
3) Woodstream alum and pal Lara Zielinsky told us that a senior English clas at Newberry High in Newberry, Florida, taught her novel Turning Point as literature in their senior English classes last spring. You can find your own copy of Turning Point, which has been awarded the2007 Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Award Winner and was a 2008 Golden Crown Literary Society Goldie Finalist at http://www.lzfiction.net/mine/tpexcerpt.php
4) Happy news from Robyn Weinbaum who, with her partner Gene Hodes, won a 2008 Royal Palm Honorable Mention in the Thriller category for Mastermind. Read more about it at Robyn and Gene's site, www.52782.authorworld.com.
5) Julie Compton's Tell No Lies received a great review from Jay Boyar in Orlando Magazine. Mr. Boyar's verdict: "Suspenseful and
genuinely sexy." Also, an article Julie wrote about the Amherst Writers & Artists method--and how it helped her finish Tell No Lies--
was in the the January issue of The Writer Magazine. Make sure to visit Julie's new website (nice pic, Julie!) at
www.julie-compton.com.
. . . The Short of It
1) Tuesday Night BookWriter Gerry Wolfson-Grande's new short story, "Not a Good Night at Ford's," won Pulse Magazine’s recent short story contest and was published in the January 2009 issue. A standing ovation to you, Ms. W-G!
2) Ms. Pati Anderson's short story "Zen and the Art of Lawn Maintenance," recently ran in GreenPrints. Great story, glad to see it in print of any color!!
3) In addition to her good book news, Lara Zielinsky's short story "Les Triumphante" was published in Ultimate Lesbian Erotica 2009, from Alyson Books. Look for it under ISBN: 1593500912
Poems, Poets, and Performances
1) Sally "Coyote" Compton (Julie's younger daughter!) wrote a poem titled "Piano," which was a winning entry in Seminole County Library's Teen Read Fest 2008! Prize money was awarded, and Sally attended the awards ceremony where she read the poem aloud--and on television! Congratulations, Sally. Remember us kindly.
2) Russ Golata's O-town's go-to poetry guy had his poem "11/5/08: This New Day" published in Fieralingue, a multilingual poetry journal. Nice title, Russ, and good work!
1) Our darling Mary K "Sci Fi" Swanson has started a beautiful blog that includes writing prompts for those of you looking for
a new literary playground. Visit Writing Wench and say "Hey!" to MK from us! http://writingwench.blogspot.com/
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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Invitations to Participate in the Life of Literature
1) Terri Chastain reminds us that the Adult Literacy League (ALL), simply and quietly makes a difference in the lives of
real people every day. Nationally, one out of seven adults cannot read at a functionally literate level. How can you help? Attend
Reading Between the Wines, an event that benefits ALL, and features wine, hors d'oeuvres, and a silent auction--and this
year, you'll hear from best selling author Michael Connelly whose latest book, The Brass Verdict, was #1 on the NY Times'
best seller's list and Central Florida's own author and humorist Bob Morris.
Pony on up, Thursday, April 23, at 6:00 p.m.at the Orlando Marriott Downtown. Ticket information is available at www.adultliteracyleague.org in the "Events" section.
To participate you must volunteer to mail one copy of one poetry book that you have written to one other person participating. In exchange, you will receive in the mail one copy of one poetry book written by another participating poet. Get all the details at http://PoetrySuperHighway.com/
3) And if a whole book is too dear, how about a single poem? A postcard poem! Participate in the 2009 Poetry Postcard Project and soon you'll find poetic postcards in your mailbox among all your bills and advertisements.
Go to http://ConcreteWolf.com/perennial to register; e-mail Lana.ayers@yahoo.com with questions.
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HOW NOW, BROWN COW?
Publishing Information, Tips, and Opportunities
1) Two Friends Publishing has just posted the guidelines for their ninth anthology. This, a fiction collection, is titled Flights of Fantasy. Guidelines are listed at www.twofriendspublishing.com. Writers chosen for their Honors Page receive monetary awards. Both poetry and short short stories are accepted for consideration.
2 ) And thanks to MK Swanson for this: Announcing the of SFZine.org, a weekly Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror podcast set to begin broadcasting in thefirst half of 2009. They are seeking short fiction (up to 10,000 words) as well as reviews, commentary and non-fiction articles of a scientific or entertainment industry-related nature. They prefer not to rebroadcast fiction that has already been published in audio on another fiction podcast.Visit SFZine.org or WeirdSF.com for more information.
3) Split This Rock 2009 Poetry Contest will be judged by National Book Award finalist Patricia Smith. Submissions should be in the spirit of Split This Rock: socially engaged poems, poems that reach beyond the self to connect with the larger community or world; poems of provocation and witness. First place $500; 2nd and 3rd place, $250 each. Winning poems will be published on www.SplitThisRock.org, and the 1st-place winner will be invited to read winning poem at Split This Rock Poetry Festival, 2010.
Deadline: March 9, 2009 (postmark). Benefits Split This Rock Poetry Festival, Washington, DC, March 10-13, 2010.
For more details, contact info@splitthisrock.org.
Thanks to Russ Golata for keeping us in the finger-snapping know!
4) The seventh annual ukiaHaiku Festival welcomes submissions of poems by poets of all ages by Friday, March 13. For guidelines on how to write haiku, to read winning poems from years past, and to learn about the available categories and submission methods, go to www.ukiahaiku.org.
Teachers who wish to invite a poet into their classroom to guide students in writing haiku should contact Ukiah's Poet Laureate David Smith-Ferri at smithferri@pacific.net.
P.S. For those who haven't noticed, "Ukiah" spells "Haiku" backwards!
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Remember to let us know what's news . . . and keep up the good work!
Jamie Morris
Woodstream Writers