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WORDS OUT OF THE FLATLANDS ANTHOLOGY

Did you miss the May reading of the 2008 Words Out of the Flatlands anthology? You can still buy a copy at Watermark Books or at our next meeting. And check out the list of winners whose work appears in the book.

Check the blog
Don't forget to visit our blog for the latest news from KWA, announcements, news and musings for writings, and more. It's also our place to talk amongst ourselves about writing, writers, KWA -- whatever you like.

KWA Newsletters

2008
2007

July 2008

In this issue:

  • Enter the 2008 KWA Contest -- or become a volunteer!
  • Speaking in tongues: The joy of a large vocabulary
  • The right use of and
  • Book drive is coming
  • Contests, markets, and more!

Submit your news and contributions to Seti at newsletter@kwawriters.org

June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008


Program Calendar

2008 KWA Calendar of Events

Monthly meetings are from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Rockwell Library. All members are welcome at KWA Board Meetings; if you are interested, please attend.

Aug. 16 - Screenwriting -- with special guest Elizabeth (E.A.) Stevens
Sept. 20 - All about agents & editors
Oct. 18 - Memoirs or young adult fiction
Nov. 15 - Freelance writing
Dec. 14 - Christmas Party and Awards Banquet at the Shadow!

 

Member News

Dr. Bill DeArmond, Professor of Mass Communication and Film at Southwestern College, has had his poem "Staring Into the Abyss" accepted for publication by Midnight Street, a British magazine. It is his first international outlet.

BD (Bonnie) Tharp writes monthly for Women's Focus and Active Aging magazines, so watch for her byline.

BD Tharp's article was awarded first place by the Kansas Professional Communicators (KPC) and was then submitted for the national competition sponsored by the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW). She doesn't know the results of that yet, but says that it's kinda cool to break out of the city level to state and now national. No prizes, but it looks good on the résumé.

Jennifer Sparlin's short travel article, "RVing With Grandpa," was published in the June 8, 2008, issue of The Wichita Eagle.

Starla Criser, writing as Starla Kay, would like to announce the June release of her ebook Executive Decision with Red Rose Publishing.

Have something published? Have a very kind rejection? Be sure to let us know! Email Seti at newsletter@kwawriters.org


Critique Groups

Finding Our Voices

Finding Our Voices online critique group is looking for members who wish to join. This group is for anyone trying something new. Maybe you are new to writing or perhaps trying a different genre. Fiction and non-fiction welcome. For more information email Sara.Huter@intrustbank.com.

Quill to Computer Guild

The Quill to Computer Guild has changed its meeting night to Tuesday evening. We are a critique group for beginning writers and interested in all genres of work. We will review anything from punctuation to plot to story flow.

We meet at Borders, 1715 N. Rock Road at 7 p.m. in the coffee shop area. We are very informal and often discuss a wide variety of topics. Let us know if you plan on attending the first time so the time and place can be verified with you. For more information, contact Linda Graves 945-5535, info@sgdrugfree.com or John Cleaver 263-0084, trapshot88@sbcglobal.net.

Do you write poetry?

Some KWA members are looking for a new poetry critique group. If you write poetry and are interested, contact Colleen at ckjohnston@aol.com. There is no particular date or hour set for meeting, so make your preferences known. This group is not for those with no experience in poetry at all.


Contests
(Chronological by deadline)

MULTI-CATEGORY

Bellevue Literary Review Prizes in Poetry and Prose of $1,000 each are given annually to a poet, fiction writer, and creative nonfiction writer for works about health, healing, illness, the body, and the mind. Online submissions are encouraged.
• Poetry: Submit up to three poems, totaling no more then five pages.
• Fiction: Submit up to 5,000 words of prose.
Entry fee: $15 ($20 includes one-year subscription)
Deadline: August 1, 2008
Bellvue Literary Review
Prizes in Poetry and Prose
New York University School of Medicine
550 First Avenue, OBV-A612
New York, NY 100160
www.blreview.org


POETRY

Kore Press First Book Award is open for women poets who have not published a book-length poetry collection. Submit a poetry manuscript of 48 to 708 pages.
Entry fee: $20
Deadline: July 31, 2008
Kore Press First Book Award
P.O. Box 43927
Tucson, AZ 85702-3044
(520) 629-9752
kore@korepress.org
www.korepress.org


The Rattle Poetry Prize
of $5,000 is given for four poems of any length.
Entry fee: none
Postmark Deadline: August 1, 2008
www.rattle.com


APR/Honickman First Book Prize offers an award of $3,000 and publication. Visit www.aprweb.org for details and complete submission guidelines.
Entry fee: $25
Postmark deadline: between August 1 and October 31, 2008
APR/Honickman First Book Prize
The American Poetry Review
1700 Sansom Street, Suite 800
Philadelphia, PA 19103-5214


Camber Press Poetry Chapbook
Award prize of $1,000 and publication is given for a chapbook-length poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 16 to 24 pages.
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: August 15, 2008
Camber Press
Poetry Chapbook Award
1160 Midland Avenue, Suite 3F
Bronxville, NY 10708
info@camberpress.com
www.camberpress.com


The Philip Levine Prize in Poetry awards $1,500 and publication. Submit from 48 to 80 pages, one poem/page.
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: September 30, 2008
Philip Levine Prize in Poetry
CSUF English Department
5245 N. Backer Ave., MS PB98
Fresno, CA 93740-8001
connieh@csufresno.edu


Astounding Beauty Ruffian Press
Second Annual Poetry Award is $1,000 and publication. Submit 20 pages of original poetry.
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: Open June 1-September 30, 2008.
Guidelines at home.earthlink.net/~astoundingbeautyruffianpress
Ruffian Press
2155 Elk Creek Road
Stuart, Virginia 24171


SHORT STORIES & NOVELS

Opium Magazine Shya Scanlon Prose Award of $1,000 and publication will be given for a story or prose poem of seven lines.
Entry fee: $10
Deadline: July 23, 2008
www.opiummagazine.com


The First Person Story Contest offers a top prize of $3,000 and is open to both fiction and nonfiction entries. The Narrative Prize has a $4,000 award for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by new and emerging writers.
Entry fee: none
Deadline: July 31, 2008
www.narrativemagazine.com University of North Texas Press


Wordstock Short Fiction Competition offers $1,000 and publication. Submit a story between 1,500 and 4,000 words.
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: July 31, 2008
www.wordstockfestival.com


Glimmer Train Press Family Matters Short Story Award of $1,200 and publication. Online submissions encouraged. Submit a story of 1,200 to 12,000 words.
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: July 31, 2008
Glimmer Train Press Very Short Fiction Award of $1,200 and publication. Submit a short story of up to 3,000 words.
Entry fee: $15
Deadline: August 31, 2008
Glimmer Train Press
1211 NW Glisan Street, Suite 207
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 221-0836
www.glimmertrain.org


Lace and Blade is accepting submissions for its second anthology of "elegant, sensual, romantic fantasy, emphasizing sharp verbal repartee as much as sharp pointed weapons, rapier rather than broadsword." Editor Deborah J. Ross is interested in characters with vibrant personalities who are complex, dashing, and very sexy. She is particularly interested in stories that have magic and action, but in which conflict is resolved not by violence but by insight, creativity, and compassion. She'd love to see "win-win" endings, sense-of-wonder, plot twists and turnabout. Alternate sexuality is welcome; eroticism a definite plus; and exotic, non-Western European settings are also encouraged. Please read the first volume to see what she is looking for. There are no minimum or maximum lengths, though Ross says longer stories must be "extraordinary." Ross will pay a 2 cents a word advance against royalties. The book will be released Valentine's Day, 2009.
Deadline: August 1, 2008
www.norilana.com/norilana-lbguidelines.htm


Gival Press Short Story Award offers $1,000 and publication on the press' Web Site and in an anthology of short fiction. Submit a story of 5,000 to 15,000 words.
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: August 8, 2008
Gival Press Short Story Award
P.O. Box 3812
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 351-0079
givalpress@yahoo.com
www.givalpress.com


Katherine Anne Porter Prize of $1,000 and publication is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 200 pages.
Entry fee: $25
Deadline: August 29, 2008
University of North Texas Press
Katherine Anne Porter Prize
Department of English
University of North Texas
203 Carlisle Hall
P.O. Box 19035
Arlington, TX 76019
web3.unt.edu/untpress/contest.cfm


University of Southern California Fiction Prize
First Prize of $1,000 and publication will be given for a short story. Submit a story of up to 8,000 words.
Entry fee: $10 (includes an issue)
Deadline: August 31, 2008
Master of Professional Writing
Southern California Review
3501 Trousdale Parkway
Mark Taper Hall, THH 355J
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0355
(213) 740-3253
www.usc.edu/scr


Operation First Novel Contest
Tyndale House is offering $20,000 and publication for the next new voice in Christian fiction.
Deadline: Oct. 1 (must join Christian Writers Guild by Sept. 17 to be eligible).
www.christianwritersguild.com/contest.asp


Pulitzer Prizes
Given for a work of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry published in the United States during the preceding year. Submit four copies of the book and an author bio.
Entry fee: $50
Deadlines: Oct. 15 for works published in the second half of the year.
Pulitzer Prizes
Prizes in Letters
709 Journalism Building
2950 Broadway, MC 3865
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
(212) 854-3841
www.pulitzer.org


Conferences
and
Workshops

June 8-July 25: Iowa Summer Writing Festival, The University of Iowa
The Festival, a short-term, noncredit writing program for adults, offers 130 workshops across the genres, including novels, short fiction, poetry, essay, memoir, humor, travel, playwriting, writing for children, and more. There are no requirements beyond the desire to write. Open to writers 21 and over. Weeklong workshops are $500-$525. Weekend workshops are $250. Housing is available in local hotels and B & B's. For a complete catalog, contact:
Iowa Summer Writing Festival
C215 Seashore Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1402
Phone: (319) 335-4160
www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/iswfest


June-July: Summer Retreat in Idyllwild, California
Poetry, non-fiction, fiction, memoir and screenwriting workshops. Poetry is July 13-19, and features Ted Kooser & Natasha Trethewey. There will be workshops, master classes, readings, and a poetry festival. Visit www.idyllwildarts.org for details.


August 13-16: Art and Craft: The Northwestern Summer Writers Conference, Evanston, Illinois
Choose from seminars, workshops, readings, master classes, and manuscript consultations. Visit www.northwestern.edu/summer
(847) 491-3458


September 12-13: The Kentucky Women Writers' Conference, The University of Kentucky in Lexington
Featured speakers will include Joyce Carol Oates, Natasha Trethewey, Malin Alegria, Laura Benedict, Debra Marquart, Jennifer Sahn, Samantha Thornhill, and Lisa Williams. Topics will cover poetry, fiction, spoken word, creative nonfiction, memoir, environmental and travel writing, and young adult literature. Cost is $120 before August 1. Register at www.uky.edu/wwk.
(859) 257-2874

 

 

 

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