July 2022

Media Contact: 

Debra R. King 

drkingwrites@gmail.com 

(715) 718-4445 

The Wisconsin Writers Association Presents 

The Craft of Writing: Celebrating Northland Diversity & Nature 

For the first time in its 74-year history, the Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA) will hold its annual fall conference in Superior, WI, where participants can steep themselves in inspiration for their writing informed by the natural beauty of the state’s Northland lakes, forests, history and culture. Attendees will hear from an outstanding roster of award-winning, diverse presenters and panelists in a northern setting that sets the bar for beauty and creative spirit. 

The conference takes place Friday, September 30, 4-8:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 1, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at beautiful Barker’s Island Inn and Conference Center, Superior. Virtual attendance is also an option. 

Chair and WWA Board Member Debra R. King and her team of volunteers that include Lake Superior Writers and St. Croix Writers are delighted at the early enthusiasm expressed for the conference. Seventeen top-shelf authors and trade professionals have heartily agreed to present. Writers from the Midwest and beyond are signing up to learn from the diverse topics and enjoy the venue near Lake Superior’s shore. Prominent leaders from Duluth and Superior have lent statements of support. 

“A much appreciated boost for the conference came from the Morgan Fund at the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation,” King noted. “Due to their generosity and the support of others, we are able to provide a high-level, eclectic program at an affordable cost. In addition, we will include a Friday evening banquet and an entertainment component to which the public is invited. There has been nothing like it in the history of WWA.” 

WWA President Barry Wightman says, “You gotta be there – gather with your fellow writers and build that synergy to spark your next project, or inspire you to complete the work that’s been languishing in your drawer. And DO take advantage of the exceptional early bird pricing before September 1. We expect a substantial crowd and space is limited. We can’t wait to see you there!” 

AGENDA, PRESENTERS, REGISTRATION AND MORE: WWW.WIWRITE.ORG/FALL-CONFERENCE-2022 

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Founded in 1948, Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA) is a vibrant creative community dedicated to the support of writers and authors. WWA sponsors and hosts year-round workshops and events throughout Wisconsin, offering exclusive resources and discounts to more than 500 members. WWA shares its knowledge base and provides members the means to develop their craft, discover resources, expand their networks and build their 

Winners Announced in WWA 2021 Jade Ring Contest

Esteemed judges select winners among nonfiction, fiction and poetry entries 

Milwaukee, Wis., July 22, 2021 – The Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA) is pleased to announce the results of its annual Jade Ring Contest. The contest provides opportunities for writers to submit their work in three genre categories. Owen Aibric, Lora Hyler, and Kathie Giorgio won in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories, respectively. Each will receive the prize of a jade ring and cash, or a cash substitute. All finalists will be honored at a virtual event this fall. 

“We’ve got serious writing talent here in Wisconsin,” said Barry Wightman, WWA President. “This year’s submissions were outstanding, across the board. Our entrants somehow raised the bar, turned up the historically high caliber, the prestige of the Jade Ring contest. It’s wonderful to see.”

Entrants in each of the Jade Ring Writing Contest categories had the opportunity to win first, second, or third place. Three honorable mention finishes were also selected in each category. Winners will be honored at the Jade Ring Writing Contest Virtual Gala in September. The annual WWA fall conference – a hybrid, in-person and virtual event, is scheduled for Saturday, October 9. Details about both events will be announced on the WWA website, newsletter, and in social media.

All Jade Ring Writing Contest finalists will receive cash awards, be published in WWA’s annual Creative Wisconsinliterary journal, and receive a complimentary copy of the journal. Honorable mention finalists receive one-year new or renewed memberships in the WWA. WWA wishes to thank its judges who provided paid critique services to contest entrants.

Erin Celello, Fiction Contest Judge 

Erin Celello is an essayist and author of two novels, Miracle Beach and Learning to Stay (Penguin/NAL). She runs The 5th Semester, a story development program designed to help anyone with a book idea go from inspiration to publication, and teaches creative writing for the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and Drexel University’s MFA program. For more visit The5thSemester.com and ErinCelello.com

Laurie Scheer, Nonfiction Contest Judge 

Laurie Scheer has assisted writers in the entertainment industry and at institutions of higher learning throughout her diverse career. As a professional speaker, she has programmed and appeared at annual writing events nationally and directed the UW-Madison Writers’ Institute conference for over a decade. She has mentored hundreds of writers as they realized their success stories. Laurie has co-founded a writers’ organization dedicated to writing about Nature entitled New Nature Writers. For more visit https://newnaturewriters.com

Margaret Rozga, Poetry Contest Judge 

Margaret Rozga, emeritus professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee – Waukesha campus and 2019-2020 Wisconsin Poet Laureate, has published four books of poetry. Her work has been published recently or is forthcoming in The Progressive, South Florida Poetry Journal, Mom Egg Review and Wisconsin Magazine of History. Her fifth book of poems, Holding My Selves Together: New and Selected Poem is forthcoming from Cornerstone Press in Spring 2021. She co-edited the anthology Through This Door: Wisconsin In Poems (Art Night Books, 2020).

For more visit http://www.margaretrozga.com

Copies of the 2021 Creative Wisconsin literary journal will be available for sale from Amazon in early October. WWA will share detailed information for purchasing the anthology soon.

The Jade Ring Writing Contest will open again in spring of 2022. WWA membership is not required to enter the contest, however, submission fees are reduced for members and the organization offers a discounted membership rate for those who sign up to join when they enter the contest. 

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About Wisconsin Writers Association

Founded in 1948, the Wisconsin Writers Association is a creative community dedicated to the support of writers and authors. WWA sponsors and hosts year-round workshops and events throughout Wisconsin, offering discounts and exclusive resources. We aim to share experiences and knowledge while encouraging our members in their pursuit of this most noble art. Develop your craft. Discover resources. Expand your network. Build your audience. Visit https://wiwrite.org/

• Wisconsin Writers Association Press

  In pursuit of the noble literary art

   

  THE SEARCH IS ON!

   

  ANNOUNCING OUR NEW ADVENTURE, THE WWA PRESS

  www.wiwrite.org/WWA-Press

  In an effort to help writers learn, grow, and publish in the literary field, the Wisconsin Writers Association Press is a traditional, royalty-paying test publishing program that will provide a prestigious place for Wisconsin writers who tell Wisconsin stories. 

• ·      Open to WWA Members for the first year
• ·      Submission period July 1, 2021-December 1, 2021
• ·      Only electronic submissions accepted to submit@wiwrite.org
• ·      Publication: one fiction and one non-fiction book
• ·      Original material only
• ·      Cover letter and first 50 pages according to guidelines on www.wiwrite.org/WWA-Press
• ·      No fees
• ·      Potential publication in fall of 2022

For the pilot program, manuscripts that are well-polished will receive higher consideration The Press is looking for manuscripts that prominently feature Wisconsin in setting, culture, theme, history, contemporary, or future. Tell us something new, or reframe the past in a unique way.

Send us your best work. We look forward to seeing your stories and being your publisher.

Submission guidelines, contact information, and pertinent FAQs can be found on the website page: www.wiwrite.org/WWA-Press

Anyone Can Enter the Jade Ring Writing Contest

But Can Anyone Find the Jade Ring? 

Nonprofit organization offers cash prizes, publication, critiques and an added challenge

Milwaukee, Wis., March 1, 2021 – The Wisconsin Writers Association is pleased to announce the annual Jade Ring Contest is open for submissions with three accomplished judges who will select first-, second-, and third-place winners, with three honorable mentions. Erin Celello, Laurie Scheer, and Margaret Rozga will judge in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, respectively.  

“The Jade Ring Writing Contest has a long and storied history in Wisconsin. Our judges this year are once again a stellar group of accomplished authors from around the state who share the craft of their genres with aspiring authors,” said Barry Wightman, WWA President. “It’s a great time to be competitive – enter the contest and get a critique on your work from our judges for not much money. It’s a great deal.”

Contest winners can earn the coveted jade ring, cash prizes and publication, bolstering their author platform. All Jade Ring Contest finalists and honorable mentions will be published in WWA’s annual Creative Wisconsin Anthology, and receive a complimentary copy of the journal. Contest entrants have the option to request critique feedback by judges for a nominal fee. Read Jade Ring Writing Contest entry details and submit online using this link: https://wiwrite.org/contests

“It’s exciting to be kicking off this year’s writing competition with a statewide challenge – to find the original jade ring that James L. Kraft designed in 1950,” said Wightman. “We invite everyone throughout the state to help us find the jade ring so we can restore history to the state’s oldest writing competition.”

In Search of the Jade Ring

The WWA’s first writing contest began in 1949 when over 1,000 entries in short stories, poems, and plays were submitted. The “jade ring” became the prize in 1950 when James L. Kraft suggested the idea to WWA members he met by happenstance while stopping for lunch near one of his homes in northern Wisconsin. Kraftwood is a sprawling estate that Kraft had built along the edge of Lake Mashkinosiew, 20 miles from his manufacturing plant in Antigo. The 76-year-old founder of Kraft Foods had passions other than pasteurizing cheese. Kraft was an amateur jewelry maker, and it was his suggestion to the WWA members he overheard planning the first-annual writing contest at the diner that serendipitous day, that they allow him to design and donate custom made jade rings for the contest prizes.

Kraft passed away two years later, leaving behind one of the world’s largest food manufacturing companies and a unique and legendary prize for what has become the state’s oldest writing contest. Somewhere along the line, the original jade ring designs were lost when the jeweler either was destroyed or went out of business. The jade ring has undergone at least two transformations since Kraft’s original design went missing. 

To honor the legacy of the Kraft’s jade ring design, the WWA is in search of an original ring, allowing the organization to restore the writing contest prize for what it was meant to be. 

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About Wisconsin Writers Association

Founded in 1948, the Wisconsin Writers Association is a creative community dedicated to the support of writers and authors. WWA sponsors and hosts year-round conferences and events throughout Wisconsin, offering discounts and exclusive resources, sharing experiences and knowledge as it encourages  members in their art. Visit https://wiwrite.org/

Winners Announced in WWA 2020 Jade Ring Contest
Esteemed judges select winners among nonfiction, fiction and poetry entries Milwaukee, Wis.,

July 20, 2020 – The Wisconsin Writers Association is pleased to announce the results of its 74th annual Jade Ring Contest. The contest provides opportunities for writers to submit their work in three genre categories. Jenna Kowaleski, Camilia Cenek, and Yvette Viets Flaten won in fiction, nonfiction and poetry categories, respectively. They will each receive the prized award of a jade ring, or cash substitute. All finalists will be honored at a virtual event this fall.

“Announcing Jade Ring winners is always a pleasure, but this year, of course, it’s different,” said Barry Wightman, WWA President. “Seeing so many writers across the state discovering their own story, their own truth and beauty, I am reminded – writers write – no matter what. We’re good.”

Entrants in each of the Jade Ring Contest categories had the opportunity to win first, second, or third place. Three honorable mention finishes were also selected in each category. Nearly 240 entries were received overall, an increase of over 25% from the record set in 2019. Details about the Jade Ring Contest virtual event, and the annual WWA fall conference scheduled for Saturday, October 3, will be announced on the WWA website soon.

All Jade Ring Contest finalists will receive cash awards, be published in WWA’s annual Creative Wisconsin literary journal, and receive a complimentary copy of the journal. Honorable mention finalists receive one-year new or renewed memberships in the WWA. WWA wishes to thank its judges who provided paid critique services to contest entrants.

Poetry Judge – Dasha Kelly Hamilton has written for national, regional and local magazines; produced three collections of poetry; recorded four spoken word CDs; and published two novels. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has taught writing courses at Mount Mary University, Alverno College and UWMilwaukee. Dasha served as an Arts Envoy for the U.S. Embassy to teach, perform and facilitate community building initiatives in Botswana and the island of Mauritius. A former Artist of the Year for the City of Milwaukee, Dasha was recently named the city’s 11th Poet Laureate. For more visit dashakellly.com

Fiction Judge – r. r. campbell is an author, writing coach, and the founder of the Writescast Network, a podcast collective that's been helping creatives worldwide become more confident in themselves and in their craft since 2016. He is also an instructor for the University of Wisconsin's Continuing Education programs, and his novels and short fiction have reached thousands across the globe. For more visit rrcampbellwrites.com

Nonfiction Judge – BJ Hollars is an author and recipient of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Nonfiction, the Anne B. and James B. McMillan Prize, the Council of Wisconsin Writers' Blei-Derleth Award, and the Society of Midland Authors Award. He is the For information contact: Christine Schultz christine@cschultzwrite.com (262) 939-3436 founder and executive director of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and an associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. For more visit bjhollars.com

Copies of the 2020 Creative Wisconsin literary journal will be available for sale from Amazon in early October.WWA will share detailed information for purchasing the anthology soon.

The Jade Ring Contest will open again in spring of 2021. WWA membership is not required to enter the contest, however, submission fees are reduced for WWA members and the organization offers a discounted membership rate for those who sign up when they enter the contest. 

CARES Act

The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020.  Among other provisions, the bill includes emergency funding for creative sector through National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, expanded unemployment insurance, and SBA loans.  Updated 3-30-30, 1 pm, and with more info as we have it.

CARES Act, final document as of 3/27/2020

Small Business Administration funding: 

• Streamlined application process
• How to apply for SBA funding – three step process
• Updates from SBA

Read more at https://www.artswisconsin.org/actioncenter/cares-act/

Listen here https://writescast.net/2020/02/28/event-isode001

The High School Writing Contest opens February 6 and closes April 30, 2020.

Find contest details and submission form at: https://forms.gle/pkfMQF1JFxLtQui99

2020 High School Writing Contest (002).pdf

WIN CASH PRIZES, PUBLICATION & GAIN VALUABLE FEEDBACK on fiction, nonfiction and poetry work

The Jade Ring Contest opens March 1 and closes June 5, 2020.

Find submission fees, eligibility & manuscript requirements at https://wiwrite.org/contests

Accomplished judges will select first-, second-, and third-place winners, with three honorable mentions.

  

r.r. campbell

Fiction Contest Judge

 

B.J. Hollars

Nonfiction Contest Judge 

Dasha Kelly

Poetry Contest Judge 

Enter WWA’s High School Writing Contest

CASH AWARDS for 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd place winners in fiction & nonfiction.

Open to any junior or senior high school student in Wisconsin

No entry fee. 1,500 word maximum.

The High School Writing Contest opens February 6 and closes April 30, 2020.

Find contest details and submission form at: https://forms.gle/pkfMQF1JFxLtQui99

2020 High School Writing Contest (002).pdf

Wisconsin Writers Association is pleased to announce its new book review service for its members. WWA authors are asked to limit review requests to 1 per year per calendar year. Completed reviews will be posted on the WWA website, and a link to the full review will appear in the monthly news release. Books of most genres except for pornographic or libelous material may be submitted. Not included in this program are individual short stories, poems, or articles that appear on websites or other social media sites, ezines, anthologies, print magazines, or newspapers but we do encourage you to support all of our authors by visiting their blogs and articles. Books of any publication date are acceptable. Self-published material that has been edited by a third party is acceptable.

The review program is offered on a volunteer basis, and a request is not a guarantee of review.

At this time the WWA Book Review Program is a perk of WWA membership. Only WWA members should apply. To join WWA click here https://wiwrite.org/about-wwa-2/join.

Send submissions to request a book review to Lisa Lickel, Book Review Coordinator, lisalickel@yahoo.com and include the following information.

Name of author:

Website:

Author bio (no more than 100 words):

Title of Book:

Genre:

Length:

Date published:

Publisher:

Editor:

Book blurb:

Links of sites to potentially post the review besides the (WWA website).