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Serving all writers since 1948 |
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WWA...NewsBrief
What You Need to Know for August 2020 Wisconsin Writers Association |
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Hey {Contact_First_Name},Happy August!
Check out what the Wisconsin Writers Association has been up to this month!
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Editors Note: The WWA NewsBrief is about member accomplishments, writing
events, and contests. It is delivered at the end of each month. If you have news for the September issue please send it to the editor, by August 20th. Thank you. |
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Housekeeping:
Access Links: To access web links inserted in this NewsBrief, click on blue text to jump to the referenced web link.
To download and print a copy of this NewsBrief, CLICK HERE.
Adobe Reader needed to view PDF materials Free DOWNLOAD |
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WWA Website News: Send all requests for website changes, corrections,
routine updates, and questions associated with the WWA website to Director of Operations, Julia Nusbaum jnusbaum11@gmail.com. |
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Share
your pride in WWA membership and promote the organization at the same
time! Download badges to include in your email signature and other
areas where you want to tell the world about your associations. Visit
the WWA website to download your badge.
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Paid a visit to the WWA website, yet? You'll find tons of great information for writers. Check out the "Helpful Articles for Writers" page for a valuable list of resources from industry experts. |
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Website Refresh We've got a great public
website! Have you
noticed? Check it out at: wiwrite.org
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WWA President’s Message
July 20, 2020
End of July, early August. Summertime and the writin’ is easy.
Well, your mileage may vary.
This summer isn’t just another summer. It’s a strange season of unease, anger, fear, weird social distance, maybe stormy freak outs and bleak blues. But once in a while out of nowhere, calm and contentment somehow sneaks up on every one of us…at least sometimes, doesn’t it? There’s some hope, yes?
You produce a paragraph. Your internal editor quietly nods and you say to yourself, “That’s pretty good. No, it’s really good. Yes.” And then you’re in a groove. Then…
How about a short getaway, nothing fancy, just a small vacation? C’mon, it’s summer!
Just in from the WWA Reality Desk, a reminder: “A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.”
French playwright Eugene Ionesco said that. And we all know it. Ionesco remains among the most important dramatists of the 20th century. He inspired a revolution in dramatic techniques.
So, I suggest that we all inspire our own revolution. Visit that place in the mind where your characters live and love, where your memoir rises, where your poetry burns.
Even if we’re not in the South of France or the rocky coast of Maine or the Dells or Door County, it is our writerly duty to cause a revolution on the page, a revolution in our minds.
Go ahead. Write something, anything. Or think about writing. It’s good for you. And us.
And a couple newsy bits – WWA’s Fall Conference is all-virtual, coming October 3. It’ll be fabulous – and this year, since it’s online – everybody can make it! Nobody has to drive to the other end of the state. Watch this space.
Also, the winners of the 2020 Jade Ring have just been announced!! Check the website. WWA’s Facebook or LinkedIn pages. It was a great Jade Ring year.
Stay in touch. And keep on writing.
Barry |
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Exciting News for the WWA
WWA Annual Fall Conference Going Online
In response to the continuing pandemic, the Wisconsin Writers Association is now shifting the event, originally planned for October 3 in Madison, to an all online format. Details will be announced in the weeks ahead. Jade Ring Winners Announced WWA is pleased to announce the winners of our Jade Ring Contest. Winners will be honored during a virtual event this fall. Watch the website for details. And be sure to check out all of the winners on our contest page. |
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Ready to be a Member of the Board? WWA, a registered 501(c)3, is managed by a Board of Directors. Board members focus on policy and the goals of the mission to support Wisconsin writers as they achieve their own writing goals. If interested, contact Barry Wightman, barrywightman9@gmail.com. Not ready for the board, consider other volunteer opportunities. Next Board Meeting August 5, 2020; 10:30 am conference call. Members are welcome to join as observers. For more information, contact Kymberley Pekrul. |
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WWA Business Membership Available: Promote your writing-related service business. Just $35 one-year annual membership for individuals who own/operate a business that provides related writing services may join WWA and secure a listing on the Business Member Profile Directory page of the WWA website.
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Looking for more Coffee Chat and Happy Hour Open Mics? Stay tuned! Watch your emails or visit our website for coming dates! |
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Promote and Support Wisconsin Authors!
Order Your Copy of the WWA Creative Wisconsin Anthology Today!
Order online: WWA Shop or by mail: send a $10 check to Kymberley Pekrul, W1347 Pit Road, Mount Calvary, WI 53057-9508 (please include the address to which to send the copy sent. |
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The 2019 Wisconsin Creative Anthology will soon be available through Amazon. Stay tuned on our website or through email for details. As soon as they are available, we'll let you know! |
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Writing Quote of the Month:
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet,
then you must write it.” ~ Toni Morrison |
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Contests and Submission Opportunities
The Master Review Summer Short Story Contest
The Summer Short Story Award for New Writers runs from July 1st to August 30th. The winning story will be awarded $3000 and publication online. Second and third place stories will be awarded publication and $300 and $200 respectively. All winners and honorable mentions will receive agency review by: Nat Sobel from Sobel Weber, Victoria Cappello from The Bent Agency, Andrea Morrison from Writers House, Sarah Fuentes from Fletcher & Company, Heather Schroder from Compass Talent, and Siohban McBride from Carnicelli Literary Management. We want you to succeed, and we want your writing to be read. It’s been our mission to support emerging writers since day one. Check out their website for details.
Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets
Community and Connection Anthology. Seeking poems in any form & style, narrative or lyric, serious or humorous, reflecting our lived experience during this time of social distancing. The purpose of the anthology is to give voice to the fears and frustrations, as well as the gratitude and hope felt as we adjust to isolation and search for community. Check their website for all the details.
MotherWell
Features personal essays and perspective pieces on motherhood. They pay $50 per post. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Mommyish
Focuses on the realities of parenting. They publish listicles, humor, and clickbait. They are accepting applications for regular bloggers. To apply, contact their editor here.
Romper
A website for millennial moms. They are “looking to a) explore facets of parenthood that may yet be unaddressed by the media, and b) ruminate deeply on The Great British Baking Show.” They accept pitches for essays and reported pieces of 800 to 2,000 words. According to one payment report, they paid $150 for a profile or interview of about 1,000 words. To learn more, refer to this page.
Flash Fiction Magazine Pays $40 for stories selected to be in Flash Fiction Magazine anthologies, but does not pay for stories published on their website. They accept fiction stories between 300–1,000 words. Read Flash Fiction Magazine to see the stories they have paid for. The award is $1,000. Visit their website for details.
Minds on Fire Open Book Prize Pays $1,000 and 30 copies to winning poet. $25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline October 30, 2020. All manuscripts welcome, be they first books or last books. Previously unpublished manuscripts of 48-90 pages should be submitted through their Submittable page. The winning poet will receive $1,000 and 30 author copies. Visit their website for more details.
For more opportunities visit our contest page on the WWA website!
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Member Book Reviews!
This month we are pleased to shared our talented treasurer, Joanne Nelson’s, poignant memoir about life with an alcoholic parent. “Joanne Nelson goes deep in the gut to reveal truth and honesty like few other authors I’ve read,” reviewer Bill Mathis says. This is How We Leave, by Joanne Nelson Memoir, 180 pages Published August 11, 2020, Vine Leaves Press Throwing out her mother’s empty booze bottles found in the breezeway attic, eating a sandwich at her deathbed, and recalling how well her mother danced only hint at the gamut of emotions and truth so elegantly expressed by Joanne Nelson in her memoir This is How We Leave. There are many ways to leave relationships: leave a note and walk out; meander away and never return; drink enough that one’s children don’t want to be around them; drink oneself to an early death; or experiment with risky practices trying to kill the pain. The bottom line, however, is that you can never truly leave family. In one manner or another, family is always with you. The times you leave and come back, how you cope with the loss—those missed opportunities—and how you make sense of the leaving is what I gained from this excellent book. Read the full review here: https://wiwrite.org/book-reviews/9087295 Thank you again to our dedicated team of book reviewers. If you’re interested in becoming a reviewer or would like to see a review of a WWA member book, please check the guidelines under the Blog-Book Reviews tab at https://wiwrite.org/book-reviews or email me, lisalickel@yahoo.com
Purchase the book here. |
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Member News:
Got News? Send your member news by the 20th of each month for inclusion in the upcoming month’s WWA NewsBrief issue. Send to the editor, bjm.writer@gmail.com.
2020 Youth Camps at Red Oak Writing
A week for young people who love to write and to write together! Each week is a stand-alone session, but some campers attend both weeks for their age group because they love it so much. All Camps will meet online using Zoom
For writers entering grades 6-8, openings for August 3-7
For writers entering grades 9-12, openings for July 20-24 and July 27-31
For details. visit Red Oak Writing
Through the generosity of our friends, a small fund to assist young writers may be available. To learn more, click here.
Wisconsin Poet Featured in New Exhibit Author Gwendolen Haste, former Superior, WI resident, featured at Montana Western Heritage Center "Saints and Sinners" exhibit honors ten exceptional women of the West from a century ago.
Gwendolen Haste, winner of The Nation Poetry Prize in 1922, and former Superior, WI resident, is being honored by the Western Heritage Center, Billings, Montana. Haste moved to Montana over a century ago, and became a famed feminist writer of the American West, eventually relocating in NYC. Gwendolen's works are featured in the "Saints and Sinners" exhibit recognizing ten exceptional women of the Montana West, including Calamity Jane.
Montana Poet Laureate emeritus and University of Montana professor, Tami Haaland, reads from author Gwendolen Haste's collected works at the FB link below.
Watch and hear WHC reading of Gwendolen Haste's work by Tami Haaland here.
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Novel-in-Progress Book Camp and Writing Retreat
We are excited to announce the 2021 dates, May 23-29! Early registration is open now through February 1, 2021. For more information about the retreat, visit the Novel In Progress website. |
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Announcements from our WWA Friends:
WWA
provides a monthly listing of non-sponsored, non-affiliate
opportunities for its membership community. WWA shares this information
solely as a service to its members. |
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UPCOMING CLASSES, CONFERENCES, RETREATS, WORKSHOPS & WRITING FESTIVALS |
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Fall workshops from UW-Madison Continuing Studies:
Writers' Institute Workshop: Enrich Your Novel's Concept, Character, and Plot, w. Ryan Campbell (aka author rr Campbell). This in-person forum with critiques helps you ready your manuscript for the marketplace. 5 meetings, Thu, Oct 15-Nov 12, 1-3:30 p.m. Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., Madison. Fee: $200
Writers' Institute Workshop: Synopsis Boot Camp, w. Angela Rydell. Training and feedback via three weekly assignment posts and closed-group Facebook discussions clarify your protagonist's core conflict, and help you choose characters to include, identify essential plot points, use compelling language, and capture momentum. Sun-Sat, Oct 11-31, Fee: $145
Writers' Institute Workshop: Enticing Openings: 10 Hooks in 10 Days, w. Angela Rydell. For fiction and nonfiction writers. First sentence, paragraph, and page deserve careful crafting. Topics: captivating characters & conflict, glorious language, double-duty dialogue, irresistible voice. Includes guidebook and sharing your openers. Online via Facebook closed group and email during Nov 11-20. Fee: $125 Visit the UW-Madison Continuing Studies to learn how to register for your class. |
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Subscribe to Masters Review
Find contests and other writing opportunities. Masters Review offers a quality platform for emerging writers. Click here for details.
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Writers Groups Writing is a solitary endeavor, but we can learn so much from fellow writers, sharing our works, listening to others share theirs improves our writing. Do you know of writers groups in your area that welcome new members? Share them with us, send your information to Julia, jnusbaum11@gmail.com The Kenosha Writers Guild meets at the beautiful Carthage College on the shores of Lake Michigan. See videos of members and their success and upcoming events at Kenosha Writers Guild.
Lake Geneva writing group meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 1-3 pm at the Lake Geneva Public Library. For more information, contact Rachel at rachel.strehlow@lakegeneva.lib.wi.us
Monthly Poetry Readings First Tuesday of each month at Suzy's Steakhouse in Portage WI; 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The group extends an invitation to Wisconsin Writers to attend or to request an opportunity to be a Featured Poet. The goal for each month is to have one male and one female Featured Poet and time for Open Mic. Contact June Paul at jungpaul@gmail.com to learn about current openings. |
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Networking Opportunities:
Did you know that WWA is On Meetup? Yep, we’ve been on Meetup since November 2018. What’s Meetup, you ask? It’s a new way for Wisconsin Writers to connect with writing groups and events around the state! Connect through Meetup with other writers you know from all over Wisconsin, learn about writing-related events that happen everywhere! WWA now has 210 Meetup members! Meetup is a great member benefit coordinated by board member Adrienne Hulburt who regularly adds new conferences, events, and interesting writer events and anything else that gets thrown her way onto the WWA Meetup events calendar. Follow the link below to join WWA’s, Meetup Page! https://www.meetup.com/WisconsinWritersAssociation/ |
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Join the group that supports you throughout Wisconsin!
Become a member here!
You write. Wisconsin writes!
WWA Monthly NewsBrief
___________________________
NewsBrief Editor Julia Nusbaum Please send NewsBrief bits to: jnusbaum11@gmail.com wiwrite.org facebook.com/WIWrite
Copyright © 2020 Wisconsin Writers Association, All rights reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails click the Unsubscribe link that appears below this email. |
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2020 WWA NewsBrief Submission Deadline Calendar:
To help WWA Members and our Partner Groups & Organizations schedule submissions for inclusion in the WWA NewsBrief, we’ve put together a handy Issue/Deadline Reference (see below) for the upcoming year. Feel free to print and keep the reference in a convenient place to schedule your news submissions.
Please note that the November and December NewsBrief is combined into one issue. Also, the January NewsBrief has an earlier December submission deadline to allow for timely distribution to members before Christmas week each year.
- September NewsBrief 2020 - Deadline Thursday, August 20, 2020
- October NewsBrief 2020 - Deadline Sunday, September 20, 2020
- November/December NewsBrief 2020 - Deadline Tuesday, October 20, 2020
- January NewsBrief 2021 - Deadline Wednesday, December 13, 2020
Note: earlier deadline for January submissions
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