Nancy Kelly Allen's Blog, page 41
May 21, 2011
Poetry How Do I Know Thee?, part III/Call for Submissions/Contest
Poems that contain figurative language can be fun and even silly, but they still have to make sense. Poems vary in length. Some rhyme; some don't. Either way works. Here are some different types of poems.
Alliterative poem:
Three Grey Geese by Mother Goose
Three grey geese in a green field grazing,
Grey were the geese and green was the grazing.
A Shape Poem, also called a calligram, is written in the shape of the subject matter. A poem about a mountain would be shaped like a mountain. A valentine poem may be shaped like a heart.
"If I…." Poem
Set your imagination to the wind and soar with ideas. Here are a few to try:
"If I were the wind"
"If I were invisible"
"If I could fly"
"If I lived in 1750"
An acrostic poem is formed by writing a word vertically down the page, one letter per line. Each line of the poem is about the subject. Names are a good way to write these poems. Here's an example of one about spring
Sharp chill turns warm
Plants pop out of the ground
Roses bloom
Irises blossom
Nature rules
Growing, flowering, coloring the world
Let your poems tell a story and see where the story takes you. Most of all, have fun with words. Play with them until they sound like music to your ears.
Call for submissions for adult writers:
Past Loves Day Story Contest , 2011. Write your true story of a former sweetheart, in 700 words or less. Awards: $100, $75, $50, Honorable Mention(s). Winning stories will be published in an upcoming anthology. No entry fee. Authors retain all rights.
Deadline: August 17, 2011.
Details: www.ourpastloves.com/contest
Contest for young writers:
THE BIG DIG SCHOLARSHIP . One $3,000 award. Deadline June 1, 2011. Must be currently in
grade 12 and planning on entering college in 2011 or be in your first or second year of college. In 200 years, one of your relatives is going to be digging in your backyard. They will find something you buried in 2011, and it is going to put any financial worries they have to rest. Your job is to decide what to bury. Your goal is to find something that will have immense value in the future. The item must be
currently sold in a story today and cost under $500. The essay must be between 500 and 1,000 words. Be sure to answer all of the following questions in your essay:
1. What is the item you will bury?
2. Where could you purchase the item today?
3. How much does the item cost?
4. What made you choose this item?
5. Why do you believe that the item will have immense value
200 years from now?
Details: http://www.antiquetrader.tv/studentsc...
Alliterative poem:
Three Grey Geese by Mother Goose
Three grey geese in a green field grazing,
Grey were the geese and green was the grazing.
A Shape Poem, also called a calligram, is written in the shape of the subject matter. A poem about a mountain would be shaped like a mountain. A valentine poem may be shaped like a heart.
"If I…." Poem
Set your imagination to the wind and soar with ideas. Here are a few to try:
"If I were the wind"
"If I were invisible"
"If I could fly"
"If I lived in 1750"
An acrostic poem is formed by writing a word vertically down the page, one letter per line. Each line of the poem is about the subject. Names are a good way to write these poems. Here's an example of one about spring
Sharp chill turns warm
Plants pop out of the ground
Roses bloom
Irises blossom
Nature rules
Growing, flowering, coloring the world
Let your poems tell a story and see where the story takes you. Most of all, have fun with words. Play with them until they sound like music to your ears.
Call for submissions for adult writers:
Past Loves Day Story Contest , 2011. Write your true story of a former sweetheart, in 700 words or less. Awards: $100, $75, $50, Honorable Mention(s). Winning stories will be published in an upcoming anthology. No entry fee. Authors retain all rights.
Deadline: August 17, 2011.
Details: www.ourpastloves.com/contest
Contest for young writers:
THE BIG DIG SCHOLARSHIP . One $3,000 award. Deadline June 1, 2011. Must be currently in
grade 12 and planning on entering college in 2011 or be in your first or second year of college. In 200 years, one of your relatives is going to be digging in your backyard. They will find something you buried in 2011, and it is going to put any financial worries they have to rest. Your job is to decide what to bury. Your goal is to find something that will have immense value in the future. The item must be
currently sold in a story today and cost under $500. The essay must be between 500 and 1,000 words. Be sure to answer all of the following questions in your essay:
1. What is the item you will bury?
2. Where could you purchase the item today?
3. How much does the item cost?
4. What made you choose this item?
5. Why do you believe that the item will have immense value
200 years from now?
Details: http://www.antiquetrader.tv/studentsc...
May 15, 2011
Poetry, how do I know thee? Part II/Call for Submissions/Contest
Poets use comparisons, or figurative language, to help readers see common objects in a new way and to add interest, imagery, and meaning to the writing. Figurative language goes beyond the usual meaning of words and provides another suggestion or association.
Metaphors compare two objects without using "like" or "as". My heart is a hammer certainly adds imagery. A friend who has a wonderful sense of humor gave me this imagery-laden metaphor: a caterpillar is an upholstered worm.
Personification is a type of metaphor that makes a comparison by giving human qualities to animals or objects. The wind whistled a shout. The star winked at me.
Hyperbole is often used in poems and tall tales. The exaggerated comparsions are used for emphasis and are sometimes funny. I've told you a billion times not to exaggerate. I'm so tired I could sleep as long as Rip Van Winkle. My cow is so ugly, I had to pay flies to buzz it.
Using figurative language is effective because it makes poetry and creative writing easier to understand and more interesting. Give it a try.
Call for Submissions for adult writers:
The Single Hound , a new on-line literary journal, is accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, & book and film reviews.
Details: http://www.thesinglehound.com/submiss...
Contest for young writers:
COYOTE'S HOWL FOR YOUNG WRITERS. Students aged 9 to 14. Various genres and topics, up to 1,000 words. First deadline August 14, 2011. Enter online. Contest winners receive an autographed copy of "Gift of the Desert Dog", the first book in The Borderlands Trilogy, and a personal letter of congratulations from author Robert Hunton. All qualified entries will be posted on website. Teachers see website to submit class work. Students and adults can rate entries to help in the evaluation process. Final winners chosen by publisher.
Details: http://howl.openbookspress.com/
Next week, I'll discuss a few types of poems.
Metaphors compare two objects without using "like" or "as". My heart is a hammer certainly adds imagery. A friend who has a wonderful sense of humor gave me this imagery-laden metaphor: a caterpillar is an upholstered worm.
Personification is a type of metaphor that makes a comparison by giving human qualities to animals or objects. The wind whistled a shout. The star winked at me.
Hyperbole is often used in poems and tall tales. The exaggerated comparsions are used for emphasis and are sometimes funny. I've told you a billion times not to exaggerate. I'm so tired I could sleep as long as Rip Van Winkle. My cow is so ugly, I had to pay flies to buzz it.
Using figurative language is effective because it makes poetry and creative writing easier to understand and more interesting. Give it a try.
Call for Submissions for adult writers:
The Single Hound , a new on-line literary journal, is accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, & book and film reviews.
Details: http://www.thesinglehound.com/submiss...
Contest for young writers:
COYOTE'S HOWL FOR YOUNG WRITERS. Students aged 9 to 14. Various genres and topics, up to 1,000 words. First deadline August 14, 2011. Enter online. Contest winners receive an autographed copy of "Gift of the Desert Dog", the first book in The Borderlands Trilogy, and a personal letter of congratulations from author Robert Hunton. All qualified entries will be posted on website. Teachers see website to submit class work. Students and adults can rate entries to help in the evaluation process. Final winners chosen by publisher.
Details: http://howl.openbookspress.com/
Next week, I'll discuss a few types of poems.
May 8, 2011
Poetry in Prose/Call for Submissions/Contest
When I write children's picture books, I stick to prose rather than a rhyming text. But, as with poems, I strive to evoke strong visual images or emotions with few words. And, as with poems, if the story line is humorous, I add the punch line at the end to surprise the reader. In these respects, I find that writing picture books and poetry are similar. Writing poetry helps writers become more adept at writing picture books because it teaches us to create vivid mental pictures using few words.
Poetry, how do I know thee? Let me count the ways.
· Economy of words—says a lot in a little with carefully selected words.
· Speaks in a special way by evoking feelings of joy, sadness, surprise, and more.
· Sounds like music to the ear
· Uses imagery to help the reader "see" a mental picture
· Rhythmical patterns
· Incorporates storytelling with a beginning, middle, and end
In order to say a lot with few words, poets make comparisons using similes. Similes use "like" or "as" to compare two different objects. In my book, Happy Birthday the Story of the World's Most Popular Song, I used this simile: Words tripped off her tongue, smoothly as ice cream dripping from a cone on an August afternoon. Words and ice cream seem to be objects of unlikely comparisons until they're used in a simile. These words did more than compare. They evoked the feeling of a hot, steamy day and painted a picture of how words could flow smoothly as ice cream.
Next week we'll look at how poets make comparisons with metaphors, personification, and hyperbole.
Call for submissions for adult writers:
221b Magazine Summer Issue: a short story competition. The best six entries will be included in the next edition of our magazine.
Anyone who submits must first read our terms and conditions:
Deadline: 31st May 2011 Tuesday
Details: http://221bmagazine.co.uk
Contest for young writers:
The Hummingbird Guide is hosting their first Children's Story Contest about hummingbirds. Minimum of 300 words for submission.
· Submit original work written by you.
· Contest open to ages 6 to 12.
· Fill out the "name" box and be sure to include your age.
· Winners will be selected based on visitor comments (favorites).
· Submissions deadline is May 31, 2011.
· Details at http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/kids...
Poetry, how do I know thee? Let me count the ways.
· Economy of words—says a lot in a little with carefully selected words.
· Speaks in a special way by evoking feelings of joy, sadness, surprise, and more.
· Sounds like music to the ear
· Uses imagery to help the reader "see" a mental picture
· Rhythmical patterns
· Incorporates storytelling with a beginning, middle, and end
In order to say a lot with few words, poets make comparisons using similes. Similes use "like" or "as" to compare two different objects. In my book, Happy Birthday the Story of the World's Most Popular Song, I used this simile: Words tripped off her tongue, smoothly as ice cream dripping from a cone on an August afternoon. Words and ice cream seem to be objects of unlikely comparisons until they're used in a simile. These words did more than compare. They evoked the feeling of a hot, steamy day and painted a picture of how words could flow smoothly as ice cream.
Next week we'll look at how poets make comparisons with metaphors, personification, and hyperbole.
Call for submissions for adult writers:
221b Magazine Summer Issue: a short story competition. The best six entries will be included in the next edition of our magazine.
Anyone who submits must first read our terms and conditions:
Deadline: 31st May 2011 Tuesday
Details: http://221bmagazine.co.uk
Contest for young writers:
The Hummingbird Guide is hosting their first Children's Story Contest about hummingbirds. Minimum of 300 words for submission.
· Submit original work written by you.
· Contest open to ages 6 to 12.
· Fill out the "name" box and be sure to include your age.
· Winners will be selected based on visitor comments (favorites).
· Submissions deadline is May 31, 2011.
· Details at http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/kids...
April 30, 2011
Importance of Audience, Part III/Call for Submissions/Contest
This is the conclusion of a three-part series on writing to an audience.
· Middle grade students enjoy short novels and longer nonfiction. Their world is expanding and so are their interests, which include the books they read, from how-to to history, science, biographies, autobiographies, sports, animals, crafts, and jokes. Activity books, word searches, games, crossword puzzles, and magic tricks soothe their curiosity. Fictional characters are complex, lovable, flawed, brave, and show independence. Members of this age group focus inward on themselves as they try to figure out who they are and who they want to become. The narrative should reflect this focus. Middle grade books range from 10,000-45,000 words and up, but most range between those numbers. Books in the Harry Potter series are much longer.
· Young adult novels are for teens. Many of these books are similar to adult novels but are usually shorter and less complex. These books often take on heavier subject matter, such as dating, drugs, and dysfunctional families. The dialog may have swearing and the plot can deal with sex. Books for middle grade and younger don't deal with these issues. The world of teens has gone from the safe world of home and school to the unknown world beyond. Young adult novels are often 30,000 words and up.
· The relationship between a writer and the reader is like a close friendship. The relationship allows both to react emotionally to reveal secrets and share feelings as the characters grow and evolve. Children's audiences offer a wide range of possibilities for writers. Allow the audience to define your writing by focusing on a particular group.
Call for Submissions for adult writers.
Welcome to the Sandstar Review! The SSR is an exclusively online literary magazine dedicated to publishing fresh voices and lyrical, insightful work. Seeks unpublished poetry and prose for its inaugural issue. Send up to 6 poems or 15 pages of prose; cover letter and bio appreciated. Simultaneous submissions accepted upon notification of publication elsewhere. Send all work in one document (poetry or prose; no combined submissions) to sandstar.review@gmail.com. This is our first issue and we need voices.
Details at http://sandstarreview.wordpress.com/s...
Contest for student writers:
INSIGHT WRITING CONTEST
General Short Story - $250, $200 and $150 prizes.
Student Short Story - $250, $200 and $150 prizes.
Student Poetry - $100, $75 and $50 prizes.
Prizewinning entries will be published in Insight.
You must be age 22 or under to enter the student categories.
Your entry must be a true, unpublished work by you, with
a strong spiritual message. We appreciate the use of Bible
texts. Your short story should not be longer than seven
pages. Your poem should not be longer than one page.
Deadline June 1, 2011.
Details at http://www.insightmagazine.org/contes...
· Middle grade students enjoy short novels and longer nonfiction. Their world is expanding and so are their interests, which include the books they read, from how-to to history, science, biographies, autobiographies, sports, animals, crafts, and jokes. Activity books, word searches, games, crossword puzzles, and magic tricks soothe their curiosity. Fictional characters are complex, lovable, flawed, brave, and show independence. Members of this age group focus inward on themselves as they try to figure out who they are and who they want to become. The narrative should reflect this focus. Middle grade books range from 10,000-45,000 words and up, but most range between those numbers. Books in the Harry Potter series are much longer.
· Young adult novels are for teens. Many of these books are similar to adult novels but are usually shorter and less complex. These books often take on heavier subject matter, such as dating, drugs, and dysfunctional families. The dialog may have swearing and the plot can deal with sex. Books for middle grade and younger don't deal with these issues. The world of teens has gone from the safe world of home and school to the unknown world beyond. Young adult novels are often 30,000 words and up.
· The relationship between a writer and the reader is like a close friendship. The relationship allows both to react emotionally to reveal secrets and share feelings as the characters grow and evolve. Children's audiences offer a wide range of possibilities for writers. Allow the audience to define your writing by focusing on a particular group.
Call for Submissions for adult writers.
Welcome to the Sandstar Review! The SSR is an exclusively online literary magazine dedicated to publishing fresh voices and lyrical, insightful work. Seeks unpublished poetry and prose for its inaugural issue. Send up to 6 poems or 15 pages of prose; cover letter and bio appreciated. Simultaneous submissions accepted upon notification of publication elsewhere. Send all work in one document (poetry or prose; no combined submissions) to sandstar.review@gmail.com. This is our first issue and we need voices.
Details at http://sandstarreview.wordpress.com/s...
Contest for student writers:
INSIGHT WRITING CONTEST
General Short Story - $250, $200 and $150 prizes.
Student Short Story - $250, $200 and $150 prizes.
Student Poetry - $100, $75 and $50 prizes.
Prizewinning entries will be published in Insight.
You must be age 22 or under to enter the student categories.
Your entry must be a true, unpublished work by you, with
a strong spiritual message. We appreciate the use of Bible
texts. Your short story should not be longer than seven
pages. Your poem should not be longer than one page.
Deadline June 1, 2011.
Details at http://www.insightmagazine.org/contes...
April 24, 2011
Importance of Audience, Part II/Fiction Contest/Call for Submissions
This week I'm continuing the article of writing for a specific audience.
Primary grade readers love picture books and early readers. Their vocabulary has expanded so they're into more sophisticated storytelling. They love nonfiction as well as fiction and are interested in reading about sports, animals, and the world around them. Humorous books are popular: jokes and main characters that make them laugh. This group also enjoys coloring and activity books. Beginning readers are popular. The sentence structure is shorter than most picture books because the child is reading on his/her own. Fictional picture books are usually less than 1000 words, and many are less than 600 words. Nonfiction books may be longer.
Upper primary grade readers enjoy chapter books, which are longer and more complex than beginning readers. These books have short chapters and cover simple problems of good vs. bad. Common subjects for chapter books deal with friendship, pets, sports, and school. This group wants books that reflect the things that are important and real to them. Most chapter books range up to 10,000 words.
Before you place pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard, consider the age group of your audience. Readers want characters with which they can identify. Make the characters ordinary kids placed in surprising and unexpected circumstances where they display extraordinary behavior.
Next week, I'll focus on middle grade and young adult audiences.
Pockets Annual Fiction Contest (Adult writers) This is a contest for those who write for children 6-12 years of age.
• Please indicate FICTION CONTEST on both the outside envelope and the cover sheet.
• There is no set theme and no entry fee.
• Stories should be 750–1,000 words. (Stories shorter than 750 words or longer than 1,000 words will be disqualified.)
• Stories must be previously unpublished.
• Please include an accurate word count on your cover sheet.
• Multiple submissions are permitted, but please submit only your best work.
• Past winners are ineligible.
• Award: $500 and publication in the magazine.
• Entries with a SASE will be returned.
SEND ALL MANUSCRIPTS WITH SASE TO:
Lynn W. Gilliam, Editor
P. O. Box 340004
Nashville, TN 37203-0004
Deadline: August 15, 2011
Details at http://pockets.upperroom.org/annual-f...
For student writers: Highlights Magazine
Every month, we publish readers' work in Highlights magazine. If
you'd like to send us something to be considered for publication,
we'd love to see it! We welcome your drawings, poems, jokes,
riddles, tongue twisters, stories, science questions, book reviews,
Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!, recipes, craft ideas, letters to
Dear Highlights, and dinosaur drawings, jokes, and questions.
Mail your work to
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431
Details at http://www.highlightskids.com/Express...
Primary grade readers love picture books and early readers. Their vocabulary has expanded so they're into more sophisticated storytelling. They love nonfiction as well as fiction and are interested in reading about sports, animals, and the world around them. Humorous books are popular: jokes and main characters that make them laugh. This group also enjoys coloring and activity books. Beginning readers are popular. The sentence structure is shorter than most picture books because the child is reading on his/her own. Fictional picture books are usually less than 1000 words, and many are less than 600 words. Nonfiction books may be longer.
Upper primary grade readers enjoy chapter books, which are longer and more complex than beginning readers. These books have short chapters and cover simple problems of good vs. bad. Common subjects for chapter books deal with friendship, pets, sports, and school. This group wants books that reflect the things that are important and real to them. Most chapter books range up to 10,000 words.
Before you place pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard, consider the age group of your audience. Readers want characters with which they can identify. Make the characters ordinary kids placed in surprising and unexpected circumstances where they display extraordinary behavior.
Next week, I'll focus on middle grade and young adult audiences.
Pockets Annual Fiction Contest (Adult writers) This is a contest for those who write for children 6-12 years of age.
• Please indicate FICTION CONTEST on both the outside envelope and the cover sheet.
• There is no set theme and no entry fee.
• Stories should be 750–1,000 words. (Stories shorter than 750 words or longer than 1,000 words will be disqualified.)
• Stories must be previously unpublished.
• Please include an accurate word count on your cover sheet.
• Multiple submissions are permitted, but please submit only your best work.
• Past winners are ineligible.
• Award: $500 and publication in the magazine.
• Entries with a SASE will be returned.
SEND ALL MANUSCRIPTS WITH SASE TO:
Lynn W. Gilliam, Editor
P. O. Box 340004
Nashville, TN 37203-0004
Deadline: August 15, 2011
Details at http://pockets.upperroom.org/annual-f...
For student writers: Highlights Magazine
Every month, we publish readers' work in Highlights magazine. If
you'd like to send us something to be considered for publication,
we'd love to see it! We welcome your drawings, poems, jokes,
riddles, tongue twisters, stories, science questions, book reviews,
Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!, recipes, craft ideas, letters to
Dear Highlights, and dinosaur drawings, jokes, and questions.
Mail your work to
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431
Details at http://www.highlightskids.com/Express...
April 17, 2011
The Importance of Audience/Contest/Call for Submissions
The subjects of many of my blogs are based on questions people have asked me. I've heard this question several times: How many words should my children's book contain?
The answer has many variables, but the most important one is audience.
"Children" is a broad concept. In terms of writing a book, authors need to narrow the concept. We want to communicate clearly so the readers will enjoy and understand the information we write. Different writing is appropriate for different age groups. Recognizing the differences help us write to a specific audience.
Before we write the first word, we need to determine the age group of the reader so the child will understand the comprehension and vocabulary levels. The audience becomes the stimulus, or purpose, for writing. Develop a character with which the child can identify. Most kids like to read about characters their same age or slightly older. Boys like to read about male main characters and girls will usually read books with either male or female characters.
Toddlers are concrete learners. They accept information in books at face value. They learn about the world around them by exploring. Concept books with the themes of counting, colors, and objects are appropriate. Bedtime stories and books about family and animals are favorites, as well. They enjoy picture and novelty books (board books, flap books, and pop-up books). Most of these books have few words. Many contain less than 100 and some are wordless.
Next week, I'll continue to discuss the importance of audience and how audience defines writing for older age groups.
Contest for adults:
Write up to 500 words on a subject of your choice. What's getting your goat? Making you think? Making you angry or excited? Put your spin on an important subject or something trivial – anything from Jordan the place to Jordan the model. A news item; a person; something of interest to others; a travel piece. Anything that takes your fancy. It can be in the form of a report, an essay, a comedic piece, a train of thought, an argument – anything that hangs together as a whole piece of work. The usual rules apply, so please read them (ignore the ones about payment rules, obviously).
For this competition there are two extra rules: 1) Give your piece its own title (which must NOT be 'Spring Break'!) and 2) include the title of your piece in the 'subject' line of any email entries.
The only other proviso is that your work must not be defamatory or libellous in any way. Anything that could be considered as such will be disqualified. Otherwise, Happy Writing!
Deadline: April 30, 2011
Details at http://www.brightoncow.co.uk/comps/fr...
Call for submissions for student writers:
Hanging Loose magazine welcomes high school submissions. As with other writers, we reply within three months, and high school authors whose work we publish receive the same small fee and two copies of the issue in which their work appears. We feel a special responsibility to those young writers who look to us not only for possible publication but sometimes also for editorial advice,
which we are always happy to give when asked.
Details at http://www.hangingloosepress.com/subm...
The answer has many variables, but the most important one is audience.
"Children" is a broad concept. In terms of writing a book, authors need to narrow the concept. We want to communicate clearly so the readers will enjoy and understand the information we write. Different writing is appropriate for different age groups. Recognizing the differences help us write to a specific audience.
Before we write the first word, we need to determine the age group of the reader so the child will understand the comprehension and vocabulary levels. The audience becomes the stimulus, or purpose, for writing. Develop a character with which the child can identify. Most kids like to read about characters their same age or slightly older. Boys like to read about male main characters and girls will usually read books with either male or female characters.
Toddlers are concrete learners. They accept information in books at face value. They learn about the world around them by exploring. Concept books with the themes of counting, colors, and objects are appropriate. Bedtime stories and books about family and animals are favorites, as well. They enjoy picture and novelty books (board books, flap books, and pop-up books). Most of these books have few words. Many contain less than 100 and some are wordless.
Next week, I'll continue to discuss the importance of audience and how audience defines writing for older age groups.
Contest for adults:
Write up to 500 words on a subject of your choice. What's getting your goat? Making you think? Making you angry or excited? Put your spin on an important subject or something trivial – anything from Jordan the place to Jordan the model. A news item; a person; something of interest to others; a travel piece. Anything that takes your fancy. It can be in the form of a report, an essay, a comedic piece, a train of thought, an argument – anything that hangs together as a whole piece of work. The usual rules apply, so please read them (ignore the ones about payment rules, obviously).
For this competition there are two extra rules: 1) Give your piece its own title (which must NOT be 'Spring Break'!) and 2) include the title of your piece in the 'subject' line of any email entries.
The only other proviso is that your work must not be defamatory or libellous in any way. Anything that could be considered as such will be disqualified. Otherwise, Happy Writing!
Deadline: April 30, 2011
Details at http://www.brightoncow.co.uk/comps/fr...
Call for submissions for student writers:
Hanging Loose magazine welcomes high school submissions. As with other writers, we reply within three months, and high school authors whose work we publish receive the same small fee and two copies of the issue in which their work appears. We feel a special responsibility to those young writers who look to us not only for possible publication but sometimes also for editorial advice,
which we are always happy to give when asked.
Details at http://www.hangingloosepress.com/subm...
April 10, 2011
Trends in Children's Literature Part II/Call for Submissions/Contest
This week I'm continuing to cover trends in children's publishing. Here are a few more:
1. Young adult books are still in demand. Problem novels, fantasy, realistic contemporary, historical fiction, and time travel are popular genres.
2. Picture books under 750 words, or less, seem to be in demand, while longer picture books are not as marketable.
3. Collections of poetry seem to be making a comeback.
4. Diary format books are exploding at the moment. The market will soon be saturated if the trend continues.
5. Graphic novels are hot.
6. Beginning readers are popular with the primary grade readers. Stories that once were published as picture books are now in the beginning reader format.
7. Books for tweens, a cross between middle grade and young adult literature are selling well.
Trends come and trends go. Literary vampires and zombies appear to be less trendy, along with stories about kids moving to new homes, as well as divorced and dead parents.
Keeping an eye on trends helps us to avoid certain formats or subject as we write stories we're passionate about. If our stories happen to coincide with a trend, great; if not, maybe our stories will kick off a trend. My advice: Keep writing and stay informed. Useful information is gold to writers.
Call for submissions for students:
Imagine Literary Magazine is looking for well-written stories and poems as well as creative art and photography by young people, with a loose age guideline of 13-18 (If you're a few years out of that range, don't worry, your work can still be published). On occasion, Imagine Literary Magazine will publish works by adults, but please note that submissions of young people are given an advantage. The magazine is primarily meant for a children and teen audience. Stories can be any fiction genre (fantasy, science fiction, mystery, humor, contemporary, and historical just to name some). Nonfiction is only accepted if the story is written in a narrative form. Stories under 2,000 words is a maximum. All different forms of poetry are accepted. Just make sure to keep to a reasonable length.
Guidelines: http://imaginelitmag.blogspot.com/sea...
Contest for Adults:
Wonder in the Wander Contest: A contestant must submit a personal story, 2000 words or less, that describes a Wonder in the Wander, which is about the awe and inspiration that occurs in every day living whether it be a long dreamed of vacation or just picking up some groceries at the market. We are all connected in this life journey. What amazing Wander have you experienced? To see example content, visit http://susanleighpicking.blogspot.com/.
Deadline: June 30, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Details at http://susanleighpicking.com/witwprom...
1. Young adult books are still in demand. Problem novels, fantasy, realistic contemporary, historical fiction, and time travel are popular genres.
2. Picture books under 750 words, or less, seem to be in demand, while longer picture books are not as marketable.
3. Collections of poetry seem to be making a comeback.
4. Diary format books are exploding at the moment. The market will soon be saturated if the trend continues.
5. Graphic novels are hot.
6. Beginning readers are popular with the primary grade readers. Stories that once were published as picture books are now in the beginning reader format.
7. Books for tweens, a cross between middle grade and young adult literature are selling well.
Trends come and trends go. Literary vampires and zombies appear to be less trendy, along with stories about kids moving to new homes, as well as divorced and dead parents.
Keeping an eye on trends helps us to avoid certain formats or subject as we write stories we're passionate about. If our stories happen to coincide with a trend, great; if not, maybe our stories will kick off a trend. My advice: Keep writing and stay informed. Useful information is gold to writers.
Call for submissions for students:
Imagine Literary Magazine is looking for well-written stories and poems as well as creative art and photography by young people, with a loose age guideline of 13-18 (If you're a few years out of that range, don't worry, your work can still be published). On occasion, Imagine Literary Magazine will publish works by adults, but please note that submissions of young people are given an advantage. The magazine is primarily meant for a children and teen audience. Stories can be any fiction genre (fantasy, science fiction, mystery, humor, contemporary, and historical just to name some). Nonfiction is only accepted if the story is written in a narrative form. Stories under 2,000 words is a maximum. All different forms of poetry are accepted. Just make sure to keep to a reasonable length.
Guidelines: http://imaginelitmag.blogspot.com/sea...
Contest for Adults:
Wonder in the Wander Contest: A contestant must submit a personal story, 2000 words or less, that describes a Wonder in the Wander, which is about the awe and inspiration that occurs in every day living whether it be a long dreamed of vacation or just picking up some groceries at the market. We are all connected in this life journey. What amazing Wander have you experienced? To see example content, visit http://susanleighpicking.blogspot.com/.
Deadline: June 30, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Details at http://susanleighpicking.com/witwprom...
April 3, 2011
Trends in Children's Literature/Contest/Call for Submissions
The children's book publishing market is in a constant state of change and keeping up with the changes is a never-ending task. I've surfed the Internet looking for the latest trends and here are some recent discoveries.
1. A first-time author should query a stand-alone manuscript, rather than a series. If the book sells well, has a great hook, and grabs the interest of a wide network of readers, approach the publisher about a second or third book.
2. The picture book market continues to be soft but is gradually making a comeback. Selling picture books is difficult and the manuscripts have to be different from those currently in the market and stand out and above the competition of other submissions.
3. Nonfiction books need a hook to grab the reader's attention and tell the story in a unique way. Focus on a narrow aspect of the subject rather than covering a broad, general topic. Find a subject, or a new perspective of the subject, that has not been covered in other books.
4. Multicultural literature is still popular with most publishers. Stories from other cultures are in demand. Depict ethnicity accurately, because all kids need to be represented in books and represented accurately. Avoid stereotypes and clichés.
5. Rhyming books are difficult to sell because the rhyme usually doesn't hold up throughout the story.
6. Middle grade and young adult books are the best sellers; therefore, more contracts are going out for these manuscripts.
Since it's impossible to predict trends, writers are encouraged to not focus on trends but to write the best story they can. Yet, it's nice to know what types of manuscripts editors want and don't want so we can better target our work to the most appropriate house. Next week, I'll discuss more popular trends.
Have you noticed trends in children's literature? If so, I'd love to hear from you. Just leave a comment.
Contest:
Norman Mailer High School and College Awards for Creative Nonfiction
"Norman Mailer produced extraordinary works in many genres, including the
category of this year's award. The awards are for excellence in creative
nonfiction which is truth/fact-based writing with literary merit, work that
features authorial voice and, often, personal experience, and often has a
significant narrative quality. The competition is broadly inclusive of genres
and subgenres that fall under creative nonfiction: memoirs, personal essays,
literary journalism, artful writings about place, environment, travel, people,
etc. Whatever its type, the best work will be true material presented with
compelling literary merit." In addition to a category for high-school students,
categories include the Two-Year College Competition, which is "open to first-and
second-year full-time students enrolled in community colleges, junior colleges,
and technical colleges" and confers a cash award of $5,000 plus travel and
lodging to attend the National Award Ceremony in New York City, and a Four-Year
College Competition, which "is open to current full-time undergraduate
students", confers a cash award of $10,000, a scholarship to the Norman Mailer
Writers Colony during the summer of 2012, and travel and lodging to attend the
National Award Ceremony. NB: "Funding for travel is limited to the continental
United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Canadian and other foreign students are
eligible to enter. Outside of the U.S. a $500.00 USD payment toward travel will
be allowed. Hotel will be paid as for students in the U.S."
Details at http://www.ncte.org/awards/student/nmwa
Deadline: April 28, 2011 (submissions close at noon, CST)
Call for Submissions:"
The Chattahoochee Review is under new editorship but very much alive and well. Please bear with us as we make this transition. We will be unveiling an exciting new website in the months to come. Meanwhile, keep the submissions and
subscriptions coming." Guidelines and pay rates are published at
http://chattahoochee-review.org.
1. A first-time author should query a stand-alone manuscript, rather than a series. If the book sells well, has a great hook, and grabs the interest of a wide network of readers, approach the publisher about a second or third book.
2. The picture book market continues to be soft but is gradually making a comeback. Selling picture books is difficult and the manuscripts have to be different from those currently in the market and stand out and above the competition of other submissions.
3. Nonfiction books need a hook to grab the reader's attention and tell the story in a unique way. Focus on a narrow aspect of the subject rather than covering a broad, general topic. Find a subject, or a new perspective of the subject, that has not been covered in other books.
4. Multicultural literature is still popular with most publishers. Stories from other cultures are in demand. Depict ethnicity accurately, because all kids need to be represented in books and represented accurately. Avoid stereotypes and clichés.
5. Rhyming books are difficult to sell because the rhyme usually doesn't hold up throughout the story.
6. Middle grade and young adult books are the best sellers; therefore, more contracts are going out for these manuscripts.
Since it's impossible to predict trends, writers are encouraged to not focus on trends but to write the best story they can. Yet, it's nice to know what types of manuscripts editors want and don't want so we can better target our work to the most appropriate house. Next week, I'll discuss more popular trends.
Have you noticed trends in children's literature? If so, I'd love to hear from you. Just leave a comment.
Contest:
Norman Mailer High School and College Awards for Creative Nonfiction
"Norman Mailer produced extraordinary works in many genres, including the
category of this year's award. The awards are for excellence in creative
nonfiction which is truth/fact-based writing with literary merit, work that
features authorial voice and, often, personal experience, and often has a
significant narrative quality. The competition is broadly inclusive of genres
and subgenres that fall under creative nonfiction: memoirs, personal essays,
literary journalism, artful writings about place, environment, travel, people,
etc. Whatever its type, the best work will be true material presented with
compelling literary merit." In addition to a category for high-school students,
categories include the Two-Year College Competition, which is "open to first-and
second-year full-time students enrolled in community colleges, junior colleges,
and technical colleges" and confers a cash award of $5,000 plus travel and
lodging to attend the National Award Ceremony in New York City, and a Four-Year
College Competition, which "is open to current full-time undergraduate
students", confers a cash award of $10,000, a scholarship to the Norman Mailer
Writers Colony during the summer of 2012, and travel and lodging to attend the
National Award Ceremony. NB: "Funding for travel is limited to the continental
United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Canadian and other foreign students are
eligible to enter. Outside of the U.S. a $500.00 USD payment toward travel will
be allowed. Hotel will be paid as for students in the U.S."
Details at http://www.ncte.org/awards/student/nmwa
Deadline: April 28, 2011 (submissions close at noon, CST)
Call for Submissions:"
The Chattahoochee Review is under new editorship but very much alive and well. Please bear with us as we make this transition. We will be unveiling an exciting new website in the months to come. Meanwhile, keep the submissions and
subscriptions coming." Guidelines and pay rates are published at
http://chattahoochee-review.org.
March 27, 2011
Creating Character Voice, Contest and Call for Submission
How can we strengthen our writing voices? Start by listening to how people talk. If you're writing for teens, you might find the word, like, shows up a lot in dialog. Young children often ask questions. Where did the rain come from? Incorporate realistic dialog and narrative that reflect the age of the character into your writing.
Read works by other writers in the genre in which you are writing. Be conscious of how voice is used and why it resonates with you. Or doesn't work, in some cases. Try to figure out why you don't like that particular style of writing.
Read your work aloud. Does it genuinely reflect the age of the person who is telling the story?
Get to know your character. Interview your character. Ask questions and allow the character to answer as if s/he were real. You'll learn more about your character than will be used in the story and more than the reader will need to know. The important thing is—you'll have a better grasp of who the character is and the voice will be easier to capture.
Play with the words and scenes. Rewrite them to clean up the areas that falter. A strong voice develops through revision.
The Last Word
We wanna know how your story ends!
But you get to have the last word. Your final sentence has to be "And he/she/they would never have found out if it wasn't for the______________________."
Fill in that blank with a word or words.
Your story can be no longer than 350 words as determined by MS word count, excluding title. Your story can be funny, sad, mysterious, involve zombies or gratefully dead persons or live ones–just don't do the conventional inside the parabola thinking of a crime or mystery murder. Surprise us all!
By entering this contest, you are giving us the right to publish your story on line and first time rights to printed publication, should this go into an anthology. If this contest results in creation of an anthology, there is no guarantee that your entry will included in publication.
You may have up to three entries, but each entry must be sent in an individual email attachment.
Deadline: April 5 at midnight, California time.
Send entries to thorn@awordwithyoupress.com
Cyberkids
We especially like stories, articles and poems that are funny.
· Art and written submissions can be on any topic that is appropriate for our audience (ages 7 to 12).
· Stories which include an original illustration or photo are more likely to be published than stories without pictures.
· Originality is very important--make sure the work you submit is your own and not copied from someone else.
· In addition to art and writing, we also like to publish games, puzzles, brain teasers, jokes, and multimedia creations by kids.
· Ages 13 and under: games, reviews and contests.
· Ages 13-18: poems, fiction and non-fiction
Details at www.cyberkids.com
Read works by other writers in the genre in which you are writing. Be conscious of how voice is used and why it resonates with you. Or doesn't work, in some cases. Try to figure out why you don't like that particular style of writing.
Read your work aloud. Does it genuinely reflect the age of the person who is telling the story?
Get to know your character. Interview your character. Ask questions and allow the character to answer as if s/he were real. You'll learn more about your character than will be used in the story and more than the reader will need to know. The important thing is—you'll have a better grasp of who the character is and the voice will be easier to capture.
Play with the words and scenes. Rewrite them to clean up the areas that falter. A strong voice develops through revision.
The Last Word
We wanna know how your story ends!
But you get to have the last word. Your final sentence has to be "And he/she/they would never have found out if it wasn't for the______________________."
Fill in that blank with a word or words.
Your story can be no longer than 350 words as determined by MS word count, excluding title. Your story can be funny, sad, mysterious, involve zombies or gratefully dead persons or live ones–just don't do the conventional inside the parabola thinking of a crime or mystery murder. Surprise us all!
By entering this contest, you are giving us the right to publish your story on line and first time rights to printed publication, should this go into an anthology. If this contest results in creation of an anthology, there is no guarantee that your entry will included in publication.
You may have up to three entries, but each entry must be sent in an individual email attachment.
Deadline: April 5 at midnight, California time.
Send entries to thorn@awordwithyoupress.com
Cyberkids
We especially like stories, articles and poems that are funny.
· Art and written submissions can be on any topic that is appropriate for our audience (ages 7 to 12).
· Stories which include an original illustration or photo are more likely to be published than stories without pictures.
· Originality is very important--make sure the work you submit is your own and not copied from someone else.
· In addition to art and writing, we also like to publish games, puzzles, brain teasers, jokes, and multimedia creations by kids.
· Ages 13 and under: games, reviews and contests.
· Ages 13-18: poems, fiction and non-fiction
Details at www.cyberkids.com
March 20, 2011
Voice, Contests
Sometimes we have those A-ha! moments when we see, hear, or read something that grabs us in a new way. That happened to me when I read the following quote by Gordon Lish: It's not about what happens to people on the page; it's about what happens to a reader in his heart and mind.
Hummmm. That bit of information is a nugget of literary ore. Our stories should begin with action; the characters should change by the end of the story; a satisfying conclusion usually works best, but a story can have all these components and still not strike gold with the reader. These components are a pathway for creating the story, but just as important is how we tell the story, better known as voice.
Voice is dicey to define and comes with a variety of definitions. It's the way a character expresses him/herself in a unique way that reveals the character from inside out. Voice can be expressed in dialog, the words spoken by the character. Or through narrative, as the character tells the story in words that reflect who the character is. Voice is what the character chooses to say and how the character says it. Strong voice has attitude and rhythm. The story must resonate with the reader to such a degree that s/he will keep turning the pages.
Next week, I'll discuss how to strengthen voice in writing.
Contest for Student Writers
The Sylvia K. Burack Writing Award is a writing contest for high school students in grades 11 and 12 in the U.S. and Canada. The award is made in memory of Sylvia K. Burack, longtime editor and publisher of The Writer magazine. Burack was known for her dedication to helping writers and editors. Submit a previously unpublished 600- to 800-word personal essay in English on the following topic: "Select a work of fiction, poem or play that has influenced you. Discuss the work and explain how it affected you." No song lyrics.
Eligibility: You must be a student in grade 11 or 12 attending a U.S. or Canadian high school at the time you submit the essay. The winner will be asked to provide proof of enrollment in grade 11 or 12 in a U.S. or Canadian high school.
Prizes:
• $500
• Publication in The Writer magazine and on WriterMag.com
• A one-year subscription to The Writer
Details: writingclasses.com/burack.
Deadline: March 31, 2011
Contest for Adult Writers
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
"Now in its tenth year. We seek today's best humor poems. Total cash prizes of
$3,600 will be awarded,with a top prize of $1,500." NB:"Poets of all nations may
enter. Your poem must be in English (inspired gibberish also accepted). Please
submit only one poem during the submission period. Your poem may be of any
length. Both published and unpublished work are welcome."
Details: http://www.winningwriters.com/contest...
Deadline: April 1, 2011
Hummmm. That bit of information is a nugget of literary ore. Our stories should begin with action; the characters should change by the end of the story; a satisfying conclusion usually works best, but a story can have all these components and still not strike gold with the reader. These components are a pathway for creating the story, but just as important is how we tell the story, better known as voice.
Voice is dicey to define and comes with a variety of definitions. It's the way a character expresses him/herself in a unique way that reveals the character from inside out. Voice can be expressed in dialog, the words spoken by the character. Or through narrative, as the character tells the story in words that reflect who the character is. Voice is what the character chooses to say and how the character says it. Strong voice has attitude and rhythm. The story must resonate with the reader to such a degree that s/he will keep turning the pages.
Next week, I'll discuss how to strengthen voice in writing.
Contest for Student Writers
The Sylvia K. Burack Writing Award is a writing contest for high school students in grades 11 and 12 in the U.S. and Canada. The award is made in memory of Sylvia K. Burack, longtime editor and publisher of The Writer magazine. Burack was known for her dedication to helping writers and editors. Submit a previously unpublished 600- to 800-word personal essay in English on the following topic: "Select a work of fiction, poem or play that has influenced you. Discuss the work and explain how it affected you." No song lyrics.
Eligibility: You must be a student in grade 11 or 12 attending a U.S. or Canadian high school at the time you submit the essay. The winner will be asked to provide proof of enrollment in grade 11 or 12 in a U.S. or Canadian high school.
Prizes:
• $500
• Publication in The Writer magazine and on WriterMag.com
• A one-year subscription to The Writer
Details: writingclasses.com/burack.
Deadline: March 31, 2011
Contest for Adult Writers
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
"Now in its tenth year. We seek today's best humor poems. Total cash prizes of
$3,600 will be awarded,with a top prize of $1,500." NB:"Poets of all nations may
enter. Your poem must be in English (inspired gibberish also accepted). Please
submit only one poem during the submission period. Your poem may be of any
length. Both published and unpublished work are welcome."
Details: http://www.winningwriters.com/contest...
Deadline: April 1, 2011
