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Writing Sparks Newsletter
February 22, 2008
Greeting |
My warmest greetings to you all. I hope this email finds you all happily pursuing your writing dreams. I'm back from my quickie vacation to San Francisco (photos to be posted next week) and feeling wholly refreshed. I realize that I'm one of the lucky ones who get to travel quite a bit for my work, but somehow there's nothing like enjoying a nice vacation. The ladies I traveled with were so much fun and since neither of them had ever had an insider view of San Francisco, it made me enjoy the city with new eyes as well. We took a lovely ferry ride at sunset, enjoyed the touristy-ness of Fisherman's Wharf, spent some time in wine country (and gobbling up Sonoma Jack Cheese, of course) and had ourselves a morning of shopping in Union Square. All while our 26th floor hotel room overlooked the Civic Center and in the distance the Golden Gate bridge. Just fabulous. At any rate, I'm back at work this week, just trying to stay on track with my goals of getting my newsletters out regularly and trying to respond more quickly to my massive inflow of emails. I now get about 1,000 spam mails a day and about 200 emails that actually need attention. I'm not really complaining, (except maybe a little bit about the spam mails), but I haven't yet figured out a good way to stay on top of all that communicating. I'm also continuing to identify new changes and additions to the website. Based on the site's visitor stats, our users are most interested in the book giveaways (that one is obvious), the writing contest lists, and the free writing prompts. Secondary to that, our new "Publishing My First Book" essays are gaining in popularity. However I'm always interested in finding out what else you all find important and/or would like to see on the site. Next week, I hope to release a survey to see what other features our users would like to see added. Until then, do not hesitate to send me an email with ideas on what you'd like to see happen at OnceWritten.com. This weekend I'm committed to the completing the most yucky task on my to do list, attacking the endless paper piles in my apartment. I always think I have them under control, but it's always an optical illusion, because I hide my filing away in big boxes. This is it however, my "de-clutter the paper" weekend, and I'm going to get those piles under control if I have to set fire to my living room. Also, I'm back to starting to look for an intern to help me accomplish all the work I've created for myself. I tried this last year and the person I ended up hiring flaked on me, so I haven't revisited the idea. However, my goals are even bigger this year than last, so I concede that I really do need the help. So once again, if you're looking for a little extra work, drop me a line. As always, I have visions of you all chasing your fantasies with giant butterfly nets. May you catch all that you can. My very best to you and happy writing. Monica |
Get Past |
Does Grammar Matter? The international best-seller Eats, Shoots and Leaves taught us that punctuation really does matter when creating a sentence. (And heck I'm the first to admit that I over-comma everything.) But the correct usage of grammar is equally necessary to writing a good story. What disappoints me with so many of the books I receive for a possible review is how few authors remember how important the written word is in telling their story. A book cannot live by plot alone, and the words used to tell the story are always more important than the story itself. Don't believe me? Take for example some ambiguous headlines that show just how necessary it is to carefully choose the words you use. How about "Women make the best moms" or "World War II kamikaze survivors meet?" These titles may make you chuckle, but if your novel is riddled with imprecise wording, it can make for a long, hard read. Want to see more headlines with double meanings? Check out the Albany Times Union blog at blogs.timesunion.com |
Writing Sparks |
Creative Writing Prompt #1 Story Idea -- Write a story about a blind child whose favorite pastime is playing with his/her Nintendo Game Boy. Creative Writing Prompt #2 Writing Challenge-- Try to tell a story in two paragraphs without using the letter "e." Want More Prompts? Monthly Membership Writer's block, be gone! For less than the price of one cup of coffee a month, you can receive daily creative writing prompts designed to get your pencils blazing. www.oncewritten.com/DailyWritingSpark.php. |
Publishing |
Publishing My First Book Traditionally published authors talk with OnceWritten.com about their experiences in getting their first book published. Melissa Walker  The summer before I started
high school, I filled a loose-leaf notebook with the tale of an overweight girl who wanted to find a prom date, so I guess you could say I
always had some book dreams....More Melissa Walker Visit www.oncewritten.com/PublishingMyFirstBook.php now for more stories. |
Meet |
Meet the Author Take a second to meet our OnceWritten.com authors, and read about their experiences on the road to publication. Bifford Debs, M.D.: Turning Obstacles into Stories  Among the first writing I did was a child's letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt while he
was president. Already I have given away my ancient age. From childhood, however, I have enjoyed writing and got some in during that
period of my long life. However, there were always obstacles inherent with blessings....
Meet Bifford Debs now Visit www.oncewritten.com/MeetTheAuthor.php now for more stories. |
What's New in |
Spirit Box, Michael Mordenga No one can breathe on the icy planet of Taros-Avros, but that didn’t stop colonization. The solution: make spider children companions that assist with breathing. It was a genius idea and it made survival on the planet essential and profitable. The only problem was that it had a serious flaw. All the spirit boxes in the spider children were dyingRead an excerpt from Spirit Box now. Too Much, Linda Taylor West  Luke likes food a little too much. He wants to eat everything. When will he stop? Join Luke on this rhyming adventure as he learns the importance of good food andRead an excerpt from Too Much now. Mysterious Secret (After Death), Sabije Dervishi Veseli  MYSTERIOUS SECRET is about a young girls soul that carrying a mysterious secret. This tragic story occurs via a diary , where everything that this person has come to pass in life is written .This diary portrays that life after death is a reality and a person’s reawakened soul is aware of what the future will bring... Read an excerpt from Mysterious Secret (After Death) now. Riding a Stallion: Igniting the Fire, Robert P. Theiss  In his first book, Robert Theiss openly shares his spiritual journey which led him to develop a conscious relationship with the Family of Archangel Michael. RIDING A STALLION explores the power of joy, the value of being in receivership and a new love for self that reunites our soul with all ofRead an excerpt from Riding a Stallion: Igniting the Fire now. Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy, Bettye Johnson  A spellbinding tale of intrigue, historical information about Mary Magdalene. Suspense, intrigue, magic and mysticism at its best with unexpected plot twists, the two couples that translated unknown scrolls in Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, are now shocked out of complacency when Ellen has a surprising encounter with a mysterious old-world typeRead an excerpt from Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy now. Why Did You Fall in Love With Me?, Sabije Dervishi Veseli  WHY DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH ME? is a unique love story, about a spiritual path one can take that will help them find happiness, written with an original blend of gothic romance, horror, fantasy and spiritualRead an excerpt from Why Did You Fall in Love With Me? now. |
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Read More Books View a complete list of all our first chapter excerpts at: www.oncewritten.com/First-Chapter-Excerpts.php now. |
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Want to See Your Book Listed Here? Promote your book to nearly 10,000 avid book lovers around the world. Listings start at just $25 for a lifetime spot at OnceWritten.com. www.oncewritten.com/About/Advertise-Your-Book.php |
OnceWritten.com Writing Contest Deadlines |
OnceWritten.com Poetry Contest Prize: $500 Fee: $15 Deadline: March 31, 2008 For complete information, visit the OnceWritten.com Annual Poetry Contest page now. To view last year's Poetry Contest winner, visit our Literary Lounge now. |
More |
February 28, 2008 People’s College Short Story Competition Writecorner Press Annual Poetry Award February 29, 2008 The Ledge Magazine 2008 Fiction Awards March 15, 2008 2008 Wabash Prize for Fiction 49th Parallel Award for Poetry So To Speak Annual Fiction Contest Annie Dillard Award for Creative NonFiction Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction River City Writing Award in Fiction River City Writing Award in Poetry Steal from the Best Tobias Wolff Award for Fiction OnceWritten.com keeps a comprehensive list of contests that pay a grand prize of $500 or more. See an updated list of all contests at www.oncewritten.com/WritingContests.php. |
Join the Forum. . . |
This Week We're Talking About. . . Clinton or Obama? www.oncewritten.com/Community/viewtopic.php?t=768 |
We're Looking For Travel Writers |
Tell Us Your Travel Story OnceWritten.com is introducing its sister site, Travel Glitter, and is seeking writers for the site. We pay $10 for a 300-word article. To learn more about the new site, visit www.travelglitter.com/Submission-Guidelines.php |
Free Content |
OnceWritten.com offers two different types of programs that webmasters
or bloggers can use on their website completely free of charge. Instant Writing Prompt Generator To give your users cool writing prompts, visit our Instant Writing Prompt Generator at www.oncewritten.com/FreeWebsiteContent.php Writing Contest Graph To keep a regularly updated list of upcoming contest deadlines on your website, visit our Writing Contest Graph page at www.oncewritten.com/FreeWebsiteContent.php |
Resources for Writers |
Learn at home, on your schedule, with Absolute Classes Novel writing. Book proposals. Screenplays. Poetry. Freelance writing. Our instructors work with you one-on-one, online, giving you assignments and personal feedback, and guiding you through a charted course of learning designed to help you reach your writing goals. Visit www.absoluteclasses.com. FUNDSFORWRITERS The grant source for serious writers. C. Hope Clark knows her stuff. Voted 101 Best Web Sites for Writers - 2001 through 2007. Four newsletters to choose from. A site to behold. www.fundsforwriters.com |
Promote |
Contact Amazon.com’s “Top 10” Reviewers People pay attention to reviews posted on Amazon.com. The savvy user can even tell the difference between a “real” review and the one submitted by your mom. Contact Amazon.com's Top 10 Reviewers Want more book promotion ideas? Visit our Promote Your Book page now. |
Enter to Win Free Books |
Enter to Win Free Books We have some great books for this month's giveaway contest. To enter to win a copy of any or all of these books, visit www.oncewritten.com/Win-Free-Books.php now. You may enter as many giveaway contests as you like, but in order to win, you must enter each contest separately.
Want to See Your Book Listed Here? OnceWritten.com Featured Author package includes a listing in our book giveaway contests, which generates more than 1,000 page views per month. Learn how to Advertise your Book at OnceWritten.com. |
Email Options |
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