WOW

Well, our 2005 NJCWG - A Reason to Write Conference is over. Those who attended know that the event was a wonderful success. Compliment after compliment came to me regarding the speakers, our Sample Writing Book, the food, the handouts, the keychains, the literature tables, the "stress book"give-aways, the door prizes and, yes, the chocolate truffles (I say this with a broad grin that spreads across my chocolate coated face).

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WHAT COULD HAVE GONE BETTER

First: The Weather. It would have been nice to have a crisp fall day with clear blue skies, wouldn't it? But even the torrential rains did not keep Brandy Brow (seven months pregnant) and her mom from driving all the way from Vermont!

Second: The Luncheon. The food was fabulous but a serious oversight on my part nearly caused a lunchtime disaster. I can be so dense when it comes to this sort of thing. My dear husband took care of the bagels and pastries for breakfast, snacks & beverages for the breaks and a full meal for lunch. He planned a wonderful luncheon (lemon chicken, chicken marsala, penne w/vodka sauce, dinner rolls, a Caesar salad, a lovely chef salad and cheese cake & chocolate cake for dessert) and I just assumed he'd take care of everything -- after all he's a fabulous cook and often prepares similar dishes for large groups. What I did NOT think about was the fact that when he normally prepares those large meals he has substantial staff to assist him. I just left the poor man in the kitchen to do everything himself (Louise wipes a tear away from her eye at this point). Lunch time came around and John was running "a bit" behind (read -- nothing was ready and we only had 45 minutes to serve, eat and clear). I praise God for Nancy Baker, Karen Flores and a number of others who jumped right in to pull it all together! God is good. The meal did get on the table and we ended up running only five minutes into the next session.

WHAT WENT WELL

• A number of attendees were brought to understand the "industry" of writing as well as the skills required to write.
• Our speakers/teachers were generously inspired to say just the right thing to just the right individuals.
• Individuals left the conference excited about projects that they previously did not even consider.
  
• Our sample writing book (thanks to Clare Cartagena's efforts) inspired many people to consider joining our NJCWG. This will allow them to hone their budding skills for God's glory.
  
• Writers who lacked confidence, left understanding that God can do great things with willing hands.
• Even the speakers (who were able to sit in on other classes when they were not teaching) shared their excitement in having learned some new fact or a new approach to a problem.
• Many of our speakers shared with me their encounters with students who were excited and blessed by the lessons.
• We received numerous of gifts that were combined to create more than a dozen great door prize drawings.
  
• The literature Karen Flores & Ann Crediford requested prior to the conference needed to be crammed onto our oversized literature table. The generosity of the publishers was overwhelming and the efforts of Karen and Ann were greatly appreciated by those attending the conference.
  
• For many, this was a first-time conference experience. Each stated they never realized what they were missing and asked about future conferences.

In all, it was an amazing day. All praise to God and to Him be the glory.

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Director - NJCWG - A Reason to Write Conference 2005

A Reason To Write Conference

NJCWG - A REASON TO WRITE CONFERENCE

Saturday, October 8, 2005

8:00-5:00
Praise the Lord!

The 2006 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop will be held Thurs., March 23
to Sat., March 25, 2006 in Dayton, Ohio. Keynote speakers include
Dave Barry (Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist) and Susan Konig
(former New York Post columnist and author of Why Animals Sleep So
Close to the Road and Other Lies I Tell My Children). Breakout
session speakers include Craig Wilson (USA Today columnist), Carolyn
Howard-Johnson (author of The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What
Your Publisher Won't), Kristen Godsey (editor, Writer's Digest
magazine) and Bruce Cameron (author of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My
Teenage Daughter), among others. You can see the complete lineup at
http://www.humorwriters.org/2006SpeakerBios.html

The registration fee is $325 and includes all workshop sessions as
well as two continental breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners.
For more information, see http://www.HumorWriters.org

Tim Bete
Director, Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop
University of Dayton
937-229-4960
bete@udayton.edu
www.HumorWriters.org

Need Helpers

FOR NJCWG MEMBERS
October 8, 2005
A Reason to Write Conference

Friday evening I will be at the church sometime between 5:00-6:00 pm to start setting up speaker rooms, getting attendee packets ready, setting up literature tables, book signing tables, wrapping door prizes and attendance gifts, SO much to do.

If you are available to help, I would really appreciate your coming to the church on Friday evening. Please email me so I can get an idea of how much help I'll have: njcwg.dumont@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Louise Bergmann DuMont
njcwg.dumont@gmail.com

Grace By The Cup

As the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end."

Yesterday I received notice that my first book, Grace By The Cup: A Break From the Daily Grind, is going out of print. I can't tell you how sad that made me. It feels like only a short time ago I was sharing with the NJCWG all the details of my first publishing adventure. Despite the temporary melancholy that accompanied the news, there is an upside. For the next month, I can "buy up" cases of the book at a steep discount. If I come into a sudden wind-fall of cash I may do just that (smile).

Jehovah-Meqaddeshkem (The Lord Makes Me Holy)

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Author & Speaker
www.louisedumont.com

Faith-Dipped Chocolate: Rich Encouragement to Sweeten Your Day
& Grace by the Cup: A Break From the Daily Grind

Writing Op - Kids' Ark

This was sent to me by the editor of Kids' Ark.
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I hope this finds you all well and blessed. I am sending out another request for submissions for the Kids' Ark. We are at present in need of stories under the theme of Fear. The previous deadline of 9/26 has been extended to 10/5. If you have a good story that would minister to children ages 8-12 regarding fear, we would love to read it.

Also, we will need submissions for the following themes each month from October through January.

Patience - Due 10/24
Lies - Due 11/21
Perseverance - Due 12/19
Praise and Worship - Due 1/30

Please make sure when you send your submission that you include the theme in the subject line and send the story as a Word attachment. Anyone in need of guidelines or sample stories please e-mail me at writingwonder78@yahoo.com.

Thank you for your interest and may God bless you exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask, think or imagine.

Sincerely,
Joy

Joy Mygrants
Senior Editor
The Kids' Ark

Writing Op - Self Publish News

SPNews (Self Publish News) is searching for writers to join their
staff and submit short stories, articles and poetry for their online
publication. Although this is a non-paying position (for now) this is
an excellent way to build your writing portfolio and to share your
writing talent with the world.

To get an idea of what we are looking for visit our staff of writers
at: www.selfpublishnews.com

We are accepting submissions from various categories:

Humor
Sci-Fi
How-to's
Mainstream/Literary Short Story
Inspirational: Christian
Success Stories
Romance (Not Erotica)
Poetry
Suspense
Mystery
Non-Fiction
History
Writing Instruction

Writers' Guidelines:

All writing samples must be typed double spaced, 12 point font
(Arial, Courier or Times New Roman) and must be aligned to the left
margin.

The maximum pages for poetry are 3 to 5 pages (2000 word maximum);
fiction 10 to 20 pages (8000 word maximum).

Address your submissions to the 'Editorial Department'.
Email your submissions to:
dan@selfpublishnews.com


Danielle-Kim Davis
VP/FountainPenn Enterprise
www.fountainpenn.com

WD Popular Fiction Awards Call for Entries

WD Popular Fiction Awards Call for Entries
_________________________________________________________

The WD Popular Fiction AwardsIt's a new short story competition from Writer's Digest! We want your best writing in five categories: Romance, Mystery/Crime, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense and Horror. You can compete and win in every category--just make sure your entries are 4,000 words or fewer and we receive them by the November 1, 2005 deadline.

Visit http://www.writersdigest.com/specialoffers.asp?DMpopfiction093005 for more information!

Enter the contest and your fantastic fiction could bring home these big prizes:
GRAND PRIZE: $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member.
FIRST PRIZE: The First-Place Winner in each category receives $500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member.
HONORABLE MENTION: All Honorable Mentions will receive promotion in Writer's Digest and the 2006 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.Don't wait--visit http://www.writersdigest.com/specialoffers.asp?DMpopfiction093005 for guidelines and to enter today!

Trends in Christian Writing

UP Trends in the CBA Marketplace
Nonfiction
"Creative" Nonfiction
How-To Articles
List Articles
Shorter Articles & Manuscripts
Easy to Read Language
Christian Living Articles
Inspirational Stories
Fiction
New Terminology -- Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Etc. is now "Speculative Fiction"
More open to new authors in Speculative Fiction
Romance with an "edge"
Brown Bag Books (difficult subject matter, approached via fiction)
Darwinism / Creationism
Old Testament
Children's Lit
Nonfiction Anything
Biographies of lesser known individuals
Ethnically Diverse Books

DOWN Trends in the CBA Marketplace
Nonfiction
Abuse Books
Anthologies (Chicken Soup types)
Fiction
Abortion, Rape, Drugs
End Times (unless your name is LaHay or Jenkins)
Books of Short Stories
Poetry
Formula books (unless you are a big draw author)
Children's Lit
Talking Animals
Talking Inanimate Objects
Personification of anything that isn't actually a person

The Road to Publication - Handout NJCWG 9/6/05

The Road to Publication
Presented by Louise Bergmann DuMont
At the NJCWG – 09/26/05

Are you an author who is just bursting to publish a book? What do you need to do before you earn the right to submit your manuscript to an agent or a publishing house? What creates the smoothest path and avoids unnecessary pitfalls and detours? The answer is found in your clips (clips: published articles which show evidence that other editors found your writing worthy of publication). You need to start small. Take-home papers and small press (often for no pay) publications offer the greatest opportunity to new writers.

Getting published (whether it's a book or an article) is as much the result of following the correct procedure as it is skill and talent. Both the Christian (CBA) and US (ABA) publishing industry, just like any other business, works on trends, contacts and sound business principles.

Chose a market. New authors often work backwards. They write a story or an article and then try to find a publisher who wants to publish their work. This wastes a great deal of time. Every publication has specific needs, wants, slants, formats and quirks. When you do find a suitable market for a piece you've already written, it is likely that you'll have to do a serious rewrite to accommodate the publication. A better way to go about your writing is to choose a market that is open to new writers and uses freelancers for least 80% or more of their publication.

Research your market. Know your target. This means understanding their audience, their editor and their advertising. Read at least five past issues. You can get these at the library or by writing to the publication and supplying the appropriate self-addressed stamped envelope for them to mail the publications to you. The world as a whole doesn't much what kind of scarf you wear this winter -- but if you are teenage girl you will want to know that short, "fuzzy" scarves made from "eyelash" yarn are all the rave. If you are targeting a publication with a large female, teenage audience, this information could be important.

Follow the Writers Guidelines. The second greatest reason that writers are rejected is because they don't follow the publisher's "instructions." If you don't have a copy of their writers' guidelines, you can usually find them online. If you can't find them there, you can always write and request a copy of their guidelines. Follow them to the letter!

Know what the current market and industry needs. What is hot - not just in regard to general trends, but for the genre you write and the industry as a whole. If there is a current glut on the market of "end of the world" scenario literature, a publisher is less likely to take a chance on a new author in this venue. Make your first piece something in the same genre but with a different slant. You also need to know the current writing trends. Learn what publishers want and fill their needs. That is the quickest way to publication.

Know how to approach editors and publishers. Does the editor you are targeting want a complete manuscript, a proposal or query letter? Do they accept email queries or only postal mail ones? Will they accept phone queries? Do they prefer a formal or informal approach? How can you know the answers to these questions? Study Sally Stuart's Market Guide. Talk with other authors. Join writing groups both local and online ones. Ask. If in doubt, make a phone call and ask the receptionist or editors administrative support person. They are often happy to tell you what you need to know. Do NOT ask to be treated special or for "inside" information. That will most certainly turn them off. DO act professional and treat every person you talk to with respect.

FREE Business Cards - Vista Print

Well, here they go again. Vista Print is again offering FREE business cards (you do need to pay shipping & handling). They are now offering 42 photo and graphic designs and you design your own text. Honestly, you can't beat this deal anywhere. To see your design choices go to:
http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/studio.aspx?icparts=yes&cfs=-1&pf_id=064&combo_id=3791&combo1=984.97.1.11177111771370&gallery_id=53&category_id=46660&phgp=1
Every serious author should have a business card. Why does Vista Print offer cards for free? Advertising. There is one small "catch" to their offer in that they print their website address in small letters on the back of your cards. This is such a small detail and it is worth its weight in business cards - literally. So what are you waiting for? Go get your cards!

Show Vs Tell Handout #3

Worthy Show/Tell Quotes

Sol Stein in Stein on Writing says:

"There are three areas in which the writer is particularly vulnerable to telling rather than showing: When he tells what happened before the story began; When he tells what a character looks like; And when he tells what a character senses, that is, what he sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes.

Those are all places where the author's voice can intrude on the reader’s experience."

In Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King says:

"But telling your readers about your characters' emotions is not the best way to get your readers involved. Far better to show why your characters feel the way they do.”

It's easier to simply say, 'Erma was depressed' than to come up with some original bit of action that shows she's depressed. But if you have her take one bite of her favorite cake and push the rest away (or have her polish off the whole cake), you will have given your readers a far better feel for her depression than you could by simply describing it.

It is nearly always best to RESIST the URGE to EXPLAIN (or, as we so often write it in manuscript margins R.U.E.)."

Sol Stein in Stein on Writing says:

"He took a walk. Tells. He walked four blocks. Begins to show. He walked the four blocks slowly. Shows more clearly. He walked the four blocks as if it were the last mile. Shows more by giving the reader a sense of the character’s feelings, which the previous version did not. He walked as if against an unseen wind, hoping someone would stop him. Shows most of all because it gives the reader a sense of what the character desperately wants."

Show Vs Tell Handout #2

The Do’s and Don’ts of Show and Tell

Do not lead with exposition. New writers often start their manuscript by setting a scene or by giving background information which explains why the action will take place. Don’t. Start with action or important events. Then work the necessary information in using appropriate dialog between characters, or fill narrative section in later.

Simply naming the feelings that you experienced (telling your reader what you felt) is not enough to create interest in the reader. You must generate (in your reader) the same feelings that you experienced. You can't do this by changing the word "alone" to "very alone" or by changing "miserable" to "so miserable that I thought I would die."

Describing how you felt about a person, thing or situation in more detail is still telling. (Example: He looked at me in a way that wasn't exactly threatening, but still made me uncomfortable.) To show you must give the reader a vision of what happened. What did the man say and/or do that made you feel threatened. Describe those things and your reader will experience the event along with you.

If something is obvious, clear or without doubt, you will not need to use those words. When you say, "Clearly the facts indicate…" you are really saying, "I know I haven't shown you enough evidence to make my point but…" When you use the 'showing' technique, you will not need these words.

Match exposition to pace. The faster paced your story, the shorter your expository sections should be. Action must be shown not told. Take your reader on a journey, carry them into the scene -- don’t just tell them what happened. How many times have you heard someone tell a story that fell flat? When no one laughs, they respond with "I guess you had to be there." Your job as a writer is to take them there. Don’t let your writing fall flat.

Try to alternate shown scenes with told exposition. Too much of anything is not a good thing. Too much showing is like running consecutive marathons. Your reader may faint from the pace you are setting. If you give a rousing opening, your reader will be able to sit still for at least some exposition. The breather will make them eager for your next action filled section. Always follow narrative with one or more dramatic 'show' scenes.

Always *show* your climax. The climax is the place where the opposing forces in your story finally clash (there may be a number of small climaxes before the big finale at the end of your piece). This is true whether those opposing forces are two armies or two values inside a character's soul. The climax needs to be as vivid as you can make it, and that means – Tada (drum roll please) – DRAMA! Use every tool at your command: dialogue, action, description, thoughts and feelings. Put the reader right in the middle of the action.

Show Vs Tell Handout #1

SHOW YOUR ACTION

FICTION

TELLING

The following paragraph is not poorly written… but it could be better.
~~~~~
Joe entered the diner nervous about meeting Clara. This is it, he thought. I’ve got to do everything right this time or she’ll leave me for sure. He could see Clara sitting at a booth with her back to him. He knew it was her because she was wearing the hat he’d given her for her birthday. She’d been so happy when he gave her that hat! Was it a good sign that she was wearing it today? He thought it was.
~~~~~

SHOWING
Notice that following paragraph gives more details. It never actually says that Joe is nervous. Instead it shows us what Joe does when he is nervous. It also invites us into Joe's world and opens his heart to the reader. We "see" who Joe is by his actions and reactions.
~~~~~
The luncheon crowd packed the little diner like cows in a cattle run and Joe's fingers anxiously twisted the brim of the Stetson in his hands. This is it, he thought. I’ve got to do everything right this time or she’ll leave me for sure. He forced himself to ignore the over zealous and incredibly buxom, waitresses who vied for his attention. Finally he spied the back of Clara’s hat peaking over a booth seat. The sight of it forced his heart into a little dance that beat hard and fast against his ribs. Her laugh fill the room and memories flooded his brain. She laughed like that when I bought her that hat for her birthday, he thought. Its dainty blue flowers and the merry little bird sitting on its crown now fairly shouted to him. "You can do it", the small bird sang to his heart. Courage blossomed and Joe took his first conscious step toward fidelity.

MIDDLE-GROUND
Writing, particularly longer works, need both showing and telling. "Telling" allows the reader some down-time and lets them breathe between more intense "showing" scenes. The following middle-ground paragraph both shows and tells. It is acceptable under many circumstances. I've indicated the show areas with an (S) and the tell areas with a (T).
~~~~~
(T) Brian stared at the wreckage that two hours before had been his home. The tornado hurled debris for some two hundred yards and most of his possessions were now unrecognizable. (S) He bent to retrieve chunk of wood that was once a part of his dining room table. Farm worked fingers ever so gently ran across its still smooth surface, pausing only when they arrived at piece of straw now bizarrely embedded in its surface by the force of the storm. (T) The table had been carefully preserved by his family for over a hundred years -- and now it was gone. Brian could hold it no more. (S) The wood slipped from his fingers, and clattered to the ground, resting in the rubble scattered at his feet.
~~~~~

NON-FICTION

Although using direct narrative is more acceptable in nonfiction editors are still impressed with a writer’s ability to 'show' wherever possible. Do not discard this technique simply because you can get away with it when writing nonfiction.

Richmond Writers' Group

On Sunday, September 18 I was privileged to speak at the monthly meeting of the Richmond Association of Christians Who Write. Tom Lacy, their facilitator, was - as always - an extremely gracious host. The group was a mix of both accomplished and novice writers, each bringing something unique to the discussion. The topic was Showing, Rather Than Telling, a Story and the interest was high. I was able to renew acquaintance with a few friends who I met when I taught in Richmond a few years ago, and I was fortunate to get to know a number of new writers as well.
For the benefit of others, I will (in separate posts) provide some of the meeting's handouts.

Slogan Contest

Suite101's pro-life forum is running a contest seeking pro-life slogans, product ideas, bumper stickers, etc. The winning entry may be turned into an actual product. Winner receives Choose Life car ribbon magnets and static clings valued at about $25. The contest also offers 2nd and 3rd place prizes.
http://www.suite101.com/contest.cfm/pro_life/593
Have fun!

Quotable Quote - Frank Peretti, author of Monster

Frank Peretti, Author of Monster says, “Part of the creative process,” he explained, “is how you basically ‘chalk-up’ the characters that you want. But then there is that point where you cross a line of some kind. You go past a certain point and they do take on a life of their own. That’s part of ‘finding it.’ That’s a term I just came up with. You know, there’s writing, and then there’s really writing. It’s like the difference between sketching and painting. You can recount an incident that happened, or you can ‘be there’ -- and you can take your reader there.”

Polishing the PUGS: Puncuation, Usage, Grammar & Spelling

Chicago Manual of Style
For anyone who hates balancing the zillion pound Chicago Manual of Style on their knees, Kathy Ide has written Polishing the PUGS: Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling. In it she shares some of the most common mechanical errors that she sees in the manuscripts she edits. Don't let "PUGS" errors decrease your chances of being accepted by a publisher!

Kathy's "PUGS" is a very condensed version of the most used rules of punctuation, usage and grammar. Quite handy to own and only $12.00 at www.kathyide.com. I noticed that she is also selling a CD version for $12.00, a combo of the book and CD for $20.00, an EXPANDED version of PUGS for $18.00, the EXPANDED CD for $18.00 and a combo of the expanded versions for $30.00.

PUGS is a very helpful little book and she seems to have something to fit everyone's budget.

About Kathy Ide
Kathy is a professional freelance author, editor, and speaker. She is a published author of books, magazine articles, play scripts, short stories, devotionals, and Sunday school curriculum since 1988.

NJCWG - Meeting

Next meeting of the NJCWG
Monday, September 26, 2005
6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Lesson
8:00-9:00 - Critiques

Lesson: Getting Started... How do you get your first 'clip'? Do you approach editors via email the same way you approach them via postal mail? How do you know who gets a query letter and who wants a complete manuscript? How do I know if I'm ready to submit to a "real" publication? And MORE...

Hope to see you Monday night!

Louise

Book Publisher - Zondervan

ZONDERVAN
Division of HarperCollins Publishers
5300 Patterson Ave. SE
Grand Rapids MI 49530-0002
Phone: (616)698-6900
Fax: (616)698-3454
E-Mail: zpub@zondervan.com
Website: www.zondervan.com
Executive VP: Scott Bolinder
"Our mission is to be the leading Christian communications company meeting the needs of people with resources that glorify Jesus Christ and promote Biblical principles."

Editor's Note: No longer accepts mailed submissions unless they are addressed to a specific individual. Instead, submissions may be faxed or submitted electronically to First Edition via the ECPA website (www.ecpa.org).

Established: 1931; Publishes hardcover and trade paperback originals and reprints. Publishes 120 titles/year; 10% of books from first time authors; 60% of books from unagented writers. Pays 14% royalty on net amount received on sales of cloth and softcover trade editions; 12% royalty on net amount received on sales of mass market paperbacks. Offers variable advance.

Responds in 2 months to queries.
Responds in 3 months to proposals.
Responds in 4 months to manuscripts.
Manuscript guidelines available at website.

Autobiography, Biography, Children's/Juvenile,Reference, Self-Help, and Textbook

Subjects include: History; Memoirs; Religion; Christian living, devotional, Bible study resources,preaching, counseling, college and seminary textbooks, discipleship, worship, and church renewal for pastors, professionals and lay leaders in ministry,
theological, and Biblical reference books.

Submission method: TOC, chapter outline, intended audience, cv (curriculum vitae/resume)

"Inklings-style" fiction of high literary quality. Christian relevance in all cases.
Will not consider collections of short stories. Needs some adult fiction (mainstream, Biblical).