Next Meeting of the NJCWG - tomorrow night!

Ringwood Baptist Church
30 Carletondale Road
Ringwood, NJ 07456

Monday, May 23, 2005
6:15-7:00 Chat Time
7:00-8:00 Lesson: Structure of a Short Story
8:00-9:00 Critiques

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Faciliator, NJCWG
www.louisedumont.com
www.njcwg.blogspot.com
word.worker@verizon.net

NJCWG - Next Meeting

At the next meeting of the NJCWG (Monday, May 23, 2005) we will be discussing a number of things.

1. Additional information will be available regarding the NJCWG Sample Writing Book.

2. Our October 8 , A REASON TO WRITE conference is coming up fast. We need to get the details worked out and I still need offers of help in a few areas.

3. I will be making a announcement about a very special, noteworthy, international author, who is coming to Ringwood to speak to OUR group in May, 2006. Yes, I said 2006. (You have to get the BIG name speakers at least one year in advance.) Come to the meeting to find out all the details about this BIG event.

4. My topic for the lesson will be: The Structure of a Short Story.

Jehovah-Tsidkenu
The Lord is My Righteousness
Jeremiah 23:1-6

Louise Bergmann DuMont
word.worker@verizon.net
www.louisedumont.com
njcwg.blogspot.com
GRACE BY THE CUP: A BREAK FROM THE DAILY GRIND, (Revell), Oct 2003
FAITH-DIPPED CHOCOLATE: RICH ENCOURAGEMENT TO SWEETEN YOUR DAY, (Revell), Jan 2005
Coming Soon...
THE STRENGTH OF A WHISPER - Six Ordinary Women: One Extraordinary God

Christian Comics Training

COMIX35/ROX35 Media, Inc.
http://www.comix35.org
------------------

There is a new COMIX35 Christian Comics Training Seminar coming up. The event will be hosted by Lifewerks, Inc. and held at Bible Baptist Church, 801 Darley Rd, Claymont, DE (greater Philadelphia metro area) on August 8-10th, Monday - Tuesday 9am-5pm & Wednesday 9-3pm.

Cost: $199 per person by July 1st, $249 after July 1st

The "official" hotel will be the Holiday Inn Select on Naamans Road in Claymont. Lifewerks has a block of rooms reserved under the COMIX35 or Lifewerks name. Group rate is $89.00 per night. We will also have a meeting room at this hotel for attendees & speakers to visit and discuss comic arts & writing after class hours.

TAG-TEAM TRAINERS!

+ Paul Castiglia - Paul is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts where he earned a BFA degree majoring in animation and minoring in cartooning. He has worked as a script writer for Archie, DC, Dark Horse, Antarctic Press and Cracked Magazine. He currently writes scripts on a freelance basis and is employed as Senior Copywriter at Fisher-Price.

+ Lisa Hutchinson - Lisa has a BFA in graphic design from the Tyler School of Art. She has done freelance illustration and design work for 9 years and is an acclaimed American Christian manga artist. Lisa has worked for Anime Angels Mangazine, Makar Studios, and Community Comics. She is now employed by a West Coast company, working on a manga graphic novel, video game concept art and 2-D animation.

+ Alec Stevens - From 1985-1999 Alec wrote and drew comics for Fantagraphics Books, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Kitchen Sink Press, Heavy Metal, Acclaim, Wildstorm, and others. His illustrations have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker Magazine, and Reader's Digest. In more recent years Alec has turned his attention to Christian magazine, tract, and comics illustration, both as a self-publisher and illustrator for other ministries. He is also an instructor at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon & Graphic Art, Inc.

+ Nate Butler, President, COMIX35/ROX35 Media, Inc - Worked for 20+ years as a cartoonist, commercial artist, and writer/illustrator of comics, producing artwork for clients such as Jim Henson, DC Comics, and King Features Syndicate, as well as scripting for Archie and Marvel Comics. Also packaged a few Christian comic books, tracts and magazines over the years.

Lifewerks hopes to have a website up very soon with registration information. Please let people know they should keep an eye on the Ministry's "Future Training Events" page. Link: http://www.comix35.org/upcoming.html


COMIX35/ROX35 Media, Inc.
http://www.comix35.org

Writing Op - The Lookout

THE LOOKOUT
GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS
Our Magazine THE LOOKOUT is a 16-page, full-color weekly magazine from Standard Publishing with a circulation of 100,000. THE LOOKOUT is written and designed to provide Christian adults with true-to-the-Bible teaching and current information that will help them fulfill their desire to mature as individual believers, develop godly homes, and live in the world as faithful witnesses of Christ. In short, we want to help our readers understand and respond to the world from a biblically based viewpoint. THE LOOKOUT publishes from a theologically conservative, nondenominational, and noncharismatic perspective. It is a member of the Evangelical Press Association.

Direct submissions and correspondence to:
LOOKOUT, 8121 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45231
Fax: 513-931-0950
E-mail: lookout@standardpub.com.

More here:
http://www.lookoutmag.com/guidelines.php

Writing Ops - Secular

Here are a few secular writing opportunities.
Home Improvement Stories - Good and Bad
PAY: $50 - $100
Wanted: good and bad home improvement stories
Wd Ct: 500-1000
Pay: $50-100 per story depending on size and relevance.
Humor welcome.
We publish a magazine with pre-screened contractors and home service providers in it. No specific names of companies or individuals should be included in the story.
Contact Info - Melissa: melissadevita@1homesource.net
Website: http://www.1homesource.net/


A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers
Looking for: true-life essays.
Deadline: July
Payment: $100.
Wd Ct: 1,000-2,000 words.
Guidelines: www.cupofcomfort.com - Click on "Share Your Story."


Wax Romantic's Short Story Contest
Looking for "happily-ever-after" romantic stories.
Deadline: August 10
Wd Ct: 1,000-3,000 words.
Winners receive publication and in-kind prizes.
Guideliens: www.waxromantic.com/contest.html .

Poetry Reading Cancelled

POETRY NEWS from Maude: POETRY READING CANCELLED

I regret to inform you that the Christian Inspirational Poetry Reading, which was to be held at Christian Publications Bookstore, Pompton Plains, NJ, Saturday, May 21, has been cancelled. The Director of Retail Stores of Christian Publications, Larry Hair, died this morning, May 19. His funeral will take place in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The bookstores will, therefore, be closed.

All of the poets who were planning to participate had been eagerly anticipating this event. We may be able to reschedule in the Fall. I hope this notice helps to alleviate any inconvenience to those planning to attend.

Poetry Event - NJCWG Members Participating

There will be a special reading of Christian inspirational poetry, this Saturday, May 21, 1 to 3 pm at the Christian Publications Bookstore, 620 Route 23, Pompton Plains, NJ.

Eight poets, with a diverse assortment of inspiring creations in various styles will give glory to God...poetically!...and bless the hearts of those who attend. Come hear Nancy Baker, Gloria Healy, Barbara Williams Hubbard, Ann Lefevre, Elizabeth Marchitti, Valerie Schermerhorn, Nancy Stoppelkamp and myself, Maude Carolan. Some of the poets will have chapbooks available, others are expected to bring complimentary broadsides of favorite poems.
DON'T MISS THIS EDIFYING LITERARY AFTERNOON...IT'S FREE!

Please note that Christian Publications is closing their doors. This will be one of the last events held at this locaton and the discounts on merchandise should be very good. You might want to take advantage of that as well.

Two Tele-Classes

A message from:

MaryAnn L. Diorio, Ph.D.
Author, Speaker, Coach
CLASS Graduate
www.maryanndiorio.com
www.LifeCoachingConsultants.us

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Friends,

I have scheduled two teleclasses in which you may be interested. One is called Letting Go of the Past and the other is called Writing Winning Articles. Please click below for details:

http://www.maryanndiorio.com/schedule.php

Blessings for a Happy Summer!
MaryAnn

1st Edition & Writer's Edge

Note From Louise: Some publishers will tell authors that they don't take unsolicited manuscripts and that the author should post their manuscript with either 1st Edition or Writer's Edge. I don't suggest this.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1ST EDITION, www.ecpa.org/FE/index.html
Few editors are look at 1st Edition. There is no screening process so anyone can post a proposal. The good th ad and the ugly do. I know of an editor that had access and was appalled by what was posted. I'm not surprised that most edtiors won't waste their time trudging through the trash to get to one treasure that 'might' be hiding in its midst. Several self-publishing companies troll it, so I'm guessing that any contract you might here that come from posting there must be coming from those responses.

WRITER'S EDGE, www.writersedgeservice.com
This service is run by Stephen Board, who used to own Shaw. The evaluators are former book editors who have good reputations and know what will sell. This service may be worth the money you need to pay to find out if your proposal is really ready. If not, you'll get suggestions for improving it, but not a thorough critique. The monthly listings of available proposals go to over 75 CBA houses, and many editors read these listings. If they are interested in seeing a proposal, they contact the authors directly. Editors don't request many and only a few of those requested are contracted.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bottom line - the best way to get your book contract in the hands of the right editors is through a writers' conference or an agent.

Contest for Tweeners - Ages 9-12

Here is a message for any 9-12 year old writers you may know!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you know tweeners age 9-12, encourage them to enter the CONTEST on my website. We need a name for the mascot, and the winner will receive a signed poster and signed Dirt Bike Rider book. The deadline is May 31, so don't delay.

God bless you all! Audrey Hebbert
www.audreyhebbert.com

Poetry News From Maude

POETRY NEWS FROM MAUDE:
This is to remind you that a special reading of Christian inspirational poetry, will be held this Saturday, May 21, 1 to 3 pm at Christian Publications Bookstore, 620 Route 23, Pompton Plains, NJ. Eight poets, with a diverse assortment of inspiring creations in various styles will give glory to God...poetically!...and bless the hearts of those who attend. Come hear Nancy Baker, Gloria Healy, Barbara Williams Hubbard, Ann Lefevre, Elizabeth Marchitti, Valerie Schermerhorn, Nancy Stoppelkamp and myself, Maude Carolan. Some of the poets will have chapbooks available, others are expected to bring complimentary broadsides of favorite poems.
DON'T MISS THIS EDIFYING LITERARY AFTERNOON...IT'S FREE!

NJCWG - Next Meeting, 5/23/05

A number of people have asked me to teach a class on the structure of a short story. That will be the topic for our next meeting.

Monday, May 23, 2005
Ringwood Baptist Church
30 Carletondale Road
Ringwood, NJ 07456
6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Teaching -- Short Story Structure
8:00-9:00 - Critiques

NJCWG - Sample Writing Book

NJCWG is putting together a book that will contain samples of our writing. Clare Cartagena, the coordinator of this project, asked me to share some information with you (below). To submit your work, please e-mail Clare (NOT me) at writ10wrd@aol.com .

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Reflect on the “theme”.
2. Choose a Genre.
3. Write.
4. Submit as per Submission Requirements.
5. Revise – if needed.
6. Re-Submit ( repeat 5 & 6 as needed).
7. Approve final draft for publication.


THEME

“The Heart of the Matter” --- Your writing must incorporate this theme in some way. This association should not be so obscure that it can’t be detected without intense thought but it does not have to be so obvious that your creativity is stunted. You do not have to include the words used in the theme. The theme will not be the title of the book. (We are open to suggestions.)


CATEGORIES

Devotion -- 250–400 words
Format for Devotion: Scripture; short anecdote or discussion; a brief prayer.

Fiction (Long Short Story) -- 1500-3000 words

Fiction (Short Short Story) -- 750-1100 words

Non-Fiction (Essay, Biographical, Anecdotal, Informative, Humor) -- 400–1100 words

Poetry -- 5–50 lines


SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Name, Address, E-mail, Word Count; Genre and Page Number in upper left hand corner of every page.

2. Title Centered.

3. Double Space; Basic Font type Arial or New Times Roman; Font size 12 or larger.

4. Submit via E-mail to writ10wrd@aol.com
E-mail as a MS Word or WordPerfect or Microsoft Works document AND copy your submision into the body of the E-mail. You can also mail your submission to
Louise Bergmann DuMont
PO Box 36
Ringwood, NJ 07456
Please submit ONE way only (not email AND postal mail). PREFER EMAIL SUBMISSIONS.

5. Review the above ( especially #1). Anything not complying with these requirements will be returned without being read or considered until submitted properly. The publishing world is unforgiving when it comes to following procedure. This is a good proving ground.

NJCWG - Next Meeting
Monday, May 9, 2005
6:15-7:00 Chat Time
7:00-8:00 Teaching
8:00-9:00 Critique

Topic of discussion: Things any writer can do to become more proficient, why some writers don't do them, and how we can overcome our stumbling stones.

Writing Op - Greater Faith Magazine

This is a message I received from Charlotte Stancil, Publisher of Greater Faith Magazine.
~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~,~

Hi, I publish Greater Faith Magazine, which is an on-line magazine for Christian women. The magazine serves as a tool to help women achieve a closer relationship with God. The primary goal of this project is to encourage greater faith in God’s power in our lives as Christians.

Submissions are being accepted in the form of articles, essays and poems. Our Writer's Guidelines explain the areas of focus. Take a look at our website for more information, www.greaterfaithmagazine.com. If you have any questions or comments, please send me an email.

Sincerely,
Charlotte Stancil
Publisher
GreaterFaithMagazine.com
cstancil@greaterfaithmagazine.com

Contest - Xerox Aspiring Author Contest

Xerox Aspiring Author Contest

Have you written a book? Are you trying to get published? Are you looking to make writing more than a hobby or dreaming of best-seller lists?

Dust off the manuscript that's hiding under your bed and enter the Xerox Aspiring Authors Contest. The company is on a nationwide search for the best work of unpublished fiction to demonstrate the power of digital print-on-demand as a smart alternative to traditional publishing.

The grand-prize winner will receive:
* $5,000
* 100 paperback copies of their novel digitally printed and fully bound

Second and third-prize winners will receive:
* 50 paperback copies of their novel digitally printed and fully bound

Everyone is a winner!
The coolest thing about the Xerox Aspiring Authors Contest is that everyone is a winner. By submitting your fiction manuscript, you will receive one free paperback copy of your novel digitally printed and fully bound.

With digital print technology, “The End” is just the beginning. To facilitate the publishing process, Xerox has enlisted Lulu.com, an online publishing services provider, and ColorCentric, a world-class digital printing organization.

Website: http://www.xeroxaspiringauthors.com/

Writing Op - How-To Books

Summersdale Publishers Ltd is a new UK-based publisher specialising in how-to books (including several for budding writers). They are happy to consider proposals from writers, but ask that before contacting them you look at their website at http://www.summersdale.com to get an idea of the sort of book they publish. If you have an idea you think would suit their style, they ask you to submit a chapter-by-chapter synopsis along with the first three chapters. Proposals can be attached to an email in the form of a single MS Word document to mailto:submissions@summersdale.com, but a hard copy is preferred. Their postal address is: Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 46 West Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RP, UK.

Writing Op - Women Only

Women only for this next one! Keen Publications are looking for stories of "aggressive, creative women who made the first move - and maybe even the second and third - to get the man of their dreams", for a book to be published in early 2006. They are paying $20 for each story they accept that explains how you did something proactive, unique or even outrageous, to get your man. Maximum story length is 500 words, and they say they are only seeking stories of successful first moves made by women that resulted in marriage or a committed relationship. The best stories will be accepted for publication and for payment. You may choose to remain anonymous or you can be credited by name, whichever you prefer. Email your story to mailto: KEENPUBLICATIONS@AOL.COM with GRAB THAT TIGER in the subject line.

Writing Op - Embarrassing Moment

If you have had an embarrassing experience, you could turn it to profit at http://www.splitmyside.com. This website is collecting funny stories about people's most embarrassing moments. They say, "Within the story tell us a little bit about yourself, the type of person you are. The events surrounding the moment, the people involved and what they are like. Describe exactly what happened and tell us what you felt during the event and right after. Also what transpired following the event to yourself and the people involved in the story." A fee of $200 is paid for each story used. To send in your tale, just click on the tab titled 'Submit Story' and follow the on-screen instructions.

Writing Op - Blue Mountain Arts Greeting Cards

Blue Mountain Arts is interested in reviewing writings suitable for publication on greeting cards. They are looking for highly original and creative submissions on friendship, family, special occasions, positive living, and other topics one person might want to share with another. Submissions may also be considered for inclusion in book anthologies. They pay $300 for all rights and $50 if your poem is used only in an anthology.

To request a copy of their writers' guidelines, send a blank email to mailto:writings@sps.com with "Send Me Guidelines" in the subject line, or write to them at: Blue Mountain Arts, Inc., Editorial Department, Post Office Box 1007, Boulder, CO 80306, USA.