NJCWG Sample Writing Booklet

The NJCWG is shaping up nicely. Here is a message from our Editor, Clare Cartagena.

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FROM CLARE
Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry for the Sample Booklet. It is now in the editing/formatting stage. If you still have not submitted but would like to, get a move on it. Entries need to be in by 8/24. After that you will incur a stiff penalty. It's called "disappointment" when your name and writing does not appear in the official NJCWG Sample Book.

Also IMPORTANT --- All writer's need to submit a 60 word bio; a little blurb about yourself. If you need suggestions I can forward some examples your way. E-mail me at Writ10wrd@aol.com

Worst Writing Advice

My area of expertise -- Chocolate & Coffee
White Chocolate-Coffee Ice Cream Affogato
Recipe at:
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/2220/Recipe.cfm

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW... or NOT...
A number of writers recently began discussing advice we'd been given when we began our career's. After a bit of thought I decided that the worst advice I was given is, "Only write what you know." At first this sounds like it makes sense. After all, how can someone write what they don't know? They can't... but here is the catch -- they can LISTEN to experts on a wide range of subjects, LEARN about things outside of their current interests, and GROW beyond boundaries they set for themselves in the past.

HOW TO WRITE WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW
Find a subject that you've always wanted to know more about, then Listen, Learn and Grow.

Tap into expert knowledge. Listen carefully to the expert's ranting and read items written on the subject you've chosen. Reinforce your writing with quotes from those who know more than you do about the subject and who are acknowledged as experts in their field. Learn from them. Summarize their theory, compile their facts and grow your story from what you've learned. You don't have to be the expert -- you simply need to find others who are.

WINNERS ALL AROUND
The Expert -- Many experts are not writers. They are grateful for your area expertise (writing) and your ability to help them share the knowledge they've gathered.
The Reader -- Readers get the benefit of your writing ability and the knowledge of numerous experts you've interviewed and researched.
The Author -- The author (you) gets clips, credit and compensation for their labor.

Now get out there and write your next article on something you don't know... yet!

Louise Bergmann DuMont
www.cafemochalight.blogspot.com

Quotable Quote

A chinchilla owned by M. F. Chapman,
the first man to domestica the animals

"What do you suppose it means when your manuscript comes back to you like a well-hurled boomerang? It doesn't mean you're a brain-damaged churl who couldn't write your name in the dirt with a stick. It doesn't mean your story stinks on ice. It doesn't mean you should forget about writing and pay more attention to those ads promising high profits raising chinchillas in your bathtub.

All it means is that a particular editor didn't want to buy a particular story on a particular day."

-- Lawrence Block, from his book -- Telling Lies for Fun & Profit

Top 100 Paying Markets - Writer's Digest

For two free issues of Writer's Digest, go to:
https://secure.palmcoastd.com/pcd/document?ikey=0768PIW01


Here is the link to the top 100 Paying Markets as listed by Writer's Digest Magazine.
http://www.writersdigest.com/topics/wdtop100_listing04.asp

A Reason to Write Conference

A REASON TO WRITE -- CONFERENCE UPDATE
GENERAL INFO
Things are moving along in regard to our October 8, 2005 - A Reason To Write Conference. For those of you who get the Suburban Trends, you may have noticed that Sunday's Trends (8/14/05) carried a 1/4 page article on our upcoming conference. This was in response to a press release I sent to various newspapers. A number of requests for brochures came to me shortly after the article appeared. A PRWeb press release went out today - nationwide.

TEACHING STAFF
We had one little glitch in our teaching roster. The bad news is that Dr. Valeria Lovelace will not be able to teach the children's writing sessions. The good news is that God already knew about this bump in the road and prepared a substitute before I needed one. The day before I got the news that Valeria could not teach, Kathryn Mackel contacted me asking to teach additional sessions at our conference. Her skills as a suspense novelist are what I originally coveted but she is also an award winning children's author. Those who signed up for our conference expecting sessions on writing for children will not be disappointed. For more info regarding Kathryn Mackel and her books you can go to: http://kathrynmackel.com/

I've revised the brochure for future mailings and have updated the website. Please continue to send prospective attendees to the website or have them email me for a brochure and registration form -- http://www.louisedumont.com/ARTW.html

DOOR PRIZES / GIVE-AWAYS
I sent out a few emails to writer friends last week and was blessed by numerous responses (Brandilyn Collins, Carmen Leal & Bryan Davis to name a few). We'll have a ton of autographed books, CD's and chachkas to give away as door prizes and a few members of our teaching staff will bring books for a signing as well. This should add to the excitement and fun.

JUST A REMINDER ABOUT MAY 13, 2006
I just want to remind you all even though we are gearing up for the October 8 conference, I haven't forgotten about our May 13, 2006 conference with Cecil Murphey. There will be a flier in our October conference packet that lets all our October attendees know about that conference too. Keep that date open. You won't want to miss sitting under Cec's teaching.

FOR NJCWG MEMBERS ONLY
On Friday, October 7 (the evening before the conference) I will need a crew of workers to help me set up conference tables & chairs and a number of other members to stuff conference registration packets. Please contact me as soon as possible to let me know if you can help with this (spouses, teenage children or friends willing to help are also welcome). We will meet at the church at 6:00 p.m. (I'll order a few pizza's) and I hope to be done no later than 9:00 p.m.
EMAIL ME AT: njcwg.dumont@gmail.com

Writing Op - Christian Journal

CHRISTIAN JOURNAL
Free, monthly newspaper covering Christian support/encouragement.
801 S. Riverside
Medford OR 97501
Chad McComas, editor
Phone: (541)773-4004
Fax: (541)773-9917
E-Mail: info@thechristianjournal.org
Website: http://www.thechristianjournal.org/

"It is the purpose of the Christian Journal to encourage the reader with Christian support articles--personal experiences, stories about ministry, hope in God, poetry, uplifting short pieces, etc."

Established: 1998
Circulation: 15,000
80% freelance written on a one-time basis.
Byline given.
Editorial lead time 1-2 months.

Accepts queries by: Mail, E-mail (info@thechristianjournal.org), Fax, Phone
Accepts simultaneous submissions
Accepts previously published submissions
Responds in 2 weeks to queries. Responds in 1-2 months to manuscripts.
Sample copy for 9x12 envelope and 3 first-class stamps. Writer's guidelines available at website.

Wanted Articles: Book excerpts, Exposé, General Interest, Historical/Nostalgic, How-To, Humor, Inspirational, Interview/Profile, Opinion, Personal Experience, Religious (fiction and nonfiction)
Does Not Want: theological controversy.

Query or send complete ms.
Length: 400–900 words.
Does not pay the expenses of writers on assignment.
Columns open to freelancers: Health; Senior Views; both 600-800 words.
Buys one-time rights. Offers no payment for photos.

TIP: Be willing to have your work edited and used to touch readers.

Marketing an Authorless Book??

The challenge of marketing the anonymous book
News.yahoo.com has an article about the difficulties of marketing a book by an anonymous author. "With luck and the right story, an anonymously written book can seem like a secret everyone is dying to learn, a book that sells itself. Otherwise, the publisher has to depend on the slow, uncertain process of reviews and word of mouth."

Cec Times Three!

In the near future you will have THREE opportunities to sit under Cecil "Cec" Murphey's teaching!

Cec will be in Yorktown, VA for a one-day workshop November 5, 2005 entitled from From Title to Publication: Everything You Wanted to Know about Writing a Book. For flier that will give you information you can email your postal address to Yvonne at: yvonne@whro.net .

Cec will return to Yorktown, VA March 15-18, 2006 for another Intensive Mentoring Clinic. (Start saving your money now). Again, you can get more information about this by sending your postal address to Yvonne at: yvonne@whro.net .

Finally, Cec will be in Ringwood, NJ, May 13, 2006. I haven't discuess the topic of his Ringwood one-day workshop yet, but I am considering running the From Title to Publication: Everything You Wanted to Know about Writing a Book

Newspaper Job

Editorial North Jersey Community Newspapers seeks freelance reporters to cover municipal and school board meeting and write features. Proven journalism and AP style preferred. Send resumes and clips to: Trudy Walz at walz@northjersey.com or mail to 41 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ 07450-3805. No phone calls please.

New Mag Launch - Living 101

Living 101: test issue of Generation Y magazine launches
Sunset Publishing is launching Living 101, which targets consumers in their twenties. "Designed for Generation Y readers, which represent the biggest demographic in the United States since the Baby Boomers, Living 101 will address issues such as living on one's own for the first time, finding a job, and finding a mate." If the trial issue is successful, the company says it will consider a regular publishing run. Source: publications.mediapost.com

250 FREE Quality Business Cards

Vista Print (the place where I buy my business cards and the NJCWG business cards) is, for a limited time, offering you 250 FREE business cards - you only pay shipping and handling. If you plan to write for publication you MUST have a business card.

Go to their website and click on the offer that you see on the left.

http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/bcfree.aspx?GP=8%2F10%2F2005+8%3A41%3A17+AM

Writing Op - WomenSpeak

Here is another writing op that recently came across my desk.

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Ms. DuMont

My name is Antionette Johnson. I am currently looking for inspirational women writers to submit their short story for the upcoming series entitled: Leaps of Faith, Out of the Heart Women Speak. Please visit our website at http://www.womenspeak.net/. Could you pass the word about this site to other writers in the group? For further information please contact me:
usersaj@adelphia.net
Thanks,
Antionette Johnson

EXCELLENT Writing Op - ThyStaff

I recently received the following message from the Editor of ThyStaff. This is not currently a paying market but may become one in a short time. I've emailed Mitch Allen and asked that he send a subscription to our group so you will have sample copies to work from. I encourage you to check this out. I am going to submit something for their review shortly.

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Dear Louise,

My name is Mitch Allen and I serve as editor of ThyStaff, the automatic devotional newsletter. Actually, ThyStaff is a new type of communications tool available to the leaders of Christian organizations. It is just cleverly disguised as a newsletter! I invite you to learn more about our newsletter at www.thystaff.com .

LORD willing, ThyStaff will launch on October 1, 2005. We are so excited about this! I am anxious to see your members included in this project. It is vital to the success of this project that we receive your contributions on a steady basis. We have already made contact with writers from Kuwait, Africa, England, India as well as all over the United States. I'm going to get a world map just to show my sons the locations of our contributors!

Here are the writer's guidelines your members will need. Look them over and drop me a note with any questions or suggestions you may have.

Please, send your submissions as quickly as possible so we can review them by August 22. This will allow adequate time to assemble the newsletters in advance of the launch date. Again, we will need material on an ongoing basis after that date as well.

Compensation: First, your members will be given a byline at the end of their article when it is published. Additionally, we will send a short bio and contact information for each writer to our subscribing organizations. Finally, if one of your members submission's is used, they will receive a credit for a three month subscription to our newsletter service (valued at about $75.00!). They may donate this to their church, civic organization, favorite missionary or use it themselves to keep in contact with their supporters! By the way, your local Christian writer's group is eligible to receive ThyStaff for FREE. (Please, e-mail me now to sign up!)

Our goal is to begin cash payments for submissions by the end of this year, LORD willing. This will be based upon how quickly we enroll subscribers, so be sure put in a good word for us with any churches or groups who could use this exciting new service!

Guidelines: Our format will accommodate articles up to 350 words in length. Larger articles will typically be devotionals. The smaller articles will usually be more informational, educational or entertaining in nature. Consider the following suggestions for smaller articles:

World prayer alerts
World Christian news briefs
Family life tips
Poetry
Holiday histories
Greek for dummies
Church history
Recipes
Health tips
Bible trivia
Movie reviews
Websites of interest
Church leader bios
Famous Christians
Excerpts from old books in public domain
How to work with youth, children, seniors, singles or students
Book reviews
Magazine reviews
Conferences
Bible book synopsis (Book at a glance)
Layman's lexicon (Dummy's dictionary of Biblical/Christian terms)
Cult watch
Jokes
Puzzlers

The devotionals will be Youth/Adult oriented. Perhaps your members can share one of their own experiences that reinforce biblical concepts. We don't want them to just overlay a scripture onto a "neat story". People identify with the struggles of others. Please have them include the scripture text and which translation or paraphrase they are using. They should give a call to action so the reader can grow from their experience.

ThyStaff is not a forum for discussing theological differences. We invite submissions from the world-wide body of Christ and obviously do not expect uniformity. We do, however, expect agreement with the statement of beliefs found in the FAQ section of thystaff.com. Our Writers Agreement asks authors to affirm these core beliefs. We also ask that a pastor or staff member confirm the author's membership in a local New Testament church. Our subscribers expect us to provide solid Protestant Christian content, not Mormonism, Buddhism, etc.

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Submission Process:

• Visit www.thystaff.com and register as a writer
• ThyStaff will send an e-mail confirming your registration and will provide a form to submit for our records.
• Print out and complete the short form. Please note this form has the Church Membership Confirmation section at the bottom.
• Mail the original back to ThyStaff at the address provided. This is a one-time procedure.
• Submit your article to ThyStaff by e-mail. These should be pasted it into the body of the email. No attachments.
• ThyStaff will review the submission. They do minor editing for length, spelling and clarity and the article will be emailed back to you with the changes (if any).
• Edited submissions should be reviewed by you. This will give you the opportunity to accept or reject the edits.
• If you accept the changes, you send in the copyright release for the article.
• If you reject the changes, send us the rejection.
• When ThyStaff receives the release, they publish .

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Copyrights: ThyStaff asks only for a one-time release of the writer's copyright. This release will cover the initial electronic publication as well as permission for our subscribers to reprint the writer's article in it's entirety in their hard-copy newsletter. This reprint permission is only for the 30 days following the electronic publication. The writer must own the rights to the article, of course, in order to submit it for publication. We welcome items previously published if the writer still retains the copyrights.

The writer must send us the following completed form before we can publish their article. They can send it now, or after we notify them that we intend to publish their article. They should print and fill it out, sign it and have it verified by the Pastor or staff member from their church. Again, the Writer's Agreement with ThyStaff only needs to be sent one time.

Thanks again for your help! ThyStaff has the potential to bless so many people. Thank you for being a part of this adventure!

God bless you and your efforts,
Mitch Allen
Editor, ThyStaff

A Reason To Write Conference

Publicity is stepping up for the NJCWG - A Reason to Write Conference - October 8, 2005. Press releases went out and brochures are in the mail. If you are a NJCWG member, you are still required to fill out a registration form to attend. If you need additional brochures for your church, other writing groups, libraries or organizations, please contact me and I'll get these to you ASAP.

I need your help to get the word out about this conference. PLEASE help me by placing brochures in the hands of those who might want to attend. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Here is the webpage that will take you directly to the conference info. Please note that the online registration form does NOT work at this time.

http://www.louisedumont.com/ARTW.html

Louise Bergmann DuMont
njcwg.dumont@gmail.com

Sample Writing Booklet

MESSAGE FOR NJCWG MEMBERS

The NJCWG Sample Writing booklet is coming along nicely. We have a number of good submissions but we are willing to look at a few more. Contact me or Clare Cartagena if you have something to offer.

Louise Bergmann DuMont
njcwg.dumont@gmail.com

Tantalizing Sentences

Tantalizing Sentences, Tempting Paragraphs
Presented by Louise Bergmann DuMont

At the NJCWG – 08/08/05

When you gather tantalizing sentences they soon create tempting paragraphs. These will quickly lift your writing above other manuscripts and you'll soar toward publication

ADD A TOUCH OF THE UNUSUAL
Carefully research and study your subject matter. Know what you want to say and how you are going to say it. The essence of writing an interesting article is simplicity… but to make your writing stand out, you must add a touch of the unusual. The more you know about your subject, the more likely you will be able to interject something that the reader does not already know.

WORDS THAT FLOW, SMOOTH SENTENCES
Examine your sentences and paragraphs to ensure that the words flow smoothly. A paragraph should deal with ONE (and ONLY one) idea. This idea is developed through sentences that logically advance the point you are trying to make. Each sentence should add meaning or develop the story (plot). Check, recheck and then check again for logic.

A new author's brain fairly bursts with plot twists and character information. If the author does not pass this information on to the reader in a logical fashion, the reader doesn't "get" the words. Imagine a river filled with small smooth stones. The water gently ripples over the stones but continues forward without much trouble. Whirlpools are like breaches of information. They spin the reader around and around while he tries to find a way to move on. Dams are like too much information. They stall the reader as maneuvers around the mass to get through the story.

Logical, linear sentences that vary in length but provide the appropriate information are like a babbling brook. There is a flow that is almost musical in quality.

ACTIVE LANGUAGE "POPS"
Passive writing is boring to read. Active verbs and strong nouns create friction and energy. They are the difference between a flat, warm cola on a hot day, and freshly opened bottle of sparkling champagne on New Year's Eve. Read good contemporary literature and it will "pop" with active voice.

WRITE USING YOUR OWN VOICE
If you haven't yet found your own voice, don't fret. The more you write, the more you'll realize what works and what doesn't. Practice writing the way some of the better contemporary writers do. You'll find you can not mimic some, but the voice of others will come easily. Concentrate on the "sound" of the words. Are you a forthright person - the first to arrive at every party? Or do you amble into a room fashionably late, waiting to see who else arrived first? Know your style, your writing will likely follow similar patterns.

VARY THE LENGTH OF YOUR SENTENCES
The length of a sentence can create drama, provoke tension or evoke mood. As a rule, sentences within a paragraph should vary. This helps to hold the reader's attention by allowing the reader to breathe, think and even ponder the thoughts you are presenting

Example (From Ursula Le Guin's The Earthsea Trilogy:
The boat rounded a short promontory, and he saw on the shore what he took for a moment to be a ruined fortress. It was a dragon. One black wing was bent under it and other stretched out vast across the sand and into the water, so that the come and go of the waves moved it a little to and fro in a mockery of flight. The long snake-body lay full length on the rock and sand. One foreleg was missing, the armor and flesh were torn from the great arch of the ribs and the belly was torn open, so that the sand for yards about was blackened with the poisoned dragon-blood. Yet the creature still lived. So great a life is in the dragons that only an equal power of wizardry can kill them swiftly. The green-gold eyes were open, and as the boat sailed by, the lean huge head moved a little, and with a rattling hiss, steam mixed with bloody spray shot from the nostrils

Writing Nonfiction For Children

Mary Ann L. Diorio, PhD
Mary Ann L. Diorio, Ph.D. (a Central New Jersey author) wrote an excellent article entitled Researching Your Nonfiction Articles for Children. It is currently posted on The Spririt Led Writer's website: http://spiritledwriter.com/aug2005/research.htm

Meeting - Monday

The next meeting of the NJCWG

Monday, August 8
6:15-7:00 - Chat Time
7:00-8:00 - Lesson
8:00-9:00 - Critques

As always, looking forward to seeing you!

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Facilitator, NJCWG

Great Quote

Although these weren't specifically written about writing, many certainly apply to our field of endeavor.

`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

Top 10 Creative Rules of Thumb by Charles "Chic" Thompson
1. The best way to get great ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away.
2. Create ideas that are 15 minutes ahead of their time...not light years ahead.
3. Always look for a second right answer.
4. If at first you don't succeed, take a break.
5. Write down your ideas before you forget them.
6. If everyone says you are wrong, you're one step ahead. If everyone laughs at you, you're two steps ahead.
7. The answer to your problem "pre-exists." You need to ask the right question to reveal the answer.
8. When you ask a dumb question, you get a smart answer.
9. Never solve a problem from its original perspective. 10. Visualize your problem as solved before solving it."

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Charles "Chic" Thompason - BIO

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Chic Thompson is an internationally renowned speaker and author on creativity. He has worked extensively for many U.S. and foreign corporations, including UTC, McGraw-Hill, Accenture, and the Young Presidents’ Organization. He has also worked with such U.S. government agencies as the CIA, the FBI, and NASA, and has helped schools develop stronger creative thinking skills. Thompson is the author of What a Great Idea! (HarperCollins, 1992) and Yes, But…: The Top 40 Killer Phrases and How You Can Fight Them (HarperCollins, 1994).

Passive to the Extreme

Today I heard what, IMHO, was the ultimate expression of passive-speak. Sentence after passive sentence was uttered by a well educated man on a radio program intended for an educated audience.

The program began like this, "For ... there were negative repercussions due to the simultaneity of the actions of John Smith and John Smith's group." Why couldn't he simply say, "John Smith and his group's actions resulted in negative repercussions for..."?

To anyone who heard the rest of the story the reason was obvious. The speaker wanted to take the blame OFF John Smith and his colleagues, and he wanted to place the blame as far from the true object of the sentence (John Smith) as possible. If he could have sent the blame out to outer space, I believe he would have. Although the speaker used passive voice correctly in this instance, I don't think the intelligent listening audience was the least bit fooled by the technique.

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Facilitator of the NJCWG
http://www.cafemochalight.blogspot.com/