GREAT WRITER's RESOURCE

The Word Smith Writer membership drive is now underway and its goal is to reach 1,000 subscribers by December 31, 2005. For each referal put in under my (Louise DuMont) name, the NJCWG gets one entry in a drawing. The person who gets the most subscribers between now and the end of the year wins a Gift Basket worth over $80. If the NJCWG wins, that basket will be shared with those who subscribed at the next meeting. The gift basket will include: the 2006 Christian Writer's Market Guide from Sally Stuart; a copy of Terry Whalin's "Book Proposals That Sell"; a copy of Carmen Leal's "You Can Market Your Book" plus a CD of "Pinches of Salt, Prisms of Light" - a beautiful selection of music; and some other delicious goodies to warm any writers heart. Peggy Phifer (Word Smith Writer owner and editor) is not finished collecting things for this basket so I have little doubt it is going to be an amazing gift. C'mon, folks...let's sign up for this newsletter!

By the way, the best part is not winning the basket -- its what you get in the newsletter! Word Smith Writer ezine is filled with marketing information, contests, writing hints and helps and so much more. Peggy does a grand job so check it out!

How do you subscribe? Click on the link below. Fill in the easy (only eight lines) form. When it asks how you heard about Word Smith Writer, use the drop down list to chose Referal/Friend. The next question asks who that friend is, write Louise DuMont - word.worker@verizon.net (you must put both my name and that email address or it won't count). Everything attributed to my name will go to the NJCWG. After that you simply click subscribe. Your email box will not be filled with hundreds of emails. You only get only one newsletter per month. This is a GREAT resource -- so what are you waiting for! Subscribe now!

For details go to

http://wordsmithshoppe.com/memberdrive.htm

Thanks,

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Facilitator, NJCWG

Bylines Writers' Calendar

Byline is collecting for their upcoming 2007 Writers' Calendar. This calendar features writers of all genres, both secular and Christian.
http://www.bylinescalendar.com/guidelines.php

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Attention Writers!
Contributors Wanted for Bylines 2007
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We are now accepting submissions for Bylines 2007 Writers Desk Calendar and we invite dedicated, serious writers who have been published and paid for their work to submit an entry. All genres and disciplines are welcome.

Submission Guidelines
We're looking for succinct personal stories about the writing life. The oh-wow success tales, the naked truth about what motivates you, the heartache of rejection, the toughest lessons, the joy and pain of freelancing. Humor is good, so is pathos. Please avoid routine, trite, ordinary stories. Read the many insightful submissions in the current Bylines and you'll see what we mean. We strongly urge you to read these entries so you understand what we're looking for. Click on the
links below for three examples of entries from previous Bylines.

Andrew Bill
Karuna Eberl
Nora Frances Horn

The best way to see what we're looking for is to obtain a copy of Bylines 2006. (Bylines 2006 will be available starting October 15th.) For order information, click on the "order Bylines" button at the left.

Writer's Bio
A few sentences about yourself. You're not dry and boring, so your bio shouldn't be either. Give us your accomplishments but round out your profile so our readers feel like they'd like to meet you for coffee. Or a beer.

Submission Length
The combined word count of your writing paragraph and bio should not exceed 300 words. We want room for your photo. However, don't send your photo yet. We'll let you know if your submission has been chosen and request your picture then.

Writer's Photo
If your submission is accepted, we will require a high resolution photograph. You may send a digital image as long as the resolution is 300 dpi or higher. If you do not have a high resolution digital image, please send us a quality snap shot that we may use. Please note, your photograph will not be returned. Do not send us your photo until you are notified that your submission has been accepted for the calendar.

Submission Method
Send your submission via email in text, RTF or Microsoft Word format to: info@bylinescalendar.com. Include your full name, address, phone number, email address and website in the body of your submission. Do not mail hard copies.

Deadline
Submissions must be received no later than February 1, 2006. Writers will be notified by April 15.

Fine Print
We reserve the right to edit submissions and bios chosen for Bylines but you will have the opportunity to approve any changes. Bylines has one-time use rights. Submissions and photographs will not be returned. We will accept previously published work; just let us know when and where it appeared. Writer agrees that pull quotes from their submission may be used on the Bylines web page, or in other marketing.

Writer Compensation
1. Exposure and promotion. Bylines is sold at bookstores nationwide and on the Internet. Your website and email address are listed in the calendar (with your permission), and we provide a link from our website to yours. If you're the outgoing type, we help arrange book signings at your local bookstore and/or interviews with your local media. We also send out hundreds of press releases.
2. You get one free calendar and discounts on additional purchases.
3. Money. It's only $5, but at least you can count us as a paying market. This is the first year we've been able to offer to pay writers anything. Remember, this is a labor of love, a tribute to writers and a break-even project.

Overcoming Fear & Worry

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio will be speaking at the Women's Breakfast of the Calvary Chapel of Mercer County in Ewing, New Jersey, on Saturday, November 12, 2005, from 9-11 AM. Her topic will be Overcoming Fear and Worry. For further information, please contact the church office at(609)530-9524.

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio: Certified Christian Life and Business Coach, Certified Behavioral Consultant, Certified Biblical Counselor, and popular Bible teacher, author, and speaker on Life Management issues. For more information on Life or Business Coaching, call (856) 327-1231 or email MaryAnn at MaryAnn@CelebrationCoaching.com

Contest - Literary Loves Company

There is a writing contest called 'Literary Loves Company'. Entrants have an opportunity to submit their short stories, poetry and articles for a book anthology. To find out more information about this contest log onto: www.fountainpenn.com/WritingCompetition

Writing Op - Pathway Press

YOUTH AND CHRISTIAN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
Pathway Press
1080 Montgomery Ave.
P.O. Box 2250
Cleveland TN 37311
Phone: (800)553-8506
Fax: (800)546-7590
E-Mail: bill_george@pathwaypress.org
Website: www.pathwaypress.org
Contact: Bill George, editor

Quarterly magazine covering Christian education.
"Youth and Christian Education Leadership is written for teachers, youth pastors, children's pastors, and other local Christian education workers."
25% freelance written
Established: 1976
Circulation: 12,000
Pays on publication
Publishes manuscript 6 months after acceptance.
Buys first or one-time rights.
Editorial lead time 3 months.
Submit seasonal material 6 months in advance.
Accepts queries by: Mail & E-mail
Accepts simultaneous submissions
Responds in 3 months to manuscripts.

Sample copy for $1 and 9x12 SASE.
Writer's guidelines online or by e-mail.
Nonfiction Needs: How-To; Humor (in-class experience;
Inspirational; Interview/Profile; motivational,
seasonal short skits
Buys 16 manuscripts/year.
Submission method: Send complete ms; include SSN. Send SASE for return of ms.
Length: 400–1,200 words.
$25-50. Accepts previously published submissions.
Send typed, double-spaced ms with rights for sale noted and information about when and where the material previously appeared.
Pays 80% of amount paid for an original article.
Some columns open to freelancers, SEE SAMPLE edition OR SITE. 500-1,000 words.
Send complete ms with SASE.
Pays: $25–50 for columns.

Contest

First place:
$50 Gift Certificate
Good towards a Script Critique
Thanks to Green Chair Pictures

Second Place:
$29.95 Gift Certificate
Good for one Free entry to the 2006 ScriptBiz Short Script Competition (opens January/deadline April Fools Day) Thanks to ScriptBiz Screenwriting Seminar

500-600 ESSAY MUST START WITH THIS BLURB:
"There's beauty in movies; in the way they allow us to escape reality, to learn new things, and to dream new dreams. Yet, I can't help but wonder, shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't our lives reflect the movies we've watched?"

All entries must be received by: November 26, 2005 by 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone.

To learn more: http://thedabblingmum.com/contests/essay.htm

NJCWG - Cancelled Meeting

Sorry. Due to a serious case of writers conference "overload" there will be NO NJCWG meeting on Monday, October 10, 2005 (tomorrow).

Please make note that our NEXT meeting WILL be Monday, October 24.

God Bless,

Louise Bergmann DuMont
Facilitator, NJCWG

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.