I received an email from a Saskatoon teen recently. She wanted to know about contests and scholarships that would help her pursue her passion for writing. Her request got me thinking. And brainstorming. And digging around online for resources for teen writers. Here’s what I came up with: The thinking part: Yearbook, school newspapers and [...]
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Starting young–markets that publish young writersYes, I’m a killer
31 Oct 11
I have a confession. I’m a heartless, cold-blooded killer. It was completely premeditated. In fact, I selected my victim before I even got to know him very well. Then I used him and eliminated him without a speck of guilt. He had it coming, after all. The murder was cruel, painful, bloody. It took him [...] It’s a grant! It’s a pen! It’s SuperScribbler
23 Oct 11
What do you do with an Ontario Arts Council (OAC) grant? I have a year to find out. And so do you. Thanks to a suggestion from my writing buddies Deb and Theresa, I’m chronicling the year I finish my novel. Want to come along for the ride? Climb in and buckle up. Action–reaction I [...] TGIF
21 Oct 11
It’s Friday, and that means…yes, the weekend is here. Well, yes, it might be payday. Yes, yes–you can stay up late and sleep until noon. But Friday also means time to write. So put pen to page, or fingers to keys, with one of these Whispered Words writing prompts: The spirits walk on Samhain. And [...] You can’t win unless you get a ticket, part two
20 Oct 11
I’ve just received a golden ticket. A gilt-edged invitation. Freedom and joy and power, all wrapped up in a fat brown envelope from the Ontario Arts Council (OAC.) Motivation and backstory Rewind a bit to last June, as the deadline for the OAC’s Writers’ Works in Progress grant approached. This generous grant funds writers who [...] You can’t win unless you get a ticket
19 Oct 11
Want to win a writing contest? Here’s my best piece of advice. Enter. Sounds easy, but it’s what holds back more writers than anything else. Let me tell you a story… The Oshawa Public Library recently held a short story competition. Write a humorous family story. Maximum 1500 words. Deadline September 25. No entry fee. [...] Who are the people in your (writing) neighbourhood?
17 Oct 11
Promoting reading I attended the closing ceremonies for Oshawa Public Library’s Pass the Book Event on Saturday. This year, seven Durham libraries participated in the community-wide reading program, from Ajax to Clarington and north to Uxbridge. The title chosen in Oshawa for 2011 was Stuart McLean’s entertaining Stories from the Vinyl Café. At a time [...] Na-No-Wri-Mo is coming!
14 Oct 11
Na-No-Wri-Mo (National Novel Writing Month) is just weeks away. This 30-day challenge will have writers all around the world scribbling, typing, creating. The goal? To write 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30. It averages out to 1666 words per day. Get published This intensive writing discipline serves some writers very well. Take Kevin [...] Here Comes the Judge
13 Oct 11
The Whispered Words committee is delighted to announce that Antanas Sileika, director of the Humber School for Writers, will be the final judge for WCDR’s Whispered Words prose competition. Antanas is the author of four books of fiction, most recently Underground, a novel published by Thomas Allen in in 2011. He has contributed widely to [...]
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Give your words elbow room
12 Oct 11
Ever sat in an overcrowded restaurant booth? Piled into a jam-packed bus or train? Squeezed into seats in theatres and stadiums? Knees crunched up. Elbows pressed tight against your sides. Gets pretty claustrophobic, doesn’t it? So why cram your words onto the page? When submitting your work, build in some elbow room. Begin your story [...] |
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