Pitch-In Postponed

Our NaNoWriMo pitch-in celebration for tomorrow has been postponed. We will discuss at the December 18th meeting the possibility of moving it to the January meeting.

Group Reminders

Just a few quick reminders about the group:

Group members are responsible for reading submissions BEFORE each meeting.

• Submissions are due by the 2nd Thursday of the month. Generally submissions will be emailed out to the group the next day. That gives everyone a little less than a week to check their email and prepare for the meeting.
• Group members should print out or bring an electronic device on which they can access the submissions. Printed copies are preferred so that you can give your edits and revisions to the writer at the end of the meeting.
• Going forward there will not be extra copies of submissions available at the meeting.

Out of respect for the time of your fellow group members, please only submit for a meeting if you will be in attendance.

• While we understand that emergencies happen, if you submit for a meeting it is expected that you will be in attendance.
• If you miss a meeting that you submitted for, please get in contact with Kelly (monroviawriters@gmail.com) regarding your submission. If we do not have a lot of submissions we may be able to move it to the next meeting, but it will be at the bottom of the list. Your submission will not be automatically moved to the next meeting.

Discussion of submissions is to be treated anonymously. The writer should not participate in the discussion and group members should not directly ask the writer questions or otherwise engage the writer.

• It is very important that these meetings be comfortable and non-confrontational. If the writer interjects or is otherwise engaged in the discussion some members might feel the need to hold back during feedback.
• To that end, going forward all submissions will be anonymous. Please help me out by not including your name on the work. Obviously, over time we will get to know one another's writing styles and content. But we will still treat each work as anonymous and only acknowledge the author after EVERY group member has had the opportunity to speak at least once. I will know who submitted what and will know to skip over the writer.
• At the very end I will ask the writer of the piece if he/she would like to respond to anything that was brought up during the group discussion.

These rules are not meant to be harsh or rigid. Rather, they are important for us to function in an orderly and respectful manner. So far things have been going very smoothly. These guidelines will ensure that things continue to go well in the future.

Upcoming Writing Contests

Below are a few upcoming writing competitions. This is just a small sampling.

More upcoming contests can be found on: http://www.pw.org/grants. The database on the Poets and Writers website allows visitors to search by genre, submissions fees and other criteria.

Tampa Review - Danahy Fiction Prize

Deadline: November 30, 2014

Entry Fee: $20       

Website: http://www.ut.edu/tampareview

E-mail address: utpress@ut.edu

        

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Tampa Review is given annually for a short story. The editors will judge. Submit a story of 500 to 5,000 words with a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Tampa Review, by November 30. All entries are considered for publication. Send an SASE or visit the website for complete guidelines.

Prairie Schooner - Sillerman First Book Prize

 

Deadline: December 1, 2014

Website: http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu

E-mail address: prairieschooner@unl.edu

        

Sponsored by the African Poetry Book Fund in partnership with Prairie Schooner, a prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Nebraska Press and Amalion Press in Senegal will be given annually for a debut poetry collection by a poet who was born in Africa, is an African national or resident, or whose parents are African. The African Poetry Book Fund editorial board will judge. Using the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 50 pages by December 1. There is no entry fee. Call, e-mail, or visit the website for complete guidelines.

 

Friends of American Writers - Literary Award

Deadline: December 10, 2014

Website: http://www.fawchicago.org/awards.php

        

A prize of up to $4,000 is given annually for a book of fiction or creative nonfiction published during the previous year by a writer who is a resident of the Midwest (or who previously resided in the Midwest for at least five years) or whose book features a Midwestern setting. The prize may be split if two winners are selected. Writers who have published up to three books are eligible. Authors or publishers may submit two copies of books published in 2014 and an author bio by December 10. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

 

Sarabande Books - Bernheim Writing Residency

Deadline: December 15, 2014

Website: http://www.sarabandebooks.org/residency       

E-mail address: info@sarabandebooks.org        

        

A two- to six-week residency at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky, will be given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, or a creative nonfiction writer. The resident will also receive a $500 stipend and lodging in a private cottage, and will be required to give one public reading or discussion during the residency. Submit a writing sample of 10 to 20 pages, a letter of intent, and a curriculum vitae by December 15. There is no application fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.

 

 

Coming soon to MCPL - Monrovia: "Writing Down the Bones"

The Monrovia branch has ordered Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones." While it is not a
new book on writing, it is an important one. Unlike many writing books, this one does not focus on technique. Rather the emphasis of this book is on motivation and inspiration.

Each chapter is only a few short pages. It is an easy book to read completely in one sitting. It is also structured in such a way that one chapter could be read a day for inspiration.

This book will be an excellent addition to the writing books currently available at the Monrovia branch. Please also remember that with your Evergreen card you can request books from any library in the Evergreen system.

New Release: The Indie Author Power Pack

Today the kindle version of "The Indie Author Power Pack" was released on Amazon. The bundle will be available for a limited time only. Below is information on the three books contained in this download:

WRITE. PUBLISH. REPEAT.: The No-Luck-Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success
- Sean Platt & Johnny B. Truant

In 2013, Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt published 1.5 million words and made their full-time livings as indie authors. In WRITE. PUBLISH. REPEAT., they tell you exactly how they did it: how they created over 15 independent franchises across 50+ published works, how they turned their art into a logical, sustainable business, and how any independent author can do the same to build a sustainable, profitable, future-proof career with their writing.

LET'S GET DIGITAL: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should
- David Gaughran

The internet has revolutionized every business it has come into contact with, and publishing is no different. These changes are handing power back to the writer. It's up to YOU if you want to profit from them. With practical, hands-on publishing advice; best practices on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing; and effective marketing strategies that won't eat into your writing time or budget. And that's just for starters...

HOW TO MARKET A BOOK
- Joanna Penn

Get to grips with marketing! Learn the values and marketing principles that will help your long-term career as a writer and encourage you to think more like an entrepreneur, while using short-term tactics to kick up immediate sales. Includes recommendations for branding, content marketing, social networking and working with the media. With methods to take you beyond the book into professional speaking, making money from other products and creating new opportunities.

Show more

 

Indy Word Lab

 The first Monday of the month Indy Reads Books sponsors a writers workshop known as the "Indy Word Lab." At each meeting the group spends 30-40 minutes writing a prompt provided at the meeting. The remainder of the time is spent in small groups discussing one another's work. Each meeting is facilitated by a local author.

 

The group meets from 7-9 p.m. at the bookstore, which is located at: 911 Massachusetts Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46202. Indy Reads Books is a non-profit bookstore that supports the mission of Indy Reads, an agency dedicated improving adult literacy in Indianapolis.

 

Writers of all ages and experience levels are welcome. It is a free event. However, you are asked to register in advance by visiting: http://www.meetup.com/IndyWordLab/

Indiana Writers Center

If you are located in the Indianapolis metro area the Indiana Writers Center is a wonderful local resource. They offer classes and workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics. The organization is wonderful about ensuring that there are offerings for writers of all skill levels

The Indiana Writers Center is located in north Broad Ripple in the Cultural Complex on the campus of the Indianapolis Art Center. Please note that they do not have regular hours. You will want to visit their website for a list of classes and other events: http://www.indianawriters.org.

NaNoWriMo Pitch-In Celebration

Last night was the first meeting for the NaNoWri group. So far we have writers that have set goals for between 50,000 and 100,000 words for the month of November. The other NaNoWriMo meetings will be held on October 30th, November 6th and November 13th.

In addition to the NaNoWriMo meetings we will also have a pitch-in to celebrate the end of NaNoWriMo on Sunday, November 30th at 3pm. The library closes at 5 p.m., so we will probably only meet for an hour or so to eat and discuss our progress. Please feel free to bring any food to share with the group. We will email out a sign-up sheet for food so that we are not duplicating efforts.

Please remember that our NaNoWriMo meeting are separate from our normal writers group meetings. We will still meet the third Thursday of the month (November 20th) as usual with submissions for that meeting being due one week before.

Butler Visiting Writers Series

On Tuesday, October 28th New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Franzen will be speaking at
Butler University's Clowes Memorial Hall.  Franzen has won the National Book Award for Fiction and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

The talk will take place at 7:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

For more information about the series, please visit: http://news.butler.edu/blog/2014/09/vws-fall-14/

Ready for NaNoWriMo?

For the last 15 years November has been the official month for NaNoWriMo - aka National Novel Writing Month. Writers are challenged to write 50,000 words between November 1st and midnight on November 31st. Writers can make outlines and otherwise plan their novel, but no writing is supposed to take place before November 1st. Writers can sign up on NaNoWriMo's website and track their progress.

While writers are always welcome to visit the library and write, we would like to extend a special welcome for the month of November. As always, please feel free to stop by any time during our open hours. There is a study room, a community room, several tables and study carrels. The library has free WIFI. Those without a computer can use any library computer by signing in with their library card.

On October 23rd, October 30th, November 6th and November 13th the group will be meeting in the community room from  6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Please feel free to come as often (or little!) as you like during the month of November. These will not be formal meetings, but rather just a time for those participating to gather and discuss their progress. One of our group members has generously offered to share her NaNoWriMo kit with the group

On November 20th the Writers Group will meet as usual from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. As usual, we will go over submissions and discuss one another's works. We will spend our remaining time discussing how to structure a novel. Please remember that submissions will be due one week before the meeting, which is November 13th. Please see the submissions page in the navigation bar for more information on submitting work for our meeting

Website: http://nanowrimo.org/