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Volume: 16.08 • The South Carolina Writers Workshop Newsletter • September 2005

NEWS

I noticed in the newsletter that Jeff Herman is going to be a speaker for the SC conference. He taught two classes at the Erma Bombeck conference last year and he was excellent. Great choice you guys made ... Herman has a vast amount of knowledge with regard to the publishing world and he is generous about sharing it with other writers. I actually rode from the airport to the campus with him and found him to be very approachable.
– Cappy Hall Rearick

Putting together an outstanding annual conference is a big job requiring months of planning and preparation. In order to facilitate this process, the Board recently voted to make the Conference Chair position a two year commitment: the first year as Co-Chair and the second as Chair with a new Co-Chair. This will promote greater continuity and help make a great conference even better.

Our recent appeal for a new Conference Chair volunteer has born fruit. Longtime SCWW Board member and Columbia II Chapter member Dottie Boatwright has stepped forward to lead the 2006 Conference. She has been enthusiastically endorsed by the board and will begin immediately making plans. Craig Faris, another long time Board member who has invested much time in promoting our Conference, has volunteered to become Co-Chair for 2006. Dottie and Craig, thanks for sharing your talents with SCWW. We look forward to seeing the result of your work in the year to come.

We regret to note that there has been a change in our 2005 Conference faculty. Mary Alice Monroe has chosen to withdraw.

Meets 2nd Tuesday at Eden Gardens on Silver Bluff Road, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Charles Reeve cpreeve@bellsouth.net

Meets 2nd & 4th Sundays at the Merritt Building Parlor of Anderson College from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Contact: Jo Buckner (864) 261-7739.

Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at Books-a-Million on West Ashley, 7:00 p.m.; 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at Starbucks on Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant, 7:00 p.m. Contact: Dan Barber danb@mojolin.com

Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesdays at Lexington County Public Library, Cayce-West Columbia Branch, 1500 Augusta Road, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Steve Vassey vasseyws@hotmail.com

Meets 1st & 3rd Mondays at Richland County Public Library, 1431 Assembly Street, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Larry Hamilton docham@earthlink.net

At the latest meeting of Columbia II, we took a moment to consider advice we would give a person beginning to write. For many of us, the advice is for ourselves, reminders of things we know but too often forget:

• Believe in the importance of your writing.
• When smitten with an idea, write. Don't delay.
• Read current works in the genre in which you like to write.
• Get feedback from folks who will give honest thoughts.
• Spend more time with people who write and value writing.
• Write, write and then rewrite - everyday.
• Balance new writing projects with sending out submissions. Both are vital.
• Before querying, look in similar books for names of agents that authors thank.
• Words to associate with writing fiction: fun, often, rewrite.

If dreams came true and we could have the writer of our choice appear at our next meeting to answer questions, the writers of Columbia II would like to see the following:

Ann B. Ross. Her novel, Miss Julia Speaks her Mind, though rather simple writing, drives the reader to complete the book. How was the work conceived from the beginning? Was the story the driving force or was the writing driven by a perceived audience? How did the author know when the work was finished? -Alex Raley

Stephen King. Would like to know his process of identifying an audience. How would he define the current market and what is the best approach to networking toward publication? -David Westeren.

Sherman Alexie. We seldom get to hear or read the work of Native American authors. The American experience is much broader than the lives we live in South Carolina. Different perspectives can be refreshing and revealing. Alexie is a poet and writer of short stories. -Sheryn Billue

Carolyn See or Anne Lamott. Their books on writing help me to believe that, yes, I can let this huge, scary writing thing into my life, even if it scares me, even though it hurts sometimes, and even if it changes my life in ways I didn't expect. They seem able to do their own work and help others find a way to live the writing life. -Carol Beard

William Faulkner. He violated every rule of modern editing. Maybe the rule applicable to him is: if you are a genius, you know how to get away with anything. -Mickey Burriss

Ted Kooser. His poems are accessible, visual and yield precise insights. It would be fascinating to hear him speak about the process of creating images that speak to the larger human condition. -Sheryn Billue

David Westeren's short story "World Without End" appears in the recently published CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IV, which features the winners of the 4th Annual CrossTIME Short Science Fiction Contest. The anthology is available through Crossquarter Publishing Group's website at www.crossquarter.com and www.amazon.com

Meets 2nd Tuesday at St. Eugene Hospital dining room 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Kati Paul (843) 774–4561.

Meets 1st Thursday & 3rd Tuesday at The Open Book, 110 South Pleasantburg Drive, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: John Migacz migaczmarjon@prtcnet.com

Bob Strother has been published twice this month. The first article of three on "Regionalism" was published in the statewide newsletter of the South Carolina Association of Regional Councils. Bob also had an article published in the on-line trade journal NADO Research Foundation Regional Development Digest.

Pat Stewart also announced that she will have two items published soon. One is a savings tip published in the Summer 2005 American Saver Newsletter. She received a $50 EE Series Bond as payment. The second item is a story about safety in the workplace in the "Measure Twice, Cut Once" column of the On the Job newsletter, a quarterly publication for professional contractors by Grainger. For this piece she received a MagLite Solitaire flashlight. Her reaction: "I'll be rich before long!"

Addendum to last month's news about Gene Fehler's new book Goblin Giggles: A Ghastly Lift-the-Flap Book - Little Simon (the publisher) ordered a initial print run of 35,000!! Now, that's big news.

Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at Lexington County Library, Irmo Branch, 6251 St. Andrews Road, 6:30 p.m. Contact: Charlotte Blackstone CHEETAH5@aol.com

Meets every other Tuesday at Dooley, Dooley, Spence and Hipp Law Offices, 218 East Main Street, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Contact: Lynn Stidom lstidom@aol.com

Meeting places and times vary. Contact: Ruth King flking@sccoast.net

Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday at Books-A-Million, 7 p.m. Contact Edward Howe edhowe139@aol.com

Meets 4th Tuesday at Spartanburg Westside Library, 525 Oak Grove Road, 7:00 p.m. Contact: Roger Meadows RDM730@aol.com

We instituted a different system to ensure that we gave equal treatment to all those who brought material to read. First we drew lots to determine order of readers. We then divided the time equally and used a timer to apportion time spent. It may sound a bit over-organized, but it seemed to work really well. I'd welcome comments pro or con.

OPPORTUNITIES

Keynote Speakers:

Lee Child: International best-selling author of the "Jack Reacher" series of thriller novels that have been published in twenty languages and sell over one million copies each year. Books within the series include One Shot, The Persuader, The Enemy, and The Killing Floor. Six of the novels have been optioned by New Line Cinema for major motion pictures.
Saturday Session Topics: Morning Keynote Address, Being a "Pro" Writer.

Kimberla Lawson Roby: After self-publishing her first novel, Behind Closed Doors, which went on to become the #1 Blackboard best-selling book for paperback fiction in 1997, Kimberla has written six other bestsellers including The Best-Kept Secret and Too Much of a Good Thing, both of which made The New York Times bestsellers list.
Saturday Session Topics: Evening Keynote Address and The Writing Process, Inspiration, and the Publishing Industry.

William Price Fox: Acclaimed novelist, nonfiction author, screenplay writer, professor emeritus, and beloved humorist, William Price Fox is the quintessential southern writer. Ruby Red, Satchel Paige's America, Dixiana Moon, and Wild Yonder are among his celebrated books. He has written hundreds of articles and short stories for Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, USA Today and many other publications.
Saturday Session Topic: The Sound of the Story
Sunday Session Topic: Closing Keynote Address - Voice in Fiction

Other Speakers:

Paul Allen: His collections of poetry include American Crawl which was awarded a Vassar Miller Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in The Southern Review, Northwest Review and other prestigious journals. He is also an accomplished performer and songwriter and has released an album entitled The Man with the Hardest Belly: Poems & Songs. He teaches poetry and song lyric writing at the College of Charleston.
Friday Intensive Workshop Topic: Hearing Your Poem into Being - Sound Before Sense
Saturday Session Topic: Poems vs. Songs - Differences and Similarities

Helene Atwan: After working in various editorial positions at Alfred A. Knopf, Viking Press, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Simon and Schuster, Helene Atwan has been director at Beacon Press since 1995. Her acquisitions at Beacon Press include Gayl Jones' The Healing which was a National Book Award finalist, Mitchell Zuckoff's Choosing Naia, and five volumes of poetry by Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver.
Saturday Session Topic: Breaking Into Print
Sunday Session Topic: Agents & Editors Panel

Quinn Dalton: Author of the novel High Strung and short story collection Bulletproof Girl, Quinn Dalton is the winner of the Pearl 2002 Prize for short fiction, and she is a recipient of a North Carolina Arts Council fellowship. She teaches fiction writing workshops at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and the North Carolina Writers' Network. Her work has appeared in such venerated publications as Glimmer Train, The Kenyon Review and StoryQuarterly.
Friday Intensive Workshop Topic: Scene Development
Saturday Session Topic: The Single Effect: Writing Short Fiction

Jeff Herman: Since founding his own literary agency in 1987, Jeff Herman has sold over 500 titles. His agency specializes in general adult nonfiction (including business, self-help, and recovery/healing). In addition to being a successful literary agent, Jeff is also a best-selling author. His books The Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers and Literary Agents; Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 Proposals That Sold and Why; and You Can Make It Big Writing Books are must-have's for aspiring writers.
Friday Intensive Workshop Topic: Inside Tricks to Getting Published
Saturday Session Topic: The Do's and Don'ts of Getting an Agent (panel)
Sunday Session Topic: Agents & Editors Panel

Joshilyn Jackson: Multi-talented Joshilyn Jackson is an accomplished novelist, essayist, writing consultant, actress, and playwright. Her recently released novel, gods in Alabama, has received critical acclaim and is a 2005 Booksense pick. In its review, Booklist describes gods of Alabama as "Cleverly disguised as a leisurely paced southern novel, this debut rockets to the end, even as the plot turns back on itself, surprising characters and readers alike." Look for her second novel, Between, Georgia, next spring.
Friday Intensive Workshop Topic: Long Strange Trip - Moving Characters Intact from the Brain to the Page
Saturday Workshop Session Topic: Pick Up Lines - How to Grab Editors' and Agents' Attention from the Opening Sentence

Kelly Love Johnson: Kelly is the associate editor of Skirt! magazine and was previously the editor of the Charleston Regional Business Journal.
Friday Intensive Workshop Topic: Getting Personal - Telling Your Own Stories Through Personal Essay Writing
Saturday Workshop Session Topic: From Private to Public - Publishing Your Personal Essays

Bob Mayer: The nearly forty books that Bob Mayer has published under his own name and four pen names span from action thrillers such as his best-selling Area 51 novel series to the nonfiction book The Novel Writer's Toolkit. Two million of his books are in print and have been published in a dozen foreign countries. He is currently co-authoring a novel with popular romance author Jennifer Crusie.
Saturday Session Topics: Making Your Characters Real to the Reader, Marketing Yourself and Your Book

Sally McMillan: After years in the publishing industry, Sally McMillan started her own literary agency that represents both literary and commercial fiction as well as general adult nonfiction (including health, lifestyle, and history). Her clients include novelists Lynne Hinton, Joe Martin, Nancy Peacock and Mike Stewart in addition to nonfiction authors Lois Trigg Chaplin, Ray Jones, and Dr. Leah Klungness.
Saturday Session Topic: The Do's and Don'ts of Getting an Agent (panel)
Sunday Workshop Session Topic: Agents & Editors Panel

Mary Alice Monroe has chosen to withdraw from this year's conference.

Marcy Posner: Marcy Posner began her career in the publishing industry in editorial positions. She reached the level of associate publisher with Pantheon/Random House before joining the William Morris Agency where she became the vice-president and director of foreign rights. After 12 years with the William Morris Agency, she founded her own agency. She represents both fiction (including general, women's fiction, thrillers, and mystery) and non-fiction (including self-help, biography, health, and lifestyle).
Saturday Session Topic: "The Do's and Don'ts of Getting an Agent" (panel)
Sunday Session Topic: Agents & Editors panel

Terry Roueche: In addition to having written numerous one-act and full-length plays that have been performed throughout the Southeast, Terry's plays Parade Day, Take My Wife, Please and Norman Alexander have enjoyed successful runs off Broadway.
Friday Intensive Workshop Topic: Playwriting Crash Course - Everything You Need to Know to Write a Play
Saturday Session Topic: Three Keys to Writing a Good Play

Charles Todd: Author of the best-selling mystery series featuring Inspector Ian Rutledge, a Scotland Yard detective. Novels within the series include A Test of Wills, Wings of Fire, A Cold Treachery, and Legacy of the Dead which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In a review, the Library Journal describes Charles Todd as "A gifted writer," and goes on to say, "Todd has once again created an intriguing mystery peopled with memorably unique characters. The depth of emotion that he expresses is truly remarkable."
Saturday Session Topic: Creating a Sense of Place and Time
Sunday Session Topic: Moderator - Agents & Editors Panel

Brett Valley: Brett is an assistant editor at the Touchstone/Fireside, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. His interests include literary fiction, politics, sports, pop culture, and narrative non-fiction. He was the editor for The New York Times bestseller All the President's Spin: George W. Bush, the Media and the Truth by Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer, and Brendan Nyham. He is currently working on Faces in the Henhouse: How the Republicans Stole America and What the Democrats Must Do to Take It Back by Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders.
Saturday Session Topic: (TBA)
Sunday Session Topic: Agents & Editors Panel

The conference will begin on Friday October the 14th and run through Sunday the 16th. Once again we will offer Friday workshops.

Basic conference fees will be:

• Early bird member $125
• Regular member $150
• Early bird non-member $205
• Regular non-member $230

In order to qualify for the early bird discount, registration must be completed on-line with payment via PayPal by August 31st, or your registration accompanied by a check to cover the entire registration fee must be postmarked by August 31st. In order to qualify for member rates, you must be a member in good standing at the time you register. Current members may renew at the discounted rate of $45 when paying for the renewal at the same time as paying conference registration fees. Non-member registrations include a complimentary one year SCWW membership.

Workshop fees will be $35 to attend one workshop or $60 to attend two. As in prior years, conference registration is required for all workshop attendees.

If you are registered for the conference, you may submit a manuscript for critique by a conference faculty member (this includes having a scheduled fifteen-minute meeting with that faculty member). There is a $40 fee per manuscript. The following faculty members are available for manuscript critiques:

Please note that manuscripts will be assigned on a first-come/first-served basis according to faculty availability.

Guest registration will be $50 per guest and includes the Friday night cocktail party and other social events. Guests may not attend the conference or workshop sessions.

Saturday dinner will be available for a separate per person charge, which will be determined at a later date.

Landmark Resort Hotel is located at 1501 South Ocean Blvd. within minutes of the Myrtle Beach International Airport and the many restaurants, shops, golf courses, tennis courts, water parks, and entertainment venues that have made Myrtle Beach into one of America's top tourist destinations.

The resort offers a wide array of amenities that include the Southeast's largest resort indoor pool complex, a full-service restaurant, snack bars, exercise facilities, and complimentary airport shuttle service. SCWW conference attendees will enjoy the following exceptionally discounted room rates:

To receive these special conference rates, reservations must be made directly through Landmark Resort no later than Sept. 14. Call 1-800-845-0658 and be sure to mention that you are attending the SCWW conference to get our low group rate.

Note: all room rates are subject to state and local taxes (currently at 10.0%) and $2 per night taxable resort fee.

Got news from your local chapter? Got a helpful writers web site to share? Got a caution about a bogus publishing opportunity or contest? Let's network our knowledge to build a better newsletter.

Deadline for submissions is the 21st of each month. Please send submissions to (NOTE: New E-Mail Address!) quilleditor@bellsouth.net either in the body of an e-mail or as an attached file in MS Word (DOC), Rich Text (RTF) or plain text (TXT) format. Articles accepted for publication will appear in The Quill and archived on the web. Writers retain all rights to their works.

Submissions may also be made on floppy disk and mailed to:

Leland Beaudrot
1 Cleveland St Ste 110
Greenville SC 29601-3646

Write on!

Leland Beaudrot, Editor
The Quill

Scriptwriters of South Carolina, inc. is a state-wide non-profit organization serving South Carolina playwrights and theatre groups. The official headquarters for the Scriptwriters of South Carolina, inc. is located at the Sumter Opera House, Sumter, SC. with a regional office located in Rock Hill, SC. The Scriptwriters organization has recently partnered with The Urban Theatre of Sumter to provide an official venue for readings and productions of the work of South Carolina playwrights.

The mission of the Scriptwriters of South Carolina, inc. is to encourage and support the art and craft of playwriting.

Primary Activities:

• Stimulate interest in writing for the theatre.
• Provide both new and established playwrights with opportunities to further develop their skills and knowledge about writing for the theatre.
• Provide networking opportunities between playwrights, between playwrights and theatre groups and between playwrights and writers of other literary forms.
• Develop state-wide opportunities and venues for "workshopping" new and evolving plays.
• Encourage community and regional theatres to participate in the process of producing the work of South Carolina playwrights.
• Provide information to members of the Scriptwriters organization about local, regional and national writing workshops, forums and playwriting competitions.

"Urban Theatre" ~ An alternative theatre for presenting 'new' and 'experimental' work that represents and reflects the rich cultural and ethnic heritage of South Carolina and the region with a focus of "Developing new artists and audiences for the theatre."

Working in partnership with the Scriptwriters of South Carolina, inc. the Urban Theatre will also provide an opportunity and venue for playwrights from throughout South Carolina to produce their original plays.

The Urban Theatre of Sumter will be offering a dynamic range of theatre workshops that will accommodate all levels of experience from professional to beginners. The workshops will be comprehensive and cover a range of topics including; acting, directing, lighting, sound and set design. Each program will be conducted by theatre professionals in an invigorating and stimulating learning environment located in Sumter's historic Opera House, downtown Sumter.

This program is presented by the Scriptwriters of SC, inc. and the city of Sumter, SC. Performances, readings and workshops take place in the Sumter Opera House or at "non-traditional" venues located on or near Main St., Downtown Sumter.

"Main Street Players" ~ organized to provide opportunities to participate in 'live-theatre" for Sumter-area theatre actors and technicians. The "Main Street Players" produce plays, conduct "stage-readings" and provide theatre- workshops.

"Readers Theatre" ~ A collaborative project between "The Scriptwriters of SC" and the "Urban Theatre of Sumter" for the 'workshopping' of new plays, written by South Carolina playwrights. The 'new' work is presented to the public through 'stage readings,' audiences are asked to discuss the work with visiting playwrights.

Free admission – 4th. Friday and Saturday, monthly. Time/dates TBA 2 wks prior to readings. All readings take place in the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. Sumter.

Interested playwrights should contact: Booth Chilcutt at 803-436-2616 or bchilcutt@sumter-sc.com or Terry Roueche at 803-327-9125 or jtroueche@comporium.net

If an A-list star asked you about your latest manuscript or screenplay, what would you do? What if a production company requested a synopsis of your project before looking at your script or book? Would you be prepared for a writers conference or a pitchfest? And what could you expect if you took a meeting in Hollywood? Author/seminar leader Kathie Fong Yoneda has those answers and will provide you with the necessary pitching tools to help you navigate your way through Tinsel Town.

With twenty-five plus years experience, Kathie Fong Yoneda has worked for Paramount, Columbia, MGM, Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Disney, specializing in story analysis and development of live action and animated projects. Her career includes executive posts with Walt Disney, Touchstone, Island Pictures and Disney TV Animation. Kathie is an internationally-known seminar leader and an independent script consultant whose clientele includes several award-winning writers. She is the author of THE SCRIPT-SELLING GAME: A Hollywood Insider's Look At Getting Your Script Sold and Produced, and is a principal in TalkStory Productions.

• Course Price: $179.00
• Early Registration Price: 143.20 (ends August 29, 2005)
• Course Format: Online Instructor-led Course
• Estimated Time Commitment: 24 hour(s)
• Course Length: 4 week(s)
• Click here to enroll

I suspect that more than a few editors fail to read beyond the first paragraph of stories sent them by unknown writers. Not so with the editors of Glimmer Train—they seek out new voices in fiction and provide them with valuable exposure. Shortly after my work appeared in Glimmer Train, a collection of my short stories was accepted for publication.
—George Makana Clark

We are interested in reading your original, unpublished stories! (We don't publish stories for children, I'm sorry.) Multiple submissions are fine. (You can send more than one submission per competition, if you like, or submit the same story for different categories, if it qualifies). No simultaneous submissions, though, please. When we accept a story for publication, we are purchasing first-publication rights. (Once we've published your story, you are free to, for instance, include it in your own collection.)

Note: In an effort to save our backs from heavy mail buckets, we ask that you send your work via our new online submission procedure.

Deadline: September 30th. Results on January 2nd.

Reading fee: $12 per story.

Prizes: 1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue. 2nd/ 3rd-place: $500/$300, respectively.

Other considerations:

• Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared in any publication with a circulation over 5,000. (Entries must be entirely unpublished.)
• Stories not to exceed 12,000 words.

Do you dream of writing a children's picture book and having it published? Your dream could come true if you enter the Woman's Day/Scholastic Book Clubs' "I Want to Be a Children's Book Writer" Contest 2005. The grand-prize winner's manuscript will be illustrated, published and distributed by Scholastic Book Clubs, the nation's largest school book club. The grand-prize winner will also receive a set of five autographed hardcover picture books from Scholastic. Ten runners-up will receive a set of five autographed hardcover picture books from Scholastic and their entries may be featured on womansday.com and scholastic.com.

To enter: Submit a manuscript for a picture book (text only, 500 word limit), following these steps:

1. Fold eight (8) pages of 8 1/2" x 11" pieces of paper in half to create a total of 32 pages (standard picture book length).
2. Write your name, address, daytime telephone number, and e-mail address on the front.
3. Write your story, approximately two (2) sentences per page.

Mail your entry to:

WD Children's Book Writer Contest
Dept. C075N Box 711
Holmes PA 19043

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked on or before September 30, 2005.

The Poetry Society of South Carolina meets at Second Presbyterian Church on Meeting Street in Charleston at seven p.m. on the dates noted below. All meetings, other than the holiday party in December, are free and open to the public. A reception with light refreshments follows each meeting.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Jerri Chaplin, Certified Poetry Therapist

DATE: Saturday, October 8, 2 - 4 p.m.

LOCATION: Trott's Cottage, 83 Cumberland Street, Charleston

REGISTRATION: $20 for Poetry Society of South Carolina members, $25 for others.
Preregistration is required by October 1; space is limited to 30 participants.
Payment of registration fee will confirm a spot in the workshop.

DESCRIPTION: Participants will learn how the reading and writing of poetry helps heal and will do some expressive writing exercises.
Light refreshments will be served after the workshop.
COORDINATOR: Mary Harris, (843) 821-2086 or wordnotes185@hotmail.com

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is holding a contest for students across the country to produce the best ACLU Public Service Announcement (PSA) or write the best essay on one of three civil liberties themes: The Patriot Act, Racial Justice or Censorship. One PSA and one essay will be selected as the contest's prize-winning entries.

Eligibility: US citizens or resident aliens aged 17-29

Content: Creative 30 second PSA's and essays of up to 500 words that promote appreciation of the ACLU's work and its relation to issues of the day and/or citizen's daily lives. PSA entries can include anything from live action to animation to claymation (all entries must meet broadcast standards). For essay entries, any type of original work will be considered including fiction, nonfiction, humor, and poetry.

Approved topics, all based on defending the Bill of Rights, include:

• USA Patriot Act
• Racial Justice
• Censorship

Clearances: You must be the original author of everything in your PSA/essay or have written permission to use copyright protected material. In addition, you will need consent from all actors appearing in your PSA to use their likenesses and voices. You will need to send us a signed original copy of our Terms for Submission with your entry (or separately, by the submission deadline, for entries submitted online).

Entry Format: PSAs should be no longer than 30 seconds in length and submitted in either VHS, DVD or MiniDV format. In addition, we will accept online submissions (WindowsMedia or MPEG formats with final, encoded version of ads not to exceed 4MB). The PSA winner must have a broadcast quality version of the spot available. Essay entries must be in English and can be sent to us via paper copy (typed and double-spaced on one side only of 8 1/2" by 11" paper) or via email to info@zilo.com.

Timing: Entries must be submitted between July 4 and October 4, 2005.

Submission Address:

The ACLU 2005 Stand Up for Freedom Contest
c/o Zilo Networks, Inc.
36 West 44 th Street, Suite 1205
New York, NY 10036

Prizes: The winning PSA entrant will receive $5000 and will be shown on Zilo TV's national college network and submitted for airing to major broadcast and cable networks. The winning essay entrant will receive $1000 and the winning essay will be featured on the ACLU's website and in various communications to its members. Both winners will be announced at in late October 2005 at the First Annual Eureka International Film Festival.

The Larry Corse Prize for Playwriting was established in 2003 by Larry Corse, Professor Emeritus of Theatre and English at Clayton State University, to encourage the development and production of new works for the stage.  The 2004 competition was won by Robert Karmon for his play Caliban and Miranda.  In 2005, the competition was moved to its new host, Columbus State University Department of Theatre, Columbus, Georgia.  The 2005 competition received 306 plays from 12 countries and was won by  William Missouri Downs for his comedy Seagulls in a Cherry Tree.

The Prize:  $1,000 and a production by Columbus State University Department of Theatre.

Eligibility:  The competition is open to all.

The Play:
1. A play submitted to the competition should be finished, original, in English, and must not have been previously published or performed (excluding workshop readings).
2. The play may be either full-length, one-act, or a series of related one-acts, and should have a running time of between 45 and 120 minutes.
3. The number of actors needed for the play should be between 5 and 10.

Columbus State University Department of Theatre will have first production rights for the winning play.  The playwright will retain all other rights, including copyright, publication, and performance rights.  If for some reason, Columbus State University Department of Theatre is not able to produce the winning play within two years of the announcement of the winner, first production rights revert to the playwright.  If, in the opinion of the jury, no play worthy of the prize is submitted, Columbus State University Department of Theatre reserves the right to withhold the prize.

Submitting a Play:
1. Because the play will be submitted to the juries anonymously, the author's name should not appear on any page of the play.
2. Plays should be submitted with a cover sheet containing the following information:
a. Author's name
b. Author's address
c. Title of play
d. Author's phone number and e-mail address
e. A signed statement that the play has not been previously produced or published.
3. Deadline for Submission:  Plays must be received by the Columbus International Playwriting Competition on or before November 7, 2005.
4. Address for Submissions:

Columbus State University
International Playwriting Competition
#324
931 Monroe Drive NE, Suite A-102
Atlanta, GA  USA  30308

The copies of the plays submitted will not be returned.  Please do not send one and only originals.
The plays will initially be read by theater professionals.  Eight to ten finalists will then be submitted to the Theatre Faculty of Columbus State University for final judging.  The selection process should be complete by February 2006.
For additional information, contact Steve Graver, Department of Theatre, Columbus State University at Graver_Steven@colstate.edu or by writing to the above mailing address. Please do not send submissions directly to Columbus State University.

FEATURES

From The Novel Writer's Toolkit: A Guide To Writing Great Fiction And Getting Published

Setting establishes mood. Go to the bookstore, open up a bunch of books, and read the first line. You will find the majority of opening sentences have something to do with setting and evoking an emotion in the reader. That's why 'It was a dark and stormy night' is such a cliché-- there is always a large degree of truth in clichés.
For many novels, setting is one of the two major aspects that make one particular book distinctive from another, the other being character. Setting can help you answer the critical question that usually comes after your original idea: What makes your book different from all the other similar ones?
Setting can be a character in your story-- think who the antagonist is in Jon Krakeur's Into Thin Air. Mount Everest and the weather. Some writers have totally wrapped their story around their setting and it's what makes their book unique. Caleb Carr's stories are mysteries set in New York City in the late 19th century and it is the setting, that sets them apart.
Next time you're sitting watching your favorite sitcom or TV drama pay a little attention when the scene shifts. In NYPD Blue, every time the scene shifts back to the station house, don't they show the outside of the building for a second or so before moving inside? Ever wonder why the director does that? He does it to orient you as the viewer. As a writer, you also have to keep your reader oriented.
Setting consists of two parts, even though most people only think of one. It is the where and the when of your story. And there is so much more to the where that most people see at first glance. Think about the different places you've lived (if you've lived different places). There was more than just the place being different. Weren't the people somewhat different? The weather? The socio-economic structure? The seasons? The physical terrain? The architecture? The list could go on and on, but the key is not to get caught up in simply describing what a place looks like. It takes much more than that to come alive.
I have found this to be particularly true in writing science fiction. Maybe it's simply because I've become more aware of the entirety of the setting when I can't take anything for granted. When my main character steps through a portal and gets sucked into the fourth dimension, I suddenly become much more aware that I have to describe everything down to the very texture of the air they breath.
However-- you knew there was a however coming didn't you? However, like everything else, you just can't slam the brakes on your plot and wax eloquently about the fierce north wind roaring through your chapter. It has to come when the reader needs to know about it.
How much is too much detail? If you can take it out and the reader who knows nothing about your story other than what he's read so far doesn't miss it and doesn't need it.

One other technique I do highly recommend is called 'set,' short for 'set the scene.' When you start a new chapter or change perspective, you have to quickly (in first two paragraphs usually) orient the reader as to:

-Where is the locale?
-When in the timeline is this, particularly with relation to the previous scene?
-What is the point of view, and if it is a character's, which character?
-Who is here?

Answering those questions 'sets' the scene.

Q: Do you have a suggestion for a POD book I produced in Canada? I am considering submitting it to a U.S. publisher, but haven't a clue to who publishes important history or an agent who handles such.

A: Some publishers won't take pre-published work, because first North American rights are not available. You have a chance of finding an American publisher, though, because you have records to show a good sales record (more than 1,000 sold is recommended when trying to sell a self-published book to a traditional publisher), and because you're willing to speak and promote your book. You may have to write a book proposal, but some publishers may take the book without a proposal, because it is fully written.

Now, how to find a publisher or agent: Writers must research. Go to bookstores and look for books in your category and see who published them. Pay for one month's usage of www.writersmarket.com (it's less than $5/month), search it electronically, and make a list of publishers that publish history and don't require an agent. Search for agents that handle books on history. Submit to all of them, following each one's guidelines, for they differ.

Q: I listed my book, Best Ever Quotations, on Amazon.com. Amazon charges a fee, which it takes out of the money due from sales. I also went on its "search inside the book" promotion, which meant I had to ship another book to Xerox Corp. Amazon told me it had two sales, and I shipped two more books. As time went on, I realized I would keep shipping books and never see any money, because the fees eat up any sales money, so I asked Amazon to withdraw my membership and remove my listing. Its response was to remove the $8.50 price of the book and list "one new and one used at $1.95" and a negative (one-star) review by one person. I protested and even phoned, but to no avail. The representative at Amazon said "someone" put my book for sale at that price and "someone" posted the negative review, and the information would stay on permanently. Have I any recourse?

A: I'm sorry you had a poor relationship with Amazon.com. Not everyone has the same results, but book publishers are pressed to give deep discounts to bookstores and Web-based merchants, and because you're the publisher, you are expected to pay sellers of your book. That's why traditional publishers pay authors so little per book. Most of the cover price goes to overhead, commissions to distributors, and discounts to booksellers.

When I looked at your book listing on Amazon.com today, it said: "Availability: THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE." It did not list any used copies. Interestingly the first day my publisher released my book, Amazon.com listed used copies in addition to new ones. I've heard rumors that people set up fake review names and addresses, get free copies of books for "review," and sell them as used books in perfect condition.

To the question regarding how to stop someone from writing bad reviews of your book, Ellis Vidler, author of Haunting Refrain and Death by Any Other Name (both Silver Dagger Mysteries), adds: "If you can show that the person has malicious intent or consistently posts reviews that are unduly negative or personal in tone, Amazon will remove the review. On the other hand, if the bad review is outweighed by good reviews, the controversy might add interest."

I looked inside the book on the Amazon.com site, and the quotes are not the traditional ones people are accustomed to seeing. They have been carved out of the depths of research, and they tend to be intellectually elevated plus a bit curmudgeonly. I can see if someone thought he was buying some Pollyanna-type book, he'd be disappointed. The negative review reflects the reviewer's lack of appreciation for a conflicting point of view, and I got a kick out of the fact that it refers to the author's "poor judgement (sic) or sloppy job of editing." The writer spelled "judgment" incorrectly and misspelled another word in his review, as well. The poor review reflects worse on the writer of it than on the book to which it refers.

Do you have questions for the book doctor? Write to me today. Bobbie@zebraeditor.com

MUSINGS

The phone interrupted my favorite educational TV program. I squelched the noise of COPS with the mute button. "Hello?"

"Hiiiiiiiiiiii!" said a chirpy female. Twangy blues played loudly in the background.

"Hello... uh... Are you calling about the Conference?"

She laughed. "No, silly. It's me! Don't you miss me?"

I reached around for the caller ID. The number was out of state and the name unfamiliar. "Miss, I believe you have the wrong...."

"Have you forgotten me already!?" Her voice breathed a chill of alarm.

"It's so noisy there I can't make out the voice."

With a palpable sob, she moaned, "You always did have trouble finding the right voice for your work."

The picture quickly came into focus. "Thaleia?"

She sniffled and squeaked, "Um-hm."

"Where in the world are you?"

"Memphis."

"You an Elvis fan now?"

"I'm here looking out for your writing career."

"What has Memphis to do with my writing?"

"Didn't you read the e-mail about your favorite toy?"

"You went to the shop with my laptop?" My indispensable tool had suddenly succumbed to a 'known hardware issue' and had been whisked away for repair. "How's it doing?"

"You didn't ask how I'm doing!"

"Aw, don't get so put out. We're a team: you, me and the laptop."

"It'll be home soon." Her voice carried an air of aloof nonchalance. "They fixed it the day it came in. It's on it's way back already."

"Guess you will be too."

For a long moment the background blues provided a kind of music on hold. Finally she said. "I've met someone" as the singer wailed "The thrill is gone...."

"You what!? You mean... a real live person? I thought no one could see you but me."

"He's a writer, too--a song writer--but at least he's working at it. He's with B. B. King right now."

"He's collaborating with the living legend of blues? Awesome!"

"Well.... Not collaborating exactly. He's working as a busboy in the club now. But he is trying to break into the business."

"Wait a minute. You're the Muse of Comedy. Isn't music one of your sisters' territory?"

"Don't be so old school. This is our third millennium, we've all had to diversify to move along with culture and technology. What? You think ancient Greece had a Muse of Blogging?"

"Yeah, I see what you mean. So, when can I expect you home?"

"Home?" she said wistfully. "Where is home?"

"Home is where the writer is." Before their echo died in my ear, I knew those words had teeth.

"You said it, not me,... Goodbye."

"Thaleia! Don't you da...." Before I could get the words out the phone died in my hand. Looking to the caller ID, I pounded the number into the phone."

"Yo! Wa'sup?"

"Sorry! Wrong number," I said to the young man who answered. I hung up and dialed again, slowly.

"Yo! Wa'sup?"

Same guy. I took a chance. "Could I speak to Thaleia, please."

"The who?"

"Your little red-headed girlfriend."

"She's gone, man! Tossed me back my phone and split."

"And you let her get away?"

"Hey, I'm workin'. You her old man?"

"Yes... exactly. She tells me you're a song writer."

He uttered a wry laugh. "Yeah, maybe some day."

"Let me tell you, if she says you're a writer, it's for sure."

"She's been trying to make me believe it."

"Known her long?"

"That's just it, man! She only walked in here last night, but I feel like I've known her since before forever. She's like... my mother, my sister, my lover all in one."

"In other words," I said. "She's a pain in the...."

"You got it!" He sighed "But tell that little brat I'm going to miss her."

"She'd say, 'Write a song about it.'"

The Quill is the newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Workshop <www.scwriters.com>.

Copyright 2005 by Leland Beaudrot, Editor. Contributing writers retain all rights to their work.