100 Best First Lines of Novels (?)

This was compiled by the American Book Review, "a website for the independant literary community."

I don't know if I would agree with all of their selections, but reading it does give an idea of what a first line should be.

Amazon Shorts Writing Contest

The August Submission Period Has Begun!

The August submission period ends tomorrow, August 31, at 11:59PM ET. So put the finishing touches on your 2,000-10,000 word entries and send them to amazonshorts@gather.com to get in under the deadline. All stories sent before the deadline will remain live on the site for 14 days, during which you can continue to vote and comment. All stories received after the deadline will be considered for the September competition. Don't forget to keep checking the Amazon Shorts Group homepage for new entries - they are posted daily!
Best of luck!
The Amazon Shorts Admin
amazonshorts@gather.com

Fast Draft Online Class Sep 12

The first class is Fast Draft, which is how to write your first draftin two weeks. It begins, Tuesday, Sept. 12. I'll be teaching adifferent class each month, with a guest speaker now and then.

Group name: Write_Workshop
Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Write_Workshop
Group email address: Write_Workshop@yahoogroups.com

Candy Havens
www.candacehavens.com
Charmed & Dangerous
Charmed & Ready (Sept. 5, 2006)
Charmed & Deadly (June 5, 2007)

WED AUG 30 DEADLINE!

Submissions for the 2nd annual DFW Writers' Workshop Short Story & Poetry Contest are due this coming WEDNESDAY, AUG 30, during the regular Wed night meeting.

If you cannot attend to submit your work, please contact me the workshop at mailto:dfww_workshop@comcast.net, myself (Alley) at alleypat@comcast.net 972-641-6423, or one of the board members. Manuscripts will be taken up by Laurie Moore mailto:duchess7@prodigy.netat the Workshop.

The short story can be of any genre. Blind submission, meaning your ms title, name, and contact information, & number of words, will be on the first page only. All other pages will be the text of the manuscript with the title and page number in the header. Do not put your name on the story pages of your manuscript. The usual formatting for a short story applies: double spaced lines, Courier, 12 font, first page of story usually has 13 lines of text. 5,000 words maximum.

The poems can be of any type, maximum 2 pages in length. The stanzas must be double spaced, if no stanzas, double space poem. Put only the title and page number on the poem pages, leaving the contact info and word count, etc., for the cover sheet.

The contest is open to the public. Nonmembers have a nominal fee to enter the contest. For more info, contact Alley at 972-641-6423, 214-929-2718 cell or alleypat@comcast.net

Good luck! :)

Writer's Digest Poetry Competition

We're pleased to announce the only WD competition exclusively for poets, the Writer's Digest Poetry Awards! Regardless of style—rhyming, free verse, haiku and more—if your poems are 32 lines or fewer, we want them all. Submit your entries by the December 20, 2006 deadline ... and your words could be worth cold hard cash!

First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $100
Fourth Through Tenth Place: $25
Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate to Writer's Digest Books

Plus, the names and poem titles of all First- through Tenth-Place winners will be printed in the August issue of Writer's Digest, and all winners will receive a copy of the 2007 Poet's Market.

Click here for guidelines and to enter online!

Alex's Booksigning Sep 2

Alex's Workshop sponsored booksigning for IN THE COMPANY OF OGRES will be Sat, Sep 2, 2-4 pm, at the North Richland Hills Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Come celebrate Alex's 2nd book with us!

Poetry Words

The DFWWW Poetry group 8 words are:

encumbrance
contest
gusto
scented
resilient
tortured
water
molesting

Alex's Booksigning

A. Lee Martinez will be signing for his new book
IN THE COMPANY OF OGRES

Sat Aug 19
2 - 4 pm
at the Lone Star Comics on Mockingbird and Abrams

Poetry Workshop Sep 16

Our monthly Poetry Workshop is starting up again! We meet every 3rd Wed. night at the North Richland Hills Barnes & Noble at 7pm. Our next meeting is Saturday, Sept. 16. All welcome.

Poetry this Wed

This Wed nite our poetry group will meet in a separate room. All poets are welcome and can bring any original unpublished poem with or without the 7 or 8 words distributed last Wed.

Writer's Digest Short Short Story Contest Announced

Select the link above for official rules, etc. Unofficially: 1500 words or less, $12 per entry, does take online entries.

Why are We Writers?

This inspirational essay was published by southlit.com, a little on-line magazine promoting, you guessed it, Southern writers. The writer is someone who sounds like a lot of people at the workshop, in that she started writing long after leaving high school. Now she's published six novels.

Meanwhile, SouthLit.com appears to be wide open to submissions of fiction, poetry, humor, and essays.

2nd Annual DFWWW Short Story Contest

The 2nd annual DFW Writers' Workshop Short Story Contest deadline is fast approaching!

Deadline: Aug 30 (last Wed meeting of August)

Genre: any genre

Length: 5,000 words maximum (not 5001 or above)

Format:
- blind submission (contact info on cover page only, header info with title and page number only)
- header - TITLE and page number only on text pages
- font: courier size 12
- paper: white paper only, typed/printed on one side
- bind - paper clip, do not staple

Contest open to Workshop members & non-members. Fee to non-members.

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize

Deadline is Sept. 15.
Graywolf Press is pleased to announce the third annual Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize. A $12,000 advance and publication by Graywolf in 2008 will be awarded to the best previously unpublished, full-length work of literary nonfiction by a writer not yet established in the genre

Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Contest

Deadline is Sept. 15.
The Tony Hillerman Mystery Short Story Contest, co-sponsored by WORDHARVEST and Cowboys & Indians Magazine, offers a $1,500 prize plus publication in the magazine.