WritingSpirit Resources

Announcing the Upcoming Launch of WritingSpirit.com

Ignite your Writing Spirit &
Put Your Passion on the Page
with
WritingSpirit.com

Being a member of WritingSpirit.com will be like having a Writing Coach at your fingertips 24/7. You'll have access to our unique, innovative, and EXCLUSIVE creativity, productivity and publishing tools. You'll get weekly support as you take your writing projects from start to finish--from idea to manuscript. And you'll learn how this new Publishing 2.0 World can help you achieve your writing and publishing goals with lightening speed. 

In other words . . .

When you join WritingSpirit.com you'll discover that
Getting published is easier than you think!

As a member of WritingSpirit.com you will...

• Participate on monthly calls and webinars with creativity experts & publishing professionals, so that you can easily bypass all the common mistakes writers make (which means you'll complete your writing projects more quickly and easily, and increase your chances of finding an agent or publisher).

• Discover The Book Writing Compass™, which will help you stay inspired and moving steadily forward on your book writing journey, so that your dream of writing a book "someday" turns into a book you can actually hold in your hands. Write your book!

• Receive mind maps, check lists and brainstorming questions to support you on your journey from inspiration to completed manuscript--whether you want to write a book, article, short story, play, or screenplay. The feeling of satisfaction you get, when you see your name in print, is extraordinary.

• Learn methods to open to the flow of inspiration--instantly!--so that you can easily move forward on any writing project you choose. Never be stopped by writer's block again.

• Get A Writer's Arithmetic™ goal setting tools, which will help you meet deadlines, write more consistently, and bring your projects to completion. Are you ready to kiss procrastination goodbye? 

• Discover lots of '"fast and fabulous" writing and content creation techniques, so that you can pour your heart onto the page with ease, write your first draft quickly, and complete your project faster than you thought possible. Fly past perfectionism, and have more fun writing.

• Find out how computers and the Internet are changing the face of publishing--for the better! Explore the many exciting and fulfilling ways there are to express your creativity, passion, and wisdom in this Web 2.0 World. You can get published today.  

• Start building your "author's platform." Whether you want to find a traditional publisher, self-publish, or publish on the web, the sooner you start putting yourself out there, building relationships, and making little successes happen, the sooner the big successes will come your way. It's a lot less scary than you think.  In fact, once you get past your nervousness, you'll find out how much fun it is!

• Participate in our regular "Publish or Bust!" 30 Day Challenges, and make BIG progress—one small step at a time. These challenges provide a real deadline, structured support, and accountability, so that you can focus on a small easily completed task, finish it, and move forward. Gain confidence and momentum.

WritingSpirit.com is coming MAY 22, 2008

I want to know what's on your mind, so I can make sure that you'll find the writing tools and support you need on WritingSpirit.com. Send me an email answering one or more of the following questions and we can create an awesome writing site together!

• What is your current writing goal, as well as your most cherished writing dream?

• What do you consider to be the biggest obstacle to your writing success?

• What do you need to move forward with your writing and publishing goals?

• What is your most burning question about writing and getting published?

Email me at Julie@WritingSpirit.com and let me know!

(Put "WritingSpirit.com" in the subject line so I'll open it immediately!)

Peace and blessings,

Julie Isaac

 

 

Movies About Writers

I just watched the movie, "Miss Potter," starring Renee Zellweger as famous children's author, Beatrix Potter. It's fun to watch movies about famous authors, and see how they overcame the naysayers, their own self-doubts, and any other creative obstacles they faced, which made their heroes' journey worth making a movie about.

Here are just a few of the movies that have been made about writers:

• Beloved Infidel (1959) about F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby, and Tender is the Night. Starring Gregory Peck.
• All The President's Men (1976) about Bob Woodward (author or co-author of 10 #1 national bestselling non-fiction books, more than any other contemporary author) and Carl Bernstein. Starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
• Cross Creek (1983) about Marjorie Kinnan Rowlings, author of The Yearling. Starring Mary Steenburgen.
• Gothic (1987) about poet Lord Byron and novelist Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Starring Gabriel Byrne and Natasha Richardson. (Directed by Ken Russell)
• Hemingway (1988) about Ernest Hemingway, author of For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea. Starring Stacy Keach.
• Henry and June (1990) about Anais Nin (Delta of Venus) and Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer). Starring Maria de Medeiros and Fred Ward.
• Impromptu (1991) about George Sand (Aurore Dupin), author of 80 novels and 20 plays. Starring Judy Davis as Sand.
• Kafka (1991) about Franz Kafka, author of The Metamorphosis. Starring Jeremy Irons.
• Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) about poet and essayist Dorothy Parker and Manhattan's legendary literary cadre known as the Algonquin Round Table. Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh.
• Quills (2000) about the Marquis de Sade, author of Justine or the Misfortunes of Virtue, and Letters From Prison. Starring Geoffrey Rush.
• Iris (2001) about Iris Murdoch, author of Under the Net, and The Sacred and Profane Love Machine. Starring Judi Dench.
• The Hours (2002) about Virgina Woolf, author of Mrs. Dolloway, To the Lighthouse, Orlando, and A Room of One's Own. Starring Nicole Kidman as Woolf, along with Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep.
• Sylvia (2003) about the poet Sylvia Plath, author of the semi-biographical novel The Bell Jar. Starring Gwyneth Paltrow.
• Finding Neverland (2004) about J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. Starring Johnny Depp.
• Capote (2005) about Truman Capote, author of In Cold Blood, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
• Miss Potter (2006) about Beatrix Potter, author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, and many other children's books. Starring Renee Zellweger.
• Becoming Jane (2007) about Jane Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. Starring Anne Hathaway.
• Miss Austen Regrets (2008) also about Jane Austen, the author of Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park. Starring Olivia Williams.

And there are also many movies about fictional writers, and their creative trials and triumphs. Such as:

• Misery (1990) Kathy Bates as an author's worst nightmare. In this case, the author is played by James Caan.
• Deconstructing Harry (1997) Woody Allen as an author who decides to write a novel about his best friends.
  
• Finding Forrester (2000) Sean Connery portrays a famous novelist turned recluse, who helps a high school basketball star (Rob Brown) who wants to be a writer.
• Adaptation (2002) Nicolas Cage as a screenwriter, battling his own creative demons, as he works to adapt a novel (written by Meryl Streeps's character) for the screen.
• Stranger Than Fiction (2006) Emma Thompson plays a novelist struggling to kill off her main character (played by Will Ferrell), but things get out of hand.

What are your favorite movies about authors or about the creative process? Leave a comment and let me know.

Duotrope's Digest -- Short Story, Novel, and Poetry Market Search Engine

Duotrope's Digest is a database of over 2150 current markets for short fiction, poetry, and novels/collections. You can search by writing type, theme, length, pay scale, and more. They have a theme calendar that lists theme based calls for submission, organized submission due date.  They also have a free online submissions tracker for registered users (membership is free).

Be sure to check out the navigation button labeled “curious.” It leads to a series of lists and stats that include:

• The 25 markets with the slowest average response times

• The 25 markets with the fastest average response times

• The 25 markets with the highest percentage of rejections

• The 25 markets with the highest percentage of acceptances

Operation First Novel 2008

Christian Writer's Guild Membership Deadline ($149): Sept. 17, 2008
Entry Deadline: Oct. 1, 2008
Winner Announced: Feb. 12, 2009
Submission to include complete novel from 75,000 to 100,000 words.

The winner of Operation First Novel 2008 will win $20,000 and publication by Tyndale House.

This book-length fiction contest is open to any current student or member of the Christian Writer's Guild who has not had a book published by a traditional, royalty-paying publishing house.

Taos Writer's Spa 2008

Jennifer Louden & Suzanne Falter-Barns
July 26 - August 1, 2008
Taos, New Mexico

The Taos Writer's Spa is a week-long workshop designed for serious beginners and professional writers who want to rekindle the spark in their writing, dig deeper into their creative process, and make a whole new commitment to their work. It's also for any busy, working writers who wish time to rest, juice their creativity, and get a new perspective on their work. The Writer's Spa is even for those with a creative vision of any kind that needs a shot of mojo.

Spend the week with Jennifer Louden, coach and author of five books, including the bestseller The Woman's Comfort Book, and Suzanne Falter-Barns, novelist and author of the creativity classic, How Much Joy Can You Stand? Together, they'll provide supportive coaching, in a structured, non-competitive, beautiful retreat environment.

More than just a writer's retreat or workshop, this is a spa, a place to relax, and unwind with your writing. Let Jennifer and Suzanne help you renew and nurture your writerly self -- and that helps you claim your full emotional power as a writer.

London Book Fair

April 14-16, 2008
April 20-22, 2009
April 19-21, 2010
Earl's Court, London, England

The London Book fair is the global publishing community's leading spring forum for booksellers, publishers, librarians and book production services worldwide. Ideally timed to provide you with a concentrated 3-day trading and educational platform offering access to the world's books, real business contacts and shared knowledge.

This three day conference includes:

• Seminar Programme - The 2008 seminar programme will hone in on three key areas: Digitisation, Children's Books & Publishing, and Film & TV. Each strand will have a programme of seminars that will be of interest to all sectors within the industry. There will also be a masterclass on How to Get Published. 

• Exhibition Hall - This year there are several dedicated exhibitor sections: Academic STM/ELT Publishing; Art, Architecture,and Design; Children's and Young Adult Publishing; General Publishing; Publishing Solutions; Remainder and Promotional; Travel Publishing and Maps; and Retailing Solutions.

• Author Programme - Each year a number of authors come to The London Book Fair and participate in events. Past authors have included Tariq Ali, Margaret Atwood, Paulo Coelho, George Szirtes and Joanna Trollope. Author events range from taking part in panel discussions, performing readings and talking about their work. You may even have the chance to have a drink with your favourite author!

• International Rights Center - The London Book Fair's International Rights Centre (IRC) is the leading location in the Spring for the trading of global literary, television and film rights. The IRC offers a focused 3-day trading period during a key buying time for the publishing industry. As the Centre is situated on the gallery level of Earls Court and partitioned off from the main show halls it provides a more private and comfortable meeting space with an appointment only entrance system.

• New Cookbook Zone - In conjunction with the world famous Gourmand World Cook Book Awards you can experience demonstrations and culinary delights courtesy of celebrity chefs from around the world, including renowned Lebanese chef Ramzi Choueiri, chefs from the Cordon Bleu Cooking School and Art Smith from the Oprah Winfrey Show.

London Book Fair

Guide to Literary Agents -- Editor's Blog

Guide to Literary Agents--Editors Blog
Where and how to find the right agents to represent your work.

In his blog, Chuck Sambuchino, editor of the annual edition of Writer's Digest Books' Guide to Literary Agents, keeps track of all news related to literary agents and writing conferences. Common features include agent interviews, new agency listings, agency profiles, upcoming conferences of interest, contests and other publishing opportunities, valuable writing resources, submission tips and information, and a blogroll of other agent blogs.

2008 Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards

Submission Deadline: May 1, 2008
Entry Fee: $100 for the first entry, $50 every entry thereafter.
Grand Prize: $3,000 plus several avenues of publicity and promotional help.
1st Prize: $1,000 to the winner in all 9 categories.
All entrants will receive a judge's commentary and a listing with a link on the Writer's Digest Web site

Book Categories:
*  Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age)
*  Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books)
*  Nonfiction
*  Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs)
*  Poetry
*  Mainstream/Literary Fiction
*  Genre Fiction
*  Children's Picture Books
*  Middle Grade/Young Adult books

Writer's Digest is searching for the best self-published books of the past few years. Whether you're a professional writer, part-time freelancer, or a self-starting student, here's your chance to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books!

16th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards

2008 Nelson Algren Awards for Short Fiction

Submission Deadline: Postmarked by February 15, 2008
Word Limit: 2,500-8,000 Words
Entry Fee: None
Awards: $5,000 First Prize and three $1,500 Runner-up Prizes

The annual Nelson Algren awards (given in memory of the Chicago author) are for short fiction. Submissions must be written by an American and must be unpublished.  Winners of the Nelson Algren Awards are notified late September to mid-October. The four winning Nelson Algren Awards stories will be published in the Chicago Tribune.

2008 Nelson Algren Awards for Short Fiction

The 2008 Foley Poetry Contest

Submission  Deadline: March 31, 2008
Word Limit: Submit only one poem of 30 lines or less.
Entry Fee: None
Prize: $1,000

America (the National Catholic Weekly) sponsors annually the Foley Poetry Award, given in honor of William T. Foley, M.D. America publishes about one poem a month. For the most part, these poems are selected from the runner-ups in the Foley Poetry Contest. Because America receives so many excellent submissions as part of the Foley Poetry Contest, it does not at present accept unsolicited poems for publication except those submitted as part of the contest.

America Magazine
The Foley Poetry Contest