How to Write a Synopsis/$5000 Essay Contest

Writer’s Thought for the Week: I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil. ~  Truman Capote 

SYNOPSIS HELP

Boiling down a novel to a 500-word synopsis can be a daunting task. This article is one of the best I’ve seen on how to do it.

Using a Star Wars movie as an example, the article goes through the steps point by point and then puts it all together. I don't normally like books or articles on writing that refer to movies or TV for examples because video and print are such different mediums, but I think the comparison works fine for the synopsis.

RICHARD MARGOLIS AWARD
Deadline: July 1, 2013

This award "combines a one-month residency at Blue Mountain Center with a $5,000 prize. It is awarded annually to a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. The award was established in honor of Richard J. Margolis, a journalist, essayist and poet who gave eloquent voice to the hardships of the rural poor, migrant farm workers, the elderly, Native Americans and others whose voices are seldom heard.” The winner will be announced in November.

Publishing Options/Poetry Contest

Writer’s Thought for the Week:  I just don’t wait for ideas. I look for them. Constantly. And if I don’t use the ideas that I find, they’re going to quit showing up. ~ Peg Bracken

PATHS TO PUBLISHING

This handy chart from Jane Friedman summarizes five key book publishing paths in an easy to compare format. Don’t miss the link to Friedman’s interview with hybrid author CJ Lyons. Lyons publishes some of her titles traditionally and self-publishes others, but her agent helps with both. For self-published books, her agent negotiates and earns money from foreign rights, TV/film, audio, and other sub-rights.

BLUE MOUNTAIN ARTS BIANNUAL POETRY CARD CONTEST
Deadline: June 30, 2013

Prizes 1st/2nd/3rd: $300/$150/$50; online publication
No entry fee
Submit as many poems as you like. Poems are judged for originality and uniqueness.

Google Analytics/Novella Market

Writer’s Thought for the Week: If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~ Toni Morrison

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

If you’re taking the time to blog or maintain a web site, it’s worth taking the time to analyze how you’re doing. How many unique visitors are you getting? How are they finding you? I have some basic analytics on my blog, but nothing yet on my web site. Something for me to work on this week. Here are some basics are what Google Analytics can do and how to install it on your web site.

MAIN STREETRAG

Submissions are open for novellas 30,000 to 50,000 words until July 15, 2013.  

Free Art and Martian Haiku

Writer’s Thought for the Week: Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. ~ Pablo Picasso

FREE PICTURES

We know that pictures can really jazz up a blog post or an article, but how much time do you have to go out and take that photo or how much money are you willing to pay to purchase a photo? Free photos are available on the Internet, but read the fine print. Some sites include both free and paid images. Some images are fine for online use but resolution may be too low for print work. This article has 15 sites to explore to find the photos you need. This article is from November 2009, but all the links are still valid as of the date of this post.

MARTIAN HAIKU

Deadline: July 1, 2013
To raise awareness for the upcoming November launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, the mission managers at NASA invite the public to submit haiku could be added to a DVD that will go with the craft. Three haiku, specifically written for the occasion, and the name of everyone who submits something will be included on the DVD. "Everybody on planet Earth is welcome to participate!" You must be 18 years old to create a login email profile, and children are encouraged to ask parents and teachers for help. All haiku must be in English. Submit in the comments section of this article.

Writer's Tag/Poetry Chapbook Call/Nonfiction Call

Writer’s Thought for the Week: All my life I've wanted to be somebody. But I see now I should have been more specific .~ Jane Wagner

TAGS

A former English teacher, now a beginning writer, recently joined a writer’s group I belong to. When one of the members used the word “tag”, the former teacher did not know what that meant. Lit Reactor has a well done piece on the subject.

MARY BALLARD POETRYCHAPBOOK PRIZE
No entry fee, limit of one entry per author
Deadline: June 30, 2013

The winner will receive $500 and 25 printed copies of the chapbook. All poems should adhere to a theme. Themes may be aimed at either children or adults. The chapbook will be sold in both print and electronic versions via a publishing contract with Casey Shay Press.

CHICKEN SOUP: MULTITASKING MOM'S SURVIVAL GUIDE
Deadline: July 31, 2013

Pays $200 and ten free copies of the book.

Busy moms - here is your chance to pass along your words of wisdom, your lessons learned, your funny or embarrassing moments. Pretend you're talking to a friend and share your wonderful stories with other busy moms. Submit up to 1200 words.

Plotting/Poetry and Mystery Contests

Writer’s Thought for the Week: Plot is the backbone of a good work of fiction. The heart of a novel is its characters. ~ Barbara Delinsky  

Emotional Change

When writing fiction, characters should change between the beginning and the end. More than achieving a goal, a character should change emotionally. Readers connect with characters through emotion. Go here to read tips on accomplishing that from Martha Alderson, aka The Plot Whisperer. She also has lots of plotting videos available on YouTube.

PRINTERPIX POETRY CONTEST

Deadline: 9:00 am Friday, May 24, 2013

No entry fee

 “Anything based on ‘Sunshine’ is acceptable as long as you can create some warmth and comfort to all those who read your poem. It can be written in any style, in no more than 45 lines …” You stand a chance of winning a $100 Amazon voucher and a 20″x 16″ canvas. Open to entrants from the US/UK/Europe.

TONY HILLERMAN PRIZE

Deadline: June 1, 2013.

No entry fee
St. Martin's Press, Wordharvest, and the Tony Hillerman Writers Conference sponsor the Tony Hillerman Prize for best first mystery novel. Any author who has never published a mystery novel, and is not under contract to have a mystery novel published, may enter the contest. Submit your manuscript of at least 60,000 words, in which a murder or other serious crime takes place and the emphasis of the story is on solving the crime. The primary setting must be the Southwestern United States, including at least one of the following states: Arizona, Colorado, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, or Utah. The winner receives a publishing contract with St. Martin's Press and a $10,000 advance against royalties.

Punctuation Fun/Market for fiction, poetry, essays

Writer’s Thought for the Week: If you want to change your life, remember that change starts with you. ~ Jeffrey Keller

Best take on punctuation since Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: http://writerunboxed.com/2013/05/02/take-a-punctuation-mark-out-to-lunch/

CONFRONTATION MAGAZINE
Accepts works from new and established writers – from a talented 14-year-old to Nobel prize winners. The current reading period ends May 15, 2013. Publishes fiction, poetry, memoirs and essays. Pays up to $125. U.S.-based writers must submit by snail mail; others may submit by e-mail.