Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest

The Wisconsin Regional Writers Association is accepting submissions for the Al P. Nelson Feature Article Contest.

Submissions must be a feature article pertaining to people or places in Wisconsin; 400 – 1200 word limit. Essays, profiles, how-to, travel and humor pieces are welcome.

The contest is open to WRWA members only; cash prizes will be award. There is a $6 entry fee; deadline for entries is March 15, 2006. For complete guidelines, click here.

The Library's New Arrivals

The following books are recent additions to the Oshkosh Public Library and/or other Winnefox libraries. For availability, please check the Winnefox System library catalog.

Spunk & Bite: A Writer’s Guide to Punchier, More Engaging Language and Style
Plotnik, Arthur

Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams
Grason, Sandy

The Writing Life
Gilchrist, Ellen

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel
Smiley, Jane

Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books for Publication: Two Perspectives
Amoss, Berthe

First Draft in 30 Days: A Novel Writer’s System for Building a Complete and Cohesive Manuscript
Wiesner, Karen

Robert’s Rules of Writing: 101 Unconventional Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know
Masello, Robert

From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction
Butler, Robert Olen

78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why it Just Might
Walsh, Pat

The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice for Beginning Poets
Kooser, Ted

The Screenwriter’s Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Marketing Guide for Screen and Television Writers
Haddad, Michael

Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer’s Life
Lott, Brett

The Writer’s Voice
Alvarez, Alfred

Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints
Kress, Nancy

Writer’s Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing (2nd ed)
Writer’s Digest Books

Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction and More
Jacob, Dianne

Writing Children’s Books for Dummies
Rojany-Buccieri, Lisa

Writing Copy for Dummies
Kranz, Jonathan

City Editor, Part 2

In response to the Dec. 23 posting regarding "City Editor" by Larry Peterson, Larry made the following comment:

You indicated on 12/23 that it was rumored that my novel, "City Editor" was based on my experience as editorial page editor in Oshkosh. (Thanks for the mention, by the way.) In fact, much of the plot material about the proposed sexual predator "treatment center" was in fact based on my experience at the paper. The names were changed, of course, to protect the guilty. You can find a good description of the situation in a column by executive editor Stu Rieckman, published in summer 2003. It's available online.

Thanks,
Larry Peterson
larry.peterson@savannahnow.com

Infodumps

At a recent meeting, members discussed how to handle writing infodumps - information vital to the story but usually presented in long paragraphs that most readers skip over. After our discussion, Stacie P. found a posting, Down in the Infodumps, on the blog "A Newbie's Guide to Publishing" that discusses how author J. A. Konrath deals with them in his novels.

Book Closeouts

Bookcloseouts is my favorite site for online book purchases; they carry hundreds of titles, including over 80 books on composition/creative writing. They also sell fiction, children's books, and books on audiocassette/CD. New titles are added daily and most are discounted 60% or more.

Use the coupon codes below by Feb. 3 for additional savings:

Coupon Code: 2006thankyou-1
Coupon Password: bookcloseouts.com
Value: Get $5.00 off every order of $25.00 (or more)

Coupon Code: 2006thankyou-2
Coupon Password: bookcloseouts.com
Value: Get $10.00 off every order of $50.00 (or more)

Todd Mishler, a freelance sports writer and author, is currently researching Big Ten football rivalries, including Minnesota vs. Wisconsin, Iowa vs. Wisconsin and possbily Illinois vs. Wisconsin, for an upcoming book to be published in 2007.

Mishler is interesting in interviewing longtime fans/followers/boosters and/or former coaches or players of the Gophers, Badgers and Hawkeyes. He is hoping to find interesting, funny, important stories and historical anecdotes that would aid his research or possibly be included in the project.

If you or someone you know has information to share, please contact Mishler at tmishler@charter.net.

Fictional Musings

Member Stacie P. has a short story, The Lawn Mower, published on Fictional Musings.

Fictional Musings is a fiction site for readers/writers to enjoy and share short genre fiction. The blog is open to genre writers who write short fiction; submission guidelines are here.

Apple Blossom Books guest author

Apple Blossom Books, downtown Oshkosh, will host local author, Dan Paulick, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. Paulick will read from his recently published novella, “A Triad Affair, ” and be available to sign copies of his book.

For more on this or other Apple Blossom Books events, call 230-3395.

Fox Valley Writers Club contest

The Fox Valley Writers Club is offering it’s second annual Curtis L. Brown Writing Challenge. Deadline is Feb. 28, 2006. Cash prizes will be awarded.

Rules as posted on their web site:

1. There is no entry fee.
2. Deadline: Entry must be postmarked before midnight February 28, 2006.
3. Any high-school senior or older resident of the Fox Valley and surrounding area is eligible to compete.
4. Entries should not exceed 2,000 words.
5. Any form of writing is acceptable - serious or humorous, prose or verse, fact or fiction - but must not have been published before.
6. Correct English is assumed, and entries will be judged primarily on originality and clarity. The judging decision is final, and entries cannot be returned.
7. Entries should be double-spaced on one side of sequentially numbered sheets. The writer's name, address, and telephone number, the title of the entry, and its word count should appear on a separate sheet and nowhere else in the manuscript.
8. Mail to: "Curtis L. Brown Writing Challenge" 635 Quarry Lane, Neenah, WI 54956-4146.
9. Award certificates and monetary prizes will be given to the three best entries. First place: $45.00; second: $35.00; third: $20.00. Winning entries qualify for publication in the Club's Experimental Literary Journal, Ego Trips, but copyright stays with the author.

Meeting Reminder

The OAWC will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, in the lower leveling meeting room of the Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave.

Meetings are free and open to anyone age 17 or older. For more information, please call 231-6182.

The First Line

The First Line, a quarterly publication, features short stories that all begin with the same sentence. The line must be the first sentence of your story and can’t be altered in any way; the length of the story can be between 300 to 3,000 words.

Sound like fun? The current line, with a “due date” of Feb. 1, is “Mamma has always had a love for other people’s possessions.”

Additional sentences and their due date can be found at The First Line or in a current issue of the magazine.

Payment is $20 and a complimentary copy of The First Line. Click here for additional submission guidelines.