Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award

Amazon.com, Penguin Group (USA), and CreateSpace are partnering again to present the Breakthrough Novel Award in 2009.

This unique contest brings together talented writers, reviewers and publishing experts to find and develop new voices in fiction. Visit Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award page and get up to speed on this year's contest. Bestselling authors Sue Monk Kidd and Sue Grafton will be leading the expert reviewer panel in 2009, and you'll also see that several of the top 10 finalists have received publishing contracts since the close of last year's contest.

Open submissions for manuscripts begin on February 2, 2009. If you're an author with an unpublished novel waiting to be discovered, you can sign up for important contest updates now and learn how to get your entry ready for submission at www.amazon.com/abna

WritingRaw

WritingRaw.com is a FREE literary sharing website (like YouTube but for the literary world) where writers can upload, view and share their writing. The only restriction is that the material cannot be illegal in any sense of the word (such as child porn, plagiarism, etc.). Other then that, feel free to post in any of the following categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, life stories, and essays.

To view someone’s writing, just click on the link and a .pdf version of the piece will open in your browser. Read it, comment on it, vote for it to be a showcased piece! Most important - ENJOY IT.

There is no catch here – all writings will be posted. Let’s create a world where no one rejects a writer or the work of their future masterpiece.

Duotrope

At the last meeting, several people asked about the website Duotrope, a database of over 2275 current markets for short fiction, poetry, and novels/collections that is updated several times day. Search for markets by genre, length, payment and type of media. The website is at: http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx

Writing Prompt - Dec. 6

The writing prompt for the Dec. 6 meeting is: She was a diaper model.

Use the prompt in a poem, essay or short story. Have fun!

Author Visit – Jennifer Chiaverini

Welcome back New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Chiaverini to the Oshkosh Public Library! Meet the author and hear about her latest books, The Quilter's Kitchen and The Winding Ways Quilt.

The free event will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Oshkosh Public Library.A book signing will follow the author's talk. (Books will be for sale at the event, courtesy of Apple Blossom Books.)

Poetry and Fiction Contest

Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication in Crazyhorse are given annually for a single poem and a short story. Submit up to three poems or a story of up to 25 pages with a $16 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Crazyhorse; deadline December 15, 2008.

Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.
Crazyhorse
Poetry and Fiction Prizes
Department of English
College of Charleston, 66 George Street
Charleston, SC 29424
(843) 953-7740.
Garrett Doherty, Editor.crazyhorse@cofc.edu

Short Story Contest for Emerging Writers

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a nationally distributed book. The editors of Boulevard will judge.

Submit a story of any length with a $15 entry fee, which includes a one-year subscription to Boulevard, by December 31, 2008. Send an SASE, call, or visit the web site for complete guidelines.

Boulevard, Short Fiction Contest for Emerging Writers
P.O. Box 325,
6614 Clayton Road
Richmond Heights, MO 63117
(314) 862-2643.
Richard Burgin, Editor.www.richardburgin.net/boulevard.htm

R.I.P. Margo

Sadly, Margo Pontius passed away on Friday, Oct. 31.

Margo was an original member of the OAWC and our "senior" writers may also know Margo through the Learning in Retirement series and/or the Senior Center, where Margo taught creative writing, specializing in life story writing. She will be missed by many!

You can read Margo's obit here.

Writing Prompt & Misc. News

The writing prompt for Nov. 15 is: I told him what I wanted.

Under Good & Welfare, a quick note that Bill R. is having surgery and Margo (the life stories writer/teacher) had a stroke and lapsed into a coma. Prayers and well wishes to both!