FWA Tampa Writers Group

Excellent Meeting!

Kaye Coppersmith dazzled us with her wordsmithing and editing capabilities. The group enjoyed the interactive editing process.

We'd like to welcome Donna Cowden and Julie Eatuline as our guests.


ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Eckerd College Writers Conference: Writers in Paradise 6th Annual Conference Jan 26 - 24 2010
Special guests: Anita Shreve (an Oprah book club selection for The Pilot's Wife and Sheri Reynolds also an Oprah book club selection for The Rapture of Cannan.)
Application deadline is Dec 1st, 2009
Brochures are available at the table during group meeting.

A&A Printing is hosting a seminar featuring Dan Poynter from 10 am - 4 pm on Saturday Dec 12, 2009 at 6103 Johns Rd Suite 5-6 Tampa, FL 33634 PHONE # 813-886-0065 x 108
cost: $149.97

Literary Competition 2010
2nd Annual Do It! Write Literary Competition is now open. 3 copies of 1st 30 pages of completed manuscript.
Prize: entry read by acquisitions edior of appropriate category.
This year editors are from Medallion Books, Tor/Forge Books, Avalon Books & Harper-Collins
If you have additional questions contact Dahris Clair at PascoRegionalWriters@verizon.net


IMPORTANT NOTES:

THERE WILL BE NO DECEMBER MEETING. The Tampa Writers Group WILL NOT meet in December.

Critique groups will meet on an individual basis. Contact your group leader for time and place.

January Meeting's topic will be on Dialogue and the presenter will be Vicki M. Taylor.

Eleanor Brown asked that I share with you information about their speaking guest for their November 7th meeting.

J.C. Hutchins, author of 7th Son: Descent and Personal Effects: Dark Art,
will be speaking to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel Writers group at Barnes &
Noble in Wesley Chapel on Saturday, November 7. Their meeting runs from
10 am - 12 pm.

7th Son: Descent began life as a podcast novel, reaching more than five
million downloads, and was released by St. Martin's Press on October 27th,
2009.

Please feel free to contact Ms. Brown with any questions,
Eleanor Brown
eleanorbrown@fusemail.com
954-531-7690

Labels: Eleanor Brown, JC Hutchins, New Tampa, St Martins Press, Wesley Chapel

The 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award Winners were announced at the Florida Writers Association Conference including a new category of Unpublished Book of the Year!

If you'd like to see all the winners and their entries, click here!

Congratulations to all the winners!!

Labels: 2009, conference, FWA, RPLA, winners

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Florida Writers Association will hold its next meeting on Saturday, November 21, ten to noon, at Barnes & Noble, Carrollwood. Kaye Coppersmith, FWA's Editing Service's Senior Editor, will present. She'll have edited the first three pages of up to seven manuscripts and will explain the reasons for her suggestions. She'll also address the writing mechanics that separate the polished writers from the novice. Copies of each manuscript, sans the author's name, will be passed out so that attendees can follow along and make notes. Membership required for submission. Lunch at Mimi's Cafeteria follows the meeting.

Kaye requires that all members requesting a manuscript edit, send her their FIRST THREE PAGES as soon as possible as she will only take SEVEN manuscripts. You can send your FIRST THREE PAGES Snail mail FLAT (i.e., don't fold them), DOUBLE-SPACED, to

Kaye Coppersmith
10306 Lake Grove Drive
Odessa, FL 33556

We're also asking sub-mittees to line number their manuscripts. This makes it easy to get everyone to the line Kaye addresses quickly. Instead of, "Page 2, third paragraph down, fourth line starting with 'waving in the breeze',", "Page 2, line 14" hastens our getting there.

Line numbering's simple and as simple to undo, as follows:


LINE NUMBERING


Need MS Word’s XP version



Go to FILE Menu Option


Click on PAGE SET-UP


Click on LAYOUT tab at the top


Near bottom left of window that pops up, look for LINE NUMBERS


Click on it


Click on ADD LINE NUMBERING


Then click on CONTINUOUS at the bottom of window (so your numbers will flow from page to page)


To undo, unclick ADD LINE NUMBERING, and click okay.

See you at the November meeting!!

Vicki M. Taylor
Tampa Writers Group Leader

Labels: edit, kaye coppersmith, proofread

Hi, guys! We've scheduled a great program for September 19th. Oft-published and popular speaker Elissa Malcohn will talk on Harnessing the Power of Detail and presenting a workshop.

We'll lunch at Red Lobster after the meeting.

Molli Nickell returns for two workshops on query letters and pitching. Tuesday, September 29th and Wednesday, October 14th, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Piccadilly Cafeteria next to our Barnes & Noble. Please plan to supper there. It's fair to do so because Piccadilly's giving us their backroom again even though we can't promise near the number of diners they require to use it. Molli Nickell flyer's attached. Note the RSVP request. Need to know approximately how many are coming so we can let Piccadilly know.

Elissa Malcohn Bio
Published since the 1970s, Elissa Malcohn was a finalist for the 1985 John W. Campbell Award, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) to the best new SF writer of the year. From 1986-1988 she edited Star*Line, journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and was a four-time Rhysling Award nominee for best speculative poetry.
In 2008 her stories appeared in three award-winning publications and elsewhere. "Hermit Crabs," in Electric Velocipede #14, is on the recommended reading list in The Year's Best Science Fiction, 26th Annual Edition. Electric Velocipede received a Hugo Award at Worldcon. Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet (Dark Scribe Press), containing "Memento Mori," received a Bram Stoker Award, given by the Horror Writers Association. Riffing on Strings: Creative Writing Inspired by String Theory (Scriblerus Press), containing "Arachne," received an IPPY Silver Medal, given by Independent Publisher.

Elissa's novelette "Flotsam" and poem "Derivative Work" appear in the October/November 2009 Asimov's. Following the demise of Aisling Press, Elissa re-released Covenant, the first volume of her Deviations series, as a free e-book download from her website. She released the sequel, Appetite, in May. Planned release for the third volume, Destiny, is this December. Writes Rachel Baker at Old Musty Books, "If you are looking for something different with a great story line, I would suggest reading these books. They are very well written and draw the reader into the story, possibly against their will."

Visual cues and word-smithing combine forces in Elissa's workshop, "Harnessing the Power of Detail." Through the use of on-the-spot exercises, participants will explore ways of using detail to enhance storytelling and believability.

Elissa has taught creative writing in Massachusetts and Florida. She was keynote speaker at the Florida State Poets' Association 2008 convention and was on the 2008 FWA conference faculty.


Thanks!

Kaye Coppersmith

Max Courson on Grammar and Editing

Back by popular demand, Max Courson will be talking to us about the finer points of grammar and editing. Max Courson has spoken before to the Hillsborough group and was very well received. We welcome this opportunity to have him back.
Max Courson grew up in Baxley, Georgia, and graduated from high school there. His family moved to nearby Hazlehurst during his senior year. He attended the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, and received two degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in journalism and the Master of Arts in journalism. He received his Ph.D. in American studies from the University of Hawaii. He has worked as a radio news director, an information specialist for the U.S. Army and a reporter for United Press International. He established the first public relations office at South Georgia College, and he served as assistant public relations director at the University of Hawaii.

Other academic work included alumni director and publications director at Georgia Southern College, director of public relations at Furman University, associate professor of mass communications at Tennessee Wesley College and at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

He and his wife Naomi moved to Valrico, Florida, in 2000. A year later, he began teaching as an adjunct professor in the school of mass communications at the University of South Florida, Tampa.

Max and Naomi are co-authors of Coursons’ Complete Collection: Wire Service Copyediting Symbols, Capitalization, Abbreviations, Punctuation and Numbers. This text is used in the School of Mass Communications, University of South Florida.

The Pulpwood Annie Chronicles is Max Courson’s first novel. He has two yet-to-be-published biographies that are in various stages of being considered by publishers. One is the biography of Willie Foster Sellers, an Appling County, Georgia, native who chose a life of crime and eventually was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. The other is the biography of Howard Earle Coffin, who helped found several automobile manufacturing companies and who played a major role in developing coastal Georgia as a tourist destination area.

Also in the works is a sequel to The Pulpwood Annie Chronicles. It is tentatively titled The Pulpwood Annie Tapes.

Max is an award-winning writer. He won second place, 2007 CNW/FFWA Writing Competition, nonfiction-unpublished article/essay/book chapter, Dixie Mafia Don Chapter 1, “Easy Money;” Winner Summer 2006 Flash Writing Contest, Florida Writers’ Association for “A Street in Athens;” Winner 2005 Tampa Writers’ Alliance contest in Novel category--three chapters from unpublished novel, The Pulpwood Annie Tapes; National Award Winner 2003, the M.J. Duryea Memorial Cup for outstanding contribution to automotive history, Antique Automobile Club of America, “America’s Foremost Automobile Designer: Howard Coffin or Henry Ford?”

Honorable Mention, 2004, The University of Maine’s Norumbega short story award, “Pulpwood Annie and the bootlegger;” First Place 2003 in Byline Magazine’s Genre Fiction (humor), “Regarding Pulpwood Annie’s Patriotic Gesture;” Winner 2003 First Chapter of a Novel contest, Byline Magazine, for “Being Her Unexpected Trip to Floridy” from The Pulpwood Annie Chronicles.

Winner, third place in fiction 2003 in the Tampa Writers Alliance’s 17th annual writing contest, “Pulpwood Annie and the Diamond Ring;” contributor, “Howard Coffin,” to The New Georgia Encyclopedia’s 2000 edition; National Award Winner 1998 the M.J. Duryea Memorial Cup for outstanding contribution to automotive history, Antique Automobile Club of America, “Howard Coffin, A Prince of Detroit.”

Also on the ticket:

Tom Lowe - Author

Tom Lowe is an award-winning documentary writer/director whose films air nationwide on PBS. As he writes his novels, Tom draws from his travels around the world and his background as a print and broadcast journalist. He worked fifteen years in television news and did freelance stories for CNN. Tom is a sailor and SCUBA diver. He lives in Florida.Tom Lowe’s debut is at once captivating and terrifying, harkening a bold new voice in crime fiction.

Saturday May 16th, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Speaker meetings are held every 3rd Saturday of each month with December off.

Barnes & Noble BooksellersCarrollwood
11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
813-871-6446

Saturday, April 18th, 2009, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Robert J. Emery has spent his entire adult life in the television and motion picture industry. For the past 38 years he has written, produced and directed projects that range from national television commercials, corporate communications, network television documentaries and feature films. His most current work is, In the Realm of Eden.

The award-winning series The Directors. Produced in cooperation with the American Film Institute – 91, one-hour episode featuring Hollywood’s finest film directors. The series began its domestic run on the STARZ/ENCORE Cable Network in March of 1999. Ten years later (2009) it is still running on the REELZ cable channel in the U.S. and in 55 other countries around the world. To kick off the series, in February of 1999 an audience of 500 honored his work on The Directors series at the Directors Guild of America facilities in Los Angeles. (Silver Plaque Award, 2002 Chicago International Television Competition – winner, Award of Excellence, winner 2003 Accolade Awards)

Mr. Emery has written and directed eight feature films. His latest, Swimming Upstream (based on the Don Robertson novel The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened) premiered on the Lifetime Movie Channel in January 2005. The movie was awarded the Sapphire Halo Award for Best Dramatic Feature Film at the Angel Citi Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film stars two-time EMMY winner Michael Moriarty, Kelly Rutherford, Ben Savage, Jeffrey DeMunn, Elizabeth Harnois, Matt Czuchry and Ron Dean.

The Genocide Factor: The Human Tragedy, a four-hour PBS mini-series released nationwide in 2002. Hosted by Academy Award winner Jon Voight, the series recounts the entire history of genocide and was awarded the 2002 Gold Special Jury Award for Best Television & Cable TV Series/Documentary from the Houston International Film Festival.

KidHealth, 13 half-hour episodes on Children’s health care in America. The PBS series was hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Peggy Fleming.

DanceSport, six one-hour programs for PBS featuring ballroom dance competition – five camera live-on-tape.

Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs, a four-hour documentary on the history of Western Cinema for Starz/Encore’s Western Channel.

Mr. Emery is the author of four non-fiction books: The Directors, Take One, and The Directors, Take Two, and The Directors, Take Three and The Directors, Take Four. Each book is based on interviews conducted for The Directors TV series.

Mr. Emery has taught film production at the University of South Florida as well as serving on the Post Secondary Education Commission, which created the film school curriculum for the Florida State University MFA program as well as curriculum for Vo-Tech schools throughout the state of Florida. He served an eight-year term on the Florida State Motion Picture, Television & Recording Industry Advisory Council as well as serving as its Chairman.

Mr. Emery is the recipient of over seventy-five industry awards for his work including two Golden Camera Awards from the Chicago International Film & Video Festival for best documentary of 1992. He won top honors at the New York Film Festival nine years in a row (1991-1999). He won top honors at the 1997 and 1998 American Business Awards. In 1996 and 1999 he received the Cine Golden Eagle Award for projects he wrote, directed and produced. In 2001 he was awarded a Gold Award from the American Corporate Video Awards. In January of 2002 his series The Genocide Factor was chosen as one of the ten best documentaries at the Prism Foundation 12th Night Film Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

Mr. Emery is a member of the Directors Guild of America. Full industry credits can be found at IMDB.COM under the name of Robert J. Emery.

His feature films include:
SWIMMING UPSTREAM – Writer/Director
ONE SAVAGE NIGHT – Writer/Director
DARE THE DEVIL – Writer/Director
WILLY & SCRATCH – Writer/Director
SIGN OF AQUARIUS – Co-writer/Director
RIDE IN A PINK CAR – Director
THE FLORIDA CONNECTION – Co-writer/Director
SCREAM BLOODY MURDER – Writer/Director

Speaker meetings are held every 3rd Saturday of each month with December off at:

Barnes & Noble Booksellers Carrollwood11802 N. Dale Mabry HighwayTampa, FL 33618. Just south of Stall Road
813-871-6446

.
Our Speaker for January: Elissa Malcohn

Elissa Malcohn's award-winning fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in dozens of publications, beginning in the 1970s. She was a finalist for the 1985 John W. Campbell Award, given at the World Science Fiction Convention to the best new SF writer of the year. From 1986-1988 she edited Star*Line, journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association.

In 2008 her work appeared in magazines The Drabbler, Electric Velocipede, Harp-Strings Poetry Journal, Helix, Poets' Forum Magazine, Space and Time, the We'Moon 2009 calendar, and anthologies Riffing on Strings: Creative Writing Inspired by String Theory (Scriblerus Press) and Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet (Dark Scribe Press). Strange Horizons published her poetry this month, and poetry and fiction are forthcoming in Asimov's. Aisling Press released Elissa's science fiction/fantasy novel Deviations: Covenant in 2007, to be followed by its sequel, Appetite.

Elissa's photos have been featured on the websites for Environment News Service, Gardening in South Africa, and This Old House, with more forthcoming. Visual cues and word-smithing combine forces in her workshop, "Harnessing the Power of Detail." Through the use of on-the-spot exercises, participants will explore ways of using detail to enhance storytelling and believability.

Elissa belongs to the Art Center of Citrus County, whose newsletter she edits and produces. Her memberships also include Broad Universe, the Florida State Poets Association, Florida Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and Science Fiction Poetry Association. She is listed with Poets and Writers, Inc. Elissa has taught creative writing at the Cambridge and Dorchester Centers for Adult Education in Massachusetts and at the Art Center of Citrus County. She was on the 2008 FWA conference faculty.

Her business, Malcohn Enterprises, provides communications services in writing and editing, word processing and desktop publishing, tape and digital transcription, and voice-overs.

We always meet the third Saturday of every month except December from 10 am-12 pm at:
Barnes & Noble BooksellersCarrollwood
11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
813-871-6446

The Pasco/NPR Writers Group, under the auspices of Florida Writers Association, is hosting a literary competition, The Gulf Coast Do It Write Literary Competition. There will be four categories, General Fiction (mainstream, romance, etc) and Non-Fiction; Science Fiction/Fantasy; Mystery/Thriller/Suspense.

The top three winners will have their entries read by an acquisitions editor. Everyone knows how near to impossible it is to reach an editor, but we have three committed to this project: Christy Philippe, Medallion Press, General Fiction and Non-Fiction; Claire Eddy, Tor/Forge Books, Science Fiction/Fantasy; Faith Black, senior editor at Avalon Books, Mystery/Thriller/Suspense.

One insider tip for Avalon submissions: For these categories they don’t want romance. They want the focus on the plot. This competition is open to both published and un-published authors.
The entry fee is $25.00. The submissions must be received no later than 2/1/09. Please mail your submissions and your check to:
Mrs. Dahris Clair, P.O. Box 538, New Port Richey, FL 34656. Checks should be made payable to Florida Writers Association. Write "Do It Write Competition" in the memo section of your check.

Submissions should include the first thirty (30) pages only, but should end at the end of a paragraph, not mid-sentence; and a one-page synopsis of all important plot elements, especially the ending. Use Times New Roman 12 font, one inch margins all around, double spaced.

Your name should not appear on any of the pages except the separate cover page. Include your mailing address, e-mail address and telephone number. Receipt will be acknowledged by e-mail. If you have questions, e-mail Dahris Clair at PascoRegionalWriters@verizon.net.

Our Speaker for our Saturday, January 17, 2009 monthly meeting: Brandi Winans

She is the author of her new book called The Flip Side of Glory, (available January , 2009),The Wannabe Seminars, The Stepping Stones of Life (now available on CD at Target.com and Amazon.com), former Radio Host of Parents Talk Teens Rap Radio Show on Christian stations, WTBN 570 & 910AM in Tampa Florida and a D.i.S.C. Behavioral Personality Trainer. She was recipient of the 2005 Woman & Youth Award, for her outstanding dedication to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Suncoast.

She is a Board of Director and Past President of The Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast Guild, President and Board Member of Day For Our Children, Inc., a former member of the Hillsborough West Juvenile Detention Community Advisory Board, a member of the District 6 Department of Juvenile Justice Steering Committee, a member of the Charles Britt Faith and Community Advisory Board, and founder of the Wannabe Outreach Program for Troubled Teens. In 2006, she was given an award for her dedication to the youth of Florida by the Department of Juvenile Justice and a Certificate of Appreciation from Charles Britt Halfway House for residential and staff advocacy and support.

She was past Education Chair for Women’s Council of Realtors, Buyers Agent Specialist, Corporate Relocation Specialist, Graduate of Source One Mortgage College, Graduate of Floyd Wickman’s “Sweathogs”, Train the Trainer I, and majored in Communications, Business Development and Marketing.

She is a member of the National Assoc. of Women Writers, The Florida Writers Association, Pinellas County Schools Speakers Bureau, The Florida Writers Association, World Speakers Association, The St. Pete Chamber and has Chaired many Charitable and Special Events.
Her “I believe in you” attitude makes her a sought after speaker. Her Greatest Blessing: Her Family and friends.

We always meet the third Saturday of every month except December from 10 am-12 pm at:

Barnes & Noble BooksellersCarrollwood
11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
813-871-6446

We had five Hillsborough members win six awards at this year’s Royal Palm Literary Awards held on Saturday, November 15, 2008.

They are:

1st Place Published Essay titled Goodness Knows
- - - - Ruth Ellen Jones

1st Place Unpublished Women’s Fiction titled The Great Hunger
- - - Eugene Orlando

2nd Place Unpublished Women’s Fiction titled The Maypole of Valhalla
- - - Robert West

2nd Place Published Humor/Satire titled A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- - - Amanda Martin

Honorable Mention Published Children’s titled Imagine That!
- - - Jan Evans

Hon. Mention Unpublished Science Fiction title The Ascension
- - - Eugene Orlando

Congratulations to the winners and all who submitted

Due to the FWA conference falling the same weekend as our November meeting, our regularly scheduled meeting on November 15 will be cancelled. See you at the conference.

A reminder that there is never a December meeting at Barnes and Noble for any group. Stay tuned for news on an early December Christmas party.

Eugene Orlando
Regional Director of Hillsborough County

Special Event – Volunteers Wanted

Our own special Barnes & Noble is hosting a book signing for the famed author Janet Evanovich and has asked FWA Hillsborough is we would like to volunteer to help them in this very special event. An author signing of this fame will bring in hundreds of people. They estimate they need 12 volunteers and I know that more than 12 of you will want to help. I know I'm first in line (benefit of being group leader). The event is not until January 6th, which is just over 2 months away. So, I know that some people may not know if they can commit to that date until closer to that time, so here's what I'm going to do. Press the 'Volunteer' button above to send me an email. PLEASE: Make sure your full name is in the email. I will take everyone's name down on a first come first serve basis. About two weeks prior to the event, I will confirm with the top twelve or so to see if they can still keep their commitment. If they can't, then I'll use the next person in line, and so on. Sound fair? One last thing, you must be a current FWA member to participate.

Janet Evanovich is the multi-bestseller of many novels, most notably the Stephanie Plum series and the Alex Barnaby Series.

Barnes & Noble BooksellersCarrollwood11802 N. Dale Mabry HighwayTampa, FL 33618 813-871-6446

Feel free to contact me with any questions.Steven Mather - Florida Writers Association Hillsborough Group Leader steven@steven-mather.com

Our Speaker: Joan Johnston, Best Selling Author with 46 novels to her name!
http://www.joanjohnston.com/

Topic: Developing compelling conflict that will keep the reader turning pages, or in Joan's words, the muddle in the middle.

When: Saturday, July 19th, 2008, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Joan's books have appeared on the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publisher's Weekly Bestseller Lists. She is a member of the Authors Guild, Novelists, Inc., Romance Writers of America and Florida Romance Writers.

See you at:

Barnes & Noble Booksellers Carrollwood Just south of Stall Road, 11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33618 813-962-6446

This promises to be a great speaker meeting and I'll see you there.

Our Speaker:

-
FWA Hillsborough member Amanda Martin, author of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, will be signing copies of her comedic mystery.

When: 1-3 PM on Saturday, May 17

Where: Barnes & Noble (South Tampa), 213 N. Dale Mabry. map
She's hoping you'll join her there after the speaker meeting.

Buy a book and receive a $5 B & N gift card!

The Tampa Writers Alliance has opened their yearly writing contest to non-members. Printed below are SOME of the major guidelines. If you want to enter and want the complete guidelines, you can go to their website at http://www.tampawriters.org/ and download them in the very near future. If they are not there, then email me at orlando@EugeneOrlando.com and I will send them to you.

ENTRY CATEGORIES, “UNPUBLISHED” REQUIREMENT

Each contestant may enter any or all of the following categories:
FICTION
NON-FICTION
NOVEL
EMERGING WRITERS FICTION/NON-FICTION (TWA Members Only)
PLAY/SCRIPT WRITING
DR. ED HIRSHBERG AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FLORIDA WRITING
SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
POETRY (Up to 72 lines may be entered per submission. See Rules ).
WORDSMITH COVER PHOTO

Entries must be UNPUBLISHED at the time of submission. Unpublished is defined as not having been commercially printed and circulated to more than fifty (50) persons. Editing a work you won with last year does not make it eligible to be re-entered again this year.
Please do not enter stories that you have ever entered in a TWA contest and won awards with. Please do not enter stories that have been published in Wordsmith or anywhere else for that matter. Follow the unpublished rule, use common sense and if there is a question, ask.

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY

The contest is open to adults (18 years and older). Membership in the Tampa Writers Alliance is not required to enter. Membership dues are $35 per year. (See Membership Application with Entry Form.)

DEADLINES

Entries will be accepted on and after June 1, 2008. All mailed entries must be postmarked by October 1, 2008. All other entries must be received by the Contest Coordinator no later than Wednesday, October 1, 2008. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS will be accepted.

ENTRY FEES:

Make checks payable to TAMPA WRITERS ALLIANCE. Contest fees for TWA members in good standing (dues paid as of the contest deadline) are $5 for each submission. Contest fees for non-members are $10 for each submission. There is no limit on the number of submissions a person may submit to any category.

Judges evaluations are available for purchase @ $15.00 per entry. See Judging Criteria.

Eugene Orlando
Regional Director/Hillsboroough County

Some people have expressed an interest in having a critique group in the daytime as opposed to our regular Monday night critique meetings that occur on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00.

In an effort to accommodate that need, Vicki Taylor, a long standing member of FWA with many publishing credits has agreed to hold a daytime critique group. Vicki brings an incredible amount of knowledge and experience that would benefit all who attend.

Currently, the day and time of this group will be the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 1:30 to 2:30. The length of time for the meeting will be adjusted as the group grows.
The meeting will be held at the same place as the Monday night meetings, the Barnes and Noble in Carrollwood.

If you are interested in attending this new critique group, please send an email to Eugene Orlando at Orlando@EugeneOrlando.com. We need to know if there is enough interest and support to start this group.

Saturday May 17th, 2008, 10:00 a.m.

Barnes & Noble BooksellersCarrollwood
11802 N. Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
813-871-6446

Our Speaker: Kerry Estevez , Acquisition Editor, Medallion Press.
http://www.medallionpress.com/

KERRY ESTEVEZ, Editor, Medallion Press
Kerry Estevez is a native of Tampa , Fl. She lives with her husband of 15 years, daughter, and two Shih Tzus. When not reading submissions or manuscripts, Kerry spends her time with friends and family, or playing a good game of poker. Sundays are always reserved for football.

Kerry has been with Medallion Press for two years. She started as a proof editor and was offered the position of Acquisitions Editor/Author Liaison. This position is perfect for Kerry as she loves talking to people and helping aspiring authors. When the president of Medallion Press, Helen A. Rosburg, shared her vision for Medallion as being an author friendly publishing house, Kerry wanted to be a part of something big. Over the last year, Medallion has joined with IPG (Independent Publishers Group), and many authors have not only been nominated but won several National awards. Medallion Press is known for outstanding covers and the working relationship between author and publisher.

Kerry enjoys meeting with authors hoping they will see “the other side” of an editor. After meeting Kerry, newbies in the industry realize not all editors are fire breathing demons. She likes to guide aspiring authors on the “do’s and don’ts” when it comes to submitting to publishers. Her motto is very simple: Always follow the Publisher’s guidelines.

The president of Medallion Press believes in publishing “out of the box” material. There are so many great voices to be heard.

The speaker meeting will be followed by a group lunch where Kerry will be available to answer more of your questions.

-
DO YOU WRITE FICTION?

Come to a FREE, anonymous marketability analysis of your first two pages.“Limited Space Available” RSVP author Eugene Orlando at (813) 657-2636 ASAP!

FOR WHOM: Anyone wishing to bring her or his fiction to publication.

WHAT:

1. FREE marketability analysis (anonymous – no other store patron will know whose work is being analyzed).
2. FREE craft mastery assessment (anonymous).
3. Bring the first two double-spaced pages of your fiction piece, whether novel or short story. DO NOT put your name on it. Two pages per participant.

SPONSOR:

1. Barnes & Noble of Brandon and the Florida WritersAssociation.

2. Facilitated by an award-winning published author.

WHEN & WHERE:

Thursday, March 27 from 7:00–9:00 PM at the Brandon Barnes & Noble, Brandon, FL.

FREE - Melody O'Shea Life Story Writing Workshop

When: Saturday, March 29, 2008 12:30-4:30

Where: Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Road, Valrico, FL

Register by email at BloomWC@live.com or call 813-273-3652 and ask for the Bloomindale Regional Library.

For the last part, participants will form writing groups to share 5-7 minutes of any life writing samples they may have brought.

Writing Guidelines: Bring five copies of your double-spaced, 5-7 minute long writing on the topic of a piece of your clothing (past or present) that has a story connected to it.

Schedule:

12:30-12:45 Registration & Welcome
12:45-1:45 Speaker Carol Byrd, teacher of life story writing.
1:45-2:00 Break
2:00 - 3:00 Judy Hill, article publisher for Tampa Tribune
3:00 - 3:30 Break/refreshments
3:30 - 4:30 Writing Groups

This is just a reminder that this weekend, Terra Pressler will be our guest speaker. She will talk on using the five senses to enhance your writing. This should be a great topic so be sure to attend. We will go to Mimi’s for lunch afterward.

WHAT: “Using the Five Senses to Enhance Your Writing.”
WHO: Terra Pressler
WHERE: Barnes & Noble (Carrollwood)11802 North Dale Mabry Hwy.Tampa, FL 33618813-962-6446 (store)
WHEN: Saturday, February 16 from 10 am to noon.

Also ... come and meet our new group leader, Steven Mather.

Greetings everyone,

It’s hard to believe this will be my final announcement to you for our up-and-coming meeting, but so it is. In shifting gears, in light the notice I just sent you, our focus at Saturday’s meeting will be how to interject humor into our writing. Our speaker will be Freda Gower Ward, the Pinellas group leader. The title of her presentation is “How to turn ordinary life into humor.” She is not a stand-up comedian, but rather, will be showing us how to take ordinary life events and give them a humorous twist. True story. Freda wears many hats, one of this which is that of realtor. She was bringing a client to a pre-arranged 10 am appointment at an open house. She rings the door bell, and a 300 pound, beer-bellied man cracks open the door wearing nothing but his boxers and says, “Uh. We’re having sex.” Imagine. Now you’ll have to come to the meeting to see how she turns that every day event into something humorous.

Humor and laughter are vital to our health but also can be important to our stories, be it children’s stories, memoirs, coming of age, mysteries, or thrillers. She likes participants to go home with something meaningful. I know there many of you are working on manuscripts. All of our writing, or much of, comes from the creative spin we give to what’s ordinary. If there is a scene where you’re asking yourself, “How can I interject some humor?” or “Is it appropriate it to bring in humor?”, bring to the meeting three, double-spaced, unnamed typewritten pages. She will read from them, and we will all have a chance to add a different slant to the scene.

WHAT: “How to turn ordinary life into humor.”
WHO: Freda Gower Ward
WHERE: Barnes & Noble (Carrollwood)
11802 North Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33618
813-962-6446 (store)
WHEN: Saturday, January 12 from 10 am to noon.

Lunch follows at Nikki’s

REMINDER: If you would like to know how to put some humorous pizzazz into a scene, bring your pages to the meeting.

Julia ThornbroughGroup Leader – Hillsborough

Kudos to our very own Steve Mather. Back in April when we held our monthly meeting, Bo Savino, Editor-In-Chief of Aisling Press (fka Koboka Publishing) came and devoted the entire day and heard forty-two people pitch their manuscript. Today Steve Mather is the proud recipient of a publishing contract from Aisling Press. It is for his thriller, Three of a Kind. Steve, I’m sure this is the start of many great publishing possibilities for him. Way to go!

Julia Thornbrough
Group Leader – Hillsborough

Here's a contest announcement from Vic DiGenti, FWA Regional Director for NE Florida. The 2nd Annual Lighthouse Book Awards Competition.

Like last year's successful competition, this one is open to all writers with unpublished manuscripts in the following categories: Mysteries/Suspense/Thrillers, Fiction-General, Young Adult, and Science Fiction/Fantasy.

Once again, the finalists in each category will be judged by acqusition editors from major publishing houses. Please note that the contest deadline is January 25. For the contest rules and the entry form, go to http://www.windrusher.com/ContestRules.html. Or email me and I'll send them to you: vicdig@comcast.net.

One of last year's winners was asked to send his entire novel to the acquiring editor. This could happen to you, but first you must enter. We will be announcing the winners at our regional 1-day conference on May 17, 2008. Look for more information in the future at http://www.fwapontevedra.blogspot.com/.

Press Release

Florida Writers Association (FWA) will gather at 6:00 p.m. to eat and 7:00 to meet at Po Folks Restaurant at 2001 34th Street N. on Thursday, January 10, 2008. Topic of discussion is "Hooking the Reader". Bring your questions, the first few pages of everything you're presently writing, and suggestions for others. Meetings are free and open to the public.

The FWA will also meet on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at Po Folks Restaurant at 2001 34th Street N at 6:00 p.m. to eat and 7:00 to meet.

Contact Freda Ward at 727-864-1846 (fredagowerward@earthlink.net) for additional information.

We received the following request from the St. Pete Times. Those interested who are not from the areas requested for Hillsborough County should contact the Tampa office of the St. Pete Times. They are conducting the same thing.

Here is Mr. Bennett's request:

We are looking for local authors who have had books published this year for an upcoming story. Can you point me to any local authors who have had books published in the past 12 months (excluding self-published, works published by so-called "vanity press" publishing houses and Internet-only publishing)?

Our story will be a buying guide about local authors for the holiday book-buying season.

By "local" authors, I mean east Hillsborough: Seffner, Mango, Thonotosassa, Brandon, Riverview, Apollo Beach, Lithia, Ruskin, Palm River and Gibsonton. Authors from Tampa are being handles by someone in our Tampa office.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give, as well as for a timely reply. If you know of anyone else who might be able to help me with this query, feel free to pass this inquiry along to them.

Cordially,


Doug Bennett
Brandon Bureau Chief
Brandon & South Shore Times/St. Peterburg Times
DBennett@stptimes.com

All FWA members,

Barnes and Noble, in Carrollwood only, is getting behind our sponsorship of one of the neediest schools in Hillsborough County … FWA Hillsborough’s adopted Sligh Middle School. Sligh is a school struggling to bring their grade 6-8 students up to grade level in reading skills. They have a desperate need for high motivational reading material in fiction that covers grade levels three and up. Some of the more popular series would be appropriate such as the His Dark Materials trilogy, of which the first book, The Golden Compass is about to be released as a movie December 7th. Anything Harry Potter is also good, or the following: R. L. Stein, the Hobbit, C. S. Lewis, Eragon, Dish! (the middle-grade series involving a cooking club), any type of biography (particular of famous African Americans), anything involving African American culture, any kind of urban fantasy, former FWA speaker and conference presenter Greg Neri’s book Chess Rumble, and anything else you feel might be appealing. Just take the book to the counter and tell the cashier that you are an FWA member and that you are buying the book for Sligh Middle School. Starting Friday, November 23rd and going through December 8th, Barnes and Noble Carrollwood only will set aside a portion of the profit to go toward Sligh.

Isn’t this a great thing to do in this season of giving? Please help us help build future readers who one day as adults may be buying our own books.

We were so surprised at our CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN being given so much time, we’re looking to see if books purchased can be kept behind the counter and picked up every few days. If you’re coming to our Christmas party, by all means bring them then. This campaign will be ongoing throughout the year. This is our effort to also give back to Barnes & Noble, who graciously let us hold our meetings there rent free and give forward to Sligh Middle School.

Julia ThornbroughGroup Leader – Hillsborough

Hi all,

Our scheduled speaker is not available this month, so at the last minute Eugene Orlando stepped up to the plate. He will distribute and review a handout of detailed instructions for using MS Word as an author and field questions on those quirks that have been bugging us all. He will also present a mini presentation of a session he will be proposing for next year's FWA conference. It is titled Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors after the book by the same name and is a Stanislavski method acting approach to creating and writing good characters. Having been trained in method acting, Eugene realized about two years ago that he "got into" his characters using this method.

Following our meeting, we will join our guest speaker for lunch at a nearby TBA restaurant.

WHAT: Using MS Word for Authors and Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors

WHERE: Barnes & Noble (Carrollwood)11802 North Dale MabryTampa, FL 33618813-962-4799

WHO: Eugene Orlando our Regional Director

WHEN: Saturday November 17 -- 10 am to noon. Lunch follows at a nearby restaurant TBA.

Holiday PARC S SPARC self-published authors regional conference.

November 16 and 17 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM

3190 Tyrone Boulevard North Street, St. Petersburg, FL 33710

Come browse and buy special books from talented local authors.

Book sales benefit the children and adults at the multi-hazard shelter complex campaign for PARC (Pinellas Association for Retarded Citizens)

For more information contact: Marcia Freespirit of Jimsam Inc. at 813-748-9523 or mfreespirit@jimsaminc.com

Also visit PARC at their web site http://www.parc-fl.org/

"Years ago I took a tour of the PARC facilities and it is amazing what good they do for the mentally handicapped. I was greatly impressed."

Eugene Orlando
Regional FWA Director
Hillsborough County

This is an unpublished fiction novel contest open Oct 1 – Nov 5 accepting the first 5,000 entries. NO ENTRY FEE! You register online for one of the 5,000 entry spots and have up to 7 days to submit your full manuscript. For more details, go to the amazon.com home page, scroll down to “Amazon Services” (on the left side) and “For the Community” and click on “Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest”. I just registered on Oct 18, and they were still taking entries. Grand prize is a contract with Penguin and a $25,000 advance on royalties.

Eugene Orlando
FWA Regional Director/Hillsborough County

The Florida Writers Association (FWA) will hold its November 8th meeting at the West Library on the campus of St. Petersburg College, 67th Street and 7th Avenue North.

The meeting begins with networking at 6:30 p.m. with the program at 7:00 in the conference room. The evening will be spent in a round table discussion focusing on punctuation with emphasis on why, what, where, and when. Come prepared with questions, realizing this discussion may slide into the realm of verb tenses and other tense issues of writing.

If you have specific written material where you can’t make a decision, bring it with you and present your dilemma to the panel of experts.

Contact Freda Ward at fredagowerward@earthlink.net.

Greetings everyone,

This Saturday we have a real treat for you. How many of you out there are creating characters for your award winning novel or story from your cerebral? You know, descriptions like, Joe’s a policeman, has brown hair, oldest of six children, and always wanted to be a cop. The character is actually pretty flat. Right? Our guest speaker, Dr. Terra Pressler, received her doctorate in screenwriting and is an attorney. If there’s anyone who knows how to work both sides of the brain, it’s Dr. Terra Pressler. Instead of creating our characters from the head up, she’s going to show us how to go full body and give our characters an exciting three dimension.

You’re not going to be passively sitting. Oh, no! She’s going to have us up and moving about. Once we learn her technique, it should be pretty interesting. Come one! Come all. Let your hair down and allow yourself to be a kid again. Life is fun. Characters are fun, if we let them come alive.

Following our meeting, we will join our guest speaker for lunch at Nikki’s.

WHAT: How to Create Characters with Pizzazz
WHERE: Barnes & Noble (Carrollwood)
11802 North Dale Mabry
Tampa, FL 33618
813-962-4799
WHO: Dr. Terra Pressler
WHEN: Saturday October 20 -- 10 am to noon

Lunch follows at Nikki’s.

Julia Thornbrough

Everyone,

If you missed the first opportunity to perfect your pitch, have no remorse. Another chance awaits you. Molli Nickell has graciously agreed to return to Piccadilly on Tuesday, October 16. As before, we will gather at 5:30 for dinner. From 6:30 – 8:30 we will take turns practicing. Whether you have something ready to go or are in the process of crafting your work, it never hurts to be prepared. When opportunity knocks, you definitely want to be ready.

Please remember to buy dinner. We need at least ten participants. This is our way of giving back to Piccadilly for being so kind and generous to us. We’ll be meeting in the back room.

You can let Kaye Coppersmith know if you plan to practice your pitch by e-mailing her at sunnyskyes@earthlink.net.

Molli Nickell is a publishing consultant who will be leading a workshop on October 13 from 9 AM to 5 PM on “Getting Published Now.” You can check out her website at www.gettingpublishednow.biz. Her e-mail address is mollikatee@yahoo.com And she can be reached at 727-772-8270.

Thanks to all.

Julia Thornbrough

Learn how to market your manuscript during this one-day intensive workshop for writers, taught by former publisher, Molli Nickell
October 13, 9AM to 5 PM in Eastlake Woodlands, Oldsmar
Your manuscript is well under way—or even completed. Now what?
It’s time to introduce your work to an agent or publisher. In order to do this effectively, you’ll have to learn to write three vital sales documents. This workshop will teach you how!

With 25 years experience in publishing (as both author and publisher), Molli Nickell is uniquely qualified to teach you how to write the marketing documents you need.

Once you’ve mastered the techniques of writing a professional query and cover letter as well as a compelling first page, you’ll greatly increase the odds that your manuscript will be requested by an agent or publisher (which moves you one step closer to becoming a published author).

During this one-day intensive workshop you will:
1. Complete a draft of a professional query letter
2. Complete a cover letter to accompany your manuscript
3. Re-write the opening paragraph of your manuscript

Can you accomplish this in one day? Absolutely.

Workshop information:
Date: Saturday, October 13, 2007
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Place: East Lake Woodlands Country Club 1055 East Lake Woodlands Parkway, Oldsmar, FL 34677 (East of Tampa Rd. And McMullen Booth intersection.)

Fee: $75 which includes all-day beverage service and lunch
Workshop space is limited to 24. Reserve your space by going to her website and clicking on "Workshos & Talks". You can either pay on line or print out a registration form and send a check:
Molli Nickell 305 Woods Landing Trail, Oldsmar, FL 34677 Map provided online.
Got questions? Email Molli at mollikatee@yahoo.com
Check out Molli’s website, www.getpublishednow.biz

Molli Nickel, former publisher and Time-Life Editor attended our meeting as a guest. With her vast years of experience from hearing pitches, she knows what works and what doesn’t. She has offered to allow us to practice and perfect our pitch with her.

What better way to attend the FWA convention relaxed and confident when you deliver your pitch. Guys, this is Molli Nickel’s way of giving back to the community. We get this incredible opportunity for FREE. Another exciting perk of being a FWA member. So practice your pitch and come on down!!!

WHERE: Piccadilly Cafeteria in the back room
WHEN: Wednesday, September 26 5:30 until (?)
WHAT: Practicing Your Pitch

PLEASE NOTE: Piccadilly Cafeteria is being gracious by allowing us to use their back room. We need at least 10 people to step up the plate and buy dinner. Again, this is our way of giving back to the community. They’ve been very good to us.

Let Kaye Coppersmith know your intention. Her e-mail address is sunnyskyes@earthlink.net Thanks!

Julia Thornbrough
Group Leader – Hillsborough

P.S. A tentative second date is reserved for Tuesday, October 16 at the same time and place. Will keep you posted.

Is your “baby" ready to be shoved out the door and presented to the world? If so, wouldn’t it be nice to have a professional show you how to do it? I’m referring to understanding the do’s and don’ts of presenting your manuscript up close and personal with an editor. FWA Hillsborough offers you a golden opportunity to remove anxiety and instill confidence the next time you speak with an agent or acquiring editor. What perfect timing to prepare you for when you pitch your work in the real world to an editor or agent at the FWA convention in November.

At our regular meeting, Saturday September 15, Janet Strand, senior editor of Hardshell Word Factory, will show us how to pitch our work the correct way and thereby grab the attention of an editor or agent. For the first half of the meeting, she will guide us step by step on how to do that, which will be accompanied with a handout. In the next segment, Janet Strand will listen to pitches from our members. These are to be thirty-second sound bites -- nothing longer than five sentences.

Hillsborough FWA members will receive first priority on the number sequence, however, this meeting is open to everyone who wants to learn and practice their pitch. To claim a spot with Janet Strand, please contact either Kaye Coppersmith at 813-920-7144 mailto:sunnyskyes@earthlink.net or me, Julia
Thornbrough at 813-881-0911 mailto:jthornbrough@tampabay.rr.com To have your pitch heard and critiqued, you must be a FWA member in good standing.

Janet Strand will join us at Mimi’s Café and answer any lingering questions. Because of the larger anticipated response, we would like you to send an RSVP by Thursday September 13 to either of the above e-mail addresses. We need a head count to make sure we have enough chairs on hand to accommodate our members and guests. As always, thanks for your cooperation.

WHAT: FWA Hillsborough monthly meeting

WHEN: Saturday September 15

10 A.M. until noon

WHO: JANET STRAND, Senior editor of Hardshell Word Factory presenting:

"PERFECTING YOUR PITCH"

WHERE: Barnes & Noble (Carrollwood)

11802 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33618
813-962-6446 (store)

LUNCH FOLLOWS AT:

Mimi’s Cafe
11702 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33618

(Located one shopping strip south of Barnes & Noble. By stepping over a
shrub, we’re practically there.)

Julia Thornbrough
Group Leader
FWA Hillsborough