WRITERS' Journal Table of Contents
July/August 2004
Volume 25, Number 4

Columns

  2        .....Editor's Note

  4        .....Marketing Helps, Janet Elaine Smith
            How to Serialize Your Sales  

  5        .....Massaging the Muse, Lynne Pisano
            Creativity Calendar

  6        .....Readers' P.O.V.

  8        .....Effective Screenwriting, by Jerry McGuire
            The "Hollywood" Script Format
            Using white, 8 1/2" x 11" paper, justified margins of 1" on the left and 1" for the top, right, and bottom, and single-spaced lines, place the page number on the first line at the upper right corner. On the next line at the left margin, type FADE IN.

 10       .....Photography Techniques, by Ronald D. Kness
           Creative Approaches to Photography
            Creativity is a three-part formula. The first part is getting the equipment details right. Is your gear in working order? Do you know how to get the most from your gear? If you are shooting film, are you using the right film for what you are shooting? This is the first part of the formula that must be right, and proficiency comes only from using your equipment.

12        .....Computer Business, by Robert Anthony
            An Insider's Guide to Contact Management
            In the dawning age of the Internet, I was a member and frequent user of online bulletin boards. Back in those days, there was an online discussion group for writers on a popular American online service, moderated by a notable and print-syndicated "veteran" writer. I won't give you his recognized name, because I've always subscribed to the philosophy that if you cannot say something good about somebody, you shouldn't say anything at all, especially their name. Better to mystify readers about whom I am talking than for me to face a defamation of character lawsuit, however frivolous and baseless (which is my other philosophy).

58        .....For Beginners Only, by Ann Barr
            Can Characters Write Your Story All by Themselves?
            Do your characters have lives of their own? Are they capable of writing a story all by themselves? Are you willing to let go of the reins and trust them?

59        .....Words...Tools of Our Trade, by Betty Garton Ulrich
            Confession is Good for the Soul. Therefore...
            I have a confession to make. Appropriate to the theme of this column, it's about writing. Getting at it. Producing.

61       .....WRITERS' Journal Market Report, by Laurie Graziano
            Many times, you can find your writing niche through someone other than yourself, simply because you are too close to your writing to be objective. Sometimes a friend lends guidance, sometimes it's a teacher or , most often , and editor. Throughout your writing career, you discover that there are two phases to your writing. The first is writing for yourself. The second is writing for someone else.
                    Markets: Dermascope, Cat Fancy, Raritan, Lynx Eye, Passages North, The Sun, Cardmakers, Nails, Pockets, Clotilde's Sewing Savvy, Stock Futures and Options, PaperWorks, WriteCorner Press, Woodturning Design.

47        .....Essay Writing Contests, by Dorothy J. Geiger
            July/August 2004, Monthly
            Five dollars per word? Two hundred dollars per word? And if this isn't enough to get you motivated, how about an opportunity to appear on television? Here we will include those contests that require writing an essay—some as few as ten words and others up to 300 words. Competition for the skill contests is much less than ordinary sweepstakes. Competition in sweepstakes runs into the millions. However, one winner of an essay contest informed us that she wrote a 100-word essay and there were only 400 entries!

Feature Articles

13        .....Antiques, Collectibles, and Inspiration, by Kathryn Wilkens
            Go Shopping for Some Great Ideas
            Antique stores are a valuable resource for writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Every town has one. Admission is free. They are crammed with true antiques and "collectibles" that unlock memories and spark the imagination.

14        .....Mixing Creative Endeavors to Improve Your Writing, by Dennis E. Hensley
            Unique Ways to Structure Your Stories
            About thirty-five years ago, I learned how to improve my creative writing by involving myself in a variety of art forms. I confess that I learned this incredible lesson form, of all people, a professional football player.

16        .....Questions & Answers, by Keisha L. Burton
           Concerning Agents
            I have been rejected by nearly every literary agency; what do I do now? Some agents do not like simultaneous submissions. Should I agree to an agent's criteria and not send my work to other agents while they are considering it? Is it better to get a literary agent in New York, since it is the heart of the publishing industry? What makes a good query letter? Within a two-week time, a literary agent responded positively to my query letter, supposedly read my manuscript, and offered me a contract. Should I be leery of this fast response?

19        .....Writing Around Little Ones, by Jeanette Hanscome
            Six Tips for Making It Work
            In July 2001, I got a dream assignment—the chance to write a teen fiction book for a well-known Christian publisher. The timing couldn't have been better. I had reached a dry point in my writing life and desperately needed a challenge. I didn't mind that accepting the project meant an extremely tight deadline. Then on September 12, I got some unexpected news—I was pregnant!

21        .....Ten Rules for Effective Dialogue, by Jeanne Zornes
            Solve Your "Said" Problems
            Great dialogue helps a story throb with life. It reveals character, furthers the action, and helps your story "show," not "tell." But sloppy dialogue habits can turn readers and editors against a writer.

41        .....Grant Proposals, by Joan Oswald
            Using Your Writing Skills to Generate More Cash
            Do you ever wonder if  you could use your freelance writing skills to make more money? If you're an established writer, you may be able to write grants. The process will be familiar and potentially just as lucrative as your freelance work. Moreover, with greater competition for grant funding, your writing skills may be more marketable than ever before.

43        .....Extra Money for Freelancers, by Michael A. Banks
            Book Manuscript and Proposal Reviewing
            Have you ever wanted to take a look at book proposals and manuscripts submitted by other writers, to see what they're doing to sell books? You can, and be paid for it—by serving as an expert reviewer or first reader for book publishers. 

44        .....Writers' Notebook
            What we found while editing WJ...
            Favorites: www.refdesk.com, www.oanda.com/converter/classic, www.write4kids.com
            Longitude and Gratitude—a cinquain, by Elizabeth Barrette

45        .....Travel Right to Write Travel, by Kathleen Peelen Krebs
            How to Turn Trips into Type
            Whether stuffing suitcases for a world tour, gathering gear for a glacier climb, or trekking a trail in a nearby park, the following eight steps can help transform your travel adventures into hard copy, your peregrinations into print.

Fiction

27        .....Gator, by Hanna Jefferson Wallings
            First Prize Winner of 2004 Fiction Contest

28        .....The Family Reunion, by Renae I. Schroeder
            Second Prize Winner of 2004 Fiction Contest

30        .....The Price, by Cody Grant
            Third Prize Winner of 2004 Fiction Contest

32        .....Everybody Wins, by Travis Healy
            Honorable Mention Winner of 2003 Horror/Ghost Contest

36        .....The Last Ten Minutes of the World, by Ronald W. Jaeger
            Honorable Mention Winner of 2003 Romance Contest

February 20, 2004 Write to Win! Winner

38        ....."The Hunter"—The phone was still dead...," by Marrie K. Stone

Poetry

45        .....Every Day With Poetry, by Esther Leiper
            "Lunar Tunes"
            Anton Chekhov siad, "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint on broken glass."

50        .....Esther Comments On..., Esther Leiper
            The Winners —December 2003 Poetry Contest
                Another contest is completed—providing me with the happy yet difficult task of deciding the prizewinners among many excellent poems.

            

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