WRITERS' Journal Table of Contents
May/June 2004
Volume 25, Number 3

Columns

  2        .....Editor's Note

  4        .....Marketing Helps, Janet Elaine Smith
            Basics of Book Signings  

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

  6        .....Effective Screenwriting, by Jerry McGuire
            Show Your Best!
            The title page and a brief synopsis are essential elements of your script. Let's Look!

 8        .....Photography Techniques, by Ronald D. Kness
           Harvesting the Crop
            In this issue, we're talking about how to make a good picture better through the use of cropping. The "harvester" is a better picture through the use of the techniques in this article.

10        .....Computer Business, by Robert Anthony
            Working with ASPs
            The development of Application Service Providers (ASPs) is one example of how emerging technologies are being used to aid and abet the growth of successfully wired writers. A relatively new phenomenon, ASPs offer their customers, such as freelancers, the ability to operate a specific application software like—Web page creation or desktop design software from—an off-site Web-based server.

56        .....For Beginners Only, by LeAnn Campbell
            Set Effective Writing Goals: Organize Your Work...Use Your Resources
            Whether writing for publication or for personal satisfaction, setting goals is important. Goal-setting involves more than the simple statement, "I will write." To make it work, set goals in three different areas: get organized, increase knowledge, and effectively use tools and resources.

57        .....Words...Tools of Our Trade, by Betty Garton Ulrich
            Does Fiction Have a Future?
            What kind of writing do you prefer to do? Is fiction your first love? Have you felt that the markets for fiction are too limited?

58       .....WRITERS' Journal Market Report, by Laurie Graziano
            Do you ever consider your voice when writing? No, that is not a typographical error. Voice is not only the sound you make when speaking. It is the sense you make when writing.
                    Markets: Click Magazine, Ft. Myers Magazine, The Calligraphy Collection, Dermatology Insights, Woman's Day, The Antietam Review, Succeed Magazine, Nailpro Magazine, Parade Magazine, Fitness Magazine, Cricket Magazine, Characters Magazine, The Journal, Skin Inc.

Feature Articles

12        .....Using Both Sides of the Brain to Create Fiction, by Dennis E. Hensley
            Part Two
            In my previous article, we began looking at exercises that can work to stimulate both sides of the brain. The purpose is to enhance creativity when writing fiction. Here are some additional processes:

13        .....How to Birth a Book, by Betty Garton Ulrich
            Help Your Picture Book "Get a Life"
            An exciting event has recently occurred: a member of our family has given birth. My daughter-in-law Edna's children's book has come into being under rather unusual circumstances. Trafford Publishing, a POD (print-on-demand) company based in Canada, published it for free.

19        .....Interesting Book Publishing Questions, by Keisha L. Burton
           Answers to Your Questions
            I hear a lot of conflicting information about POD publishing. Is it really a feasible option for writers? I received a rejection letter saying that my manuscript is too long. Should I consider shortening it? I am considering self-publishing my book. Where do I start? Some publishers solicit writers through the classified ads in newspapers; are these publishers worth pursuing? I am a writer interested in self-publishing my book but do not wish to take out a high-interest loan to do so. Are there any grants out there for writers? I feel like my publisher isn't doing enough to promote my book. Is there anything I can do about this? What right do I have to my book once a publisher purchases it? Should I copyright my book before sending it out to agents and publishers?

21        .....Do Your Homework and Get Published, by Audrey Rocque
            Tips on Getting Your Articles Published
            You are a writer. Now you want to be a published writer. Your first contact with an editor is your query letter. But don't consider this as your first step. Researching comes first, and a lot can be discovered by simply doing your homework.

23        .....Tips from Tolkien, by Rick Barry
            Middle-earth Instructions for Enchanting Fiction
            Need to enchant your fiction skills? Step into Middle-earth to find out how!

41        .....Make Transitions Work for You, by Myrtle Nord
            Move Characters Through Time and Space
            Getting from here to there in real life—and on time—can be a real hassle. Even fiction writers know about traffic jams, airline delays, and long supermarket lines. It can be frustrating! But your fictional characters should never have that kind of trouble. A simple device, known as a transition, can take characters from one place and time to another place and time in a few sentences. If you, a fictioneer, will divide the action of your story into scenes, the transitions will keep you writing, and keep your readers reading.

42        .....Writers' Notebook
            Fifteen Ways You Know You Were Born to Write—I. J. Schecter
            Don't Wear Out Your Welcome—Kent R. Davies
            Little Yellow Thesaurus—Sandy Stert Benjamin
            Favorites: www.acronymfinder.com, www.booksandtales.com, www.fedstats.gov

44        .....I Am a Writer, by Libby Grandy
            Do You Call Yourself a Writer?
            I recently visited Calico, a renovated silver mining town in the high desert of California, to do research for a story I'm writing. I first asked questions as a tourist and received factual, polite answers. When I added the words, "I am a writer," everything changed. I connected on an entirely different level, enjoying instant camaraderie. 

45        .....Flashes of Insight, by Carolyn Campbell
            Using Creativity Techniques in Your Writing Career
            Remember that exciting, lightning-flash moment when you conceived your first idea for a writing project? That initial electric charge of creativity is often followed by bursts of energy that help you complete vital tasks and spur you on to make your writing ideas become realities. Many experts feel that, rather than being a personality trait, creativity is a way of thinking that writers can take advantage of to build their careers in innovative and profitable ways. The following suggestions are offered to help you make the most of creativity techniques in originating, developing, and expanding your writing career.

Travel Writing Contest

25        .....Orkney Day-Tripper, by Janet Morrison
            First Prize Winner of November 2003 Travel Writing Contest

28        .....A Russian River Cruise, by Mary Smith Pritchard
            Second Prize Winner of November 2003 Travel Writing Contest

30        .....The Confucian Temple and Forest Cemetery, by Nancy Pine
            Third Prize Winner of November 2003 Travel Writing Contest

Fiction

32        .....Like Vampires, They Were, by Edmund Thayer
            Honorable Mention Winner of 2003 Fiction Contest

34        .....Those Brown Eyes, by JoAnn Bennett
            Honorable Mention Winner of 2003 Romance Contest

December 20, 2003 Write to Win! Winner

38        ....."Alison"—Oh, by the way...," by Lisa King

Poetry

45        .....Every Day With Poetry, by Esther Leiper
            "Sonnet—Song Net or Not? Or What?"
            Presbyterian Hymn #400, by Richard Robinson, presents the following lyrical stanza that my congregation sings nearly every Sunday:

50        .....Esther Comments On..., Esther Leiper
            "Hollowed Ground" and "Loving from a Distance"
            

Background Designed by jtolson