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WRITERS' Journal

Table of Contents
September/October 2008
Volume 29, Number 5

      .....Editor's Note, by Leon Ogroske 

     The magazine business is a funny one in that we work well in advance of when readers see what we have put together for their enjoyment and learning. We submit our requirements to market publishers as far as eighteen months in advance of when we print an issue, so it is understandable that some article submissions may lack what we need. If any writer would like to contribute to our Writers’ Notebook (see page 42), please do. We are looking for short (100 words or less) anecdotes, jokes, helpful hints, quotes, catchy phrases, money-making ideas, and anything else you might find worthwhile to share with fellow writers. Along that same line, don’t hesitate to send us your point of view (page 4). Our readers like to hear what you think of our magazine—some use your comments to help decide whether they ought to subscribe.

     While I’m on this subject of lead-time, writing-contest entrants should always check a market’s Web site for the latest on contest guidelines. Most market listings are done a year or more ahead of the actual contest deadline, and things can change. So whether you are considering entering one of WRITERS’ Journal’s contests or some other competition, please check the sponsor’s Web site before you submit your work.

     Besides Esther Leiper-Estabrooks’ talent as a poet and critic, she is also a science fiction writer. When we decided to hold a Science Fiction/Fantasy contest, she generously offered to write an article that would introduce readers to the genre. You can read her contribution on page 16. WRITERS’ Journal, when referring to science fiction may shorten the term and call it sci-fi. Some writers use the acronym SF, but because SF can also mean speculative fiction, we thought it best to use the sci-fi term.

      Christina Hamlett’s “Effective Screenwriting” column, on page 8, will help burgeoning screenwriters choose a genre with which to experiment. Use her writing exercises to sharpen and test your skills.

     The “For Beginners Only” column, on page 58, by Caroline Misner offers all writers—not just beginners—excellent editing tips. Follow her suggestions and your writing will definitely be improved.

     Our Horror/Ghost contest is one of our most popular contests that conjures many wild concepts from writers. All of our winning authors in this issue use setting and characterization to plummet us into strange places to be with strange people.

     The Write to Win! winning story, “Target,” is a provocative tale you must read. Janice Croom’s realistic use of diction in dialogue is well-done. She tugs at your emotions, presents you with a dilemma, and ….

Leon Ogroske, editor

Columns

  4       .....Readers' P.O.V.

  5       .....Massaging the Muse, Lynne Pisano
           Skeletons in the Closet

  6       .....Marketing Helps, Janet Elaine Smith
           Holy Bible!

  7       .....Vocabulary Review, Carolyn Howard-Johnson
           Aphorisms

  8       .....Effective Screenwriting, by Christina Hamlett
           Horrors! It's a Screenplay
           One of the most common questions that WRITERS' Journal subscribers send to my mailbox is "What's the easiest genre for a beginning screenwriter to break into?" Interestingly, the answer is the same one I give to aspiring novelists who want to identify markets that are the most receptive to newcomers. That answer is horror....

 11      .....Computer Business, by Angela Render
           Six Dirty Secrets about Engine Optimization—Part 6
           Maybe a few aren't so dirty, but figuring out how to get traffic to your Web site can sometimes feel like wading through sludge. You've put in a lot of time and energy getting your site or blog up and running, and now you're ready to share it with the world. But the world needs to know you exist. The Internet is a big place; getting the information superhighway to put an exit ramp near you takes some effort....

 13      .....Photography Techniques, by Ronald D. Kness
          Go Light—And Save Your Body
           Last year I climbed over the age-fifty-five summit and started rappelling down the other side. Soon after that I started noticing that I could not carry as much camera gear as I once could, so I started experimenting with different types of camera-carrying equipment, trying to determine what would work best for a fifty-five-plus traveling photographer....

 58      .....For Beginners Only, by Caroline Misner
          The First Cut Is the Deepest—A Painless Way to Strengthen Your Prose
          There is no greater exhilaration for any writer than the feeling of accomplishment at the completion of that final draft. You've crossed your ts and dotted your is. You've run the manuscript through the spell-checker a dozen times, you've checked your paragraphs and line spacing, you've numbereed every page....

 60      .....Words...Tools of Our Trade, by Betty Garton Ulrich
           Words for the Wordless—When Words Fail
           The title of this column is "Words...Tools of Our Trade." But I got to thinking: What about the "wordless" aspects of life? In real life, much of our communication with others—even our reactions to situations—is expressed without words....

 61       .....WRITERS' Journal Market Report, by Laurie Graziano
            September/October 2008 Market Report Plus, Mary Noschang of Today's Catholic Teacher
            Oftentimes, religious magazines are categorized under consumer headings, just as are regional, mystery, literary, and juvenile publications. This sometimes leads writers to assume that religious markets are limited to Bible quotes and inspirational enlightenments....

                   Markets: Today's Catholic Teacher, The Drake Magazine, Shotgun Sports, Christian Home & School, Ski Magazine, Hallmark Magazine, SnoWest, Pittsburgh Magazine, Romantic Destinations, Fishing & Hunting News, Doll Reader.

Feature Articles

 16       .....From Otherwhere to Otherwhen, by Esther M. Leiper-Estabrooks
            The Art of Science Fiction and Fantasy
            You know me primarily as a poet who writes about verse in its many forms and dimensions. However, I also write and sell science fiction, fantasy, and horror, which—via overlapping parameters—form the basis of speculative fiction .With this background I feel confident to discuss WRITERS' Journal's newest competition for stories in the science fiction/fantasy genre. (Horror and ghost tales have a separate WJ contest.)...

 21       .....An Insider's Tips on Selling Nonfiction Books, by Dennis E. Hensley
            Be Publisher Friendly
            I think three-quarters of all the people I meet at writers' conferences dream of writing the so-called great American novel...or maybe just a genre romance or mystery. The truth is, however, that publishers have a much greater need for nonfiction books. Even then, however, would-be authors need to know some insider tips on how to win a contract. Let me share some tactics that have worked well for me....

 22       .....Say Something Concrete by Greg Donio
            Tangibles that Evoke
             During the Watergate scandals of 1974, then California governor Ronald Reagan stated that his political party had no monopoly on dirty tricks: "We Republicans have been out-voted too many times by vacant lots, warehouses, and cemetery plots....

 41       .....Israel Horovitz on Writing by Joyce Carpenter
            A Literary Icon Shares His Secrets
             Is there a writer anywhere who wouldn't like to sit down and talk to Israel Horovitz, one of America's most celebrated playwrights? The writers and theatre fans of Amelia Island, Florida, recently got that opportunity when Horovitz came to see the production of his play My Old Lady at the Fernandina  Little Theatre....

 42       .....Writers' Notebook
           Won't Pay? We'll see..., by Betty Wilson Beamguard
           How does a TV Producer come up with a show like "The Medium?, by Matthew Thomas, Jr.
           Helpareporter.com, by Jeff Rivera
           Phil was struck by inspiration, cartoon by Richard Tomasic

44       .....Consider the Essay, by Kathye Fetsko Petrie
           Advice for Writers Raising Children
           Essays strike me as the perfect market for writers who are parents—and for anyone whose primary duties make it difficult for him or her to find time to actually sit at a keyboard and type....

 46       .....A Cuppa Consideration, by Amanda L. Southall
           Coffee Shop Etiquette
           No one wants to be that guy. You know the type, the guy hogging the comfy chair, hunched over his computer for hours, his face so absorbed in the glow of his laptop that he doesn't even notice how baristas mutter after each time he responds, "No thank you, I don't need anything right now."...

47       .....Waiting for Words, by Nichole Scott
           Defeating Writer's Block through Story
           "It's driving me crazy!" I ranted into the phone....

48       .....Publishing Your Book, by Noelle Sterne
           Review, Reread, Rewrite Your Work
           You've made it real, that sprout of an idea you had way back there. You've forced yourself to sit at your desk daily to nurture, protect, and grow it despite the thickets of demanding duties, seesawing motivation, self-censoring gales, and everyone's incessantly asking, "When are you going to publish your book?"...

Poetry

 51       .....Every Day With Poetry, by Esther M. Leiper-Estabrooks
            What Makes a Poet?
            Cordelia Frances Biddle, scion of a long-reigning Philadelphia family, transplanted herself to California—to get away from home territory—where she wrote a novel, Beneath the Wind. She states:...

 56       .....Esther Comments On..., by Esther M. Leiper-Estabrooks
            "The Last Word" and "Did Hemingway Like Anagrams, Too?"
            Wordplay is the life and breath of the skillful poet, and nowhere is this more apparent than in a piece of light or satiric verse. Jill Williams's twelve-line piece has a satisfactory bite to its humor as she offers her own version of that timeworn cliche, "to have the last word."...