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WRITERS' Journal

Table of Contents
May/June 2009
Volume 30, Number 3

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

   The Science Fiction/Fantasy contest entries tested our contest judges by offering new worlds and strange peoples. The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, defines fantasy as “a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting. Fantasy is generally distinguished from science fiction and horror by the expectation that it steers clear of technological and macabre themes, respectively, though there is a great deal of overlap [among] the three (collectively known as speculative fiction).” It’s a good thing that we included science fiction with fantasy for our Science Fiction/Fantasy contest; it gives writers a bit more leeway as they fit their story’s genre into our contest.

   We received quite a few ghost-type stories, but none of them passed muster when compared to the winning stories published in this issue. Ghost stories are acceptable in this contest and would fare well, especially if they have a bit of science fiction or fantasy woven throughout, but perhaps you can save those ghostly stories for our Horror/Ghost Contest.

   All in all I was impressed with the creativity of contestants. Where do you people come up with these storylines? I write a little fiction, mostly for my own entertainment and for the entertainment of people in the writers’ group I attend, but I don’t think I could compete with some of you. My congratulations to all who were able to transfer their imaginations to paper.

   We had many letters from readers about Mr. Smythe’s and Betty Ulrich’s comments on “The Wedding.” Most felt that the story was a good read, even though it had problems, which many didn’t notice because they were too wrapped up in the story. One reader’s high school teacher wrote on his final thesis “A for content, C for mechanics. You may never write the story right, but you sure have a way of telling it.” For Pete’s sake, don’t become negligent with your grammar, punctuation, and choice of words! We take everything into account when judging stories, and the best story wins.

   One thing I notice more and more about writers: They want to offer their best work. If that means rewriting until the article meets our needs, fine. If they don’t win a competition with a story, they sometimes rework it and reenter it; fine. Writers want to be published, and they are willing to work hard to achieve that goal. Successful writers study their craft, practice what they learn, and submit. Some writers aren’t as accomplished as others, but that doesn’t deter them. They learn and submit. I think it makes them better writers. Try to get an objective critique of your story from someone who knows writing. Critiques of our writing should encourage and stimulate us to write better.

Leon Ogroske, editor

Columns

 4       .....Readers' P.O.V.

 6       .....Marketing Helps, Janet Elaine Smith
          Looking for Love

 7       .....Massaging the Muse, Lynne Pisano
          Through a Door: Portal Fantasies

 8       .....Effective Screenwriting, by Christina Hamlett
          Thinking (and Writing) Inside the Box
          When I reflect on one of the smarter purchases I added to my library in the early 1990s, it would have to be How to Write for Television by film veteran Madeline DiMaggio.  Although at that time I wouldn't have known Madeline if we'd been standing in the same line at Starbucks, it didn't take me long to discover, as I flipped through the chapters, that her signature wordsmithing had been associated with just about every TV series I'd ever been hooked on....

 11      .....Computer Business, by Carl Hose
           Word Up
           Microsoft Word is, hands down, the very best writing tool on the market. It took me a long time to realize this. I've used every major word processor and screenwriting software on the market, and quite a few of the underdogs as well, but regardless of that, I've had to turn to Word time and again to get the job done....

 13      .....Photography Techniques, by Ronald D. Kness
           The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
           Remember that great Clint Eastwood spaghetti Western with this same title? As great a movie as it is, that is not the topic of this column. Instead, we are going to discuss how to evaluate, group, and correct images....

 56      .....For Beginners Only, by Sara Stassen
          Podcast Review
          Sometimes the best writing resources in life are free. Sure, you can write off on your taxes expensive books and fancy professional conferences, but that works best if you make some money at your writing to begin with. Writing podcasts allows beginning or established writers to hold free literary festivals right in their own homes, complete with readings from famous authors, advice on craft, publicity techniques to buzz their books, and inspiration to tackle the next big writing project. Consider the following podcasts....

 57      .....Words...Tools of Our Trade, by Betty Garton Ulrich
           Bloggers Are Not Always Literary Lights
          By the time you read this, the presidential election will be a thing of the past. But I am writing it shortly after the close of the balloting. I've been reading some of the columnists online, and usually readers are given the opportunity of responding to the columns....

 59       .....WRITERS' Journal Market Report, by Laurie Graziano
            May/June 2009 Market Report Plus, Monica Freitag of FineScale Modeler
            To best express the importance of hobby magazines, simply remember the adage: "Necessity is the mother of invention." Without our thirst for knowledge and eagerness to thrust ourselves forward in society, progress would come to an end. Inventors need to invent, and readers want to read about their inventions....

                   Markets: FineScale Modeler, Muscle & Fitness, Pure Inspiration, BOP, Runway Magazine, Working Mother, MAQ, Mens' Athletic Quarterly, Relevant.

Feature Articles

 15       .....The Sidebar Rotation, by Dennis E. Hensley
            Reusing Materials
            The most important lesson a freelance writer can learn is this: Milk every idea for all it's worth....

 16       .....Visionary Fiction, by Jodine Turner
            The New Kid on the Block
            I learned about visionary fiction firsthand. I was in my thirties when the magical town of Glastonbury, England, where The Mists of Avalon was set, beckoned me. I answered the call to adventure, and moved to that ancient Isle of Avalon for nine months. Glastonbury had more in mind for me than adventure....

 21       .....Truth in Interviewing, by Jim Patterson
            Report What You See and Hear
            During your freelance career you will likely interview dozens of people for your articles.... 

 22       .....Affiliate Marketing, by Stephen C. Ludwig
            An Opportunity for Writers
           A publishing option for writers is opening doors to greater markets and possibilities for new and expanded revenue: affiliate marketing....

 41       .....Don't Cap Your Writing Wellheads, by Margaret Shauers
            Earn Dividends from Your Published (or Past) Writings
             The magazine containing your new article is on the coffee table. You've displayed it at your writers' group, sent copies to friends. The check's long been spent, and at the end of a month, even your personal coy is ready to hit the file drawer labeled "Sold Material" and forgotten. Right?...

 42       .....Writers' Notebook
           What Do All These Groups Have in Common..., by Anne Louise
           Two Memorable Book Signings..., by Michael O'Brien
            In the Daze Before E-Mail and "Zines":..., by Norma J. Sundberg
            Cartoon..., Tomasic

 44       .....Jump-Start Your Full-Time Freelance Career, by Scott D. Noble
           Five Ways to Success
           The walk, with my boss, from our office to the room where a board member was waiting was particularly long this mid-January afternoon. Our small nonprofit organization was going through some difficult financial times, and we all were informed that one of the employees would be laid off on this particular day. The fact that I was on this walk to meet with the board member pretty much secured in my mind who was going to be let go.....

 46       .....Quit Typecasting My Narrator, by Garrett Calcaterra
           Viewpoint Made Simple (Sort Of)
           In all my years as a student, teacher, and writer, the most frustrating—most convoluted—writing topic has always been narrative viewpoint....

Poetry

 50       .....Every Day With Poetry, by Esther M. Leiper-Estabrooks
           Me, Myself, or I: whose Voice Rules?
           No one has mistaken me for a princess (except maybe my dad, when I was five) or, for that matter, seen me as a sprite, wizard, governess, or dwarf, let alone cloud, snowflake, or shadow. Yet in a way I have been all of these, which I will explain, though not this minute. First let me describe the most lively and unexpected poetry controversy I've encountered lately, and soon you'll see how it keys into my opening statement....

 54       .....Esther Comments On..., by Esther M. Leiper-Estabrooks
            "Freedom is Only Fifty Percent" and "Corrective Medicine"
            "Freedom is Only 50 Percent," by Aryn Thomas, presents, in twelve lines of three quatrains, a sensitive reaction to her perception of today's freedom (or lack of it).....