GRIND WRITERS NEWS - NOVEMBER 2014 by GRIND WRITERS **

News

Grind Writers

November 2014

ide

not necessarily in this order

 The Gala: poets raising money for eating

disorders writing worshops for child & adolescent inpatients  BC writers autonomous fan region  Free writing contest!  Things to do, places to go….

 Glenn Mori at literASIAN: gems from a

writing workshop  Book Marketing Workshop for Self-

Publishers: an invite  Royal City writing. All-day poetry

workshop. Lost your mojo? Wordplay 4 totally unrelated items  A fine reading project for the coming winter: A challenge, if you will  Do you write dark? (They want you.)  Submit.

(You know you want to.)

 Stuff about—stuff  Grind Writers: where we meet, when, but

not necessarily why  Elaine Woo launches and reads  The free-write photo prompt. Just do it! 2

autonomous Tuesdays Burnaby Writers' Society/Spoken INK 8:00 PM -- 3rd Tuesday of the Month @ La Fontana Caffe 101-3701 East Hastings Burnaby BC

A how-to video by our favourite GW chef,

Eric Arrouzé

BC BOOKS

https://twitter.com/ chefericarrouze

Wednesdays PANDORA’S BOOK CLUB 2nd Wednesday of the month 6:30–8:30 pm - Britannia Branch Library 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver Bring your favourite passages, points of interest, and share your reading experiences. Drop-ins are welcome. Presented by Pandora’s Collective. Hosts: Mary Duffy & Sita Carboni. More info here. And see page 5.

poets

Twisted Poets Literary Salon 2nd Wednesday and 4th Thursday of every month at The Cottage Bistro 4468 Main Street, Vancouver More info

Raven’s Blood “Part four in this Raven Chronicles series takes the reader to ancient underground passageways in an attempted revival of an ancient dark Mithra cult. Jake Lalonde, half-Haida archaeologist is seeking his own truth of his heredity as a shaman and is caught up in a deadly fight for his survival.” (from Betty’s reivew on Goodreads). Vancouver Poet Laureate announced The importance of literature and literacy in Vancouver's cultural landscape was highlighted when City Council established the Poet Laureate continued next page….

continued from previous page

Did you go to an interesting or useful workshop?

Program in December 2006. Acclaimed, award-winning poet Rachel Rose is Vancouver's fourth Poet Laureate. Rachel is the winner of numerous awards for her poetry, fiction and non-fiction, including a 2014 Pushcart Prize. She has published poems, short stories and essays in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand and Japan.

Want to share a few gems as Glenn has done here? Email your write up (300-50 words) to grindwiriters@ gmail.com

During her 3-year tenure, Rachel will champion poetry, language and the arts in Vancouver and connect established and emerging poets with chefs, urban farmers and other individuals engaged in nourishing citizens to create a collaborative book of poetry inspired by food.

Glenn Mori, Grind Writer, on a workshop he attended at literASIAN in October On Saturday, October 11, I attended the workshop “Don’t Let Your Stories Languish! How to Submit to Literary Magazines” given by Doretta Lau. I discovered this event from the literASIAN announcement Margo sent to the Grind Writers a few days prior.

Lots of little points may be useful to pass along:

Wor play I

presented by the Royal City Literary Arts Society Free Monthly poetry-generating drop-in Prompts provided Not a critique group: “Let’s have some fun!” B.Y.O..T. (bring your own tools) in the Back Room at the Heritage Grill, 447 Columbia St. More info from: secretary@rclas.com



Doretta got her book deal (a collection of short stories) after a publisher read one of the short stories in a journal and contacted her to see if she had something.



Read the magazine or journal to see if your piece fits the type of pieces they print.



Check publications of published authors who write similar to you, to help you look for journals to investigate as submission possibilities.



Adhere to the rules of submission format: font, size, spacing, margins.



Read the specifics for submitting for that journal; they’re not all the same.



Treat the submission like a job application in terms of research, formal presentation, and dealing with rejection.



Rejection letters are a badge of honour.



Rejection is often a matter of taste or style or timing or bad luck – and not a reflection on the quality of the writing itself.



Keep track of your submissions in a spreadsheet.

Mostly basic stuff, but it needed to be covered. The presentation part lasted about 40 minutes; the balance of the two hours was devoted to questions from the six participants. Doretta was quite nice and encouraging and willing to share her experiences dealing with procrastination, discipline, rejection, success. And she gave us her email address, instructing us to complete the following sentence: “I will submit _____ to _____ number of journals by _____” and she will check back with us on that date, to see if we’ve carried through on our commitment. 4

Free writing contest. Yes, no entry fees!

Deadline: November 20, 2014 Hello, I’m writing to you about a new FREE writing contest, on behalf of Broken Pencil, one of Canada’s leading indie art and zine culture magazines, and to ask your help in spreading the word to writers—established, amateur, and student—about the “Unearth Your Underworld” short story contest now accepting entries of up to 2,500 words. As mentioned, ENTRY IS FREE via Broken Pencil’s The NUB: Indie Arts Hub mobile app (which can also be downloaded for free for both iOS and Android), and the grand prize winners in both the university student and general categories will receive $600 in cash and additional prizes. The top 5 entries and finalists in each category will also be published on The NUB.

Further details and the contest rules can be found at brokenpencil.com/nubcontest. I believe the creative community that you work with would be very excited to hear about this opportunity. As the resource they look to for the latest news and information on what’s happening in the industry, spreading the word about “Unearth Your Underworld” is yet another way for you to keep them informed. Can we count on you to let your people know about this new outlet for writers? Feel free to post this information to your social media, send it out to your connections. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

Cheers, Trista Baldwin Marketing Assistant Clevers Media 778-887-4471 cleversmedia.com @cleversmedia

The Nub Short Story Contest: Unearth Your Underworld How many entries per person? Read everyting you need to know at: http://www.brokenpencil.com/nubcontest 5

Places to go Things to do People to see

Wednesdays 7–9pm *Nov 12 *Dec 10 *Jan 14

Creative Expressions Art Nights Rising Star Housing Co-op Common Room, 1556 East 5th Ave., Vancouver A celebration of meeting and making to share your passion for craft, art, and design with your community. Drop in any time, bring anyone, and any creative endeavour you are working on, or come and just check out what everyone else is up to. This is a free inclusive event open to all artistic skill levels, ages, and demographics, however event participants must identify as having either a mental health and/or addictions issue. Each session we also organize a skillsharing project and free mini-tutorials to get your creativity pumping. Attendees will have a chance to partake in hands-on crafting activities that depending on the night you attend could include: customized tile coasters, painted umbrellas, crafty handmade card making and more! We will provide the supplies, tools, snacks and knowhow. A free event, although please RSVP to attend: (Ed note. You may need to join here [https://www.facebook.com/events/50 3838686388456/] in order to get an invite and be able to RSVP.)

Thursday November 6

TWS Readings Evening

TWS community, former co-host of the series, Cullene Bryant. Cullene's stories have appeared in numerous literary journals as well as two books of short fiction: Llamas in the Snow and In the Dry Woods. She is a member of Room’s Collective and is currently writing and re-writing a novel, Sans Everything, at the TWS graduate writer’s workshop. We are excited to welcome a great cross section of readers for the evening— emerging writers, TWS alumni, as well as established authors on book tour. Our full slate of readers is listed on the playbill (pdf). Plan to come early to ensure a seat. Eat, drink, visit, and enjoy!

Read a book. And talk about it. Face to face with real people. BOOK TALKS – BOOK CLUB Second Wednesday of every month 6:30 – 8:30 pm Presented by Pandora’s Collective & Britannia Branch Library At the branch - 1661 Napier Street (at Commercial Drive), Vancouver

Each month we’ll discuss a preselected book, with the occasional session reserved for a discussion on a theme. Bring your favourite passages, points of interests, and share your reading experiences. Each person is responsible for either borrowing or buying their own copy to read. This is an open book club. Drop-ins are welcome. Upcoming dates: Nov 12

The Grapes of Wrath by John

Steinbeck The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 2015 Jan 14 Obasan by Joy Kogawa Feb 11 An Astronaut’s Guide to Life by Col. Chris Hadfield Mar 11 Year of The Flood by Margaret Atwood April 8 Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee May 13 The Orenda by Joseph Boyden June 10 The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank Dec 10:

Hosts: Mary Duffy and Sita Carboni Contact: booktalks@pandorascollective.com www.pandorascollective.com

Our feature author is well known to the

Book Marketing Workshop for Self-Publishers: an invite -----Original Message----From: Carra Simpson [mailto:carra@pagetwostrategies.com] Sent: Friday, October 17, 2014 12:33 PM To: carra@pagetwostrategies.com Subject: Page Two: Book Marketing Workshop for Self-Publishers

Good afternoon, Vancouver writers! I hope this note finds you well. I am writing today because you are part of a Vancouver-based writing group and we thought you might be interested in hearing about an upcoming workshop that Page Two Strategies is holding on November 22 with our colleague Zoe Grams of ZG Communications. "How to Market Your Self-Published Book: Expert Tools for Launching, Promoting, and Selling Your Work," will teach self-publishers to market their work like pros, and to think strategically about everything from timing and budget to media pitches and direct sales. The event will be held at the Alliance for Arts and Culture in downtown Vancouver. Tickets are $199 for five hours of instruction and lunch. As a bonus, we’ll be offering all participants a free 15-minute consultation on their specific marketing challenges, to be scheduled in the days after the workshop, as well as a one-year subscription to Geist magazine! For more information or to register, please visit http://www.pagetwostrategies.com/workshop/. Please don't hesitate to be in touch, should you have any questions about the day. And, do let me know if you'd like to hear more about publishing workshop opportunities. All best wishes … Carra __________________

all day poetry workshop with David Whyte Saturday, December 6 10am to 4pm West Point Grey United Church 4595 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver, $145 (tax included)

This will be a day spent with David Whyte – through poetry and the insights of poetry – looking at how we work toward and then bring in the difficult harvests of human life. David will work especially with harvests that occur in an almost hidden, secret ways, not obvious at times even to the person to whom they are occurring. David has written seven books of poetry and three books of prose. He’s worked as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands, and led anthropological and naturalhistory expeditions in the Andes, Amazon, and Himalayas. He brings this wealth of experience to his lectures and workshops.

Royal City WritING Thursday November 6 - 6:30–8:30pm THE ART OF THE MEMOIR – Facilitator Margaret Caldwaldr Margaret will cover the process, challenges and rewards of memoir writing, drawing on her experience helping veteran George Reid write his memoir. At the New Westminster Public Library, 716 - 6th Ave. Pre-register: secretary@rclas.com Sundays 3-5 pm POETIC JUSTICE At The Heritage Grill, Back Room , 447 Columbia street, New Westminster near Columbia Station. View updates and the schedule of Featured Poets and hosts at www.poeticjustice.ca 2nd Wednesday of the month SHORT STORY OPEN MIC NIGHT - Host Margo Prentice - every Second Wednesday of each month - next session - October 8, 7-9 pm at Renaissance Bookstore, 43 - 6th Street, New Westminster. Bring your short stories. Read from your book, journal, essays. Story tellers welcome. Come to listen, bring a friend. Enjoy the beverages and snacks from the Renaissance Coffee Bar. http://www.renaissancebookstore.com/ 604-525-4566 3rd Saturday of the month – 4-6 pm THE POETRY WARS: A STUDY GROUP Host Carol Shillibeer At Renaissance Bookstore, 43 - 6th Street, New Westminster.. Not for the faint at heart, the poetic arts in Canada roil with snark and tendentious commentary. What this study group will do is explore our literary environment (aka the poetry wars), read poems, reviews, texts, commentary. Think about it. Discuss it at the meetings. We have a closed-group blog so we can comment between meeting times. More info: shillibeer@tailfeather.ca or www.rclas.com WRITING FOR KIDS: a writing group created for adult writers in any genre related to children and facilitated by Max Tell. – at Renaissance Bookstore. More info: contact Max Tell - maxtell@shaw.ca Every Sunday evening 7–9 pm SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC NIGHT for New & Emerging Songwriters - Join hosts Enrico Renz and Lawren Nemet at Renaissance Bookstore. Write it! Bring it! Sing it! Find them on their Facebook group "RCLAS New Westminster Songwriter Open Mic" to see the Weekly Word Challenge. www.rclas.com

Sponsored by Banyen Books & Sound & Hollyhock. More info: https://www.banyen.com/events/whyte_2014 7

Major arts festival coming to Nanaimo in Spring 2015 The Cascadia Poetry Festival April 30 - May 3, 2015 NANAIMO, BC - The Cascadia Poetry Festival is coming to Nanaimo. The third in an annual festival series that originated in 2012 in Seattle, this est is expected to bring more than 400 visitors to eat, sleep and soak up some great poetry in that Vancouver Island city. Cascadia began as the brainchild of poet and arts activist Paul Nelson, through an organization called SPLAB (the Seattle Poetics Laboratory). It started out small, with about a hundred poets and attendees from both sides of the border. By its second bout in 2014 that number had quadrupled. Canadian poets have participated from the outset, but this will be the first time the CPF has come to Canada. As the CPF website (www.cascadiapoetryfestival.org) makes clear, this is a festival born with a visionary concept - an international festival that seeks to "bioregionally animate and culturally construct" Cascadia by gathering writers, artists and scientists to "collaborate, discover and foster deeper connection between inhabitants and the place itself." Cascadia, as defined by writer and scientist David McCloskey, is the bioregion that stretches "in a great curving arc from Northern California to southeast Alaska--a vast swath which also includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and more than half of British Columbia." Accessibility is a key value for this festival. A Gold Pass to four days of readings, panels and discussions costs $25 and only $10 for students. The four scheduled workshops aren't covered by the pass but, at $60, they are a literary bargain. You can buy your tickets on the CPF website. The schedule is already posted on the website too, and bios of the 42 participating poets from both sides of the border. And, of course, you can volunteer! The Cascadia Poetry Festival creates a special ambiance, says 2015 Co-chair, Vancouver Island poet, David Fraser. "It brings together people who want to be part of the important conversation about our rich, transnational community." The informal mingling at Cascadia is as important as the panels and performances, Fraser says. "We create time and space for people to sit and talk about what Cascadia really means to us." Lantzville poet and publisher, Ursula Vaira, writes about Cascadia in her book about kayaking through the region - and see what happens, published by Caitlin Press in 2011. Two of the couplets in her extended poem, Frog River, say this:

Perfectly still, river becomes mountain becomes cloud. Canoe becomes bird. the hollow bone. Vaira will be part of the lineup—a lineup that brings together emerging and established poets. One of the featured participants, Brenda Hillman, won the 2014 Griffin Poetry Prize. Cascadia is about forging a relationship between area poets and local businesses, schools, Vancouver Island University and the City of Nanaimo. Everyone helping to make the festival a success and to highlight the area's strength as a community of poets and writers. There were 400 attendees at Seattle's CPF, held in May of this year. Cascadia 2015 organizers are hoping to match or better that. Taking the lead in festival organizing is a small Nanaimo-based arts society called WordStorm (www.wordstorm.ca), a dynamic group of writers who run monthly Spoken Word performances in local cafés (currently the Vault Café on Nanaimo's Wallace Street). Co-chair David Fraser, is also WordStorm's artistic director and president. Spreading the word that Nanaimo is not only a gorgeous place, but also a major arts destination is one of the city's key strategic goals," he says. “It is gratifying that a small, volunteer group of poets is helping to manifest that message." Check it all out here: www.cascadiapoetryfestival.org Find us on Facebook for news and updates: Cascadia Poetry Festival. To sponsor or volunteer, contact David Fraser at ascentaspirations@gmail.com

Lost your mojo? Another BC author will review your book Royal City Literary Arts Society

A fine reading project for the coming winter. A challenge, if you will

Book Reviews Call for Submissions Submit your book for review in Wordplay at Work, RCLAS’s monthly magazine, to: RCLAS Book Reviews Box #5 – 720 Sixth St. New Westminster, BC V3L 3C5 ______________________________________

Book Marketing Workshop for SelfPublishers -----Original Message----From: Carra Simpson [mailto:carra@pagetwostrategies.com] Sent: Friday, October 17, 2014 12:33 PM To: carra@pagetwostrategies.com Subject: Page Two: Book Marketing Workshop for Self-Publishers

Good afternoon, Vancouver writers! I hope this note finds you well. I am writing today because you are part of a Vancouver-based writing group and we thought you might be interested in hearing about an upcoming workshop that Page Two Strategies is holding on November 22 with our colleague Zoe Grams of ZG Communications. "How to Market Your Self-Published Book: Expert Tools for Launching, Promoting, and Selling Your Work," will teach selfpublishers to market their work like pros, and to think strategically about everything from timing and budget to media pitches and direct sales. The event will be held at the Alliance for Arts and Culture in downtown Vancouver. Tickets are $199 for five hours of instruction and lunch. As a bonus, we’ll be offering all participants a free 15-minute consultation on their specific marketing challenges, to be scheduled in the days after the workshop, as well as a one-year subscription to Geist magazine! For more information or to register, please visit http://www.pagetwostrategies.com/workshop/. Please don't hesitate to be in touch, should you have any questions about the day. And, do let me know if you'd like to hear more about publishing workshop opportunities. All best wishes, Carra

Make a nice cup of cocoa, curl up in your favourite snuggie comforter, and read your way through the rainy season. Yes, curl up by the fire and read all the books longlisted for the 2014 Giller Prize. Permission granted. Buy one here.

You’ll finally feel on top of Canadian literature. And you know how for a long time you’ve wanted to stop reading all that American swill you pick up with the other $200 worth of stuff you don’t need from Costco?—here you go. You’ll be become the best Canadian-read reader of all time. Of course, you’ll be absolutely unbearable at parties. 2014 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlisted books:  Waiting for the Man by Arjun Basu (ECW Press)  The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis (HarperCollins Canada)  American Innovations by Rivka Galchen (HarperCollins        

Canada) Tell by Frances Itani (HarperCollins Canada) Watch How We Walk by Jennifer LoveGrove (ECW Press) Us Conductors by Sean Michaels (Random House Canada) Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab by Shani Mootoo (Doubleday Canada) The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O'Neill (HarperCollins Canada) · Paradise and Elsewhere by Kathy Page (John Metcalf Books/Biblioasis) My October by Claire Holden Rothman (Penguin Canada) All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews (Knopf Canada)

 The Ever After of Ashwin Rao by Padma Viswanathan

(Random House Canada) Read the article: http://www.cbc.ca/books/2014/09/scotiabankgiller-prize-2014.html 9

Do you write Dark? Shock Totem wants.

Submit.

We consider original, unpublished stories within the confines of dark fantasy and horror—mystery, suspense, supernatural, morbid humor, fantasy, etc. Read the guides: http://www.shocktotem.com/guidelines/ Up to 12,000 words (firm).

mail or by mail with SASE. Previously published poems and simultaneous http://www.shocktotem.com/guidelines/ submissions are welcome. The Great American Poetry Show, P.O. Box 69506, West Hollywood, CA 90069. Email: info@tgaps.net. Website: www.tgaps.net (Caveat emptor – encourage new and emerging writers, check it out). while continuing to publish Sent award from Samsung Mobile winning and established writers. The Quotable This online magazine wants writerThe editors invite submissions of readers to submit stories based on fiction, short plays, poetry, photo their monthly prompts. Info here. essays, and literary nonfiction in traditional and experimental styles. Holler Box Guidelines: Rolling submissions year-round. All http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/aqr/guidelin submissions are completely free. You es.cfm may submit in multiple genres. If so, send a separate submission per genre. text literary magazine If your submission does not get We’re interested in literature accepted you may continue to submit, composed with brevity and punch: we encourage it. short, snippy poems, razor-sharp flash Please wait at least 30 days before fiction, and art and photography that submitting something new. Read the tread the line between purpose and guidelines: chance, making us see the innate https://thehollerbox.submittable.com/ beauty in the world around us. submit. Submissions that do not Guidelines for text submissions. follow the guidelines may not be considered.

(you know you want to)

Contests and calls for submissions Contests by deadline date Deadline: November 30, 2014 The Fish Short Story Prize: €3,000 Results: 17 March 2015. Anthology published: July 2015 The ten best stories will be published in the 2015 Fish Anthology.This year's judge, Jennifer Johnston, has been described by Roddy Doyle as "Ireland's greatest writer." She is the recipient of many awards, including The Whitbread Award for The Old Jest, and a Lifetime Acheivement from the Irish Book Awards, and has been short-listed for the Booker Prize. She has published 16 novels and five plays. Read more Word Limit: 5,000. Submission Fee: €20 for first, €10 thereafter. 1st Prize: €3,000 2nd Prize: A week in residence at Anam Cara Writers and Artists Retreat in West Cork. Please read the full details before entering. Straight to Online Entry Read stories from previous Fish Anthologies

Ongoing submissions Alaska Quarterly Review is a literary journal devoted to contemporary literary art, publishing fiction, short plays, poetry, photo essays, and literary non-fiction in traditional and experimental styles. The editors

Sassafras Literary Magazine We will frown or smile upon your piece, and reply within 1 week (2 weeks max) with a muffin or a tumbleweed. Multiple submissions are allowed, but single submissions are preferred. All things minimalistic and mind-slicing wanted. The occasional selfless snark and sneer accepted. True wit appreciated, along with foldable grit, pocket-size memoir moments and frame by frame congeniality. Perspective: any—as long as artfully executed and self reflecting; avoid sending ego balloons and unintended mirroring. Mirrors and led wanted. Gates, doors, and attics most appreciated. THERE’S MORE— READ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES HERE Submit any subject, any style, any length, any number, any time by e-

Geist Emerging Writer-of-theMonth Emerging writers are invited to submit short written works online. Read the FAQ. Dead Beats The Beats are dead; long live Dead Beats - focused on bringing you the highest quality literature from talented unpublished writers. We are happy to receive submissions from everyone, regardless of experience, of poems, short stories (max. 2000 words), experimental pieces and reviews, the best of which we will publish on the site. If you would like to submit some of your work please send it in the body of an email to: deadbeats@live.co.uk. We aim to reply to all emails, though this may take some time given the number of submissions we receive. http://www.deadbeats.eu/submission continued next page

Submit.

(why not.)

Are you over 60? - Wit and Wisdom of the Sages Have insightful stories you’d like to share with your grandchildren? Great Depression/ WW2/ Vietnam era? Seeking narratives up to 3,500 words. Send manuscripts, or for guidelines email jnjscher@yahoo.com. Anderbo.com -- “Best New Online Literary Journal.” Publishes writers in fiction, creative nonfiction), and poetry. We’re always looking for new voices. We’ll also consider nonfiction features, short memoirs, novellas, published-book excerpts, photography, essays, and photo essays. Now in our 9th year! For submission information and guidelines, visit www.anderbo.com. Changes in Life A monthly online newsletter is seeking personal essays from women of all ages. New writers are encouraged to submit their work. For details and submission guidelines, see www.changesinlife.com. Signature Editions - they only publish Canadian writers: What we do and don't publish: Look through the titles on our website and you'll get a pretty good idea of the kinds of books we're interested in. Where to send your manuscript: We do not accept submissions by fax or email, and do not discuss concepts over the phone. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama - check website for submission guidelines. The Evening Street Review The ESR is centered on the belief that all men and women are created equal. Reads poetry & prose submissions year-round. Replies in 3 months or less. Sometimes includes comments. Send 4–6 poems or 1–2 prose piece. 7652 Sawmill Rd., #352, Dublin, OH 43016 or

editor@eveningstreetpress.com. For contests and guidelines visit: www.eveningstreetpress.com. Subterranean Blue Poetry Subterranean Blue Poetry is an Internet Poetry and Art Publishing Café. We thrive on new original words and New Age art. All poets and their poetry are welcome and we are especially looking for homegrown poets from the Canadian First Nations/American Indian community; Quebec; small town Canada; international poets and anyone who was ever considered “the other.” New Age art offerings are for the masthead of each issue. Read all info here. Regime magazine - Short stories, poetry & performance writing. Not only do they want your work but they offer that you can tack $20 on your submission and they’ll send you back a detailed one-page critique. Note: do your due diligence. Read it all carefully. Full submission info here Coastal Spectator A new arts-based review and commentary site operating independently out of the U. Vic. We want to publish, on our home site, one new poem each week for a year, so if you have a new piece of work -- that is a haiku or up to 25 lines long -- do submit. Read all about it here. Pithead Chapel: “An online journal of gutsy narratives” We’re looking for engaging stories told in honest voices. Most of all, we want to feel something. We want to reach the last word and immediately crave more. We want your work to leave a brilliant bruise. Send us your gutsiest narrative and we’ll do our best to get your voice heard. Submission guidelines here. 1966 - An online journal of creative nonfiction, seeks pieces of literary nonfiction with a research component—anything from immersion memoir to nature writing to reportage to travel writing to—? For submission guidelines: www.1966journal.org.

COMPENDIA SITES MARKETS GALORE: ONE-STOP SHOPPING.

Aerogramme Writers’ Studio: This site has over 90 competitions, publication opportunities, fellowships

Excellent resource Fiction Writing Markets Currently Open for Freelance Submissions (Paid writing opportunities: Fiction stories, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Speculative fiction, Romance, etc.) See more at: http://writingcareer.com/call-forfiction-submissions How handy is this?

Morgan Bailey’s Competitions Calendar Organized by deadline date.

Places for Writers Listings for literary magazines of every type, everywhere, for everyone. Interesting resources – e.g., “Places to Publish: Can Lit” and “Publishers – Canada.” Plus continuous updates about who’s looking for what. If you have a piece to place, this might be a good place to start the hunt.

Poetry contests roundup here

Poets & Writers – an eminently searchable database (Sent by Isabella Mori)

Em dashes—why writers should use them more—sparingly.

12 digital publishing tools the experts recommend

“What's the matter with an em dash or two, you ask?”

from Scrivener to BitLit to SnagIt – and beyond: http://thefutureofink.com/12-digital-publishing-tools/

“

Writer’s block is a phony, made up, BS excuse for not doing your work.

The End of Writer’s Block: 10 Literary Laxatives

10 Proven Techniques for Writers and NonWriters to Get Around Writer’s Block

Advertbs and hyphens A must-read, especially if you’re going to self-publish and particularly if you’re going to self-edit. And when you finish reading this you can tell me if I used the hyphens correctly in this paragraph. This article will be of interest to officers of the Grammar Police.

When you don’t know what you want anymore. See if this helps.

Do check out these provocative and eerie online images by h.koppdelaney that you could use as writing prompts.

Grind Writers Group Meeting Schedule

The dates:

WHERE WE MEET The Grind Gallery Café - 4124 Main Street at 25th Ave. In the back room 10 am–12:30 pm

Sun

Nov 16

Sat

Nov 29

WHY WE MEET

Sun

Dec 14

Nobody knows.

HOW WE MEET THANKS to Michelle & Jay Kim, the Grind’s owners. They’ve kindly let us meet in the Back Room for the last 7 years. And cudos to the Kims for their support of the arts in general. The Grind provides gallery space to many local artists. Appreciate if you buy something while you’re there to support the Grind and their support of us

Please email before you attend the first time: grindwriters@gmail.com 12

World Poetry Vancouver

Vancouver poet Elaine Woo launched her book Elaine Woo is a poet, librettist, non-fiction writer, and blogger. She is a 2014 World Poetry Empowered Poet awardwinner and a contributor to Shy: An Anthology, which won a silver medal IPPY (Independent Book Publishers) award in 2014. Her art song collaboration with composer Daniel Marshall, "Night-time Symphony," won a Boston Metro Opera Festival prize in 2013. Elaine contributed to V6A: Writing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside which was a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award in 2012.

free-write photo prompt

the how-to of freewrites: Set the timer. Don’t think it. Just start writing. Keep going, no stopping. No editing (that comes later). Forget grammar, forget spelling. Forget any “rules” you’ve ever been told Forget everything else and just write. 15 mins. by the timer.

photo: Margo Lamont

 here’s the prompt