GRIND WRITERS NEWS-sept 2013 by GRIND WRITERS **

Grind Writers

News Comic Sans The

issue

September 2013

side

WHERE WE MEET

(Meeting schedule on pg 8)

Grind Gallery Café  4124 Main Street at King Edward Ave. In the back room 10 am–12:30 pm Thanks to Mr & Mrs Kim, the Grind’s owners, for allowing us meet in the Back Room for the last six years - and for their support of the arts in general. They provide gallery space to many local artists. Please buy something while you’re there to support the Grind.

The BC Writers Autonomous Fan Region

Everybody Who’s Selling Something – Read This

Lonely Planet review

WORD: The literary festival formerly known as The Word On The Street

of the

Grind Gallery Café

(check the acronym and you’ll see why)

What’s SO BAD about Comic Sans?

Stefan Tobler: The Englishman whose small publishing company has taken the literary world by storm Top 10 Ways to STAY OUT of the Slush Pile

5 5

Yummy coffee! Comparable to coffee houses in SF. --Charmaine on Yelp

as well as the philosophical and political musings of its regular patrons who have made this spot a mainstay of the local scene. Alongside the coffee, there are plenty of quality options for those who prefer to quaff tea – try the green tea frappuccino.

10 Most Dysfunctional Families in Literature (Guess which beloved character is one of them?)

TWAIKUs- A new form of online (Twitter) poetry

Getting Your Indie Book Reviewed

Olden German Fairy Tale Treasure Trove Discovered!

Laurel’s Very Excellent Adventure in a Westie

Things to do/people to see/places…

Submit. (you know you want to)

Grind Writers’ Group - meeting schedule

The ULIMATE Passive Voice self-test

Do you get the Comic Sans thing now?

Free-write picture prompt: C’mon, just do it!

will jump start your work session. Coffee + Chocolate! --Tamara on

Foursquare

A regular haunt for starving students, artists and writers, this coffee bar is ideal for philosophical and political discussions or silent studying. -- Yahoo Travel

National Indigenous Writers Conference

Gian coming to Whistler Lit Fest

The artwork-lined Grind is open [to midnight], fueling starving students, artists and writers throughout the night. The large, open space hosts an art gallery, concerts and spoken word A Mocha Glacier performances,

Oct 19-20, 2013  SFU Harbourside A participant-driven conference on the reality, representation, and recognition of Indigenous writers in Canada. A national conference, which will combine professional workshops for Indigenous writers as well as networking and readings on the first day. There is also a surprise announcement in the works for the conference.

Lots more info about its genesis, goals, workshops, & content here. 2

autonomous

The festival formerly known as “The Word On The Street” is now

BC BOOKS

WORD VANCOUVER WORD is the literary festival that spills out of the concourse of the main library downtown, closes down Homer Street, and is “Western Canada's largest celebration of literacy and reading.” Schedule & info here. Fest runs Sept 27-29. Sunday Sept. 29th is the event at the downtown library.

EAC-BC SEMINAR

Everybody who’s selling something (books, story ideas, manuscripts, editing services, yourself) needs to read this review by Vancouver social media & marketing whiz, Julie Szabo. See page 4.

New – SIDNEY LITERARY FESTIVAL Oct 4-6, Sidney BC

(Editors’ Assoc. of Canada)

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013 | 9am – 4 pm SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street | Room TBA ________________________________________

Grammar Essentials for Writers and Editors: A Seminar for the Faint-hearted & the Fearless with Barbara Tomlin Whether you feel anxious when you hear the word “grammar” or you are eager to address gaps in your knowledge, you will benefit from this review of how English works—and sometimes doesn’t. Can you explain how a transitive verb differs from an intransitive one, or how a phrase differs from a clause? Can you tell a client or your colleagues what is wrong with a sentence that “doesn’t sound right”? Many capable writers and editors of English would have to answer no to these questions. Through exercises, discussions and group activities, gain a better understanding of sentence structure and grammar terminology. Learn about common errors that can mar otherwise good writing, and leave the seminar feeling better about your grasp of the language that you use by instinct every day. continued…. page 6

Sidney will host 14 award-winning local authors whose genres cover mystery, war, children's literature, poetry, short story whimsy, and local life. All info here.

Attenzione‼ BC writers of Italian descent

F.G. BRESSANI LITERARY PRIZE Deadline: April 2, 2014 IL CENTRO Italian Cultural Centre is thrilled to announce the publication of the Rules & Regulations for the 2014 Edition of the F.G. Bressani Literary Prize. This prize honours and promotes the work of Canadian writers of Italian origin or Italian descent. Complete details here.

about Comic Sans?

“

-- from “Not My Type: Why the Web Hates Comic Sans” on Mashable

“Comic Sans – Why All the Hate?” - Find out here.

Even the Higgs-Boson got tarnished by association “The Higgs Boson particle, discovered in 2011, quickly became a trending topic on Twitter. The announcement was fueled because scientists at CERN revealed their findings in Comic Sans. Designers were outraged and Twitter users found entertainment in the typography choice. Even Taiwanese animators at NMA created a video recapping the mocked announcement.”

HATERS Comic Sans Criminal: “Helping people like you to use Comic Sans appropriately” It’s true: the orientation manual for new doctors at a hospital clinic for an extremely serious mental disorder was drafted in Comic Sans, by a very serious hospital admin. who had absolutely no idea about fonts. DENIERS The Comic Sans Project:

“WE ARE THE COMIC SANS DEFENDERS. WE FEAR NO FONTS AND WE WILL MAKE THE WHOLE WORLD COMIC SANS. BECAUSE HELVETICA IS SOOO 2011.”

In 1999, the "Ban Comic Sans" movement was started by two Indianapolis graphic designers, Dave and Holly Combs. An employer insisted that they use Comic Sans in a children's museum exhibit. The campaign was to point out amateur graphic design and the disregard for appropriate typography in projects — specifically ones with a formal, professional tone. It started as an inside joke and a small website, but turned into the strongest anti-font movement currently in existence.

Listen to The Comic Sans Song

 From “Not My Type...”

If fonts could talk, here’s what they’d sound like. 4

From Mashable

What’s

Comic Sans MS (aka Comic Sans) is a sans-serif casual script typeface. It was designed by former Microsoft font designer Vincent Connare, who also created other notable fonts, such as Trebuchet and some of the Wingdings ….released in 1994 by Microsoft Corporation.”

emerge 2013

Stefan Tobler: The Englishman whose small publishing company has taken the literary world by storm

Fundraiser

 Readings & Music Sept. 12 at Calabash Bistro, 428 Carrall St. A night of incredible talent all in support of this year's emerge anthology that features work by all 36 writers of the Writer's Studio at SFU. Readings by Betsy Warland, Wayde Compton, Jen Currin and a special reading by the emerge publisher, Andrew Chesham, with musical guests Leanne Dunic and Ryan Ogg of Luck Commander. Entrance by donation (suggested $15) so arrive early to ensure entry. Max 75 people.

And Other Stories publishing company: “Agents, mates, colleagues, and friends all make suggestions.” “We find the books in all sorts of ways. Sophie our editor is a translator from French, and reads in French, and now lives in Rio and increasingly reads from Portuguese. “I translate from Portugese and German and read French and Spanish—so we can read ourselves in those languages as well as English; and we have people submitting ideas directly. “And even if there’s a book that wasn’t published in one of those languages, there might be a translation. So we work in that sense in quite a traditional way. But at the same time we want to widen things out. “We want to find books that are written in languages that we can’t read. So we have reading groups were translators can suggest books. It’s nice because we can see what books people are excited about, and what books are really capturing people’s attention. “We read those in a small group and talk about them, and through that dicussion we often find books that we publish.

—Stefan Tobler, CEO of AOS inThe Entrepreneurs’ radio interview.



Publishing All Dogs Are Blue in September



Listen to The Entrepreneurs interview with Tobler here.

Twaikus A new form of online (Twitter) poetry. 140 characters of e-creativity. Example: Inside the darkened bathroom/ we looked into the black mirror/ cracked the wintergreen candy/ watched sparks fly from our teeth. -- by Harlem poet, Elizabeth Alexander.

Tweet your best Twitter poems to: @independent

Top 10 Ways to Stay Out of the Slush Pile (#11 – Don’t send your MS in Comic Sans.) These are 10 excellent points that we should all know by now but sometimes neglec—er, forget. See the 10 here.

10 Things to Consider When Naming Characters For example… if your character is under 30 and in a book set in 2013,

Olden Fairy Tale

Grammar Essentials for Writers and Editors

Discovered!

Topics will include:

Treasure Trove Story 500 new fairytales discovered in Germany Collection of fairytales gathered by historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth had been locked away in an archive in Regensburg for over 150 years.

And at this link you can actually read one of them, “The Turnip Princess.”

Getting your indie book reviewed By Sabrina Ricci for IndieReader:

“With few exceptions, major news publications do not review indie books, even though more than 235,000 titles were self-published as of 2011. “This lack of coverage in traditional media outlets, however, has not stopped indies from their rise. To the contrary, according to a recent New York Times article, “Selfpublished titles made up roughly one-quarter of the top-selling books on Amazon last year.”

don’t name her Myrtle or him Walter. List here.

All sorts of interesting literary bits in HuffPost Books - here

The 10 Most Dysfunctional Families in Literature (Amelia Bedilia is one of them!)

continued from page 1

Parts of speech

Sentence problems

Grammar resources

Subject & verb agreement

Misplaced and dangling modifiers

How grammar differs from usage & style

Barbara Tomlin began working in the publishing industry more than 30 years ago, first for educational and trade book publishers, and then for magazine publishers. She is a past chair of the Editors’ Association of Canada Certification Steering Committee. She has also been an instructor for SFU’s Writing & Communications Program for more than 20 years and has developed writing and editing workshops for many organizations. She is a founding member of West Coast Editorial Associates. More info: www.editors.ca/branches/bc/ To read West Coast Editor online, go to http://westcoasteditor.com/

Ready to take your writing to the next level? UBC’s “Booming Ground” mentorship program is now accepting apps – starts Aug 30. A Booming Ground mentorship consists of a 6-month period during which you work with a mentor via email to develop up to 30,000 words of prose (fiction or non-fiction), 60 pages of poetry, 120 pages of a stage play or screenplay, or 90 pages of children’s or young adult fiction. Writers of all experience levels and at all stages of writing careers welcome. Your Booming Ground Mentor will take your writing to the next level, whether you’re working on your first draft or the final polish of your manuscript. All mentorships conclude with a consultation about next steps for your project. All the info – here.

our

INTREPID

member

Laurel on her Very Excellent Adventure in a newly-acquired Westie

(Westfalia camper van)

Report from the Road to Baffin From: Laurel Sent: Monday, August 05, 2013 9:21 PM To: Margo Subject: Re: Baffin Island trip report

Hi Margo: Please freel free to share my little trip report if you preface it with the comment that it was written just to keep friends informed...and not as an actual writing exercise. In Montreal now, wining and dining on French food. Visiting with a friend before heading to Quebec City in a couple of days..then on to the east coast for more adventure. Laurel ____________

So many highlights from the Baffin trip it is hard to know where to start. It was a fantastic experience. The canoe trip was an adventure. My brother and I rented a canoe from an outfitter in Iqaluit and were able to share a charter flight to the put in point with a group on a tour. We were high above the tree line. Amazing rocky vistas and tiny clumps of colourful flowers. Had sleet and sun, calm water and rapids. Paddled and lined the boat, and had to carry it around one set of waterfalls. One night when we stayed in a survival shelter instead of pitching our tents, I read some harrowing tales of Arctic winter survival written by folks using the river as a highway for snow machines between Iqaluit and Kimirut -- also some entertaining comments by teenagers camping with Outward Bound, and various amazed visitors.

____________

Met some wonderful and hospitable folks in the tiny. traditional community of Kimirut. Was entertained in the home of the first RCMP officer in Nunavut, now retired. His son is the Park Warden in Kimirut. His wife fed us seal meat, Arctic char, bannock, and clams. They showed us various homemade fur garments, and amazing photos. At our campsite in that same village, one evening I was advised a girl of about 7 or 8, that I should get some children, or at least a husband as I might otherwise "get haunt"... she clarified that this means "getting a ghost in you"... which apparently can happen to those who live alone.

From: Laurel Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2013 11:03 PM To: Margo Subject: Baffin Island trip report.

I am in Ottawa now, getting ready to continue my road trip east. Will visit a friend in Quebec, then take a scenic tour around the Gaspé Peninsula before heading to the east coast before lobster season ends.

From: Margo To: Laurel Sent: Saturday, August 3, 2013 2:29:51 PM Subject: Baffin Island trip report

Sounds divine in many ways, Laurel; good on you. Would it be okay to share it in the Grind News? It’s so evocative. If not, no worries. Keep on truckin’! Please send more reports as you have time/inspiration. Hope you have a van log. Warm regards, Margo Hope this finds you gorging on lobster……. ;-)

Hi Margo:

Just a quick note about my trip so far. Enjoyed the van trip through BC, crossed over to the US in Montana, then back over the border in Detroit. Visited with a brother near Windsor who runs a bird banding program.

Hope your summer is going well.

Laurel

Places to go, people to see, things to . . .

Gian Ghomeshi at the Whistler Readers and Writers Festival October 18–20, 2013

Mon Sept 16, 7pm To Timbuktu for a Haircut President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver Rick Antonson will regale you with tales of his epic journey by train, boat, 4-wheel drive, camel and on foot. West Vancouver Memorial Library, 1950 Marine Drive, West Van. More info: 604-925-7403. Wed Sept. 25, 7:30 pm The Mayan Mysteries Sharon MacGougan will talk about her novel, The Mayan Mysteries. The real-life ancient mystery of the disappearance of the Mayan people converges with the inner transformation of a fifteen-year-old girl in this adventure story. West Vancouver Memorial Library, More info 604-925-7403. Sept 28-29 Vancouver Book Fair The Vancouver Book Fair is the only antiquarian, collectible and rare book fair in Western Canada. A wide selection of exciting & unusual books, ephemera, maps, photographs & much more will be on offer at the fair. UBC Robson Square, 800 Robson Street. Info: www.vancouverbookfair.com Wed Oct 2 – 7pm Nichols Spark signs books The bestselling author of blockbuster books and films such as Safe Haven, The Lucky One and The Notebook signs his new novel, The Longest Ride. Chapters Metrotown, 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby. Info: at 604-431-0463. Oct 4-6 Sidney Literary Festival Sidney BC will host 14 award-winning local authors whose genres cover mystery, war, children's literature, poetry, short story whimsy and local life. Info: www.sidneyliteraryfestival.com Wed. Nov 20 – 7pm - free David Zieroth reads The Governor General Award-winning poet and author will read from The November Optimist and talk about working with Gaspereau Press and about his own initiative, The Alfred Gustav Press. Peter Kaye room, Central Library, 350 West Georgia Street. Info: www.vpl.ca.

The Whistler Readers and Writers Festival is delighted to announce that CBC's award-winning broadcaster, best-selling author, musician, and producer Jian Ghomeshi will be the key moderator for this year’s event. Ghomeshi will be taking the reins on Sat Oct 19 at the gala evening where he will be “in conversation” with 2012 Giller prize winning author, Will Ferguson. Ghomeshi will also be moderating the brunch panel on the Sunday morning, Oct 20.

Grind Writers Meeting Schedule 2013 Sat Sun Sat Sun Sat Sun Sat Sun

Sept 7 Sept 22 Oct 5 Oct 20 Nov 2 Nov 17 Nov 30 Dec 15? TBD

TWISTED POETS

LITERARY SALON Twisted Poets runs the 2nd Wednesday and the 4th Thursday of the month. More info: www.pandorascollective.com

Thanks to Vancouver Writers’ Fest e-news for these items. 8

BOOK TALKS book club 2nd Wednesday of the month 6:30 – 8:30 pm Britannia Branch Library 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver

The ultimate

PASSIVE VOICE self-test!

Bring your favourite passages, points of interest, and share your reading experiences. Drop-ins are welcome. Schedule and books: 



Sept 11 - My Antonia by Willa Cather Oct 9 - Clouded Leopard by Wade Davis Nov 13th - Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky Dec 11 - Beyond Belief: My

Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill 



Jan 8, 2014 - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind Feb 12 – Books We Love - Book Recommendation Night March 12 - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Presented by Pandora’s Collective Hosts: Mary Duffy and Sita Carboni More info here.

3 DAYS OF WRITING IMMERSION! Oct. 25 – 27, 2013 Presenters & workshop topics here. 9

Do you get the Comic Lonely Planet review for the Grind now? Gallery Café Sans thing Now ignorance is no longer an excuse. Print out the Pledge (which you’ll note is not in Comic Sans) -- here. And be sure to report any suspicious

activity here. Be diligent! Calibri is counting on you.

Write a pitch in 3 paragraphs Everybody dreads writing the elevator pitch or those script loglines. But according to Elena Verlee it’s no biggie. “If you can write an email, you can write a media pitch.”

Winner of the 2013 Far Horizons Award for Short Fiction contest: Kerry-Lee Powell for her short story “Palace on the Brine” which one her a cool one thousand dollars and 10 will appear in the Fall 2013 issue of the Malahat Review. Story here. The MR is published out of the

LITERARY MAGAZINES Listings for every type of literary magazine.

" L

Submit.

you kno w yo u want to

Contests and calls for submissions Calls for submissions listed by deadline date

Literary Review of Canada (LRC)

Submissions beginning May 1st for publication July/Aug–Dec 2013 For 2013, each issue will feature poems that share a common form or theme. For more information, check out our full submissions guidelines here. Ongoing Call for submissions Roundup of poetry contests here. Call for submissions No deadline as at Jan 2013.

Two-Countries: Daughters and Sons of Immigrant Parents seeks poems, essays and flash memoir. For details, please go to this link.

Ongoing calls Poetry Is Dead magazine.

Call for Submissions for The Humour Issue Deadline: “before Dec. 1, 2013” We’re interested in funny. We’re interested in weird and strange. We’re interested. We’re calling out to the Louis CKs and Sarah Silvermans of poetry. Send us poems with humour because we’re

seeking submissions for the Humour Issue of Poetry Is Dead. Send your poems (maximum of 5 per submission) along with a cover letter and bio to dina@poetryisdead.ca before December 1st, 2013. Ongoing call Geist Emerging Writer-of-theMonth Emerging writers are invited to submit short written works online. Read the FAQ. Deadline: Novemer 10, 2013 Prism magazine Submissions for the Love & Sex issue We are now accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, drama, and translation for our Love & Sex theme issue. Theme issue submissions will be accepted from July 2 to Nov. 10, 2013. Before you submit, go here, and read all about it. Editors will also be posting info on what they are looking for in submissions. Ongoing call

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 Ongoing call Are you over 60? - Wit and

Wisdom of the Sages

Have insightful stories you’d like to share with your grand-children? Great Depression/ WW2/ Vietnam era? Seeking narratives up to 3,500 words. Send manuscripts, or for guidelines email jnjscher@yahoo.com.

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. Ongoing call Anderbo.com -- “Best New Online Literary Journal.” Publishes writers in fiction, “fact” (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.

Ongoing call

Submit …

continued

The Holler Box

Rolling submissions year-round. All submissions are completely free. You may submit in multiple genres. If so, send a separate submission per genre. If your submission does not get accepted you may continue to submit, we encourage it. Please wait at least 30 days before submitting something new. Read the guidelines: https://thehollerbox.submittable.com/s ubmit. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines may not be considered.

The Evening Street Review The ESR is centered on the belief that

all men and women are created equal. Reads poetry/prose submissions yearround. Replies in 3 months or less. Sometimes includes comments. Send 4–6 poems or 1–2 prose pieces. 7652 Sawmill Rd., #352, Dublin, OH 43016 or editor@eveningstreetpress.com. For contests and guidelines visit: www.eveningstreetpress.com. Ongoing call “Got a poem?” Submit any subject, any style, any length, any number, any time by e-mail or by mail with SASE. Previously published poems and simultaneous 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 – check it out).

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.

The Quotable

This online magazine wants writerreaders to submit stories based on their monthly prompts. 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 onepage critique. Note: do your due diligence. Read it all carefully. Full submission info here. Calling all poets!

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. We can pay $25 for each poem published, and once its week on the site is over, it will be placed in a poetry archive onsite. We see it as a new way to introduce new or pending books of Canadian poetry. By "new" we mean book published in 2012. If you've just signed a poetry deal, then this is a good way to let the world know. Read all about it here. Multimedia journal: 5OVER4 5 OVER 4. New multimedia journal seeks cross-genre work made by jazzy, creative people who embrace the unknown. Poetry videos, multimedia sculpture, hand-stitched book art, JPEGs collaged with audio, sound poems via video chat, interactive projects. Live and online events. Web: 5over4.blogspot.com. Email Monique Avakian: monava9@gmaom

Thanks to Bonnie Nish’s Pandora’s Collective enewsletter for many items. You can subscribe to her newsletter by emailing her: blnish_pandoras@yahoo.ca

Writing retreats and conferences in BC & beyond Rural Writers in Residence September 26–29 Outside Smithers, BC Considering the success of last year’s event, we expect this year’s to fill up quickly. Registration opened July 1st Registration fee includes all meals, workshops, and events.  Full registration: $375  FBCW members’ rate: $350 This year again the Banner Mountain Lodge will be our venue. 2013 Presenters: Eden Robinson, Laura Robinson, and Daniela Elza. For more information about these three writers, please see Retreat Details page. To register or get more info: Registration page

Write on the Sound October 4 – 6, 2013 Edmonds, WA

Planning is underway for the 28th Annual Write on the Sound. Mark your calendars and start preparing for your fall getaway to Edmonds, WA. For those of you looking to get a head start on your contest entry, the 2013 WOTS Literary Contest is FLIGHT. We hope your imagination takes off with this year's theme. Download the contest rules and entry form here and start drafting your entry now! You must be registered for the conference to enter.

photo: Margo Lamont

free-write photo prompt

Free-writes:

1 easy rule

Write what comes to mind when you look at the photo: what does it evoke for you? Don’t think. Just start writing, and see where it goes. Write for 15 minutes by a timer. Don’t stop, don’t correct. Keep writing -- you can edit later. Bring your output to the next Grind Writers.