Women on Writing - WOW and WOW!
Women On Writing is an online magazine and community for women writers. Among major topics are novel writing, indie publishing, author platform, blogging, screenwriting, and more. Lots of contests and general jocularity sans frittering on the part of Earth's most powerful humans.
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What's great about the picture book genre is that two mediums are telling the story: the author's words and the illustrator's pictures. What picture book writers who aren't illustrators often forget is that there are two mediums telling the story. (I'm raising my hand--I used to be one of these!) How can you let the illustrations do some of the work of telling the story? Here are a few tips below. Tip one: Let the illustrator handle the description. Picture book writers are telling an entire story with a problem, solution, and character development in about 1000 words or less. There's no time for a paragraph of what grandma's living room looked like after the kids finish…
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For years there were so many things that held me back as I pursued a writing career. One particularly was waiting for the perfect time to write. I told myself far too often that I would write when my world, my family, my home life, even the weather at times, was perfect. I told myself I would write when I was in a better mood and not full of melancholy, or I would write when every room in my home was impeccably clean, or the laundry was done, or a meal cooked, or when a loved one who was ill felt better, or when whatever storm I might be going through passed. During that season of my life, I felt that a perfect life was the only means to bring about a perfect writing life…
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Congratulations to Helen K. Hedrick and Le Pen de Amazon and all the winners of our 2021 Quarter 2 Creative Non-Fiction Essay Contest! Helen's Bio: Helen has her master’s degree in social work. She completed her career as a school social worker and raised her two children to young adult age in Boulder, Colorado. She now lives in a highrise in downtown Denver with her husband who is required to read everything she writes. Her formal writing training is from Gotham Writers’ Workshop in New York City and Lighthouse Writers’ Workshop in Denver. Recent classes at Lighthouse have moved her towards writing in something like a “hybrid/narrative nonfiction” genre and she is d…
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Do you have any family road trips planned in the upcoming months? If a vacation isn't in your immediate future, a short drive in the country may be the perfect excuse to start a new audio book too! Many people know I'm involved in the book business, so it just makes sense that a friend recently texted the following: Here's a challenge for you: 4-6 audiobooks that we would all enjoy (road trip prepping for late June). Got any good ideas? Let's help a mama out! This particular friend will be traveling with her newly turned adult daughter and her preteen son. I turned to my Mama friends (Real Mommy AF) on Facebook and here's what we came up with (along with some comments): …
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This market loves me, it loves me not. Not too long after I started yoga, I met another newbie. We laughed when we realized we are both writers. But Kay was shocked when she learned I did work-for-hire. My educational writing is work-for-hire, meaning I get paid a set fee and the publisher owns the copyright. “You should self-publish like I do,” Kay said. Her work focuses on personality assessment and group dynamics. She speaks at businesses, churches and women’s groups. Her workshops sell out fast. When I told her that I write for the school library market, Kay laughed. “Just ignore me. Your market would never find you if you self-publish.” Finding the right ma…
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“Randy Hobler has written the best memoir of a Peace Corps experience that I have ever read. His amazingly detailed book instantly grips the reader by putting Libya in its properly rich and unique historical perspective. Everyone should read this book, to enjoy its humor as well as its insights."—Niels Marquardt Former Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros Peace Corps Volunteer—Zaire and Rwanda 101 Arabian Tales: How We All Persevered in Peace Corps Libya is substantially set apart from the over-1,000 published Peace Corps memoirs because they are individual memoirs and this is a unique collective memoir, garnered …
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We are excited to welcome back, Natalie Beisner, who placed twice in our Q2 2021 Creative Nonfiction Essay contest. Links to these incredible essays are below in the questions that ask about each one. Plus, Natalie gives us a lot of words of wisdom and inspiration in this interview. But first, a little about Natalie: Natalie Beisner is a Los Angeles-based storyteller and writer. Her personal essays have been featured in The Selkie, The Dead Magpie, antonym lit, ArtAscent, VISIO, Weird Women Co. Her writing has been previously awarded by Kaleidoscope: A Reflection on Women’s Journeys, Gulf Stream Lit, as well as WOW! Women on Writing. Natalie is a previous StorySLAM winner…
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MM Wittle Bio: MM Wittle is a writer of all genres who is a high school and middle school teacher during the day, a college professor at night, and a book worm and writer on the weekends. Wittle also knits book scarves because to her, books need to be kept warm, too. Wittle’s play “Family Guidance'' had a reading at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, PA and was selected for honorable mention at the 5th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Workshop’s Playwriting Competition. “The Education of Allie Rose'' was a finalist in the Philadelphia Ethical Society Playwriting competition and was shortlisted in the Windsor Fringe Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama in England. Wittle…
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by Maruable (Marusa Zemva) In recent years I've often dreamed of flying. These kind of dreams has always been my favorite. If I could be any animal, I would choose to be a bird. So I can fly wherever I want to, whenever I want to. From a bird’s eye perspective, everything looks so clear, so small, almost meaningless. Well, the dreams where we can fly are supposed to tell us that we need to change something. And when we finally decide we will do something different, our insecurities come to the fore. When I decided I will pursue my writing career I was overwhelmed by a strong doubt. I doubted my ability to describe and summarize my views. I doubted my ability to correc…
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As part of my health journey, I recently read the following: (thanks Noom) I also read this on my oldest daughter's 23rd birthday...so I'm the old dog referenced in the title. Whether we are old or young, we can change our behaviors and today let's brainstorm about how we can change our writing/journaling behaviors to become more successful. Back in the day, before I started writing for WOW! and managing tours, I read a fabulous article by Sarojni Mehta-Lissak titled 13 Strategies for Freelance Writers . If you don't have time right this minute to visit this article from 2007, let's look at some quick tips: * Read Writing Magazines (you're here, aren't you?)* Have…
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In 2016, Robyn quit her demanding teaching job to become her husband’s full-time caregiver. After he died 2017, she walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain, sold her Pacific Northwest home of 25 years and finished writing her forthcoming memoir, You Remind Me Who I Am: A Memoir of True Love and Lewy Body Dementia. She writes, blogs and podcasts about healing from loss, hiking and walking, and mid-life reinvention. She currently divides her time between the Pacific Northwest and Maui, documenting her walks and thoughts on Instagram @robynpassowfisher. “The Glass Sliver” is an excerpt from her memoir. Find her blog and more at www.robynpassowfisher.com. …
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We are happy to talk with Debbie Kasper today--a two-time Emmy-nominated writer, comedian, and multiple award-winning writer/performer. Before you read the chat below, please click here to read, "My Big Tree," her runner-up essay in the 2021 Quarter 1 Creative Nonfiction Contest. She has written for the seminal TV shows, Roseanne and The Rosie O’Donnell Show. As a solo artist, Debbie won the prestigious Drama Logue award for “Best written solo show” in Los Angeles, and last year, she was honored with the “Best Comedian” prize at the United International Solo Fest in NYC for her performance in Has Anybody Seen Debbie? Her humorous personal essays have appeared in multipl…
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No matter how old people are or their feelings about reading, they have fond memories of picture books. These memories can range from reading with parents or grandparents at night books like, The Monster at the End of This Book or The True Story of the Three Little Pigs or just about any Golden Book. Memories, of row after row of hardback picture books with white tags on the spine in a school library or even a public one, are also front and center in readers' minds. Maybe some of these picture books were the first ones that you learned to read as a child, and now you are sharing your favorites with your kids--Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? or Don't Let the Pigeo…
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I’ve always considered myself a pantser when it comes to writing, whether I’m working on a long or short work of fiction. With non-fiction articles, I tend to be a little more structured, fleshing out a rough outline with subheads and then filling in the sections with details. But lately, I found myself growing frustrated with my notebooks and lists of topics for my true crime podcast and for my blog. None of my ideas were in one central location and I needed to put some sort of plan in place, especially for the podcast content. Begrudingly, I went to my husband and asked him for his kit of Post-It Notes. He has them in every shape and color because he uses journey mappi…
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Congratulations to Courtney Harler and Divorce Ranch and all the winners of our 2021 Quarter 1 Creative Non-Fiction Essay Contest! Courtney's Bio: Courtney Harler is a freelance writer, editor, and educator based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She holds an MFA from Sierra Nevada University (2017) and an MA from Eastern Washington University (2013). Courtney has been honored by fellowships from Writing By Writers, Squaw Valley Community of Writers, and Nevada Arts Council. Courtney’s creative work—which includes poems, flash fictions, short stories, literary analyses, craft essays, book and film reviews, author interviews, personal essays, and hybrid pieces—has been published wo…
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We are excited to announce a brand new reader review event featuring The Little Book of Big Knowing by author and intuitive seer, Michele Sammons. Read the reviews of this inspiring book and enter to win a copy for yourself. The Little Book of Big Knowing is filled with tiny bursts of insight to nourish your heart, warm your Soul, and help you to remember your true self. If you find yourself asking big, deep life questions like, “What’s my purpose?” and “Why am I here?” then you’ll want to curl up with The Little Book of Big Knowing. Three reasons why you’ll love this book: It includes gentle reminders of why you are here, who you are at your core, and why your dreams…
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As a child, my older sister and cousin often called me a tattletale. There I was in my plaits with ribbons on the ends of each one and white Ked sneakers, dingy from playing, running through whoever's house I was in to tell on them. "Ooh I'm tellin'," I'd cover my mouth and yell, always leaving off the end letter g. Whether it was finding out my sister had a crush on a boy, or my cousin said the word, "Dang," which I thought was a curse word, or they kicked me out of their room, I was tellin' my parents or any other adult that was nearby on them. I'm sure that irritated my sister and cousin to no end. I know it was most likely why they mumbled under their breath and …
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Meredith Towbin never wins things (except for a coloring contest when she was nine), so she is very excited to be recognized by WOW! After graduating from Wellesley College, she taught English literature to high schoolers. Her teaching career was short-lived, however, as she was repeatedly mistaken for one of the students and berated by a colleague for using the faculty bathroom. She left teaching and worked as an editor at a local newspaper and, later, as an associate editor for a trade magazine covering the salon and spa industry. After acquiring a lifetime supply of hair gel, she decided to give up the glitz and glamour, much like Grace Kelly, and become a stay-at-home…
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Can the simple act of putting pen to paper lead to healing? Author and musical artist Mari L. McCarthy used her own journaling power to relieve her symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Now, it’s time to access the power of journaling for yourself. Inside of Journaling Power, Mari L. McCarthy, founder of CreateWriteNow.com, shares her personal tips on how to use journaling that will lead to self-growth and life-changing transformation. You will also read about scientific medical studies that discuss the healing abilities of journaling while learning step-by-step guidance on how to:Reduce physical pain and overcome illness Heal emotional wounds from past traumas …
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Hello WOW Readers! I have been one of the first-tier contest judges for WOW’s quarterly flash fiction contest for over a decade, and it has been a huge pleasure to read your stories. I am writing this blog series on Flash Fiction Contest Tips to help you strengthen your flash writing and maybe even place in one of our contests! Tips are based on our scoring criteria and craft trends I’ve seen throughout the decade. TECHNIAL is one of the scoring categories for the flash fiction contest, and one criterion within that category is overuse of adverbs. Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, clauses, or other adverbs. If a story contains too many un…
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Whether you are submitting your first manuscript or your thirteenth, on some days rejection is no big deal. You will have other opportunities. Perhaps the next person to read your manuscript will want to publish it or represent you. No matter. You get on with your day. But other days? On those days rejection makes you question why you keep putting yourself through this. Here are five things to help you lessen the sting. Set a Limit I’m not going to get into the psychology of rejection and why some rejections are worse than others. But if this one rocks you back, take some time to feel the agony. No really. Stomp around the house. Gripe at the cat. Whatever it t…
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We are excited to welcome 2nd place creative nonfiction essay winner, Jacqueline V. Carter, with her winning essay, "The Colors of My Life," to our blog this Valentine's Day to talk about writing and contests and her essay! Here's a little about Jacqueline in her own words: This is the first time I’ve entered a writing contest, and I’m very encouraged by the response to my essay. I’ve always wanted to be a creative writer. But my professional life went in another direction. For years, I worked with government agencies and national organizations to develop and promote public health campaigns targeted to policymakers, providers, consumers, patients, and the media. I loved…
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Neill McKee, author of the award-winning travel memoir Finding Myself in Borneo, takes the reader through 400 years and 15,000 miles of an on-the-road adventure, discovering stories of his Scots-Irish ancestors in Canada, while uncovering their attitudes towards religion and guns. His adventure turns south and west as he follows the trail of his maternal grandfather, a Canadian preacher who married an American woman in Wisconsin, and braved the American Wild West. Much to his surprise, McKee finds his American ancestors were involved in every major conflict on North American soil: the Civil War, the American Revolution, and the French and Indian War. In the last chapters,…
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Not long ago, I attended a webinar on writing concept books. For those of you who don’t write for kids, a concept book is a picture book about . . . a concept. Alphabet books, counting books, and books about the Fibonacci sequence are all concept books. Yes, there are picture books about the Fibonacci sequence. Check out Joyce Sidman’s Swirl by Swirl and Sarah Campbell’s Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature. The presenter for the webinar was Liz Garton-Scanlon and she recommended a long list of concept books. When they arrived, I eagerly sat down to read. I had to laugh after I finished One Dark Bird by Liz Garton-Scanlon and Counting Crows by Kathi Appel…
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by Deborah K. Shepherd 2018 “I like it…,” said the (very) young literary agent. I waited, with bated breath, for the “but.” Because it was most definitely coming. “…but I don’t represent historical fiction.” It was my first in-person agent “pitch.” I’d submitted the first 20 pages of my novel, So Happy Together, to three agents. Two had passed. This one was my last best hope for a perfect match. “But it covers the ’60s to the ’80s. That’s not historical.” That’s my youth! “It is in publishing,” she said gently, aware she was labeling me a relic, as well. In 1987 I started writing a novel that was (very) loosely based on my student ye…
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