April 2022 Newsletter



April 2022 Newsletter








Next Meeting:

Wednesday, April 13

6:30 to 8:30 PM

McCallum Room, 4th floor

Frisco Public Library

6101 Frisco Square Blvd.

Frisco, TX 75034





Mark your calendar for April 13 at 6:30-8:30 PM. Look forward to seeing you then!


All are welcome to attend Write Club meetings….no formal invitation needed. Write Club meeting information can be found on the Frisco Library web site and on the club's Facebook page (Frisco Write Club). Additionally, every month, in advance of the meeting, Rich Blazevich (richblazevich@gmail.com) will send an invitation by email to the active members.


Anybody who has attended a Write Club meeting is automatically subscribed to our newsletters. At the top of each newsletter is a notice of our next meeting.





Our Website: FriscoWriteClub.org


Please visit our website, run by Kevin Mann, for updates and announcements.






Our Facebook Page: Frisco Write Club | Groups | Facebook






April Meeting





Arrive early to check out a book or two from the Write Club’s lending library on the craft of writing. See Bill Etter for details.





Library News





The new library’s projected opening is for the fall of 2022. Fall begins September 22 and ends December 21, so the city of Frisco will have a wonderful present. The plan is to have a video and sound area where you can record. I know some of you will want to take advantage of that option. March will be your opportunity to vote for the name of the dinosaur who will reside in the new location. The staff received over 2,000 suggestions and are narrowing them down to a manageable list of finalists.





Frisco Public Library Flash Fiction Writing Contest





Enter your original work, 500 words or less, to the library's annual Flash Fiction writing contest by April 30, 2022.

Submission Rules

  • Original unpublished works of 500 words or less in English.

  • There is no restriction on style, genre, or theme.

  • One entry per person.

  • Open to participants ages 18 and up.

  • Entrants must live in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area.

  • The Frisco Public Library reserves the right to reproduce and distribute all submissions.

  • Submit your entry by: April 30, 2022

Judging

  • Submissions will be judged by a panel of judges.

  • Winners will be contacted the first week in June.

Awards

  • Selected submissions will be featured in Frisco Public Library's annual Flash Fiction eBook.

Submit online at https://friscolibrary.com/flashfiction/





Writing Hints from The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression





To create empathy for a character (including the antagonist), take the time to humanize them through their actions. Even the most unlikable person has a redeeming quality, so show it to the reader in a small, subtle way.


Don’t be afraid to challenge your character’s morals. Putting them in situations that are outside their comfort zone will make them squirm, and the reader will too.


In scenes where information must be shared, characters should still be moving, acting, and revealing emotion to keep the pace flowing smoothly.





Contests Without Entry Fees





100 Word Story Competition (readersdigest.co.uk)


To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Reader’s Digest, we’re relaunching our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition with prizes of up to £1,000 to be won

Our 100-Word-Story Competition is your chance to show the world your story-telling talents. There are three categories—one for adults and two for schools: one for children aged 12–18 and one for children under 12. Your stories should be original, unpublished, and exactly 100 words—not a single word shorter or longer! Entries are now open.

100-Word-Story Competition rules:

Please ensure that submissions are original, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title). Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number when filling in the electronic form. We may use entries in all print and electronic media.

There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12–18 and one for children under 12.

In the adults category, the winner will receive £1,000 and a Serious Readers High Definition Floor or Table Light (value up to £399.99) and one runner-up will receive £250.

In the 12–18s category, the winner will receive a £200 book voucher or an 8GB Kindle Paperwhite and a £100 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £100 books voucher.

In the under12 category, the winner will receive £100 of book vouchers or an 8GB Kindle Paperwhite and £100 of book vouchers for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £50 books voucher.

Please submit your stories online by 5pm on 1st May 2022, or send an entry via post addressed to:

Reader’s Digest

100 Word Story Competition

Warners Group Publications

West Street

Bourne

PE10 9PH

Allow more time for postal entries to arrive by 1st May 2022, and ensure you include your full name and address, as well as clearly state the category you are entering.

The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at readersdigest.co.uk on 1st June 2022.





Successes






Jeanette Smith will have a story published in Jelly Bucket in July/August.

Sylvia Karmanoff will have a review titled Six Little Tickets published in the Southwestern Celtic Society Newsletter.

Kevin Mann showed us the proof copy of Leading with Emotional Intelligence. It will be available in hardcover, paperback, 3-book, and audio. Kevin read from his work several times for our Write Club critiquing sessions. As Donna Anderson said, “We feel like proud aunts and uncles seeing the birth of Kevin’s baby.”

Linda Baten Johnson, with two other writers, released the e-book version of A Mother’s Gift, Heirloom of Faith: A Family Bible’s Journey. This is the first book in a four-book series. They are using a pen name which is the combination of their names—Sydney Baten Lovett.

Tara L. Carnes announces the preorder of her chapbook, Built to Last, which will be released on May 15, 2020. Follow this link to see her amazing cover, her bio, and read one of the poems. https://thepoetrybox.com/bookstore/built-to-last. She shared one of her haunting pieces with Write Club. Congratulations, Tara.

Jan Angelley taught herself book cover making skills on Book Brush. Here is her first draft. Ask her about her new skill.





Presentation Format for Members Presenting Work for Critique:





  1. Writers: Send your document to Jennifer Evans at dallaswestie@gmail.com prior to the meeting which include the following:

    • title of your document

    • your name

    • your email address (optional)

    • Add line numbers to your document (Go to Layout, then Line Numbers, then Continuous)

    • Limit your document to 500 words (approx. 2 pages) for time constraints. Each reader will be given 10 minutes to present and receive feedback.

  2. Jennifer will post documents to this Google Drive folder.

  3. Critiquers may download documents, make comments, and provide feedback during the meeting.

  4. Critiquers may send comments to writers who provide their email address.

  5. If the writer doesn’t provide an email address, critiquers may send edited doc to Jennifer who will forward to author.

  6. Find additional information about critiques on our website.





Blogs from Our Members





President: Rich Blazevich

Secretary, Newsletter: Linda Baten Johnson

Vice President, Social Media: Kevin Mann (this role includes Write Club web page, Google Docs and Facebook)

Vice President, Critiques: Jennifer Evans

Presidents Emeritus: Gary Thornberry, Fergal O'Donnell

*Other contributors: Zoom meetings: Donna Anderson, Facebook administrator: Ari