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CWI's Short Story Contest ends Sept. 15.  Check our list of contests, agents and jobs. Writing tips!
 
Issue 76
August 2016

 
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IN THIS ISSUE


Secret Writing Technique #5-7  Anaphora, Antimetabole, Chiasmus
What's Hot and What's Not!
Writing Terminologies
Fun Dates in August
Book Review on The Art of Racing in the Rain
Competitions, Literary Agents, Writing Jobs
Trivia Quiz
Points to Ponder
Connect with our CEO
A Word Fitly Spoken

 

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Short Story Contest Ends September 15
 
 

 

Entry fee $5. First, second,  third place winners and up to twelve additional stories (including Judge's Picks) will receive publication in our fourth annual anthology. For the first time, we are awarding eMedals and Judge's Pick ribbons to post on your site or blog.
 
First place: Gold eMedal, $100 and publication
Second place: Silver eMedal, $50 and publication
Third place: Bronze eMedal, $25 and publication                                        
Fourth and Fifth place: Finalist eMedal and publication
Judge's Pick: Judge's Pick Red Ribbon and publication

This is a themed contest and this exact sentence must appear in the story:
 
"Explain how that happened."
 
  • Your story must be between 1,500 and 2,000 words.
  • No swearing, profanity, explicit sexual scenes, graphic violence, etc.
  • Your story must not have been published before. By entering this contest, winners grant minor editing rights for publication; Creative Writing Institute has first, non-exclusive, electronic rights to publish the winners and Judge's Choice stories in our anthology. All Rights return to the author upon publication.
  • ONE submission per person, please
  • Accepting submissions from July 15, 2016 until September 15, 2016, midnight, USA Eastern Standard Time. No early or late submissions will be accepted.
  • Entries will only be accepted through the form at https://CreativeWritingInstitute.submittable.com/submit.
  • As you go through the submission process, there will be a space for you to copy and paste your document. Do NOT email attachments as these will not be accepted.
Please direct questions to Ms. Jo Popek, head judge, at ms.jo@cwinst.com. Our special thanks to our judges and assisting award winning Co-ordinator, Jianna Higgins.
 

 
 
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Secret Writing Technique #5, 6, 7

Anaphora, Antimetabole and Chiasmus
by Deborah Owen



 
Go to this site to hear the words pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-anaphora.
To hear pronunciation of other words, just change the name in the box.

 
Are you ready to plunge into secret writing techniques that professionals use? Some techniques are a hair's breadth apart. Today we have three of them. Roll up your sleeves and wade into... anaphora.

Anaphora – Anaphora is one of the oldest known literary techniques. The repetitive structure emphasizes one or two words to build urgency. Anaphora promotes rhythm and artistic effect. Shakespeare used it in his play, Richard II, first on the word "this" and later on the word "dear."

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings...
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,”

Also note the famous beginning of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The very first paragraph sets the fluctuating, uncertainness of the times like this:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

And one more example. Did you know God is an awesome writer? He uses anaphora over and over again to impress a point. Take Psalm 136 for example. The whole chapter is filled with it:

To Him who alone doeth great wonders, for His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that made great lights, for His mercy endureth forever.
The sun to rule by day, for His mercy endureth forever.
The moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endureth forever.

What point do you think God is making?
 
Antimetabole – Saying something forward and then saying it backward to stress a point is called antimetabole. Examples: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," and "All for one, and one for all."

Chiasmus – Greeks, Romans and Chinese used chiasmus, and you will also find it in the ancient writings of Sanskrit. While antimetabole says something forward and then repeats the words backwards, chiasmus says a concept forward and then repeats the concept (not necessarily the same words) backwards. Voltaire used it like this: The instinct of a man is to pursue everything that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursues him.” 

See this page for further study on these techniques and a quiz on them!
http://www.literarydevices.com/antimetabole/
 
So, you have learned three repetitive structures today. Practice using them!


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What's Hot and What's Not
by Kevin Keeney, Columnist



 
The term “morning pages” originated in Julia Cameron's self-help book, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. The idea of morning pages is to write three pages daily to start your day, clear your mind, and inspire your creativity.

The creator of
http://www.750words.com took the idea of morning pages and developed an interactive website to help writers write daily. The number 750 is from the generally accepted count of 250 double-spaced words that fit on a typed page.

Signing up is easy, and free for 30 days. The website's layout is clean and easy to understand, which makes a lot of sense. The menu across the top includes a list of people who wrote on this day thus far, the number of words you wrote, and your stats for the day.
 
Badges are fun icons awarded for writing streaks and word counts. You can customize your page with font, size, color, background and even link color.

The Schedule Time Off  allows you to take a timeout without interrupting your writing streak(s).
 
Ready to go? Click on TODAY at the upper left of your screen, then select “Write every day.” Underneath the menu selections on the next page is a row of blank boxes, one for every day in the current month. Write 750 or more words on this page and get an “X” in the box for today. Membership is required after 30 days and costs $5/month, payable through a PayPal subscription.

For the price of one Starbucks coffee a month, you can have a great tool that encourages you to write daily and keeps your writing private.  The site has been brilliants implemented and I give this one ten stars!  Visit
http://www.750words.com

Now, if you will excuse me, I have 750 words to write.

 
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Writing Terminologies
by Michelle Malsbury, Editor


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Mood – the state of mind or major emotional thread of the story or characters in a scene.

Irony - incongruous situations established between characters in a drama or actions of those characters that the audience understands, but the characters do not.

Imagery – the images that are written into a work that add to the ambiance. Language, places, and things that allow the reader to imagine the story.

Flat Character – a character that is simple and straightforward, or has few traits that are illustrated in the story or plot.

Falling Action – the action that occurs after the climax, causing forward movement toward resolution.

Exposition – stage one of the plot. This provides the background or foundation of the story.

Dramatic Irony – sometimes shown as a miscommunication in which the characters are not aware, but the reader is.

Denouement – the outcome of a plot. It reveals the answers to the secrets or misunderstandings in the plot and comes after the climax.

Conflict – a deviation or struggle between opposing forces or characters in a literary work, usually resolved at the end.

Climax – the most important portion of the story, oftentimes near the end. It is a turning point or change in intensity in the action that transpires as the tale unfurls. 

Assonance – Words with the same vowel sounds, but beginning with a different consonant.  I.e. “Enjoy fall fun in the sun” and “The bright sky rose high.”

 
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Fun Dates in August 2016
by William Battis



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Before we get into the fun stuff, let's cover the serious overtones of August.

The U.S. had developed the atomic bomb and dropped it on Hiroshima August 6, and on Nagasaki, August 9. The Japanese cabled their surrender August 14 and on August 15, it was announced to the world.


On September 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri. At that time, President Truman declared September 2 to be VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day). Regardless of which date you view as VJ Day, World War II was finally over. And now, for happier thoughts!

August 6th- National Mustard Day  Mustard is an important ingredient for hot dogs, hamburgers, and miscellaneous sandwiches, not to mention their required urgent presence in many recipes. Mustard, the most used condiment, has been in use for thousands of years and is diversified to many variations, not just yellow. National Mustard Day was created in 1991 by, who else, the Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, WI.

August 7th- National Lighthouse Day  This day honors and commemorates a beacon of light that symbolizes safety and security for ships at sea. On August 7, 1789, the Federal Government took over the responsibility for building and operating our nation’s lighthouses that guide ships to ports especially in inclement weather. Today, radar and GPS systems have taken over this function. However, lighthouses are still a historical symbol in America and many have been preserved as landmarks or parks.

August 13- Left-handers Day 
The world is built for right-handed people who operate using the left side of the brain, but lefthanders use the right side. Lefthanders tend to believe they are the only ones in their right minds! About 10% of the population is left-handed. During the 1600’s, people thought southpaws were witches or warlocks. The lefthander's slogan is, “Everyone is born right-handed, and only the greatest overcome it!”

August 16th- National Tell A Joke Day  This day was proclaimed by the comics and clowns in our midst. It grows very popular near election days. Some of those elected have turned out to be jokes. We all love to laugh, but very few wish to be the butt of jokes, so keep it light and entertaining for all concerned.

August 27th- Just Because Day  This is a day that you can do something for a good reason… “Just because.” For instance, knock on someone’s door and compliment the owners on their beautiful flower garden, or visit someone you haven’t seen for a while. Buy something you don’t need or take an unplanned vacation day. Give your special one a surprise gift. Why? Just because!


 
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Book Review The Art of Racing in the Rain
Novel by Garth Stein
Reviewed by Karen Johnson

 
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The Art of Racing in the Rain, a 321-page novel published in 2008 by Bright White Light, LLC, depicts family, loyalty, and love portrayed through the narration of a dog. Yes, that's right. A dog. Actually, it works pretty well.
 
Enzo, a shepherd-poodle-terrier mix, lived on a farm in Spangle and longed for love. Life in Spangle had been hard from birth to twelve weeks and he was lonely. He was the one pick of the litter that could think like a human and befriend his master. Denny Swift bought the dog and took him to his family in Seattle.
 
Denny was an up and coming race car driver with a wife and daughter. He knew only the best racers managed to stay on the track when it rained, so he learned life lessons by observing the rain masters… zebras and crows.
 
Enzo was a faithful friend when Denny’s wife, Eva, died of cancer. Their 6-year old daughter, Zoe, was motherless and the grandparents wanted custody. Enzo agreed that the art of life and the art of racing were parallels. If he could predict his opponent's moves and see one lap ahead, he could win the battle.
 
When Enzo was near death, he hoped to be reincarnated as a man and he would choose to race in the rain. 
 
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a profoundly rich read and a wonderful teacher for any life student. We rate this book ten stars out of a possible ten!
 

 
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Competitons, Literary Agents, and Writing Jobs
by Michelle K. Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Administrative Assistant

 
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Tanka Poetry Contest
Tanka (Japanese style) has five lines of poetry that includes thirty-one syllables. Poetry Contest invites entrants to use specific syllable counts. I.e. line one is five syllables, line two is seven syllables, line three is five syllables, line four is seven syllables, and line five is seven syllables. That makes five lines of unrhymed poetry. The deadline is September 5th, 2016 at 11:59 pm. There is a $100 cash prize and each entry receives feedback. Details for this contest can be found on the following website.  http://www.fanstory.com/contestdetails.jsp?id=103116


Romance Story Contest
Can you write a romance between 2,000 and  7,000 words? This contest may be made for you. Entries must be in by September 10th, 2016 at 11:59 pm and there is a $100 prize for the winner. To learn more please visit
http://www.fanstory.com/contestdetails.jsp?id=103134
 
The Chatelaine Awards for Romantic Fiction Novel Writing Contest 2016
Calling all romance writers. Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Adventure and Suspense, Sensual Romance, and Inspirational will be considered in this contest. Deadline is August 31, 2016. There are over $30,000 worth of prizes and cash awarded here with $1,000 Grand Prize. For more insight into this prestigious contest, see
https://www.chantireviews.com/services#!/Romance-&-Womens-Fiction-Writing-Contests/p/21521080/category=5193080 . Questions can be directed to info@ChantReviews.com.There is an entry fee for this contest.
 
Nashville Song Service Lyric Contest
Each month the Nashville Song Service holds a lyric contest. Entrants can submit up to three lyrics online. The winner gets a free demo of their lyric. For more information on this contest, go to
http://www.nashvillesongservice.com/contest.php. Entries can also be submitted via snail mail.
 

Agents

 
Christian Faith Publishing is a wonderful way for Christian authors to connect direct with the publisher and retain control of 100% of the rights for their work. They aid in design and distribution and have a well-structured royalty payout for authors. Check it out at
http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/msn/.

Script Mailer connects screenwriters with agents who can submit their work to directors and producers for consideration. They network with over 400 screen agents and 650 producers in the Hollywood area. To learn more about this organization and their services for screenwriters, go to http://www.scriptmailer.com/.

Writers.net is another resource for matching authors with literary agents. Their website tells new authors what agents do and how the agent-author process pans out. There is a link on their home page that allows you to publish your work with them or to be matched with an organization that fits your genre. For more information about them and what they do, please log on to
http://www.writers.net/agents.html.
 
A website that touts being the largest resource for matching authors with agents and/or publishers is called AgentQuery.com. They offer a fully searchable database that supposedly has only reputable agents listed and it is FREE. To learn more, visit http://www.agentquery.com/
.

Jobs

 
Outsource.com claims to be 95% based in the USA. For their jobs, register on their home page, create your profile, and begin to look for jobs that interest you and send those clients a quote. To jump in, log onto
https://outsource.com.
 
Upwork.com is another website that lists writing jobs. Some clients pay per job and others pay an hourly wage. There are many categories and it is user friendly to search. To try this website, please log on to
https://www.upwork.com/o/jobs/browse/skill/creative-writing/.
 
Online Writing Jobs is a place where writers and people who need writers can meet and work together. There is an application on the home page. Peruse the other headings to determine what you want to do and how to get paid. Check out
https://www.onlinewritingjobs.com/ to learn more.
 
Leaving Work Behind is a resource for entry level writers to look for work. They even offer a blogging mentorship program to help aspiring writers learn the ropes of blogging. Visit
http://leavingworkbehind.com/entry-level-writing-jobs/ to learn more. 
  

 
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Trivia Quiz
by Julie Canfield, Columnist


   

Writers are often flummoxed by how many words they should write each day. For those who struggle to meet a daily word count, take heart. Hemmingway kept a chart that showed how much he wrote. It varied from 450-1250. Legend has it that he wrote more on some days to assuage the guilt of fishing.

Here is a list of best-selling authors. See if you can guess how productive each writer was, on the average. See the answers below. Good luck!

 
1.     Mark Twain
2.     Ian McEwan
3.     P.G. Wodehouse
4.     Anne Rice
5.     Arthur Conan Doyle
6.     Graham Greene
7.     Jack London
8.     Lee Child
9.     Lisa See
10.   Nicholas Sparks
11.   Shelby Foote
12.   Stephen King
13.   W. Somerset Maugham
14.   Sophie Kinsella
15.   Norman Mailer
16.   Michael Crichton
17.   Margaret Meade
18.   Arthur Hailey
19.   Barbara Kingsolver
20.   Frederick Forsyth

 

Answers

 
1.   Twain  1800
2.   McEwan 600
3.   Wodehouse 2000
4.    Rice 3000
5.    Doyle 3000
6.    Greene 500
7.    London 1500
8.    Child 1800
9.     See 1000
10.   Sparks 2000
11.   Foote 500
12.   King 2000
13.   Maugham 1000
14.   Kinsella 1000
15.   Mailer 3000
16.   Crichton 10,000
17.   Meade 1000
18.   Hailey 600
19.   Kingsolver 1000
20.   Forsyth 3000 

 
 

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Points to Ponder
by Julie Canfield, Columnist

 

   A Writer’s Prayer

             I declare I have the pen of a ready writer.

       I will shout what God whispers and His words will not come back void.

     (Psalms 45:1, Isaiah 55:11)

How often have you stared at a blank screen, waiting for words to arrive? It happens to the best of writers. Some say they are waiting for their muse to arrive. Some say it's writer’s block. Regardless of the label, the results are the same – your page is still blank.  

There are many ways to overcome this dreaded curse. One of the best ways is to avoid distractions, still the voices in your head, and listen.

God will bless you with ideas, rhythm and flow. Let Him write the words on the walls of your heart. You can structure the sentences correctly and trust that it won't come out like mish-mashed gobbledygook. Getting quiet enough to listen is the hard part, but if you want to be a successful writer, you must learn it.

The next time your Word cookie jar is empty, take a leap of faith. Place your hands on the keyboard and tell God you’re ready. Then listen to the words He whispers and shout them onto the page. Your soul will breathe life into them.

Writer’s block can be conquered by writing daily. Devote your talent to God. Go ahead. Get busy. It’s time to shout His words!
 

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Connect with CEO, Deborah Owen
Creative Writing Institute

 
Have a suggestion for the newsletter?
A question?
Comment?
Write to
DeborahOwen@CWinst.com. She'd like to hear from you! Also connect with her at:
 
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/DeborahOwen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writingclasses

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborah.owen.31

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/deborahowen1/

Blog: https://DeborahOwen.wordpress.com/
 
 

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A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Proverbs 25:10

 
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