Writing for Theme-Based Contests

Writers draw inspiration from many sources, including words, phrases and pictures--and many contests require you to do just that. Writing about the same "theme" as other writers can be challenging but can also push you to greater levels of creativity in search of the unexpected angle.

As with any other type of writing contest, it's important to stick to the guidelines. Stay within the proscribed word count, use the required formatting, and DO NOT miss the deadline.

In order to succeed in theme-based contests, you have to look beyond the obvious responses and surprise the judges. You might even surprise yourself.

One of my earliest wins as a writer was in a poetry contest that wanted humorous takes on love. Rather than go for outright humor in every line, I set up a typically romantic scenario before delivery the final deadpan line.

red rose

valentine gift

treasured keepsake 

symbolic of our love

pressed flat

The judges got the joke, and I got first prize.

The first time I ran a contest, I asked entrants to write about "the first time." The phrase might bring to mind memories of first love or first sex, but I wanted to see something more. What I got was an eclectic mix of stories, including tales of skydiving, wartime, jail, and a woman's first encounter with her grandchild who had Down's Syndrome.

Whether you're writing for theme-based contests or simply looking for inspiration for your next project, keep an open mind. Details don't change, only your perceptions.

Trust your instincts. Don't be afraid of the "strange" ideas that pop into your head. Don't listen to the little voice that whispers, "You can't write that." If you hear that voice, get the "strange" ideas on paper as fast as possible. You're probably onto something good.

Betty Dobson is an award-winning writer of short fiction, essays and poetry. She also writes newspaper and magazine articles but is still waiting for those awards to materialize. In the meantime, she continues to run InkSpotter Publishing, which has three new books available and several more in the works for 2012.

IN HONOR OF MEMORIAL DAY:WRITING DOWN YOUR MEMORIES

WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY


Today is Memorial Day here in the United States.  I am spending some time writing before I visit my father's grave site in the Delaware Veteran's Memorial Cemetery.  I invite you to honor yourself today by capturing your life's most precious memories on paper.  Writing your life story is a powerful exercise that will lead you directly to your own truth.  What are the most pivotal moments in your personal history? What are the patterns that keep repeating in your life?  What have you learned from these life lessons?  How can you utilize what you learned to help others?  Write your life story and be prepared to uncover your purpose in a powerful way. If you are having trouble writing about your own life, write about the life of someone who has inspired you greatly.  Once you get your creative juices flowing, you will likely find it easy to delve into your own story and truth. Here is an example of a life story that demonstrates a powerful purpose. I wrote this story in honor of my father, John McCabe.

A Hero’s Journey to Purpose
 He sits in a tattered blue reclining chair, his eyes shining with mischief and exhaustion.  His day began promptly at five thirty this morning, just as it has every other morning for the past sixty three years.  From the moment his feet hit the floor they are in perpetual motion, each step dedicated to helping others.  Selflessly, he devotes the majority of his day to assisting other people with their activities of daily living.  No small feat for a survivor of a tragic childhood, five brain tumors, and a tour in Vietnam.  Although he conceals it well, some days it is difficult for him to get out of bed. The tumor in his brain wreaks havoc with his balance and hearing. He is completely deaf in his left ear. Frequently, he stumbles into walls and is plagued with seizures and nausea. His head bears faded torturous scars from the three brain surgeries he has endured. There are tiny blue tattoos sprinkled across his forehead which are souvenirs from two bouts of radiation therapy.  Rarely does he speak of his illness, only if he feels by sharing his story it will benefit another.  The tasks he undertakes may seem mundane to the average person. However, these important gifts he freely bestows upon others are priceless. His list of good deeds is endless and clandestine.   He does not believe in tooting his own horn, but rather quietly performs these tasks with no expectation of gratitude or appreciation. His list of daily contributions to others is infinite.   It includes fixing toilets for widows, mowing  the lawn for the wife of an imprisoned man, teaching new immigrants the idiosyncrasies  of American culture, repairing the broken bicycle of a fatherless child, fixing a strangers flat tire, helping a lost, drunken man find his way home, and tutoring a failing student in chemistry.   On the days when he is too ill to move about, he contributes by lending a listening ear and compassionate words to those in need. He completes all of these activities with an altruistic joy that permeates his whole being.  He takes pride in making someone else’s day and is constantly on the look out of a person in need.
 This joyous saint of a man in this chair is my father. Ironically, twenty years ago my father was convinced his life was without meaning or purpose.  As a well-educated and accomplished genius in the pharmaceutical industry, my father once derived his identity from his career.  Much of his time was spent on business trips and tending to the needs of his company.  After his second brain surgery, my father became too ill to work.  The surgery and subsequent radiation had impaired his short term memory and ability to concentrate and focus. With a heavy heart, he reluctantly resigned his position after being deemed permanently and totally disabled by a panel of medical experts.  The first few years after he stopped working were extremely difficult for him. He sat listlessly in that big blue chair, wondering what the next day would bring.   He had loved being productive but sadly his body and mind were no longer what they used to be.  His liquid brown eyes were full of pain and anguish.   I think some days he was just waiting to die.  Well-meaning friends and family, including myself, would ask him what he was planning to do with his time, as if he were on some sort of extended vacation.   These questions served only to increase his anxiety and depression.  Limited by his medical condition and disability, he lamented why he was on his earth.
I do not recall any single incident that arouse my father from the slumber of his depression and hopelessness.  Rather, it was an insidious series of events that made him clearly see the path of his life’s journey.   Perhaps it began when my father received a teary late night telephone call from a former colleague whose seventeen year old daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Without a moment’s hesitation, my father went to this young girl’s bedside to offer her words of comfort and inspiration but most importantly, truth.  My father became like a man on a beach with a metal detector in pursuit of buried treasures.  Everywhere he went, he sought out to identify a human need and fulfill it.  It seemed as if disadvantaged people were placed directly in front of him by a force of divine intervention. An elderly man standing in the middle of the road bleeding.  A single mother with a dead battery in the parking lot of a convenience store.  My father’s eye once gain became bright pools of light and inspiration.  He discovered something that is available to us all if only we can silence our minds to hear the divine calling.
As his sits in the recliner the pearls of wisdom roll of his tongue.  “I spent a long time wondering why I was here and why I have survived.” He murmurs deliberately “Now I know that I am here to help others on their journey.”   And from his a small offering of words I learn a vast lesson.  Do not spend the majority of your time and energy contemplating your life’s mission and purpose.  Your purpose on earth is more readily discovered when you increase your awareness about what is going on around you and seek to help others.  Put simply, just be, do what it placed in front of you and turn the rest over to God.

Aileen McCabe-Maucher is the author of the book "The Inner Peace Diet" which was published by Penguin Books and released in December 2008. Aileen is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist who has helped many people find inner peace and discover their unique life purpose. She has worked for over fifteen years as a licensed psychotherapist and registered nurse providing individual and group counseling to a diverse client population. Aileen  is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania and writing her third book.

Get your completely free Inner Peace Diet ECourse by visiting www.theinnerpeacediet.com
 

Deep Wells - Understanding Your Writing Moods

                       Deep Wells 

    Understanding Your Writing Moods

Writers feel deeply and think deeply. They draw from a deep well of experience, observance, and expression. How wonderful when we are drawing fresh, clear thinking from that well! Thing is, that deep well can also bring up some silt in the form of muddy, cluttered thinking, too. Feelings of negativity or failure can ensue. 

Some of my best writing has actually come from when I’ve been feeling blue. It seems I am more in tune with myself and my surroundings. Some of the greatest composers and artists suffered with moods and even depression. 

But the downside is those feelings can work against me, leaving me feeling discouraged, rejected, and finally, a failure. Feelings are fickle and they are not always accurate, truthful, or dependable.

It’s important to know yourself. Feelings may work for you and produce a creative writing streak, but it may not work for you if you bottom out and give up.

Don’t get me wrong. I love those writing streaks! But I occasionally still grapple with feelings that end up making me feel like a loser. That is when I go with it until it’s over, otherwise, I may make decisions that I will regret later – like giving up.

Once and awhile, someone rains on our parade. Sometimes, a surprise spring snowfall threatens your long awaited spring flowers. There are times when your writing isn’t producing. You want to give up. Don’t. Because just as quickly as that low season came it will leave. Remember that when those times intrude upon you, they can leave just as quickly.

Here are some further ideas to help: 

• Join a writer's group. If there isn't one in your area, find one online. Here is where you will find encouragement. We all need this!
• When you're feeling discouraged because of writer's block, rejection letters, or if you've gotten off track, don't give up. Ride it out.
• Believe that you have a unique voice that people want to read. If you give up, someone will lose out!
• When those times of discouragement come, go with it. Take a break. There is nothing written in stone that you have to produce everyday.
• Be yourself. Comparing ourselves with other writers and authors only stunts our growth. Be confident! Learn all you can about your craft but at the end of the day - you are you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kathleen Moulton is a freelance writer and nature lover. She is married, has 8 children, ages 10-28, and has been homeschooling for 25 years. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at http://kathleenmoulton.com/

The Many Faces of Murders

Murder can come in many forms. It can be done with a gun, a knife, or poison. The victim can be pushed down the stairs or off a cliff or building. Then, of course, there is drowning or overdose.

The way the murder occurs can determine how your story progresses. The twists and turns of the story are what keep your readers interested. The murder scene is a very important part of your story and must be crafted carefully. I prefer to write my murder scene first and then build the story the rest of the story around it. This does not work for every writer, so the writer should find what works for her/him.

There are several murder types. There is the felony murder, which is committed during a crime such as a robbery or arson. An example of an argument-motivated murder would be a domestic dispute. The unknown motive murder is one that has no clear motive. Mass murders are broken down into two categories:  The family mass murder, which is the killing of four or more members of the same family by another family member; and there is the classic mass murder, which is the killing of flour or more non-family member in a single location at one time. An example of this would be the killer who goes to a university campus and starts shooting everyone and anyone in his pathway.

Unlike mass murderers, serial killers hunt their victims. Each murder they commit is in a different location and over a period of time. The murderer can be male or female and may have a motive or not.

There are sex murderers, pedophiles, cult-related murders, rapists who murder their victims. There are murders committed because of anger, sadism, and because of a desire to have power over their victim. These can often include raping the victim before killing them. Some pedophiles will kill their victims after assaulting them. Not all do.

Then there is organized crime. At one time in the history of organized crime any mobster could kill anyone for any reason. But as this entity became more organized in the 1930's, the contract policy came into being. Basically this was murder for hire. The victim was usually someone within the Syndicate, a rival criminal or someone who was a client of an organized crime family. Then came Murder, Inc. The victim was looked upon as a bum who would not pay his debts and had to be made an example. The modern mobster is better educated and more businesslike, emerging into society La Cosa Nostra.

Interestingly there are women murderers such as the black widows and nurses. Black widows kill husbands, children, relatives, boardinghouse tenants, and employees. Nurses are the angels of mercy or angels of death who kill the ones in their care. Both are considered serial killers. Nowadays, though, these angels of death can come in the form of females or males.

Last but not least are the terrorists. They are the ultimate predator who put terror in the hearts of vicgtims around the world. Their acts are generally performed due to social dissatisfaction, political dissatisfaction, political dissatisfaction, economic deprivation, and personal crises and conflicts.

I'm sure you can add to this list, bu these that I have mentioned here will hopefully give you some ideas for your murder scene. Be innovative and creative and add plenty of suspense. After all, murder should be enjoyed.

Reference: Malicious Intent by Sean Mactire

Faye M. Tollison
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books:  The Bible Murders
                             Sarah's Secret
www.fayemtollison.com
www.fmtoll.wordpress.com
www.fayetollison.blogspot.com
Member of: Sisters In Crime
                  Writers on the Move

Logos for Writers

Logos permeate our daily experience and saturate the visual media.

They are known to be the visual synthesis of company’s image and philosophy.

When writers search for a graphic icon that can represent their work, same rule for sophistication and clarity should apply. However, while thinking up the concept of a logo is often easy, executing it properly is an entirely different thing.

In professional terms, logos can be typographical (made up of fonts) or iconic (a stylized graphic).

Even though good logos are easy to spot but hard to make, here are a few competitive points that contribute to a good logo:

• Concept – logo should have one unifying idea or message that is memorable

• Clarity – a logo should convey that message quickly and clearly

• Purpose – a logo should convey that message quickly and clearly to the right niche

 

• Function – a logo should be applicable across all medias (print & web) in color and black-and-white and it should be visible when it’s reduced to a smaller size.

In terms of graphic execution, there are a lot of subtle elements that a graphic designer employs as part of the underlying grammar of a strong logo. Some of them are:

• Effective placement and treatment of space

• Visual flow

• Visual contrast

• Visual hierarchy

• Color and value accent

Attention grabbing logos are often made up of unexpected combinations between literal objects and metaphors.

Here is an exercise that will help you to come up with intriguing visuals on your own.

1/ On a large sheet of paper, make as many columns as there are words in the name of your company. A column for each word.  Fill these columns with nouns, verbs, adjectives and phrases related to each word.

2/ On a separate sheet of paper draw two columns.

In the first column write down the message you want your logo to convey.

Under the second column you will write down objects and items that portray
that message.

Continue filling these two columns with different messages and words (even colors, shapes, feelings) that describe the messages.

After you’ve established a strong set of words for each column for both sheets, it’s time to look for connections within and between them that spark your imagination.

Perhaps you’ll find a combination between two different nouns that add up to an intriguing visual, or maybe an adjective from one column will lead to an eye-catching image when applied to an object from another.

Remember: you are looking for out-of-the-ordinary solutions. Make abundant notes and thumbnail sketches of potential solutions if you need to.

If you find out that there are major discrepancies between your company name and the message you want to convey perhaps you need to rethink that name.

Keep your notes from this exercise and share them with the graphic designer who will be working on your visuals. I would like to stress the point of working with a professional on your logo.

Designers are trained to simplify rather complex ideas graphically and logo art is more about editing and sacrifice than attempting to communicate everything to all people.

I wish you good luck and happy logo brainstorms!

Fani Nicheva is a graphic designer and author who works and lives in Santa Cruz, CA. She has written one design book "Type Talks" and is presently working on her first novel, "Mental Immigrant". You can view her work and writings at:

www.bfsp.net

www.aproposdezign.com

How to Write Anniversary Articles

photograph by Michael Gwyther-Jones  on Flickr under CC licence

Here in England. people everywhere are 
preparing for next weekend's celebrations of 
the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.


For weeks, newspapers and magazines have 
been full of articles on everything from The 
Day I Met the Queen to How to Make Royal 
Icing.


Special days and celebrations are ideal 
subjects for the jobbing writer looking for 
publication online, in newspapers or 
magazines.


Well-targeted anniversary articles are 
excellent too for the short 150 word fillers vital for 
plugging those small page gaps. Fillers are 
always needed and  a good way for new 
writers to break into publication in magazines.


How to Check Out Anniversaries


To check out anniversaries for a 
particular day use Wikipedia with care, 
use a search engine or try newspaper and radio 
websites. Your library may have a copy of 
Chase's Calendar of Events.


The New YorkTimes has an on-this-day feature
And Ottowa Researchers provide a similar service for Canadian birthdays and events. 


What Happened Today?


 In 1819, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was 
born  and  Nicolaus Copernicus, the Polish astronomer died on this day in 1643.


In 1930, pioneering pilot Amy Johnson became 
the first woman to fly from England to Australia while in 1962  American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbited the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule.


It would have made an ideal article for this 
year being a fiftieth anniversary--editors love 
round dates.


They also like quirky and unusual articles. Everyone will be targeting articles on the main stories. But for a writing magazine, you'd be better tackling today as the first publication date of Mary Had a Little Lamb.


How to Find Submission Dates


Obviously check for submission guidelines or request them by email. Remember that many magazines are working as far as six months or more ahead. In other words you might need to submit Christmas dates in May.


And how do you know what the magazine is planning if it's not in the guidelines? Check out the media kit or advertising calendar. It lists the year's planned covers and main focus for each month--useful if the magazine is one which is not visibly open to submissions. Here's an example from the New Hampshire magazine and another from Eating Well.


Footnote
May is also Revise Your Work Schedule month (oh dear, I should be doing that) and if you're looking for a recipe for Royal Icing, here's one from the BBC.




 Anne Duguid is a senior content editor with MuseItUp Publishing and   her New Year's Resolution is to blog with helpful writing,editing and publishing tips at Slow and Steady Writers far more regularly than she managed in 2011.

Writing Retreats

Is there a particular place you like to go to write? It could be a room in your home or somewhere outside.  Perhaps it is in the area you live.  Maybe it’s a distance away, like a vacation destination.

Are there times when you just can’t write for whatever reason? Maybe life was busy (Mine was this month and that’s why this blog post is so short!) and you haven’t had the time or inclination to sit down and write.

I have a special place, it’s a vacation destination, where I can relax and feel inspired.  I can sit by the water or in a park or in an historic inn. I can go for a walk on a trail or through the business district or around residential neighborhoods.

I just returned from a place that I like to visit. I packed my laptop and a tote bag. I filled the bag with some photos I cut out of magazines, a few issues of The Writer magazine, a book that I am reading, and three notebooks. 

I have some other ideas for the next time I do this. I’m going to include some chocolate, perhaps one of my favorite brands of root beer or sparkling grape juice. While on vacation, I purchased a basket that I can use as a travel desk. It’s actually a carrier for casseroles, but I think it would hold writing materials too.

Here is something you can use for inspiration when thinking about a writing retreat. I recently found this website and it’s fun to dream! Check it out! http://www.thecreativewritersworkshop.com/.

Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is currently working on her first children’s book.