A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010 Your Year in Writing I am ticking off the days until I can get my Working Writer s Daily Planner. All work is at a complete stop until its arrival. Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club
A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010 This free download is excerpted from A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010 the first edition of this planner published annually by Small Beer Press and available in all good bookshops for $13.95 and as a DRM-free PDF ebook for $4.95. This calendar is made by writers for writers all kinds of writers. Whether you re published or not, a poet, a bestselling novelist, retired, in school, an academic, a short story writer, or researching your nonfiction opus, you ll find that this calendar, while not quite everything for everyone, will be a powerful motivational tool which easily integrates into the workday. You ll find inspiration in the stimulating exercises along with the daily and weekly structure you need to get the work done. Every week has its own double-page spread which includes a handy list of upcoming deadlines, information on where to apply for residencies, as well as inspiring quotations, writing exercises and suggestions, Federal Holidays (extra writing time!), and, at least once a month, a suggestion for a magazine (or other market) to submit your work to. A Working Writer s Daily Planner is first and foremost a practical resource: Each deadline or residency application is accompanied by a website address so that you can go straight to the source for more information. However, most listings also have all the information you need to apply or to send in your submission as well as a simple code so that you can tell immediately if a program, award, or market is appropriate. Each month has a page for notes which you can use to plan ahead and at the back, you will find a handy Submissions Tracker to keep track of where and when you sent your work out, as well as many other features for you to use and enjoy throughout the year. That s it! Go ahead and start making notes, scribble in some ideas, and plan to make this a great year for writing! Small Beer Press Easthampton, MA
March 4: NEA Grants: Poetry Fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) or poetry are available to published creative writers. This program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose available in 2010/12 and fellowships in poetry available in FY 2011/13, etc. Individuals may apply once annually. See website for full guidelines. Prize: $25,000. Eligibility: you are eligible to apply in poetry if, between January 1, 2003 March 4, 2010, you have had published a volume of 48 or more pages of poetry or 20 or more different poems or pages of poetry in five or more literary journals, anthologies, or publications which regularly include poetry as a portion of their format. Up to 16 poems may be in a single volume of poetry of fewer than 48 pages. This volume, however, may count as only one of the required five places of publication. Manuscript: 10 typescript, single-column pages. Submit using online application. www.nea.gov/grants/ March 12: Colorado Review Nelligan Prize Prize: $1,000 + publication in Colorado Review annually for a short story. All entries will be considered for publication. Eligibility: friends, current & former students of the judge are not eligible. Manuscript: submit a story of any length. Fee: $15, payable to Colorado Review. Send an SASE, email, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Nelligan Prize Colorado Review 9105 Campus Delivery Department of English Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523-9105 http://nelliganprize.colostate.edu 25
March 1-March 7 March Upcoming is Small Deadlines Press Month (smallpressmonth.org). Soft Skull Press: F,N. Pays. (www.softskull.com) Unsolicited submissions ok. editorial@softskull.com with SUBMISSION OF Fiction/Nonfiction/Graphic Novel. Mail (include SASE): Editorial Department, Soft Skull Press, 19 W. 21st St., Ste. 1101, NY, NY 10010. Coffee House Press: F,N. Pays. (www.coffeehousepress.org) Mail 20-30 pages, outline, SASE. Response: 4-6 weeks. Christopher Fischbach, Senior Editor, Coffee House Press, 79 13th Ave., NE, Suite 110, Minneapolis, MN 55413 Mo n d a y 1 Ralph Ellison b. 1913; Robert Lowell b. 1917; Richard Wilbur b. 1921 Tu e s d a y 2 Dr. Suess b. 1904; Leo Dillon b. 1933; John Irving b. 1942 We d n e s d a y 3 Alexander Graham Bell b. 1847; Patricia MacLachlan b. 1938 Th u r s d a y 4 Fr i d a y 5 Irving Fiske b. 1908l; MC Solaar b. 1969 Sa t u r d a y 6 Elizabeth Barrett Browing b. 1806 Su n d a y 7 Kobo Abé b. 1924 26 A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010: Your Year in Writing
March 15: Tin House Summer Writers Workshop A weeklong intensive series of workshops, seminars, panels, and readings led by the editors of Tin House magazine and Tin House Book and their guests. For the 2010 Tin House Summer Writers Workshop we will be awarding full and partial scholarships. Scholarships are highly competitive and awarded based on the merit of a writing sample only. To apply, fill out the scholarship application in addition to the general application. Eligibility: Open to all on first come, first serve basis. Manuscript: up to 20 pages fiction or nonfiction; 10 pages poetry. Fee: $40 (covers both scholarship and general apps). Include SASE for acceptance/rejection notification. Tin House Summer Writers Workshop PO Box 10500 Portland, Or 97210 503-219-0622 Email: cheston@tinhouse.com www.tinhouse.com/workshop/ws_application_forms.htm March 16: Thornton Writer Residency at Lynchburg College A 14-week residency at Lynchburg College with a stipend of $12,000 for a poet or creative nonfiction writer. It includes housing, some meals, and travel expenses. The writer-in-residence will teach a semester-long creative writing workshop. The visiting writer also gives public readings, conducts other classes at the request of professors, and is available for private conferences with student and faculty writers. Manuscript: Submit a copy of a previously published book of poetry or creative nonfiction, a curriculum vitae, a cover letter outlining evidence of successful teaching experience, and contact information for three references. No Fee. Lynchburg College Thornton Writer Residency School of Humanities and Social Sciences 1501 Lakeside Drive Lynchburg, VA 24501 www.lynchburg.edu/thornton.xml Quick exercise Write a story or poem containing the following words (or their analogs): hotdog gloom smother levitate Thailand bog third Wednesday knitted 27
March 8-March 14 Upcoming Deadlines March 16: Thornton Writer Residency at Lynchburg College (p.27)) March 31: Lotus Press Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award (p.31) March 31: Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships (p.31) Mo n d a y 8 Tu e s d a y 9 We d n e s d a y 10 Th u r s d a y 11 Wanda Gag b. 1893; Douglas Adams b. 1952 Fr i d a y 12 Virginia Hamilton b. 1936; Jack Kerouac b. 1922 Sa t u r d a y 13 Diane Dillon b. 1933 Su n d a y 14 28 A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010: Your Year in Writing Diane Arbus b. 1923
Writing Pr o m p t : Ga m e s Oulipo ( Ouvroir de littérature potentielle ) doesn t hold the copyright on literary games. Sure, a novel without the letter E (George Perec s A Void) is a challenge but how about trying one of these: a Drabble (100 word story) a Feghoot (a funny story ending in a pun use with care!) or, for a writing group (or any group) the popular Exquisite Corpse in which each writer adds a line without seeing what has come before. 29
March 15-March 21 Upcoming Deadlines April 1: The Marguerite and Lamar Fellowship for Writers (p.33) April 1 Early deadline for the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition (p.33) Mo n d a y 15 Tu e s d a y 16 We d n e s d a y 17 Kate Greenaway b. 1846; Penelope Lively b. 1933 Th u r s d a y 18 Queen Latifah b. 1970 Fr i d a y 19 Sa t u r d a y 20 Mitsumasa Anno b. 1926; Lois Lowry b. 1937 Su n d a y 21 30 A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010: Your Year in Writing
March 31: Lotus Press Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award Prize: $500 + publication. Eligibility: Must be an African American poet. Manuscript: Submit two copies of a poetry manuscript of 60 90 pages. No Fee. Lotus Press Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award P.O. Box 21607 Detroit, MI 48221 www.lotuspress.org March 31: Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships Prize: Five $15,000 fellowships. Eligibility: US citizens between the age of 21 31 as of March 31, 2010. Manuscript: Completed application form, ten pages of poems, an approximately 250-word introduction to your work (not to exceed one page). Applications must be postmarked during the month of March 2010. No Fee. Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships 444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1850 Chicago, Illinois 60611-4034 vjohnson@poetrymagazine.org 312-799-8015 www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/prizes_fellowship.html March 31: Gulf Coast Writing Contests Prize: $1,000 in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Manuscript: One unpublished story or essay up to 25-pages, or five unpublished poems up to 10-pages. Name and address should appear on cover letter only. See website for full guidelines. Fee: $20, payable to Gulf Coast. Fee includes a one-year subscription. Send to: Gulf Coast Prize in P/F/NF Department of English University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-3013 www.gulfcoastmag.org/index.php?n=7 Problem: I don t know where my story is going. One Solution: Have a discussion with yourself and type it out as you go. Ask yourself questions: why are these people here? What happens next? Keep talking, get into tangents, and you ll eventually figure out a direction for the story. The important part here is to keep on writing. If you don t know where to start, begin with: Hello me. How was your day today? Why are you waving that flag? Anything will work. Try it. 31
March 22-March 28 Upcoming Deadlines April 15: The Island Institute s Writers Residencies (p.37) April 15: MacDowell Colony (p.37) Mo n d a y 22 Update your submission tracker. Tu e s d a y 23 Kim Stanley Robinson b. 1952 We d n e s d a y 24 Th u r s d a y 25 3/25 3/28 National Black Writers Conference, Brooklyn, NY. www.aalbc.com Fr i d a y 26 Leonard Nimoy b. 1931 Sa t u r d a y 27 Su n d a y 28 32 A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010: Your Year in Writing
April 1: The Marguerite and Lamar Fellowship for Writers Prize: Fellowships for writers to spend time in Carson McCullers childhood home in Columbus, Georgia. Fellow will be provided with a stipend of $5,000 to cover costs of transportation, food and other incidentals. Fellowship recipients will be required to introduce or advance their work through reading or workshop/ forum presentations. Manuscript: 20 typed manuscript pages. If you wish, you may include any book or books that you have published. Duties: Work with the director to plan a presentation near the end of the residency. No Fee. Direct questions to: Cathy Fussell, Director: 706 565-4021 The Carson McCullers Fellowship Program Department of Language and Literature Columbus State University 4225 University Avenue Columbus, GA 31907 www.mccullerscenter.org/fellowships.htm April 7-10: The Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference Each year, AWP holds its Annual Conference in a different region of North America in order to celebrate the outstanding authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centers, and small press publishers of that region. This year, the conference will be held in Denver, Colorado. It typically features 300 presentations, readings, lectures, panel discussions, and forums plus hundreds of book signings, receptions, dances, and informal gatherings. The conference attracts more than 5,000 attendees and more than 400 publishers. It s one of the biggest and liveliest literary gatherings in North America. See next page for more information. Hyatt Regency Denver & Colorado Convention Center 650 15th Street, Denver, Colorado, USA 80202 www.awpwriter.org/conference/2010awpconf.php April 1 (early deadline, or May 15): Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition Prize: $1,000; second and third places, $500. Eligibility: writers whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed publication with a circulation of 5,000 or more. Manuscript: fiction; up to 3,000 words. Fee: $12. ($17 from April 2 May 15th midnight.) Make check out to Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition P.O. Box 993 Key West, FL 33041 shortstorykw@gmail.com www.shortstorycompetition.com 33
April: Goals, Thoughts, Submission Plans: Remember: Since many literary journals are based at colleges and universities their reading period is often from September to May. Which means you have a month or so to send along your work or you can plan to send submissions out when the student editors and readers return in September. Spring is here (in the northern hemisphere) and the world is bursting forth afresh with life. If your writing habit has been hibernating, let it wake up and enjoy the longer days, the April showers, and the new energy spring brings. A Working Writer s Daily Planner 2010: Your Year in Writing
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 2010 Calendar February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 24/ 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 28 29 30 31 April 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 25 26 27 28 29 30 23/ 30 24/ 31 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 July 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 August 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 October 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 24/ 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31
January 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 2011 Calendar February 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 March 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 23/ 30 24/ 31 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 27 28 29 30 April 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 May 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 July 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 August 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 September 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 24/ 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 October 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 November 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 23/ 30 24/ 31 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Your Year in Writing This desk diary is much more than just a weekly planner or engagement calendar. It s an inspiring guide for independent writers and a handy all-in-one book to help stay on top of the business end of writing while making sure they keep at the business of writing itself. Both beginning and professional writers will appreciate the following features: Monthly spots highlighting specific writing markets. Reading periods for literary journals. Application deadlines for writing workshops. Award deadlines and announcement dates. Federal holidays... to remind you that the post office is closed! National Poetry Month, Small Press Month, etc., reminders. How to format a manuscript. Etiquette guide for how to submit work to markets. Where to find out about MFA programs. Listings of resources for writers. Links to writing blogs and other online resources. Writers Workshop and convention information. Submission and result tables (with reminders to keep it updated!). Recommended reading lists (fiction, nonfiction, inspiration, &c.) Blank pages specifically set aside for notes and inspirations. Writing prompts... in unexpected places. Quick: put this down and write a story featuring a calendar! Illustrated throughout with inspiring art and photos. Best and worst writing experiences and other tales of the writing life. Standard planner data: What time is it in Kazakhstan? How many liters are in a gallon? What do we talk about when we talk about love? Paper dolls for when you just need a break from writing. Small Beer Press www.smallbeerpress.com Distributed by Consortium.