Fiction to be Published in Scribble

“Prewitt’s Plans,” a story from TRACKS, my novel in stories, has been accepted for publication in Scribble Magazine.

Scribble is a print literary journal published in Maryland. Although it is produced and distributed by an independent publisher, it is the official publication of the Maryland Writers’ Association.

“Prewitt’s Plans” is the opening story to TRACKS, my novel in stories. It follows Prewitt’s struggle with his life plans as he boards a train in Baltimore, headed for Chicago, and debates whether he’s headed in the right direction.

Look for “Prewitt’s Plans” in the next edition of Scribble later this season.

Patry Francis Blog Day

It's Patry Francis Blog Day!

Patry was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and can not promote her book, The Liar's Diary, to the extent necessary, so her friends, Laura Benedict and Karen Dionne, initiated this project to bring together as many people as possible to help promote The Liar's Diary.

I'm happy to help promote the book as it's a good one. In fact, you'll find another post about the book here at Writeful.

To learn more about Patry Francis Blog Day, visit The Writers' Block.

http://writersgroupblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/patry-francis-blog-day-the-liars-diary

Get the story behind how Patry Francis Blog Day started at this link.

http://litpark.com/2008/01/28/the-liars-diary-blog-day/

Or visit Patry's website here.

http://www.patryfrancis.com/

Keep Your Literary Resolutions

Each year, countless writers make resolutions about their writing goals. This is the year you’ll publish that short story, write that novel, or at least put pen in hand and write a few pages each day.

And in May, where will you be? Here’s a great way to keep your writerly resolutions in check.

Register yourself now to attend the 20th annual Maryland Writers Association on Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum.

Keynote speaker Thomas F. Monteleone is but one of many professional, successful writers planning to spend the day helping you reach your own writing goals.

Join local experts and established writers at the 20th annual Maryland Writers' Association's conference. You’ll have the opportunity to hone your craft in sessions led by established authors, instructors, and experts. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, there’s plenty for you at the conference. Come explore the many worlds of writing.

To register, or for more information, visit the conference website.

http://www.marylandwriters.org/conferences.html

The Online Pond is Open

The online pond is open to the public! A new goose blog has been launched to update readers about the progress of The Flightless Goose.


You can visit the online pond at www.flightlessgoose.blogspot.com.


The Flightless Goose is the story of a goose named Gilbert. He is like many of the other geese at the pond, until one day, an accident renders him unable to fly. He must learn not only to deal with the taunting of others, but to compensate for his new disability by finding strengths in other traits.


This book is a collaboration between me and my wife. I wrote the story and Nataliya brought it to live with her beautiful watercolor illustrations.


Keep up with the pond gossip by visiting the online pond regularly!

www.flightlessgoose.blogspot.com

Lit and Art Event Warms the Harbor

The cold weather wasn’t enough to keep authors, artists, and their fans from blowing into Baltimore’s inner harbor for the second “Lit and Art” reading at the Watermark Gallery.


Those in attendance got to listen to six local authors read from their original prose and poetry, and got to take in the original artwork of Manzar.


Eric Kestler and Cliff Lynn read from their poetry. Lauren Beth Eisenberg, Eric D. Goodman, Caryn Coyle, and Nitin Jagdish read from their prose. Every last drop of wine was consumed, and so were most of the homemade edibles.


The audience consisted of familiar faces as well as new ones, and several people expressed interest in learning about future readings.


The next “Lit and Art” reading is tentatively set for mid to late March.


The Watermark Gallery is located in the Bank of America Center Skywalk Level, right across from the Inner Harbor, at 100 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The phone number is (410) 547-0452.


Learn more about the Watermark at their online gallery.


www.manzar.net


Learn more about the “Lit and Art” reading series by continuing to read Writeful each week.

www.Writeful.blogspot.com

Your Chance to Steer Baltimore Writers

The year’s first monthly meeting of the Maryland Writers Association’s Baltimore Chapter (MWAB) is your chance to join in the discussion of what the organization will do in 2008.

The event takes place at Ukazoo Books in on Monday, January 28 from 7 to 9 pm. and is free and open to the public.

We're not having a guest speaker this time -- instead, we're inaugurating what may become an annual tradition, a roundtable member discussion to map out where we'd like the organization to go in the coming year.

Topics up for discussion will include meeting dates, venues, topics, guest speakers, activities, the financing of signs for the organization, and more. We will also discuss ways in which to reach out to other writers in the community, how to get more involved with the community and other organizations, and what sorts of activities the MWAB should initiate or participate in during the coming years.

If you are a writer in Baltimore or the surrounding area, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to make your voice heard.

For more information, visit the website at http://www.mwabaltimore.org.

Resolutions Worth Writing About

As I took my son for a walk through the neighborhood — the winter weather temporarily rising from the 20s to the 70s — there must have been a hundred discarded Christmas trees lining the curbs. Possibly enough to heat the entire city for a day!

It made me realize something: the holidays are over.

(What, did you detect an environmental message here?)

The holidays are over, and that means it’s time to get serious about getting back into the work of writing. Time to dust off last year’s New Years Resolutions, see how we did, and craft a new set of reachable goals and resolutions.

I think the important thing to remember when it comes to New Years Resolutions is to keep them within your control. I don’t mean to limit yourself to what you can accomplish -- we should all strive to go beyond, to reach further, and to break barriers so that we can reach our goals. What I mean is that we should define our goals and then resolve to do all that we can within our power to make them come true -- not make a goal outside of our control the resolution in itself.

Here’s an example: for several years one of my top New Years resolutions was to get a novel published by one of the major publisher. In an industry where only about one out of every 30,000 (yes, that’s thirty thousand!) submissions is accepted by a major publisher, I’m as likely to be hit by lightening or win the lottery. So when the end of the year would come and I hadn’t published a novel, I’d failed at my resolution despite my strong resolve.

Now I frame my resolution in a way that I can accomplish it. I instead resolve to do everything I can to polish my work, submit it professionally, and to keep my manuscripts from ‘sleeping at home’ by always having my work in the hands of an agent, editor, or publisher. I resolve to have another query in the mail as soon as I get a “no thanks.” And I resolve to keep at it.

Rather than “get published,” resolve to send a polished story to 20 literary journals and magazines. Instead of “finish that novel,” resolve to spend a set number of hours each week working on the novel. Instead of an elusive “go to more literary events,” resolve to go to at least one event per month — even if you have to travel to do so. Concrete resolutions make the abstract goals obtainable.

Having said that, here are some of my resolutions for 2008: to actively promote my novel, TRACKS, and to find it a home with an agent or publisher; to actively promote my children’s book, The Flightless Goose, due out later this year; to write at least five days a week; to send out at least one submission each month.

What are your New Years Resolutions worth writing about?

Lit and Art in Baltimore's Inner Harbor

As winter winds blow, the harbor may not seem the warmest place to visit this time of year—unless you’re going to the Watermark Gallery to enjoy a gathering of literature and artwork.

This Sunday, six local authors will present fiction and poetry—and an original collection of art by local artist Manzar Rassouli-Taylorr will be on display.

The event takes place at the Watermark Gallery in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Sunday, January 20 at 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Wine and refreshments will be served.

Eric Kestler will read from his poetry.

Lauren Beth Eisenberg will read “Lust,” an excerpt from her book, Excess Baggage.

Eric D. Goodman will take the audience “Out for a Walk” with a story recently published in The Baltimore Review.

Caryn Coyle will share her story “Mom’s Memorial Mass.”

Nitin Jagdish goes madcap with his “Manifesto.”

Cliff Lynn will close the lineup with readings from his poetry.

A collection of surreal artwork by Manzar Rassouli-Taylorr will be on display.

During the intermission as well as after the readings, members will have the opportunity to mingle with the authors, artists, and each other.

This is the second reading in this series, following the successful “Rumi-esque Reading” in October.

The Watermark Gallery is located in the Bank of America Center Skywalk Level, right across from the Inner Harbor, at 100 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The phone number is (410) 547-0452.

Learn more about the Watermark at their online gallery.

www.manzar.net

Learn more about the “Lit and Art” reading event at by checking back here at Writeful.

www.Writeful.blogspot.com

Rare Opportunity to Learn from a Master

Baltimore writer Rafael Alvarez (Life, Homicide, The Wire, Orlo and Leini, The Fountain of Highlandtown, The Baltimore Sun) invites you to participate in personalized writing lessons with him via e-mail. This is a rare opportunity to be mentored by a master who has experience writing in the genres of fiction, television, essay, journalism, and more.


Here are the details, direct from Mr. Alvarez himself:


"As the writers' strike drags on with no end in sight, I have begun offering writing lessons via email. I am offering classes in all genres: short story, journalism, essay and screenwriting.


"The cost is $50 an hour. As for how the hour will be used, that is up to the client. I will edit, give notes, answer any and all questions, direct the client to proper resources and draw on my 30 years of experience in newspapers, fiction and television writing.


"I keep track of the time in 15 minute increments and bill at the end of the month. I let the client know when they've reached 60 minutes and do not charge for any time the client does not want. My one strict rule is that all work is done via email.”


This is a tremendous opportunity. So how come you're not writing to him already? Here’s his address.


orlo.leini@gmail.com

Levit Sparks Creativity

Rob Levit is the guest speaker for the monthly meeting of the Maryland Writers Association this Wednesday, January 9.

Creativity is an often-mentioned buzz word in the arts -- but how does one acquire creativity, develop, and retain it? Is creativity a natural gift, a set of techniques, or both?

In this participatory, experiential and interactive workshop, renowned creative artist Rob Levit demonstrates the many, yet often overlooked, creative options available to artists of all disciplines that increase productivity, erase blocks, and deepen experience.

Rob is the 2006 Annie Award recipient for performing arts from the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, 2007, recipient of the Capital-Gazette Leadership Anne Arundel Community Trustee Award, and numerous Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist awards. He has recorded over 17 albums as a jazz musician/composer and is an accomplished painter and essayist.

The meeting takes place this Wednesday, January 9th from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the annex building of the Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, Maryland 21225.

The event is free for members and first-time visitors, or $5 for returning guests.

For information about Rob, visit www.roblevit.com, www.creativityexpert.com, and www.creatingcommunities.net.

For more information about this event, visit the Maryland Writers Association website.
www.marylandwriters.org

Goose for the New Year

This time of year, in the midst of the holidays, people tend to focus on the family, on friends and loved ones, feasts and children.

And so do we.

What better time than this festive season to announce our upcoming Goose book for children?

No, it's not a cook book.

The Flightless Goose is the story of a goose named Gilbert. He is like many of the other geese at the pond, until one day, an accident renders him unable to fly. He must learn not only to deal with the taunting of others, but to compensate for his new disability by finding strengths in other traits.

This book is a collaboration between me and my wife. I wrote the story and Nataliya brought it to life with her beautiful watercolor illustrations.

Gilbert's new year resolution is to get published. Here's to The Flightless Goose taking flight in 2008 -- and continued health, success, and happiness to us all.