"Learn by Doing"

That's the dynamic of The Internet Writing Workshop: a writer learns from critiquing other writers' works.

Take that a step further. What is a book review but an extended critique of another writer's work? That, and fun. Book reviews allow a reviewer to dissect and disassemble a published work. Book reviews allow a writer to learn from the real thing. Book reviewers allow a writer (as a reviewer) to get name recognition as a published author.

What then constitutes a "book review?"

Sarah Gold is a reviews editor at Publishers Weekly, where she's been since 1999. She formerly was the nonfiction editor at Kirkus Reviews, and is a former board member of the National Book Critics Circle."

Gold begins her article with "It goes without saying that I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes a good book re-view. In general, it requires a smooth blend of description and evaluation. But, like most readers, I don’t want a review —- especially of fiction —- to tell me everything that happens. When I ask what a book is about, even (perhaps especially) a novel, I’m asking not who did what to whom but the meaning of those events. I want to know about the author’s voice, style and worldview."

Read the complete article here.

A Little Fun with the English Language

I enjoy reading the columnist James J. Kilpatrick. Once a political commentator, he has in retirement written regularly on the vagaries -- and proper use -- of the English language.

This week Kilpatrick takes on "their," that illustrious plural pronoun now evolving toward the singular. He cites ...

The New York Times: "Nobody wants some sicko drilling a peephole in their locker room."
The Federal Aviation Agency: "We will take action against anybody who violates their obligation ..."
The Seattle Times: "until everybody has said their piece."

Kilpatrick concludes the discussion with ...

In its sometimes disappointing way, The Associated Press Stylebook ducks the issue. So, too, with the eminent Henry Fowler in his Modern English Usage. Fowler's inheritor, R.W. Burchfield, gently waffles ..."Popular usage and historical precedent favor the use of a plural pronoun in such contexts, but many writers prefer to use 'he' or 'he or she.'"

What about it? I would love to hear from editors, authors, speechwriters and serious readers (God bless you!) and will report your consensus.

IWW Members in Print and Published

Gary didn't know I had all those permissions in my pocket, and I was off in the boondocks where you get on the Internet by carrier pigeon, so I couldn't tell him. Now I'm back, and this is the revised edition--as usual, full of great successes for members of the IWW.


Karna Converse

I'm thrilled that my review of "The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness," by Simon Wiesenthal won second place in the Internet Review of Books "Lasting Impressions" contest. The IRB is a great place to learn about writing book reviews!


Sue Ellis

Looks like our group will be well represented in Penpricks in June. I received an email on Wednesday saying that I'll appear in June too. Yahoo!


Dawn Goldsmith

Christian Science Monitor has once again published one of my essays, "Sometimes the Questions Matter Most." It ran in the Home Forum Section on May 15, 2008.


Joe Hendrix

When I posted about my YAHOO this morning, I didn't list the publication. I will be published in the June 2008 edition of Pin Pricks Micro Fiction. Felt good to get my first story published. I realize there will be no monetary pay, but with hope my next published piece could bring me millions. I just need a dollar and six numbers. With the right numbers I'll be a millionaire overnight.


Lynne Hinkey

My creative nonfiction essay, "The Lost Art of Funerals" has been accepted for publication in The Battered Suitcase, a new online literary magazine. The first issue comes out on June 1. I'll be in the July issue.

Thanks to all of you who helped with crits!


Ann Hite

I was asked a while ago to write a review for a crime novel, Mas Raike, P.I., by Douglas H. Maloney. The publisher is Water Forest Press. Water Forest is a POD, but the founder really works with her authors to help them move their books. You don't see that with many of the other PODs. Her goal is to one day be an small publisher that doesn't charge her authors book costs. Anyway, I did write the review and it has been published in Hudson View. Hudson View is a journal that can be found in Rockefeller Library at Brown and New York Public Library. It is popular in South Africa and Europe. So my little book review will appear in these places. Not too bad.

Also, My post is up at A Good Blog Is Hard To Find. This is a blog owned by southern authors. I enjoyed writing the post. Also the eighth and ninth Black Mountain story is up at Dead Mule. Enjoy!


Kristen Howe

Today, I got a poem published in Poet's Podium, a Canadian newsletter, without an acceptance letter. Nonetheless, my sunset poem, "Sunlight Simmer" have been accepted. Unfortunately, it's not at the website. (Two of my other poems were rejected.) I got three copies, too. Hooray!


Carter Jefferson

I keep the other editors on the Internet Review of Books too busy to have time topost their yahoos, but I doubt that they'll rebel if I mention that Ruth Douillette and Gary Presley published reviews there on May 15. And so did I.


Ellen Lindquist

At long last, I received a copy of The Binnacle, in which I placed as an "honoree" or "finalist" --whichever term you prefer-- in the 2007 Ultra-Short Contest. (Fellow IWW member Wayne Scheer is also represented.) Upon receiving it from the University of Maine at Machias, all I could say was "Wow!" This is the most exquisite publication I've ever been in. They expertly printed the individual stories on cards (about the size of a Tarot Card deck) and packed them in the most beautiful box --it has a print of a Vermeer painting on it. A card inside the box
thanks Stephen and Tabitha King "whose great generosity has helped The Binnacle to move into a new stage of publishing." For those who like interesting collectibles, this is one to get (I assume back "issues" are also available). At only $5 per boxed set, I'm tempted to get the whole series dating back to 2004.


Julie McGuire

Another wonderful issue of The Internet Review of Books is available for your reading pleasure. You will see a lot of familiar names.

And I have a review available at IRB as well!

Please spread the word to all those book lovers you know. There are some great reviews - fodder for new ideas of books to read.


Eric Petersen

Hey, Folks -

Well, you can add me to the list of IWW members published by Pen Pricks. They're going to publish two of my 55-word stories in the June 2008 issue. One is called "Love Lesson," the other "Thanksgiving." I plugged the Workshop in my bio information. :o)


Rebeca Schiller

My first book review-ever-has been published and posted on the Internet Review of Books for Paul Roberts' "The End of Food." To read my "astute" review, go to http://internetreviewofbooks.com/may08/the_end_of_food.html


Wayne Scheer

To my surprise, when you click on the new issue of the Internet Review of Books, you see my smiling, albeit aging face. My essay, "Bibliotherapy," won First Place in the Lasting Impressions contest. Wahoo!

Also, add my 55-word story, "A Freshly Made Bed," to the host of IWW members with work in the June issue of Pen Pricks.

Finally, Big Pulp bought my story, "And Now for Something Completely Different" for an issue some time in 2009.

Thanks to everyone, particularly the staff at the Internet Review of Books.

Peggy Duffy

I join some great writers here with an appearance at SnipLits. The publisher put me with historical stories, although I think of it as more literary.

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Semi-Serious about Semicolons

The University of Wisconsin's guide to using semicolons

• Savage Chickens
• The Philosophy of Punctuation - Paul Robinson
• Notes on Punctuation - Lewis Thomas
• Semicolon Politics If Not Strong, at Least Tricky: The Middleweight of Punctuation - Sarah Boxer
• The end of the line? - Jon Henley
• Pause Celebre - Trevor Butterworth
• And Now He's Dead: Semicolon; Puncutation Mark - Noelle Hancock
• Celebrating the Semicolon in a Most Unlikely Location - Sam Roberts
• Podcast: Punctuated (Pause) With a Semicolon - Sam Roberts
• Effective writing: If presidential candidates debated use of
• punctuation - Stephen Wilburs
• In Defense of the Semicolon - Martha Brockenbrough
• A Semicolon's Dream Journal - Craig Conley

Call for Submissions: "FieldReport"

This market lead comes from one of the editors of the Cup of Comfort series, who notes "I like the concept, it appears to be legit, there seems to be no risk or cost to writers ..."

It's posted here assuming it's legitimacy, but as always when the IWW Blog lists markets or calls for submissions, it's caveat emptor ...

a new web site that will award significant cash prizes for great pieces of personal writing. I’m contacting you because the site is now going into an invitation-only beta launch with $40,000 to be awarded on July 1. We don’t expect the beta period to have a very large attendance, so the odds are high that people who submit their stories now will win. I’m hoping you will either submit a story or spread the word to friends who might be interested in posting.

The site is called FieldReport, and the contest is for true-life storytelling (2,500 words or less). It is judged through a member ranking system that is new on the Internet; in order to post a story participants must become judges in the competition. This way the stories are ranked by quality, not popularity. The top prize during the beta period is $20,000 for the best overall submission, plus 17 prizes of $1,000 to $2,000 each in categories from Love + Hate to Travel + Nature and everything in between. For your submission to have the best chance in the contest, you probably need to submit within a couple of weeks.

If you think you might be interested, go to FieldReport and explore the site. The beta password is “truelife”. Let me know if you have any feedback about the site; I would love to hear what you think. Also, kindly send this invitation on, but please don't circulate it outside the writers' community.

You're Reading This Because You're Online

... and that may be why the publishing industry is moving toward eliminating the printed catalogs.

In an Associated Press story by Hillel Italie, AP National Writer, it's noted that "HarperCollins announced Monday that it was planning to make their listings of upcoming releases available only online, calling the current system both economically and environmentally indefensible."

"Entirely logical," Mr Spock might say.

After all, it takes only a couple of mouse clicks to immerse yourself in what's upcoming from publishers like ...

• The Penguin Group
• Hachette Book Group USA
• Random House

Thoughts on Experimental Fiction

A Short Essay
By Eric Petersen, IWW's Prose List Administrator

My first exposure to experimental writing was back in 1991 when I read William S. Burroughs' famous novel, Naked Lunch. I had heard about the book before, and just seen David Cronenberg's movie version. The movie was cool, but totally different from the book, which Cronenberg considered unfilmable as is. I disagree, but anyway...

Naked Lunch was first published in Paris in 1959. It was a scathing, surreal, satirical assault on Eisenhower's America, loaded with drug use, extreme violence, and bizarre, often disgusting hardcore sex scenes.

It's also one of the funniest and most brilliant books I've ever read. It's considered one of the most influential novels of all time. But, it's definitely not for all tastes. It's not a book you can "like." You either love it or you hate it. I love it.

Later, in 2001, a friend turned me onto Mark Danielweski. Before that, I enjoyed reading experimental works by John Barth, Kurt Vonnegut, and Richard Brautigan. And let's not forget Jack Kerouac! I've also read almost everything William S. Burroughs wrote, not just Naked Lunch. I've learned a lot from all those writers.

One thing I've learned is that the best experimental writing has a method to its madness and doesn't bog the reader down in endless, pointless poetics, as though he were patronizing an art gallery that contained nothing but collages on its walls.

I have used some experimental writing in my own work. It can make one's writing fresh, but you must take care not to get carried away or you'll end up with an annoyingly pretentious result. I don't know if I could write a completely experimental novel, but I've always been intrigued with the idea of merging traditional narrative with experimental prose.

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• Experimental fiction at Amazon
• Experimental fiction at Barnes & Noble

IWW Members in Print and Published

Sue Ellis

This is my first yahoo. Got an email from Dead Mule yesterday saying that three of my poems have been accepted for August or September publication. Can't begin to wipe the smile off my face.

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Kathy Highcove

Hello all-- I found my last restaurant review for a local deli/grill at Valley Scene Magazine http://www.valleyscenemagazine.com/restaurants/ is another small publication that circulates in the San Fernando Valley. I'm eating out lots these days.

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Rebecca Kellogg

A short essay of mine titled "Each at His Own Pace" is up at Long Story Short under non-fiction. Thank you to the folks on n-fiction who critiqued it a long while back. Here is the url: http://www.alongstoryshort.net/NonFiction-May08.html

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Ann Hite

The third and fourth stories are up at the dead mule. Enjoy. http://www.deadmule.com/fiction

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Kristen Howe

Hi, everyone. Three of my poems are published at Birds at my Window - only one wasn't excepted. My "Seagulls" tanka and two of my haiku, "Harvest Moon" and "Roses" have been published for a week, in spite of email problems. Hooray! There's even an editorial comment by the editor, which is nice, after my bio. Here's the link: http://birdsbywindow.blogspot.com/

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Mel Jacob

Can't remember if I posted that I will be participated in a panel and book signing at Borders Books here in Columbus, OH June 10.

Gayle accepted my review of David Weber's book By Schism Rent Asunder, book 2 in his Safehold series and it will appear in July. Sprawling narrative-epic series with multi POV and complex themes. Science fiction, but with many elements of fantasy as the society moves from primitive technology to true science in the face of Church opposition. Lots of politics, faith, naval battles, and the development of weapons and science.

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Bob Sanchez

Southwest Senior here in Las Cruces publishes a regular feature of reminiscences called "I Remember," and they just published my article about traveling to Germany at the start of my writing career. The editor gave me permission to reprint it on my blog, so here it is:
http://bobsanchez1.blogspot.com/

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Nonfiction member Paul Fein's book Tennis Confidential II received a rave review in Foreword magazine.

"The author draws from a wealth of research and personal experience on many levels. He is an award-winning author of numerous magazine articles on tennis, as well as two books on the subject: Tennis Confidential: Today’s Greatest Players, Matches and Controversies and You Can Quote Me on That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights and Zingers. He has also been a tennis instructor, college referee, tournament consultant, and a committee chairperson for establishing player rankings ... Like a game of tennis, the book has something for everyone. Recreational players will likely read it cover-to-cover. Personality watchers can be more than content to limit themselves to the chapters on the colorful characters, skipping the section on rule changes and scoring systems. And the book might be just the impetus couch potatoes need for digging their rackets out of the closet and donning their whites for a few sets."

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Gary Presley's memoir, Seven Wheelchairs: A Life beyond Polio, appeared for advance order on Amazon. It was later listed on Canada's Indigo Books and Music.

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This Week's Practice Exercise~

A Child is Born

Prepared by: Carter Jefferson
Reposted, revised, on: Sunday, 11, May 2008

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Exercise: In 400 words or less, write a scene in which a birth plays an important part, and show at least the beginnings of the changes this might cause.

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Birth can be an occasion for joy, something to celebrate with flowers and gifts, or it may be a disaster for everyone concerned. Sometimes it even comes as a surprise. It may take place in a hospital, an ordinary bedroom, or a cotton field. In any event, it causes change--in a happy family, in the life of a single mother, or in the hopes of succession for the children of a king.

For this exercise, you need not show your readers the actual birth, though you certainly may, but make sure the scene shows how the event is received by the people it will affect and indicates something of the changes it precipitates.

These exercises were written by IWW members and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its members. You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that you found them at the Internet Writers Workshop.

Cup of Comfort Call for Submissions

A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers
Submission deadline: May 15, 2008 (last call)

Few experiences bring forth as many anxieties, blessings, challenges, wonders, and changes as having a baby—whether it’s your first child or fifth, your birth child or adopted child. And nothing is as miraculous as giving birth to or witnessing the birth of your baby. This heartwarming anthology will be filled with birth stories and newborn homecoming stories as well as a wide range of stories about the various experiences, emotions, and concerns involved in adding a new baby to one’s life and family. Potential topics include but are not limited to: nursing (or not), caring for a newborn, bonding/falling in love with infant, lack of sleep, relationship with spouse, how siblings respond, returning to work, balancing responsibilities, post-partum depression, self transformation, unexpected joys, life lessons, small miracles, etc. The majority of the stories will be about birth children, but the book will likely include a couple adoptive stories as well. Likewise, most of the stories will be written from the new mother’s perspective, but we are open to including a few stories written from the spouse’s or a very close family member’s perspective. All stories will be uplifting and positive, no matter how difficult the situation portrayed in the story might be. We do not want stories that simply recount misfortunes and sorrows and that do not clearly reveal a positive outcome or redeeming result (silver lining).

A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families
Submission deadline: June 15, 2008

The primary purpose of this book is to celebrate adoptive families and to recognize the extraordinary and challenging experiences unique to “chosen children” and their adoptive families. We are most interested in stories written by adult adopted children and their adoptive parents and siblings, but the book will likely include some stories written by members of the extended adoptive family (i.e. grandparent) and birth family members. Virtually any topic relevant to adopted children and their adoptive parents is acceptable—as long as it is authentic, positive, insightful, and uplifting or inspiring. We do not want heartbreaking stories about adoptive or birth families that regret the adoption. All of the stories in this collection must reveal a positive aspect of adoption and must bring comfort, joy, or inspiration to those who have been adopted and/or to the families who adopted them—no matter how difficult the experience and emotions portrayed in the story might be.

A Cup of Comfort for Fathers
Submission deadline: August 1, 2008

The connection between father and child can be as deep as the ocean, as strong as a mountain, and as uplifting as fresh air. For all its rewards, though, fatherhood is not without its challenges. And for all the gifts dads bring to their kids' lives, dads sometimes falter and fumble. Yet, the father-child bond forms, holds, and grows. A Cup of Comfort for Fathers will feature inspiring and insight true stories about the life-defining and life-enriching relationships and experiences shared by fathers and their children. These personal essays will be of varying topics and tones (heartwarming, humorous, poignant, provocative, etc.); about fathers and children of all ages and varying circumstances; and written by fathers, daughters, and sons.

A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Special Needs
Submission deadline: September 15, 2008

For this very special collection, we seek uplifting true stories about the ins and outs, ups and downs, blessing and challenges of parenting children with special needs. The stories will cover children of all ages (birth to adult) and a wide range of developmental, physical, and mental delays/disabilities. No matter how difficult the experiences/emotions conveyed in a story might be (we want them to be authentic, after all), the story must reveal a positive aspect, resolution, or outcome and must be of comfort to parents of children with special needs. Stories may be serious, humorous, insightful, heartwarming, or inspiring. The majority of the stories will be written by parents of children with special needs; we will also consider stories written by adult children with special needs. (No articles or commentaries by clinicians, please.)

A Second Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers
Submission deadline: December 15, 2008

Oh, how we humans love our canine companions -- for so many reasons and in so many ways that one Cup of Comfort collection of uplifting dog stories just wasn’t enough. So we’re giving all you dog-loving writers another opportunity to share your personal stories of canine comfort with a growing legion of dog-loving readers. This volume will feature both serious and humorous anecdotal stories covering a wide range of topics and perspectives and varying breeds of dogs. We do NOT want sad stories about a dog’s illness, injury, or death, though we will consider stories that weave a beloved pet’s illness or death into an otherwise positive story. The story should focus on the dog’s remarkable attributes and/or actions as well as on the special relationship between the dog and his/her human(s).

A Cup of Comfort for the Grieving Heart
Submission deadline: February 1, 2009

When a loved one passes away, comfort is often fleeting and hard to come by. Yet, even a small comfort, like a personal story of how someone has faced a similar loss, does help to ease the sorrow. This volume will feature uplifting personal stories that reveal the special relationships and extraordinary experiences shared by the deceased and his/her loved one(s) immediately before, during, and after the loved one’s passing; it will also includes stories about the internal and external processes by which one deals with and heals from the loss of a loved one. The stories will vary with regard to subject matter, circumstances of death, and the relationship of the author to the individual who has passed away. The book will not include eulogies, profiles/memoirs of people who have passed away, or clinical depictions of death and dying.

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All Cup of Comfort stories must be original; true; appropriate for mainstream Americans (adult, primarily women); inspiring, comforting, and/or uplifting; and 1,000 to 2,000 words. Creative nonfiction and narrative essays preferred (that is, incorporating such fictive elements as scene, dialogue, character/plot development, imagery, and literary word usage). Whether serious or humorous, the story should be authentic and engaging. Electronic submissions preferred. One submission per email. Copy and paste (or type) into body of email. No formatting (no indents, centering, doublespace, bold, underline, etc.). Each submission must include: author’s full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, story title, story wordcount, and theme of volume for which it is being submitted (i.e., Grieving Hearts).

A New Publisher

"More information and a real website will emerge as plans take shape for Bell Bridge, which will be a Print-on-Demand/ebook press, paying small advances and standard royalties."

• belle bridge books

The parent company is Belle Books.

A writer friend, one who is multi-published (nearly 30 books) and is business-wise, sent me the link with the note " ... I know the several women of belle books and they are all great/knowledgeable.."

A Resource for Writers

Dustin Wax's lists of ...

• 9 Free Apps Every Writer Should Consider
• 10 Online Apps and Services Every Writer Should Check Out
• 10 Sites Every Writer Should Bookmark (Besides Lifehack)
• 30 Lifehack Posts Every Writer Should Read
• 5 Online Communities Every Writer Should Join

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• And don't worry. One of the IWW admins recently nominated the IWW for inclusion as one of the "Online Communities Every Writer Should Join." But it wouldn't hurt to second the motion.

Use Outlook? You May Want Xobni.

From an article in the New York Times ...

"Xobni ... is ... a new tool ... that plugs into Outlook."

Xobni is meant to speed up and increase the effectiveness of searching Outlook. It's free for personal use. A commercial version is available for sale.

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• From the Xobni site ...

"Xobni offers a new way to organize and search your Outlook email. Xobni creates profiles for each person that emails you. These profiles contain relationship statistics, contact information, social connections, threaded conversations, and shared attachments. Our users tell us that Xobni makes your inbox work the way your mind does."

• The Xobni blog ...

Print? Or Internet?

There was an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday that asked that particular question.

It may be a niche publisher, but the International Data Group has been working out the answers to some big mainstream questions. The biggest one: Can print media survive the transition to the Internet?

It's an interesting piece, devoted mostly to news and information rather than short stories and novels. It notes that information must be delivered in small doses, with the accompanying advantage of following quick-breaking stories immediately rather than adhering to a print schedule.

• Read the full article here.