Clever Way to Fund Writing Groups

To fund Christian Writer's Guild, President R.T. Bynum self-publishes an annual anthology. The writings are derived mostly from unpublished members of the writing guild.

Now, for the third year in a row, the members and the cover artist have taken the Guild's unofficial slogan to heart; "Writers must always be writing, and should write what should be published.

To learn more about how your writing group could grow in confidence, financial funding and camaraderie click here to read the article in detail.

As a final word, our Guild encourages all writing groups to consider similar projects. Get a copy of one of the many anthologies on the market or try one of ours listed above. See how the book is put together and accept our challenge to write and publish. After all, that's what we, as authors, do. If we can be of any help to you, you may contact us at http://www.christianauthorsguild.org/.

Georgia Boiling Over School Closing

Last Friday, Governor Sonny Perdue forced a "voluntary closing" of most of the public schools here in Georgia on Monday and Tuesday. To conserve gas in Georgia that has been in short supply since the two gulf coast hurricanes(Katrina and Rita) public schools will take two snow days early. According to Gov. Perdue Georgia has used 2/3 of its gas reserves.

News4Jax reports...

Perdue made his decision after learning that a Houston-to-New York pipeline that supplies most of Georgia's gasoline had been shut down, said Dan McLagan, Perdue's spokesman. On Sunday, the pipeline was operating only sporadically.

AJC reports...

Gov. Sonny Perdue asked for the closings on Friday, estimating that closing all of the state's schools would save about 250,000 gallons of diesel fuel by idling buses, plus an undetermined amount of gasoline by allowing teachers, staff members and some parents to stay home. Electricity also would be conserved by keeping the schools closed, he said.

Well...child...parents
are hopping mad at about it.

Well, I can only assume that Sonny wants to be viewed as a bigger moron than his hero W Bush. As far as symbols go, how about the State exercising emminent domain and confiscating all SUV’s over 5000 lbs. Now that would be a real gas saver.-Rongshi

What an absolutely bone-headed move to close all public schools. Parents will have to take off work, therby losing productivity, and our already poor education system will get even worse. Governer Perdue, I am a republican, but I cannot support you on this one.
-Chris Berry

And suprisingly, I'm not. :) Perdue can't force hummer, limo, monster truck drivers to leave their cars home. But he can keep the buses off the road, shut down the cafeteria, to ensure that the hummer drivers have free reign to hog the road. I'm not sure if any parents in my neighborhood had a problem, since most of us are stay-at-home moms, homeschoolers or work at home moms. I thought for sure one of Selah's friend's parents would have called me to child sit. Instead Selah had offers to spend the school holiday at her friends homes. I took them on that offer.

My best advice. As a single, disabled, poor mother...always have friends who are homeschoolers, stay-at homes, Girl Scout Leaders or business owners. You never run out of cheap or free sitters. :)

Dee

Denominationalism?

Deboray Gyapong has posed a question at The Master Artist that has been simmering around the christian view and other christian writing groups potts? Denominationalism in our writing.
Deborah asks...

Where do you draw the line in denominational distinctives?
What would turn you off and perhaps deter you from reading a particular author. If you knew the author were a Mormon or Jehovah's witness, would you be as enthusiastic about picking up a book? What about a Catholic? Calvinist? Arminian? Liberal Episcopalian? What are the things in a work that allow you to overcome a leeriness about a worldview you disagree with?

I've been reading comments from other members of the Writers View Forum and didn't think I should post. But I will post a quick response here for Deborah as it relates to christian fiction not self-help or nonfiction.

Where do you draw the line in denominational distinctives?
When it places itself above other Christians. When it seeks to separate or divide us.

What would turn you off and perhaps deter you from reading a particular author.
The denomination wouldn't bother me, but preachy dialogue and propaganda pieces turn me off.

What are the things in a work that allow you to overcome a leeriness about a worldview you disagree with?
Hadn't had that happened yet. But the second I read a character call a black person "colored," the book goes back.The only books that I will allow that is historical fiction or classics. Otherwise, I don't see denomination. I see unapologetic ignorance.

Dee

The Craft: Short Story Creation

I received the current issue of AWP's magazine, The Writer's Chronicle, this weekend at the Independent Small Press Conference and ran across a great article, "How to Write like Alice Munro" by Canadian writer, Kim Aubrey.

The article is seven pages long and chocked full of works cited. I love that. So you will have to pick up a copy to read the article in full detail. But since this my short story writing season, I thought I would a snippet of one point of this article to the blog for a craft exercise--Munro's thoughts on short story creation.

Who is Munro? And why should I care? Click here.

Munro believes that you should tackle a short story(particularly character development) like a novel. "I can't see them just as now, packed into the stress of the moment."

Aubrey buttresses her finding with an interview Munro had with Deborah Treisman of the New Yorker(Telling Stories.) Munro states. "I always think it[her short story] is a novel." You can hear the full interview here.

Craft exercise for the week: Do you have a WIP sleeping under your bed? Take it out and condense it into a long short story. Then email it to me and we will talk about it. I will post mine on the blog sometime this month. Remind me.

Writing to see what the end's gon' be,
Dee

BET Books on Black Christian Fiction Trend

An excerpt from the article, "Christian Fiction Fills an Inspirational void for Readers", written By Tamara Holmes, Special to BET.com...
Faith is particularly important to the Black community. In fact, 91 percent of Black adults surveyed reported that they had prayed in the past week compared to 81 percent of White adults, 86 percent of Hispanics and 46 percent of Asians, according to Barna Research Group, Ltd.

Publishing outfits such as Time Warner Book Group’s Walk Worthy Press and BET Books’ New Spirit line have sought to capture this burgeoning market.

“Daily routines, life challenges and tragedies often provoke spiritual questions of existence, purpose, and of a possible higher power in understanding the ways of the world,” says Linda Gill, vice president of BET Books. “These are the issues addressed in New Spirit titles.”

Click on title for full article which includes syndicated columnist and author,Stacy Hawkins Adams and Walk Worthy Press Publisher, Denise Stinson.

Submission Call: Creative Non-fiction/AIDS

My good friend, media guru and noted syndicated columnist, Gil Robertson wants your story. If you have been impacted by the HIV crisis, be a part of a upcoming book. "Not in My Family - AIDS in the African-American Community," will be released next year on World AIDS Day. Robertson is soliciting submissions for the book. If you have a story to tell about your family's experience with AIDS, or want more information about the project please contact Gil via gilrobertson at robertsontreatment dot com.

Dee

Bookwatch: Thicker than Water

Thicker than Water BET/New Spirit releases Kendra Norman-Bellamy, Maxine Billings, Linda Hudson-Smith's anthalogy Thicker than Water about the power of twins.

Anthology overview:

"A Gracious Thanksgiving(Norman-Bellamy") is the story of fraternal twins, Deshawn and Shandi who were raised apart and have led very different lives. When Shandi, now in her twenties, seeks out her birth mother, she instead finds Deshawn. DJ, as he is affectionately known, is now a pastor and has enjoyed a privileged middle-class life, nothing like Shandi's lifelong struggle to survive. Only with DJ's heartfelt love and guidance will she be able to break through the feelings of resentment and jealousy that threaten to overtake her.

"The Devil's Advocate(Hudson-Smith)" chronicles the life of Malachi Trudeaux who was estranged from his wife for many years and denied access to twins Stephen and Stephanie during their childhood. Now a wealthy man, Malachi invites his children to visit his New Orleans estate. His generosity divides them. Stephanie is willing to forgive, but Stephen is bitterly clinging to the hurts of the past. Can Stephanie help her brother accept the unconditional love that will bring him home?

"A Healing of the Hearts(Billings)" is the tale of twins, Kenya and Zaire, once inseparable but now strangers at the age of thirty. Raised by their maternal grandmother after their parents' tragic deaths, they vowed to stay together forever. And they did...until Zaire met a man and fell in love after high school. Zaire followed her new love to New York, leaving Kenya to look after their elderly grandmother. It'll take a special wish to erase years of misunderstanding and prove that family bonds still hold strong.

"A dazzling trio of authors brings you tales of hope, true faith and reconciliation, as three sets of twins rediscover what really matters..."

~ BET Books

I'm awaiting my copy of this novel. Because I have a twin brother('sup, Big Dave! :) ,) I'm interested to see, if the authors come close to the bond we have. Note: Kendra, you could've called me for research. :)

Dee