December 2020 – Idaho Writer's Update

30 January 2021 : Join ICAN for a “Write on Writing Retreat”

The Idaho Creative Writer’s Network (ICAN) invites everyone to join together for a full-day writing retreat. Register ahead of time (or just show up). It’s:

Free
Online (so no COVID-19 worries and clothing is casual-casual)

On January 30, we’ll welcome you at 9:00 am on Facebook, meet back at noon to check our progress, have a mid-afternoon Facebook break and then conclude at 5:00 pm on Facebook to report our mutual success.

Read more about it on the Idaho Creative Writer’s Network website and on the ICAN Facebook page.

See you there!

Write on “Rupture” : Due 8 February 2021

The Cabin’s Writers In The Attic is an annual contest for any Idaho writer. The winning submissions are published in the next issue. There’s always a theme; the last one was “Apple” and the one for the current contest is “Rupture”. There’s a modest submission fee ($10/$15) that covers up to three poems or stories.

Read more about it on The Cabin’s Writers In The Attic page and submit your work!

Sherry Briscoe — Support each other along the way

In our online interview with author Sherry Briscoe, she stresses the importance of authors finding a support system and supporting each other along the way.

Sherry primarily writes mystery thrillers. Recently, she’s begun to switch focus and is developing some women’s fiction projects that include subplots of suspense and romance.

Do you work with children’s books?

A new addition to our Writers’ organizations in (and near) Idaho page is the local (Utah and southern Idaho) chapter of SCBWI — the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illlustrators.

They’re currently meeting via Zoom (online conference, during COVID) with the next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 19 January 2021 at 6:30 p.m. You can network with colleagues and even submit your work for feedback. Contact maryannfraser.com to register for the meeting and to answer any questions you might have.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Kay Snow Writing Contest closes 31 December 2020

Our writing sisters and brothers with Willamette Writers in Oregon conduct this annual contest and it’s open for submissions now through 23:59 on 31 December.

Markya Biaggio, author of Parlor Games, said: “When I was discouraged about my first novel I submitted a chapter to the Willamette Writers Kay Snow Contest and won a prize. That award gave me just the boost I needed to start a new novel… It gave me credibility, enough credibility to convince quite a few agents to take a look at my next novel. …I believe submitting one’s best work to contests is well worth the effort.”

Categories are:

Fiction (flash, short story, novella, novel excerpt)
Creative nonfiction (essay and memoir)
Poetry
Drama and screenplay
Students (divisions are Grades 1-6 and Grades 7-12)

Read all about it and submit your work today!

Mexican Gothic : From manuscript to marketplace

The Authors Guild is presenting Silvia Moreno-Garcia in conversation with Ashleigh Heaton, Julie Leung, and Eddie Schneider on the ever-relevant topic of marketing for authors. Learn more about the book, the author, and the panelists — and sign up.

“Designed with an audience of fellow writers in mind, From Manuscript to Marketplace offers candid conversations about the current realities of publicity, social media, virtual events, working with agents and editors, and more.”

The Zoom meeting requires registration but is free. It begins at 4 p.m. 15 December 2020.

Romance Writers Conference – full recordings available

The next best thing to being there, the full set of recordings of the “Romance Around the World” Spring Fling Writers Conference presented by Chicago-North RWA in July 2020 is available for purchase and viewing through 27 July 2021. The archive will only be available until that date.

Highlights include:

Thursday full-day master class with Zoe York (additional fee of $25 applies)
Three-hour master classes (included in registration fee)
Wide selection of online workshops for both published and unpublished writers covering craft, business/career, and marketing/promotion
Keynotes by our headliners, award-winning authors Alyssa Cole and Sarah MacLean

Price is $125 (or $150 if you want to include the full-day master class).