Spirit of Kentucky:Bourbon Cookbook/Call for Submissions

My latest literary adventure has taken me on a new and exciting route, which led to me researching and writing Spirit of Kentucky: Bourbon Cookbook. Each of over 500 recipes has a note about the history of the recipe or information about an ingredient. If you prefer not to use bourbon in a recipe, you have that choice. Most recipes have a subsitute for bourbon or the option of omitting the ingredient. Bourbon balls are the exception. I know of no way to make bourbon balls without bourbon.

I love research because I’m always learning something new and interesting. One tidbit I learned is that we can make vanilla flavoring oh so easily—and cheaper. That’s an idea I had never considered.

I approached the research for the cookbook the same way I approach writing a nonfiction children’s book. I wanted to make the Notes section a fun read-aloud. As I researched I kept thinking about what a cook would enjoy learning about a recipe, food, or ingredient. In doing so, I accumulated more information than I would ever need. A surplus of facts gave me the luxury of picking and choosing the most interesting pieces to use in the book. Reseaching a subject is like digging a well. The more we dig, the more information we gain. As we dig we uncover interesting bits that surprise us.

For adult writers:·
From Robert Lee Brewer: “I will consider poetry submissions for the 2013 Poet’s Market. 20 previously unpublished poems will be selected for publication in the book, and the poets will receive a paycheck for their poems.” Deadline is August 15. Pays: “publication, $50 payment, and a contributor copy of the 2013 Poet’s Market.” For more information/detailed guidelines, see http://bit.ly/lpLaGQ.

Note: I’ll resume posting for young writers in September.

Writing Workshop for Children's Writers, Contest, Call for Submission

Anyone interested in participating in a children’s writing workshop? I’ll be conducting two different sessions July 12 in Berea, Kentucky, at the Festival of Learnshops. Sign up for these workshops and check out other classes at http://www.berea.com/?page_id=24. This summer from July 9-16, Berea is hosting the week-long event with a variety of classes, including writing, water color and pastel art, cornshuck art, blacksmithing, broom making and lots more. We’ll have fun and learn at the same time. That’s a promise. Here are the descriptions of my two sessions:

Writing for Children
Have you dreamed of writing a book for children? I will introduce you to the ins and outs of writing fiction and nonfiction children’s book manuscripts. Learn solutions to plot problems, where to start the story, and how to add zing with descriptive language as I present my own books as demonstrative models. How do you polish a manuscript to a spit-shine? Revision, of course. I will help your tackle revision, one layer at a time. Join the fun and learn the know-how to develop your ideas into picture books. My latest picture book, Trouble in Troublesome Creek, was selected to represent Kentucky at the 2010 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. One book per state was chosen. Another book, On the Banks of the Amazon, won the 2005 Children’s Book of the Year by the Appalachian Writers Association. I’ve written 20 picture books and one chapter book. More are in various stages of publication.

Time: 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: Broadway Center, 204 North Broadway, Berea, KY
Price: $30
Age: 15 years and up

Pathway to Publication of Children’s Books
Polished writing trumps all, and that includes a bare resume. Do you have a written story or one in mind? Join me as I route you down the road to publication. I will introduce you to manuscript formats, information for cover and query letters, what to include in a synopsis, and the qualities of a good children’s book. Get the lowdown on trends in today’s literature for children and whether an agent is needed. You’ll leave the session steps closer to publication.

Time: 2 pm-5 pm
Location: Broadway Center, 204 North Broadway, Berea, KY
Price: $30
Age: 15 years and up

Contest for Adult Writers
Cheerios is searching for the next great children’s book author. It could be you! Just enter your original children’s book story.
Deadline:July 15, 2011.
Details at http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/

For Young Writers
Cobblestone, 20 Grove St., Peterbough, NH 03458. Publishes a variety of material; however, you are asked to write first and ask for guidelines and upcoming themes.

Tribute to Paul Brett Johnson/Contest/Call for Submissions

This blog is dedicated to a wonderful friend, children’s book author, illustrator, and artist, Paul Brett Johnson. He and I are from Knott County, Kentucky. We both write children’s books and know many of the same people and places, so we had a lot in common. My friend and fellow writer passed away this week due to a sudden and unexpected illness. He’ll be missed.

In one of my earliest conversations with Paul Brett, he told me he had struggled for years trying to get a book contract. At the time of his struggles, he was frustrated with all the rejections, but he kept writing, illustrating, and submitting work. The work paid off as his writing improved and he learned more about the publishing process. By the time his first book, The Cow That Wouldn’t Come Down, was published, he was glad his earlier versions of the story had been rejected because those less-than-polished versions would not have garnered the acclaim the book received. His point was that writers should not get in a hurry with a manuscript. Revise, revise, revise until the story is the best it can be. With a more experienced eye, he looked back at his earlier writing attempts and saw that they were lacking in some way, but after years of practice and know-how, he developed the skills to polish the manuscripts. Another lesson learned: join a critique group so you, too, can have an experienced eye review your manuscripts.

Contest for Adult Writers
SPS Studios announces Its Eighteenth Biannual Poetry Card Contest
1st prize: $300 * 2nd prize: $150 * 3rd prize: $50
In addition, the winning poems will be displayed on our website sps.com. Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although we find that non-rhyming poetry reads better. We suggest that you write about real emotions and feelings and that you have some special person or occasion in mind as you write.
Poems are judged on the basis of originality and uniqueness. All entries must be the original creation of the submitting author.
Deadline: June 30, 2011
Details at http://www.sps.com/poetry/index.html

Call for Submissions for Young Writers
Jack And Jill, P.O. Box 567, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Publishes stories, poems, riddles, and jokes written by students in grades 2-6.

Young Adult Books/Calls for Submissions

When I decide to write a book about a particular subject, I try to determine what the interest of the audience (age group). If the book is fiction, my goal is to entertain and write in a voice the audience will appreciate and enjoy. Reading a variety of books in the genre of which I’m writing is a definite goal. Each author approaches writing a little differently so I’m always learning and improving my craft.

For young adult writers, Teens' Top Ten offers a list of "teen choice" books. Teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! If you’re writing for teens, these 25 books are a good start in learning what teens like to read.

The 2011 Nominees:
· Bachorz, Pam. Drought. Egmont USA. 2011. (978606840160).
· Beam, Cris. I Am J. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2011. (9780316053617).
· Beaudoin, Sean. You Killed Wesley Payne. 2011. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. (9780316077422).
· Black, Holly and Justine Larbalestier. Zombies vs. Unicorns. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books. 2010. (9781416989530).
· Card, Orson Scott. The Lost Gate. Tor Books. 2011. (9780765326577).
· Clare, Cassandra. The Clockwork Angel. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry. 2010. (9781416975861).
· Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. Scholastic. 2010. (9780439023511).
· Collins, Yvonne. Love, Inc. Disney/Hyperion. 2011. (9781423131151).
· Condie, Ally. Matched. 2010. Penguin/Dutton. (9780525423645).
· Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade. Penguin/Philomel. 2010. (9780399254826).
· Fitzpatrick, Becca. Crescendo. Simon & Schuster Children’s. 2010. (9781416989431).
· Grant, Michael. Lies. 2010. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books. (9780061449093).
· Hawkins, Rachel. Demonglass. Disney/Hyperion. 2011. (9781423121312).
· Hakwins, Rachel. Hex Hall. Disney/Hyperion. 2010. (9781423121305).
· Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King. 2010. Harlequin. (9780373210084).
· Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four. HarperCollins. 2010. (9780061969553).
· Moore, Peter. Red Moon Rising. Disney/Hyperion. 2011. (9781423116653).
· Nelson, Jandy. The Sky is Everywhere. 2010. Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers. (9780142417805).
· Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2010. (9780061726804).
· O’Neal, Ellis. The False Princess. Egmont USA. 2011. (9781606840795).
· Patterson, James. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel. Little, Brown & Company. 2011. (9780316036207).
· Pearce, Jackson. Sisters Red. Little, Brown and Company. 2010. (9780316068680).
· Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Blessed. Candlewick Press. 2011. (9780763643263).
· Westerfeld, Scott. Behemoth. Simon Pulse. 2010. (9781416971757).
· White, Kiersten. Paranormalcy. HarperCollins/HarperTeen. 2010. (9780061985843).

Call for submissions for adult writers:
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES. We are currently seeking experimental nonfiction for our "Pushing the Boundaries" section ("experimental," "boundaries," yes, these can be loaded terms). We want writing that blows our minds with its ingenuity, essays that not only push the boundaries of the genre, but tear down the borders. Be ambitious and send us work like we've never seen before.
As always, there's only on stipulation--the pieces must be true.
Deadline: June 13, 2011, and "Pushing the Boundaries" must be clearly marked on the envelope and cover letter.
Details at http://creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/submittocnf.htm#boundaries

Call for submissions for young writers:
Bitterroot Poetry Magazine. P.O. Box 489, Spring Glen, NY 12483. Publishes poetry. ubmit up to 4 poems at a time.

Poetry How Do I Know Thee?, part III/Call for Submissions/Contest

Poems that contain figurative language can be fun and even silly, but they still have to make sense. Poems vary in length. Some rhyme; some don’t. Either way works. Here are some different types of poems.

Alliterative poem:

Three Grey Geese by Mother Goose
Three grey geese in a green field grazing,
Grey were the geese and green was the grazing.


A Shape Poem, also called a calligram, is written in the shape of the subject matter. A poem about a mountain would be shaped like a mountain. A valentine poem may be shaped like a heart.

“If I….” Poem

Set your imagination to the wind and soar with ideas. Here are a few to try:

“If I were the wind”
“If I were invisible”
“If I could fly”
“If I lived in 1750”

An acrostic poem is formed by writing a word vertically down the page, one letter per line. Each line of the poem is about the subject. Names are a good way to write these poems. Here’s an example of one about spring

Sharp chill turns warm
Plants pop out of the ground
Roses bloom
Irises blossom
Nature rules
Growing, flowering, coloring the world

Let your poems tell a story and see where the story takes you. Most of all, have fun with words. Play with them until they sound like music to your ears.

Call for submissions for adult writers:
Past Loves Day Story Contest, 2011. Write your true story of a former sweetheart, in 700 words or less. Awards: $100, $75, $50, Honorable Mention(s). Winning stories will be published in an upcoming anthology. No entry fee. Authors retain all rights.
Deadline: August 17, 2011.
Details: www.ourpastloves.com/contest


Contest for young writers:

THE BIG DIG SCHOLARSHIP. One $3,000 award. Deadline June 1, 2011. Must be currently in
grade 12 and planning on entering college in 2011 or be in your first or second year of college. In 200 years, one of your relatives is going to be digging in your backyard. They will find something you buried in 2011, and it is going to put any financial worries they have to rest. Your job is to decide what to bury. Your goal is to find something that will have immense value in the future. The item must be
currently sold in a story today and cost under $500. The essay must be between 500 and 1,000 words. Be sure to answer all of the following questions in your essay:
1. What is the item you will bury?
2. Where could you purchase the item today?
3. How much does the item cost?
4. What made you choose this item?
5. Why do you believe that the item will have immense value
200 years from now?

Details: http://www.antiquetrader.tv/studentscholarship.php

Poetry, how do I know thee? Part II/Call for Submissions/Contest

Poets use comparisons, or figurative language, to help readers see common objects in a new way and to add interest, imagery, and meaning to the writing. Figurative language goes beyond the usual meaning of words and provides another suggestion or association.

Metaphors compare two objects without using “like” or “as”. My heart is a hammer certainly adds imagery. A friend who has a wonderful sense of humor gave me this imagery-laden metaphor: a caterpillar is an upholstered worm.

Personification is a type of metaphor that makes a comparison by giving human qualities to animals or objects. The wind whistled a shout. The star winked at me.

Hyperbole is often used in poems and tall tales. The exaggerated comparsions are used for emphasis and are sometimes funny. I’ve told you a billion times not to exaggerate. I’m so tired I could sleep as long as Rip Van Winkle. My cow is so ugly, I had to pay flies to buzz it.

Using figurative language is effective because it makes poetry and creative writing easier to understand and more interesting. Give it a try.

Call for Submissions for adult writers:
The Single Hound , a new on-line literary journal, is accepting submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, & book and film reviews.

Details: http://www.thesinglehound.com/submissions.html

Contest for young writers:
COYOTE'S HOWL FOR YOUNG WRITERS. Students aged 9 to 14. Various genres and topics, up to 1,000 words. First deadline August 14, 2011. Enter online. Contest winners receive an autographed copy of "Gift of the Desert Dog", the first book in The Borderlands Trilogy, and a personal letter of congratulations from author Robert Hunton. All qualified entries will be posted on website. Teachers see website to submit class work. Students and adults can rate entries to help in the evaluation process. Final winners chosen by publisher.
Details: http://howl.openbookspress.com/

Next week, I’ll discuss a few types of poems.

Poetry in Prose/Call for Submissions/Contest

When I write children’s picture books, I stick to prose rather than a rhyming text. But, as with poems, I strive to evoke strong visual images or emotions with few words. And, as with poems, if the story line is humorous, I add the punch line at the end to surprise the reader. In these respects, I find that writing picture books and poetry are similar. Writing poetry helps writers become more adept at writing picture books because it teaches us to create vivid mental pictures using few words.

Poetry, how do I know thee? Let me count the ways.
· Economy of words—says a lot in a little with carefully selected words.
· Speaks in a special way by evoking feelings of joy, sadness, surprise, and more.
· Sounds like music to the ear
· Uses imagery to help the reader “see” a mental picture
· Rhythmical patterns
· Incorporates storytelling with a beginning, middle, and end

In order to say a lot with few words, poets make comparisons using similes. Similes use “like” or “as” to compare two different objects. In my book, Happy Birthday the Story of the World's Most Popular Song, I used this simile: Words tripped off her tongue, smoothly as ice cream dripping from a cone on an August afternoon. Words and ice cream seem to be objects of unlikely comparisons until they’re used in a simile. These words did more than compare. They evoked the feeling of a hot, steamy day and painted a picture of how words could flow smoothly as ice cream.

Next week we’ll look at how poets make comparisons with metaphors, personification, and hyperbole.

Call for submissions for adult writers:
221b Magazine Summer Issue: a short story competition. The best six entries will be included in the next edition of our magazine.

Anyone who submits must first read our terms and conditions:
Deadline: 31st May 2011 Tuesday
Details: http://221bmagazine.co.uk

Contest for young writers:
The Hummingbird Guide is hosting their first Children's Story Contest about hummingbirds. Minimum of 300 words for submission.
· Submit original work written by you.
· Contest open to ages 6 to 12.
· Fill out the "name" box and be sure to include your age.
· Winners will be selected based on visitor comments (favorites).
· Submissions deadline is May 31, 2011.
· Details at http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/kids-hummingbird-writing-contest.html