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WRITING KID
Volume 10, Issue 23           -       November 14, 2010

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The zine for future writers today.
 
Publisher/Editor: C. Hope Clark
Mailto:      Hope@FundsforWriters.com

Published biweekly and free for the asking. Spread it around.

TELL YOUR TEACHERS ABOUT WRITING KID!

Find this newsletter online at
www.fundsforwriters.com/writingkid.htm
 
Read the archived editions at:
http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?writingkid

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WRITING NOTES
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Most Talkative. Not

By Ruth Schiffmann

During an informal ceremony during my last days of Junior
High, I was awarded a certificate proclaiming me "Most
Talkative." It was a joke, bestowed by a group of teachers
alongside awards to my classmates such as "Best Listener"
(given to the kid who talked nonstop) and "Most Likely to
Win the Nobel Prize" (given to the class clown.)

Though it was a unique way to be recognized, I wasn't
surprised by the sentiment. Words were not my friends.
Spoken words, that is. I was painfully shy, cringed at the
sound of my own voice, and preferred to spend my days in
silence whenever possible.

Thankfully, I discovered another side to words. Written words.
They allowed me to record my thoughts, while choosing who
would be on the receiving end. They were less final; I could
fuss over each sentence until I got them just right. After
years of isolating myself, writing allowed me to express
myself and connect with others in a way that I was
comfortable with.

If you're a fellow wordophile, whether your love is for
the spoken or written word, there are some fun sites that
will feed your need for new and interesting wordage.

Take Our Word For It is a monthly webzine that examines
the evolution of words, answers questions on word history,
provides a column for readers to speak out, as well as
including humorous word play in their "funny stuff"
department. Check out this month's "Sez You" column where
the validity of irregardless as a word is disputed by
readers all over the world. www.takeourword.com

The Double-Tongued Dictionary records words "from the
fringes of English," terms and expressions that are absent
from mainstream dictionaries, such as jeggings - jeans that
fit like leggings, and globesity - the global obesity
epidemic. http://www.doubletongued.org/

Vocabula Review lists newly coined words and fellow language
lovers can submit their own neologism for possible inclusion.
Recent additions include gleck - the one glitter speck that
you can never seem to get off. And you've got to love wook
- a book about words. http://www.vocabula.com/

If words fascinate you, you're not alone; Worldwide Words
has lists of weird words and it's addicting. Once you start
clicking on words like bafflegab, arenaceous, frigorific,
and jobbernowl, you just can't stop!
http://www.worldwidewords.org/index.htm

Worthless Word For the Day brings obscure words to light
that may actually be worthy of everyday use. Abdominous may,
indeed, be a kinder way of saying pot-bellied. And would
you believe that cyanthropy means the delusion that one is
a dog? I'm not only surprised that there's a word for that,
but I have to wonder how many people suffer from the
condition. http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd/

Visit Quadrivial Quandary to exercise your sentence-building
creativity and expand your vocabulary. Each day they offer
four unusual words and challenge you to use them all in
one illustrative sentence. Go back through their library
and explore earlier Quandaries, consisting of words like
ivory tower, eclectic, pink and quaggy, then give it a try
yourself!  www.quadrivialquandary.com

BIO - A hopeless wordie, Ruth Schiffmann is particularly obsessed
with words about words. She can often be found browsing
through Merriam-Webster's Online Open Dictionary for New
Words and Slang, reveling over entries like wordaholic,
wordology, and wordvention. The results of her own word-
wrangling efforts can be viewed at www.RuthSchiffmann.com.

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Always keep writing.

    Hope
 
PS
We cover elementary to college teens. Each week we
carry 12 or so opportunities for all ages. Read each
market closely. Some cover a wide range and others
address a very small age group. Always read the directions!

We need guest articles. Have you considered writing a
guest article for WritingKid? Are you a student, a parent,
a teacher? All are eligible. Just make sure the topic
touches upon writing and runs no more than 500-550 words.
Those under 16 receive the book of their choice. Those
over 16 receive $10-$20, depending on the quality of the
piece, the amount of editing required and the obvious
amount of research. Send any submissions to
hope@fundsforwriters.com and label it SUBMISSION TO
WRITINGKID.

 
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1.
INTERNATIONAL YOUTH WRITING CONTEST
http://2020conference.ifpri.info/youth-writing-contest/
---
Young people between the ages of 14 and 18 are invited to
participate by submitting an essay, short story, poem, open
letter to a national leader, short play, or other text on
the question, "How can we use agriculture to produce more
food, generate food of better quality, and improve people's
nutrition and health?" Entries must be in English and no
longer than 2,000 words. Submission deadline is December
13, 2010. First prize in the contest is US$500, plus 25
copies of the booklet in which the winning essay will be
published along with selected other contributions. Runners
up will receive US$250 and 10 copies of the booklet.

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2.
WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL
http://2011.wifilmfest.org/entry/index.php
---
Open Reel Deadline: December 1, 2010
Wisconsin's Own Deadline: December 1, 2010
Student Deadline: December 31, 2010
The Wisconsin Film Festival will be held Wednesday, 30 March
to Sunday, 3 April, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. It is presented
by the University of Wisconsin/Madison Arts Institute. The
Festival welcomes narrative, documentary, experimental, and
animated films or videos of any length. There are two
categories: Open Reel (general submissions of any length,
open worldwide) and Wisconsin?s Own (films of any length from
filmmakers with ?Wisconsin ties?). Films made by students are
eligible in both categories. The Wisconsin Film Festival used
to have a category for films by Wisconsin college students
or Wisconsin residents attending college in another state:
Wisconsin Student Shorts. Starting with the 2011 Festival,
this has been simplified so that any film with a Wisconsin
connection gets submitted into the single ?Wisconsin?s Own?
category. There is still a discounted entry fee ($10) and
different deadline for student-made films. The selection
process will also still evaluate student work separately
from non-student films.

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3.
CLEOPATRA LITERARY CONTEST FOR YOUNG WOMEN
http://www.stephaniedray.com/fun/literary-award/
---
This literary contest is named after the inspirational Cleopatra
VII of Egypt, who was an author of works about cosmetics,
pharmacology and weights & measures. Established and sponsored
by author Stephanie Dray, the competition is aimed at
discovering and mentoring aspiring young female writers. In
particular, the award seeks to foster new voices with an
appreciation for women's history. Deadline March 1, 2011.
Entries are limited in length to 2,000 words. Short stories,
essays, poems, and excerpts from novels and novellas are
welcome, in any genre, as long as they focus on one of the
themes.

Teen Category Winner:  Choice of $100 cash or a brand new
E-reader, in addition to an award certificate, a month-long
writing mentorship with Ms. Dray, a feature article in her
blog and newsletter, and a critique from NY literary agent,
Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates.

Young Women Category Winner: Choice of $100 cash or a brand
new E-reader, in addition to an award certificate, a month-
long writing mentorship with Ms. Dray, a feature article in
her blog and newsletter, and a critique from NY literary agent,
Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates.

Finalists:  Constructive feedback from publishing professionals,
mention on Ms. Dray's blog and newsletter, an award certificate,
and a free book courtesy of contest sponsors.

Females ages 13-18 for the teen category.
Females ages 19-22 for the young women's category.

This is an international contest, so writers outside of
the US are eligible.
 
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4.
SIERRA NEVADA COLLEGE WRITING CONTEST
http://www.sierranevada.edu/1266
---
Our competition is open to all U.S. high school juniors and
seniors. No entry fee required. There are three categories:
poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction (essay, memoir, or
other). Students may enter all three categories, but must
follow contest rules for each genre. The contest will be
judged by Sierra Nevada College English professors. First
place winners in each category will be awarded $100 and all
 entrants will be considered for scholarships as well as
publication in The Sierra Nevada Review. Winner's names will
be posted on the SNC website in January 2011 and they will
also be notified by mail. For further information contact
English Program Chair June Saraceno at jsaraceno@sierranevada.edu.

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5.
100-WORD STORY COMPETITION - READER'S DIGEST UK
http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/magazine/179-Reader%27s-Digest-Main/1387-Web-Exclusives-100-word-terms-and-conditions.html
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Entries should be an original, previously unpublished story of
exactly 100 words (excluding title). There is no limit to the
number of entries you can make. No pen names. Entries can be
submitted via the website or sent to: theeditor@readersdigest.co.uk
Deadline January  31, 2011. The winners will be announced in
a forthcoming issue of Reader's Digest magazine. Entries may be
used in all print and electronic media. Contributions become
world copyright of Vivat Direct Ltd (t/a Reader's Digest).
Entry is open only to residents of the UK, Channel Islands,
 Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland.

Competition for school children aged 13 and under:
The prize shall consist of £1,000 for the winner and £1,000
for their school.

Competition for school children aged 13-18:
The prize shall consist of £1,000 for the winner and £1,000
for their school.

Competition for adults aged 18 and over:
The prize shall consist of a cheque for £5,000.
 
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6.
THE HOMESCHOOL LITERARY QUARTERLY
http://www.homeschoolliterary.com/?page_id=32
---
The Homeschool Literary Quarterly is an online, quarterly
literary magazine published and sponsored by WriteGuide.com,
a Company Devoted to the Teaching of Writing. 

The current deadline for the Christmas/December edition is
November 15, 2010.  We're looking for short stories, flash
fiction, essays, poems, and memoirs.  If you'd like to submit
something that doesn't fit into one of those categories, please
send us an e-mail at publisher@homeschoolliterary.com. All work
must be submitted electronically, in e-mail format, to
publisher@homeschoolliterary.com.  Do not send any attachments
unless we ask you to send one!  When you submit your work,
please begin with a short letter, explaining who you are, what
the piece of writing is about, and any other background
information that you'd like to share.  Then, paste the body
of the work below your closing.

This is a literary magazine for the homeschooled student.
It's published four times a year, so if you miss this
deadline, just know that more are coming. Bookmark this
site and return for more information about future issues. 

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7.
POETRY BOOK SOCIETY
http://www.poetrybooks.co.uk
---
The Poetry Book Society has launched a free PBS student
membership on its new website to persuade students to read
more contemporary poetry by making the best new work available
to them, and encouraging them to become lifelong poetry readers.
The PBS's new membership scheme will enable students to get a
free membership by enrolling online and sending a scanned proof
of student identity. They'll be able to log in and browse the
online quarterly Bulletin available in the members' area of the
new site, and order books with their 25% members' discount.
 
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8.
YOUNG APPALACHIAN POETS AWARD
http://www.myspace.com/kudzumagazine
---
Hazard Community & Technical College is hosting their annual
Young Appalachian Poets Award. Any poet, high school aged or
younger, may submit their original poetry. First prize includes
$100 and publication in Kudzu; Second Place is $50 and
publication in Kudzu. Up to five original poems may be submitted
as attached documents to Scott.Lucero@kctcs.edu or
HZ-HCTC-KUDZU@kctcs.edu. Please include a brief biographical
statement and put YAPA in the subject line. The deadline is
January 30, 2011.

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10.
NEW HAMPSHIRE SHORT FILM COMPETITION
http://www.nh.gov/film/hsfest/index.htm
---
All films must be produced solely by students currently
enrolled and attending a New Hampshire public or private
high school (grades 9-12). Home-schooled students ages 14-18
are also eligible. Adult involvement in the project is limited
to on-screen talent and/or behind the scenes in a faculty
advisor capacity. Short films are to be no longer than ten
minutes (10:00) in length. There is no minimum time limit set.
Projects over ten minutes will not be screened at the Festival.
Submissions accepted starting February 1, 2011. The New
Hampshire High School Short Film Festival will award
the following:

One (1) Jury Award (or Best Film of the Festival)
One (1) Jury Award Runner-Up (2nd Place)
Three (3) Jury Award Finalists
Two (2) Honorable Mentions
One (1) Audience Award

 
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Contact WritingKid (the Business Stuff)
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FundsforWriters/Writing Kid make no warranty as to the
accuracy of the contests, awards, etc. but we do try to
check them out in advance to the best of our ability.
 
C. Hope Clark
Hope@FundsforWriters.com
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2010, C. Hope Clark

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