Well, we survived the OWFI Conference!  Make sure you come to this month’s meeting to hear about it.
     May is the month for mothers, flowers, and veterans.  It’s the month when the lake water is finally warm enough to swim in (May 22nd).  Summer is a hazy possibility on the horizon - though with El Bastardo, excuse me, I mean El Nino putting in his $.02, we won’t know exactly what’s in store for us.  I bet, though, it’s going to involve lots of ragweed and mosquitos.
     Don’t let the humidity and scent of “Bug B Gone” get in the way of your writing.  I’m already fighing the soupy-air blues - and my computer doesn’t like it much either.  Take the time to do some spring cleaning.  Look at those book ideas that you’ve been accumulating for years.  Maybe one will hit you between the eyes and get your juices revved.  Hopefully it won’t send you reeling like Goliath under David’s onslaught.
     This month’s Paw Prints focuses on history.  I’ve found some fantastic articles on doing historical research for big and small projects.  Pat has also passed along a wonderful article on humor.
     Deadline for June articles is June 4th.  Send them to kellimcb@chickasaw.com.

    In March, I made the remark that spring had sprung... well, the way the weather has been lately I've began to wonder if it's really here after all.  Hopefully the on again off again spring hasn't caused any of you to forgo writing. We should all be getting our ms's ready for the editor's and contests (ours especially). We have a great example right in our own club that hard work and perseverance pays. Linda Goodnight and Dawn Prater keep turning out and selling their stories. Elaine Wells, Karen Anderson and I all have stories out and are keeping our fingers crossed that the editor can't wait to get our signature on the dotted line (phew... it's kinda hard to type with my fingers crossed).
    Easter was just about perfect. My family and friends joined in celebrating the holiday with a barbecue and a lively Easter egg hunt. The dogs made short work of any missed eggs, so everyone had a good time. I was fortunate enough to get some helpful critique's on my current short story. Hope all of you had as good a day as I did.
    See you all at the meeting.

WOMAN'S WORLD
Bauer Publishing Co., 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. Address Fiction Editor. Weekly. Circ. 1.5 million. ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES: "We buy contemporary 'romances'. Stories  must revolve around a compelling, true-to-life relationship dilemma; may feature either a female or male protagonist; and may be written in either the 1st or 3rd person. We are NOT interested in stories involving life-or-death matters, nor are we interested in fluffy, flyaway-style romances.  The emphasis in our stories is on real life - which is why we do not buy sf/f, or historical romance." LENGTH: 1500 wds. PAYMENT: $1000 on acceptance for 1st NASR for 6 months. Write 'Romance' on the envelope. "Get to know us: Please familiarize yourself thoroughly with our romances before submitting your work." RT: 2-6 months

THE LOVERS KNOT
The Lovers Knot, Neighborhood Press Publishing 5341 Otter Lane, Middleburg, FL USA 32068. Senior Editor: Rhea Griffiths. "A new magazine for writers and readers who want to be writers. The goal of The Lovers Knot is to provide a quality showcase for emerging talent. We are dedicated to bringing you the finest romantic fiction, articles and interviews for everyone in love with the feeling of being in love." Pays on publication. PAYMENT: Poems - varies based on quality. Super Short Stories - $50.00. Short Stories - $100.00. Novellas (30000 words max) -  $.03/word. Our Inspirations - $25.00. Real Life Romances - $.03/word (1000 max). Buys one-time, simultaneous, first, and second serial rights. Simsubs and reprints ok if informed and if reprint "doesn't conflict with original contract specs." Editorial/seasonal lead time: 2 months. Sample copy: send $3. RT: approx. 6 wks. Publishes mss approx 3-6 mos after acceptance. Email submissions ok, query first. WORD LENGTHS: non-fiction 2000 max, varies for fiction and poetry. LOOKING FOR: "fiction -all romance  sub-genres, articles on writing/getting published, etc." No erotica. Include photos with author interviews. (Source: IWGL) Email: NPPubs@aol.com

ByLines Magazine June Deadlines:
SHORT-SHORT STORY - Deadline June 5, 1998. General short story up to 2,000 words. Entry fee $5. Prizes: $70, $35, $15. INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE - Deadline June 13, 1998. Craft an uplifting (not preachy) nonfiction piece aimed for the spiritual magazine market. Limit 1,800 words. Entry fee $4. Prizes: $40, $25, $15.
SENSE OF PLACE POEM - Deadline June 20, 1998. Lyric or narrative poem, any style or subject, with details that evoke a strong sense of place. Entry fee $3. Prizes: $35, $20, $10.
JUVENILE SHORT STORY - Deadline June 25, 1998. Fiction of appropriate length for ages 5 to 8; 9 to 12; or 13 to 16. State targeted age group on ms. Entry fee $4. Prizes: $40, $30, $15.

    Or, how to find out a bit about almost anything without wasting time. This method is best for minor details and preliminary research. Don't research the entire background for anything in this limited way. You will not get enough information for a convincing setting; you will get letters from readers about your shallow research.

    Dawn Prater has sold ANOTHER confession!  True Life Stories will publish her story “Cleaning the Bathroom Almost Killed My Daughter” in August.
    Linda Goodnight has also sold ANOTHER confession!
    Kelli McBride gave a presentation to the Journalism class at Seminole State College on April 30th about editing a literary magazine.  She’s also been asked to prepare a syllabus for “Creative Writing II:  Poetry” for SSC.

    The topic of this workshop is WRITING HUMOR.  I don't know about you, but I absolutely adore funny romances! Toward the end of the workshop, we'll talk about some of my favorite humorous romance writers. But right now, let's just jump in and get both feet wet on the topic of humor {g}.

    Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of writers have clasped with ink-stained and keyboard-numbed fingers the belief that writing is immortal.  Of course, companies publish thousands of books a year that quickly fade from our minds.  We read a paperback and take it to the used bookstore for another one.  For those of us seeking careers in the genre lines, we are aware of the short time most of our books will have in the spotlight - that is if we get published.  Does that mean we “settle” for writing flash and dash prose?  I don’t think so.  What we do has value.  We should always treat it as a valuable commodity and gift.  And even trade paperbacks can change a life or help someone see the world clearer.
    I remember reading Nora Roberts’ paperback First Impressions.  Her heroine, Shane Abbott, has quit teaching because, though she’s a great storyteller, she isn’t a great disciplinarian.  She realizes that somethings are too precious to make a career of, or that forcing a love into the strict rules/regulations of a career will ruin it.  That spoke to my heart.  When I decided to leave music behind and forge a new career, I could never articulate to people why I would give up such a promising career in opera.  After reading Nora’s book, I knew that I felt the same about singing as Shane felt about history.  All the joy I took from performing was dying under the shadow of degree requirements and the often petty and cruel competitive nature of the game.  How wonderful it was knowing that Nora Roberts and others knew how I felt.
    With my education, I have read plenty of “high brow” fiction.  From Homer to Whitman, I’ve found truths about the world and myself.  The “world” considers these works immortal.  Yet, I found a truth just as timeless in a Silhouette Romance novel.
    I guess what I’m trying to say is that we shouldn’t feel limited by the genre in which we choose to write.  Whether it’s a literary novel or confession, we should have an underlying theme that is greater than the characters “strutting and fretting” across the pages.  We are the spinners of dreams and the purveyors of ideas.  Write what you believe in; those ideas that guide and inspire you.  If you do, then no army of editors can truly defeat you.  You can face down their blood soaked pens, hold your head high and declare:  “I have written what I believe.”
    Somewhere, someplace, someone is listening.  Believe it.

    This month’s program will center on the OWFI Conference.  Those who attended will discuss what they learned.
    Don’t forget the contest!  This month focuses on developing character.  In a 250-500 word scene, reveal the personality, physical traits, mental hang-ups. . . of a character.  This is not a character sketch.  You should bring a scene from a novel/short story.  We want to see how well you dribble in information about a character without bludgeoning the reader over the head with statistics and backstory.  As a repeat offender of reader-bludgeoning, I’m looking forward to reading how others handle this difficult task.  Remember, the winner gets $10.00.
    If you have ideas for a program or would like to recommend a guest speaker, please contact Elaine.

1. The deadline for the PAWS’ Writing Contest is coming up in July.  Get your works ready and pick up some flyers at this month’s meeting to post at local libraries, schools, community centers, stores...and to give to anyone you feel would be interested.

2. On the flip side of the contest flyer is an advertisement for our September workshop.  It’s going to be fantastic.  Sharon Sala and Peggy Fielding alone would make it worth the money, but we’re also inviting two other speakers.  Since we make a lot of our operating budget from the workshop, we need to get out there and sell it!  The officers alone shouldn’t be responsible for this.  Each member has a duty to promote the club so it can continue to be strong.

3. Our library has current issues of Writer’s Digest to check out, plus other great books.  Call Doris for information.