Here, as promised, is Part Two of the April update. In addition to all the activities for writers that have specific dates attached, there are several things you can do that require almost no effort at all. (Hooray!)
For example, the Westport Library is offering a whole lot of online programming, from 6-minute yoga sessions with Kerri Gawreluk, to a video series (10 Questions for… which are video interviews with a number of authors with interesting things to say. If you missed any of their great author events recently, this will bring you up to speed. They also have several short author podcasts on their website, featuring local authors. Among them are Jennifer Rosner, author of The Yellow Bird Sings, interviewed by book reviewer Jennifer Blankfein, and a series of three talks on the publishing process by Jane Green. They include: Getting Published, Genres, Editors, and Literary Agents, and most important: Money and Other Insights.
Author Cheryl Strayed is interviewing writers like Margaret Atwood and George Saunders in her New York Times Podcast, Sugar Calling. Listen to them while you’re taking that walk you’ve been planning…
Several people in the group were interested in submitting their work, having realized that they had things they’d written and never submitted. Two places that can help you choose where to send your work are Submittable (free) and Duotrope ($50 a year).
And if you feel you need fresh eyes on your work, you can find critiques at Scribophile
Among the places currently looking for submissions, is the publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. They have several volumes for which they’re currently looking for pieces, including, Age is Just a Number, Christmas is in the Air and Self-Care and Me Time. Check the site for submission guidelines and deadlines.
The Discord App is a forum that allows communication over voice, video, and text. The Screenwriters Network server offers insightful discussions on scripts, writing prompts, technique, script feedback, table reads, and writing groups. It also hosts contests and has a hub of over 15,000 screenplays – and it’s free.
Hybrid Publisher She Writes Press is offering free webinars focusing on different aspects of publishing and promoting your book. They’re free until May 31st. Teachers include Wendy Walker, Kelly Corrigan, and Abigail Thomas, among others. The classes range from 30 minutes to an hour. You can do this!
If you like the idea of learning something, you might try flash fiction. This course comes recommended: Fast Flash© is a ten-day (two weeks, Monday thru Friday) intensive and generative online flash fiction workshop created and designed by Kathy Fish that focuses on craft with daily exercises and prompts aimed at skill-building while allowing for artistry and innovation. Writers participate on their own schedule in a private WordPress site.
Another source of learning is Masterclass, which I expect you’ve all seen in online ads. They’re currently offering unlimited access to their classes for two people for a year for $180, and their teachers include David Baldacci, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and David Sedaris, among others.
Sandy Beckwith, of BuildBookBuzz.com, has a huge number of book marketing tips available. Here’s a list of useful resources from her site. Sign up for her newsletter to access more suggestions.
For those of you looking for places to pitch your essays and articles, member Lauren Busser recommends https://soniaweiser.wordpress.com/opportunities-of-the-week-newsletter/ and https://wheretopitch.com. And if you have a particular expertise that you’d like to share, you can offer to Help a Reporter Out. Check their website to find out how it works.
If you’re writing memoir, you may find this newsletter interesting, It’s recommended by member Kate Mayer. Memoir Monday is a weekly newsletter and quarterly reading series brought to you by Narratively, The Rumpus, Catapult, Longreads, Granta, and Guernica. Each essay in this newsletter has been selected by the editors at the above publications as the best of the week, delivered to you all in one place.