Need a Writing Exercise?

Writing Exercise: Here are the top ten words of the year followed by the top ten phrases of the year. Your job? Choose one or more and use them in an essay/personal narrative, short story or poem.

Or try and be funny and use them all!

1. Twitter
2. Obama
3. H1N1
4. Stimulus
5. Vampire
6. 2.0
7. Deficit
8. Hadron
9. Healthcare
10. Transparency

Meanwhile, the 10 top phrases were:

1. King of Pop
2. Obama-mania
3. Climate change
4. Swine flu
5. Too large to fail
6. Cloud computing
7. Public option
8. Jai Ho!
9. Mayan calendar
10. God particle

List by Melanie Kramer, AOL

Holiday Writing Contest and Our Fundraiser Continues

“If I had been talking about drowning polar bears, people would have been weeping with me.
But nobody recognizes that a bookstore or library can also be a drowning polar bear.”

Author Sherman Alexie
from Mother Jones interview, Nov/Dec 2009

Trying to raise money for a children’s writing contest is similar to what Alexie says about the fate of bookstores and libraries. A writing contest for kids doesn’t portray a cute and fuzzy animal. Perhaps we need an image of a cuddly animal with a pen in his hand?

But on the subject of fundraising we had a fun and busy Saturday event at the Pleasant Hill Barnes and Noble. It continues this week. If you use our voucher found on the California Writers Club website http://mtdiablowriters.org/ and take it to ANY Barnes and Noble through Friday, Dec. 4, our Young Writers Contest receives 10% – 25% of your purchase! At no cost to you!

If you are a middle school (sixth, seventh, eighth grade) student in Contra Costa County you are eligible to submit essays, (personal narratives), poems, and short stories into our contest. I’ll post them here now and then and they are also available at the above CWC website.

HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST – Sponsored by the Contra Costa Times

What’s your most memorable holiday decoration? Treasured ornament your now 40-year-old son made his first year in kindergarten? A quirky centerpiece the entire family can’t stand? A funny or unique item your parents gave you when you were little? Snap a picture and write a short explanation about what makes it so endearing (or maybe not) and send it to jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com or Joan Morris, P. O. Box 5088, Walnut Creek, CA 94598. The Contra Costa Times will publish as many as they can. Deadline is Dec. 9. Include your name, city and contact information.

Funniest Book Shelves Ever!

http://www.thisintothat.com/secondeditions.html

Beneath Australian Outback Skies

Upon arrival (finally) in Darwin, our first full day we headed out to the track to see the MIT kids and our son with Eleanor, their race car in the World Solar Challenge. They readied their car and drove it in scrutineering trials so the safety engineers could make sure the vehicles passed all of the tests.

Our son has completed this race as a driver of the solar car in a few previous years while he was a student. This year, now as a graduate, he drove the lead car, responsible for communicating with the solar car and the chase vehicle behind it. The drivers of the solar car this time were the small, slender girls of the team. (the lightest of all possible weight!)

I recall watching the slightly cheesy movie about the solar car experience in Australia, RACE TO THE SUN, where they showed the road trains - – those huge trucks barreling down the highway. They’d do a real number on a solar vehicle, and I’d imagine a roo or a misplaced wallabye could get in the way of the race, too. But since we didn’t actually go through the outback with the kids, and instead flew down to Adelaide to meet them at the end, we had to ask them about their journey.

Beginning in Darwin and following the Stuart Highway, through the outback to Adelaide, the group bedded down beneath the starry skies. Without the glare of cars and electric lights below to diminsh their power, the night sky’s stars really illuminated the blackness.
And their sleep “mates?”
“The kangaroos aren’t shy,” says Tofer.
They’d hop or even sit right by their heads as they slept.

Meanwhile, we toured a river via small boat to see the crocs and lovely birds near Darwin before flying to the Adelaide destination. After the cruise (47 degrees centigrade . . . we were told 37 degrees C equals 100 degrees F!) we hiked in the forest, while swatting bugs and viewing Aboriginal rock art.

Writing Exercise: Can you imagine a place you’ve never been by listening to someone else’s story? Reading a book about it? Write a scene in a place you’ve never been or in an unfamiliar time period. Discover details by reading or interviewing someone who HAS lived in this place or time era.

I apologize for the lack of pictures on this site. It is due to my lack of technological expertise!

Book of the future . . .now?

Of Wiles in Oz

Every geographic area has a language all of its own. Sometimes it’s an accent. Other times it’s a unique slang. Either way, communication may become muddled and amusing. On our first trip to Australia in 2005 for our son’s World Solar Challenge Race, we visited Kangaroo Island by way of ferry. Upon arriving, we met our tour guide and group in a van.
“Did you see any wiles, mate?” asked the guide.
Bob and I scratched our heads. We didn’t have our “wiles” about us at that moment.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
The guide repeated his question.
“Did you see any wiles?”
Again, Bob and I eyed each other. What now? Play charades?
Then it hit us. The guide was asking if we had seen any WHALES while we were on our ferry ride.

This time we noticed signs in Darwin. POKIES. Poker is a big game in Australia. With a British influence, Bob ate bangers (sausages) one day and I had fish and chips for lunch.
We hiked in the bush (Australian’s country’s wildlife area) and saw a willy willy. (dusty wind that spirals upward) Saw a kiwi (person from New Zealand) and ate a dog’s breakfast. (messy!)
Upon entering an early morning tour bus, the guide greeted us and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll stop for a bit of breaky soon.” (breakfast)
I took a picture of a kangaroo and with a “joey” in her pouch and she examined me closely for any signs of food for sharing. Alas, they don’t recommend feeding them, so I couldn’t give her anything at all. But she still did a thorough search.

Writing Exercise: What slang is prominent in your area? Are “your people” known for an accent? When I came from Wisconsin, I was teased here in California not only for my Midwestern drawl, but for my “Milwaukee-ease.” Later, I turned this type of slang into a humor article for a San Francisco newspaper.
1. List as many various slang words from your region as you can recall. You may begin this list today and continue it for awhile. Ask friends to help you! It might consist of phrases as well as words themselves.
2. What about the accent? Try and describe the accent and how it varies from other dialects you here.
3. Work your unique area into a short story, personal experience piece, poem or article. It can be humorous, serious, or a mixture of the two styles. Feel free to share any part of your dialect and slang. We’d love to hear the fun way the world communicates differently!

New Student Essay Contest . . . Win $1000!

Essay Edge, a college application essay editing service, has launced its Tell your Story College Admission Essay Contest, which awards a grand prize of $1,000. Must submit entry form by Dec. 1, 2009.

Students should fill out the entry form at www.essayedge.com and submit essays between 250 – 1,000 words in length. Entrants must be at least 13 years old and residents of the U.S. Prize winner will be selected on or about Dec. 15.

Essays will be judged by EssayEdge editors and will evaluate entries on proper grammar, spelling and usage; topic and organization; word choice, style and eloquence; creativity and originality; and overall effectiveness.

Limit one entry per person or email address, please; all additional entries will be disregarded and not permitted. Submitting an entry constitutes agreeing to the terms of these Official Rules.

One (1) Grand Prize. One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship in the form of a $1,000 check payable to the winner. Total prize value: $1,000.

Potential prize winner will be selected on or about December 15, 2009 from among all entries received. All essays will be judged by Sponsor.

For entry form or more information visit:
www.essayedge.com.

Humor Poetry Contest

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its ninth year. We seek today’s best humor poems. Total cash prizes have been increased to $3,600, with a top prize of $1,500. This contest is free to enter. Click here to read winning entries from the past.

Submission Period
Entries accepted August 15, 2009-April 1, 2010

How to Submit Your Entry
New simplified procedure! Just click here to submit your entry online. There is no fee to submit to the Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest. Poets of all nations may enter. Your poem must be in English (inspired gibberish also accepted). Please submit only one poem per year. Your poem may be of any length. Both published and unpublished work are welcome.

Prizes
First Prize of $1,500 and publication on WinningWriters.com
Second Prize of $800 and publication on WinningWriters.com
Third Prize of $400 and publication on WinningWriters.com
Twelve honorable mentions will receive $75 each and publication on WinningWriters.com

The winners and honorable mentions will also all receive official Winning Writers polo shirts.

Announcement of Results
The winner and honorable mentions of the ninth contest will be announced in our free email newsletter and on WinningWriters.com on August 15, 2010.

For more information:
http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_guidelines.php

Student Writing Contest

Students! Show off your horror-spooky-writing skills by entering the contest below. Finish a story by R.L. Stine and win prizes for you and your classroom!

http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/games/sweepstakes/get_goosebumps_contest/

(Special thanks to Fatima for finding this one!)

Adult Writing Contest

Salem College International Literary Awards:

Reynolds Price Short Fiction Award for a single short story up to 5000 word

Rita Dove Poetry Award for a poem up to 100 lines (up to two poems per submission, any style)

Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award for a single piece of creative nonfiction, including personal essay and memoir, up to 5000 words

The winner in each genre will receive $1200. The two honorable mentions in each genre will receive $150.

Competition Rules and Requirements:

- Competitions are open to both women and men who write in English except Salem Academy and College employees and students.

- All submissions must be unpublished. Postmark dedline: February 1, 2010. Winners will be announced by May 15, 2010.

– The author’s name and address must not appear on the manuscript.

- For each entry, you must include all of the following: Three clean typed copies of your manuscript (double space all prose entries); one cover sheet per entry with your name, address, telephone number, email, the genre you are submitting (fiction, nonfiction or poetry), word count (for nonfiction and fiction) / line count (for poetry), and the title of the work(s); a check / money order for the $15 (in US dollars) reading fee per submission, made out to the Salem College International Literary Awards; and a SASE for notification of winners.

For further information, visit www.salem.edu/go/cww ; email cww@salem.edu; or contact Amy Knox Brown, Director of the Salem College Center for Women Writers, 601 S. Church Street, Winstron-Salem, NC 27101.