recent news & thoughts for writers

How do agents & editors describe fiction they’re evaluating? What’s the industry lingo? Which of the 26 terms at the following site fit your fiction? Which are positive? Negative? Might they give you ideas on how to change your fiction and/or how to promote it?

http://writersrelief.com/blog/2015/06/publishing-industry-slang-writing/

 

Links here to a wealth of book-marketing & promotion ideas: http://www.webdesignrelief.com/links-roundup-july/

 

How will the Penguin-Random House merger affect Canadian publishing & authors? Lots of thoughts in this June 25 Globe & Mail article: http://tinyurl.com/nosawre

 

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

science fiction & world-building

Good article here on writing science fiction, especially world-building:

http://apiusman.blogspot.ca/2015/06/good-science-fiction.html

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

festivals of faith, justice & the arts

Cahoots!Fest, July 9-15, 2015
The Cahoots!Fest of faith, social justice, and DIY is happening this year just outside of Toronto in Milton, Ontario. Look forward to camping, good music, and challenging workshops. More information about the festival and tickets is available on their website.

Skylight Festival, July 31- August 2, 2015
Modelled after the U.K.’s Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival, Skylight [in Paris, Ontario] offers music, drama, art, film, and talks on faith, peace, and justice. Find out more at skylightfestival.ca.

Why Christian? Conference, September 18-20, 2015
Minneapolis, MN. Organized by Rachel Held Evans and Nadia Bolz-Weber, WX2015 brings together 11 women to tell their real-life, flesh-and-blood stories of living out the Gospel of Jesus. This is not just a conference for women, but for all who want to attend. Check out their website for more information. (Note: they may be sold out.)

Wild Goose Festival, July 9-15, 2015
The Wild Goose community explores spirituality, social justice, music, and the arts. This four-day festival takes place each summer in Hot Springs, North Carolina. Find more information about the festival and tickets prices at the Wild Goose website.

 

 

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

call for stories on resisting cultural influences

Geez Magazine calls itself a periodical of “contemplative cultural resistance.” It’s “a bustling spot for the over-churched, out-churched, un-churched and maybe even the un-churchable.” The magazine has issued this open call for stories:

Are you or your community engaging with truth or practices to resist the influences of corporate capitalism, consumerism, or other dominant Western narratives? We’d like to hear from you! Send your story to our Experiments editor, Katie Doke Sawatzky, at experiments@geezmagazine.org.

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

giving & getting feedback on writing for kids

KidCrit run by Marsha Skrypuch is apparently a good website for giving & getting feedback on writing for children. It looks a bit complex but according to a friend of mine it’s worth the effort. Here’s the link: http://www.calla.com/xboard/index.php .

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

book of Exodus retold: nice review

Violet (Sperling) Nesdoly's novel DESTINY'S HANDS retells the Biblical book of Exodus for young adults. It's not a specifically Catholic book but there's a nice review at http://catholicfiction.net/book-review/destinys-hands.php .

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .

 

how NOT to get published

You don’t want to get your book published, do you? Here are 10 ways to avoid that frightening fate: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/10-ways-to-never-get-published

 

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf  . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs  .