July Newsletter

THE SUMMER CHALLENGE: FICTIONAL “HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION”
Here’s a fun, creative challenge for the Write On! Summer Contest, which runs from July 1 to August 31, 2010. Write 200 to 400 words on the subject, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” Here’s the catch: Your story must be fiction.

Travel writer John E. DiScala (a.k.a. Johnny Jet) will select the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from the finalists!

PRIZES
1st Place: A medium-length (or 21,000 word) one-reader iScript, and have your story published on Write On! Online

2nd Place: 10 Steps to Creating Memorable Characters by Sue Viders, Lucynda Storey, Cher Gorman, and Becky Martinez, compliments of The Writers Store

3rd Place: Ebooks, Courtesy of VBT-Writers on the Move. Writing, Publishing, and Marketing – You Can Do It! by Karen Cioffi; plus novels from Heather Paye (A Gift from Above ) and mystery/suspense author Darcía Helle (QuietFury Books, ebook is winner’s choice)

Submit 200 to 400 words of your fictional “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” in the body of an email to Debra@WriteOnOnline.com by Tuesday, August 31. Winners will be announced on Monday, September 6, 2010, in the September Write On! Newsletter.

Write On! Online’s monthly contests are designed to encourage you to give those writing muscles a workout.

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Please note: I send an email confirmation within a few days of receiving a submission. If you submit and do not hear from me, please message me on Facebook or send an email to my alternate address. Thanks!

NEWS
Thanks to everyone who entered the Write On! Online June Challenge: Query Contest – Screenplays & Teleplays. And the winners are …

Screenplay
1st Place: Karen Bryson & Amy Arnold, Monsoon Season
2nd Place: Laurie Dinnerstein, Cursed
3rd Place: Kimberly Nunley, Super Ted

Teleplay
1st Place: Linda Frothingham, Soul Protector
2nd Place: Karen Royce Wallen, Healing Gabriella
3rd Place: Mark Niu, The One Hit Wonder

Thanks to everyone who entered. Special thanks to screenplay-query judge Tracey Jackson (Lucky Ducks) and teleplay-query judge Jeanne Veillette Bowerman (co-founder of Scriptchat), who selected the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from the finalists! And to literary agent David Boxerbaum, who will be reading the 1st Place Winners!

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Congratulations to Chrissy, July winner of an iScript, for posting goals on Write On! Online. Post your August goals and be entered in the monthly drawing to win an iScript. (An iScript is a professionally recorded audio version of a screenplay or novel read by professional readers, similar to an audiobook.) Post your August Goals here.

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If you have not already done so, please chime in on the Write On! Writers survey. Thanks in advance for your input!

Janet Ann Collins will be signing and reading from The Peril of the Sinister Scientist at the Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival in Roseville on July 31st. Details here.

Andrea Helaine announced the launch of Buena Vista Enterprises’ All Genres Writing Competition. Early deadline is August 15. Details here.

Congratulations, Darcía Helle, on the release of your latest book: The Cutting Edge.

Cara Holman has a story featured in the recently released anthology Women Reinvented: True Stories of Empowerment and Change, by LaChance Publishing. This anthology includes stories from 31 women who have consciously made career or lifestyle choices, and in many cases, triumphed over hardship or adversity.Profits from the sale of this book will be donated to The Healing Project, a not-for-profit organization that supports those dealing with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

Mark Niu’s short film Juche Rules was runner-up for Best Short Film at the Mt. Rainier Film Festival in June. Juche Rules also plays at the Action On Film Festival in Pasadena, the Holly Shorts Film Festival, and the Burbank International Film Festival. Congrats, Mark!

Congratulations to Stephanie Olivieri, who was one of five 2nd-place winners in Jessica Bendinger’s The Seven Rays Script-A-Scene Contest.  Also, check out the interview with “Micheline McAllister” on Chick Lit Plus.

From Larry Whatcott: Cell 27 Productions is looking for looking for 25+ sci-fi short film scripts to produce, 5-10 pages long. Ultra-low budget. No pay upfront, but great exposure due to the unique way this slate of films will brought to the public. Writer’s guidelines available upon request. Signed Release Form required. Contact Larry at ldwscrnwrtr@cox.net.

New books from Michael Wiese Productions:  Film Production Management 101, 2nd edition  by Deborah Patz. The book is the essential open-on-the-desk guide for both production managers and coordinators. Plus, Pamela Jaye Smith’s Symbols * Images * Codes: The Secret Language of Meaning in Film, TV, Games, and Visual Media is an accessible collection of visual images in a wide range of categories. Also available through The Writer’s Store. Become a Fan of Michael Wiese Productions on Facebook.

Comedy Contest: vComedy, the new Facebook Application, and Comedy Sportz, the longest running improv group in LA, are proud to announce the first of many comedy contests! Starting July 1st using the vComedy app, record your own comedy bit for the chance to win a new Mac iPad. Just send out the link to all of your friends to “like,” and the recording with the most “likes” by August 1st wins!

EVENTS
Danny Moynahan will be performing with Richard Fultineer and Austin Nicholsen at The Talking Stick, 1411 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, 90291, on Tuesday, July 13, from 7pm to 10pm. No cover. RSVP on Faccebook.

The Writers Guild Foundation presents an interview with screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (The Twilight saga, Dexter) at 7:30 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, July 13. Those in the Los-Angeles area can attend the event live. There’s also a streaming event option. For details and tickets, go to http://www.wgfoundation.org/. For more on Melissa Rosenberg, read the StoryLink interview.

The Dream It, Then Do It “Power Lunch” with Debra Eckerling and Marla Martenson on Blog Talk Radio is every other Wednesday from 11 am – 11:30 am Pacific Time. Listen. Call in. Learn. The next Power Lunch is July 14. Here’s the link!. Missed a show? Listen anytime on Blog Talk Radio.

Film Courage – The Radio Show hosts its monthly Film Courage Interactive on Monday, July 26, from 7 pm to 11 pm at The Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., Los Angeles. The night will feature No Restrictions Entertainment’s One Hour Fantasy Girl – 50% of the Box Office goes to @DWCweb (Downtown Women’s Center ) to help end homelessness for women. Director’s Q & A and filmmaker-discussion (“support group”) caps off the event. For more info, please visit www.downtownindependent.com or filmcourage@gmail.com. Read the Write On! interview with screenwriter Edward Michael Bravo here.

Screenwriter Karaoke will be on Thursday, July 29, starting at 8:30 pm, at Sardo’s Sardo’s Grill and Lounge, 259 N. Pass Ave., in Burbank, California. Last month, Write On! spoke with creator Merrel Davis during the Great American PitchFest. Watch the video interview for more info. RSVP here.

ONGOING
Scriptchat was created for the purpose of bringing new and seasoned screenwriters together to learn and grow. Since screenwriters are global, Scriptchat has two chats each Sunday: 8pm GMT is EURO #scriptchat, moderated by Mina Zaher (@DreamsGrafter) and 8pm EST, moderated by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman (@jeannevb). The same topic is discussed at both chats., and the topic changes every week. Remember, Script Chat is a community, not competitors. Everyone has something to learn . All transcripts are posted on the blog, as well as tons of screenwriting resources: http://www.scriptchat.com.

Want to hear your work read? AltScreenPlay meets on Thursdays, starting at 8 pm at Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA, and is moderated by Matt Byrnes, mbbyrnes@gmail.com. Readings begin in the order in which the author arrived. Bring 1-10 pages of your screenplay, and make enough copies for each role. No RSVP necessary. Feel free to sit in without bringing any material of your own.

The Los Angeles Public Library now has a Screenwriters Workshop four Saturdays a month at different branches, from 10:30 am – 12 pm, and every Sunday in the Farmers Market community room from 3 – 5 pm, hosted by Sasha Karova. Learn format and workshop original material (screenplays, 1/2 hour sitcom, and 1/2 hour and 1 hour episodic) with an open reading or read-through. Open reading is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP to WritersUnblock@aol.com.

Meditation Friday Nights at The Learning Garden the 2nd Friday of the month. Meditation begins promptly at 8:00 pm. Please dress in layers and bring a blanket and cushion to sit on. Meditation lasts about 40 minutes around a fire in the peaceful surroundings of the Garden. Donations go to The Learning Garden. For more information contact Camille at (310) 382-4323.

WRITE ON!
Our August Meeting will be on Wednesday, August 11, 2010. Please send 2-3 line newsletter items to Debra@WriteOnOnline.com by August 9.

Write On! Online Author Q&As are posted every Tuesday and Friday. Read the interviews posted since the last newsletter:

Christopher Riley, The Hollywood Standard
Mitchell James Kaplan, By Fire, By Water
Lynn Ferguson, One-Woman Show: Heart & Sole
Kate Mathis, Living Lies
William M. Akers, Your Screenplay Sucks!
Hilda Hidalgo, Of Love and Other Demons
Screenwriter/Director Joe Maggio and Producer Peter Phok, Bitter Feast
Sam Hendricks, Fantasy Football Guidebook Series
Gary William Murning, If I Never
Webisode Writer/Producer Carmen Elena Mitchell, The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else

Published Authors: Share your knowledge by participating in a Write On! Q&A. Email Debra@WriteOnOnline.com for more information.

Also, watch my video interviews Mondays on Write On! Online.

Check Write On! Online for a new Expert Column every Thursday:

Writing & Publishing a Cookbook by Laura Trice, M.D. author of The Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook
Jens Gems … For the Healthy Writer: The Key to Falling Asleep Faster by movement and fitness coach Jennifer Waak
Write On! From Cork Board to Brain and Vice Versa by filmmaker/writer Tyler Weaver
From Writer to Tweeter by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman

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Purple Pencil Adventures is on summer vacation! Still, a new Purple Pencil Adventure is posted every Friday! Learn more on the Facebook Page.

FRIENDS OF WRITE ON!
Coaching Services: Are you looking to: Take the social networking plunge? Improve your live networking skills? Write a book or ebook, start a blog, or get unstuck? Let me help you find your words! Contact Debra Eckerling at Debra@WriteOnOnline.com or call 310.908.8980 for more information! Sessions also available via Skype, chat, and phone.

Dream It, Then Do It!: Communications specialist/ writing motivator Debra Eckerling and life coach/ matchmaker/author Marla Martenson have teamed up to bring you workshops, tools, and inspiration to turn your dreams into reality. Become a Fan on Facebook.

iScript.com has added a new audiobook component to their offerings. Now, you can get high-quality audiobooks made of your writing!

Read the StoryLink eZine for interviews, expert columns. contests, and events.

You can write a short story! Let best-selling authors Geoff Hoff and Steve Mancini guide through the short-story writing process with their simple, practical, effective, and fun creative writing system. Learn more here.

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If you’d like to support Write On! Online and promote your business or service, email Debra@WriteOnOnline.com.