NightScripts December 2014 Jim Laughter, Editor On, Into Da Future! As I am writing my final post for TNW, I have to tell you that if you are planning to send in your Flash Fiction Entry and $5 fee, you missed the deadline. The Deadline was Thanksgiving Day. I received 18 qualifying entries! The first place winner will be receiving $45, the second $27, and third, $18. Even third place is over half the amount needed to enter all 30 categories of the OWFI Writing Contest. Now, that’s leveraging you money -- and talent. Now for those of you who have a Flash Fiction entry cooking but didn’t get it quite finished, NOW get it ready for February. See, when one deadline dies, another one is born. Yes, I know, life happens to all of us. Aren't you glad, really? I am so grateful that while I am trying to fit in a novel here and there or a poem or flash fiction story, life is grabbing me in a headlock and wrestling me to the mat. Otherwise, wouldn't we sit in a little sterile cell, pecking away, wishing for a phone call, a visitor, a fire -- any interruption? In between writings, I spent almost 20 years in the Navy, raised fine sons, married and divorced a passel of men, worked in a dozen plays and parades, and quilted 100 quilts. Interruptions are life. Writing is a huge part of my life but I want my Lottie Wilds The Commander in Ink www.tulsanightwriters.com
Transcript
NightScripts December 2014 Jim Laughter, Editor
On, Into Da Future! As I am writing my final post for TNW, I have to tell you that if you are planning to send in your Flash Fiction Entry and $5 fee, you missed the deadline. The Deadline was Thanksgiving Day. I received 18 qualifying entries! The first place winner will be receiving $45, the second $27, and third, $18. Even third place is over half the amount needed to enter all 30 categories of the OWFI Writing Contest. Now, that’s leveraging you money -- and talent. Now for those of you who have a Flash Fiction entry cooking but didn’t get it quite finished, NOW get it ready for February. See, when one deadline dies, another one is born. Yes, I know, life happens to all of us. Aren't you glad, really? I am so grateful that while I am trying to fit in a novel here and there or a poem or flash fiction story, life is grabbing me in a headlock and wrestling me to the mat. Otherwise, wouldn't we sit in a little sterile cell, pecking away, wishing for a phone call, a visitor, a fire -- any interruption? In between writings, I spent almost 20 years in the Navy, raised fine sons, married and divorced a passel of men, worked in a dozen plays and parades, and quilted 100 quilts. Interruptions are life. Writing is a huge part of my life but I want my grandchildren to know me as their fun-loving grandma, the cool hippie grandma, not the best-selling grandma or the one they never met. What do you want to be known for? Do that. Speaking of doing that, by sheer official mandate during my tenure, we created the door prize, retired the "Book Sale That Wouldn't Die," changed the due date of the newsletter, and began encouraging our TNW members to sell their books at the club meeting. We streamlined the speaker introductions and stopped spending club money on key rings and marble paper-weights. We send officer-signed "Thank You" cards to all our speakers. We attended quarterly officer board meetings which kept us all on the same page. We associated ourselves with the Tulsa Library system and BookSmart Tulsa. We have a busy Facebook page and many other ways of being present in the writing scene. The most important part is we increased our membership! Of course, I hope these changes stick, but if they don't, I know TNW will thrive and expand under its new leadership.
Lottie WildsThe Commander in Ink
www.tulsanightwriters.com
I hope you participate in the TNW Christmas Party. Kathlyn Smith opens her lovely home to us for our party. Bring food to share. It is a wonderful opportunity to relax and listen to writers of all levels of success and all genres, hear prize-winning fiction, and feel a kinship with people you admire. Perhaps it will encourage you to run for office someday. To our new officers, I think you will enjoy it, but you do have to find time to write something occasionally -- like an article every month before the deadline of the 1st. Your article should relate to being an officer, the trials of writing, or hints on how to get the word out about our club, or reporting on writing-related events in Tulsa surrounds. Even tech help on working a computer or setting up a blog would be useful. As an member of a writing club, you will find out rather quickly whether you are a writer or not. Writers write. Talkers talk about writing and other topics. Neither is bad or less than the other, of course, but one is writing, which is the club you are in. Toastmasters is a club for talkers who want to be effective and professional talkers. Tulsa NightWriters is a club for writers who want to be effective and professional writers. In my humble opinion, anyone can learn to be a passable, even engaging, writer, if you don't need instant gratification. With writing, you have to wait. Write for your own reasons, not to charm others. I have high hopes for each of you. I will watch with interest as you develop your craft. In 2015, I plan to finish my novels. My characters talk to me constantly. I am fed up hearing them calling me and not being able to move on until they are done, like an unmade bed. It doesn't make itself, huh? I plan to enter more writings in OWFI Contests. I won't be content until I win money. Thank you for the opportunity to preside over TNW during a time of rejuvenation. I hope I was a good president for you. Enjoy your time as officers (in service to others) and help to keep Tulsa NightWriters alive and kicking.
OnBehalfof the
Tulsa NightWriters
Thank you, Lottie Wilds, for serving as our President these last two years. Now you can finish that book your characters have been keeping you
awake at night about.
Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible…. Francis of Assisi
Hi! My name is Julie Kimmel-Harbaugh, and I’m your new Editor.
I became a member of Tulsa NightWriters about three years ago when my friend and fellow NightWriter, Carolyn Steele, encouraged me to join. Since that time, I’ve been getting my feet wet, so to speak—attending monthly meetings, entering writing contests, and getting to know all the fine people who make Tulsa NightWriters tick. From the start, I was impressed by the commitment, camaraderie, enthusiasm, and professional expertise of this group.
When I heard that the 2015 Editor’s position was open, I took the plunge and nominated myself. I saw it as an opportunity for me to use my skills to contribute to the group which has supported me as a beginning writer. Since joining Tulsa NightWriters, I have won awards for unpublished children’s fiction and flash fiction.
Please know how much I appreciate your vote of confidence. As Editor, one of my goals will be to create a newsletter that is useful and meaningful to you—one that reflects the spirit of Tulsa NightWriters. Toward that end, I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have as to how our newsletter can better serve your needs. Feel free to contact me any time at: [email protected].
I’m looking forward to working with and for you to make 2015 another great year!
Julie Kimmel-Harbaugh
As with Jim, the deadline for brags, events, and announcements will remain
THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH
Tulsa NightWriters Officer Election ResultsThe following are the officers elected to serve you in 2015.
The new officers will be installed at our annual Christmas party on December 16th. You’ll be hearing more from each of them in the months to come.
Your new officer board is looking forward to serving you in 2015. Our January meeting will be dedicated to setting direction for the year. We hope to revitalize our club in the craft of writing. Every member, whether you’re new to the club or have been a NightWriter for many years, is important and vital. Your input, opinion, and participation is what makes the NightWriters a great organization.
The main focus of our November meeting was a panel discussion about the 2015 OWFI (Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc.) writing contest. We covered mountains of information we hope will prepare our members to submit quality entries into the OWFI writing contest. Entries to the contest have been postponed until December 15th due to technical problems with the OWFI website. We will keep you informed with any changes as we get them. The deadline is still February 1st. For complete information on the
contest, visit www.owfi.biz. The OWFI website is still being constructed so may not have all of the information readily available. We’ll send out information as we get it.
Please mark your calendar for our annual Christmas party. All TNW members are encouraged to come together for a special evening of fun and fellowship. Spouses and significant others are welcome to attend. Although children are a vital part of our lives, we ask this one evening be set aside for adults only. Attire should be dressy-casual.
TULSA NIGHT WRITERS
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
WHEN: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014
7:00-8:00 PM
WHERE: 3824 S YELLOW PINE AVE.
BROKEN ARROW
BRING: APPETIZERS, CHIPS, DIPS, SNACKS,
SOFT DRINKS, DESSERTS
PROVIDED: PLATES, CUPS, UTENSILS,
COFFEE AND WATER
FLASH FICTION WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!
SCROLL DOWN FOR DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS: 3824 S. Yellow Pine Ave The Greens At Cedar Ridge Neighborhood SE Corner of 101st & Mingo*If you are coming on the Creek Eastbound, take the Mingo exit immediately past the Memorial exit. You’ll turn right (south) onto Mingo and go to the 2nd stop light.
*From Hwy 169 Southbound, exit at 91st Street.
*Go right (west) towards Mingo. Go left (south) on Mingo to 2nd light. This is E. 101st St.
The rest of the directions are based on you getting to 101st & Mingo.
*Go left (east) at 101st & Mingo, a Kum & Go will be on the NE corner. Take the first right turn (south) on Sequoia. {This is the last left hand turn before the intersection if you are coming west on 101st from Broken Arrow/Garnett.}
*Once you turn south on Sequoia (The Greens at Cedar Ridge Neighborhood), you’ll go to the 3rd left hand turn. This is a cul-de-sac and the house is at the end of the cul-de sac. The windows will be open and lights will be on.
If you are able to walk a bit you might save the drive way parking for those that may have more trouble navigating. The drive can hold 6 cars easily, just pull all the way up so someone can get behind/beside you. Watch out for the basketball goal!
IF parking on the street, please don’t block the neighbor’s driveways.
QUESTIONS? Kathlyn Smith Cell: 918-409-8998 Home: 918-254-8998 3824 S. Yellow Pine Ave
Adults only please.
Jim Laughter
Sara Sue Hoklotubbe
Mac Boyle
Our Members have Brags…. As of this publishing, December 1, 2014, Jim
Laughter’s Galactic Axia Sci/Fi adventure The Horicon Experience has been in the kindle top 100 best-seller list since March 10, 2014. He is
also happy to announce that he has finished writing his new book, A Killer in Time, a para-psychological thriller that brings back to life an infamous serial killer embodied in the person of
modern maniac. Watch for the release soon. Visit Jim at www.jimlaughter.com
Click on Jim’s picture to visit his Amazon author
Sally Jadlow has a new book, The Late Sooner's Daughter which is a sequel to the popular The Late Sooner. Also if you would like a devotional for the new year, Looking Deeper is an excellent read. Both books are available in paperback and e-book at Amazon.com.
Sally JadlowSee my books here
An excellent review of Sara Hoklotubbe’s newest release, SINKING SUSPICIONS, appeared in the Durango Herald newspaper. Here is the link: http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20141117/ARTS05/141119601/ID-theft-and-memories-of-war- The review coincided with her book signing at Maria’s Bookshop in Durango. Sara’s next event will be at the Ignacio Library in Ignacio, Colorado, on December 8 at noon where she will meet with the library book club and discuss her mystery books.
Mac Boyle, a new Tulsa NightWriter, finished the first draft of his third novel over Thanksgiving weekend! Orson Welles of Mars (a work of Science Fiction, I assure you) will be available sometime in 2015!
A group of Tulsa NightWriter authors participated in an Author Fair at Promenade Mall on Saturday,
November 29, 2014. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We had pretty good foot traffic and sold a
bunch of books. It was good to see so many of you who stopped by to support your group.
Promenade
click cover to order
Donna Welch Jones is proud to announce the publication of her fourth Sheriff Lexie Wolfe Novel, Murder and Beyond. Sheriff Lexie and Deputy Tye Wolfe become enmeshed in the most bizarre cases of their careers when two teen girls disappear. One of the two is accused of being a witch. The other girl disappears shortly after catching her stepmother with a lover. Someone should've warned the teens that knowing other people's secrets may end in murder.
Announcements
Preserve a wonderful Christmas tradition-give the gift of books. Local authors will offer a
variety of genres for sale at Arrowhead Mall in Muskogee on Saturday, December 20, 2014. The
event starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Also, mall visitors may ask the authors questions about
writing as a career, and the author's work. For each book purchased you will receive an entry to
win a mall gift card. Come join the fun and support your author friends!
Middle Grade Anthology/NovelThe Adventures of Dayton Barnes
Needed:1500 - 2500 word short stories (Each story is a chapter.)
Looking to fill a 40,000 word volume.Submission Deadline:
Entries must be received before March 1, 2015Publication will be August/September of 2015
For more information:www.jespiddlin.com/DaytonBarnes
Nightwriter of the Year - 2014
Each year the Tulsa Nightwriters present a trophy to The Nightwriter of the Year. The award is given to the individual who has contributed the most to the success of the Club.
This could be through awards and publishing, service to the club, assistance to aspiring authors, or other contributions you as members feel are important. The NightWriter of the Year is nominated by our members, and the award presented at the Christmas Party.
ANOTHER WRITING OPPORTUNITYWe received the following announcement from Nimrod, inviting our writers to submit work for Nimrod International Journal’s Spring/Summer 2015 thematic issue, “Circulatory Systems: Current and Connection.” Please find the information on this special issue below.
Nimrod is a biannual literary journal published at The University of Tulsa. For more information about us, please visit our website: www.utulsa.edu/nimrod. Please feel free to contact Eilis O’Neal, their Editor –in-Chief with any questions about this issue.
Call for Submissions:Circulatory Systems: Current and Connection
Movement. Connection. Current. The dictionary defines circulation as “the movement of blood through the body” or “a passage or transmission from person to person or place to place.” But there are circulatory systems all around us: connections to each other, to the external world, and to our internal worlds. What keeps us connected? What do we do when those connections break? What makes the movement of a circulatory system vital? How do we enter, leave, or take part in a circulatory system, when they often have no clear beginning or end?
For our Spring/Summer 2015 issue, CirculatorySystems: Current and Connection, Nimrod International Journal is looking for poems, short stories, and creative nonfiction pieces that play with theidea of circulatory systems. Ideas of what to send might include work about
· Rivers, roads, and other pathways that connect us and take us on expected or unexpected journeys· Movement, passages, and transitions of all kinds· The human body or medicine· The connections of family and relationships, both those that renew us and those in which the circuit must be severed· Cycles of history, rituals, etc.· Technology—the circuits of computers or the connecting webs of social media -- and how they can bring us together or pull us apart· The myriad connections and currents of nature, including the ways that we fit in as humans and/or writers · Surprise us! Send something that plays with the theme in a way that we haven’t even thought of!
Stories and creative nonfiction may be up to 7,500 words; poetry may be up to 8 pages. All work must be previously unpublished. Please mark both your cover letter and the outer envelope with “Spring 2015 Theme.” Send a SASE for response. Writers living outside the U.S. may email their submissions to [email protected] with the work pasted into the body of anemail, but writers living inside the U.S. must mail their submissions. Fiction should be typed, double-spaced with 1” margins on all sides, one side of plain white paper only. Poetry should be typed, one side of plain white paper only. You may submit poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, but we ask that they be sent as separate submissions.
PostmarkDeadline: November 30th, 2014. Manuscripts accepted beginning September 1st, 2014.
Publication Date: April 2015 Send manuscripts to: Nimrod JournalThe University of Tulsa800 S. Tucker Dr.
A W o r d f r o m t h e T r e a s u r e rI have e-mailed 2015 membership forms out to everyone on my list. If you have been missed due to error, please e-mail me at [email protected] and I’ll send you a form.
Christmas Flash Fiction ContestThe Flash Fiction contest was a success again this year with 18 qualifying entries. The prize pool was $90 which will be awarded as 50% to 1st Place, 30% to 2nd Place, and 20% to 3rd Place. The winners will be announced at the Christmas Party where the 1st Place winner will be allowed to read their entry to the group. The 1st Place winner will also be in charge of the 2015 contest. See, you thought you were only entering for the money….!
Do you have an idea to strengthen the Tulsa NightWriters? Send any ideas, suggestions, speaker recommendation, etc. by email to the officer of your choice.
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