Encouragement

Hi everyone! Believe it or not, one way I've celebrated finishing my M.F.A. is by going back to a workshop! I just finished up a four week writers workshop on Saturday afternoons with Patricia Reilly Giff. Pat is an accomplished children's writer and a two-time Newbury award recipient. She's also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. It was a good feeling to be back with a group of writers, listening to everyone's work, and being part of the critique process again.

One thing particularly great about Pat is how absolutely straight forward she is about how hard writing and the writing business is, but at the same time how encouraging and supportive she is. There are two women in the workshop who are being published for the first time next year -- one with two books! -- and they shared with us some of their experiences in making it happen.

Clearly the lessons learned were simple -- and nothing we don't already know -- but worth sharing again here. It always helps me to hear them again:

-Write everyday without fail
-Don't leave what you write in a drawer-send it out. If it's rejected, send it out again...and again...and again.
-It will probably take a lot of rejections to finally make it, but if you are talented and persistent you will make it
-Write everyday without fail
-Send out your work, AND FINALLY
-Write everyday without fail AND send out your work!

If anyone is interested in children's writing, I suggest picking up one of Pat's books as a summer read. She is truly touted as one of the best.

Anne

Editor Wanted

Ducts.org, the literary webzine of personal stories, is looking for a young, hungry someone or other to take over the duties of editor-in-chief. We're looking for someone who cares deeply about the literary community, has some experience working on a literary magazine and also has some technical skills. We put our site together in Wordpress so experience using that would be a bonus, but not necessary as long as you're willing to learn. The position is voluntary (no pay), but will allow the new editor to gain invaluable experience and make tremendous contacts.

If any of you know someone who might be interested, please have them contact me, Jonathan Kravetz, at Jon@ducts.org and put "Editor-in-Chief" in the subject line.

Many thanks!

--Jonathan Kravetz

2nd Annual Magical Carpet Ride Mentorship

Hi everyone,
Just a note. I took a magical realism course with MRCentral and had a great ineraction with this unique community. I know some writers might not fully understand or feel they write using any elements of magical realism. My answer is - your only limited by what you don't understand or try. If you know anyone interested, let them. Be well and keep in touch. RON

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Tamara Sellman, director of MRCentral (www.mrcentral. net) announces the opening of the 2009 Magic Carpet Ride mentorship application period (www.angelfire. com/wa2/margin/ MRCentral/ mentorship. html).

This mentorship, an innovative one-on-one creative writing program, is the first of its kind to provide specialized instruction, direction, and motivation specifically for a writer of literary magical realism.

The purpose of the Magic Carpet Ride mentorship is to assist a promising magical realist writer from anywhere in the world in the completion of a polished manuscript by the end of the session which may then be actively submitted to potential publishers.

Qualification
This mentorship, valued at $1500, will be awarded annually, and on a competitive basis, to a single applicant who is able to demonstrate:

• a deep commitment to completing their work in progress

• strong writing skills

• a desire to learn and to succeed

• a good understanding of the magical realist nature of their manuscript

Applications for the 2009 mentorship session are now available
(www.angelfire. com/wa2/margin/ MRCentral/ mentorship. html)

Applicants must fill out an online application, respond to a questionnaire, send a 10-page sample and pay the application fee ($40 for members of MRCentral; $60 for nonmembers, which covers lifetime membership).

Postmark deadline for receipt of all application materials for the 2009 mentorship session is October 31, 2008. Email deadline for receipt of all application materials for the 2008 mentorship session is midnight [Pacific time], October 31, 2008.

More info
(www.angelfire. com/wa2/margin/ MRCentral/ mentorship. html)
(magicalrealismmaven at hotmail dot com)

Tamara Kaye Sellman, director, MRCentral.net
Magical Realism’s Interactive Community