The Write Stuff
The Official Newsletter of Mobile Writers Guild
August 7, 2012
Volume 3 Issue 3
From the President:
Things are heating up around MWG which means it’s getting closer to our 2012-2013 season kick-off. Be sure to check out the fabulous opportunity we have in conjunction with Mobile Bay Film Scramble 6 and the great news from some of our amazing members. Also, as it is hurricane season, be sure to include your muse in your preparedness plans. An extra laptop battery, pens/paper, reading material, and a book light might keep you productive during a potentially miserable time.
-Carrie Cox
2012-2013 MWG president
Upcoming Events:
Open Mic is on Thursday, August 16, at Serda’s Coffee on Royal Street. No pre-registration is required, but we suggest arriving about 5:30 to sign-up to read. We’ll do as many readings (ten minutes or less) as possible between 6-8pm. Many thanks to Kat Kennedy for keeping this going over the summer.
Baldwin Writers Group will be meeting Saturday, August 18, 2012 – 10am to Noon at the Daphne Public Library. Their meetings are open to the public and this time it consists of two special events: a Mini-Writing Contest and a Member Speaker. The MINI CONTEST is for members and non-members (otherwise known as all writers). You must be 18 years old or older to enter. Go to their site (http://www.baldwinwritersgroup.com/), read the rules and use two (or more) of the five images displayed for the contest to create a poem, short story or essay. August’s winner will receive bragging rights and a $10 gift card (TBD). The writings from this contest (winners and non-winners) will be added to previous mini-contest entries and when there are enough to print a book, they will be published. Understand that not every entry will be guaranteed to be in the book, but so long as they meet the contest requirements, the entries will most likely be included. You must be present to win, but you don’t have to be present to have your story added to the book. The second hour of the meeting will include a special presentation by Baldwin Writers Group member Brent Pope.
The final “Drink-n-Scrawl” of 2012will be on Saturday, August 18. We’ll meet from 2-4pm at The Bluegill Restaurant on the Causeway. Several writing groups from across the bay plan on joining us, and it’s open for all to attend. Everyone is responsible for their own food/drinks (and you don’t have to “drink” to join in the fun.)
Next monthly meeting will be Thursday, September 6, in the meeting room of the West Regional Library from 6-7:30pm. This year we are going “potluck” style for refreshments. If you have the time and means, please bring some munchies to share when you can.
CONTEST/EVENT for MWG members:
Mobile Bay Film Scramble 6
Mobile Writers Guild members will contribute one (or more) Synopsis and Logline for a short film (9 min or less.)
Filmmakers will choose a synopsis based solely on the logline, and adapt their chosen synopsis into an entry for the 6th Mobile Bay Film Scramble.
Synopsis: a summary of each major scene and descriptions of the significant characters; may even include snippets of dialogue.
Logline: a brief summary (1-3 sentences,) often providing both a synopsis of the plot, and an emotional hook to stimulate interest.
For this challenge, we encourage writers to look to classic anthology programs such as Twilight Zone, the Outer Limits, or Night Gallery as a model for telling smart and brief tales of imaginary but nonetheless plausible (non-supernatural) content. Just a few examples: unusual science, utopia/dystopia, paranormal abilities, interaction with other universes/dimensions, macabre mystery, cyberpunk, etc.
Film Scramble teams don’t have huge budgets (and often have no budget whatsoever!) so such limitations should be considered when writing.
Writers may submit as many synopses/loglines as they wish; with the understanding that only as many stories as we have teams will actually get made.
Stories may be rated G, PG, PG-13 or (lightly) R.
Tentative Timeline:
Scramble Signup for filmmakers Fri Sept 28 (location TBA)
Film Submissions Due Mon Oct 22 (filmmakers get 24 days to make the film)
Screening locations/dates TBA (probably around Nov 2 3 4)
SYNOPSES AND LOGLINES NEED TO BE E-MAILED to mobilewritersguild@gmail.com no later than NOON on Wednesday, September 26, 2012. Please mark the SUBJECT LINE “FILM SCRAMBLE” and INCLUDE ALL WRITING IN THE BODY OF THE E-MAIL. NO ATTACHMENTS.
Member News:
Here’s the information on what we’ve heard about. (And if you have news, or know someone who does, please e-mail us the details.)
MWG vice-president Angela Quarles finaled in SEVEN contests with her writing the past few months! Here’s the list: the Georgian/Regency/Victorian category for 2012’s Hearts Through History’s Romancing Through The Ages contest, and in the paranormal categories for the 2012 Washington DC Marlene contest, 2012 San Antonio Merritt contest, 2012 Virginia Fool for Love contest, 2012 Celtic Hearts Golden Claddagh contest, 2012 Greater Seattle’s ECO contest, and the 2012 Georgia’s Maggie contest. Way to go, Angela!
Several MWG members made the cut in the Faulkner Writing Competition in New Orleans. Charles McInnis’ poem “Southern Streams” made the short list for poetry, Laura Reese’s novel Dancing Naked in Dixie and Kat Kennedy’s novella “Flamingo Funeral” both made their categories as well. These dynamic three are also members of Five Rivers Writing Group. https://sites.google.com/site/fiveriverswritersgroup/
MWG Secretary Stephanie Lawton recently had several book signings/appearances in Ohio, and at least one event was a sellout for copies of her novel, Want.
MWG Needs:
Our first official meeting of the 2012-2013 year is only a month away! Plan now to attend on Thursday, September 6th, and budget those fifteen dollars (ten dollars if you’re enrolled in college) for membership fees.
If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can join via PayPal or by sending a check to our P.O. Box (see our website for details.) We have several bonuses this year for members (besides the regular discounted prices on workshops and events) like participation in the Film Scramble and giveaways at the meetings. Don’t let a month pass without being part of it all.
Where to find us:
www.facebook.com/pages/Mobile-Writers-Guild/132422949536?ref=hnav
On Twitter: @MobileWriters
Email: mobilewritersguild@gmail.com
Remember that comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome—both online and at the meetings. Thanks for your continued support!
Write on!
