Meeting notes September 10, 2020

Notes taken by Becky, Remember to check the Swanton Writing Group FB page for info on contests, events, general chat and more - and our blog, faithfully maintained and updated by Michelle. Upcoming: Scary Story Contest and Zine Due date: October 1 Submit to: circulation@swantonlibrary.com Short piece of original fiction with a focus on the scary or the horrific. Maximum word count: 1500 words. Include your name and contact info on your document. See our FB page for scary story starters! Edwin M. Church Award Due date: October 1 Open to ages 17 up who live, work, or are otherwise involved in Swanton, Submit to jpaxmax@swantonartscouncil.org. Original short story of 1500-3000 words maximum; MUST include a railroad or train mention or reference. Prize of $500 Booksie 2020 Poetry Contest https://www.booksie.com/contest/the-booksie-2020-poetry-contest-20 Due date: November 7 Any type, length, or content of poetry; can submit as many entries as you like. Prize of $1000 National Poetry Competition https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/national-poetry-competition/ Due date: October 31 Submit an unpublished poem of up to 40 lines; open to anyone 18 and over. Ten cash prizes. Boulevard Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers https://boulevardmagazine.org/nonfiction-contest Due date: September 30 Entry fee: $16 Open to writers who have not been published with a nationally distributed press. Essays of up to 8000 words. Winning essay gets $1000 and publication in the magazine. Boulevard Short Fiction Contest https://boulevardmagazine.org/short-fiction-contest Due date: December 31 Entry fee: $16 Open to writers who have not been published in a nationally distributed press. Fiction pieces of up to 8000 words. Winner gets $1500 and publication in the magazine. Recommended by SWG members: Masterclass Online Classes https://www.masterclass.com/ For $15/month or $180/year, access to unlimited online video classes. These are available in a number of categories - writing classes are variously taught by Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Brown, Joyce Carol Oates, Billy Collins, and more. Window Swap https://window-swap.com/ Open a new window somewhere in the world. Participants can post short videos or still shots from their windows. The Museum of Four in the Morning https://www.ted.com/talks/rives_the_museum_of_four_in_the_morning Just why is four in the morning so ubiquitous? Find out with this TED talk by poet/storyteller Rives. Mondegreens and the Science of Misheard Lyrics https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/science-misheard-lyrics-mondegreens From tonight's discussion - check this out from the New Yorker. Obit https://www.amazon.com/Obit-Bruce-Weber/dp/B071FN1YW3 A great documentary on the small staff at the NY Times who are responsible for writing the obituaries. Fascinating. (Nancy! Thinking of you!) Who Read What: Emmet read the first part of a piece - possibly a submission for the Scary Stories Zine - involving a kidnapped princess, a fashion-challenged prince, a fearsome blind fairy, and a corset. (By next meeting, Emmet's daughter Ella will have arrived - the SWG's first baby!) Ev read "Mood Swings with Pear" causing the entire group to obsess about paintings of pears. Renee read a piece about an interaction with an infernal fire alarm (at four in the morning; see above) and a poem about a friend's ex-boyfriend titled "Dead Fish." Next meeting: Thursday, October 8, 6-7 PM. Please join in - with recommendations, good books, suggestions, and news - and please bring something to read!