Award-winning author to judge “wicked” prose competition

WCDR picks Rabindranath Maharaj to select $500 prize-winner

durham region, ON  july 9, 2009:  Rabindranath Maharaj faces some wicked choices this fall. The esteemed author will be judging the Wicked Words prose competition; his wicked choices will be a literary smorgasbord of entries. The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region (WCDR) announced the contest in May; organizers are delighted that the award-winning Ajax writer has agreed to hand-pick the winners.

With a trio of novels and a trio of short story collections to his credit, Maharaj boasts more than a passing familiarity with contests and prizes. His first novel, Homer in Flight, was shortlisted for the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award. His second, The Lagahoo’s Apprentice, received the nod for Notable Book of the Year by both the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. His third, A Perfect Pledge, was a finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. The Amazing Absorbing Boy, his eagerly-anticipated fourth novel, hits the shelves in January 2010.

Wicked Words invites works of fiction and non-fiction alike, with a hauntingly-appropriate deadline of October 31 at midnight. The open genre, open form themed prose competition challenges writers to muse upon the meanings of the word “wicked” in 1500 words or less.

“Wicked” … a complicated and complex little word:

• Evil nature or action
• Playful, mischievous and occasionally malicious
• Severe and worrying
• Really offensive and nasty
• Totally awesome man…that’s just soooo wicked!

The contest dangles a tantalizing first prize: $500 and publication in the Durham arts magazine Surfacing. The second prize winner snaps up a cool $250. Both prize winners and selected honourable mentions will be published in the Wicked Words anthology, reaping $25 and a contributor’s copy. What’s more, each and every entry receives written feedback.

The entry fee is just $20 ($25 for international entries). Online entries and secure payment by PayPal are encouraged. Or mail your entry and cheque/money order to Wicked Words, The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region, Bayly Postal Outlet, PO Box 14558, 75 Bayly Street West, Ajax ON L1S 7K7.

Something wicked this way comes: an abundance of short stories, essays, memoirs and creative non-fiction judged by Rabindranath Maharaj. The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region will announce contest winners in January 2010. To enter or for more details, visit www.wcdr.org or e-mail wickedwords@wcdr.org.

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS

2009 YOUTH POETRY CONTEST WINNERS
“SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT”

All of the photos below are of the poets who attended the May 2009 WCDR monthly breakfast.

GRADE SCHOOL WINNERS
in alphabetical order

Michaela Ambuter, Vernon, New Jersey, USA
I am

 Nick Cockerton, Oshawa, Ontario
Remember the day!

  Lauren O’Brien, Cannington, Ontario
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

  Breanna Proulx, Oshawa, Ontario
How can we save the environment?

  Riley Sims, Whitby, Ontario
Save the EARTH!

  Victoria White, Whitby, Ontario
Canada’s Environment

  ……………..

Stephanie Yip, North York, Ontario
Crumpled

Isabella Starvaggi, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
Taken Advantage Of

Tyrell, Worsley, Alberta
Environment Future

Leah Kenny, Vernon, New Jersey, USA
I am the flower of the present and future

HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS
in alphabetical order

 Nadya Domingo, Ajax, Ontario
Ambiguity

 ……………….

Wendy Chen, Acton, Massachusetts, USA
The Bullets of Glacier Bay

Melissa Eastwood, Burnaby, British Columbia
Saving the environment

Sambhav Gupta, dps r k puram, New Delhi, India
…endangered

Kristi Kwan, Markham, Ontario
The Heart of the Matter

Alanah Nasadyk, Victoria, British Columbia
What Have We Done?

Natalia Pack, Toronto, Ontario
Saving the environment

Daniel Rodriguez, Houston, Texas, USA
How Does the Weeping Willow Weep?

Sierra Severance, Milford, California, USA
Earth can be anything if there is a plan in hand

Hayley Stefanek, Burnaby, British Columbia
Recycling is no Oak

All 20 poems will be published in a poetry book titled ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS – Saving the Environment

As a prize, each of the 20 young poets will receive a free copy of the book.

All winners are invited to attend the May 9th, 2009 WCDR monthly breakfast in Whitby Ontario to read their winning poems.

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS will also be printed for public purchase starting May 9th, 2009 for $7.50 each or ordered on-line from www.wcdr.org for $7.50 + postage.

The names and cities of EVERY STUDENT who entered this contest will be listed in a special section of the book as an acknowledgement of the concern for the environment expressed so well in every poem submitted to this contest.

A special thanks to our three judges, Catherine Graham, Heather Cadsby and Michael Fraser.

Congratulations to the 20 winners and to everyone who entered.

Best regards,
James Dewar
WCDR Contest Coordinator

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS

The WCDR Poetry Challenge for School Students
(In Honour of WCDR Poet Dan Sullivan)

FREE TO ENTER by Mail or EMAIL – DEADLINE: JANUARY 31st, 2009

Contest Theme – SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT

Purpose:
Our aim is to encourage young people to express themselves through the artistic medium of poetry. We hope to create a liaison with educators that will both encourage and assist them in the teaching of artistic expression in written form. We also intend this contest to support the increase in new writers to the WCDR over time by nurturing in our youth the desire to write with confidence and the courage to speak freely about the issues that challenge their growing minds.

Age Categories:

a) Youth enrolled in grades 1 to 8
b) Youth under 20 years of age enrolled in grades 9 to 12

Timing:
Contest opens October 1, 2008 and closes January 31, 2009.
The best 10 poems on the theme of SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT will be selected by our judges in EACH of the two youth categories.

Information about our three judges: Heather Cadsby, Michael Fraser and Catherine Graham appear at the end of this notice.

All 20 winners will be announced on www.wcdr.org on APRIL 9th, 2009.

PRIZES

All 20 poems will be published in a poetry book titled ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS.

Each of the 20 young poets will be awarded a personal copy of the prize winners’ limited edition.

Should any winners be available to attend, they will be invited to read their winning poems at the April 11, 2009 WCDR monthly breakfast.

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS will also be printed for public purchase starting April 11th, 2009 for $7.50 each or ordered on-line from www.wcdr.org for $7.50 + postage.

The names and cities of all entrants in this contest will be listed in a special section of the book.

There are no fees to enter.

Conditions of Entry:
Entries are limited to one poem per person.

Maximum length of each poem is one 8.5”x 11” hand-written page (if mailed) or 40 lines (if emailed or typed).
 
Poem must be original and written solely by the contestant between October 1st 2008 and January 31st 2009.

The author’s name should not appear on the poem, but name, address and contact information should be placed on the back of any mailed entry or at the end of an emailed entry to assist in the blind judging process.

Poems may be submitted in one of two ways:

1. Typed in the body of an email (not as an attachment) between October 1st 2008 and midnight, January 31st 2009 to rockpaperscissors.

2. Typed or hand-written (legibly, please) on 8.5″ x 11″ paper and mailed (postmarked no later than January 31st 2009).

Teachers may submit GROUP ENTRIES in an envelope with the teacher’s name, school address and contact information (so we can contact the teacher of a possible winning poem), followed by a list of the children’s names and poem titles and then the individual poems, one poem per page.

PLEASE NOTE: GROUP ENTRIES may be submitted by email IF SENT BY A TEACHER FROM A SCHOOL EMAIL ADDRESS with the required information.

Mailing address:

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region
P.O. Box 14558
75 Bayly Street West
Ajax, ON L1S 7K7

Heather Cadsby was born in Belleville Ontario and currently lives in Toronto. She is the author of three books of poetry. A Tantrum of Synonyms (Wolsak and Wynn) was a finalist for the Pat Lowther Award. Recently her poetry has appeared in such journals as The New Quarterly, The Malahat Review and CV2 as well as the anthology, Best Canadian Poetry in English, 2008 (Tightrope Books). Her fourth collection of poetry titled Could be will be published by Brick Books in fall 2009.

She has conducted poetry workshops through the League of Canadian Poets’ Poets-in-the-Schools program, as well as for MASC’s Young Authors’ and Illustrators’ Conference, Phoenix, A Poets’ Workshop and the North York Board of Education. Heather has received writing grants from the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council. In both 2003 and 2005 she was a judge for the Toronto Star Poetry Contest (student division). Her judging experience also includes work for the Shaunt Basmajian Chapbook Award, the Archibald Lampman Book Award and the CBC Literary Awards (poetry category).

Michael Fraser is a high school teacher, poet, and writer. He has been published in such journals as Literary Review of Canada, The Paris Atlantic, and Caribbean Writer. He won the 2005 Toronto Star “Poem About Toronto” contest. His manuscript, The Serenity of Stone, won the 2007 Canadian Aid Literary Award and was published in 2008 by Bookland Press.

“The verses in Michael Fraser’s collection of poems, The Serenity of Stone, have a strong lyrical-narrative contention.. a new voice, a new way of looking deep down into the psyche of our country that is Canada..”
Austin Clarke
Giller Prize and Commonwealth Writers’ Prize winner

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Catherine Graham is the author of three critically acclaimed poetry collections: The Watch, Pupa, and The Red Element. She teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto, the Haliburton School of the Arts and Life Writing through the City of Burlington. Her writing has been anthologized internationally and her work as poetry coach is highlighted in Poet’s Market 2007. She is Vice President of Project Bookmark Canada and Marketing Coordinator for the Rowers Pub Reading Series.
Visit: www.catherinegraham.com

WCDR presents Wicked Words, an open genre, open form prose competition. Open genre means that fiction in all forms (literary, horror, children’s, etc.) and non-fiction (memoir, essays, creative non-fiction, etc.) will compete head to head and word for word. Open form gives writers full license to experiment.

The meaning of “Wicked”…a complicated and complex little word:

• Evil nature or action
• Playful, mischievous and occasionally malicious
• Severe and worrying
• Really offensive and nasty
• Totally awesome man…that’s just soooo wicked!

THE PRIZES

• $500 first place plus first publication in Surfacing magazine, Durham’s arts showcase publication; subsequent publication in Wicked Words print anthology
• $250 second place plus publication in Wicked Words print anthology
• $25 for selected honourable mentions plus publication in the print anthology Wicked Words, and contributor’s copy
• All entries will receive feedback from the first-tier judges; three-tier blind judging. Final judge to be announced

THE RULES

• Maximum: 1500 words in English; entries must be original, unpublished and not submitted, or accepted for publication, elsewhere.
• online entries are preferred.
• Blind judging. Any name or other identifying mark on your entry will disqualify it.
• Mail entries must include a cover letter with name, address, telephone number, and email address and entry title(s).
• $20 Canadian entry fee ($25 for international entries) Online via Paypal at WCDR website. Surface mail entries must include cheque or money order payable to WCDR. Enter as many times as you wish; each entry must be accompanied by the appropriate contest fee.

Pay with PayPal
$20.00 Canadian entry fee
$25.00 International entry fee

• Submitting to contest grants permission to Surfacing magazine for first publication rights of the winning entry. First prize, second prize and selected honourable mentions will also be published in the Wicked Words print anthology.

Send entries as Microsoft Word attachment to wickedwords@wcdr.org

• Entries will NOT be returned.

Deadline: October 31, 2009; winners announced January 2010.

The contest is closed. Thanks to all that entered

Entries: Length of each entry must not exceed 1500 words. Stories of fiction may be of any subject matter, type or style. No limit to number of entries, but each must be submitted separately with appropriate entry fee. Only one story from each contest participant may win or place. Entries will be judged on their originality and sense of craft in the work.

The winners will have their entry published in a special edition of the Word Weaver, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Writers’ Circle of Durham Region, and on our website at www.wcdr.org. All winners may be invited to read their entries at future WCDR events.

GUIDELINES: Entries must be original, unpublished, not submitted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, not accepted elsewhere for publication or broadcast, and not entered simultaneously in any other competition. This includes different “versions” of the same story.

There should be not visible indentifying details on the submission (ie. name, address). The manuscript should not bear any decorative markings (ie. photos, fonts, etc.)

No member of the WCDR Board of Directors or co-ordinating committee may enter this contest.

Fee: $10 Canadian. All foreign payments must be online or in the form of money orders. Payment may be made online below or mailed to The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region, Bayly Postal Outlet, P.O. Box 14558, 75 Bayly St W, Ajax, ON L1S 7K7.

Pay $10 Fee with PayPal or creditcard

Due Date: Dec 1, 2008

Judges: Sharon English, Barry Dempster and Barbara Kyle

Prizes: Prizes will be awarded based on a percentage of entry fees collected. First prize – 25 per cent of entry fees with a $100 minimum prize. Second prize – 15 per cent of entry fees with a $60 minimum prize. Third prize – 10 per cent of entry fees with a $40 minimum prize.

Information: Contest opens September 1, 2008. Winning entries will be published in a special biennial contest edition of WCDR’s newsletter, The Word Weaver, and online. Contest open to all writers, 18 years and over. International.

Send To: Online submission only. Submit entry as an attached Microsoft WORD (.doc) or RTF (.rtf) document to shortstory@wcdr.org.
(Must be postmarked and emailed by midnight, December 1, 2008.)
Send all contact information in the body of the email or as a separate page.

Address questions to: Maureen Curry or Barbara Hunt at shortstory@wcdr.org.

The WCDR is pleased to announce the 15 chapbooks and their publishers who qualified for the final judging round of the WCDR 2008 POETRY CHAPBOOK CHALLENGE:

Annabelle Murray – Secret Stone CreativeJames Publishing Uxbridge On

Barbara Hunt – Not Just to Ask Writers Playground Port Perry On

Bill Howell – Ghost Test Flights Rubicon Press Toronto On

Carolyn J. Clink – SNAP-SHOTS Believe your own press Toronto On

David Silverberg – Bags of Wires Lyricalmyrical Press Toronto On

Elizabeth (Liz) Zetlin – Addictions of a Poet Laureate Always Press Owen Sound On

Gill Foss – Windows In Time Beret Days Press Ottawa On

Jane Levin – Legacy Moonflower Press Minneapolis Minn

Kate Marshall Flaherty – Hobbeldehoy Lyricalmyrical Press Toronto On

Michelle Retterath – Like Lightning leaf press Lantzville B.C.

Nashira Dernesch – It’s No Secret You’ll Feel Better Believe your own press Toronto On

Nina Bruck – still light at five o’clock Sky of Ink Press Montreal QC

Susan Lynn Reynolds – Skinned CreativeJames Publishing Port Perry On

Teresa Dunat Banks – Resident Alien Believe your own press Toronto On

Tim Mayo – The Loneliness of Dogs Pudding House Publications Columbus Ohio

The 3 winners will be announced (with readings from their winning chapbooks) and their $100 prizes presented at the September 13th monthly breakfast.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Teens talking Truth!

Come experience a full and fun day of self-expression and creativity offered just for teens. This is a great way for you to write, share together, and explore your feelings and experience. Teens will be encouraged to unleash their creativity, using the freefall writing technique to tap into their truth and their unique story. Ages 12 – 18 are welcome.
Bring a healthy lunch, snacks provided.

Wednesday July 30, 2008
10 am – 4 pm $40.00*

@ Harmony Health
770 King Street East Oshawa
To Register call:
Elizabeth at 905-432-9828 X2 or Elise at 905-743-0345

* WCDR members receive a 10% discount

Elise Kubsch is a poet/writer who is passionate about writing, creativity and young people. She teaches at an Oshawa high school where she runs a weekly Creative Writing Club to support and encourage teen writers.

Elizabeth McAvoy is a naturopath at Harmony Health in Oshawa. She encourages the creative expressive arts as an important part of self-healing and well-being.

Tune into Well Being!
harmonyhealth770@rogers.com

The WCDR 2008 Poetry Chapbook Challenge
(Sponsored by The Writer’s Circle of Durham Region in honour of Dan Sullivan)

Three poets will each be awarded a $100.00 prize to celebrate the quality and artistic merit of poetry published in the chapbook format in the preceding year.

Conditions of Entry:

Each poet may enter one poetry chapbook that has been published between January 1st, 2007 and May 30th 2008, along with an entry fee of $10.00. (Please make Cheques or money orders payable to The Writer’s Circle of Durham Region.)

Three qualified Writer’s Circle of Durham Region members will judge entries with particular emphasis on the following :
• quality of poetic craft
• consistency of style
• emotional resonance
• topicality
• visual aesthetics

Chapbook definition:

- Maximum length of each poetry chapbook is 48 pages. (There is no minimum length)
- All poetry in each chapbook must be original and the sole property of the submitting poet.
- Small press published books are permitted as long as the poet owns copyright to all poetry.
- Chapbooks must have been published for the purposes of sale. (minimum print run of 20)
- Chapbooks must be in English, or if in another language, include the English translation as part of the publication.

Timing:

Contest opens March 1st, 2008. Closes May 30th, 2008. All entries must be postmarked no later than midnight May 30th, 2008.

The names of the 15 finalists will be posted on the WCDR website, www.wcdr.org on the Tuesday after Labour Day, 2008.

Winners will be notified by email and or/phone. Contestants should provide a separate sheet with their chapbooks containing their complete contact information.

Awards will be given out at the September 13th WCDR breakfast meeting. Each winning poet will be asked to perform a short reading if available to accept the award in person on that date.

Other Conditions:

By entering this contest, poets agree to allow at least two of the poems from winning chapbooks (as arranged with the judges at the conclusion of the contest) to be posted on the www.wcdr.org website for a maximum period of one year. Copyright of all poems will always be retained by the poet.

The WCDR will not sell any chapbooks on behalf of entrants, including the three finalists.

Chapbooks entered will not be returned, but will be retained in the WCDR library for the reading enjoyment of its members.

Chapbooks, entry fees and contact information sheet must be mailed together to:

The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region
Bayly Postal Outlet
P.O. Box 14558
75 Bayly Street West
Ajax, ON L1S 7K7
905-686-0211

(PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DAN SULLIVAN MEMORIAL POETRY CONTEST WAS DISCONTINUED in 2007)

Coming in Fall 2008 – Rock – Paper – Scissors

A unique new poetry challenge for young poets in both the children’s and youth categories. Young poets will be asked to write poems on a specific topic that has yet to be decided.

Full details will be advised RIGHT HERE in the summer months.

Please check back here after June 30th.

NOTE: This contest replaces the Dan Sullivan Youth and Children’s Poetry Contest, which will no longer be offered in its original format.

I would like to thank everyone for the outstanding support I received on Saturday at the WCDR writing contest (”So You Think You Can Write”).

I will treasure the brass-plated trophy/penholder.The cash prize ($50) will help to purchase a new filing cabinet for my writing “stuff”.

Special thanks to Dorothea Helms for creating and running the contest!

Ann Peacock

Hello fellow writers:

We’ve had several inquiries about the Dan Sullivan Poetry Contest.

We’re currently revisiting all of our contests for 2008 and will be back soon to let everyone know some of the exciting new revisons we will be offering.

Please do not send in any entries until the new guidelines have been published.

Keep writing and check back soon!

(PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CONTEST WAS DISCONTINUED in 2007)

It was one of the most exciting mornings WCDR has ever seen! Members and guests poured in to attend the first-ever WCDR Idol contest, where the five finalists performed their pieces in front of an audience of more than 80 people. Celebrity judges Anna Mackay Smith, Neil Crone and Suzanne Crone provided thoughtful and downright hilarious feedback. Audience members held up signs for their favourite contestants, and at some points became quite rowdy. Emcee Dorothea Helms managed to keep everyone in line, and the performances were SUPERB. We offer them here as flash video. To hear these remarkable pieces, click on the contestants’ names beside their photos. Once you do, you’ll realize why choosing a winner was tough. Congratulations to Myrna Marcelline for being voted the FIRST WCDR Idol!

• Annette McLeod
• Dorothy Sjöholm
• Reta Stickwood
• Myrna Marcelline – Winner
• Fred Ford

Note: These videos require a high-speed internet connection as well as Adobe Flash 8 or higher.

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Congratulations Myrna

(more…)

fairy@thewritingfairy.com

Hi everyone,

Well, we just got home from an invigorating day of auditions for our first-ever WCDR Idol contest. What a fabulous experience – and some heartfelt thanks are in order.

First, thank you to the four first-round judges who joined me in the difficult task today of narrowing down the list of contestants to 5 finalists and 1 honourable mention/alternate.

• Joe Dewar, who is experienced in poetry, spoken word and songwriting, and is a self-proclaimed “Post-Apocalyptic Warlord”
• Lois Gordon, a well-published WCDR member who recently received an honourable mention in the Erma Bombeck Humour Contest
• Stuart Blower, owner of Stuart Blower Photography and a published writer who was a founding member of WCDR, and who designed our first WCDR logo
• Diana Rigby, who works in both the Whitby Public Library and the Durham College Library, and who is a published poet

(Hmmmm – seems we might have a few potential new WCDR members on that list!)

THANK YOU to all these judges, who offered thoughtful feedback to the readers, and who took very seriously the task of judging. The care and consideration they gave during the final discussion was wonderful – each person realized how important this is for the contestants, and we deliberated quite a while before agreeing on the finalist results.

Next, thank you to Rich – our creative tech guy and my supportive husband, who was on hand taking photos, taping the segments in case we needed to see any of the performances again, and generally helping with everything. Rich, YOUDEMAN!

And of course, thank you to everyone who auditioned today. As I mentioned a couple times during the day, it took guts to show up and read in front of people. It took guts to put your stuff forward for judging. And the variety of writing we heard was diverse, from poignant poems to riveting personal essays, startling fiction and slapstick humour. Some folks even came in costume, and a few used props.

I hope you all found it a rewarding experience.

The quality of the writing and reading was excellent – so excellent that the judges were at the library for a lot longer than I anticipated trying to narrow down the list. PLEASE – those of you whose names are not on the finalist list, PLEASE realize this was so close, it’s a darned shame to have to limit to 5 – but it’s all we’ll have time for in July, so it had to be done.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO – here you go – Your 5 WCDR Finalists are – IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME:

Fred Ford
Myrna Marcelline
Annette McLeod
Dorothy Sjöholm
Reta Stickwood

AND – we decided to select an honourable mention/alternate who we hope will come to the July breakfast meeting prepared to perform – IF AND ONLY IF one of the five finalists listed above cannot for some reason make it. We will not have time to hear six people read, but we would like to make sure we have five for the final contest.

The honourable mention/alternate is: Raïssa Chernushenko

To the five finalists and Raissa, I will send you a separate e-mail explaining how things will work on the morning of July 14th. And no, Myrna, there is no wardrobe allowance like on American/Canadian Idol

Again, thank you to everyone who played a part in today. Thank you to the WCDR board of directors for going along with my wacky idea to hold this contest, and to the participants and judges who put up with the little glitches that arose because it’s the first time running it.

Congratulations finalists, but even moreso, congratulations to everyone who showed up and auditioned. You are all remarkable writers and amazing people!

Dorothea (The Writing Fairy) Helms

Hi everyone,

Just four days until the WCDR Idol auditions. The auditions will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or later – if you can’t make it by 1:00, let me know ahead of time and we’ll make arrangements) at the Whitby Public Library (Central Branch), Room 1B.

The Whitby Public Library is located at 405 Dundas Street West, at the corner of Henry Street. There is public parking on Colborne Street directly east of the library – and parking is free on weekends. The few parking spots directly behind the library are available only to library patrons for short-term use.

Some registrants have asked about using props during their readings, and I say GO FOR IT. If there’s a costume or prop that will help you bring your reading to life, give it your best shot using whatever – EXCEPT for snakes. I have my limits

I attach here a Participant Form to be printed off, filled out by you and brought with you to the auditions. If you forget, we will have forms available on that day for you to fill out. Remember to bring 5 copies of your reading so the judges can follow along as you read. Originally I asked for 6, but we won’t have as many judges as I thought. (wcdr-idol-2007-participant-form.pdf)

I have listed below the names of the members who have registered. If you have registered, or want to register, and your name is NOT on the list, PLEASE LET ME KNOW as soon as possible.

AND PLEASE – IF YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR MIND OR CANNOT MAKE IT – LET ME KNOW, SO WE DON’T SIT THERE WAITING UNNECESSARILY ONCE ALL THE AUDITIONS ARE OVER.

Karen Cole
Myrna Marcelline
Graham Ducker
Kevin Craig
Bill Rundle
Brian Baker
Suzanne Robinson
Shirley Neal
Sue Reynolds
Cheryl Jack
Betty Nodder
Jessica Outram
Rose Cronin
James Dewar
Annette McLeod
Robert Laroque
Val Faulkner
Freya Turppa
Karen Cole
Fred Ford
Reta Stickwood
Barbara Cavan
Betty Dubeau

Thanks again – this will be fun!

Dorothea Helms
writer@wsws.ca
Write Stuff Writing Services
S10895 Sideroad 17 RR #1
Sunderland, ON L0C 1H0
905-852-9294 or 905-852-0551
Fax: 905-852-0756

Due: register by Aug 31, 2007

Fiction

Entries: Entrants must write an entire novel over the Labour Day long weekend. You can write anywhere in the world, by any method and in any genre, so long as you follow all the rules

Fee: $50 registration fee

Prizes: First prize: Publication and distribution
Second prize: $500
Plus fun literary prizes for making the shortlist.

Information: Pre-registration is required. Survival tips, rules, registration info, previous winners and FAQ on the website

Send To: 3-Day Novel Contest
200 – 341 Water St.
Vancouver BC, V6B 1B8

Web Address: www.3daynovel.com

What are you waiting for?

The list is growing for contestants for WCDR Idol, but we want more, more, more! Everything’s progressing well, except that the three final judges are arguing about who gets to be Paula Abdul. They all want to be her – even Neil! Won’t it be fun on July 14th when we let them duke it out in person as they comment on the five finalists’ performances?

Auditions are being held on Saturday, June 16th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Whitby Public Library – and the WCDR performances for the five finalists chosen will be at the July breakfast meeting. You have 3 minutes to wow the judges with your original writing read/performed in a creative way.

The first-round judging panel will narrow the list to five, THEN on July 14th we will have a panel of celebrity judges who will make comments before the audience votes.

To remind you, here is some information on our amply qualified judges:

Anna MacKay-Smith has done dribs and drabs in the theatre since her mother first said “Act your age.” However, her life-long ambition has always been to be a judge on the WCDR Idol panel. Early on in her theatre career, you could find her throwing scripts across the room screaming “Rubbish!” She knew she had a hidden talent and secretly read books at intermission, mouthing words like “Awesome. Brilliant. Crap.” Until she gets to finally fulfill her dream in July, she is directing the sequel to The MOM Project in Uxbridge…The AhMen Project, and The WIT Project in Orillia and picking organic vegetables in Quebec. While weeding the cabbage, she is practicing her award-winning smile for WCDR Idol morning.

Suzanne Crone was raised as a Quaker but found the services lacking in “Martini.” She speaks fondly of her upbringing but notes that their TV was so humble that it didn’t have any buttons. Since they couldn’t change the channel, they were stuck watching the “Aboriginal Test Pattern Show.” This helped her develop a wicked imagination and the ability to stare out into space for long periods of time. She has a B.A. in English, and received her PHD in coffee drinking from the Questionable University of Stir Sticks. She was recently published in the “Globe & Mail” but believes that the true mark of success is a really “kick-ass” colouring book. The last time she was asked to participate on a panel was when she was put in a police lineup and identified as having “roller-skated” through a Tim Horton’s drive-through with rogue shopping carts on her feet.

Neil Crone is not a judge, but he plays one on TV. He is a graduate of the ‘My Way or the Highway’ school of Negotiating and has a Masters in Navel Gazing from the Pamela Anderson School of Applied Arts. A syndicated humor columnist with Metroland Publications, Neil’s writing style has been compared to the likes of Hemingway, Joyce and Faulkner (that would be Phil Hemingway, Ned Joyce and Biff Faulkner). His acting credits include Little Mosque on the Prairie, Hollywoodland, the soon to be released Hairspray with John Travolta and the controversial role of Mr. Parsnip in Bridlewood Public School’s searing indictment of the Vietnam War, ‘Foods of our Land’. He hopes to become a grown-up one day.

REMEMBER – you have to pre-register for auditions. Please send an e-mail to Dorothea Helms at writer@wsws.ca or fairy@thewritingfairy.com.
Come on! Give it a go! You could win 100 bucks, plus other great prizes.

In December ‘06, Adele Simmons won first prize for her piece “The Cabin”, in the WCDR 24-Hour Non-Fiction Challenge. Congratulations now to Adele that this same piece is shortlisted as one of five finalists in the Personal Experience Category of the 2007 Canadian Christian Writing Awards, conducted by The Word Guild of Canada. The winner will be announced June 13th at the Awards Gala, which will be held at the Maureen Forrester Recital Hall of Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo.

For other finalist information in 33 categories, check the website: www.thewordguild.com

Kudos to WCDR for the challenge, incentive, and encouragement for our writer members to get writing!

Registrations for WCDR Idol auditions are rolling along. If your name’s not on that list yet, consider trying out for this fun experience. Auditions are being held on Saturday, June 16th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Whitby Public Library – and the WCDR performances for the five finalists chosen will be at the July breakfast meeting. You have 3 minutes to wow the judges with your original writing read/performed in a creative way.

The first-round judging panel will narrow the list to five, THEN on July 14th we will have a panel of celebrity judges who will make comments before the audience votes. Just look at how enormously qualified these celebrities are:

Neil Crone is not a judge, but he plays one on TV. He is a graduate of the ‘My Way or the Highway’ school of Negotiating and has a Masters in Navel Gazing from the Pamela Anderson School of Applied Arts. A syndicated humor columnist with Metroland Publications, Neil’s writing style has been compared to the likes of Hemingway, Joyce and Faulkner (that would be Phil Hemingway, Ned Joyce and Biff Faulkner). His acting credits include Little Mosque on the Prairie, Hollywoodland, the soon to be released Hairspray with John Travolta and the controversial role of Mr. Parsnip in Bridlewood Public School’s searing indictment of the Vietnam War, ‘Foods of our Land’. He hopes to become a grown-up one day.

Suzanne Crone was raised as a Quaker but found the services lacking in “Martini.” She speaks fondly of her upbringing but notes that their TV was so humble that it didn’t have any buttons. Since they couldn’t change the channel, they were stuck watching the “Aboriginal Test Pattern Show.” This helped her develop a wicked imagination and the ability to stare out into space for long periods of time. She has a B.A. in English, and received her PHD in coffee drinking from the Questionable University of Stir Sticks. She was recently published in the “Globe & Mail” but believes that the true mark of success is a really “kick-ass” colouring book. The last time she was asked to participate on a panel was when she was put in a police lineup and identified as having “roller-skated” through a Tim Horton’s drive-through with rogue shopping carts on her feet.

Anna MacKay-Smith has done dribs and drabs in the theatre since her mother first said “Act your age.” However, her life-long ambition has always been to be a judge on the WCDR Idol panel. Early on in her theatre career, you could find her throwing scripts across the room screaming “Rubbish!” She knew she had a hidden talent and secretly read books at intermission, mouthing words like “Awesome. Brilliant. Crap.” Until she gets to finally fulfill her dream in July, she is directing the sequel to The MOM Project in Uxbridge…The AhMen Project, and The WIT Project in Orillia and picking organic vegetables in Quebec. While weeding the cabbage, she is practicing her award-winning smile for WCDR Idol morning.

REMEMBER – you have to pre-register for auditions. Please send an e-mail to Dorothea Helms at writer@wsws.ca or fairy@thewritingfairy.com.

Come on! Give it a go! You could win 100 bucks, plus other great prizes.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend Saturday’s breakfast meeting, here is the info on out BRAND NEW WCDR Idol contest. Remember, ONLY PAID-UP MEMBERS OF The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region can audition.

Do you have what it takes to become the
2007 WCDR IDOL?

Yes folks, that’s right – we’re holding the first WCDR IDOL contest this year. You can sign up to audition in front of a panel of knowledgeable and nicer-than-Simon-Cowell first-round judges in June, and if you rank in the top five, you can perform your original writing during our July Breakfast meeting in front of three celebrity judges and a live (hopefully) audience. The judges will make comments, but the audience members will vote for their favourite writer/reader.

Auditions: Saturday, June 16th, 2007
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Whitby Public Library, Room 1B

Performance: Saturday, July 14th, 2007 – WCDR Breakfast Meeting

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

1. This contest is open to PAID-UP WCDR MEMBERS ONLY.

2. There is no entry fee, but you must pre-register to audition. Send a note to fairy@thewritingfairy.com or writer@wsws.ca. You cannot choose an audition time, but you can specify whether you prefer morning or afternoon.

3. You are limited to 3 minutes for your reading time. There will be a timer and at the end of 3 minutes, you’ll get the gong. That means you need to rehearse at home.

4. The piece MUST be your own original, unpublished work that has not won a previous contest.

5. Bring 6 copies of your work to the audition, and plan to leave 5 of them with the judges for deliberation during the weeks before the final performance. You will be judged on the quality of the writing and on how well you read it out loud.

6. The writing can be in any genre – poetry, prose, fiction, non-fiction, cowboy, romance, mystery, humour, adventure, how-to, etc., etc.

7. Your piece must be something you can read on your own – no group presentations; i.e. no plays in which two or more people read. This is a solo gig.

8. You MUST agree to be available for the July breakfast meeting if you end up in the five finalists. Otherwise, please do not audition.

9. At the breakfast meeting, finalists MUST read the same pieces they read on audition day.

10. The four runners-up will each receive a prize. The 2007 WCDR Idol will receive a fabulous prize package including $100 cheque from the Writing Fairy, a Gift Certificate from Blue Heron Books, a free one-year WCDR membership, and more!

11. The decisions of the judges and audience are final.

‘The Seven Stations of the Healthy Heart were in the ground.’
(short story from a corporate newsletter)

If that’s too short for you then you must come up with 1,489 more words for the WCDR Short Story Contest which closes June 1, 2007. Our illustrious judges, Robert J. Wiersema, Allisa York and Suzanna Keasley will expect to read 1,500 words from you and slave over their decision. Please see www.wcdr.org for details and the submission form. And the prize money goes up as the entries roll in! So, get those writing hands, typewriters and computers warmed up…

For details on the contest visit www.wcdr.org/shortstory

DURHAM REGION, March 1, 2007 – As it is our wish to encourage writers of all genres, The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region is again sponsoring our annual WCDR Short Story Contest . The winners will have their entry published in a special edition of the Word Weaver, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Writers’ Circle of Durham Region, and on our website at www.wcdr.org. All winners may be invited to read their entries at future WCDR events.

All writers (Canadian and International) 18 years of age and older may enter original, previously unpublished stories of 1,500 words or less on any subject matter with the $10 entry fee paid online at www.wcdr.org or mailed to The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region, Bayly Postal Outlet, Health Rite Pharmacy, P.O. Box 14558, 75 Bayly St W, Ajax, ON L1S 7K7 by midnight, June 1, 2007. Prizes will be awarded based on a percentage of entry fees collected. First prize – 25 per cent of entry fees with a $100 minimum prize. Second prize – 15 per cent of entry fees with a $60 minimum prize. Third prize – 10 per cent of entry fees with a $40 minimum prize. Story submissions are only accepted online, using the appropriate form. For technical assistance, please contact webmaster at www.wcdr.org. For other queries, email shortstory@wcdr.org.

This year’s illustrious panel of final judges (TBA) will arrive at a decision by September 8th, 2007. Winners will be announced at the WCDR September breakfast meeting and be available online at that time.

The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region (www.wcdr.org) is a non-profit umbrella organization dedicated to encouraging and promoting the art and skill of writing, fostering literacy, and providing moral support to writers through education and networking, both independently and in co-operation with existing organizations.

ONLY EIGHT MORE SLEEPS !!!

The Dan Sullivan Memorial Poetry Contest is going into its last week. Get your submissions in. For only a $15 adult entry fee (for 30 lines of poetry), you could win $300, $200 or $100 in cool, crisp cash. So sharpen your pencils and your metaphors! Avoid the poetry-(log)-jam! Get those precious, poetry pieces (alliteration!) in now. See www.wcdr.org/dansullivan and write, write, write!

Wind, river, rocks
and water. Empty sky… gosh, no!
All I can see is snow, snow, snow…
it’s even buried my red wheel barrow!

I’m sure you can do better than that. Get your entries in to The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region’s annual Poetry Contest, The Dan Sullivan Memorial with adult prizes of $300, $200 and $100. Check guidelines at www.wcdr.org and follow the link to the Dan Sullivan Memorial Poetry Contest or visit www.wcdr.org/dansullivan

DEADLINE is February 15, 2007.

Barb Hunt