Quotation of the Week: Billy Collins

“I have no work habits whatsoever. I don’t write every day, so often it would be zero hours per day. I kind of hold onto a romantic view. People say in order to be a writer you have to write all the time. The poem will come along when it arrives. I try to be on the lookout for creative opportunities, something that might trigger a poem, but I don’t sit down in the morning and try to commit an act of literature before lunch.”
–Billy Collins

Source: The Writer’s Almanac

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

  • Best Fiction is an online publication of brilliant stories by new, emerging writers alongside the work of established authors.” Pays: “a minimum honorarium of $25 US for first electronic and print publication rights,” though “established authors may negotiate a fee for their stories.” (via Duotrope.com)
  • It’s almost April. You know that that means. A new issue of The Practicing Writer, packed with additional no-cost competitions and paying calls for submission. If you’re not yet a subscriber, sign up to receive your copy right in your inbox. No charge, and we keep email addresses confidential. More info here.
  • If you’re the author of a recent book, and you were born or are currently residing in Washington state, your work may be eligible for the Washington State Book Awards. “The winners of the Washington State Book Awards will be celebrated at a special event held in their honor in the fall. Each author, as well as the illustrator of the children’s picture book, will receive a $500 honorarium, thanks to the sponsorship of The Seattle Public Library Foundation.” There is no entry fee. Deadline: April 1.
  • Scholarship opportunity: “The Writer’s Center [Bethesda, Md.] is pleased to open its Call For Applications for the 2012 Undiscovered Voices Scholarship. The Writer’s Center seeks promising writers earning less than $25,000 annually to apply. This scholarship program will provide complimentary writing workshops to the selected applicant for a period of one year, but not to exceed 8 workshops in that year (and not to include independent studies). We expect the recipient will use the year to make progress toward a completed manuscript of publishable work.” In addition to free workshops, the winner “will give a reading from his or her work at the close of the scholarship period (June 2012) and will be invited to speak with local high school students on the craft of writing.” There is no application fee. Deadline: July 1.
  • Also from The Writer’s Center: a new first-novel prize.  “Thanks to the generosity of board member Neal P. Gillen, The Writer’s Center is pleased to announce that it will award $500 annually to the author of the best first novel published during a given calendar year. Conceived and funded by Gillen, the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns Prize honors three dedicated writers and members of The Writer’s Center faculty–Ann McLaughlin, Barbara Esstman, and Lynn Stearns–each of whom unselfishly nourish and inspire students and fellow writers.” There is no entry fee indicated. Deadline: July 15.
  • “The Literature Program at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey invites applications for a one-year, full-time Visiting Instructor/Assistant Professor position, beginning Fall 2011. Candidate must be able to teach a multi-genre introduction to creative writing course as well as upper-level workshops in Fiction.
  • Poets & Writers, Inc., (NYC) is looking for a Development & Marketing Associate, Harvard Medical School (Boston) seeks a Writer/Editor, and The Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore) plans to hire a Senior Writer (requisition #47391).
  • Friday Find: Writers’ Resources Galore

    Today, let’s take a step back. Do you have any idea how many posts bear a “Resources” tag on this blog? Well…a lot.

    So today, rather than adding and tagging yet another resource, I’m going to present the complete collection of Resources-tagged posts. You’ll notice that many of them are indeed framed as Friday Finds, but when I’ve linked to our newsletter or other service-y items within a blog post on other days, I’ve often appended the tag, too.

    Believe me, there’s plenty here to keep you busy over the weekend. Enjoy, and we’ll meet up again on Monday!

    Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: Book Clubs, Reading Guides, and Another Call for Suggestions

    I’ve already mentioned the wonderful news that my story collection, Quiet Americans, has been selected as the next title for the Jewish Book Council’s Twitter Book Club. We’ll be chatting online on Tuesday, April 12 (12:30, U.S. Eastern time), and you are all cordially invited to attend!

    What I haven’t yet shared is that last week, I learned that two more clubs have chosen Quiet Americans to read and discuss. These are groups that meet face-to-face. They happen to be located in different parts of the country (and not in any state I’ve lived in, which for some reason I find remarkable).

    With this happy development, I have turned my attention to a project I know I should have managed awhile back: writing a reading guide/discussion questions. (Again, remember, Last Light Studio is a very new and very small press. It’s not as though there’s an employee whose responsibility it is to write the questions.)

    This really shouldn’t be so difficult, right? Especially for me, with years of teaching experience behind me. After all, how many times have I created and circulated questions to help guide my students’ reading?

    But, of course, this set of questions is different. I’ve been looking at reading guides and questions for other authors’ books for some guidance. But, as usual, I’m again turning to all of you. Especially those of you who participate in book clubs. How many questions do you like to have on hand? If there’s a “type” of question that seems to work well (or badly), might you share it here? This inquiring mind wants to know! Thank you very much!

    (Oh, and when I’ve completed this project, I’ll be sure to post the questions/guide on the website.)

    The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

  • Kelli Russell Agodon is coordinating another Big Poetry Giveaway!
  • Warning: This post is likely to make you want to move to Indiana and sign up right away for Cathy Day’s Advanced Fiction Writing course for fall 2011.
  • Also on the subject of the teaching of writing: Andy Selsberg’s “Teaching to the Text Message” in Sunday’s New York Times offers suggestions for teaching “shorter”: “I don’t expect all my graduates to go on to Twitter-based careers, but learning how to write concisely, to express one key detail succinctly and eloquently, is an incredibly useful skill, and more in time with most students’ daily chatter, as well as the world’s conversation.”
  • Curious about Goodreads? Canadian mag Quill & Quire recently interviewed Patrick Brown, the site’s community manager.
  • Coming soon: a free workshop here in NYC for would-be literary translators. Susan Bernofsky is the workshop leader. (If it weren’t taking place during a very busy week for me, I’d apply to participate.)