This has been a dreadful week. I didn’t get any writing done. I had plans to go to lunch with Debra Young, my critique partner, on Saturday, but had to cancel. I had lunch scheduled tomorrow with someone I have known since I was two, but have not seen in 35 years. I cancelled that also. I hope to make Plot Group next Friday.
The reason I had to cancel my plans and got nothing done was I met my ex-boss for lunch on Thursday at Applebee’s. On the way in as Kathy was telling me how well I was walking, I caught my toe on something and fell. Hit my knees, then went down on my face. Tweaked my glasses. Hit my cheek on the step. Landed on my purse, which I think bruised my ribs. And, I broke my fingernail. Thank goodness that was all I broke. I didn’t hit my head, which was good.
Of course I instantly had waitresses asking if I wanted an ambulance. I really just wanted to be able to breathe. Then the manager was there asking the same thing. I finally managed to sit up. The manager order me a chair and I just sat there and looked at it. I had to get on my knees to get up in the chair and that was not happening. I levered myself backwards to the stairs, lifted myself up one using the railing, then up the second. I could put my feet on the floor, but couldn’t get up. I had to use one of the waitresses’ arm to get to my feet.
Lunch was nice and they gave us extra ice cream. I didn’t hurt my back, which was good, however, I can hardly move. My right arm turned black and blue today and I didn’t even hit it. I must have twisted it because I was holding on to my cane.
Once I can think again, I may use this experience and give Pax some bruises from his slipping and sliding in the alley, then being whisked into another dimension.
I hope everyone is doing better than I am.
Hi everyone! Check out the exciting online classes offered by the
Orange County Chapter of RWA!
“Mauled Men, Drowned Dames and Crispy Critters: a Body Disposal Primer for Writers”
with Jeanne P. Adams
March 14 – April 9, 2011
Love grammar? Hate grammar? Love to hate grammar?
Contrary to popular belief, grammar is not a sinister conspiracy plot designed by evil English teachers (the Grammar Gods) to ruin every writer in the free world’s fun by screwing with personal style. (Seriously, it’s not.)
From subject-verb agreement to passive voice, faulty construction to misplaced modifiers, word choice and usage to quotation marks and commas, the Grammar Divas (an English teacher and a professional copywriter) sort through the all the rules and share in a fun yet informative way the ten most important grammar issues every fiction writer should understand and practice.
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html. Check out our full list of workshops.
Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group!
********** permission to forward **********
Frequent air travelers may already have figured this one out, but this has proved helpful to me. I hope it will be helpful to you.
Advice on what to do when you are at the airport and discover your flight has been delayed:
It has been my experience that airlines representatives will avoid direct lying, but may not always tell the truth (exactly) and often not the whole truth (especially not in announcements). So the challenge is to figure out what are the right questions to ask. Questions that will compel them to deliver real information (Vs whatever they need to do to keep everyone calm).
So if there’s a delay, start with the question:
– Is the equipment in? (that is, is the plane assigned to fly you out actually here). This is especially important when there are weather issues.
If it is not, where is it coming from? Has it taken off? If not, why not, are planes taking off from that airport? How long does it take to get here from there? Have there been delays landing at your airport.
If it is in, why is there a delay?
– Is it mechanical (what is wrong, what is happening, any time estimate? is there an alternative plane available if it doesn’t get fixed? Is there an alternative flight available if it doesn’t get fixed?)
If it is not mechanical, what is it? Are all the crew here? If not, where are they coming from? When will they likely arrive? This usually doesn’t come into play unless a plan is delayed a long time & at a late hour, but crews can “expire” or time out. They are legally mandated not to work for more than a certain number of hours. Once thunderstorms kept all planes grounded for hours until quite late at night. Planes had to wait for a certain amount of time after any lightning event and there came a point that a couple of members of the crew would simply time out. There were no replacements available at that point, so the flight would be cancelled & we’d all have to go home & come back the next day. We squeaked in, but it’s worth asking about the crew if you’ve had a long delay & need to get a clearer picture of the variables to make plans.
My eye opening experience was once when I was flying out of Toronto, and the plane was delayed.
Airline: board indicates flight is 1/2 hour delayed. It’s winter and there is “weather.”
– Me to airline representative behind gate: why is it delayed? Is the equipment in?
– Airline: Equipment coming in was delayed, but is due in shortly & we’ll turn it around quickly.
– Me: Where is it coming from?
– Airline: (pause) I’ll have to check….. Chicago.
– Me: Thanks–but isn’t the weather coming from Chicago? Has it taken off yet?
– Airline: (pause) I’ll have to check….. No it is still on the runway.
– Me: Oh. Thanks. Are any flights taking off from Chicago right now?
– Airline: (pause) I’ll have to check….yes, they have just started flying out of Chicago.
– Me: Do you know where it is in line for take off?
– Airline: I don’t know, but it’s on the runway, not at the gate, so it’s in line (a bit long-suffering at this point).
– Me: Great! Once it takes off, how long a flight is it from Chicago?
– Airline: A little over an hour.
– Me: And then it’s about 1/2 hour to turn the plane around, right?
– Airline: Yes (a bit terse).
– Me: So with waiting for take off, travel time and turnaround time, it doesn’t look like the 1/2 hour late on the board is likely to happen, more like 2 hours if we’re lucky, right?
– Airline: (surly) Yes.
– Me: Thanks. Guess I’ll go get something to eat….
And remember, don’t kill the messenger. They are a key player in helping you, so alienating them by venting is not only not fair, it is not in your best interest.
So the moral of this story (and so many others) is:
What questions should you be asking?
MARCH CONTEST DEADLINES
Updated and all sites tested…Compiled by Donna Caubarreaux….May be forwarded with credits.
..
EA = Electronic Format Available
EA/Non US = Electronic for Foreign Entries
EO = Electronic Only
MO = Members Only
U = Unpublished
P = Published
P/3 = Not published in three years
Pnr = Published, but not by RWA standards
PC = Not published in category selected
..
Dixie First Chapter Contest (U – EO)
Magnolia State Romance Writers
Deadline: March 1, 2011
First twenty-five pages.
http://www.msrw.org/Dixie_First_Chapter.html
..
Fabulous Five Contest
Wisconsin RWA Chapter
Received: 11:59pm – March 1, 2011
First ten pages. 2500 words max.
http://www.wisrwa.org/contest.html#f5
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Great Beginnings Contest (U – EO – PC – P/3)
Utah Chapter RWA
Deadline: March 1, 2011
Enter first five pages.
http://www.utahrwa.com/gbcontest.html
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Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards (U)
Faith, Hope and Love RWA
Deadline: Midnight, March 1, 2011
2010 Copyright
http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/irc.html
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More Than Magic (P)
Romance Writers Ink
Entry Deadline: March 1, 2011
Copyright of 2010
http://rwimagiccontests.wordpress.com/
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Query Quandry Contest (EO – U)
New Hampshire Romance RWA
Received by Midnight March 1, 2011
One page query letter. Optional 1-2 pg. synopsis.
http://www.nhrwa.com/contest.html
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Genesis (U – Members Only)
American Christian Fiction Writers
Received by March 4, 2011 (Recommend 2/21/11 date.)
First fifteen pages plus one page single spaced synopsis.
http://www.acfw.com/genesis
..
CNW Contest
Writers-Editors Network
Postmarked by March 15, 2011
Enter 5K.
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guide/lines.htm
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Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence for Published Authors
Kiss of Death Chapter
Received by March 15, 2011
Copyright Date of 2010
http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/d_published.php
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Daphne du Maurier Award for Unpublished Authors (U – EO)
Kiss of Death Chapter
Received by 11:59pm MT – March 15, 2011
First 5k words, Synopsis up to 675 words.
http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/d_unpublished.php
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20th Annual Duel on the Delta Contest (U – EO)
River City Romance Writers
Deadline: March 15, 2011
First twenty pages plus optional one page unjudged synopsis.
http://www.rivercityromancewriters.org/duel.html
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Carol Awards
American Fiction Christian Writers
Received by March 18, 2011
Copyright of 2010 from approved Christian Publishing Houses.
http://www.acfw.com/carol
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Spring Into Romance
San Diego RWA
Postmarked by March 18, 2011
First twenty-five pages.
http://www.rwasd.com/contest/index.html
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PRISM
Fantasy. Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter
Deadline: March 19, 2011
Publication date of 2010
http://www.romance-ffp.com/
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Touch of Magic (U – P/5 – EO)
Central Florida Romance Writers
Deadline: March 20, 2011
First 25 pages + up to three page synopsis.
http://www.cfrwa.com/?page_id=28
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Check out Contests and Contest Winners on: http://contestdivas.blogspot.com/
Check out the Award Winning Romance Books on:
http://awardwinningromances.blogspot.com/
….
Contest Alert-All the news on upcoming contests, plus Finalist and Winner
listings, questions, etc. Sign up now!
ContestAlert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Announcement only list:
ContestDeadlines-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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For Published Authors
ContestAlertPublished-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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If you’re a Contest Judge, join
ContestsJudges-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Donna Caubarreaux is a member of Coeur de Louisiane, Scriptscene Chapter, NOLA Stars, Heart of Louisiana, and Kiss of Death. She received a RWA Service Award in 1997
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