** Music to Write By **

Are you familiar with Writing-World.com?  It's full of writing news, helpful hints, contests, etc. I just read a very interesting and helpful article about listening to different types of music while writing. It's called Music to Write By, by Indra Sena. The topics covered are below, but click on the link to read the entire article.
I found the first suggestion the most intriguing.....find a "starting song" and stick with it! Kind of like Pavlov's dog....you'll train yourself to begin writing when you hear that song! I haven't had time to choose "my" song yet....I have a feeling it'll take me awhile to decide which one to select!

1. Anchor Yourself to a Starting Song

2. Play Songs That Reflect the Period You Are Writing About

3. Play Music That Puts You In The Mood

4. Use Music That Increases Brain Functioning

5. If You Prefer Silence While Writing

~ Indra Sena is a writer living in the Catskill Mountains. After 22 years as a consultant, she left the business world a year ago to write fulltime. She is currently completing her first book, a memoir about her life as a young teenager living on her own. You can contact her at indrasena66@gmail.com. ~

I e-mailed Indra & asked her permission to post some of her article. She replied and said she'd be honored!

I hope everyone enjoys learning about writing with (or without) music. Please leave me comments, and feel free to e-mail Indra, too.

** Contest Updates **

I looked over the contests I posted on September 8th, and realized I hadn't included the links properly. I fixed that little problem this morning, plus deleted the one contest that the deadline has passed.

Happy Writing and Good Luck!

** What A Day For A Daydream **

What a glorious, perfect day to drive around with the top down on my cute, little convertible. I just can't say enough about the fabulous summer weather we've had.

After running a few errands, it was almost noon and I decided it would be a great day to go to my favorite coffee/lunch place, maybe sit outside to eat, and then do some writing on my laptop. Well.....part of that was a good idea.....the part about eating a scrumptious lunch. I didn't sit outside because those patio tables were full. I also couldn't get any writing done (other than this little blog post) due to the crowd and loud talking. Silly me. I thought if I got away from my house, and all the random objects that call my name to come and take care of them....."Fold me", says the laundry. "Wash me", says the breakfast dishes. "Clean me", says every other room in the house!!... Oh...and yes, "Let me outside, Let me inside, Feed me, etc", says Tiger!....Oh well.....it's a good reason to hang around all afternoon and wait for some quiet to happen here. And I intend to do just that!! Everything else can wait til tomorrow.

* Contests and Calls For Submissions *

 While going through some papers in my home office yesterday afternoon, I came across an old one that listed 3 websites to check out for contests and such. I'm not really sure where it came from, and I may have even typed it up for myself, but as usual with websites like these, one just leads to another and another. I was on my laptop for what seemed like hours, searching to find posts that appeard to be good ones to pass along to my writer friends. (*How many of you out there visualize what I do when I read  "....was on my laptop"....and especially "...for hours"??*)

Anyway.....I found a few that seemed interesting! Be sure to read all the rules and guidelines. Listed in no particular order, they are:
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Writer’s Digest Your Story Contest
Deadline: Bimonthly on the 10th
Entry Fee: FREE
Guidelines: http://www.writersdigest.com/YourStory/

Here’s an opportunity to get published both in Writer’s Digest magazine and on their website Every other month, they give a prompt for a story. Using that prompt, you can write any type of flash narrative you like, up to 750 words. According to their guidelines, they are looking for inventiveness, creativity, and humor. Look in the current print issue of Writer’s Digest for the latest contest prompt. If you don’t want to buy it, many libraries carry copies at the circulation desk. Contest #19 ended on July 10, 2009, so the next two contest deadlines should be September 10 and November 10, 2009. The online submission form makes entering a simple process. Don’t’ forget to read past winning entries before you submit your story to “Your Story.”
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The First Line Winter Writing Contest
Entry Fee: FREE
Deadline: November 1, 2009

Guidelines: http://www.thefirstline.com/

“Waiting for change always seems to take longer than you would expect.”

Use this first line, verbatim, create a story between 300 and 3,000 words to enter in the First Line Writing Contest. This is a quarterly contest, so if you miss the deadline for the May contest, there will [...]

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Writers of comedic essays, articles, short stories, poetry, shopping lists and other forms are invited to submit. Entry Fee: $5.00
Deadline: December 1, 2009  (snail mail, postmark date) no submissions online

Mona founded the Foster City (CA) Writers Contest, taught creative writing for San Mateo County and published humorous articles and essays in newspapers and magazines. Her son Brad founded the Prize in 2000 and judges the submissions.

Works up to 750 words in length should be typed, double-spaced, accompanied by a money order or check for $5 to cover administrative costs, payable to "The Mona Schreiber Prize." No limit to entries but each must have a separate fee. Put contact information directly above the title and text on your first page.

No SASEs, please. Include e-mail address for notification of winners. All entries must be postmarked by December 1 for a December 24 announcement of three winners: 1st: $500. 2nd: $250. 3rd: $100. Entries are not returned and must be unpublished. Winners will have their entries posted on www.brashcyber.com. All other rights belong to the authors. Humor is subjective. Uniqueness is suggested. Weirdness is encouraged.

This contest does not accept e-mail submissions. All entries must be mailed to: The Mona Schreiber Prize for Humorous Fiction and Nonfiction, 15442 Vista Haven Place, Sherman Oaks, California 91403 USA

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Flannery O'Connor Contest
Prize: $1,000.00. Entry fee: $0.00. Deadline: 10-31-2009.

Shenandoah announces a special issue centering on the works of Flannery O'Connor in celebration of the journal's 60th anniversary. The editor seeks essays, poems, short stories, reviews, photographs and other artwork about, related to or in honor of the fiction and life of Ms. O'Connor. Any queries about particular submissions should be directed to rodsmith@wlu.edu. A prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the best O'Connor-related work published in the issue, which is planned for Fall, 2010.  http://www.wlu.edu/x33932.xml
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** You've may have noticed that these are all No Entry Fee, or Very Minimal Entry Fee contests. I purposely chose them because of that. **

** A New Day - A New Week - Beautiful Music **

I felt like changing my play list again this morning. It might be because it's a rainy, cloudy day. It might be because I was being lazy and didn't feel like doing much of anything else....I'm not sure, but I do know, I felt like it was time to put away the summer tunes.

For this play list, I've chosen just a few, but very beautiful songs. I'm sure I'll be adding more, as I remember other ones that I love, too.....

Relax and Enjoy!

** The End of Quite a Week **

This past week has been very eventful and memorable......full of highs and lows. The highs were the fun lunches (which I have one more to add), the wonderful writing news I received, seeing grandson Scotty and giving him his 9th birthday presents. Etc...

The other fun lunch for the week was with a wonderful friend, Sharon, at none other than Bread Co......only this time it was in South County, not in St. Peters. Had a great time....some serious discussions and many laughs, too.

The lows of the week were 2 separate days of battling headaches......on Wednesday, the 2nd and again today, although today's wasn't nearly as bad as Wednesday's was. That should definitely take care of my "headache quota" for a long time. I really hate it when one is so bad I have to lay down and hope to sleep until it goes away.

I've been plagued with various types of headaches for years; have tried to analyze why I get certain ones at certain times, have had different prescriptions, etc.....and it really all comes down to "Who knows why I get them when I do?"

I say, "Headaches, be gone! For I have way too many things to accomplish in the next few days, and therefore do not care to be in any pain!"

** Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative **

I have an essay published on http://www.tiny-lights.com/, in the section called Search Lights and Signal Flares. They pose monthly questions and the one for 8/15/09 was:

"What helps you remember?" Mine is titled: "Unless I Forget"

Writers can click on: http://www.tiny-lights.com/searchlights.php to read questions and answers, past and present, and also view the newest question: "How do you keep track of your work?" The answers are due 9/15/09.

Sign up for their e-mail newsletters and/or subscribe to their printed issue too.

It's a fabulous "tiny" site!!

** September 1st....What a Day It's Been! **

My lunch date today was more fun and interesting than I could've possibly imagined! Thank you so much Dee, Delores and Susan for being so thoughtful and surprising me the way you did!

Plus I listened to one beautiful CD, by Sarah Brightman, all the way to and from, even though I brought 6 CD's with me. Drivers along certain highways probably heard the music and singing blasting from my car as I sped along........some of that singing wasn't from the CD.....it was from me! .....sorry about that...What can I say? I've mentioned that I actually believe I can sing!

And the "piece de resistance" was the e-mail I received, saying a story I wrote for an anthology, is in the top 101 finalists!! Hopefully, I'll know for sure within the next 30 days!!

I'm doing that happy dance again!!