Nina Grutz’s family was successful in business in Poland. The community respected them. Nina’s life was one of wealth. “The Grutz family was part of a Jewish population that thrived at a time when almost three-quarter of the Jews in Europe called Poland home.” “It seems to me now that my life before the war was so very happy and full. My own little world was regulated and small, but this was how my parents raised me and it felt very secure. I had a good family life, I loved my sisters, and I even began to spend time with boys in a social way. We did not go out on dates like young people do today, but spent time in groups with relatives or together with adults present.”

Then came the day when Nina’s father felt it was no longer safe. One day Nina attended a lecture with a companion. He realized Nina was Jewish. “I walked in with him and found that there were older students directing people where to sit. They yelled out, “Jews on the left side and Poles on the right!” I was proud to be a Jew, so I started to go to the left when my companion pulled me by the hand and asked, “Where are you going?” Nina was proud to be Jewish and never tried to hide it but she spoke fluent Polish and dressed like everyone else.

When the bombings began, the Grutz family decided it would be safer to separate. Nina went to live with her aunt. Life was never the same for Nina but she didn’t give up. Nina assisted with the Underground by smuggling travel papers. She met and married Josef Morecki. Nina’s story is one of triumph.

This is a story that has to be told. This is a heartrending story, but it is more. “This is one survival tale that is neither enduringly sad nor depressing. It is, in fact, a story of hope and endurance and, ultimately even prosperity in a new life in a new land.”

Colette Waddell is an extremely talented writer. She uccessfully paints a picture of words that tells Nina’s life. It is an honor to read Nina’s story. It is told with humor, which testifies to the character of Nina. I’m glad I read this book. It should be required reading for everyone. For only when we come to understand what happened during the Holocaust will be make sure it never happens again. It is with great honor that I highly recommend “Through the Eyes of a Survivor” to all readers.

Through the Eyes of a Survivor: A Living History of Nina Morecki from
Pre-WWII Poland to Modern America
Colette Waddell
Topcat Press (2007)
ISBN 9780979151804
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (3/07)

Incoming search terms for the article:

• site:poetryism com

Related posts:

1. Book Review: “The Next Thing On My List”

The story centers around a 34-year-old woman, June Parker, who is living aimlessly and without passion. Her life completely changes when she attends a Weight Watchers meeting and offers one of the other members, Marissa a ride home. Marissa is upbeat and celebrating her 100-lb weight loss. As she is reaching into the back seat to get June her favorite taco soup recipe, the truck in front of them suddenly loses a dresser off the back. To avoid a collision with the dresser, June swerves and flips the car over. June is banged up, but okay. Marissa is not so lucky; she does not survive the car crash. After the accident, June finds a list with 20 things on it that Marissa wanted to accomplish before her 25th birthday. Only two items are crossed off – lose 100 lbs, and wear sexy shoes. June finds purpose in her life as she works on completing the other 18 items in Marissa’s honor. The list includes simple things like kiss a stranger and eat ice cream in public, to more complicated items like change someone’s life and pitch an idea at work.

As June works on accomplishing the tasks, she finds that her life has new purpose and meaning. She realizes that she wants more from her work as a writer for a not-for-profit and works toward a promotion. Her relationships with friends and co-workers evolve as they develop a new respect for her as she completes the list. She also takes on the role of a Big Sister to Deedee who desperately needs her help through a crisis and begins to form a bond with Marissa’s sexy brother Troy.

The author develops the characters in a very human way that will make you fall in love with them and cheer June’s progress as she works towards completing her list. Woman and teenage girls would enjoy reading “The Next Thing on My List.”

Shaye Areheart Books (2007)
ISBN 0307351246
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (3/07)

Incoming search terms for the article:

• the next thing on my list discussion questions
• discussion of the next thing on my list
• discussion questions for the next thing on my list
• next on my list
• site:poetryism com
• the next thing on my list life lesson

Related posts:

1. Book Review: “Through The Eyes Of A Survivor”

When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997, Joanne Kathleen Rowling was a previously unpublished author. She had no publishing credits, no insider knowledge, no friends in the industry.

So how did she do it? How did she go on, in the space of ten short years, to become the first billionaire author on the planet?

The answer to that question lies not in what she did in those ten years between the publication of the first book and the publication of the seventh, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The answer actually lies in what she did in the seven years prior to the first book’s publication.

So if you’re an author who is yet to be published, you’re actually in the best possible position. Because it’s in this time, before your book hits the shelves, that you can have the greatest influence on its success.

Quite simply, JK Rowling followed a four-step writing process that you too can adopt to write your very own list of bestsellers. The question is: do you have what it takes to be the next JK Rowling?

Planning

This is by far the most underrated of the steps in the writing process. And in the final wash up it is absolutely the most important.

It was 1990 and Jo Rowling was on a train between Manchester and London. Harry literally strolled fully formed into her mind while she was gazing out the train window at a field full of cows. She spent the next four hours (the train was delayed) imagining Harry, the world he inhabited, the friends and enemies he had there and the dangers and joys he may encounter there. She had nothing to write on so had to be content to play this all out in her imagination. By the time she got off the train in London, the central cast of characters were already cemented in her mind.

But did she go home and immediately begin scribbling a story with these characters? No, she didn’t. She spent five years, yes that’s right FIVE YEARS creating and developing every last detail of the wizarding world, including government and education systems, how the wizarding world stood shoulder to shoulder with the muggle world, and she devised a highly sophisticated system of magic that would eventually form the backbone of her own special brand of writing magic. On top of this she sculpted out the entire story, planning the details and events of all the seven books, before she put pen to paper to begin writing the first.

Would you attempt to build a house without plans? Would you attempt to drive across the country without a map? Or would you set sail on the seas without a compass? Writing a book without a detailed planning stage is like attempting to build a house without plans. Miss this step and you are almost certainly destined to become lost in a forest of your own words.

Writing

When you are writing, you are just writing. You are not planning, you are not editing. You are writing. Once you have planned your story, it is time to sit down and write it.

JK Rowling planned the Harry Potter series for five years before she put pen to paper on the first book She wrote the entire first book, and felt as though she were “carving it out of this mass of notes”. All the planning was worth it. She was able to devote herself to the actual task of writing, knowing that all the story and character elements she needed were covered.

This is the best possible place for you to be in when you are writing a novel. Novels are long. Usually over 100,000 words and sometimes as many as 200,000 words and more. That is a lot of words! So if you have planned and structured your story effectively, done your research (either real or in your imagination) and collated your notes, then the writing process is an absolute joy, where you can be very certain of your ability to produce the best possible novel.

Jo Rowling said she felt she “had to do right by the book”. She really believed in the story and so when it came to writing it, she made sure she had taken care of all the necessary preparation. Once that’s done, writing is almost easy!

Rewriting

Jo Rowling rewrote the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone a total of 15 times. Her own mother died just 6 months after her first attempt at Chapter One of that book, and that sent her into a frenzy of rewriting, essentially changing everything. The Potter books are about death, there is no doubt about that, and they are driven particularly by the death of Harry’s parents and his miraculous survival. When Jo Rowling experienced such a major turning point in her own life, she rewrote the story to reflect and process her own pain.

Writing and rewriting are separate processes. Writing is scribing or sculpting out the drafts of the story. Rewriting is re-looking and re-seeing. Often the rewrite will show up where the story has gone off track and where questions asked at the start haven’t been answered by the end. In JK Rowling’s case, she realised after writing the entire first book that she had given away the entire plot of the seven books. She rewrote it in this light, and held many things back.

Many successful authors say that you only write to rewrite. DH Lawrence even said that he wrote his entire first draft, threw it away and then started again from scratch.

Editing

Editing is the process of refining and polishing your manuscript. This part of the process may be done by you, or by an external editor. It is often wise to have an editor look over your work before submitting it for publication as it is extremely difficult to get the distance you need from your own work to see where it can be improved.

Not that you have to listen to what the editor says. In the end it is your name on the spine of that novel and you are entirely answerable for its contents. Having said that, a good and subtle editor can lift your novel to heights that you may not be able to achieve on your own.

It is clear from the Harry Potter series that JK Rowling was more tightly edited at the beginning (the first two novels are barely more than 200 pages and by the time we get to number five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, we are faced with a weighty tome of over 700 pages) so it is generally advisable at the beginning of your career to bear the advice of your editor heavily in mind, especially if you are new to publishing. In every event, less is more, and a distilled and focussed book is more likely to captivate and intrigue a new audience than a meandering epic that constantly loses its way.

Writing a book is a process, never forget that. Each step in the process is unique but necessary. Don’t mix them, and certainly don’t attempt to skip any steps. Do that at your own peril.

JK Rowling has shown the world what is possible if you adhere to the basic processes of the art and craft of writing a good story. So before you attempt your next novel, address the four steps in the writing process: planning, writing, rewriting and editing, and be sure you give each step its due.

And who knows? You could be the next JK Rowling.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• are you the next JK Rowling?
• jk rowling planned it all out
• Jk rowling writing process
• site:poetryism com

No related posts.

Even though my books are considered literary novels, I’ve always admired the mysteries of Tony Hillerman, and the way he laces his novels with information about the Native American tribes in his area. I call books like these “info novels,” and they are great fun if you’ve never read one. That is also a goal I try to achieve with my Occult novels. With these I’ve been able to weave information about contemporary Pagan life, as well as real spells, chants, or rituals throughout every chapter. This series also provides a wonderful opportunity to add data of interest to my women readers about holistic healing, feral cat rescue, perimenopause, fibroids, and much more.

Anyone who would like to undertake a big project like a first novel should know the sky is the limit. If organic structure development, experimental formats, and “info novels” appeal to you, go for it! Don’t worry if your ideas differ from the traditional novel. And don’t be afraid to seed your novel with information. Just make sure it occurs naturally within the flow of the storyline. For good examples, read the “info novels” written by novelists who excel in this form.

Also, don’t let your first draft scare you, because all first drafts tend to be utterly frightening. A first draft has only one purpose: it’s the place where you put your ideas down on paper. The editing of the first draft is where the magic happens. When I create the first draft of each chapter, it is an exhilarating experience. A real adrenaline rush! But I am first and foremost a poet, and like most poets I love to edit. It’s the polishing of each scene, sculpting it to sail smoothly into the next that gives me the greatest joy.

In fact I am currently working on a new novel, which is proving to be the most organic and intuitive one I’ve ever attempted, making it great fun to write. All I started with this time was the main character and her cats. She never told me her idea for a plot, so I just followed her around, writing down her thoughts, words, and actions as she moved from scene to scene. Suddenly, other characters appeared, and exciting subplots began to emerge.

Now I am six chapters into this novel. The first five chapters have already been published or accepted by literary journals, because I always submit each finished chapter as a short story to gain publication credits for the novel. Yet the main character still hasn’t revealed the plot to me. No problem. This novel seems to be following its own organic, information-rich course, and those who’ve read several of these chapters have enjoyed them immensely and can’t wait to find out what happens next. Me too!

Don’t let fear stop you from writing the novel that’s been bubbling around in your imagination for days, months, or years. Most of all, don’t let a lack of money or education stop you. I never took a writing class, and nineteen years later I’ve published more than thirty poetry books and novels. My poems and short stories have appeared in over seven hundred literary journals, magazines, and anthologies worldwide. How did I do it? I used what was available to me. I found my high school and college grammar books and studied those. And then I read the poetry books and novels of writers I admire, and that’s how I learned to write.

Sometimes if your mind works in an organic fashion this may be the best way to tackle your first novel. Then all you’ll need to do is let go, give total control to an imaginary character who lives in your head, listen to what she or he says, and start writing!

Incoming search terms for the article:

• site:poetryism com

Related posts:

1. Are You The Next JK Rowling?
2. Component of the Story : Dialogue

Fund the start of the novel once you learn craps history and the rules of craps which will teach you how to win craps so you can play craps online and win lots of money playing craps!

No one is born a novel writer. But do you believe that we all have the capability to be writers? Impossible as it may seem but the answer is yes! If we have the passion for it and if we strive to make it happen, novelwriting can be as easy as writing ABC. Writing is actually not a very complicated thing. It is just like drawing, painting, and even cooking. It is an art! Your imagination is all that it takes to get it started. What makes it hard is not writing itself but how people make it hard than it really is.

The first key to writing a novel is the ability to dream and imagine. Think back to when you were a little child and dreamed. Your imagination took you to places you’ve never been before. It made you do things you never thought you could do. Having superpowers…being in strange places…the conditions are limitless. Writing a novel is actually imagination translated into words. You close your eyes and let your thoughts drift while creating a web of consequential ideas. Afterwhich, you write them down on paper.

The second key to writing is formulating the premise of your novel. Let’s say you’d start with a huge asteroid moving about in space. Then suddenly it collided with another asteroid and instantly created an explosion. Some of the explosion’s debris fell down into the earth’s atmosphere. By accident a person comes in contact with it. These sequence of events could be your initial start in which you let your mind take hold of and run with to produce the succeeding events.

The third key would be creating a stream of spontaneous ideas. Once you have the initial idea, sink down into it and allow yourself to be completely absorbed. Let’s say after the person comes in contact with the asteroid debris, he gains supernatural powers! And then he notices some new changes in his being, not just physically but also emotionally and psychologically. This is where an avalanche of new ideas start coming in. You will notice that you are no longer directing your story but your story is directing you. That makes writing now so easy. You don’t need to analyze anything because the story now starts to play like a movie. All you have to do is put them into words as the story plays in your head.

Next, make sure you are able to retain your daydreaming and concentration as one event goes after another. This state is now called the “alpha state”. According to Judith Tramayne-Barth, this is the place between consciousness and sleep. Time stands still when you are in this state. Words keep coming to you until you start to feel pain in your legs and in your waist and then you suddenly flick consciousness and you become flabbergasted because you’ve not only written one or two pages but five or more without even knowing it!

The next key would be to practice flipping in and out of the “alpha state”. You can do this by rereading what you’ve written and internalizing it as if it was your first time. It might take you time, as much as hours or even days before you are able to go to your “alpha state” again but once you’re adept at going into the zone, it would only be a matter of minutes before you start writing a new dialogue.

So, you’ve finished your story! Now it’s time to do the final touch-ups. There is still one last thing that you need to do. Yea, you guessed it. You need to check the entire story again for spelling, punctuations, grammar, correct word usage and coherence. You might even need to revise it a few times before you are able to arrive with the final output. But don’t fret, it’s not much work really compared to writing the entire novel. What’s important is you now have your own novel, written by yourself, using your very own imagination. How much more proud could you get?

Incoming search terms for the article:

• post poetryism
• Guide to writing a novel
• alpha state and writing
• writing alpha state
• writing competition novel 2010
• writing have idea no plot novel -amazon
• writing ideas beginners
• writing in alpha state
• writing in the state of alpha
• tips how to get into the zone writing

Related posts:

1. A Different Way To Write Your First Novel

Their request is seriously flawed, I’d reply. Anyone can become a better writer. When I taught English Composition at various colleges, I saw irrefutable proof of this. Students who submitted hackneyed, half-dead writing to start with turned in lively, well-written essays by the end of the semester. Likewise, I’ve seen plenty of writers whose work seems plain and unimaginative get assignment upon assignment from magazines while others with dazzling wordcraft skills can’t get published anywhere.

According to Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck, I was right to question the query about talent. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, reports research showing that in education, the arts and business, people who believe talent is fixed and inborn do not fully develop their potential and do not recover easily from setbacks.

Those who believe talent can be developed, regardless of apparent starting point, not only achieve more but also prompt greater achievement in their children and staff.

Her best news: You can change your mind-set about talent or intelligence. In only two months, kids who were taught that the brain, like a muscle, improves with exercise saw
their math scores rocket from F’s to B’s.

Toss out the belief that you either have writing talent or you don’t. Instead, approach getting published as requiring a set of skills that you can deliberately learn. These skills include:

1. Being sensitive to the differences between words. A good dictionary can help with this, if you consult it to learn, for example, whether a “cauldron” is the same as a “kettle” or when a gang member would be said to have “bravery” and when “bravado.”

2. Recognizing that getting your message across has less to do with what you meant and more to do with how readers understand the words you put together. If no one “gets it,” you must write it differently. Often this lesson is harder for those who feel desperately called to write than for those with a more matter-of-fact attitude toward writing.

3. Being willing to put a piece of writing aside, look at again in the cold light of the morning and rearrange, replace and revise the elements of the piece to tell the story more clearly and more artfully.

4. Having the discipline to learn and apply the rules of spelling, grammar and usage. Yes, when your work is accepted for publication you’ll usually have an editor who’ll save you from major mistakes. But editors prefer working with those who know and follow the standards of professional writing.

5. Being able to bounce back from disappointment. In the writing business, the possibility of rejection never goes away. Successful writers learn not to take it personally for more than an hour or so, then they simply go on to the next publication outlet or the next writing project.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• is writing poetry a talent
• poetry writing talent agency
• site:poetryism com
• talent for writing poetry

Related posts:

1. Fiction Writing Tips – an Intro
2. Tips For Writing Poetry II
3. A Different Way To Write Your First Novel

Recent fiction prize judges have included Ann Patchett, Ha Jin, Antonya Nelson, Dan Chaon, T. M. McNally, Diana Abu-Jaber, Michael Martone, and Charles Baxter.

Recent poetry prize judges have included James Tate, Billy Collins, Marvin Bell, Dean Young, Albert Goldbarth, Nance Van Winckel, Dara Wier, and Mary Ruefle.

General entry information:

All manuscripts entered must be original and previously unpublished. All entries are considered for publication in Crazyhorse.

New prize-entry subscriptions will begin with Crazyhorse Number 77, Spring 2010; the winning manuscripts will be published in Crazyhorse Number 78, Fall 2010

Entries are accepted from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15, 2009.Winners will be announced by April 30, 2010.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• crazy horse poetry
• crazy horse poetry contest
• crazyhorse fiction contest
• crazy horse poem
• poetryism
• horse poetry
• poetry awards prize
• Dara Wier
• crazyhorsepoetry contest
• crazyhorse prize 2010

Related posts:

1. Jot A Bit Poetry and Short Story Writing Contest
2. The 11th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award
3. Free Poetry Contest Prizes From $1,000 to $10,000

Gival Press is now opening their Annual Poetry Award. Here are the details:

Deadline:
December 15, 2009 (postmarked).
Our dates never change, if the date falls on a Sunday, then Monday becomes the default postmarked date.

Guidelines:

Theme:
Completely open.

Eligible Poets:
Open to all, national and international poets.

Language:
English.

Forms or Style of Poetry:
Original work, not a translation of someone else’s poetry. Open to any form or style; simply good poetry.

Length of Manuscript:
At least 45 typed pages of poetry, on one side only.

Status of the Winning Manuscript:
The manuscript as a whole shall not have been published before. However, include an acknowledgment sheet to indicate any previously published poems in the collection (poem/journal/date). It is the responsibility of the poet to secure the right to publish previously published poems.

Format for Submittal:
Include a separate cover sheet with name, title of manuscript, address (street, city, state, electronic mail), and phone number. The poet’s name should not appear on the pages of the ms. The numbered pages should be clipped together.

If the manuscript wins, the poet must make the manuscript available to Gival Press on an IBM-compatible disk or CD in Rich Text Format (RTF)—this refers to how one saves the document on one’s computer disk.

A short bio should be included.

Always keep a copy of your manuscript; materials will not be returned and will be recycled after the judging.

Reading Fee:
$20.00 (USD) by personal check or USA money order payable to:
Gival Press, LLC.

International entrants must send a check drawn on a USA bank routed through a USA address, such as Bank of America; no international money orders are acceptable.

Please note that Gival Press can also accept the entry free by major credit card; however, we only take credit card information by phone (703.351.0079).

Mail to:
Robert L. Giron, Editor
Gival Press Poetry Award
Gival Press, LLC
P.O. Box 3812
Arlington, VA 22203.

Notification of the Winner:
Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for notification of the winner or visit our website (http://www.givalpress.com), where the winner and finalists will be announced.

We try our best to announce the winner by mid spring. Unfortunately, it takes time to read and judge the entries and to contact the individuals involved.

Prize:
The winner will receive $1,000.00 (USD) and his/her book of poetry will be published by Gival Press. The winning poet will receive 20 copies of the publication.

A standard publication contract is offered.

Judging:

The manuscripts are judged anonymously. The winner for the previous award will be the judge for the following year. The decision of the judge will be final.

Discount Offered to Entrants:
Anyone who has entered a Gival Press contest may purchase any books published or distributed by Gival Press at a 20% discount off the retail price, with free shipment. Credit cards are preferred. Kindly either call us (703.351.0079 – leave a message if we can’t answer when you call and we will call you back) or send us an email with your phone number and we will call you, as we only accept the credit card information by phone.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• Gival Press Poetry Award
• gival press poetry award 2010
• site:poetryism com
• with acknowledgement to published poem

Related posts:

1. PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
2. Free Poetry Contest Prizes From $1,000 to $10,000

Who is eligible:
Although all eligible books must have been published in the United States, translators may be of any nationality; U.S. residency or citizenship is not required.

Deadline:
Nominations must be received between September 1, 2009 and December 14, 2009. Early submissions are strongly recommended.

How to submit:
Three copies of book-length translations published between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, may be submitted by publishers, agents, or the translators themselves. Self-published books are not eligible. Books with more than two translators are not eligible.

1) Pay the $50 entry fee online and proceed to checkout. If paying by check, skip to step 2.

2) Fill out the online submission form and click “submit.”

3) Mail three copies of the candidate’s book, your printed submission form, and proof of online payment or a check to:

Poetry in Translation Award
PEN American Center
588 Broadway, Suite 303
New York, NY 10012

All the details about this award, you can go directly to www.pen.org.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• pen award for poetry
• PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
• PEN poetry translation award
• PEN/Award for Poetry in Translation
• poetry contest book in translation
• site:poetryism com

Related posts:

1. The 11th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award
2. Jot A Bit Poetry and Short Story Writing Contest

Jot A Bit will give you cool handmade prize if you win Jot A Bit writing contest in this last quarter of 2009. The contestants are free to submit their writing (poetry or short stories) before last day of 2009. Voting will be held within 1st week of January 2010.

Here are the rules of the contest:

• Any entries submitted “late” will be included in the next contest.
• You may enter more than once. We encourage it!
• Your entries must be your entries. Please do not submit other’s material. Do your own work please.
• The voting period is the first week following the close of the entry period.
• The winners are determined by the community. Registered members at JotABit.com may vote one time each month. Votes are submitted through an online poll on the monthly contest results page.
• If the votes result in a tie, the Jot A Bit will place the final vote to break the tie or may allow for a community final vote among the tied entries.
• The winner will be notified by email and added to the winner’s page. If you are the winner, we will request a mailing address so we can send your prize.

How the contest works?

1. Submit your entries during the entry period.
2. Place your vote during the week after the entry period closes. We will collect all of the new contest submissions and list them on a single page with a number assigned to each one.
3. The entry with the most votes will win the prize.

Let’s tell your friend and register yourself and your writing on Jot A Bit writing contest.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• bit poetry
• free short story contests
• jot a bit contest
• short sory
• site:poetryism com

Related posts:

1. Free Poetry Contest Prizes From $1,000 to $10,000
2. Crazyhorse Poetry and Fiction Prizes
3. PEN Award for Poetry in Translation