Meet Our Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to Charles Harned and Teresa Durham! 

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Many thanks to all our fine applicants!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Register Today!

Bonus Blog — 7 Days Remaining!

★☆★ WRITERS ★☆★

Would you like to attend the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop

TUITION FREE?

The 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop is June 17-21 at Epworth by the Sea on the gorgeous St. Simons Island, GA!  SWA is offering two scholarships!  One for Student Writers (high school and college) and one for Adult Writers!

Win one of two scholarships to the SWA Writers Workshop!

Here’s how to enter:

• Student Writer: ages 15-25 and enrolled in high school or college.  If the student writer is under 18, a parent or guardian must accompany him/her.
• Adult Writer: age 18 or older
• Submit a 500-word essay describing your journey as a writer and how attending the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop will change your writing life.  Include why you are the most deserving of the scholarship.  Student Writers must include the name of their school or college.
• The entry deadline is midnight on April 18th. Please email your entry to purple@southeasternwriters.org with a subject line of SWA Student Scholarship or SWA Adult Scholarship.
• The scholarship pays for tuition only.
• Winners will be announced May 1st

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Southeastern Writers Workshop

The staff and faculty of the Southeastern Writers Workshop strive every year to make the Workshop the BEST tour days of your writing life. Here are a few things you can do to make your time even better.

Enter to win a  scholarship!  

TWO are available - Student and Adult! Deadline is April 18.  Read the details.

Enter as many of the contests you can!  

Nine contests offered and each has at least one cash prize!  Deadline is May 15.  Full guidelines are here.

Submit up to three manuscripts for evaluation for FREE! 

Each evaluation comes with a 15-minute one-on-one consultation. Deadline is May 28. Submission guidelines are here.

Go to ALL the classes!

We have gathered some of the best writers and industry professionals in the country.  You can learn something from everyone that may lead you to literary success from all of them. Find faculty bios and the class schedule is here.

Network!  

Over meals, between classes, in the bookstore, at the evening socials. There is plenty of time built in to network with fellow attendees and faculty members. If you don't have a writing family, you can build one at our workshop.

Check out our website - southeasternwriters.org - for all you need to know about the Southeastern Writers Workshop, June 17-21 at Epworth-by-the-Sea, St Simons Island, GA!

Register Today!

Would you like to attend the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop TUITION FREE?

You could be here!

Win one of two scholarships to the SWA Writers Workshop!

Here’s how to enter:

• Student Writer: ages 15-25 and enrolled in high school or college.  If the student writer is under 18, a parent or guardian must accompany him/her.
• Adult Writer: age 18 or older
• Submit a 500-word essay describing your journey as a writer and how attending the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop will change your writing life.  Include why you are the most deserving of the scholarship.  Student Writers must include the name of their school or college.
• The entry deadline is midnight on April 18th. Please email your entry to purple@southeasternwriters.org with a subject line of SWA Student Scholarship or SWA Adult Scholarship.
• The scholarship pays for tuition only.
• Winners will be announced May 1st

Why you should attend the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop:

• Full access to Jeanie Loiacono, CEO and President of the Loiacono Literary Agency, and Bob Babcock, Founder and CEO of Deeds Publishing
• Specialty classes: Screenwriting, Young Adult, Marketing and more
• 3 free manuscript critiques by our faculty of award-winning writers
• Contests with cash prizes
• Sell your books in the Workshop Bookstore

Registration is now open!

Join Us For Four Of The Best Days Of Your Writing Life!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop ~ June 17-21

Epworth-by-Sea ~ St. Simons Island, GA

southeasternwriters.org/Writers_Workshop.php

REGISTER TODAY!

Our Faculty includes:

Agent-in-Residence: Jeanie Loiacono, CEO and President of the Loiacono Literary Agency
Publisher: Bob Babcock, Founder and CEO of Deeds Publishing
Keynote Speaker: Janet Sheppard Kelleher, author of the best-selling Big C, little ta-ta

Novel Writing with Shamus Award Winner David Fulmer
Nonfiction Writing with Jedwin Smith, a 2-time Pulitzer nominee
Plus…
• Young Adult Fiction: Michele Roper (a.k.a Gillian Summers)
• Screenwriting: Michael Lucker
• Commercial Writing: Peter Bowerman (a.k.a. The Well-Fed Writer)
• Marketing: My Write Platform

Other Features:

FREE Manuscript Critiques!
Contests with CASH prizes!


Scholarships Available! ~ purple@southeasternwriters.org for details

April's Anticipation

Greetings! I'm going to come out from behind the curtain and introducing myself. I'm Linda Joyce, Newsletter Editor/Blog Boss for SWA. Each week, sometimes twice I week, I bring you information about Southeastern Writers Association. 

The link to the newsletter is : http://purpleprosswa.blogspot.com/   I'm asking you to share this link on your social media places, like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. Support yourself through supporting SWA. 

Why? 

Because that's what writers do. They share information. They support one another. It's how we writers build a supportive community. SWA provides for the needs of writers. 

If you scroll down through previous blogs, you'll discover information about the SCHOLARSHIP that's open until 4/15. You'll learn about CONTESTS --these pay prize money. With your registration, you have the opportunity to receive critique from recognized industry professionals. 

Here's link for REGISTRATION and there you'll find links for ALL the information about the 40th Annual SWA Workshop. 

***The weekend workshop (June 20-21) is dedicated to fiction writing. The weekday workshop (June 22-23) is focused on nonfiction writing, which includes poetry. 

Why is SWA so important? 

Because attending SWA is a step on your path as a writer, regardless if you're published, as many of the members are, or at any other place in your writing path. 

Therefore, I'll be sharing Paths to Publication, the personal success journeys our some of our members. And, maybe soon, you'll share your story with me and I'll be happy to spread the word here...after all, SWA is all about supporting it's members--ALL of it's members. 

Please meet Dr. John House ~

Dr. John House

Without Southeastern Writers Association I would not be an author. A writer, yes. But not an author. 

I started writing poetry in high school and continued, adding short stories, into college and medical school and beyond. My medical practice was so busy I had little time to write. When I retired in 2007 after 36 years, I moved to Brunswick with a dream of full time writing. My retirement last three weeks(that's a whole different story). 

In 2008 I saw an ad (I don't remember where) about the SWA Conference at Epworth. I worked up my courage and applied. The first day I approached the front of Jones Auditorium  and promptly turned around and started back to my car. My thoughts were, 'what am I doing here with real writers?' and I truly planned to leave. Bill Westhead, a member of SWA, stopped me and after a brief conversation ushered me into the building and pretty much stayed close to me for the entire event. Bill is no longer with us but in his memory I established the Bill Westhead Award which is given annually. 

I have written and had published three novels since that first day. With the help of great authors and teachers like Cheryl Norman, Elizabeth Sinclair, David L Robbins, Buzz Bernard and Brian J. Corrigan, I learned the craft of writing and the importance of networking. WRITERS HELPING WRITERS. A fitting slogan for SWA. 

The second year I won first place in the short story competition. The next year I won second place in the same category. This gave me enough confidence to take on a novel and with Lee Clevenger and ThomasMax Publishing  SO SHALL YOU REAP was published in 2011 and I was a nominee for Georgia Author of the Year. I didn't win, but I was thrilled to be nominated and hooked on writing novels for the rest of my life. 

In 2012, Lee Clevenger helped me in the publication of CHOICES, a novel that took place in coastal Georgia and included some of my knowledge of medicine. 

For the next two and half years I applied things I learned from the SWA Conference and advice from other writers and created TRAIL OF DECEIT. I was fortunate to obtain Jeanie Loiacono of Loiacono Literary Agency to represent my novel and in February 2015, the book was published and released by Limitless Publishing LLC. 

I have completed and revised another manuscript which will soon be on its way to Emily Carmain of Noteworthy Editing. Emily has edited all three of my novels and does so much more. She has taught me POV and maintaining pace. I can't stress enough the importance of presenting clean and lean manuscripts to your agents. When Emily finishes the manuscript, it will go to my agent. 

So, it is obvious SWA was a turning point in my writing career. Not only for what I've learned in the classes, but also the networking. It was there that I met Buzz Bernard who has been a mentor, advanced reader, encourager and a friend. I also enjoy reading his successful weather related novels; EYEWALL, PLAGUE, SUPERCELL and BLIZZARD. His success puts pressure on me to improve my writing and I will definitely be at the SWA Conference at Epworth June 19th-24th, 2015. 

John House, Author 

* * * 

I hope you will share the news about SWA. Again, remember there's still time to win a SCHOLARSHIP. Please share this newsletter with your writing friends, heck, share with everyone because you never know who secretly harbors a desire to be a writer. 

~ Best Regards, 

Linda Joyce

Editor of SWA's Purple Pros

Author of the Fleur de Lis series.

What do you get with SWA?

What does your money buy you when you register for the Southeaster Writers Association 40th Anniversary Workshop? 

Check it out!

Scholarship

Win one of two scholarships to the SWA Writers Workshop!  SWA is offering two scholarships. One for the Fiction mini-workshop (June 20-21) and one for the Non-Fiction mini-workshop (June 22-23)

Just submit a 300-word essay on why you should be selected to attend the Fiction mini-workshop or the Nonfiction mini-workshop. You MUST state which miniworkshop you want to attend.

The entry deadline is midnight on April 15th. The scholarship pays for tuition only. Please email your entry to DebraAyersBrown@gmail.com with a subject line of SWA Fiction Scholarship or SWA Nonfiction Scholarship.

Manuscript Evaluations - (Authors must be registered for at least 2 days to submit manuscripts for evaluation.)

GENERAL

 There are 7 evaluation categories:

• Poetry (Evaluator: Chris Tusa)  - No more than 100 lines (one long poem or several short poems)

- Poetry can be single-spaced

• Novel (Evaluator: C. Hope Clark) - The first chapter and a five-page synopsis

• Flash Fiction (Evaluator: Chris Tusa) - Complete manuscript of at least 100 and not more than 500 words 

• Nonfiction (Evaluator: Donald S Vaughan) - The first chapter and a five-page synopsis –OR– Complete manuscript not over 1500 words

• Columns (Evaluator: Darrell Huckaby) - A 1-paragraph description of the column, including the intended media and the target audience, and a 750-word sample column manuscript.

• Memoir (Evaluator: Dana Wildsmith) - The first chapter and a three-page synopsis

• YA Fiction (Evaluator: SR Johannes) - The first chapter and a five-page synopsis 

 The submission DEADLINE IS May 15, 2015. NO extensions.

Find out ALL the details here: http://southeasternwriters.org/uploads/EvaluationsGuidelines2015.pdf

Contests

2015 SWA Workshop Contests & Guidelines

The Hal Bernard Memorial Award for Novel

- The first 10 pages (double-spaced)

- 1-page synopsis

- 1-paragraph "elevator pitch."

- Any genre, literary or mainstream

The Past Presidents’ Romance Award

- The first chapter and a five-page synopsis

- Romance novels only

The GT Youngblood Short Fiction Award

- Complete manuscript not over 3000 words

- Any genre, literary or mainstream

The Microcosm Award

- Fiction of at least 100 and not more than 500 words

The Vega Award for Speculative Short Fiction NEW

- Complete manuscript not over 4000 words.

- Stand-alone novel chapters also accepted

-

Lines of Worth Award

(in honor of Dorothy Williamson Worth and all she did to encourage poets at SWA)

- Each entry should be a collection of three poems, each up to thirty lines, not

including the title.

- Awards will be made to collections.

The Harry Rubin Award for Limericks NEW

- Submit 3 Limericks in standard form

The Julie L. Cannon Award

- Writing which exemplifies the southern spirit preferably in a subtle, nuanced, and

non-stereotypical manner

- 1,000 words or less

- Fiction or nonfiction, NO poetry

The Bill Westhead Memorial Award

- Complete manuscript not over 3000 words

- For the best short story with a subject matter of an event occurring during the

writer's childhood that shaped his/her life.

The Angel Award for Holiday Seasonal Writing

- Short fiction, poetry or essays of 1200 words maximum about the holiday season.

The ThomasMax “You are Published” Contest

- Prize is publication and 25 copies of the book with no obligation to author.

- Manuscript may be submitted in full or only first three chapters.

- A complete synopsis (3 to 10 pages) should accompany all entries. Approximate

word count should be included with synopsis, preferably 40,00 to 90,000 words,

fiction, non-fiction, or a collection of short stories.

- Do not send work currently under consideration by the publisher.

- The standard contract, which will be modified slightly to show that no money is due from the author, can be seen by  clicking here: http://www.thomasmax.com/images/authorcontract.pdf

- Other details are available at http://www.thomasmax.com/contest.htm or send

SASE to “You are Published,” P O Box 250054, Atlanta GA 30325

The Very Merrie Bosom Buddy Award

- Nonfiction up to 750 words about your best friend.

- This poignant true story must make the reader laugh and cry.

The Dr. George L. Sheppard Memorial Award –

- Nonfiction up to 750 words about a supportive sibling.

- This poignant true story must make the reader laugh and cry.

The Award for Excellence in Inspirational Writing

- The piece may be religious or secular.

- It should be wholesome and leave the reader with a “take away” message of

encouragement, hope, comfort, fresh motivation, or renewed spiritual strength.

- Complete manuscript not over 1500 words

The Cappy Award for Humor

- Complete manuscript not over 1000 HILARIOUS words

Manuscripts entered in these contests will not receive evaluations by faculty members. Contests are judged by the contest sponsors. If you want a faculty evaluation, please see Evaluation guidelines

http://southeasternwriters.org/uploads/2015ContestsJan.pdf

How do you get register? 

Click here

Island retreat. Beautiful views. Writing workshop. SWA has it ALL!

Where will we find you June June 19-23, 2015? 

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland  offers some advice:

Alice: From the moment I fell down that rabbit hole I've been told where I must go and who I must be. I've been shrunk, stretched, scratched, and stuffed into a teapot. I've been accused of being Alice and of not being Alice but this is *my* dream. *I'll* decide where it goes from here.

If you dream of being a writer, dream of writing success, then Southeastern Writers Association 40th Anniversary Workshop has something for you! Join us on lovely St. Simons Island.

Find out all the details HERE

SWA's faculty bring wisdom, experience, and support. This is your faculty for 2015: 

Agent-in-Residence: Sorche Fairbank – Fairbank Literary Representation 

Publisher: Maria McGaha – Dancing with Bear 

Publisher: CreateSpace 

Novel: C. Hope Clark 

Nonfiction: Don Vaughn 

Poetry & Flash Fiction: Chris Tusa 

Young Adult: S.R. (Shelli) Johannes 

Columns: Darrell Huckaby 

Memoir: Dana Wildesmith 

This week, we're featuring Dana Wildesmith. 

Dana will be teaching memoir writing. 

Dana Wildsmith grew up in south Georgia, the daughter of a Methodist minister who was active in working for social justice. She attended college wherever her Navy husband’s career took them, finally obtaining a B.A. in Sociology from Virginia Wesleyan College. In 1999, she returned to her family’s land in north Georgia , where she and her extended family work to preserve a 125-year-old family farm in the midst of encroaching development. She teaches English to adults of many nationalities in the English Literacy Program of the Adult Literacy Program of Lanier Technical College.

In 1992, Wildsmith was named a Poetry Fellow in the South Carolina Academy of Authors, and her second chapbook, Annie, won the Palanquin Press competition of the University Of South Carolina, Aiken. She has worked as a Writer-in-residence for the Devil’s Tower National Monument and the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska. She worked as an Artist In the Schools for the South Carolina Humanities Department. She teaches poetry workshops throughout the United States. Her poems and essays have been widely published in both literary and commercial journals, including Yankee, The Kentucky Poetry Review, and The Chattahoochee Review. She is among the writers featured in the University Press of Kentucky’s Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia. Her other published works are: Alchemy, Our Bodies Remember, Choices (an audio collection), One Good Hand, and Back to Abnormal. 

Find out more about Dana and her work HERE

Scholarship, Mentorship, and Friendship=SWA

Scholarship: 

Win one of two scholarships to the SWA Writers Workshop!
SWA is offering two scholarships. One for the Fiction mini-workshop (June 20-21)
and one for the Non-Fiction mini-workshop (June 22-23)

Just submit a 300-word essay on why you should be selected to attend the Fiction
mini-workshop or the Nonfiction mini-workshop. You MUST state which miniworkshop
you want to attend.

The entry deadline is midnight on April 15th. The scholarship pays for tuition only. Please email your entry to DebraAyersBrown@gmail.com with a subject line
of SWA Fiction Scholarship or SWA Nonfiction Scholarship.

Learn more HERE

Mentorship: 

Established authors will critique your work. Learn more HERE

Guidelines for Manuscript Evaluations

(Authors must be registered for at least 2 days to submit manuscripts for evaluation.)

GENERAL

1. There are 7 evaluation categories:

Poetry (Evaluator: Chris Tusa)

- No more than 100 lines (one long poem or several short poems)

- Poetry can be single-spaced

Novel (Evaluator: C. Hope Clark)

- The first chapter and a five-page synopsis

Flash Fiction (Evaluator: Chris Tusa)

- Complete manuscript of at least 100 and not more than 500 words

Nonfiction (Evaluator: Donald S Vaughan)

- The first chapter and a five-page synopsis –OR– Complete manuscript not over 1500 words

Columns (Evaluator: Darrell Huckaby)

- A 1-paragraph description of the column, including the intended media and the target

audience, and a 750-word sample column manuscript.

Memoir (Evaluator: Dana Wildsmith)

- The first chapter and a three-page synopsis

YA Fiction (Evaluator: SR Johannes)

- The first chapter and a five-page synopsis

2. Each conference member can submit up to 3 manuscripts for evaluation, but ONLY 1 entry per member per

evaluation category.

3. Each manuscript may be submitted to ONLY 1 evaluation category.

4. Manuscripts must be submitted by EMAIL ONLY.

5. The submission DEADLINE IS May 15, 2015. NO extensions.

6. Manuscripts must be previously unpublished, including cell publication, Web publication and blogs. If your work is openly available to readers online on a blog or article directory (i.e.: ezinearticles.com, gather.com, associatedcontent.com), it is considered PUBLISHED. If your manuscript has been critiqued online through membership website that requires members to login to see the work, it is considered UNPUBLISHED.

7. Simultaneous submissions are OK.

Friendship: 

Writers need other writers. No one else understands a writer like another writer. Family may love you, but often they don't understand your staring off into space, whispers to people who are not visible, and need to scribble things ideas at a moments notice. 

I am honored when another member of SWA calls me, sends me an email, or connects with me on social media seeking information about something about writing. I cheer for the accomplishments of SWA members. Their successes inspire me. 

I'm blessed to have made life-long friends from the first time I ever attended SWA. 

And, I look forward to forging new friendships this June. 

Learn more about the Southeastern Writers Association HERE