Time groweth short to send in your entries to the 2014 MWG
Conference Contests! The postmark deadline is a little more than a week
away—March 1, 2014. But still plenty of time to enter.
This year, there are several MWG Chapter and Sponsor contest
options—the Short Story (open topic), the Humorous Short Story, YA Short Story,
and the Sci Fi Short Story contests. Additionally, a Flash Fiction contest, as
well as an Inspirational Essay and Free Verse Poetry contest are open for
submissions. And you don’t have to be present at the conference banquet to win!
All submission guidelines can be found at http://missouriwritersguild.org.
So, don’t delay! Polish your story, essay, or poem and send it
in. Why not try more than one? Or all?! The distinguished panel of contest
judges are waiting in the wings to read your submissions.
DISTINGUISHED PANEL OF CONTEST JUDGES
The 2014 MWG Conference Committee now would like to take this opportunity
to introduce some of the distinguished panel of judges who have volunteered
their time and expertise to judge all contest submissions this year. Kudos and
thanks to each and every one of you!
Drum roll, please!
Laura Biagi, an agent at the Jean
V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc (JVLNA) will not only be judging the Short
Story contest, she will be attending the 2014 MWG conference to present a
workshop, sit on the Slush Pile Panel, and take pitches from writers during the
conference. Ms. Biagi graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in
creative writing and anthropology. Her interests are many. Of particular
interest to her are dynamic characters, vivid writing, complex narrative arcs,
and psychological twists. Learn more about Biagi and her ‘wish list’ at JVLNA.
Dr. Christie Hodgen has graciously
accepted to judge the Humorous Short Story contest this year. She is an
Associate Professor of English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Among
other notable successes, Dr. Hodgen is the author or Elegies for the Brokenhearted, Hello,
I Must Be Going, and A Jewelers Eye
for Flaw: Stories. Awards include two Pushcart Prizes and a Guggenheim
Fellowship in Fiction. Read more on Dr. Hodgen and her books at W.W.
Norton & Company.
Winnie Sullivan,
Founder and Executive Director of PenUltimate Press, an independent non-profit literary press, will
judge the Young Adult Short Story contest—the first MWG contest in this
genre. Ms. Sullivan has worked in the field of publishing since 1988, and has
held positions in print and broadcast journalism. Since founding PenUltimate
Press, she has overseen the publication of several works of nonfiction and
poetry. Visit her FB page here.
George Sirois, author
of Excelsior, a self-published YA/Science
Fiction novel will judge the Sci Fi Short Story contest. His novel was
named “Top Pick” by Night Owl Reviews, and was a quarter-finalist in the 2011
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Thereafter, the novel was acquired by
Rocking Horse Publishing. Two sequels to Excelsior
are planned. For more on Sirois, visit his website: http://www.georgesirois.com.
In addition to the contests, MWG has a great line-up of agents, speakers, and workshops. Chuck Sambuchino, "an editor and published author who runs the Guide to Literary Agents Blog, one of the biggest blogs in publishing" at Writers Digest, will be the keynote speaker at the Saturday night banquet.
New York Times best-selling author, Mary Buckham, will offer the luncheon keynote in addition to offering workshops and a Sunday Master class. Other speakers,agents, and workshop and Master class presenters include Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation, Ken Sherman, Ken Sherman & Associates, Gina Panettieri, president, Talcott Notch Literary Services, Laura Biagi, of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc., and Danita Allen Wood, publisher and editor of Missouri Life magazine, and Margie Lawson, Lawson Writing Academy. Agents will also be taking scheduled pitches.
To register for the conference, enter the contests, and see all workshops and details, visit the MWG website at http://www.missouriwritersguild.org. Registration can either be done online or via email.
Don't wait! Register today!
Until next time . . .
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