February Announcements
~ From My Writerly World ~
Writing from Memory or Imagination
I am offering a 6-week workshop series at The Sitting Room!
Wednesdays, Feb. 26 – April 1, 10am – noon
We’ll write using the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method, with prompts and positive group reflection to bolster your creative practice. (This is not a critique group.)
Participants find a safe environment in which to experiment, learn craft, and develop each unique voice. All genres and experience levels welcome!
The Sitting Room (near SSU) is a privately funded library that emphasizes women's issues and achievements, but is open to all members of the community.
$120.00 for the series; no drop-ins.
Space is limited to 12.
Click here for more info or to register!
Penngrove Reading Series: Sunday, February 9, 8 – 9:30 PM
Authors Nancy Davis Kho and Michael Giotis will read, followed by an open mic. Come early to Penngrove Market for drinks and dinner from the wood-fired oven. Stay late for poetry, prose, stories, and more.
Submission News: Rejection & Acceptance
Last month I mentioned the importance of perseverance when it comes to writing and submitting work for publication. Well, after 14 rejections, my personal essay “Late Bloomer” was accepted! It will appear online March 1 in the 50th issue of Halfway Down the Stairs.
In January, in addition to sending a flash essay to Birdland Journal, I submitted a 4,000-word essay about Australia’s iconic monument, Uluru. It received its first rejection within two weeks; fingers crossed for the half-dozen other pubs (with more subs to come). Still awaiting news on essays “Fallen” and “Love, Unconditional” as well as a few reprints. I’m now polishing an essay titled “Politeness Will Not Protect You.”
… And just as I wrote this I got another reject:
We appreciate the opportunity to review your work. We enjoyed reading your submission, but after careful consideration have decided it doesn't quite meet our needs, and so will respectfully decline.
Writing for Literary Journals: Demystifying the Publication Process
I’ll be a presenter at Writers Forum, May 21, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, Copperfield's Books in Petaluma
Learn how to submit your short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and flash/hybrid texts to journals like Memoir Magazine, Zyzzyva, and The Missouri Review (samples will be available). We’ll cover topics such as: online vs. print publication; calls for submissions and where to find them; writing contests and themed issues; word counts and other guidelines; cover letters, copyright, and contracts; rejections; and tracking tools.
In Cahoots Residency in Petaluma is offering print, books, and paper arts workshops starting in March. Check out the website for more information on border book binding, cut paper, & letterpress (linoleum block printing).
Cut paper design by Sarah Burgess
Shut Up & Write!™
Drop in for an hour of writing on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM at JavAmore Cafe in Penngrove. Instead of just thinking about it, come and get some real writing done! RSVP at Meetup. It’s free! Please arrive 15 minutes early.
Wishing my dad a very happy 80th birthday tomorrow. Happy Valentine’s to my wife-partner, Kristen; we just celebrated 13 years together! If you’re struggling in love, take heart with this flower-a-day project by my dear friend, Yurika Chiba, a visual artist and professional taiko player.
Questions? Contact me at www.nicolerzimmerman.com/