Published on August 28, 2013
Our daughter, Ali (age 22) holds two degrees, and is a pastry chef at a local restaurant. She also works for BookLocker part-time, assisting with a variety of things, from book formatting, to website updates, to bank reconciliations. We used to have her three days per week but, lately, her “other boss” has been demanding more of her time and expertise and she’s now down to only two days a week with us. She won’t let me call her other boss to complain. Ha ha. After all, cooking is her calling and she only works for us as a favor…
Published on August 28, 2013
For the past six weeks, we’ve spent every spare moment judging the hundreds of entries submitted for the WritersWeekly Summer, 2013 24-Hour Short Story Contest. In case you’re not familiar with our quarterly contest, this is how it works. On the date of the contest, at start-time, we send out the topic for that specific contest to all registered entrants, while also posting it online. Entrants must be registered before the contest begins and there is a limit of 500 entrants per contest. Participants then have 24 hours to write and submit their stories. The stories “must deal with the topic in some way to qualify” and they must not exceed the pre-assigned word count, which is announced with the topic.
After reading the entries for each contest, we can see how difficult it is to come up with a unique plot when working with an assigned topic. But, inevitably, a few writers do manage to successfully break away from the pack.
Keep reading as this peaceful summer day melts into mayhem…
Published on August 28, 2013
Wow. Give that librarian a smack up the back of the head.
My sister was telling me about a neighbour’s daughter who had participated in some important efforts in her school – citizenship-type stuff. She’d worked her butt off and had excelled, for which she was awarded a certificate of achievement. BUT the school decided that, instead of awarding prizes on the stage at graduation, they would make the awards privately and quietly to the winners. This was so the kids who didn’t win – that is, didn’t work as hard – wouldn’t “feel bad”.
The daughter’s reaction to this was, “Well, I guess I won’t be working at this next year. Why should I? I didn’t get any recognition.”
Failing to reward excellence because it might make others feel bad is a crock!
Thanks for sharing that story, Angela!
Elizabeth Creith
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Hello Angela,
I’m with you on giving the deserving child the prize for his great efforts.
Carolyn R. Wilker
FineTune Editing
Copy Editing & Proofreading
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Just read your headline article and it really struck a nerve with me!! I read all of the comments as well and I think I will share this article on Facebook!!
I, too, was a voracious reader at that age! I won every single book reading contest that came along. Then, in eighth grade, I had to write a book report on the sun. I read half a dozen books, and the encyclopedia, and wrote my report for which I received an ‘F’! I was stunned! I cried all the way home. I had worked so hard and studied the subject and I thought I had done a good job – I couldn’t understand why I failed the report. My mother contacted the teacher who told her she did not believe I had written the report myself. Of course, my mother explained to her that I did write every single word, that I read numerous books and studied hard. In the end, she changed my grade to an A-. Not a straight A, but an A minus!!
She was one of those teachers/adults who was not able to see the potential in her kids. She was a hard liner who believed that children can only accomplish so much in a certain time frame and that if they should exceed, they must be cheating. At least Tyler is getting some clear appreciation for his accomplishments and some well-deserved attention.
I do feel sorry for the librarian. She probably wants the other children to succeed, yet she doesn’t understand how to motivate them into trying harder. Just because they do not have the ability that Tyler shows doesn’t mean they are less, it just means they aren’t at his level. And, even if they do have the ability, it is the children who have chosen not to fully engage.
Anyway, just wanted to share that with you…I can read a book a day easy – even now. I just don’t have time! I’ve stayed up all day and all night with a good book…then hating it when I’ve finished it…I want it to continue!!
Best Regards,
Susan Kaplan-Williams
Published on August 28, 2013
writing career advice
People ask me all the time how I became a travel writer. My answer is: travel…
Published on August 28, 2013
Today, I looked at my book on Amazon.com and saw it listed for sale for $2.76. That’s a WOW! and almost surely a mistake on their part. Can you get them to fix it?
Published on August 28, 2013
Early this year, I quit my job to edit books full time. In October, I built a website. In December, I printed business cards. And by mid-February, I was free…
Published on August 28, 2013
Links to the stories below can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9312
Scottie Pippen loses appeal of suit over reports on his finances
“Former pro basketball star Scottie Pippen has lost his appeal of a lawsuit that sought damages for publication of inaccurate reports about his finances.”
Bully book co-authors accuse each other of bullying, plagiarism
“A former Canadian business exec and a U.S. bestselling author were to write a book together on bullying. Now they’re in a legal battle over plagiarism and bullying allegations.”
Citing Steve Jobs email, DOJ claims Apple changed in-app purchase to retaliate against Amazon
“The federal government outlined a revised punishment for Apple in the ebook pricing case Friday. It argued that Apple changed its in-app purchase rules to retaliate against Amazon. And it wants to make big changes in the way Apple does business in the iTunes Store.”
Correction Department reverses ban on novel
“The state Department of Correction has banned and then lifted its ban on Wally Lamb’s best-selling novel She’s Come Undone.”
Las Vegas Sun, Review-Journal square off in lawsuit
“There is a battle brewing between the two newspapers that serve southern Nevada, and one of them could disappear.”
Manager explains seized newspapers, firing
“(When asked) whether she took any copies of the Mount Pleasant Review’s August edition. The publisher, Cindy Stafford, estimated about 250 were taken in bulk from local businesses and not by individual readers. Williams admitted she did take some.”
Plagiarism can ruin reputations and careers!
“A longtime Yellowstone County official accused of plagiarizing an anti-Obama editorial in a letter to the editor he submitted to The Billings Gazette also may have plagiarized a petition to impeach the president in another letter to the editor published in June.”
Sisters must pay their uncle $125K in libel damages
“A judge has ordered two sisters from Ancaster, Ont., to pay their uncle $125,000 in libel damages for falsely accusing him of sexually assaulting them in a rural farmhouse when they were children.”
Links to the stories above can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9312
Published on August 21, 2013
welcomes new writers
Grain, the journal of eclectic writing, is a literary quarterly that publishes engaging, diverse, and challenging writing and art by some of the best Canadian and international writers and artists. Every issue features superb new writing from both developing and established writers. Each issue also highlights the unique artwork of a different visual artist. Grain has garnered national and international recognition for its distinctive, cutting-edge content and design.” Welcomes new writers. Quarterly. Sample copy available through website. Subscription: $35.00 in Canada; add $10.00 for U.S. subscriptions.
Published on August 21, 2013
While Max and Mason don’t go “back to school” (homeschooling) until after Labor Day (we’re on the old-fashioned schedule), the rest of the city started this week. On Monday, on my way to get the boys a haircut, I stopped behind a school bus, and couldn’t help but notice that all the children who emerged had on new shoes. Adorable…
Published on August 21, 2013
This week, I read an article about a library director who (allegedly) said 9-year-old Tyler Weaver, who read a staggering 63 books over a 6-week period this summer, “hogs” the prizes each year, and should “step aside”, and let other kids win…
