May 2019 Meeting
The 500 word PSWG Monthly Fiction Contest winner will be awarded.
Part 1: Writers Helping Writers
Writing, Art & Collaboration
Carol Mann’s presentation includes:
1. Writing about art and its roots in ancient Greece. To illustrate the process, she shares an image from the book and reads the poem that accompanies it.
2. She then segues into collaborating on a book of original art and poetry designed to celebrate, honor and inspire women. Carol will briefly discuss how they put the book together. She’ll share 10 things to keep in mind when collaborating from an article she wrote which appeared in the publication: Mann, Carol. “A Creative Journey.” Creative Genius, ed. Kathleen Power-Vermaelen. Washington, D.C. Pen Women Press, 2018: 45-46
3. Lastly, she’ll briefly discuss marketing with an emphasis on having a patter for your book.
To conclude, Carol will do an audience participation reading.
Read more about Carol here.
Your Author’s Voice: The Foundation to Building Your Brand
Ariella Moon
In today’s highly competitive publishing world, an author is expected to build his or her brand. Where do you begin? Young Adult and fantasy author Ariella Moon, will demonstrate how you, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, already have the magic within you. Writers will discover why all aspects of their brand should be rooted in their author’s voice and genre. Ariella will give practical tips for aspiring, newly published, and multi-published writers on how to conjure a cohesive marketing style and image.
Read more about Ariella here.
Part 2: PSWG Awards Students
PSWG Awards Students Who Are Perfecting the Craft of Writing
Article Written by: Marly Bergerud, PSWG Board of Directors, Vice President Education and Training
The Palm Springs Writers Guild knows that for high school students, there are some unique skills that are harder than others to capture on college applications. Students who excel at sports will often have a long list of tangible achievements. Students who produce fine arts or participate in student leadership programs will easily find ways to highlight their participation in these extracurriculars. But writers will often have a harder time drawing attention to the skills, time, and energy that they have put into perfecting the craft of writing.
For over 40 years, the Palm Springs Writers Guild has helped Coachella Valley residents improve their writing skills and learn how to publish their work. In keeping with the Guild’s mission to develop local talent and create a community of writers within the Valley, Board member Marly Bergerud attended the Rancho Mirage High School grade-level awards assemblies where the school’s student finalists and winners were honored.
Rancho Mirage teachers have found a perfect way for outstanding student writers to be heard and recognized. For the fourth consecutive year, the school held a contest that involved the entire student body (approximately 1566 students) writing in four genres (9th grade - essays, 10th grade -poetry, 11th grade - a speech, and 12th grade - a letter). The theme was “This I Believe,” with the contest being conducted by English Department Chairwoman Robin Hinchliffe-Lopez and the RMHS English Teachers. “Our students receive awards for their strength, developing understanding and courage,” Hinchliffe-Lopez explains. “We hope to empower the entirety of our community through this event.” Bergerud adds that many of the students told her that the contest is their favorite writing activity of the school year and that they always look forward to it.
The students’ finished works were given to their English teachers, who then chose each grade level finalist. The Literary Society of the Desert provided judges—who reviewed the finalists’ work and selected the grade-level winners. Bergerud found herself “extremely impressed with the students’ excitement for their fellow writers as they cheered for each finalist and the winners.” Both the Guild and the Society provided monetary awards and Certificates to the winners.
Members of the Writers Guild congratulate all the students who participated in the writing contest and applaud the Rancho Mirage faculty and staff for their guidance and encouragement. The Guild is inviting the RMHS finalists and all winning students, parents, friends, faculty and staff to its May 4, 2019 General Meeting where the following students will be recognized and receive a monetary award and Certificate:
Winning Essays – 9th Grade
1st Place: $100.00 Winner: Hope Hardin-Salazar
2nd Place: $75.00 Winner: Halie Delgado
3rd Place: $50.00 Winner: Sandra Viramontes
Winning Poetry – 10th Grade
1st Place: $100.00 Winner: Yunuen Mora
2nd Place: $75.00 Winner: Noelle Syrigos McGinn
3rd Place: $50.00 Winner: Jose Tinoco
Winning Speech – 11th Grade
1st Place: $100.00 Winner: Adrian Marquez
2nd Place: $75.00 Winner: Cesar Solis
3rd Place: $50.00 Winner: Kayla Farne
Winning Letters – 12th Grade
1st Place: $100.00 Winner: Vanessa Viruete
2nd Place: $75.00 Winner: Sophia Franz
3rd Place: $50.00 Winner: Isabella Artino
The First Place Winners of each category are listed above and their content can be read here TBD
For a recap of the event, go to TBD
At each of the assemblies honoring the contest winners in March, Hinchliffe-Lopez announced that the Palm Springs Writers Guild will be providing monetary awards to all winners of the four grade level writing contests.
Students wishing to be a PSWG student member pay a $25 annual membership fee. An email address is required. See https://palmspringswritersguild.org/Membership_Application for details.
Member Benefit
At the Saturday monthly meeting Danielle Cook will be giving away her guide Getting Your Short Story/Non-Fiction/Poetry Publishedand Things I Wish I'd Known About Sooner (As a Novice Fiction Writer) - FREE to all members. A donation to the Coachella Valley Scholarship Fund is requested.
These guides cover:
- Experts who show you how to format your stories for submission AND how to write a submission cover letter
- Free links to websites that will send you weekly updates on what magazines/journals are seeking submissions
- A nine-page chart of potential submission targets (that DO NOT CHARGE A READERS FEE) listed by genre including their website, when they review submissions, what they accept, page min/max and what they pay. The information is current.
- A blank template to track submissions
Non-Members may join at the meeting Saturday with a check made out to PSWG for $75.00. The membership expires 365 days later.
