Klamath Writers' Guild

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(This site was last updated January 20, 2012.) 

 

Welcome to the Klamath Writers’ Guild’s website.

Although our site continues to evolve the links to the left are active and will provide you with information about our group. 

Be sure to check our Calendar link to the left for the latest on our 2012 meeting schedule!

 

 

Try something new this year: write and draw your own comics! Can't draw? Not to worry. We've found some of the best free comic creation sites out there. All you have to do is come up with witty dialogue. These wonderful websites will do the rest.

At Pixton (
http://www.pixton.com), the level of customization is astounding, as well as amazingly easy. Start by choosing the format and layout, and then select some characters to star in your comic. Practically everything in the comic strip is customizable, from the background to the characters' expressions and movements (it's actually possible to turn a character's head a full 360 degrees!)


Finished works can be posted to the site or e-mailed to friends and family. Free users need to have Pixton credits to print and download their comics. Don't panic -- you don't have to pay for the credits. You'll get some free ones when you sign up. Note that if your internet connection is on the slow side, you may have to wait a while for the site to load between steps.

If you're looking for quick, easy and cute, you should check out Strip Generator (
http://stripgenerator.com). You start with a blank comic strip that you can populate with characters, "beings," speech bubbles, and props. Simply drag and drop characters from the top of the edit screen and type in some one-liners. Once you're finished, you can print out your work of art, or save it to your account for later.

Not satisfied with comics? Try your hand at animated cartoons using GoAnimate (
http://goanimate.com/). Start with a preset theme and choose some characters to go with it. Type or record your desired dialogue and watch the scene come to life! The site can take some  time to load on slower internet connections. Free users have a limited amount of scenes and characters to choose from.

 

 

 WRITING CONTESTS

 

The ten best entries from each will be published in 2012 Fish Anthology.

 

*Short Memoir* ($2500): Judge David Shields; Ends 30 Jan.

*Flash Fiction* ($1300): Judge Michael Collins. Ends 20 March.

*Poetry* ($1300): Judge Billy Collins. Ends 30 March.

 

http://www.fishpublishing.com/

 

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NELSON ALGREN AWARDS

DEADLINE: February 1, 2012
GENRE:  Short Stories
OPEN TO: US Citizens aged 18+
DETAILS:  1-2 stories, maximum 10,000 words each
PRIZE:  $5000, three runner-up prizes of $1,500 each; winners may be published in the Chicago Tribune or on their website
URL:  
http://tinyurl.com/5ufse9b

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EXPATRIATE TRAVEL WRITING CONTEST

DEADLINE:  February 15, 2012
GENRE: Nonfiction
DETAILS: 1,000-3,000 words, creative travel essays about living and working abroad.
PRIZES: $500, $150, $100 plus publication.
URL:
http://tinyurl.com/2ez54cs

 

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Writing Tidbits
 

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DON'T GET SCAMMED!  Choose the right Self Publishing Company for your book. What you need to know before choosing a self publishing company and the questions you should ask.

http://dogearpublishing.net/self-publishing-companies.aspx

 

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Daily Inspiration

Sometimes, we all need a prod as well as a coffee to get working; I like these inspirational quotes for writers and artists.  They always work for me.  See what you think.
http://harleyinspiration.blogspot.com/ 

 

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TheWritersPlan

This is a comprehensive, completely free online book with templates to help you to create your own writer's plan. 
http://www.thewritersplan.com/
 

 

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RobinMizelUnlimited

This is a great blog where you get to see the writing world through the eyes of an agent; the entry for Jan 3 was particularly interesting.  But I want to draw your attention to this regularly updated entry from 2008 that covers query tracking software.  This could be just what you need to sort out your writing year.
http://tinyurl.com/7kd8fur

 

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