Monday, June 1, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

I am incredibly saddened and angered at the murder of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas. I don't want to cheapen it but I would love to hear any poetry or creative thoughts if you have them.

Rest in Peace Dr. Tiller.

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Monday, May 4, 2009

Are you the next great children's author?

Cheerios® is searching for the next great children's book author!

It could be you! Just enter your original children's book story by July 15, 2009. Limit 500 words.

The Cheerios New Author Contest encourages aspiring authors to write and submit an original story for a book for children ages 3 to 8. The (1) Grand Prize of $5,000 cash will be awarded. In addition to the cash prize, the Grand Prize winning story submission will be offered to a reputable Children’s Book Publishing company for possible future publication. Two (2) First Prizes of $1,000 each will be awarded. The $1,000 First Prizes will be awarded as checks made payable to each of the two (2) First Prize winners. You are not eligible to enter and will be disqualified if you are a professional writer, such as a novelist, magazine, blogger or newspaper writer who writes books or articles for pay, or you have authored a work of fiction that has been published or is about to be published in exchange for payment.

http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/registration_form/

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Monday Mind Opener

Good morning and May the 4th be with you!!!

Speaking of which, Star Wars is a classic story of love, the fight for freedom, father/son relationships and cute fuzzy Ewoks.

You are hereby asked to write a story of your fight for freedom. Who are your main characters and what freedom are they fighting for?

Write long and prosper (yes, yes -- I know, that's Star Trek not Star Wars, I used to own a B'joran ear cuff for Maude's sake.)



Also, don't forget, you are all more than welcome to start submitting poetry, short stories and other writings for Shakesquill. So many people had writing that seemed to be flowing out about BADD on Shakesville, I wanted to encourage submissions. So submit!!

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

Maude help me, it is 88 degrees at 9:30 a.m. and it's supposed to be over 100 today. Breaking records all over the place.

Speaking of records: You are writing a character who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, what is she/he listed for and how did that person become the kind of person to break records.

Write my lovelies! Write!

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

Good morning Shakers! Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Your assignment today, should you choose to accept it, is to let me know what, if any writing you are working on. If you are not working on any writing currently, what do you want to be working on?

Let's put it this way -- in the land where money is no object, you have a house in Big Sur with a view from your desk of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocks -- what are you writing?

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Monday Mind Opener - for Tuesday

Must apologize - I was at a conference yesterday and despite best intentions, never got up the Monday Mind Opener.

This morning, I'd like to ask, in light of the conference yesterday,

You have the opportunity to create an international conference.
You can have any speakers you like who are alive.

What is your meeting entitled and who is speaking?

Enjoy!

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

It's almost always hard to say goodbye. Sometimes, holding onto something that isn't working just feels easier. However, saying goodbye to things and people that are holding you back allows room for new things.

This week the Mind Opener is to say goodbye to all the things you need to let go of: bad habits, dead people, alive people, partners, self-destructive feelings and behaviors, jobs, projects, re-occurring thoughts, etc. (borrowed from Learning to Love You More)

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Call to Artists

Shaker juliemania wanted to let writers know about an online art gallery and juried exhibit she is working on. She writes:

We are sending out Call to Artists, but I want to make sure that writers find out as well.

We are including Written Word as one of the categories and author Kate Wilhelm is our juror. Any help you can provide would be great. AND if appropriate I would love to provide this info to ShakesQuill, as they are my favorite folks on the web.

Here is our Call to Artists:

"Contemporary Perspectives for Change”

Infinity Art Gallery is making an international call to contemporary artists who creatively express their vision for change in today’s world through visual or literary art.

Entry Deadline: July 1, 2009

Exhibition Categories:
Two Dimensional Art
Three Dimensional Art
Digital art and Photography
Functional Art
Written Word

Prospectus/Rules and Guidelines: go to http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com
Each applicant may submit artwork to one category only. Each artists may submit one or two entries.

Awards: $3000 in cash prizes
Entry Fee: $25 USD, up to 2 pieces.
Entry Form: available at http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com
Grand Opening: August 1, 2009

Artwork is displayed in order of submission until the Grand Opening, when cash winners and selected finalists are announced and exhibited for six months – online, 24/7. Visitors to the gallery will participate in selecting the Viewers’ Choice winner in each category.

JURORS for the ‘Contemporary Perspectives for Change’ exhibit are the acclaimed artists: Kate Wilhelm, written word; Johnny Swing, functional art; James B. Wood, photography/digital art; Ellen Tykeson, 3D art; and Patric Baylis-Andre, 2D art. The impressive biographies for the artists are on ‘Meet the Jurors’ page of the Current Exhibit at http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com.

Infinity Art Gallery is a new online gallery that offers amazing opportunity for artists and art collectors. Founders Julie Weismann and Charly Pritchard Swing showcase the work of international, world-class artists selected for artistic excellence. Infinity Art Gallery is especially unique because it encourages people who appreciate and support the arts to purchase DIRECTLY from artists who compete in their juried exhibits, and they display the artwork of ALL qualified submissions prior to each grand opening.

Infinity Art Gallery will soon be the international cornerstone for the creative arts - where possibilities are boundless. Whether exhibiting or purchasing art, go online to http://www.InfinityArtGallery.com and participate in the interactive, international gallery which connects artists with art collectors.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Your ShakesQuill

I want to know....

What do you want to see at ShakesQuill?

**Mind Openers to get your writing groove on?
**Words of the Day?
**Story Starters?
**Calls for Submission?
**Lit Crit?
**Book Reviews
**Brags by Shakesquillians?
**Something I haven't thought of?
**Fewer prepositions at the ends of sentences?

Let me know in your comments!

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Monday Mind Opener

Good morning all! As I am a West Coaster (Los Angeles to be exact), generally you all will start your mornings long before I will. There is nothing I can do about this other than wake up at 3 a.m. and that's just not going to happen. This has been a public service announcement.

Speaking of public service announcements, NBC (at least in the U.S.) has their "The More You Know" campaign. It's usually a 30 second public service announcement about a healthy breakfast, getting an annual physical and stranger danger. You are now an executive in the fictional NBC public awareness department and you have 30 words to inform the teevee watching audience about your issue. For instance:

Looking directly into the sun at sunrise, despite being really beautiful, will cause you to see spots on your computer for at least an hour and can cause permanent damage.
Go for it!

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Friday, March 20, 2009

What to expect

Good morning!

Shakers seem to be looking forward to the resumption of ShakesQuill! I have a Monday Mind Opener prepared and I suspect I will soon be up to my eyeballs in submissions.

Here's some notes on what we're looking for in addition to your artistic submissions:

I am also looking for a volunteer to take on Word of the Day duties.

Please feel free to email me any questions, comments or suggestions at soqueer (at) gmail (dot) com.

As GWB says - Bring it on!

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Friday, March 6, 2009

State of the ShakesQuill II

Hi all. I'm Faith, a regular commenter on Shakesville, author of That is So Queer... and various published works around town and I am honored to be the new ShakesQuill editrix. Thanks so much to Bill Wolfrum for all of his work as the founding editor, Liss for basically everything she does and all of the courageous and talented writers that have made ShakesQuill into what it is today.

This is what Bill wrote at the inception of ShakesQuill, it is brilliantly written and still stands true, so:

"One thing to remember about ShakesQuill - it's a work in progress, and it will likely stay that way. We'll always be looking outside of the box (and inside) for different ideas.

A couple words on submissions: Please give me the name you'd like to use for the piece as a guest contributor, plus any bio info you'd like added, as well. Please remember that we can't use everything. That said, I'll try and use everything I get."

I'll be restarting the Monday Mind Opener and I am completely open to ideas about what you would like to see in that department and any others.

I look forward to hearing from all of you. I can be reached at soqueer@gmail.com.

Faith

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Un

Some things are better left unspoken
Some things are better left undone

Let them think it's all over.
Let them think you no longer care.
You've forgotten.

Walk into the shadows, close your blinds
Skip into the sunshine, look for the rainbow.

Leave the door shut, the box closed.
Let the dust and let it remain.
Untouched.

Submitted by strangedillies

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Cassandra

I watch my fellow proles, ignorant of history, infatuated with trivia, preoccupied with trinkets, obsessed with ephemeral celebrity, seeking mindless entertainment. I shout a warning to help them see the truth, but my words evaporate in the anesthetic miasma of delusion.

I watch my fellow citizens as carefully crafted lies persuade them, as mongers of cynical words and cruel intentions exploit them, as their fears and desires are used as weapons against them. I cry out to them, trying to share my experiences and knowledge to prevent their loss, but my voice is only a whisper.

I watch my fellow Eloi, who live lives emptied of all meaning, who remain oblivious to their ultimate fate, who passively wait until the siren calls them to line up and feed the ravenous Morlocks. I scream at them to stop, to notice their approaching doom, and avoid an ignoble death, but my mouth is sealed.

My screams unheard, my words unpersuasive, my warnings dismissed as the rantings of a delusional mind. My massive, barely contained, righteous rage goes unnoticed in an uncaring world. My Cassandra's curse continues. Waves of nauseating disgust leave me feeling empty and exhausted.

Submitted by MikeEss

About the Author: "I am an observer of life, but not a participant.

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Changeling

Where are you?
True, your form is still fair,
You still bear that soft resemblance...
But the shade within is corrupt,
It is not the man I loved.

For he would never be so cruel,
So full of malice,
Like sweet Echo I am fading, O,
How I could smash that loathsome mirror!
That object, that symbol of your potent desire,
Where is it?

So deep within your wicked soul...
Now, like that lovestruck nymph,
I mourn for the man
That I lost to his own self.

Submitted by Ravenix

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