SiWC Blog
Our phone number has changed!
We prefer to handle most of your questions and requests by email -- that way we have a record to follow to make sure the questions all get answered and the problems all get solved. But once in a while, you might need to call us. If you need to reach the SiWC crew by telephone, please take note...the new number is
604-594-2000.
Catchy, easy-to-remember. It's on our website and on our brochure, but some old info sites on the 'net may have the old number, so take note...and we'll talk to you soon!
3 days left to our contest deadline! You can find our contest page here: .
~kc
also blogging as leftwriter
www.thirddraftnyc.com
If you had a chance to read the interview WebWizard Dale posted yesterday, you may have noticed editor Lisa Rector mentioned a very exciting piece of news, but just in case you missed it, here it is, straight from Lisa:
In recognition of the talent of young writers world-wide, I am pleased
to announce the Lisa Rector Young Writer’s Scholarship. The inaugural
event will be held at this year’s Surrey International Writers
Conference Oct. 24-26, 2008. A full 3-day scholarship to attend the
conference, including workshops, meals and banquets will be awarded to
a student demonstrating outstanding achievement or promise in the areas
of poetry, fiction, non-fiction or screenwriting. Students must be
between the ages of 12-18 at the time of the conference in order to
qualify. Travel not included. The winner will be announced Oct. 1,
2008.
Lisa tells us she will have more details of the award available for us to publicize here shortly, but in the meantime, if you'd like further information, you can reach Lisa at
www.thirddraftnyc.com
~kc
also blogging as leftwirter
 A while ago kc asked who you wanted interviewed on The Soapbox. One of the requests was Lisa Rector-Maass. I'm not sure where our interview with Lisa sits in the grand queue, but while you're waiting for us you can read the two part interview with Lisa the folks at Writer Unboxed have posted:
Okay, so I'm not actually Dorothy, no matter how much I'd like to be. But this Friday marks the last week before our
contest deadline. No time to mourn a summer wasted, marinated in
sangria and baked in the sun....(uh...actually, that sounds like a summer Dorothy would have celebrated!). But regardless of how the last month or
two slipped by -- now's the time to get yourself ready, put your shaky
hand to a pen or a computer keyboard and get your contest entry
finished!
A few things to keep in mind:
1) $1000 in prize money first place in EACH category. NOT to mention the prestige associated with being an SiWC contest winner.
2) You can enter by email! That's right -- you can send your entry in to contest@siwc.ca until 4pm, Friday, September 5, 2008. Your cheque or money order will need to be mailed, but as long as your entry is in under the wire, we'll put it in the running.
3) If you do enter by email, your entry will be acknowledged by email. If you have not received a confirmation email send your entry again to contest@siwc.ca or email me at kcdyer@siwc.ca .
4) Sending your entry from outside Canada? Join the club -- over the years we have had contest entries from all over the world, every continent except Antarctica. Please send your entry fee as an International Money Order to the address on the contest page.
I happen to be making a brief sojourne to New York City at the moment. I'm staying in the heart (sorry) of the city, about a block away from the Empire State building, pictured to the left, above.
Apart from the 'having a good time, wish you were here' postcard greetings, I had lunch yesterday with the inimitable Janet Reid, who will be presenting at the conference this year. We had a great time chatting about the conference, and she told me she is very excited about having the chance to work with writers in her Master Class this year.
Janet will be talking about query letters in Query Roulette -- how to take your letters and polish them to their finest. This is a chance to learn from a high profile, New York agent EXACTLY what makes a decent query letter -- an opportunity not to be missed! You can register any time, although Janet has asked that interested folks be sure to send her a sample query in advance so she can go through them in the class, polish them to a fine shine -- and everyone attending benefits.
Already registered for the conference? No problem. You can register for Master Classes by calling the conference centre at 604-594-2000 or drop me a line and I'll help you through the process. You can find me at kcdyer@siwc.ca
A reminder that there are only 9 writing days left before our contest closes -- get your entry in today! You can find details here: SiWC Contest Page
Good luck from the Big Apple!
~kc
I tripped over this and thought I would share:
Funny metaphors used in high school essays
There's a couple quotes that have me curious, I wouldn't mind reading the works they came from. Creating a funny tangent is a comedic gift.
This writer has a Douglas Adams vibe:
The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.
And this writer must come from a big family (I hope):
The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
Have a funny metaphor or link to some writing humour? Please share (and leave a comment)!
 Many people travel and many people write but few take to the level Anthony Dalton has. In addition to being published his adventures have been recognized by both the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club, where he holds the title of Fellow. In this week's episode of the SiWC Soapbox host kcdyer interviews Anthony Dalton. The discussion includes how Anthony was blind-sided by the subject of a biography he was writing, his writing process, and his presentation at the conference.
Check it out: The Soapbox - Ep4: Anthony Dalton
I'm thinking this might be a bit of coals to Newcastle, but... just a reminder that the answers to many questions regarding the conference can be found by reading through the website, back copies of the newsletter and this very blog. Summer's end is drawing nigh and in the perverse Canadian way, as the weather chills, things are heating up around SiWC central. If something puzzles you, have a peek through our blog and newsletter archives to see if we've answered your question. And if you can't find the answer -- fire your question at me, and I'll do my best to get to the bottom of things for you. You can get me through the Contact Page on the website or by emailing kcdyer@siwc.ca
Our blog, newsletter, and now our podcasts are all there to help you find your way around the conference. Grab a cup of coffee, read through and enjoy!
~kc
also blogging as leftwriter
A pause from the dog* days of summer, here, to bring you up to date on a couple of faculty changes we have experienced over the past little while.
I'm sorry to say that agent Carolyn Swayze and editor Paula Eykelhof will be unable to attend our conference this fall. They both have sent apologies -- and a replacement, so the good news is our schedule will remain unaffected. Kris Rothstein will be standing in Carolyn's stead as the representative from the Swayze Literary Agency. And Valerie Gray will be coming to us from Harlequin. If you have already booked a pitch appointment with Carolyn or Paula, your appointment time will remain the same, but with Kris and Valerie instead.
While we are so sorry to lose Carolyn and Paula, we are delighted to have Kris and Valerie with us for the conference. Kris' bio is already up on our site, and you can look for Valerie's to be up shortly.
~kc
also blogging as leftwriter
*This particular dog is Seamus -- generally a pretty good representative of the species...
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