Istoryan Writers

[crystselene]

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I love to write freeverse poems because its something that not everybody could appreciate immediately.
freeverse is like a literary adventure for me. deviating from the norms and parting from the childish notions of what a poem must look and sound like
it also makes it easier for me to express how i feel and what i think.
I write because it is one way of expressing my emotions...it's a kind of therapy for me...
but i admit that sometimes i do have a hard time getting all those ideas out...
so i really want to increase my skills in writing...
i may not be the best or even better than anyone else but i'm really trying...

[diem]

@crystselene, maybe you'll be interested in this or know someone who will.. please pass the word.

LIRA Poetry Workshops now accepting applicants

The Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA) is now accepting entries for its annual poetry workshop. The workhop will be held every Saturdays and Sundays of June and July at the College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman, Q.C. National Artist for Literature, Virgilio S. Almario, would direct the said workshop.

All interested applicants are to pass five poems in Filipino together with a short bio-data and a 1x1 picture. Kindly send entries to:

LIRA Workshop
c/o Dir. Vim Nadera
UP Institute of Creative Writing,
2/F Bulwagang Rizal, UP Diliman,
Quezon City, 1101

They could also send it through email at liraworkshop@gmail.com before April 30, 2007.

LIRA is an organization of poets writing in Filipino. It conducts annual poetry writing workshops, spanning topics from traditional Filipino poetry to post-modernism. From these workshops sprung respected and award-winning poets like Vim Nadera, Romulo Baquiran, Michael Coroza and siblings, Rebecca and Roberto Anonuevo. LIRA celebrated its 21st anniversary last December 2006. Beverly Siy is its current president.

LIRA's Organization Profile:
http://www.panitikan.com.ph/newsarch...tions/lira.htm

*****

Mga romance novelists tinatawagan

Kung intresado magpasa ng resume at cover letter sa arnel.gabriel@psicompublishing.com. I-address ang letter kay Arnel Gabriel.

Mga Pagbabago sa Romance Novels

1. Magiging romance novelettes na siya. Magiging 3 story per libro na (hahatiin n'yo yung 24 thousand words into 3 stories.
2. 4-8 thousand pesos per story ang bayad.
3. Kelangang hindi masyado may *** ang kwento, tipong pwede pa rin siyang basahin ng inyong pamangkin o ng inyong 8-year-old na anak...

Kailangan pa rin namin ng ghost stories in English, 800-1500 words. 700 pesos per story ang bayad. Ipasa ang mga kwento kay bing.ramos@gmail.com. Kung may katanungan, hanapin si Sarah ng PSICOM PUBLISHING sa 0917-9048466.

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Youth essay writing contest

Theme: Engaging Youth in Reform

Young people can be a powerful force for change! As future reformers, young people (18-30) have innovative ideas on how to solve the political, economic, and social problems facing their countries. However, they often lack the voice to bring these ideas to policymakers. Simply, young people are often regarded as recipients of reforms, not active participants in the reform process.

CIPE’s essay contest gives you the opportunity to share your ideas about citizenship, democratic and market-oriented reform, youth leadership, and the ways that your country can create avenues for youth to participate in the political and economic spheres. We encourage you to get thinking, get involved, and use your own experiences to develop concrete solutions to these development issues.

A $1,000 honorarium will be given for each winning essay.

Guidelines

Eligibility

Open to students and young professionals aged 18-30.
Special weight will be given to essays submitted by citizens of non-OECD countries.

Topic Categories

Citizenship in a Democratic Society

What needs to be done to develop a sense of citizenship in young people and help them find their role in a democratic society?

True reform occurs only when citizens actively participate in the governance process – it can’t be achieved by street protests alone. Young people are an integral part of society and their input and participation in their countries’ governance is necessary to effect political and economic reform.

However, many lack the skills and opportunity to communicate with policymakers and get involved in their country’s development. Youth are often disengaged from the political process and rarely develop the sense of citizenship that is so crucial to building an inclusive, participatory democracy. To become active citizens in their countries, young people must have the skills to develop their ideas on reform and outlets to express those ideas in a constructive manner. What does citizenship mean to you? How are citizenship and good governance connected? How can your country engage and enable young people to participate constructively in the governance process? Be sure to begin your essay by describing the situation in your country.

Educational Reform and Employment Opportunities

How can your country reform the educational system to give young people the right skills and opportunities to enter the workforce?

In many countries, the youth unemployment rate is very high. In some countries, this is caused by a lack of jobs. However, in many others, young people entering the workforce are not prepared for the jobs available – they lack the necessary skills and education. Unable to find good jobs, they face a difficult choice: remain unemployed or accept low-paying jobs with no opportunity for advancement. Improving the educational systems of many countries is a key step towards creating a generation of young people who possess the skills and knowledge to participate in the economy, locally and globally. What are the major employment problems young people face in your country? What can be done to give them the right skills and opportunities to enter the workforce? Who should taking the lead in doing so? Be sure to begin your essay by describing the situation in your country.

Entrepreneurship and Leadership

What needs to be done in your country to provide youth with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and/or leaders in their communities?

Young people can play a positive role in the political and economic spheres in their countries, on both local and national levels. Unfortunately they often lack access to the resources and groups that would help them get involved and have an impact. However, when provided with the opportunity and skills to become influential members of their communities, youth can accomplish their goals. What are the skills that young people need to acquire to start a successful business or civil society group? What are the major barriers that prevent them from opening a business or assuming a leadership position in your country? What programs or policies would give youth the skills to become active and influential members of society? Be sure to begin your essay by describing the situation in your country.

Top Essays

In each category, a first, second, and third place winner will be chosen by a panel of CIPE staff and international partners. The three winning essays from each category will be published as Economic Reform Feature Service articles. CIPE will provide each of the nine winners an honorarium of $1,000.

Other essays of merit will be considered for publication as well. CIPE may translate certain articles into other languages, including Arabic, Russian, Spanish, or French.

Judging Criteria

Essays will be judged on clarity, originality, and their contribution to the understanding of development issues facing countries. The logic of the ideas expressed is more important than perfect English grammar.

Judges: Essays will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprising CIPE staff and CIPE’s international partners.

About CIPE

The Center for International Private Enterprise is a non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy. CIPE has supported more than 1,000 local initiatives in over 100 developing countries, involving the private sector in policy advocacy and institutional reform, improving governance, and building understanding of market-based democratic systems.

CIPE maintains that countries need to build market-oriented and democratic institutions simultaneously, as they are essentially two sides of the same coin. Without a functioning market system, democracies will remain weak. Likewise, without a democratic process, economic reforms are unlikely to succeed.

Formatting Guidelines

1. All essays must be written in English.
2. All essays must be original and unpublished.
3. Word count: 2,000-4,000.
4. Indicate the essay’s category on the cover page.
5. Provide full contact info on the cover page, including citizenship.

Timeframe: All essays must be submitted by May 31, 2007.

How to Submit

E-mail a copy of the essay as a .pdf file or MS Word document to essay@cipe.org. An e-mail will be sent confirming receipt of the submission.

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Flash fiction call for submission

Milflores Publishing is inviting writers to submit their best flash fiction/ sudden fiction for possible inclusion in an anthology to be edited by Vicente Garcia Groyon. Stories may be in English or Filipino, and from 500-750 words. Deadline for submission is June 15, 2007.

The preference is for stories which have not been previously included in books. Stories published on line or in magazines/journals are acceptable, but please indicate where and when upon submission

Groyon teaches at the De La Salle University, has won the Carlos Palanca Grand Prize for his novel Sky Over Dimas, and has contributed to two earlier Milflores anthologies: Sleepless in Manila and My Fair Maladies.

Submissions should be sent to flashfic.milflores@gmail.com or queries to cristinaphidalgo@gmail.com.

*****

[galenostiel]

Diem, forgive my ignorance, but what is meant by flash fiction? Is it called that because of its shortness, i.e. only 500-750 words?

[diem]

Diem, forgive my ignorance, but what is meant by flash fiction? Is it called that because of its shortness, i.e. only 500-750 words?

@galenostiel, you and me both, girl friend.

I had to do a little online research and found out that "flash" fiction is actually a new term coined to describe something as old as craft of story-telling itself.

Aesop's fables and Jesus' parables can be described as "flash" fiction.

Succinctly put, "flash" fiction is written in a "flash" and can be read in a "flash"

Here is what the ever handy Wikipedia has to say about flash fiction:

Flash fiction is fiction characterized by its extreme brevity, as measured by its length in words. While there is no universally accepted exact word limit, generally a short story is considered to constitute flash fiction if it is less than 1,000–2,000 words long, and most flash-fiction pieces are between 250 and 1,000 words long

Other names for flash fiction include sudden fiction, microfiction, postcard fiction, and short short fiction, though distinctions are sometimes drawn between some of these terms; for example, sometimes 1000 words is considered the cut-off between "flash fiction" and the slightly longer "sudden fiction". The term "flash fiction" likely originated in James Thomas, Denise Thomas, and Tom Hazuka's 1992 anthology of that name.

One type of flash fiction is the short story with an exact word count. An example is 55 Fiction or Nanofiction. These are complete stories, with at least one character and a discernible plot, exactly 55 words long.

Another is the Drabble, exactly 100 words, excluding titles.

(Online Source) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction

There you go. One of my favorite contemporary "flash" fiction writers would have to be Jenn Reese. I strongly recommend reading her Tales of the Zodiac, twelve gems of flash fiction. One can read them for free on www.strangehorizons.com.

I recommend the following as appetizers:

Monkey
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/...monkey-f.shtml

Snake
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/...-snake-f.shtml

Horse
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2005/...-horse-f.shtml

[diem]

*****
The Japanese Embassy
*
Invites you to write
*
haiku for Mother Nature
*****

HAIKU CONTEST 2007

Theme: Mga Taludtod Alay kay Inang Kalikasan
(Stanzas Offered to Mother Nature)

1. The message must deal with the appreciation of environment or respect towards nature, or care for balanced ecology.
2. Entries should be in Filipino (7-5-7 syllables, with English translation) or in English (5-7-5 syllables)
3. 12 pointfont size print.
4. Contestants should be Filipino citizens living in the Philippines or abroad.
5.Submissions may be done by mail, email or fax.
6. Deadline of Submission: June 29,2007 (Friday)
7. Top three (3) poems and others will be awarded.
8. Announcement of winners: July 13,2007 (friday)

For more info, please visit the Embassy of Japan website, http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp, and use the dowbloadableEntry Form for submission through:

Mail: JAPAN INFORMATION AND CULTURAL CENTER (JICC)
Embassy of Japan, 2627 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City

Email: jicc-mnl@japanembas sy.ph
Fax: (632) 551-5784

[thisbe.ara]

OT@diem: thanks for the information. they are countless and i am confident that as long as you are there, istoryan writers would still be alive. hhehee.. u know what i mean.

i think i am going to join this haiku thingie. thanks!

[shaxyra]

wow! thanks for all those info diem.. hehe... i think concentrate nako ron write

[diem]

OT@diem: thanks for the information. they are countless and i am confident that as long as you are there, istoryan writers would still be alive. hhehee.. u know what i mean.

As long as there are iStoryans like thisbe.ara eager to keep on writing, this thread will always be active and alive!

i think i am going to join this haiku thingie. thanks!

wow! thanks for all those info diem.. hehe... i think concentrate nako ron write

@thisbe.ara and shaxyra, what thanks thanks? Naa baya ko finder's fee po! 5% of all winnings!

Toinks! Just kidding! All the best and good luck ladies! :mrgreen:

[crystselene]

sayang me ginawa ako na haiku...
iniwan ko sa table sa McDo...

gusto ko mg-join...gawa na lang ako ulit :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[crystselene]

thanx diem...