Random Manuscript Facts

• 100 double-spaced manuscript pages, in Times New Roman 12 pt font, equals approximately 25,000 words
• to figure out how many pages your manuscript might be in print, multiply the number of double-spaced manuscript pages you have (Times New Roman, 12 pt font) by 5; then, divide the total by 4. So 160 manuscript pages x 5 = 800; 800 / 4 = 200 published pages.
  
• Even though most of us are not likely to write Star Trek novels, it might be a good idea to review the submission guidelines for them. The guidelines contain some good advice.
  

Winning Story in the Highlights Contest Coming Soon . . .

. . . to a magazine stand near you. Click here to preview of our MMS Society Co-President's story, "Rotterdam Christmas."

Congratulations, Heather!

Monthly Writing Challenge: November 2008

This month's challenge has three parts:

1. Write a poem. It doesn't have to be a good poem or a profound poem--it just needs to be a poem (line breaks, great sound quality, rhythm, imagery). If you want to use the season for inspiration, feel free.

2. Set some writing goals. November seems like a much better time to reflect on the year and where you'd like to go next than January does. (Plus, it's right now!) Writing goals can be simple--write for 15 minutes a day--or more involved: finish the novel by the end of the year, start a novel, set up a workshop group, write an article a month, etc.

3. Finish up an unfinished project and/or start something new.


Feel free to talk about or share your poems, goals, or progress here.

Monthly Writing Challenge: October 2008

Who better to inspire October's writing prompt than R.L. Stine?

This month's challenge is to read "Meet R. L. Stine," look over some of his titles, and then write a scene for a kid's horror story that balances the scary with humor.

Feel free to post your scene here.

And the first place winner is . . . .

. . . Brittany. Congratulations! Your writing has earned you an official award, writing supplies, and cheesecake.

(Brittany, send an email to mms.society@gmail.com with your mailing address and your name, as you would like it to appear on your official award certificate, and we'll send everything to you.)

Thanks to my current creative writing class who judged the contest entries. They liked all of the pieces, but in the end, the ACTION in Brittany's story is what secured her first place.

Monthly Writing Challenge: September 2008

Tell the story of this little guy. Or make up a story that's inspired by him.

Post your best entry by midnight September 30th 2008. Encourage your writer friends to post a story too!

Stories must be under 300 words and targeted to children or young adults.

They will be judged on: 1) originality; 2) appropriateness to the cheesecake creature theme; 3) use of language, imagery, sentence structure, paragraphing, and all that good stuff.

Prizes will be cheesecake- and writing-related . The number of prizes will depend upon the number of entries.

MMS Society officers may post entries, but they won't be officially entered in the competition.

Monthly Writing Challenge: August 2008

Write and post a paragraph from anything that you're working on: a novel, short story, article, essay, etc.

Then, comment on someone else's paragraph.

Happy August!