A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2012

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Available in two spiralbound or PDF ebook editions.

Standard Edition, 134 pages:
— order the print edition ($13.95)
— ebook: Weightless ($3.99) /  Lulu ($3.99)

Almanac Edition which includes all the prompts, exercises, reading lists, and articles from the two previous editions, 182 pages:
— order the print edition ($15.95)
— ebook Weightless ($4.99) / Lulu ebook ($5.99)

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner is the perfect place to keep everything writing-related: whether it’s the minutia of deadlines and word counts, the writing ideas and inspirations that insist on being jotted down, or the most private hopes and dreams. There’s nothing like having this planner in hand to show how much time, effort, thought, and love a writer puts into writing.

Our redesigned third annual Daily Planner is the perfect gift for anyone interested in writing from teenager to grandparent. Cover and interior art by Kathleen Jennings.

Praise for previous editions:

“I know some writers who have spent many, many hours trying to figure out the ins and outs of residency programs, grant applications and even MFA programs in creative writing. A lot of that work is done for you here, with those deadlines detailed and looming some time before their due dates.”
—Jacket Copy, Los Angeles Times

“Like many writers, I have a thing for shiny new planners, dreams of organization and a complete lack of follow-through after March. No more, my friends! A gift from a fellow writer will keep my bad thang on track—at least until June. A Working Writer’s Daily Planner from Small Beer Press is a practical planner for those of us who are distracted by bright and shiny things (like Facebook, admit it). Spiral bound, good quality paper to take the ink and chock-full of goodies such as writing exercises, paper dolls and workshop information (plus much more), it’s already been marked up with deadlines and dog-eared.”
—Momgadget.com

“An incredible gift for your favorite writer, or yourself.”
—Kelli Russell

“What I just pulled out of the shipping box is a solid little book of 144 pages of text printed on a good stock of 6×9-inch paper and spiral bound to lay flat. The spiral, by the way, is made of a heavy wire and bent in at the ends, so it should both stay on the book and make it through the year.”
—Women of Mystery

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Format a Manuscript
“A Mayan Apocalypse Primer for the WorkingWriter,” Michael J. DeLuca
“Ladies, Please!,” Sarah Rees Brennan
State Arts Grants
“What I Know About Literary Agents,” Geoffrey Goodwin
“Rewriting,” Kelley Eskridge
“A Short 2012 Reading List,”Su-Yee Lin
Future Planning
Further Resources
Contest and Award Fees
CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
“A (Mostly) Contemporary British Reading List,” Rebecca Isherwood
Fifty First Sentences
Residency Spotlight
Submission Tracker
“111 Contradictory Writing Suggestions,” Geoffrey Goodwin
Science Fiction Spotlight
A Reading List of  Favorite Romances,” Kelly Link
“Bestsellers: Do They Last?”

2010 & 2011 EXTRAS (Almanac Edition only)

Book Festivals
Writing Exercise: A Reality Show Story
“The Editorial Assistant,” Rebecca Isherwood
“How to Find a Writing Group,” Ben Francisco
Six Reading Lists
An Even Dozen Writing Prompts
Debut Author Interview: Kelly Link interviews N.K. Jemisin
Writing Exercise: A Play on Words
“Story Idea Generation,” Kelly Link
“What I Know About Writing,” Geoffrey Goodwin
Writing Exercise: Genre Musical Chairs
“Reading as a Writer,” Kelly Link
“How to End a Story,” Nick Mamatas
Writing Exercise: The Cliché Trainwreck
Where to Find Out About MFA Programs
April is National Poetry Month: Spotlight on Poetry
Writing Exercise: Truth or Fiction
“Beyond Competent and Accomplished: A Call to Action for Workshoppers,” Kelly Link
“Trivia Vs. Writing Real Stories,” Kate Wilhelm
Persevere
Writing Exercise: Dialogue
Online Writing Workshop Spotlight
Writing Exercise: Soundtrack First
Photo and Illustration Credits

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2012 Sample

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A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2011

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October 2010 · 9781931520676 · Spiral bound/ebook · 6 x 9 · 160 pp · Excerpt on Scribd

The perfect supplement to any writer’s life, this new edition of A Working Writer’s Daily Planner is even better than before, packed with more of the information writers need to organize their work schedules, track upcoming deadlines, and learn about grant opportunities, contests, and workshop programs. For 2011 we turned to those who know best what writers want—writers themselves—and asked them what resources they’d find most useful. The result is a unique and indispensable tool that makes it easy for writers to keep track of the practical, business end of writing, leaving more time for them to actually spend writing.

If you’re a writer, you’ll immediately see the advantage of gathering so much information into one spiral-bound compendium: application deadlines are built right into the calendar, along with spotlights on writing markets and helpful online resources. You’ll also find information on How to Find a Writing Group – Or Start Your Own, writing conferences, advice on formatting manuscripts, suggested readings, and the dos and don’ts of submitting your work to journals, magazines, and literary agents. If there’s a writer in your life, this calendar will make the perfect gift.

And because every professional writer needs distractions, we’ll sneak in peculiar tales of the writing life, plenty of inspiring art and photos, writing prompts, and, as always, a few surprises too.

Table of Contents

How to Format a Manuscript
Book Festivals
The Editorial Assistant — Rebecca Isherwood
How to Find a Writing Group — Ben Francisco
Debut Author Interview: N.K. Jemisin — Kelly Link
Younger Writers
Residencies
State Arts Grants
Story Idea Generation — Kelly Link
What I Know About Writing — Geoffrey Goodwin
Future Planning
Science Fiction & Fantasy Corner
A Few Random Magazines
Further Resources
CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
Contest and Award Fees
How to End a Story — Nick Mamatas
Submission Tracker

Reading Lists
11 Poets You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Read — Kristin Evans
A Summer Reading List — Samantha Guilbert
Tales of Love and Darkness — Kristin Evans
Reading as a Writer — Kelly Link

Writing Prompts and Exercises
A Place to be Inspired
A Play on Words
Five Memoir Writing Prompts — Geoffrey Goodwin
Genre Musical Chairs
Fifty First Sentences

Photo and Illustration Credits

Lawrence Schimel, H.N. James,  Amal El-Mohtar, Mari Cheng, Rebecca Isherwood, Greg McElhatton, Kelly Link, Graeme Williams, E. Catherine Tobler, Fred Coppersmith, National Library of Scotland, Richard Butner, Alex Dally McFarlane, Claire Massey, Davida Gypsy Breier, Austin Cheng, Kristine Paulus, Samantha Guilbert, Lorna E. Carlson.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to everyone who worked, helped, or contributed, including: Kelly Link, Jedediah Berry, Michael J. DeLuca, Kristen Evans, Christi Jacques, Su-Yee Lin, Diana Cao, Samantha Guilbert, Rebecca Isherwood, Ben Francisco, Abram Thau, Geoffrey Goodwin, Nick Mamatas, and some few others.

Reader reaction to A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010:

“I know some writers who have spent many, many hours trying to figure out the ins and outs of residency programs, grant applications and even MFA programs in creative writing. A lot of that work is done for you here, with those deadlines detailed and looming some time before their due dates.
“With the extra time, there are writing prompts, if you should feel so inclined. And as the weeks tick by—it’s done in a weekly format, with space every day to write in appointments, or word counts or whatnot—you’ll see more and more writers’ birthdays, prompting you to, you know, get back to writing.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Each week is given a full page with enough space to jot down interview times, for example, or to make note of those awful looming deadlines…. But there’s much more in here than the birth dates of writers who are far more famous than most of us will ever be. The facing pages are packed with information about writers’ residencies, writing prizes and awards in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, writing fellowships, writing prompts and exercises, practical tips on formatting manuscripts and links to writing blogs and other online resources—and words of inspiration.”
—The Daily Hampshire Gazette

“Oh, how I wish I’d had this from the beginning of the year.”
—C.R., May 2010
A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2011 Excerpt Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2011 order form 100.25 KB A Working Writer’s Daily Planner is available from all good bookstores and is also available at a discount to workshops, book groups, companies, colleges, or for use as a premium. Please use this form for ordering multiple copies. Downloaded 250 times.

Typos discovered so far: Hallowe’en is listed as Sunday Oct. 30, when it should by Monday, Oct 31.
Typo spotting help (with any of our books) is always appreciated.

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A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010

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December 2009
9781931520584 · Spiral bound · 6 x 9 · 144 pp · Multiple-copy discount

“I am ticking off the days until I can get my Working Writer’s Daily Planner. All work is at a complete stop until its arrival.”
—Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010 is made by writers for writers—all kinds of writers. Whether you’re published or not, a poet, a bestselling novelist, retired, in school, an academic, a short story writer, or you are researching your nonfiction magnum opus, you’ll find that this calendar is a powerful motivational tool which easily integrates into the workday. You’ll find inspiration in the stimulating exercises  along with the daily and weekly structure you need to get the work done.

Download a Free Sample: March 2010 | Scribd.

Every week has its own page with  a handy list of upcoming deadlines, writing contests, information on where to apply for residencies, as well as inspiring quotations or writing prompts and exercises and suggestions, Federal Holidays (extra writing time!), and, at least once a month, a suggestion for a magazine (or other market) to submit your work to.

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner is first and foremost a practical resource: Each deadline or residency application is accompanied by a website address so that you can go straight to the source for more information. However, most listings also have all the information you need to apply or to send in your submission as well as a simple code so that you can tell immediately if a program, award, or market is appropriate.

Each month has a page for notes which you can use to plan ahead and at the back, you will find a handy Submissions Tracker to keep track of where and when you sent your work out, as well as many other features for you to use and enjoy throughout the year.

And, courtesy of our friend Abby Denson, for that time when you just need a total break from it all: there are paper dolls!

A Quick Index to A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010

Finding an MFA Program
Kelly Link, “Beyond Competent and Accomplished: A Call to Action for Workshoppers”
How to Format a Manuscript
Kate Wilhelm, “Trivia Vs. Writing Real Stories”
Persevere
Contest and Award Fees
Goal Planner
Further Resources
CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
Paper Dolls
Submission Tracker
Photo and illustration credits

Reading Lists
Early Spring, Late Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Winter

Writing Exercises
Quick, Truth Or . . .?, Fifty First Sentences, Clichés, Soundtrack First

Writing Prompts

Spotlights
Grants, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Poetry, Independent Magazines, State Arts Focus, Younger Writers, Residencies, Online Writing Classes

Inclusion of events, workshops, conventions, conferences, magazines, contests, websites, and anything else in this calendar in no way constitutes an endorsement by Small Beer Press who shall not be held accountable for any ­­­changes since the date of publication or reliance upon this information by readers. Please check the websites listed for full information on residencies, journals, grants, and so on. Small Beer Press received no payment or consideration in any form for any information included in this calendar. This is a work in progress and will be updated for 2011. We love to hear from readers so if there is something you would like to see included in next year’s calendar, please contact us at the address below.

A Working Writer’s Daily Planner 2010 is available at a discount to workshops, groups, companies, or for use as a premium. Please contact us for more information, thank you.

“Each week is given a full page with enough space to jot down interview times, for example, or to make note of those awful looming deadlines…. But there’s much more in here than the birth dates of writers who are far more famous than most of us will ever be. The facing pages are packed with information about writers’ residencies, writing prizes and awards in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, writing fellowships, writing prompts and exercises, practical tips on formatting manuscripts and links to writing blogs and other online resources—and words of inspiration.”
—The Daily Hampshire Gazette

Instant Discounts (includes Media Mail shipping in the USA):

2 copies: $9

3 copies: $13

4 copies: $15

5 copies: $18!

Made by Small Beer Press in 2009.
Printed on 100# Boydon Gloss by United Graphics, Inc. of Maltoon, IL.
Text set in Cochin.

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