Writers’ Mill minutes November 15^th 2020

It was a Journey through Chaos, well-fitting for 2020, and well-moderated and recorded by Laura, as we brought our “Journey through Chaos” anthology to Amazon print and kindle. (Look, it’s already there! But no “look inside” feature yet. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NHWDJ6F/ ) And here’s a link to the recording so you can catch up on what you missed if you weren’t there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjTluD345A4

First, of course, was the announcement of results from the “words I never want to hear again” contest from Karin.

1. First place – Von with Useless Old Man
2. Second place – Joanne with Not Me and Ria with Very Stable Genius
3. Third place – David Fryer with Eat Your Liver.

Other entries were:

• “A Few Words About 2020” by Zita
• “Absolutely No!” (poem) by Joe
• “Age is Just a Number” (poem) by Sheila
• “Are You Okay?” by Joanne
• “Erase This Word” (poem) by Judy
• “Fall Fell Hard Today!” (Haiku) by Robert
• “Kitkit’s Word” by Sheila
• “May 2020 Be Forgot” (poem) by Zita
• “The Dream of a Pharaoh” by Matthew
• “Too Many Words” (poem?) by Peter
• “Use of Words” by Jessie
• Comments only poem by Catherin – “I’m Dying”

Totaling an amazing 16 entries! Congratulations all.

Our next contests, with deadlines on the first Sunday of each month, word limits 1200 words, any genre, are:

1. December: Judy’s prompt for “Endings and Beginnings” https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/contests/dec-2020-contest-page/ password BeginDec20
2. January: Von’s prompt for “Dreams” https://www.portlandwritersmill.org/contests/upcoming-2020-contests/
3. February: Zita’s romantic prompt “Let me count the ways…”

Entries should be emailed to contest@portlandwritersmill.org, by the end of the first Sunday of the month. (And don’t forget, for anyone who’s only receiving this newsletter second hand, you can find us at portlandwritersmill.org, and either the librarian or admin@portlandwritersmill.org will happily add you to the email list, so you’ll get reminders when that first Sunday approaches.)

One way we give back to the library, in thanks for their many many years of support, is by bringing out an annual anthology, with all the royalties going to the library. Luckily, Sheila’s computer and internet (and voice) held up today, so we all joined in with the upload to Amazon over Zoom. Sheila will order books (she needs to be payed before she sends in the order, which will probably be Monday or Tuesday) and will email people with options for picking them up when they arrive. Laura thought we might be able to arrange pickups from the library.

The library recording will give you details of how we uploaded our book, but highlights from the presentation are below. Meanwhile, don’t forget to write your endings and beginnings contest entries for December, and don’t forget our next meeting, with a review of the old year and plans for the new. See you all on December 20^th, and if you’ll have something ready for critique then, let Sheila know!