Kathleen S Schmitt, Author

Ever heard of the chiasmi? Read this to discover an intriguing writing technique. https://writingcooperative.com/why-every-writer-should-use-

The Alliance grapples with current issues: ‘Wrestling with the Truth of Decolonization’. BC's Unequal Women (bcunequalwomen.org)... https://www.metvanalliance.org/

Great Canadian reads! Go to http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/images/CCC/ccc-current.pdf https://www.crimewriterscanada.com/

Forty years later... will there be justice in El Mozote, El Salvador?

Great Canadian reads!

Another workshop to engage writers when so many of us are at home a lot: https://authorspublish.thinkific.com//the-flash-fiction-wo

Passing this along to interested writers...

Opportunity for creative nonfiction writers... January 4, 2021 Pottersfield Press Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia Announcing the Fourth Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction... Pottersfield Press is once again looking for submissions from writers who can provide a manuscript of 30,000 to 150,000 words in any of the following categories: history, memoir, autobiography, biography, literary journalism, political or social commentary, travel writing or virtually any existing or new category that uses the nonfiction medium to tell a story or put forward an idea. The winners of the Third Annual Pottersfield Prize for Creative Nonfiction are Luc Desroches of Dieppe, New Brunswick for second place and the first place honours go to Emily Taylor Smith of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The winning entry was No Thanks, I Want to Walk: Two Months on Foot Around New Brunswick and the Gaspé by Emily Taylor Smith about her long-distance trek of self-discovery and adventure. Second place went to Luc Desroches for his most timely manuscript, Working From Home for a Harmonious Life. Both are slated for publication this year. The First Prize winner will receive a contract for the publication of the winning book along with a $1500 advance on 10% royalty for all sales. The Second Prize winner will also see the publication of the book and a $1000 advance on 10% royalties. Deadline is March 31, 2021 but early submissions are encouraged. Submit your manuscript electronically as a double spaced basic Word document to: [email protected] and include on the title page your name, address and email address. Entry fee is $25 (includes HST) and can be paid by Interac Transfer (also to [email protected]) or by cheque made out to Pottersfield Press mailed to 248 Leslie Rd. East Lawrencetown, NS B2Z 1T4 Canada after the manuscript has been submitted by email See more

So many aspects of e-business an author needs to know. One of the main tools is the e-mail list by which you gather readers. You can pay hefty prices for courses/wise counsellors who lead you in identifying your first 10,000 readers. Ads for those courses appear all the time. But what about just getting your head around the basics so you can dip your toe in the water and begin to experiment in what will work for you? Try Reedsy's developing an e-list course--10 easy lessons.

Sometimes it's too easy to write 2-dimensional characters and not give them the uniqueness or depth they really deserve. For major characters, I write bios of their lives so I know where they're coming from. Here's a resource from Reedsy for developing your characters that might also be useful.

I've been busy lately helping to prepare for the AGM of our Metro-Vancouver (including Victoria) branch of the Canadian Authors Association. Changing everything to virtual is a challenge! Photo: A founding member, Stephen Leacock, helped start the CAA 99 years ago.

Writers, have you checked out StoryBundle? At reasonable prices you can get bundles of ebooks--ebooks for writers, sci-fi books, nanowrimo-related books... https://storybundle.com/nano

The tragic story of the massacre at El Mozote, El Salvador, continues in a quest for truth and cooperation from the ES government. This event comes up at various times in my trilogy on post-war El Salvador, the first volume which is ready to publish as well as my novel Magnificat: Songs of Justice, to be published in the fall of next year.

So great that things are finally moving to gain justice for those who perished in this tragic event. Thank you, Cristosal, for providing legal support to the effort.