Month: August 2008

Call for submissions!

I got this email from Wena Poon so you guys, if you have the time or want to write it, go contact her with your submission! Copy pasting the email now!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
August 2008
San Francisco, California

ELECTRIC MIRROR SHOW
Singaporeans Write About American Movies

Edited and published by Wena Poon

A book of writing by Singaporeans (famous and not-so-famous) about their experience of American cinema.

As our nation grows of age, we look back at how American imported entertainment has shaped our consciousness throughout the years.

There will be at least 20 pieces in the book, each entitled the name of the film it is about, such as “Star Wars”, “Taxi Driver”, “The Dark Knight”, “Casablanca” and so on.

Although the format is fluid, for consistency the theme has to be American films (any era).

Contributors will be asked to write about the film that changed their life, or a film that is of special significance to them, or to remember the first movie they have ever watched as a child.

The pieces should be personal, fun, casual, sincere, nostalgic, and if possible humorous. Hardcore film criticism is not what is intended. The pieces can be essays, poems, or fiction, of various lengths: micro-length (just a snapshot, or 50 words, etc.) or traditional length (1000-2000 words). No haikus please (too short). Feel free to experiment with form as long as substance is good and keeps to theme!

No photos or artwork, sorry (too expensive to publish). However, if someone wants to submit an original cover design and be credited for it, please email me and I will specify the JPEG to submit it in.

Student writing encouraged, as are submissions from seasoned Singapore writers.

I would also like to get some quotes from Singaporean celebrities or politicians as to what is their favorite film, to throw in. If you know them, please say so and please ask them and get this short piece of information (you will be credited accordingly). All they need to tell you is the name of the film. They do not need to elaborate.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Please email your completed piece of writing to:

Wena Poon
wenapoon@yahoo.com

Include your full name. For copyright reasons, all submissions must be never-before-published. You keep the copyright to your own work.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

November 1, 2008.

THE FINER DETAILS

The published book is a high quality trade paperback, printed using BookSurge’s print on demand technology. It will be available on Amazon.com. As I am funding the publication out of my own pocket, contributors will be paid by getting 1 free copy of the book (which I pay for myself as a gift to you); no cash compensation will be provided now or thereafter.

Have fun!

Please email this on to your friends. Email me (note: Email Wena. Not me, Sarah here, since this is copy and paste) with any questions.

Storytelling Seminars at the Arts House!

storytelling

You got to click the thumbnail cause it’s pretty big. In any case you get discounts if you register before 31st July or in group registrations of 3… A bit late I think since I just got the email today so I guess you can only get the discount if you have at least two pals to go along with you or something.

Amusingly I checked out The Arts House website for August and they have a short storytelling competition too (it’s Singapore International Storytelling month by the way)!

How to Make a Baby in One Minute. Closing date is 25th August. It’s actually kinda funny if you do try out for it! Rules are you have to make a video telling about um, how to make a baby in one minute. They say there are attractive prizes too… I have no idea what they are though since it’s not stated but whatever. OH YES, IT HAS TO BE PG.

Which makes it all the more interesting. LA LA LA!!

Wena Poon talk at Republic Poly

Sooooo, Wena Poon was there and since I was pretty much there, I figured I’d go listen to her talk.

Wena Poon 1

It was an exclusive to RP talk anywho which was pretty cool since she had the time to come here. In any case, besides promoting her book Lions In Winter (her blog is at: http://lionsinwinterbook.blogspot.com/ ), she talked about reading and local writing in general.

Some tips she had that, when you publish a book it does not stop there. If your publisher sends you to the radio station to do an interview, you do it. If your publisher sends you to the tv station to talk on a morning show, just do it. In any case, you need all the publicity you need so just ACCEPT it.

Wena Poon 2

And even more interestingly, she talked about local books here and oh man were the sentiments similar to mine. Apparently Wena knows also that the majority of people here think it’s crap. HOWEVER, she brings up a good point that when you see our local books it’s by a limited number of people and genres.

As compared to in the US, there are more people and hence more variety of books. The main point is, not everyone likes Harry Potter (oh gasp!) but there’s STILL a number of people who like it.

In summary since the above was in “Sarah-speak”, there’s too little books in the Singapore section of different types that most people get turned off by it since it’s not in THEIR favourite genre.

And aww come on admit it people, drama, drama, ghost stories, detective? There’s a lack of fantasy and sci-fi and okay there’s bunches of romance too but it’s still not enough.

In her words, if you don’t like what you see in the shelves, why don’t you write one?

So… really, I think that’s the most sensible advice ever (besides the go everywhere your publisher asks you to bit).

Heck that! Just write a book and then publish it then maybe we’ll have more variety and then people will just start to drift more to the Singapore section of the bookstores and stuff!

So go forth and do it!

There are people here who WILL help you get your book published if it’s good enough.