“December has the clarity, the simplicity, and the silence you need.
for the best fresh start of your life.”
~Vivian White~
December 2023
Happy Holidays to our Women Who Write~
Winter has arrived. The branches are now emptied of leaves. Darkness arrives way too early. The winds bluster. Leaving the house is no longer a simple affair. We bundle ourselves in layers and drive in traffic, heavy with shoppers. We endure the crowded malls. How many more times will we hear Mariah Carey sing “All I want for Christmas is you”?
We are dormant during the sometimes-unfriendly season of Winter. But there are also joys. Spot a Cardinal in scarlet regalia on a leafless branch. Browse the bookstore for the perfect read, wrap yourself in a blanket by a crackling fire, and wrap gifts for persons you love. Imbibe in the confections of the season (this writer’s favorite is chocolate peppermint M&M’s). Subdue the darkness with light and warmth and sensory pleasures.
This month’s prompt invites you to write an ode to winter. Scroll down for details . . .
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Women Who Write works because women choose to lead.
The joy of leadership is collaboration. When we see our planned programs in action. When we welcome new members. When a successful fundraiser enables us to offer our members excellent programming at low (or no) cost. When we expand our reach into the community. When we resolve challenges together, reaching a consensus after an open discussion.
Your leadership team— Kim, Megan, Alisa, Ashley, Janet, Irene, and Katie— is changing. We must fill three positions—Director, Secretary, and Membership Coordinator as well as an at-large member. Kim and Alisa have completed two two-year terms. Once our new leadership team has formed, members will determine which offices each new person will fill.
We are proud of all the women who have stepped up to lead this writing community founded in 1992 by Carrider “Rita” Jones. Rita imagined a “go-to” place for women writers. A Place. A Space. A Voice. We hope you will consider helping to maintain this special organization!
Consider nominating yourself or another woman here. If you have any questions, please contact Kim at
CELEBRATE!
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
Our holiday party is on Tuesday, December 12 will be at The Bristol Bar and Grill at 1321 Bardstown Road across from Mid-City Mall. We’ll gather at 6:30 PM. Each of us will order from the menu. The private party room is upstairs, but there is an elevator available upon request (let us know if you’ll need the lift). To ensure your seat, please register here.
Party registrants, please bring a book you want to share with this group of devout readers. Try to wrap your book in a way that will attract attention. And be prepared to tell your fellow writers why you want to share this book.
We look forward to sharing this holiday season with women who share a passion for the written word!
Photo taken by member, Kimberly Crum
DATES FOR UPCOMING MEETINGS
We meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 in a Louisville public library.
Persons interested in membership are welcome to attend two meetings before paying the $50 annual membership fee.
Our first member meeting in 2024 will be on Tuesday, January 9th beginning at 6:30 PM, at the Highland Shelby LFPL branch at 1250 Bardstown Road in Mid-City Mall. We’ll begin with a conversation about the writing process. We will share resources and enjoy peer commentary about our writings in progress.
Persons interested in receiving peer critiques on January 9, please bring 8 printed copies of the manuscript you want us to read. No more than 1300 words (4 to 4.5 pages double-spaced) for prose or two pages of poems. If the prose piece you’d like for a critique is longer than 1300 words, please bring an excerpt. Advise of your plan to share your writing by noon on Tuesday, January 9. Email
Our Tuesday, February 13 member meeting will begin at 6:30 PM at the Highland-Shelby library at Mid-City Mall.
We are planning programs for March. In April, we’ll celebrate Poetry Month! Stay tuned for details . . .
Photo by Josh Mills on Unsplash
THE WRITING PROMPT
An Ode to Winter
The writing prompt—
Winter is a reflective time for many of us. We are somewhere between giving thanks and Auld Lang Syne. Music, décor, smells, and baked goods remind us of past holidays. Some of us try to capture the passing of another year in a letter to friends. We spend more time looking back than forward.
Of course, reflection is what writers do year-round. Scenes, dialogue, and images inspire ideas for stories and poems. We witness. We wonder. We write.
Process—First, take some time to notice the world, Pay attention to your senses. Before you begin your prose or poetry, make a list of images and words to describe. Be as specific as possible.
Prose— Tell a story of a day you or your fictional character remembers. Alternatively, you can write three to five short Winter scenes to form a collage.
Here is a story you can read for inspiration—
“The Snow,” by Beatrice Lazarus
Poetry—Write a poem to praise (or critique) the season. You might choose to write a nature poem!
Here are three Winter poems for inspiration—
“Snow Day,” by Billy Collins
“A Winter’s Tale,” by Dylan Thomas (note the short first lines of each stanza).
“White Eyes,” by Mary Oliver
As always, let your writing take you where it wants to go.
WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR WRITING LIFE
Grants are open for women wanting to apply for a solo residency at the Loretto Motherhouse farm, compliments of the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Complete the application here! Janet and Kim are pleased to share their experiences with you!
Check out these submission opportunities (posted by Babes Who Write)—
Members, prepare a poem, story, or essay for the Women Who Write website blog. No more than 2,000 words, please. Publishing on our blog will expand your writing platform. And you’ll help WWW show off the variety of talents within our writing community! Browse our web blog now! For more information, email and tell pitch your story or poem—the one you’ve written or the one you want to write! We will provide suggested edits, for flow and clarity.
Submit a story to Landslide Lit(erary) on Medium.com, a publication edited by two WWW members—Kimberly Crum and Bonnie Omer Johnson. We will provide editorial suggestions. Here are the submission guidelines. Currently, we are looking for car and story poems.
Duotrope is a fabulous resource for writers who want to publish in literary journals and anthologies and enter contests. You will receive a listing of submission opportunities in your inbox, specifically for your genre. Learn more here. Cost is $5 per month or $50 per year.
ECOTONE is an award-winning literary magazine “dedicated to reimagining place, “welcoming work from a wide range of voices. Open Submissions
Folly is an international journal of poetry, prose, and art (published in New Zealand). Submissions are year-round. “We are drawn to dark humor, satirical takes on the social scene, and starkly honest accounts of ordinary life. Diversity is celebrated, adversity is welcomed, and, above all, personal expression is championed. Open Submissions
Green House wants poetry, short stories, creative essays, and flash fiction for bi-monthly digital issues. The website is worth a visit! Clever, unique, and informative!
Green House: Open Submissions
Sad Girls Club: Open Submissions —”We want to see writing that explores what it means to be human. Make us laugh until our stomachs hurt, ugly cry, and everything in between. We accept poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and creative nonfiction.”
HerStry literary essay/memoir blog seeks to empower women through their writing. Submissions for general admissions are ongoing. Submissions for monthly themed issues are by the end of each month. Find out more here! My Body/Myself (due 01/01), and Second Chances (due 02/02).
Poets and Writers has an extensive list of literary magazines to which you can submit. Learn more here.
N+1 literary journal accepts new fiction, drama, personal essays, criticism, and translation on a rolling basis. Find out more ">here.
Gionsko Literary Journal. Gionsko means, “to perceive, understand, realize, come to know; knowledge that has an inception, a progress, an attainment. The recognition of truth from experience.” Accepting short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, social justice, and literary insights. Learn more here.
Sky Island Journal is an online journal that publishes emerging and established writers. Prefers flash fiction and creative nonfiction (less than 1,000 words) and poetry. Rolling submissions. Inquire here.
Halfway Down the Stairs publishes quarterly themed issues of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and book reviews. Learn more here
Consider writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul. Some upcoming themes— The Power of Positive Thinking, Angels, Dogs, Cats, and Make Me Laugh! Learn more here
Consider submitting to this online magazine of personal essays—Dorothy Parker’s Ashes has as its tagline, “Brazen words by witty dames. Everything true. More or less.” https://www.dorothyparkersashes.com/the-writing-life
Thimble Literary is “based on the belief that poetry is like armor. Like a thimble, it may be small and seemingly insignificant, but it will protect us when we are most vulnerable.” The online journal publishes quarterly. Find out more here!
The Fictional Café is a unique literary venue inviting fiction and poetry. This international platform does require membership (looks like it’s free) to submit. They describe themselves as a Coffee Club, and their editors and staff as baristas. Here is their invitation— “Want to submit a short story or poetry? A chapter from a novel-in-progress?”
https://www.fictionalcafe.com/coffee-club/
The Blue Mountain Review publishes poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, on a rolling basis, for publication in this quarterly print journal. “Blue Mountain Review is a Southern publication, but it draws no boundaries or borders on that interpretation. It seeks pieces that boldly create something new.”
The Keeping Room is an online magazine for women writers, poets, and artists, interested in “Women’s Wisdom, Lessons Learned, Self-care, Bodies, Relationships, and Community.” Find out how to submit here.
SUPPORT OUR WRITING COMMUNITY!
Become a member (or re-member)—As a community, WWW strives to nurture your writing life. We hope you choose to join or renew as a member and participate in our monthly meetings, author talks, retreats, and workshops. Our membership chair will notify persons when they are due to renew. Regular annual membership is $50. Student annual membership is $25. Scholarships are available. Membership entitles you to discounts on workshops and retreats.
Attend our monthly member meetings on the second Tuesday of each month for a brief program, peer critiques, and conversations about the writing life. Not currently a member? You can attend two meetings before deciding to join.
Visit our web page WomenWhoWrite.com. Also, visit our Facebook Page and stay awhile—@womenwhowriteky. Don’t forget to like us and follow us.
Thank you, WWW members, for joining our nonprofit group, for sharing your unique voices, and for supporting each other with open hearts and minds.
Love your writing life!
The Leadership Team
Kim, Alisa, Megan, Janet, Irene, Ashley, and Katie
