Best Art Smock

At our August meeting, we met at Parkview Nursing Center where member, Laurie Lunsford works as Interactive Arts Specialist.

Member Jude Urbanski won the prize for having the best art smock. She said it was done by resident Jerry Malone.

Thanks, Jude!

NLAPW Muncie Branch September 2012

Hello Ladies!

Check out our flyer for the September, 2012 Branch Meeting at Barb's house! I hope you can all attend as I think it will be wonderful to get together again and I know that Judy will give us an inspiring and informative presentation about our own local branch history.

Please be sure to RSVP if you can come or not so Barb can get an accurate count for her preparations. The information is on the flyer about how to RSVP.

I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!

Writing Contests!!

Attention Women of the Pen ~ Writers!

Here are three writing contests that will close next month (SEPTEMBER). I hope to encourage you to enter one or more of them!

The University of Wisconsin Press offers the Brittingham Prize in Poetry annually for the best book-length collection of original poetry. The winner receives publication, $1,000, and an honorarium of $1,500 to cover expenses of a reading in Madison. Deadline: September 30.

L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest is offered quarterly for new and amateur writers of science fiction or fantasy short stories and novelettes. Winners receive quarterly first ($1,000), second ($750), and third ($500) place prizes, with an annual grand prize of $5,000. The next deadline: September 30.

The Iowa Short Fiction Award is offered annually by the University of Iowa Press for a first book-length collection of fiction (short stories). Winners receive publication by the University of Iowa Press with a standard publishing contract. Deadline: September 30 (postmarked).

Which or That? Which is Which?

Here's an article I thought you might find interesting. 

The original can be found on the Writer's Digest.

Q: I’ve been writing for a long time and always assumed which and thatwere interchangeable, but I’ve recently been told that isn’t the case. How do I make sure I’m using the right word? —Anonymous

The battle over whether to use which or that is one many people struggle to get right. It’s a popular grammar question and most folks want a quick rule of thumb so they can get it right.

Here it is:

If the sentence doesn’t need the clause that the word in question is connecting, use which. If it does, use that. (Pretty easy to remember, isn’t it?) Let me explain with a couple of examples.

Our office, which has two lunchrooms, is located in Cincinnati.
Our office that has two lunchrooms is located in Cincinnati.

These sentences are not the same. The first sentence tells us that you have just one office, and it’s located in Cincinnati. The clause which has two lunchrooms gives us additional information, but it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence. Remove the clause and the location of our one office would still be clear: Our office is located in Cincinnati.

The second sentence suggests that we have multiple offices, but the office with two lunchrooms is located in Cincinnati. The phrase that has two lunchrooms is known as a restrictive clause because another part of the sentence (our office) depends on it. You can’t remove that clause without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Let’s look at another example:

The time machine, which looked like a telephone booth, concerned Bill and Ted.
The time machine that looked like a telephone booth concerned Bill and Ted.

In the first sentence (thanks to the use of which), the time machine concerned Bill and Ted. It also happened to look like a telephone booth. In the second sentence (which uses the restrictive clause), Bill and Ted are concerned with the time machine that looks like a telephone booth. They aren’t concerned with the one that looks like a garden shed or the one that looks like a DeLorean (Marty McFly may have reservations about that one).

Now that you’ve learned the rule, let’s put it to a test:

1. The iPad (which/that) connects to the iCloud was created by Apple.
2. The issue of Writer’s Digest (which/that) has Brian A. Klems’ picture on the cover is my favorite.

The correct answers are:

1. The iPad, which connects to the iCloud, was created by Apple. (All iPads connect to the iCloud, so it’s unnecessary information.)

2. The issue of Writer’s Digest that has Brian A. Klems picture on the cover is my favorite. (Your favorite issue of Writer’s Digest isn’t just any issue, it’s the one with me on the cover.)

OK, so I’ve never been on the cover of Writer’s Digest, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s necessary for you to understand the context of your clauses, a key covered in most grammar books. If the information is essential, use that. If it’s just additional information that’s useful but unnecessary, use which.

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Read my parent humor blog: The Life Of Dad

Brushstrokes at Parkview

NLAPW 

Muncie, IN Branch

August 17th at 2:00 PM

at Parkview Nursing Center

2200 White River Blvd.

Let’s come together as artists, musicians, and writers to a place that is overflowing with creativity.   Laurie Lunsford, Interactive Arts Specialist, will lead an interactive arts activity.  We will also have opportunities to see art on display  and artists working.

Wear a messy smock .  

There will be prizes for the messiest!

RSVP to Judy by 8/14/12

765-288-2189

Meet Judy Urban-Martin, author!

Meet Judy Urban-Martin, author!

Muncie Branch President is a successful author of Christian romance books. In this post, I interviewed her to learn more about her work and about Judy the author. Links in this post will direct you to her website and places where you can find her books. Enjoy!

Jude Urbanski

River: What genre do you write? (Historical, contemporary, romance, etc.)

Judy: Aside from the frequent non-fiction writing I do, I define my genre as women’s fiction with inspirational romance elements. My publisher calls my two current, electronic novels, The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing, modern historical, which gives me a laugh, because they are set in the late seventies and earlier eighties and to me, that is hardly historical! But, in general, my stories involve a hero and/or heroine spinning tragedy into triumph.

2.     River:  How does your faith affect your daily life?

Judy: My faith colors every aspect of my daily life, for faith in God is my life. My faith creates the woman I am, not a perfect product, just a forgiven one, by God’s mercy. I want to be on an enthusiastic adventure with Him, through Him.

3.       River: Does spirituality have a role in your story?

Judy: Several years ago when I decided to write seriously, I remember thinking and praying about the genre I’d write. At that time, I made a deliberate decision to write for the Christian market. Oh, I may do an occasional non-fiction article dealing with current issues, but my novels, and even my non-fiction, definitely fall into the Christian category and that is a deliberate choice. I’ve had a few eyes roll when I say Christian romance or Christian women’s fiction, but I just smile.

Hence, there is always a faith element of spirituality in my stories. Once, when I was in a ‘funk’ that my Christian writing wasn’t getting me anywhere, I omitted that faith element. The agent I was pitching looked at me and asked, “Where’s the faith element?” I felt very sheepish and have never forgotten her question. And never left it out again.

4.       River: My challenges in writing?

Judy: To me, simply to be or want to be a writer, is a challenge and then, when I think one million books are published a year and who am I to think I can be published, it feels like a greater challenge to even contemplate writing. But since my purpose in writing is to use the gifts God has given me and to glorify Him, whether I’m ever published or not, I press on. And I enjoy.

5.      River:  Do you portray evil in your novels?

Judy: I do believe evil is alive and well in our world and shall always be, because we live in a broken world, not a perfect world. Without Christ, we humans are also broken and prone to evil. In my stories, evil is portrayed more by self-centeredness, destructive habits or simply separation from God in spirit.

6.      River: What is your take on book signings?

Judy: I’ve had book signings all the way from one person coming to selling quite a few books! I won’t forget, though, the signing where a man brought me a 108 year old postcard (in pristine condition too) that had been mailed to the town of my book’s setting and addressed to the last name of my heroine. I cherish that postcard and book signing memory.

7.      River:  Any particular person influence you in your writing?

Judy: I don’t think I can name one person, who has made a remarkable difference in my writing, but I know the inspirator for my writing and that was my mother. How she ever became a wordsmith woman with six kids to attend and the depression to battle, I’ll never know, but she did. I have five of her yellowed manuscripts of sweet, nostalgic love stories. Desert Breeze, in fact, offers one of them, My Little Cabin, as a free download with purchase of my first book, Joy Restored. Her example (and maybe her gift) has birthed several writers in our family. Amazing to me.

Thanks, River, for the invite to the blog.  My books can be found at the following links or at any major on line book store.

Nurtured in Purple

And On Amazon.com!

Cool Art Exhibit

Laurie Lunsford has directed / produced a unique and very meaningful art exhibit that is now showing at the Maring Hunt Library. She has done a marvelous job of personalizing this display as well. I hope you can get out there to support our fellow Pen Woman and to enjoy the blessings of these every-day artists! 

 Photo Credit: Laurie's blog

Below is laurie's announcement: 

Maring Hunt Library is featuring art from Parkview Nursing Center through the end of July. Paintings line the walls. Residents have opportunities to paint almost every day at Parkview. It provides an outlet for emotions and expression of memories. Go, and take a look. You will know each person through each painting.