Congratulations to DDN/AWW short story contest winners!

These are the winning entries in the 15th annual Dayton Daily News/Antioch Writers’ Workshop Short Story Contest. The Antioch Writers’ Workshop (AWW) is providing prizes for the contest’s top writers. Congratulations to all, and thanks to all of the writers from across the Miami Valley who entered the contest this year. Read the Best in Show/First Place stories in the Dayton Daily News Sunday May 29 through Wednesday June 1 as well as on the DDN website; ALL winning stories are on the Antioch Writers' Workshop website.


Best in Show: “Mirabella and Her Admirers: the Adorable, the Hopeless and the Murderous” by Rosie Kingston, 14, of Dayton. The prize is a full scholarship to attend this year’s Antioch Writers’ Workshop/Young Writers’ Seminar, July 9-15.

First Place, Youth: “Bleached Stars” by Hannah Adkins, 12, of Germantown. The prize is a $25 gift certificate to Books & Co.

Second Place, Youth: “The Marvel” by Patrick Cook, 10, of Xenia

Third Place, Youth: “The Deadly Rumor” by Tessa Tyo, 10, of Greenville

Honorable Mention, Youth: “Saving Penny” by Sydney Hardern, 9, of Dayton

First Place, Teen: “A Wish Granted” by Nicole Barhorst, 17, of Dayton. The prize is a $125 scholarship for the Writers’ Workshop Saturday Seminar.

Second Place, Teen: “Barcelona Waits for You” by Emily Williams, 15, of Vandalia

Third Place, Teen: “Luna and the Stars” by Jordan Martin, 13, of Dayton

First Place, Adult: “Record Fall” by Kai Cooley of Yellow Springs. The prize is a $125 scholarship for the Writers’ Workshop Saturday Seminar.

Second Place, Adult: “Stealing Suzie” by Brandon Hall of Dayton

Third Place, Adult: “Crystal Love” by Sandy Kachurek of Springfield

About the 26th Annual Antioch Writers’ Workshop

Writers of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and memoirs at any level can receive inspiration, instruction and make professional connections through this annual event July 9-15. The registration deadline for the Full Week Workshop is June 9; A LA CARTE REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS EXTENDED TO JULY 2. For information, visit http://www.antiochwritersworkshop.com/ or email info@antiochwritersworkshop.com.

Where to Stay in Yellow Springs

Want to go to the 2011 Antioch Writers' Workshop, but don't know where you'd stay? Yellow Springs and the surrounding communities offer several inspiring options for visiting writers (or local writers who just want an escape, for that matter). Visit our lodging page for a detailed list of nearby places to hang your hat. You can also check out the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce website,www.yellowspringsohio.org,  or www.stayyellowsprings.com. Thinking about carpooling or sharing a room? Network with others attending this summer's Antioch Writers' Workshop on our Facebook discussions page.

Discounted Registration for Ohio College Students and Faculty!

The Antioch Writers' Workshop is an opportunity for beginning, intermediate, and advanced writers to become engaged with a new network of writers and a new level of their own creativity. At the Antioch Writers' Workshop, we understand the financial burden of being a college student, which is why we are happy to share this discounted opportunity for Ohio college students and faculty to take part in the 2011 Antioch Writers' Workshop.

For the traditional full-week experience--including an entire week of seminars, workshops, and complimentary breakfasts--Ohio college students and faculty receive a discount of up to $160. The cost of full-week registration includes the following:

· $125 non-refundable registration fee
· $450 for Ohio college students and faculty

That's $100 less than local rate and $160 less than the fee for participants outside of the local area!

Credit for attending the full-week workshop as part of Antioch University Midwest's COM 470/670 summer course may also be transferable to your institution (see flyer). Ohio college students and faculty may also elect to participate in only the Saturday seminar ($124), or the morning only or afternoon only options ($325).

For more information on the Full-Week and A La Carte experiences, including detailed schedules and faculty profiles, please visit  http://www.antiochwritersworkshop.com.

Open Spots for Summer Workshop Still Available, but Going Fast

Registration for the 2011 Antioch Writers' Workshop (July 9-15) is under way, and available spots are disappearing fast. To make sure there's room for you, register now!  Full-Week Experience Registration A La Carte Registration Full-Week and A La Carte options are still available. To see what you get for registering and a detailed schedule of programs and faculty, check out our programs page. For a complete listing of tuition and deposit rates, visit our registration page.   Please Note: Young Writers (ages 15-18) should follow a separate process for registering.

Writing Tips from 2011 AWW Faculty -- Rachel Coyne

As part of our blog series, Antioch Writers' Workshop 2011 Faculty share their tips for writing. You can read complete bios of AWW 2011 Faculty at antiochwritersworkshop.com. Check back regularly for more helpful writing tips.


Those registered for the full-week experience of the 2011 Antioch Writers' Workshop have the unique opportunity to participate in pitch sessions with visiting literary agents as well as attend talks in the Professional Connections Series. Suzie Townsend, who originally planned to join us at this summer's workshop, has had a conflict arise and can't be with us. However, we're pleased to announce Rachel Coyne as one of the TWO fantastic agents who will be joining the 2011 AWW Faculty.

Twelve year publishing industry veteran Rachel Coyne from FinePrint Literary Management will also be part of the 2011 AWW faculty. Rachel has represented fourNew York Times bestselling authors, and is on the lookout for the fifth. She represents young adult novels of all stripes (historical, fantasy, romance, contemporary, literary, humorous), as well as middle grade novels, especially with a humorous voice. She's also looking for adult historical, fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction.  Writing Tips:  1. Opening pages are important. Make sure your story begins in an exciting place. I often read openings where the character wakes up in the morning, gets ready for school or work, eats breakfast... And there's nothing compelling happening yet. When readers browse in a bookstore, if the first page doesn't grab them, they'll put the book back on the shelf. If you open on an exciting moment, you'll grab readers and get them emotionally invested in your character to keep them reading to find out what will happen next. Remember, if your characters are feeling bored or calm, your readers will start to snooze. If your characters are feeling strong emotions like fear or anger or longing, your readers will feel that with them, and they'll feel compelled to keep reading. 2. Before you submit, proofread your work carefully. Read your dialogue out loud to make sure it sounds natural, and ask a friend to read through it and catch anything you might have missed. Ask your reader to note any places where they felt confused. Sometimes authors know things about the story, such as a character's motivation, but they don't convey it clearly in their manuscript. Your reader will have more objectivity, and can let you know whether or not everything you want to convey in your story is coming across clearly to readers. 3. When it's time to submit, check each agency's website and read their submission guidelines. You can and should submit multiple queries at a time, but submit to only one agent at a time within an agency. (We often refer authors to each other, and it can cause confusion if two agents request the same manuscript within the same agency.) Be sure to follow the individual agent's guidelines, because some agents want just a query letter while others also want a synopsis and/or first pages. Also, some agents only accept email queries, so you could be wasting your time and paper if you submit by regular mail. Other times, agents aren't currently looking for clients and note this on their website. Also, make sure the agent handles the type of work you write.

Writing Tips from 2011 AWW Faculty -- Roseanne Wells

As part of our blog series, Antioch Writers' Workshop 2011 Faculty share their tips for writing. You can read complete bios of AWW 2011 Faculty at antiochwritersworkshop.com. Check back regularly for more helpful writing tips. Those registered for the full-week experience of the 2011 Antioch Writers' Workshop have the unique opportunity to participate in pitch sessions with visiting literary agents as well as attend talks in the Professional Connections Series. Suzie Townsend, who originally planned to join us at this summer's workshop, has had a conflict arise and can't be with us. However, we're pleased to announce Rosanne Wells as one of the TWO fantastic agents who will be joining the 2011 AWW Faculty. Roseanne Wells of Marianne Strong Literary Agency and arts reviewer for PlayShakespeare.com is one of two new visiting literary agents for the 2011 Antioch Writers' Workshop. Roseanne is interested in narrative nonfiction, science (popular or trade, not academic), history, true crime, religion, travel, humor, food/cooking, and similar subjects. She is also on the lookout for strong literary fiction, YA, sci-fi, fantasy, and smart detective novels (more Sherlock Holmes than cozy mysteries). Writing Tips: 1. Begin with the story. Don't spend your pages telling backstory (why the main character doesn't like his mother, how he's allergic to mustard, that time that he got to second base with a girl, etc.) It's important to draw your reader in with action and character development in that first sentence, paragraph, and page--plus, feeding the reader the information over the course of the book will give you more opportunities to create dramatic tension and heighten the stakes. 2. World-building is essential, in all types of fiction and even narrative nonfiction. I want to feel like I am there with the character. And creating an atmosphere (how chilly the beach was) can be much more effective than describing the scenic details (the sky was baby blue, and the ocean was azure). 3. Always proofread, and then have someone else proofread. A great manuscript can dilute grammatical errors, but a bad story--or even a perfectly fine one that just doesn't quite stand out--will make those mistakes big red flags.

Young Writers' Workshop Scholarships Still Available

The May 15 deadline for area writers ages 15-18 to apply for the Antioch Writers' Workshop Young Writers program is fast approaching! For the second year in a row, Antioch Writers' Workshop-a nationally recognized creative writing workshop since 1986-offers an opportunity for young writers (those entering 10th-12th grades in fall 2011, or ages 15-18) to attend the workshop held at Antioch University McGregor in Yellow Springs, July 9-15.    Young writers must submit three pages of creative writing and a letter of recommendation from a teacher, librarian, coach or youth program leader, to the workshop by May 15. Selected writers receive an AWW Young Writers' Scholarship in the amount of $375.00, reducing the total cost of attending to $300.00 for a full week of writing classes, a special writing seminar, breakfasts and lunches.    The Young Writers' program includes attendance to the workshop's morning classes with all participants and the Young Writers' Afternoon Seminar led by local and nationally renowned author Katrina Kittle (The Kindness of Strangers).  During the seminar, selected writers will work on individual projects and develop their creative writing craft.    This opportunity is open to students who live in the Ohio counties of Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Clark, Clinton, Fayette, Madison and Warren. "Last year was the first year we introduced this program," says Sharon Short, Director, Antioch Writers' Workshop. "The fourteen students in last year's Young Writers' program developed their creative writing craft, learned from outstanding mentors, and created long-lasting friendships. We really see this as a way to help develop the next generation of creative writers of fiction, poetry and nonfiction, and we're excited to again offer this program." Accepted applicants will be notified shortly after May 15. To apply or for more information about the program, please visit the Young Writers page at www.antiochwritersworkshop.com or email info@antiochwritersworkshop.com.

AWW Alumni / Faculty News -- Kate Geiselman

Kate Geiselman - 2010 Dayton Daily News / Antioch Writers' Workshop Contest Winner

Winner of last year's Dayton Daily News / Antioch Writers' Workshop contest Kate Geiselman has published two essays in The Rumpus, one at Salon.com, and has a forthcoming essay in McSweeney's Internet Tendency. For a complete list of publications and links to her work, visit her website kategeiselman.com. Geiselman credits her recent successes to social media, blogging, and her experience at AWW.

The Antioch Writers' Workshop is proud of the work done by its alumni and faculty. Check our blog regularly for updates on the big things AWW alumni and faculty are doing.