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2007 MWW Writers' Retreat Fellows

• Diane Gardner, Jamestown IN

• Steve Hall, Indianapolis, IN

• Bryn Marlow, Muncie IN

• Shawndra Miller, Indianapolis IN

• Mary Ann Moore, Mishawaka, IN

• John W. Morgan, Bloomington, IN

• Cathy Shouse, Fairmount, IN

• Brenda Sprayue, Wabash, IN

• C.D. White, Eureka Springs, AR

This is the third year that MWW has offered the writers' retreat and each year we have received more entries. For this year's competition we read entries from more than 75 writers. Two thirds of these were fiction. Thus, the field was extremely competitive -- we could only choose six fiction entries and three nonfiction entries.

In the fiction category we considered plot and character development, pacing, voice, theme, style, language usage, etc. Of lesser importance were mechanics--spelling, grammar, style consistency, punctuation. We read everything from gothic romances to fantasy to family sagas to mysteries. We didn't rule out any genre or topic. Overall, we tried to select those manuscripts that, from the sample, seemed to show the best potential for publication.

As to the non-fiction entries, the topic was not a consideration. Rather the questions were (1) did the writer "grab" the reader's attention? (2) did the writing flow? (3) did the writing appear to have a clear purpose? (4) did word choice seem to be artistically and carefully chosen? (5) if dialogue were included, did it seem real and authoritative? (6) were adjectives and adverbs discretely handled and appropriate? (7) did the writer seem to be making an effort to communicate with the reader rather than merely "writing"?, and, finally, (8) a frankly subjective criterion, did the writing hold promise of even better things to come? Trying to think as an editor would think, would I likely be interested in publishing this manuscript?