Write On Online / The Write Environment Query Contest Winners

Congratulations to the Winners of the Write On! Online/The Write Environment Query Contest. Thanks to everyone who entered! We had so many good submissions. Write On! Online and The Write Environment were pleased to join forces for this contest, designed to help writers jump-start their careers. Queries were judged on strength of idea, execution, and format.

The First Place Winners are:
Screenplay: Mark Golik, The Color of the Puck
Teleplay: Pj Perez, Being
Fiction: Colleen Keane, Dreamwalker
Non-Fiction: David King, The Beautiful Food Garden

And the Grand Prize Winner—who will receive a copy of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat software—is: Mark Golik!

Mark and Pj will have their queries read by David Boxerbaum, a senior literary agent at APA. Colleen and David’s queries will be sent to Laura Strachan, Strachan Literary Agency. All First-Place Winners will receive an iScript recording of their project.

Second Place
Screenplay: Theresa Carey & Bruce Brochtrup, The Donner Party
Teleplay: Kathi Funston, Couch Cases
Fiction: Ann Wilmer-Lasky, The Seasons of Sam Rock
Non-Fiction: Jennifer Waak, How to Make your Teens WANT to do Their Homework

Second Place Prizes:
- Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire, by Simon Beaufoy, courtesy of The Writers Store
- Teleplay: Sliders script, autographed by writer Jon Povill
- Fiction: From Crime to Crime, autographed by author Dennis Palumbo, courtesy of The Writers Store
- Non Fiction: Heliloggoging in a Sucker Hole, autographed by chopper pilot Bart Colantuono

Third Place
Screenplay: Sandy Ross, Jericho Rose
Teleplay: Roberta Annicks, Klown Town
Fiction: Jennifer Philpott, Ruth
Non-Fiction: Liz Tunnell, 101 Ways to Meet a Man

Third Place Prizes, courtesy of Barnes & Noble:
- Screenplay: Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
- Teleplay: Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television by Richard Walter
- Fiction: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass
- Non-Fiction: Thinking like Your Editor by Alfred Fortunato and Susan Rabiner

Remember: Everyone who entered is a winner! They now have a query—at least one—they can start sending out!

To your success,
Debra Eckerling, Write On! Online
Jeffrey Berman, The Write Environment

The Write Environment / Write On! Online Query Contest

The first step in getting your project noticed is to have a dazzling and informative query.

Enter the The Write Environment/Write On! Online Query Contest by June 22. The winner in each category – Screenplay, Teleplay, Fiction, and Non-Fiction - will have their query read by a literary agent, among other prizes.

A query is the letter sent to an editor, literary agent, or publisher a writer uses to promote a project - and him or herself.

"What elements must all query letters have?"
• Great opening hook
• Supplemental information about your book or article (word count, people you interviewed for the article, genre your book [or screenplay] falls into, etc.)
• Information about you - aka your "platform"
• A request to send your manuscript or proposal - or for representation in the case of an agent.
• How to contact you

First Prize
- David Boxerbaum, a senior literary agent working at APA, where he represents writers and directors in the feature and TV world, will read the winners in the screenplay and teleplay categories
- Laura Strachan, who has a boutique literary agency, specializing in literary fiction and narrative non-fiction, will read the fiction and non-fiction queries
- The winning queries will also win an iScript recording of their project. Screenplay or Teleplay up to 110 pages ($275 value); prose or non-fiction up to 20,000 words ($300 value)
- One Grand Prize winner will take home a copy of Save the Cat Software

Second Prize
- Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire, by Simon Beaufoy, courtesy of The Writers Store
- Teleplay: Sliders script, autographed by writer Jon Povill
- Fiction: From Crime to Crime, autographed by author Dennis Palumbo, courtesy of The Writers Store
- Non Fiction: Heliloggoging in a Sucker Hole, autographed by Bart Colantuono, a chopper pilot who can currently be seen on this season of Ax Men on The History Channel

Third Prize, courtesy of Barnes & Noble
- Screenplay: Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
- Teleplay: Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television by Richard Walter
- Fiction: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass
- Non-Fiction: Thinking like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published by Alfred Fortunato and Susan Rabiner

Submission Guidelines
- Email your query to writeononline@yahoo.com by June 22
- Queries should be 1 page
- No attachments, paste text in the body of the email
- Include name, email address, address, phone number, and category at the top of your submission
- There is no charge to enter this contest
- By submitting, you are agreeing to join the Write On! and The Write Environment email lists

Winners will be announced on July 7 in the Write On! July Newsletter and on www.writeononline.com and www.thewriteenvironment.com.

The Write Environment and Write On! Online are pleased to join forces for this contest, designed to help writers jump-start their careers. Sponsors include The Writers Store, iScript, Blake Snyder and Save the Cat, and more. For tips on writing a good query letter, read the Write On! Online Author Q&A with The Query Queen Wendy Burt-Thomas.Submit your query today!

To your success,

Jeffrey Berman, The Write Environment

Debra Eckerling, Write On! Online

The Write Environment/Write On! Online Contest Launching Soon!

Watch this space for information on how you can enter The Write Environment's first crossover contest with Write On! Online. Lots of great prizes in several catagories, including autographed books, scripts and posters.

Win a free copy of The Write Environment: Featuring an Interview with Tim Kring

Win a free copy of The Write Environment: Featuring an Interview with Tim Kring, creator of Heroes, by completing the May Extra Credit writing assignment at Write On! Online.

In order to be eligible to win all you have to do is go out People-Watching and then write up to 200 words what you think their life is really like. It's that simple. You can either eavesdrop on a conversation, draw your own conclusions, and write it up OR observe a stranger or someone you see every day—mail carrier, bank teller or even a person at the grocery. Then post the assignment on the Write On! Yahoo or Facebook group Message Board by May 8. One entry will be selected to receive a copy of the Tim Kring Interview DVD.

The Write Environment is pleased to be a new sponsor of Write On! Online, a Writers Support Group, focusing on goal-setting, troubleshooting, and networking with light critique.

Write On! is led by Debra Eckerling, who has been a professional writer for more than 10 years. She has an expertise in corporate communications, as well as feature articles. Debra’s experience writing and editing copy for small and large companies include her specialties: newsletters, corporate profiles, and web content. She has also freelanced for local, national, and trade publications, as well as online, with a focus in the areas of entertainment, lifestyle, and business. Venues include Script magazine, StoryLink, iMedia Connection, and The Jewish Journal.

To learn more about the May Extra Credit Assignment check out Write On! Online write now.

Good luck.