NEWS & EVENTS: WCCW
There is so much happening at White County Creative Writers among our members and our friends. Here’s some information about recent news and scheduled events, as well as other activities of interest.
By the way, if you have a newsy announcement to add to this page, please let us know.
LOOKING AHEAD
July 28, 2025 | Monday. WCCW Meeting. 6:30 p.m.
June 23, 2025 | Monday. WCCW Meeting. 6:30 p.m.
June 14, 2025 | White County Creative Writers Conference
This year’s conference will be held at the White County Extension Service Building. Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. Make plans to attend! Full details here.
May 26, 2025 | Monday. WCCW Meeting. 6:30 p.m.
MAY 2025
DON MONEY IN TWO NEW PUBLICATIONS
May 14, 2025. Don Money has two new stories in print this month. First, his story “Hell’s Marshal” appears in Wyrd Werewolf Wrangler, an anthology of weird western stories.
WCCW MEMBER PUBLISHES NEW BOOK
May 9, 2025. Animal Zoo reflects the ideals and changes that America has experienced since its beginnings. It is similar in that way to George Orwell’s Animal Farm and its critique of the origins of the Soviet Union. It is not stylistically similar but the concept and cover art are intended to draw readers into thinking about the United States.
Some concepts are the subject of heated debate, or more accurately divisiveness, but the book intends to spur discussion more than present the author’s opinions.
Orso Marrone is a pen name for works WCCW member Barry Brown wrote while incarcerated by the US military.
ARKANSAS ANTHOLOGY
May 6, 2025. WCCW Here’s an opportunity for all Arkansas based writers: An Arkansas Anthology: A Collection of Thought-Provoking Writings. Proceeds from the sales of this volume go directly to benefit the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. WCCW isn’t connected to this project, but we wanted to let you know about it. More details here.
TERRY ENGEL IN AMERICAN LITERARY REVIEW
May 3, 2025. WCCW member and Harding professor Terry Engel recently had a story published in American Literary Review. The story, titled Maps, can be read online here.
American Literary Review is a respected national magazine published by the University of North Texas, known for showcasing contemporary poetry, fiction, and nonfiction from both emerging and established voices.
SALAMANDER FICTION CONTEST
May 2, 2025. Now that the deadline for the WCCW contests has passed, here’s another contest to consider: The Salamander 2025 Fiction Prize. The final phase of the contest will be judged by the award-winning novelist Helen Phillips. The contest reading fee of $20 includes a one-year subscription. Deadline is for entries is June 1. For full details click here.
APRIL 2025
WCCW MEETING
April 28, 2025. Great meeting tonight with 25 in attendance. The program was on Creating a Fantastic First: first sentence, first paragraph, first page, first chapter. Great discussion, as always.
POETRY FOR PROGRESS CONTEST
April 25, 2025. Gregory Kistler Treatment Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas is currently hosting the Poetry For Progress contest, inviting poets from all backgrounds to submit original poems related to disabilities and developmental delays.
The purpose of this initiative is to raise funds for our Charitable Care Program, which provides therapy services to adults with developmental delays and disabilities — especially those who are underinsured or have no insurance at all.
The winning poet will receive a $100 prize, their poem displayed at our center, and recognition on our website, newsletter, and social media channels.
Submissions deadline is May 31, 2025. More details here.
WCCW Writers in the Spotlight.
April 21, 2025. Two WCCW Writers have been in the spotlight recently.
Don Money’s story Greater Good is included in Bullet Points Volume Nine. Bullet Points is a quarterly print magazine that publishes speculative military fiction. The theme of this current issue is Artificial Intelligence at War.
Ellen Withers is featured in 501 Magazine’s Author of the Month Spotlight. Ellen is a longtime member of White County Creative Writers. She is the author of nine books. Each years she sponsors a WCCW contest; this year it’s the Show Me Mystery Contest. Congratulations Ellen!
MARCH 2025
WCCW MEETING
March 24, 2025. Great meeting tonight. The room was full, including some first-timers. The program was a Drabble read-around.
TERRY ENGEL WINS PROSE COMPETITION
March 3, 2025. Congratulations to Terry Engel, winner of Wolfson Press’ Prose Competition for his novel, ARTIFACTS — a riveting story about a conflict between two brothers who have taken very different paths in life, starting from the same point as anti-government survivalists in the American west.
Terry’s book will be published later this year.
FEBRUARY 2025
WCCW MEETING
February 24, 2025. We had a great meeting tonight with 28 present. Don Money led a discussion focusing on strategies for writing a Drabble.
JANUARY 2025
WCCW MEETING
January 27, 2025. We had a wonderful meeting with 23 in attendance. We met in our new location at Community Bank in Searcy, 800 E Race. The room is bigger, more comfortable, and better suited to our growing group.
Our program consisted of a discussion of the resources we find most helpful in our journey as writers. We also talked about 5 ways to make this year the best writing year ever.
GEMINGA CONTEST
January 6, 2025. Sunspot Lit’s Geminga contest honors the power of micro poetry, prose, and art. There are no restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less. Submissions may be excerpts from longer works.
Contest deadline is January 31. Entry fee: $5. Prize: $100 cash and publication. See guidelines and entry form here.
WCCW WRITERS FEATURED IN NEW ISSUE
January 3, 2025. The winter issue Saddlebag Dispatches magazine contains two stories by WCCW members.
Anthony Wood has a feature story titled “Will the Real Zorro Please Stand Up?” and Don Money has a short story titled “Gold in Hand, Blood in the War.”
So, pour yourself a steaming cup from the camp pot, settle in by the fire, and experience the very best in Western storytelling with this milestone issue!
BREEZEEL’S NEW BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE
January 1, 2025. WCCW Member Gary Breezeel has a new collection of short stories published, titled Off the Wall — Fantastical Fiction, Fractured Fairy Tales, and Friendly Phantoms. It’s a treasure trove of short stories featuring animals with human-like characteristics, fractured fairy tales and legends, ghosts, magic, supernatural phenomena, and a taste of history as it never was.
Off the Wall is available in ebook and paperback format. Both are available from Amazon and other online booksellers.
DECEMBER 2024
WCCW CHRISTMAS PARTY
December 16, 2024. More than 30 members, spouses, significant others, and children came to our Christmas party at the Carmichael Center. There was plenty of great food and wonderful fellowship, along with our traditional Mystery Read Around, which more than a dozen took part in. Thanks to all for making 2024 another great year for White County Creative Writers!
NOVEMBER 2024
WCCW MEETING
November 18, 2024 | WCCW Meeting. We had a great November meeting with more than 20 in attendance in spite of the miserable weather. The program consisted of group read around of last month’s assignment: a Western story.
WCCW MEMBER WINS OWL CONTEST
November 15, 2024. Don Money had a story win first place in the Ozark Writers League 2024 Writing Contest, in the Growing Up Rural contest category. The story was “On a Bank with Pawpaw.” Winners were announced at the Fall Conference in Branson on November 2. Congratulations Don!
OCTOBER 2024
WCCW MEETING
October 21, 2024 | WCCW Meeting. We had a wonderful October meeting 20 in attendance. The program, led by Rhonda Roberts and Gary Rodgers, was in how to write a short story — specifically, from Gary’s perspective, how to write a western. We had a great discussion. The assignment for next month is to write a western story. 750 words.
OZARK CREATIVE WRITERS CONFERENCE
October 10-12, 2024 | Ozark Creative Writers Conference. Eureka Springs, AR. WCCW was well-represented at the Ozark Conference this year.
In addition to Gary Rodgers and Kimberly Vernon Rodgers leading a creative session, the following WCCW members (pictured above) were in attendance.
(l to r) Jodi Whitehurst, Rick Houston, Lil Stephens, Rhonda Roberts, Bambi George, Don Money, Kim Vernon, Gary Rodgers, Shirley Howard, Anthony Wood, Ellen Withers.
DON MONEY TAKES FIRST PLACE
October 7, 2024. WCCW member Don Money had a story win first place in the 2024 Kansas Authors Club Literary Contest in the Memoir category. The story title was “Last One on the Line.” Congratulations Don!
DEL GARRETT PUBLISHED AGAIN
October 1, 2024 | WCCW member Del Garrett’s Civil War Story, Preparing for Battle, was published today by a group called Life Is a Trip and is featured on the Life Is a Trip Podcast, where Del’s story is read by Chris Rogers. Click here to listen to Del’s story.
SEPTEMBER 2024
COZY MYSTERY ANTHOLOGY
September 27, 2024. Del Garrett’s Raven’s Inn Press will publish a cozy mystery anthology in 2025. The deadline for submissions is February 28, 2025. If you want your cozy mystery story to be considered for inclusion in this volume, just send a note to Del (prowriter001@yahoo.com) and he’ll send you a list of guidelines.
SEPTEMBER WCCW MEETING
September 16, 2024. We had a good September meeting, with 20 in attendance in spite of the dreary weather. Our program was a read-around. Our next meeting is scheduled for October 21.
DON MONEY TAKES FIRST PLACE
September 13, 2024. Don Money recently won first place in a writing contest sponsored by the Alabama Writers Cooperative. It was the David Eulin White Award, which is given in memory of Major General David Eulin White, a two-star Army General and an avid reader who appreciated all genres. The entry’s topic was to be military history, military fiction, or military memoir. Don’s entry was titled “Those Stars Back Home.”
NEW PROJECT BY ANTHONY WOOD
September 5, 2024. A message from WCCW President Anthony Wood:
To all my good friends and faithful readers, I’ve been working on a secret passion project that’s different from anything else I’ve ever written, and I’m almost ready to share it with you. Please stay tuned for more. Coming soon!
DEL GARRETT RELEASES NEW BOOK IN SERIES
September 3, 2024. Del Garrett has added another title to his Felix Nash collection. This is volume number five in the pulp-fiction style series about a Bay area private eye. This one’s titled The Case of Nash With the Cash. It’s available at Amazon.