Member Resources — Military Writers Society of America

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John Cathcart

Next Generation Short Story Awards

The Next Generation Short Story Awards, currently in its second year, is a not-for-profit international awards program for authors of short stories. We are a Canadian company and host our awards program annually. The Short Story Awards is now accepting entries, i.e. short stories and poems in English (5000 words or less) for the 2025 awards program in 30+ categories. The entry deadline for the 2025 year is Thursday, February 27, 2025. Winners and Finalists will be announced in mid-May. Winners in each of the 30+ categories are given $75 cash prizes, gold medals, complimentary digital promotional stickers, social media coverage, literary exposure with their stories published in an Anthology of Winners, and a complimentary copy of the Anthology of Winners. The entry fee is $25 for the first category and $20 for every additional category entered for the same story. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $500, $300, and $200 based on their order of win. They will also be invited to attend the Indie Book Awards gala ceremony.

Link/URL to website: http://shortstoryawards.com/

Veterans Voices

Click on image to go to their website

Our Mission

Veterans Voices Writing Project (VVWP) enables military veterans to experience solace and satisfaction through writing.

We envision a world where people appreciate that writing can both heal and entertain. The project encourages veterans to express their thoughts and feelings in writing and to send their stories, essays, poems and artwork to the VVWP headquarters for potential publication in Veterans’ Voices magazine.

The magazine is made possible by ongoing contributions to VVWP. We are thankful for circulation support to VAMCs by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VVWP is available online and we publish a Veterans’ Voices magazine three times a year.

About the VVWP

VVWP started as an outreach program for veterans returning from World War II. Today, it serves all veterans with therapeutic writing programs to heal their unseen emotional and moral wounds. Veterans write about personal experiences and innermost thoughts to help manage the effects of PTSD and to reduce the risk of suicide. They also write for creative expression. It offers the opportunity for community in writing groups and to have their work published. The program continues its important work for those serving in the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars. Now, with the return of injured veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan and other recent conflicts, the project is more important than ever.

The project’s therapeutic writing program is designed to acknowledge military veterans’ experiences and build self-esteem through creative expression and possible publication.

Mental well-being is an important component in the health of returning military veterans. Veterans Voices Writing Project, Inc. (VVWP) a 501(c)(3) organization helps veterans heal from the physical and psychological trauma associated with military service, whether from actual combat, war training or emotional trauma. The project helps military personnel transitioning to civilian life to heal from emotional scars by encouraging them to write down their thoughts, concerns and reflections.

VVWP offers veterans an opportunity to see that writing appear in Veterans’ Voices, a print magazine published since 1952. More than 70 years, what is still unique about VVWP’s program is that these veteran stories and experiences are published for a national audience. There are countless programs that use writing as therapy and some have been published in book form or for a local audience, but VVWP’s program has published more than 60,000 veterans’ writings since 1952 and is mailed throughout the country to individuals, VA Centers, libraries, veterans’ and auxiliary organizations and others who support the program.

[https://veteransvoices.org/new-home/new-about-us/ ]

Bowker Publishing Services -- MWSA members get 15% discount

We are pleased to offer your members a 15% discount on several of our products and services for authors. We have set up a Bowker promo code for exclusive use by the Military Writers Society of America membership. The assigned promo code is: MWSA25.

 The promo code is now active.

When your members enter the code at checkout on MyIdentifiers.com, they will receive a 15% discount on the following Bowker products and services. (Items are linked to their respective landing pages on MyIdentifiers.com)

Writing for Screens Big and Small (Part 3)

By Greg Elliot

Scroll down for PDF copies of Greg’s slides and links to software/websites mentioned in the video.

Greg’s PDF files used in presentation

Greg also mentioned a program he uses to create pitch decks (but the name escaped him during the Zoom session). Canva is the name of the program he (and others) use to create a pitch deck with graphics. The software was not designed to support writing but can be adapted to help you create one. It was designed to pitch ideas for companies that don't focus on writing, but the idea is the same—add pictures to your words.

https://www.canva.com/presentations/templates/pitch-deck/

https://www.canva.com/learn/pitch-deck-examples/

https://www.canva.com/learn/pitch-deck/

H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

H. W. “Buzz” Bernard is a bestselling, award-winning novelist.

His debut novel, EYEWALL, published in 2011, became a number-one bestseller in Amazon’s Kindle Store.

Three of his next four novels won Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPIC) eBook awards in the suspense/thriller category.

In 2020, with the publication of WHEN HEROES FLEW, Buzz switched from writing suspense/thriller novels to WWII historical fiction and began a new series. The first three novels in the series were awarded Gold Medals by the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA). Buzz himself was honored with the MWSA’s highest accolade in 2023, the Founder’s Award.

WHEN HEROES FLEW: THE ROOF OF THE WORLD, the third book in the series, in addition to garnering an MWSA Gold Medal, won the 2023 Nancy Pearl Book Award for genre fiction. The award is sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.

Buzz is currently working on his fifth WWII historical fiction book.

Before becoming a novelist, Buzz worked at The Weather Channel as a senior meteorologist for thirteen years. Prior to that, he served as a weather officer in the U.S. Air Force for over three decades. He attained the rank of colonel and received, among other awards, the Legion of Merit.

Buzz is a past president of the Southeastern Writers Association as well as a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, the Willamette Writers, the Military Writers Society of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Atlanta Writers Club.

Although a native Oregonian, Buzz lived for 35 years in Atlanta, and now resides in Kennewick, Washington, with his wife Barbara and their fuzzy Shih Tzu, Stormy . . . who doesn’t live up to his name.

Buzz’s website can be found at www.buzzbernard.com.

The Cuddy Family Foundation for Veterans

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a 501(c)(3) with the primary goals of being self-sufficient through the establishment of businesses that employ veterans, serving the essential survival needs of homeless veterans and others in peril, and offering long-term sustainability training and transitional support elements to help secure stable living arrangements for our clients. Our efforts are specifically aimed at reducing the alarming suicide rate for veterans.

Writers Education Zoom: Get Your Book Right Before the World Judges You: What Agents, Publishers, and Reviewers Are Looking For by Dawn Brotherton (Parts 1-4)

New and unknown authors have discovered that the book publishing industry can be hard to break into. If an author chooses to self-publish, it can be difficult to know where to start with the editing, layout, and design, whether doing it for themselves or hiring someone else to do it. This presentation gives authors additional information on what is expected in the visual and technical areas of award-winning books. The next presentation in the series will delve into content and style. Industry standards change over time, so even if you think you know what is acceptable, this workshop is for you!

Dawn Brotherton is an award-winning author and featured speaker at writing and publishing seminars. She teaches for the College of William and Mary Osher Lifelong Learning and writes for Williamsburg Next Door Neighbor magazine. A retired Air Force colonel and softball coach, Dawn writes mystery, romance, middle grade fiction, children's picture books, and nonfiction books.

She completed her first novel in 2010. When she realized how hard it was to attract the attention of publishing houses and how much money they received from her hard work, she decided to go it on her own. She set up Blue Dragon Publishing, LLC, and took on other authors. The focus of Blue Dragon Publishing is to help a writer’s dream become a reality. Dawn’s focus is mentoring people through the process and helping them reach their goals.

Dawn’s presentation will be broken down into four separate Zoom sessions covering the four main evaluation areas in MWSA’s review program:

  1. Visual (April 25, 2021)

  2. Technical (May 23)

  3. Content (June 13)

  4. Style (July 11)

Part 1 -- Visual

Slide Presentation

Part 2 -- Technical

Slide Presentation


 

Part 3 -- Content

 

Part 4 -- Style

Ready To Join MWSA or Learn More?