Do you want to know how to get published?

ONLINE: Writing Day Workshops plans both in-person and virtual/online conferences. The 2023 CWW is an Online Conference, on March 3-4. Online events are easy and awesome, and the virtual events we’ve done thus far have received wonderful feedback. You do not have to be tech-savvy to do this, and understand we are keeping all aspects of a traditional in-person event, including one-on-one agent & editor pitching, which will now be done by Zoom or phone. Learn all details about what it means to have a writers conference online.)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special two-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on March 3-4, 2023. In other words, it’s two days full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome. And even though this is the “Chesapeake” Writing Workshop, make no mistake — writers from everywhere are welcome to attend virtually. Our WDW writers conferences have helped dozens of writers find literary agent representation — see our growing list of success stories here.

Follow this link for more information

American manga

  Screenplay by:Jesse Diaz

The movie begins with a shot in the Japanese Ghibli Museum, where we have the main character (Riktor) standing in front of a massive picture. Next, to him, a small girl walks into the shot and also stands in front of the massive picture.

 Small girl:  

It’s beautiful isn’t it? I wish that one day when I’m older I’ll be able to draw exactly like this. (she has a small blush)or at least I hope to one day.

Riktor looks over at the small girl. He digs into his pocket and shuffles around until he stops suddenly. He took out a quarter and walked close to the girl. He kneels down next to her and hands her the quarter.

Riktor

Little girl, I definitely can’t really be able to help you but I hope one day this quarter can help you draw like Hayao Miyazaki one day. It might be kinda hard, but you should use this to start saving up for a drawing tablet.

He hands her the quarter very certainly with a small smile on his face. He hears in the back two women speaking Japanese knowing exactly what they’re saying.

Japanese woman #1:

Kare wa koko de ittai nani o shite iru nodesu ka?

Japanese woman #2:

Watashi wa kare ga ikutsu ka no kuso shinsekai-shade wanai kotto o negetta imasu.

Rictor looks over at the two Japanese women. He stands up and moves away from the small girl. He grabs his bag off the floor and shoots the small girl a wink right before he walks away and leaves the museum. While walking he opens up a bag of poki and begins to start eating it while walking towards the exit. Right before he leaves through the door he’s greeted by a woman who works in the ghibli museum.

Ghibli Museum worker:

Have you enjoyed your time here at The Ghibli Museum?

Read more: American manga

Rictor:

Watashi wa koko ni kuru 5-banme no timu o tanoshinda, arigato.

The museum worker looks at him stunned, she has a surprised expression and begins to smile showing extremely white teeth. Victor stands there a little awkwardly and begins to walk out of the exit until he is interrupted by the woman.

Ghibli Museum worker:

Anata no nihongo wa totemo ryuchode jozudesu.How do you speak it so well if you don’t mind me asking?

Victor looks a little surprised by her question but doesn’t mind answering.

Victor:

Oh, I am moving to Japan next week to become a manga-ka. I got really invested when I was younger in anime and manga so I learned Japanese so I could watch and read them without the subtitles and read the original versions of manga.

Ghibli Museum worker:

Are you moving here to become a manga-ka? You’re an American, though, don’t you think that’s a little bit

weird? You don’t think you might have trouble in the Japanese industry? Ya know? Being an American and all?

Riktor:

Well…I’m a pretty big dreamer so I think I’ll be fine. Besides, around these parts, I think I might be a hell of a lot more accepted here than I am back in the states.

Ghibli Museum worker:

Really?

Riktor:

Yeah.I know tragic.

Ghibli Museum worker:

Well, good luck with your future career American.

Riktor looks a little bit weirded out

Riktor:

(under his breath)im Hispanic. (he lifts up his voice again)Thank you and my name is Victor.

Ghibli Museum worker:

Well, in that case then.Anata no shōrai no kyaria de no kōun bikutā.

Victor:

Arigatōgozaimashita.

Riktor finally leaves out of the Ghibli Museum, chowing down on his pakis. After about 2 steps, he stops to look around for any cabs or taxis to pick him up. He goes into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out cheap-looking sunglasses. He looks around for a little and walks down the block hoping to find a cab. He stops at a street corner and calls for a cab to pull up. They pull up on the street corner, and Victor hops in.

Cab Driver:

Anata wa Amerika ni mukatte imasu?

Victor:

Hanedakūkō made tsureteitte kudasai.

Cab Driver:

Kashikomarimashita.

The taxi begins to go down the street. Riktor looks out the window. Feeling extreme raw excitement.

The cab drives into the terminal gate at the airport. Riktor steps out and he notices a statue of Totoro and a smile of excitement crosses across his face. He walks to the cab driver and puts his head through the open window on the passenger side.

Victor:

Totoro to burasagatte iru shashin o totte itadakemasu ka?

The taxi driver looks a little bit confused

Taxi driver:

uhmm…Shōchishimashita(sure)

The taxi driver steps out of the cab. Victor gives him the phone. He then walks to the Totoro statue and does an aheago face. The taxi driver looks a little freaked and reluctantly takes the photo. Though it takes him a few too many seconds. The taxi driver gives him back the phone and walks back to the car. He gets inside and drives off.

My Literally Me Perspective

My Literally Me Perspective

Anon is currently speaking inside his own head squabbling in depression with what he would consider inner poetic justice. However he cannot rhyme due to his obscene anger at the world and more specifically  his crush and her new boyfriend. (V.O)

Damn

Damn I say!

A god damn if you will

My ear is piercing 

Nothing is truly clear.

Now, across from here

She is with him 

How can they love each other so dearly?

His love for her can’t be real

It can never be

It must be fake

It could  be a lie

There is no truth in his love

It could never be like mine.

Read more: My Literally Me Perspective

They could never love like I do

Not many could

I am a special case

I am surreal deal

I can laugh but not cry

I like to think I am an extra bit real.

No I would never have to

I’m not a man who needs to think

I actually just always know

Truly all the time

I am literally me.

I am literally just like all my favorites

I am literally Bateman

I am literally the Batman

Actually I am just like Ed Norton in fight club

My personality is raw and different. 

So why in the hell

Could she not be with me?

What were the rules against it?

That guy will only ever be him

But I was always literally me.

A shitposter if you will

I have no depression

No need to see a therapist

I am a special type of person

Brimmed with justice and no consolation.

So why the hell

Am I only the ¨he¨ and never ¨him¨

I can never be the main character

Always an outsider

Always afraid.

I live in the background

Deep within my own dread

Just reading the books

Watching my movies

Lovingly eating my sushi.

A girl like her

She could never like someone.

Someone so literally me

She is a pretty doll

While I am a goblin.

All I can do his watch and stare

As they drink their tea

And listen as my friend gags with laughter

As he watches me gleefully

As I hit all the stages of my despair.

His laughter and happiness begin to move onto me

I am actually feeling quite funny

It may never be so bad to let out a little laugh

It is all just highschool after all

All here will never really matter.

That’s what I like to think

I always have them anyways

The moments of despair.

I’ll just go ahead and move on from her

Like I always do.

My friend assures me to not care

I suppose I guess I won’t

For now I wont know if it will matter

I am only 16 after all

Just for now I will continue to be just me.

What’s Dead Isn’t Truly Dead by Makenzie Slack

Prologue

My body was in intense pain, from my eyes down to my stomach. I couldn’t tell where I was; it was dark and cold, and I couldn’t move, although I felt like I was floating. I thought that couldn’t be right, only to hear it out loud. It was repeating. Over and over until I thought my head would explode. Then suddenly bombarded with memories. I remember…I know what he did…. . At this point, I wanted to cry. I bawled in thought until I felt something….

Chapter 1 Awake

I felt this sensation like electricity, and all the pain subsided, but I cried, cried like the pathetic person I am; I couldn’t even put up a fight. I did nothing to stop him; I did nothing to save them. I felt tears streaming down my face. I could tell someone was looking at me. I could feel their eyes burning into my back, and I still cried until they tapped me.

In a deep, low-pitched voice. “Hey…who are you….” I’d find this voice familiar; however, it was too low-pitched, so I couldn’t place it.

“I-I … I’m Jack…” I said in a scared little voice; I jumped slightly hearing my voice. It was different and glitchy. They sighed; I didn’t move. I sat there, noticing the surroundings were mostly white with tiny grey squares.

“My-my name is H-Henry-but please just call me Eteled,” they said grimly.

Henry? Henry… I could’ve sworn I heard that name before! I turned my head to face them. A bald Mii, wearing all black with wide cartoonish eyes and a slight grimace. wait…am I in the Wii?! I thought. I looked down at my hands as a shock hit me. I am a Mii. But how? Wasn’t I supposed to be dead just a moment ago?

The Drakonizing

 Written By

  Jesus L Diaz 

Black Screen/ Fade in:

1 EXT. BENCH-NIGHT

Draketh (Teenager) is standing in the cold Swiss autumn hitting the winter air and weather, he is simply staring off into the distance only with bare small movements in his leg. (Sounds of synthwave Jazz begin to play quietly)

CUT TO-CLOSE UP SHOT TO THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD

He is first staring down at the ground looking melancholy towards the earth but begins to lift his head up and start blinking rapidly.

CUT TO-GROUND SHOT (BEHIND SHOULDER LEVEL OF DRAKETH)

We are then shown the ground behind him but in a blurry depth of field, as drake begins to turn his head behind him a small cardboard figure begins to lurch into the frame and become more visible as he stands motionless on the ground. For now, he is named Cardy.

The Depth of Field begins to less again as we can suddenly see a close up shot of Draketh from a god like perspective looking down on him as he eats a biscotti. By this point he is no longer looking behind him and his head is in the original position.

Continue reading “The Drakonizing”

We Could Be Juicy by Jesse Diaz

(Work in progress for non-fiction writing contest.)

Self-confidence has always been something the average American teen in the 21st century struggles towards, the movement in time in which the stars of space begin to circulate deeply into a plethora of abnormal gasses. Despite the fact, I’m sure that we already have so many but perhaps if scientist were able to deeply look deeper into the vastness of chemicals and space and elements and whatever other sciencey shit people smarter than me get their rocks off to with big giant busty big ass eyeballs than perhaps the world may or may not accelerate at a vastly superior pace than it is right now. It would be so egregiously cute if it was possible for the nerds of the world to recognize funny little gasses that make a fart 11% less smelly, harboring into the vacuum of outer worlds. I am so grateful for people smarter than me-truly. I adore them, actually. They give me room to think about space farts instead of indulging in whatever the Spanish teacher is speaking about. Truthfully, I don’t consider myself a bad kid, both in terms of grades and behavior. I’m an A, B, there may or may not be one C honor roll student who spends his free time in the study of filmmaking and other arts like writing. I’m a rather polite and shy little boy, most of the time, if I get to know you like a true friend, I am the edgiest troll of the century, a straight rebellious G spouting the most edgelord humor to grace the ear-holes of your ear-drums. Truly-absolute. But I have flaws too, I am shy. Too shy, I lack self-confidence and for as much fun as I have acting like the adult with too much self awareness. I am at the end of the day the adult…with too much self awareness. But why let yourself go nutty to become a teen, as long as one drenches themselves in irony and satire, you feel you can protect yourself yeah? 

Read more: We Could Be Juicy by Jesse Diaz

I always had that mindset, for a while, actually. Since 5th grade more accurately, to put into theory, I have put myself in a very obscene position for the last 5 years of my life that I tend to feel most around me don’t. Truly, I always want to put myself into the organic life of the man who does 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and the moistest skin care routine I possibly can. If the audience I entertain in my mind was unable to tell, I do love making dynamical movie references. 

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