Your October Cool Contest Challenge was to write a humorous obituary for a horror movie character or Super Hero.

Art Carey sent this winning entry:

Batman's Partner Passes

Word has been received of the death of Robin, the Boy Wonder, long-time companion of Batman.

Robin's death at the Hollywood Home for Retired Television and Film actors was announced by friend and fellow actor,The Riddler.

"He was an original, that kid," recalled The Riddler. "Always joking around on the set. One time he put a whoopee cushion on Commissioner Gordon's chair and cracked up the whole crew."

Robin's career took off when he made the leap from the comic pages to TV in the 1960s, appearing in the Batman series with Adam West. It reached a peak in the 1997 film "Batman and Robin," in which he had a co-starring role.

Still, like the late Steve Reeves who saw his movie career limited by his identification with Superman, Robin felt playing junior sidekick to Batman lessened his chances of obtaining meatier roles.

In a 2004 interview in the Los Angeles Times, he complained about his exclusion from other opportunities. "I'm a method actor," Robin groused. "I studied under Lee Strasberg in New York. And how do I wind up? Dressed in crotch-strangling shorts that make me look like a male hustler. Then there's the mask," he fumed, "the kind a holdup man would wear! Now Batman had a nice outfit-coordinated gray and black with that cool bat thingy. What did I get? A cheesy red jersey with stitches across the chest that made me resemble an autopsy leftover. And a big letter R! What's with that? Like people wouldn't know who I was?"

Working in the TV series didn't thrill him either. "I had to put up with dialog like, 'Holy cow, Batman!' I mean, what super hero talks like that? Then they introduced a broad to play Bat Girl. Bat Girl! No wonder the series tanked." Worse, he said, was the advent of videotapes and DVDs. "Now that crap will follow me to the grave," he said, perhaps prophetically.

"Poor Robin harbored some dark thoughts under that upbeat, public persona," recalled The Penguin, informed of the his death. "We were drinking once after a late-night shoot and he said, 'I'll never get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I'll always be the kid getting bailed out by the pointy-eared guy in the black cape. Him they call the Caped Crusader; me they name after a bird."

When his acting career ended, Robin could be seen on late night TV as a spokesman for incontinence aids. He gained unwanted attention two years ago after showing up drunk at a super heroes convention and was videotaped hitting on Wonder Woman.

In declining health during his later years, Robin answered a diminishing number of fan letters and wrote an unsuccessful autobiography, "Bat Boy, My Ass!"

Cremation followed a brief service attended by The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Two Face, Mad Hatter, and Poison Ivy.

Art Carey is a former newspaper reporter and journalism instructor living in California. His grandson masqueraded as Batman on Halloween.

If you love food and have the ability to add creative flair to your writing, you could look forward to a career in freelance food writing.

Technically, freelance food writing means tasting food and then describing it. Practically, it's a much more involved process. Food critics often absorb the entire dining experience of the restaurant they're in. How does the atmosphere contribute to the quality of the food? What was the service like? What did the food taste like?

The latter can be a fun question to answer because it's your opportunity to let your creativity shine through. Don't shy away from elaborate adjectives and metaphors. Think along the lines of: "The arugula and baby spinach medley, coupled with bursts of cilantro and cranberry, was bliss to the palate."

Who offers freelance food writing jobs?

Food writing is one of the more prolific freelancing jobs. Almost every major newspaper in the country has a food section. There are also dozens of magazines you could write for, depending on your food or beverage preference.

As mentioned earlier, people looking for freelance food writers may really be looking for restaurant reviewers. Be prepared to do either one or both, depending on your editor. Remember that a whole restaurant review can be a little more in-depth than simply writing about the food, so make sure to pay attention to everything that happens from the moment you walk through those restaurant doors.

Where can I find these jobs?

If you've done a couple of food reviews, submit them to food magazines and the food section editors of newspapers, along with a query letter. Your query letter should include a brief, exciting plug for the article you'd like to write, along with several good reasons why you should be the freelance writer to do it.

Another idea is to look for restaurants that are opening in your area and approach the owners directly. Let them know you're a freelance food writer who would like to help them get their new restaurant in the paper. It'll give you an excellent opportunity to write their review first and get it published. You might even get a free meal!

Occasionally, you'll find ads for freelance food writers on the Internet. Approach with caution; usually these jobs pay very little.

What skills do I need to be a freelance food writer?

Besides creativity and keen eye, it's helpful if you have a passion for food. That may sound obvious, but it's worth mentioning - the more you love what you're writing about, the more likely you'll be able to convey that passion to your readers.

In food writing, that passion is critical because it's the only way to engage your readers. If you're just saying, "My pasta primavera was exceptional and so was the service," you're not going to hold your readers' attention for long. Instead, you need to say something like, "The just-picked pan-seared veggies over homemade al dente linguini made the meal feel light and refreshing, even for pasta."

Besides passion, you need education. Read food magazines, check out the food section in the newspaper, eat out a lot, attend wine and cheeses, and learn the food trends that are happening in cities like New York and Los Angeles. The more you know, the better you'll write.

How do I respond to an ad?

If you come across an ad for a food writer, say in a wine-lovers' magazine, you'll need to respond in a way that entices editors to accept your articles. How would you respond to the ad below?

Calling all food lovers! Wine & Vine is looking for articles about pairing wines and foods. Please submit 500-600-word articles with a short bio of yourself before January.

It looks like the magazine is looking for articles with a food emphasis, which is great if you don't know a lot about wine pairing. Do a bit of Internet research on which cheeses and meats go with which wines. Then describe those foods ("A melt-in-your-mouth Kobe steak," "Roquefort straight from the Vallée du Loire," you get the idea) with panache.

It's all about engaging your readers, so that through your words, readers can share in the moment of relishing each morsel. That's what being a good freelance food writer is all about!

Brian Scott is a full-time freelance writer with over a decade of experience. He finds many of his paid freelance food writing jobs at Online Writing Jobs www.online-writing-jobs.com, a free job board that lets you search thousands of freelance writing jobs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_D_Scott

Bonjour Poetry Reviews

Need your poetry book reviewed? Contact Bonjour Poetry Reviews today!

Bonjour Poetry Reviews is now accepting submissions so check it out!

---

The Freshman Writer

New Website makes it easier for beginning writers to generate ideas, find inspiration, and get published!

I want to write but don't know what to write about. I have great ideas, how can I get them on paper? I want information on how to get started in the freelance writing world, but I have no clue know where to look. I've sent out several emails with no response, help!

Sound familiar?

Heiddi Zalamar is a New York-based freelance writer and therapist who asked all of these questions of other writers along her way. Asking them all the time was frustrating and she wanted to find one place with all the answers to those questions. Thus, the birth of The Freshman Writer came to fruition.

The Freshman Writer was conceived when Heiddi noticed on several on-line writing groups the same questions repeatedly. Recently, she noted that many writers started sentences with "I'm a newbie and I need help!" Heiddi started a web log (blog) for new, freshman, writers to fulfill that need. For three years, Heiddi has published many articles with advice and help from more experienced writers. Heiddi realized that there were few websites dedicated specifically to freshman writers looking for ways to write and publish works.

"For Freshman Writers, it's the place to be", reads the caption at the top of the site. With articles, exercises, book reviews and more! Heiddi wants to support and guide Freshman writers from idea inception to publication.

There is too much information on-line and in print for freshman writers to sort through. With book and website reviews, freshman writers can get the information they need without having to waste valuable time and money.

If you have questions about freelance writing and you don't know where to start, go to http://thefreshmanwriter.wordpress.com

Explore the Freshman Writer to find out how you can get writing and published. Please direct questions to Heiddi at HZalamar@gmail.com and she will respond promptly!

---

Announcing: The Lake Tahoe Writers Conference, Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, June 12 -14, 2009. Open to both beginners and advanced writers with an emphasis on publishing what you write. The conference covers nonfiction, fiction, travel writing, articles, TV/movie script writing, poetry, and more. Conference fee $400-deposit $100.

The conference is keynoted by Dale Brown a former U.S. Air Force captain who as written eleven consecutive New York Times best-selling military-action-aviation adventure novels-- published in 22 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. Worldwide sales exceed 10 million copies.

Conferees will have an opportunity to have their work looked over by experience writing consultants and others.

Come to the conference and stay to play. The conference also offers an extra plus to businesses - creating a book from your business - with a panel of professionals and businessmen who have done this - and business writing for results seminars.

For more information contact Karen Newcomb, executive director at knew@surewest.net or visit the website at: www.LakeTahoewritersconference.com

---

I read some important and interesting articles on The Authors Guild web site. If you haven't heard, The Authors Guild won a lawsuit against Google. Along with the article, you can also view documents related to the case.

Check it out at: http://www.authorsguild.org/

---

Whispers Publishing

Whispers Publishing is an Erotic e-book publisher. Starting November 15th, they'll be hosting the "Resolutions" writing contest. The contest is open to all writers published and unpublished.

Grand through Third place winners receive a publishing contract.

For full details, please visit: Whispers Publishing Contest

---

Jerry Aragon/The Humor Doctor has an interesting article on his web site that offers a behind-the-scenes look at how his articles have done on the Internet over the past two years.

Jerry says, "I think the "free content" route is a great way for beginning writers to start. It can build confidence right away!"

I agree with Jerry. I've used a couple of Jerry's articles and use "free content" articles for just about every newsletter. It's a great way to showcase your writing and it's free promotion!

Jerry writes on a wide variety of subjects and 80 of his articles have been published on over 429 web sites.

To read Jerry's article, please go to: SOS Articles

---

Claire Luna is excited to announce that one of her stories that was published in "Chicken Soup for the Caregivers Soul" will be included in a "101 Best" book in the "Chicken Soup" series.

The "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series is celebrating their 15th year anniversary and have put together a collection of their 101 very best stories.

Claire's story, Traveling with Visitors, is included in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Stories of Faith

Congratulations, Claire!

---

Indie Excellence Awards

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2009 Indie Excellence Book Awards.

For the official rules, please visit: 2009 IEBA

---

There was an article on Forbes.com last month about the "World's Best Paid Authors" that I forgot to mention last time, so here it is: World's Best Paid Authors

Combined, the top 10 made over 560 million!

---

Lucy Magazine

I came across this new online women's magazine last month and really like the concept. They are accepting submissions, but don't offer pay at this time. The Assistant Editor sent me the following press release:

Lucy is a fresh, honest voice in the world of womens' publications that strives to provide content for the intelligent, unique and practical woman. We write for our audience's varied interests and passions and we do not limit ourselves to the standard topics of satisfying sex positions, shopping tips and celebrity gossip.

One of Lucy's most defining elements is the organic process for which article ideas are selected and crafted: our staff, led by editor-in-chief Kate Amann, maintains an ongoing dialogue with readers and writers in order to truly give the readers the content they want to read.

"We want our audience to write for us and talk with us and prove us wrong or right. We want to give women what they've been lacking on the magazine racks all these years, and we like it when they tell us what that is," Amann said.

Lucy strives to let women tell the stories that define who they are as individuals, and welcomes topics that are not considered "marketable" or "mainstream" enough for most publications. From a girl's giddy geekout over her sci-fi obsessions to the devastating aftermath of a stillbirth, Lucy uses her readers' passions, pain and personal experiences to craft the distinctive voice of the publication.

"Lucy speaks to the independent spirit in women who are sick of being told what makeup to buy and what clothes to wear and what they need to do to please men. We are women who make our own choices, our own mistakes and our own successes, and we are not ashamed to be who we are," Amann said.

Currently, Lucy has readers in 35 countries, and 50 states, with the majority of readers from the United States, UK, and Canada. On average, Lucy greets more than 3,000 friends per month. The magazine releases new feature content bi-monthly and the blogs, updated daily, offer fresh and exciting dialogue for readers.

---

I watch the news way too much, I really do. I heard the other day that one in every 450 homes in the United States is in foreclosure. It's scary and may get worse. I was reading an agent blog a couple of months ago and she had some grim things to say about how the economy is affecting the publishing industry as well. Let's face it, even GM is in trouble and major retailers are closing left and right. I have faith though that it will get better. The economy is cyclical and will bounce back.

Here is the info for the agent blog. The first link is to the most recent blog she did about the economy and publishing and the second is the one I read back in September.

Regardless of the news, keep the faith and keep writing! If anything, writing keeps us in our happy place - LOL

Oct Post

Sept Post

---

Bobbie Christmas is the "Book Doctor" and Author of Write In Style, a triple-award-winning textbook for writers of fiction and nonfiction, available wherever books are sold. Bobbie loves to receive questions from writers and offer her expert advice. If you have any questions you need answered, please e-mail her at: Bobbie@zebraeditor.com

For the latest Q&A with Bobbie, go to AskTheBookDoctor on the CS4W site.

---

If you have an announcement you would like to share with us, please send it to: sandy@coolstuff4writers.com with "Announcement" in the subject line.

I love to hear from you!

Peace,

Sandy

email: sandy@coolstuff4writers.com

phone: 732-276-6573

web: http://www.coolstuff4writers.com