Find out all your need to know about getting published, who to contact, how to present your work, contracts, agents...the lot. Even if you don't have something ready to go, this two hour session presents the basics for all authors and illustrators:

ASA Getting Published, 6 - 8pm at Orange Friday 17 February in the West Room, next door to Orange City Library, 147 Byng Street, Orange. Refreshments provided. Cost: $15.

Bookings essential - book online at http://www.asauthors.org or call the office on 1800 257 121. Enquiries call the Central West Writers' Centre on 6393 8125. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to learn from the experts.

The Washington Post runs a contest where they ask readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing of one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are some choice examples (thanks to Krystiina):

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

2. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

3. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

5. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

7. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

8. Uno: What you insert, you know, while, you know, you are deciding what you will say next, you know.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

10. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is, like, sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

What can you come up with?

Calling all writers! The Words Out West Summer 2012 Newsletter is now available. It has all the latest news on upcoming book launches, Getting Published Workshop and Oberon Performance Poetry as well as writing competitions, opportunities, and lots more....To read and subscribe, head to the Central West Writers' Centre Words Out West Home Page: www.wordsoutwest.com.au

Enjoy!

Hardie Grant Egmont has always supported emerging writers, and this time they want everyone to know about it. Introducing Ampersand: a new collection of short novels by debut fiction writers.

It's an ambitious idea, but they're excited about bringing new voices to the YA fiction scene. They want to cater to teenage readers who just aren't into fantasy or paranormal romance, and show them a world just like this one. Real life can be just as dramatic and thrilling as other-worldly adventures, and any teenager who's climbed out their bedroom window for an illicit adventure knows it.

To kick this collection off, the editors of Ampersand are looking for fabulous stand-alone manuscripts about the secret lives of teenagers. They want a voice that leaps off the page, a hint of a literary vibe, and teenage characters facing conflict in the course of their everyday lives. Manuscripts that are by turns funny, dramatic, gritty, romantic, heartbreaking or challenging. Ampersand will give each debut novelist the launch they need to build their profiles in a competitive YA market.

They want Ampersand books to feel real to teenage readers. We want to push the boundaries, but we're not interested in moral-panic-inducing, usually urban-legendary topics (no sexting or rainbow parties here, please). Speculative elements are welcome, so long as they adhere to the rules of the real world. The difference is in the execution; for example, Tomorrow When The War Began is a real-world exploration of war as it could occur today, but The Hunger Games is not. Head to website for submission guidelines and story starting points:

http://hardiegrant.com.au/egmont/contact-us/the-ampersand-project

Get on the airwaves! A free 3-day radio workshop is being held at Oberon this week, 18-20th by AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School). This workshop is being presented by Arts OutWest and funded by Arts NSW. Dates: 18, 19, 20 January

Venue: Oberon Community Centre, next to the library; Time: 9am-5pm; Ages: 13-24 years. This is a wonderful opportunity for young people in the Oberon, Lithgow or Bathurst area to learn how to present and design their own radio show. On the Friday, participants are being driven to Bathurst in a mini bus for a radio station tour and also a chance to record some of their own material! This course is also run is Sydney and usually costs a couple of hundred dollars. Places are limited.

For bookings or further info please call or email Zoe on M: 0434 368 033 or Email: zrodwell@yahoo.com.au

Just letting you know the Central West Writers' Centre closes from 22 December and reopens for a fantastic program of events during the National Year of Reading 2012 from Monday 16 January.

For upcoming author visits and workshops check out our events page, visit the page for young writers too as there is heaps happening during the holidays, subscribe to our newsletter and get all the details of events in the New Year.

In the meantime have a great reading and writing festive season! See you in 2012!

PS. Hope you like this idea for a Christmas Tree (pictured).

Love creative writing – then why not share your passion with other writers at our friendly and informal writers' group? Come along and meet other writers, talk about writing or share your writing in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere at the Central West Writers' Centre Drop-In Days, held at the Writers' Centre located upstairs at Orange City Library. The Drop-in Days are held where possible on the last Friday of the month at the same time of 2.30pm to 4.30pm. There is no need to book and it's free.

2012 Drop-in Day Dates will be as follows:

24 February

30 March

27 April

25 May

29 June

27 July

31 August

28 September

26 October

30 November

See you there!

A packed Sydney Theatre chose Luka Lesson (pictured) to be Australia's Slam Champion on Sunday 27 November. Two poets from each state and territory bound onto the stage. They poured out their wit, substance and powerful emotions in a competition judged by randomly selected audience members. A crowd of over 400 offered wild screams, applause and people leaping to their feet shouting, "yeah, that's right". Reminder: this is at a poetry event. We heard an 85 year old woman from Launceston discuss her online relationship with a Mr. N. Large Ment, an ode to a female parking inspector, a brilliant assessment by an indigenous woman of issues in Alice Springs, moving rant on the fate of Palestine and two strong pieces from runner-up Nadine Browne, a school teacher from Perth. Congratulations to Luka "Lesson" Haralampou. Australia's Poetry Slam Champion! Check out http://australianpoetryslam.com/ for youtube clips of Poetry Slam performances!

Twelfth Planet Press is looking to develop a new line of dynamic, original genre novels. Twelfth Planet Press novels will push boundaries to question, inspire, engage and challenge. They are specifically looking to acquire material outside that which is typically considered by mainstream publishers.

They are looking for science fiction, fantasy, horror and crime. They will consider borderline literary, new weird, steampunk, space opera, hard science fiction, soft science fiction, urban fantasy, cyberpunk, military science fiction, young adult, paranormal romance and everything in between.

Twelfth Planet encourage writers to take the time to familiarise themselves with the kind of content they publish, and the kind they do not. They are not interested in gratuitous violence, misogyny and gore or sex scenes for shock value. They are looking to acquire all English language territory rights and ebook rights. They are offering advances and royalties. Submission details at www.twelfthplanetpress.com/news/twelfth-planet-press-novel-manuscript-submission-month-january-2012

Oral historian Helen McAnulty is pictured (above)at the Orange launch for her book History Talking with Alex Jenkins who wrote the foreword and has his war story included in the book.

A love of collecting and writing oral history has led to a unique book titled History Talking by Central West writer and oral historian Helen McAnulty covering reminiscences of people from Gulgong, Mudgee and Orange. At the recent launches in both Gulgong and Orange, Helen said how much she enjoyed collecting people's memories. She also shared wonderful anecdotes from the book including an amazing coincidence about a nurse involved in a leg amputation operation and then a chance meeting with that patient. Helen has been collecting and writing oral history for the past 30 years. The book is supported by the Oral History Group, Marsden Memorial Rural History Research Centre, Gulgong Research Centre, Mudgee Historical Society and the many people who generously shared their memories and photographs. The book can be purchased from the Marsden group and local bookshops.