Wanted: story ideas

The Florida Center for the Literary Arts invites aspiring writers to Pitch-o-rama during the Writer's Institute this weekend. From 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday May 10, writers can pitch their ideas to a panel of literary agents and other industry professionals. For free. You'll get instant feedback and free advice and please, listen to it. If they say your idea stinks...it does. Move on with your life.

You get 30 seconds to make your pitch, so don't ramble. Think Hollywood. Comparisons work. I don't know this for a fact, but I would not be surprised to learn Boca writer Steve Alten sold his first book Meg on the basis of two really great words: "Jurassic Shark." (The concept, alas, was better than the actual book.)

The fun begins in Room 2106 at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave. in downtown Miami. It's first come first served and sign up begins at noon.

For a list of do's and don'ts at Pitch-o-rama, click here.

Write now

There's still time to sign up for the upcoming Writers Institute, which is sponsored by the Florida Center for the Literary Arts. Think of it: four days of creative writing workshops! Surely you can whip that manuscript into shape in four days with all this help. There are workshops in nonfiction, fiction, playwriting, poetry, publishing and revision, as well as seminars specifically geared to teens and a Spanish language workshop.

But wait - there's more. There will also be daily lunchtime readings and lectures from such writers as Connie May Fowler (over to your right), Rick Moody, Nick Flynn, T Cooper, Felecia Luna Lemus and Micol Ostow.

For a schedule and prices on the workshops - they range from $35 for one workshop to $500 for the full schedule - and registration information, click here.

Whose festival this is I think I know

My love for poetry has been well-documented on this blog. I love it so!

And so I am pleased to remind you that the works of Robert Frost will be celebrated April 9-13 at the Key West Robert Frost Poetry Festival, which includes films; readings; workshops; a poetry on the water event (sonnets on the high seas, or at least on a catamaran, WITH drinks); and poetry contests (deadine is March 24, so get writing and mailing). Also probably more drinks after that.

Also the former editor of Modern Haiku, Dr. Lee Gurga, will be there, so you are NOT going to want to miss this. For more information on the cost of various events and rules for the contests, click here.