There's Still Time to Enter the 2nd Annual Write-On! Writing Competiton

The deadline for submissions for the PCGS 2nd annual Write-On! Writing Competition is Thursday, June 30, 2016.

This year's competition has two categories:

Category 1 - Biographies. Memoirs and biographies where the major portion of the facts are from personal memories, interviews, family oral traditions, etc. No, or few, historical records are used in research.

Category 2 - Family History. A family history or biography that has been researched and documented through historical records.

Cash prizes and certificates will be awarded to the winners in each category. In addition, a grand prize of one year membership to PCGS will be awarded to the winner with the most points overall.

The entry fee is $15 for PCGS members or $20 for non-members. Contest entry fee is waived for paid registrants of the 2016 Do It the Write Way two-part workshop.

Visit the PCGS website for competition rules, judging criteria, and registration information. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to hone your writing skills and perhaps get paid for it, too!

Registration Deadline extended to April 16

There is still time! The registration deadline for the special two-part workshop Do It the Write Way has been extended to April 16.

Part One, "Getting Started," will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016. You will leave this workshop with a good start to your story. You will come to Part Two, "Polish Up," on Saturday, May 28, 2016, with a draft of your finished story and will receive editorial feedback to help you polish it into a finished product.

Participants do not have to attend both sessions, but the fee is the same whether you attend one or both. Advanced registration is required and must be received no later than April 16, 2016. Visit our website Writing Workshop webpage at http://azpimagensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=30 or the PCGS Calendar for additional details and to register. 

Only Two Days Left to Register!

There are only two days left to register for the special Two-Part Do It the Write Way Workshop!

This Saturday is the deadline to register for this special two-part workshop. Part One, "Getting Started," will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016. You will leave this workshop with a good start to your story. You will come to Part Two, "Polish Up," on Saturday, May 28, 2016, with a draft of your finished story and will receive editorial feedback to help you polish it into a finished product.


The cost for attending the workshop is $15 for PCGS members or $20 for Non-Members. For those workshop participants that choose to enter our 2016 Write-On! writing competition, the contest entry fee will be waived  See our blog post Our Second Annual Write-On! Writing Competition Has Begun for more information about the Write-On! writing competition.

Participants do not have to attend both sessions, but the fee is the same whether you attend one or both. Advanced registration is required and must be received no later than April 9, 2016. Visit our website Writing Workshop webpage at http://azpimagensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=30 or the PCGS Calendar for additional details and to register.

Do It the Write Way: A Special Two-Part Writing Workshop

Image: Clipart ETC (http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/)

This special two-part writing workshop will give attendees some tried and true techniques to bring their family history to life and create a fascinating story anyone would want to read. Our instructor, Rondie Yancey, will help you flex your writing muscles to create something of lasting value for you and your family.

If you are one of those people who got scared to death by their high school English teachers—FEAR NOT!! We will prove to you that You CAN write and share the family story you have been researching all these years. If you can talk, you can write an interesting and informative story your family will love to read. So...

Part One, "Getting Started," will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016. You will leave this workshop with a good start to your story. You will come to Part Two, "Polish Up," on Saturday, May 28, 2016, with a draft of your finished story and will receive editorial feedback to help you polish it into a finished product.

Workshop participants may find the Microsoft Word Workshop, scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2016, particularly useful in preparation for Part Two, "Polish Up." See our blog post Registration now open for Microsoft Word Workshop for details.

The cost for attending the workshop is $15 for PCGS members or $20 for Non-Members. For those workshop participants that choose to enter our 2016 Write-On! writing competition, the contest entry fee will be waived  See our blog post Our Second Annual Write-On! Writing Competition Has Begun for more information about the Write-On! writing competition.

Advanced registration is required and must be received no later than April 9, 2016. Visit our website homepage at http://azpimagensoc.org/index.php or the PCGS Calendar for additional details and to register.

Our Second Annual Write-On! Writing Competition Has Begun

Pima County Genealogy Society (PCGS) is accepting entries for our 2nd annual Write-On! writing competition.

This year's competition has two categories:

Category 1 - Biographies. Memoirs and biographies where the major portion of the facts are from personal memories, interviews, family oral traditions, etc. No, or few, historical records are used in research.

Category 2 - Family History. A family history or biography that has been researched and documented through historical records.

Cash prizes and certificates will be awarded to the winners in each category. In addition, a grand prize of one year membership to PCGS will be awarded to the winner with the most points overall.

Submissions must be received by the Contest Coordinator by June 20, 2016. Awards and public announcement of the winners will take place during the PCGS general meeting on Saturday, August 10, 2016.

The entry fee is $15 for PCGS members or $20 for non-members. Contest entry fee is waived for paid registrants of the 2016 Do It the Write Way two-part workshop.

Visit the PCGS website for competition rules, judging criteria, and registration information.

Good Luck!

Meet our Write-On! Competition Winners

The winners of our 2015 Write-On! Competition were announced at our June General Meeting and on our blog post Write-On! Competition Winners. We are now introducing our winners to you.

1st Place
Margaret Ward
The Long Journey of Mabel Ida Lewis Smith 

 I was born in Central India to Canadian missionary parents. My mother’s family had been in India for generations, many holding positions that kept the British Raj running – post office and railway, for example. My schooling was varied. I attended a private school in New York, a one-room school in rural Ontario, and boarding schools in India and Canada. Following my undergraduate years, I married a psychiatrist. After three biological children, we adopted eight others, aged from infancy to thirteen. Once I was widowed, I wintered in Arizona, and eventually married an Arizonan. I have degrees in English, and Child and Lifespan Development and taught in high school and college. For many years, my interest in family traditions had no focus. As part of my graduate studies, I undertook a personal development project in which I collected and shared family stories. That was the spark that lit focused genealogical research.


2nd Place
Debra Kabinier
The Tale of the Traveling China

 Debra Fowler Kabinier started working on genealogy with her two great aunts when she was a young teenager.  The three of them would conduct research at the old county library and local historical society.  Her quest for family history continued in small spurts but took a back-seat to raising a family and growing a career.  Now that she is retired, genealogy is her full-time hobby.  She hones her skills by attending conferences, webinars, and taking classes.








3rd Place
Doris Briscoe-Lyon
An Incident at the Well

 I grew up on a dairy farm in Oregon and spent the summers driving a tractor on a hay farm. Working outdoors made my spirit soar and I felt free and close to God and nature. I was born to be left-handed, but in school I was forced to write with my right hand which was a trial for me, but my left hand is still the strongest. In high school I received good grades for public speaking and writing. After raising six children, I began writing poetry which seems to come quite easily to me. So now I am writing poetry and my memoirs, which releases my creativity. When I need a change, I go for a walk or play the piano which has been a special gift to me. I had only eighteen months of lessons when I was ten years old, and I was told I'd never be a piano player. But I am! I feel so blessed!



Be sure to read the winning stories in the September 2015 issue of The PCGS Researcher (available now in the Members Only section of our website). And let our winners know how much you enjoyed reading them.
 

Write On! Competition Winners

We are proud to announce the winners of the 2015 Write On! Competition.
1st Place --  Margaret Ward for her piece title The Long Journey of Mabel Ida Lewis Smith
2nd Place --  Debra Kabinier for her piece title The Tale of the Traveling China
3rd Place -- Doris Briscoe-Lyon for her piece title An Incident at the Well

Congratulations to the winners! Watch for the winning stories in future editions of The PCGS Researcher.

Thank you to all the writers who submitted an entry to the contest. We hope you will all participate again.   And thank you to our judges who worked hard to ensure a fair contest.

Watch this blog and our website for news of our 2nd annual Write On! Competition!

Deadline extended for Write On! Contest

The deadline for entries in our first Write On! writing contest has been extended to May 2, 2015. This gives you two additional weeks to polish up that story you've been working on.

The winners will be announced, and cash prizes awarded, at the June 20 PCGS meeting. You do not need to be present to win.

For more information and links to the entry form, visit our website at http://azpimagensoc.org/. The entry form will not be updated with the new deadline, so please do not be alarmed.

Please direct your questions to info@azpimagensoc.org.

Good luck!

The Write On! Deadline is Quickly Approaching

The deadline for entries in the Write On! writing contest is just around the corner: April 18 will be here sooner than you think. Don't miss your opportunity to get some valuable tips on your writing and maybe win some Cash along the way.

This contest is open to everyone. We are looking for original and unpublished works, such as:

• Memoirs and biographies where the major portion of the facts are from personal memories, interviews, family oral traditions, etc. No, or few, historical documents are used in research. However, information that is not from your personal member should be cited, to show where and how you learned of facts or stories.
• A family history or biography that is researched and documented through historical documents.
• Genealogical poems or essays.

Entries should be 4,000 words or less, excluding textboxes, footnotes and endnotes. Authors retain copyright of their material, but grant permission to print the entry in the PCGS newsletter or other PCGS publications. Photos and illustrations used must be free of copyright, or have written permission from the copyright holder, and contain appropriate attribution.

Each entry will be read and graded by three judges using the guidelines at this link. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. Winners will be announced, and prizes awarded, at the June 20, 2015 PCGS general meeting. You do not need to be present to win. To enter, follow this link to the Write On! Contest Entry Form and follow the instructions provided. Questions can be directed to the Contest Coordinator at info@azpimagensoc.org (please put "Write On!" in the subject line).

Do it the Write Way: A Free Writing Workshop!

Have you thought about writing your memoirs but just can't seem to get started? Do you want to publish your family history, but you're afraid of putting your readers to sleep? Do you have some fascinating family stories of one of your ancestors that you want to share with your loved ones, but don't know how to get them interested in reading them? Do you want to enter our writing contest Write On!, but wish you could get some tips before submitting your story? Join us on February 28 for a free workshop: Do it the Write Way! to learn techniques to bring your family history to life, and create a fascinating story anyone would want to read.

The workshop will be led by Rondie Yancey, a two-time winner in the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) Excellence in Writing Competition–First Place in 2014 and Honorable Mention in 2013. Rondie taught Writing and English to high school students for many years. Her love of writing extended to writing her family history, learning what works and what doesn't along the way. She will share her knowledge with you and give you an opportunity to start your story right in class.

Do it the Write Way workshop will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the University Medical Center rooms 2500 C&D (just off the cafeteria). The workshop is free, but space is limited to 30 attendees so preregistration is required. While it is open to everyone, PCGS members will receive priority. To register, download the form at http://azpimagensoc.org/upload/events/files/1422285592_WritingWrkshp_form.pdf  or email your name, complete address, phone number, email address and whether or not you are a PCGS member to info@azpimagensoc.org with Writing Workshop 2015 in the subject line.
 
 Registration deadline for Do it the Write Way is February 21, 2015.

See our blog post Our First Writing Contest - WRITE ON! for more information about the contest and links to the judging guidelines and entry forms. Deadline for submitting your contest entries is April 18, 2015.

Our First Writing Contest - WRITE ON!

Pima County Genealogy Society is proud to announce Write On!, our first writing contest. Open to all members and non-members of PCGS, this is your chance to flex your writing muscles and create something of lasting value for you and your family, and have the opportunity to win some cash.

We are looking for original and unpublished works, such as:

• Memoirs and biographies where the major portion of the facts are from personal memories, interviews, family oral traditions, etc. No, or few, historical documents are used in research. However, information that is not from your personal memory should be cited, to show where and how you learned of facts or stories.
• A family history or biography that is researched and documented through historical documents.
• Genealogical poems or essays.

Entries should be 4,000 words or less, excluding textboxes, footnotes and endnotes. Authors retain copyright of their material, but grant permission to print the entry in the PCGS newsletter or other PCGS publications. Photos and illustrations used must be free of copyright, or have written permission from the copyright holder, and contain appropriate attribution.

PCGS will offer a mini-workshop early in 2015 that will provide attendees with techniques for writing a quality family history story. This is an excellent opportunity for contestants to improve on their entries before the deadline.

Each entry will be read and graded by three judges using the guidelines at this link. Cash prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place winners. The Contest Coordinator and Judges are ineligible.

The contest begins now–entries must be received by the coordinator no later than 18 April 2015. Winners will be announced, and prizes awarded, at the 20 June 2015 PCGS general meeting. To enter, follow this link to the Write On! Contest Entry Form and follow the instructions provided. Questions can be directed to the Contest Coordinator at info@azpimagensoc.org (please put "Write On!" in the subject line).