Grand and Meaty Occurrences - This Joust In Vol 1 Issue 5

Writing Knights is busy this summer!

We are conducting our first ever sWORD FIGHT July 13, then the NEXT DAY, July 14, Writing Knights will be represented as part of the Ohio Meatgrinder Slam in Columbus, OH.

Meatgrinder is described as:

Workshop, bouts, finals, after party. All in one day

You can visit the site here to get the what's up from Louise Robertson and Scott Woods, the founders of Meatgrinder.

Writing Knights sent a team to the last two Meatgrinders and while we didn't win or place, that's not the point. The point, truly IS the poetry when it comes to Meatgrinder. 

We are looking for two more people to join Azriel Johnson and Skylark Bruce. You don't need to be of any particular skill set other than have the willingness to go up on stage and perform your best, most out of the box work.

We might even try to work in some group pieces. That is to be determined by how much time we have to practice.

Later in July, the 27th & 28th we are moving full force into the Grand Showcase and Marketplace in downtown Canton. All of our programs are full, so we are now looking to get some amazing performers into our all day open mic on the 28th.

Our Open Mic List as it stands is here.

The open mic will be an important part of the day as it will give new people exposure to words they might not have expected otherwise, so we are looking for people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to share themselves with our marketplace walkers.

Open mic performers will also be the first people we ask to fill in if someone has to cancel their performance slot during the main shows. 

While you're here, check out the other links on our site. We have a bunch of new releases as well as submission calls in progress and coming up.

Sit, stay a while, explore.

Thanks!
Azriel Johnson 
Director of Writing Knights Press

PS - email writingknightspress@gmail.com subject line "This Joust In" to receive the newsletter.

Writing Knights wants to feature YOU!

Writing Knights is diving into a new era for our Take the Knight Off - Inspiration Showcase.  We are embracing the idea of themes and will eventually be looking for additional places to hold open mics and features throughout the Stark County/North East Ohio area.

Some of our upcoming themes include:
July - Transition
August - Hot Summer Night 
September - Falling into Autumn 
October: Spooky Verses 
November: Hunger 
December: Will It Snow? 

For our July show in addition to our first ever sWord Fight, we also have two amazing features: John Burroughs and Paul Mangus.

But after that we don't have anyone scheduled. Part of that is a lot of our creative energy is booking for the Grand Showcase, but a bigger part is, we want people to come to us to be featured. If people come to us, then we will know they want to feature and promote themselves.

Consider this an open invitation.  If you want to feature for Writing Knights at a 2nd Friday show, email us at writingknights@live.com Subject line: "Featuring for Writing Knights." Typical features are paid $20 for 20 minutes plus negotiable travel.

A couple notes:
We typically will not feature someone for pay more than once every 6 months (this does not include sWord Fights. We are super open about those, if you want to do one a month, we'll make it work).
Features do not necessarily follow the theme, but it's a good idea to have a few pieces in conjunction.
Asking to feature sooner than later is preferred, we will only book 3 features at most.
More will be added as situations arise.

Let's get you on stage!

What is a sWord Fight?

Coming July 13th, Writing Knights is venturing into the realm of word competition with our first ever sWord Fight.

What is a sWord Fight? You ask...

Picture a Poetry Slam 

mixed with a Rap Battle

mixed with a comedy/storytelling session

mixed with a UFC fight 

mixed with a WWE show

and you'll get the idea.

Call it... Ultimate Writing or Mixed Literary Arts.
 
We're taking two competitors, putting them up against one another in a three round battle of wits and words with flavor and a little bit of trash talk scattered around them.

Each competitor portrays a character that is whatever they want to be. Competitors can wear masks or costumes, they can turn their personalities up to 11 and blow the audience away with theatrics. Or they can portray high and mighty arrogance looking down upon their opponents. Fighters can have entrance music or elaborate video accompaniment to the stage.  They can have managers or valets.  Competitors can be hero, villain, anti-hero, wild card or brave.  Whatever they want to bring the stage is up to them.

Here's the run down of the basics:

3 Rounds of Performance

4 minute round (2 minutes per fighter)

6 minute round (3 minutes per fighter)

8 minute round (4 minutes per fighter)

Fighters can stick to the theme of the event or not.
Fighters can present as many pieces as they wish during their round. Example: if you can squeeze 80 haiku in 2 minutes, go for it.
Fighters can bring any style of words they want into the fight. They can bring poetry, rap, comedy, storytelling or a mix of any of these and beyond.
No musical accompaniment.

Competitors do not have to use their full time, but fighters that do not stop by the end of the round will be disqualified. THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD.

Rounds will be scored by on a 10 point must system.
The winner of a round is given 10 points, the loser is given 9 points or less.
If a judge cannot decide between the two they may award both fighters 10, but this should be rare.
Despite the use of characters and personas, all scores given are LEGITIMATE and will determine future storylines.

Speaking of Characters, Personas and Storylines. Fighters are encouraged to trash talk their opponents or anyone in the confines of the sWord Fight. This is less "you suck" and more "I'm better than you" we aren't trying to get too personal. Fighters will be asked to "cut promos" occasionally which involve them talking to their opponent or laying an open call to anyone who might want to challenge them.  Sometimes this might happen at a Writing Knights show, sometimes they might be asked to record a promo video and send it to us for posting and including in compilation videos.  Storylines follow the progression of each character as they compete and cut promos on one another (examples posted throughout this entry).

So those are the basics. We are on the look out for Fighters and Judges or both, if a Fighter wants to also volunteer to judge, that can definitely work.

If you want to participate, email writingknights@live.com Subject line: "sWord Fight."

We are currently based in Canton, OH, but once we generate interest, we'll definitely take the show on the road. Our first potential travel plans are looking at Akron, Cleveland and Columbus.

Send Writing Knights Your Overstock

Are you a publishing press or record label

who just has too much overstock?

Are you a poet or audio artist

who has too many copies

of your old books or albums?

Are you a book or music collector

who just has too many copies

of indie poetry or (non)fiction books, CDs or DVDs?
Are you a person who has too many books 
and are looking to downsize?

Well Writing Knights has a solution for you!

click read more

Writing Knights is Seeking Reviews

Image from: https://hobbylark.com/

Writing Knights is looking to get our books reviewed. ALL of our books, including books long ago published and forgotten to most.

Below are the guidelines we are trying to follow, yes they seem stringent, but this is an experiment to see what this format can do for our sales. 


Compensation: You get to read free poetry/fiction books. We cannot offer any remuneration at this time, but if our sales pick up for reviewed books we might start adding a percentage of the sales for future reviewed books.

Written: About 500 Words (about 100 words for Fourplays)
Video: about 5 minutes (about 1 minute for Fourplays)

These video reviews are meant to make people want to purchase the books so they will need to be positive. If you do not feel positive about the book read, pass on it. No harm done.
  
Reviews should be about 80% content driven and 20% sales driven.  The following will help you parse out how to put the video together.

Build rapport
- compliment the audience or tell a joke or relatable anecdote

After building rapport, you can now give recommendations
- Talk about the result of the product (how the book will make the audience feel)

Demonstrate the result and the product
- read/recite an excerpt which exemplifies the feeling

You're really selling yourself and the product is just a part of it
- convey the emotional state the book puts you into, assert certainty. no uncertain language.

Be congruent with what you're saying
- be genuine in that certainty. enthusiasm even in somber emotions. if you feel the product is amazing let that feeling come through.

Interested reviewers email: writingknightspress@gmail.com Subject Line: "Writing Knights Book Review"

If you want to review our books, but do not want to follow the format below, you can contact us here: writingknightspress@gmail.com subject line: "Independent Book Review" and review them how you want. 

 

Send us a list of up to 5 books from the list and we will send a PDF of the book(s) you want to review.
click Read More to see our list of books for which we need reviews.