<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>MEDIA RELEASE: Writing contest seeks "wicked words" -- top prize $500</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><<a href="mailto:pr2008@wcdr.org">pr2008@wcdr.org</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> </div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; "><img width="374" height="78" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01C9D941.17131D00"><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; ">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></font></b><span style="text-transform: uppercase; "> <b><span style="font-weight: bold; "><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><i><font size="5" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; ">Writing contest seeks “wicked words”</span></font></i></b><b><font size="5" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 16.5pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; "><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; ">Top prize $500 to prose competition winner<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; ">DURHAM REGION, ON MAY 320, 2009</span></font></b>: <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span lang="EN-CA">Something wicked this way comes. It’s<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span style="font-style: italic; ">Wicked Words</span></i>, a themed prose writing contest organized by The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Wicked words may creep into your dreams and haunt your days. Write them down; this contest offers wicked rewards. A sinfully rich $500 first prize includes publication in both the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Durham</st1:city></st1:place><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>arts magazine<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span style="font-style: italic; ">Surfacing<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i>and the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span style="font-style: italic; ">Wicked Words</span></i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>anthology. The $250 second prize winner and selected honourable mentions will also be published in the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i><span style="font-style: italic; ">Wicked Words<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i>anthology. All published entries reap a $25 payment and a contributor’s copy. What’s more, each and every entry receives written feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">The meaning of “Wicked”…a complicated and complex little word:<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Evil nature or action<o:p></o:p></span></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Playful, mischievous and occasionally malicious<o:p></o:p></span></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Severe and worrying<o:p></o:p></span></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Really offensive and nasty<o:p></o:p></span></font></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Totally awesome man…that’s just soooo wicked!<o:p></o:p></span></font></li></ul><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">The open genre, open form prose competition welcomes wicked works of fiction and non-fiction alike; they will be judged for their excellence in craft and power to move our judges. Entries will compete head to head and word for word. Maximum word count is 1500. The entry fee is just $20 ($25 for international entries). Online entries and secure payment by PayPal are encouraged. Or mail your entry and cheque/money order to Wicked Words, The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region, Bayly Postal Outlet,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">PO Box</st1:street><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>14558</st1:address>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">75 Bayly Street West</st1:street>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Ajax</st1:city><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:state w:st="on">ON</st1:state><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:postalcode w:st="on">L1S 7K7</st1:postalcode></st1:address>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">Start writing that short story, essay, memoir, or creative non-fiction piece that’s haunting you: the contest deadline, appropriately, is midnight on Hallowe’en night (October 31, 2009). Winners will be announced in January 2010. For details, visit<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.wcdr.org/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.wcdr.org</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>or e-mail<a href="mailto:wickedwords@wcdr.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">wickedwords@wcdr.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; ">-30-<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><strong><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">The Writers’ Circle of Durham Region (WCDR)</span></font></b></strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is dedicated to raising the profile of writers of all kinds, and at all levels, by offering a forum through which they can find support, education and networking opportunities.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong><b><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-weight: normal; ">As a non-profit umbrella organization</span></font></b></strong>, WCDR has worked since 1995 to draw together individuals and groups with common interests in promoting the art and skill of writing, fostering literacy, and providing moral support to our members. To find out about the many writing-related activities WCDR offers, please explore<a href="http://www.wcdr.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">www.wcdr.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold; ">MEDIA CONTACT</span>: Heather M. O'Connor<o:p></o:p></font></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; "> 905-430-0466<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></div><div style="text-indent: 0.5in; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; "> <a href="mailto:wickedwords@wcdr.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">wickedwords@wcdr.org</a></span></font></b><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" face="Verdana"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Verdana; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" face="Verdana"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Verdana; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></div></span></blockquote></div><br></body></html>