Cross Timbers Contest Links

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I shall not easily forget the mortal toil, and the vexations of flesh and spirit, that we underwent occasionally, in our wanderings through the Cross Timber. It was like struggling through forests of cast iron.

— A Tour on the Prairies, Washington Irving.

The Cross Timbers are metaphor for our community, for our fiction, and for ourselves.

In 1832, Washington Irving joined a party of mounted rangers on an expedition to Indian Territory. They found arid prairie bounded by dense, forbidding forests. This dark mosaic of gnarled, blackjack and post oaks hunkered close to the rocky ground. Prickly underbrush snagged all who entered and blocked progress. These forests, these Cross Timbers, stood as a barrier and a boundary between the civilized East and the wild West.

Today, these forests endure, stretching from southeastern Kansas, coiling around Tulsa, and snaking along I-44 to Oklahoma City and beyond. These trees are small in stature, usually less than thirty feet tall, but they are survivors. They can live for centuries. Many of the ones Irving wrote about are still around. They survived droughts and blizzards, fires and storms. They even survived human intrusion. The forests are mostly oak, but they are diverse. They include hickory, pine, redbud, and hackberry trees. Vines, briers, and sumac tangle about their rough bark.

So, like our namesake, we are survivors. We're diverse. The path to good craft can be prickly, but we'll push through. We're in this for the long term. We're not flashy, but we've got all the basic elements down. We won't let a few crowd out everyone else--every member contributes to the ecology of our group.

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Max's Alphabetized links to Useful Stuff  (E) Some links to things every author needs. #1708934 by Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

FOLDER

Thoughts on Writing  (NPL) Short essays on the craft of fiction. #1847273 by Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

GROUP

The Art of Show vs Tell Courses  (13+) Have you ever been told, "Show, don't tell?"...a 2018 and 2019 Quill Award Winner #2129581 by Jim Hall

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We extend thanks to all who have generously donated GPS to our contest.
Not counting marketing, each iteration of this contest costs over 100,000 Gift Points. We are grateful for any donations we receive. Our ability to continue offering this contest depends on the generous contributions of members like you.

Benefactors:

Patrons:

Champions:
EvilDawg - Vigilante Ranger!!
Carol St.Ann
Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

Anyone donating 10,000 or more Gift Points becomes a Benefactor and is listed above.
Anyone donating 20,000 Gift Points or more becomes a Patron and is listed above.
Anyone donating more 40,000 Gift Points or becomes a Champion , is listed above, and receives a Merit Badge.

Donations may be sent to Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈 or attached to a comment in the contest message board.

Thank you for whatever assistance you can provide.


EvilDawg - Vigilante Ranger!!

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