“The Visionary Writers MFA” is a coaching and seminar program for serious writers who want to take their writing career, and their writing lives to the next level. This program is designed to help creative writers succeed in every aspect of their lives (spirituality, finance and business, creativity, relationships, health and wellness) Please contact internationally published poet, artists, publisher, speaker, and writing coach Albert Flynn DeSilver at: asisowl@mindspring.com for a FREE coaching session, more information, and any questions you might have! And feel free to visit his website in process: albertflynndesilver.com

Immerse yourself in writing, relaxing, and exploring one of Mexico’s most beautiful colonial towns. The workshop is intimate, with a maximum of nine students, and held in a luxurious villa in the center of town, with lots of nooks and terraces for writing, reading, and dreaming. Workshop includes daily writing sessions in the morning, a reception, lunch at the villa, a cooking class and lunch in the country, a tour of town, an excursion to a private folk art museum, and a celebratory dinner and reading. $995 does not include airfare or accommodations (we’ll help arrange those). Visit Laura’s website for details and photos.

Laura Fraser is the author of the NYT-bestselling memoir An Italian Affair and her latest book, All Over the Map. She has written for numerous national magazines, including the New York Times, Oprah, and Gourmet, and has taught writing at many venues, including the University of California at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism and the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, where she is a long-time member.

Voters who register will be entered for a chance to win gift certificates to renowned San Francisco museums, restaurants, attractions and more. Voting will end on September 6, after which winners will be announced and awarded. View the video winner prize package and official rules here.

You can see more of Jak’s photography on his Facebook page.

The San Francisco Waterfront Challenge, a new weekly “identify-the-photo” game, is giving prizes to waterfront-savvy locals and visitors. The challenge starts at noon on Wednesday, on April 20^th. The photo challenge is a celebration of San Francisco’s lively waterfront and a promotion for the San Francisco Waterfront website and mobile application.

Here’s how it works:

• Each Wednesday at noon for the next for six months, a photo taken somewhere along San Francisco’s waterfront, from the Golden Gate Bridge to AT&T Park, will be posted online at San Francisco Waterfront. SF Waterfront Challenge rules are on the website.
• The first person who identifies the location where the photo was taken wins that week’s prize. Answers must be emailed to challenge@sf-waterfront.com.

Sponsored by Knuckles at the Wharf/Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf, the Red and White Fleet, and Eclipse at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the San Francisco Waterfront Challenge will award one prize each week. Prizes range from two free tickets for a Red and White Fleet Bay Cruise to free appetizers at the restaurants.

All photos used in the contest can also be found in the 5-star rated San Francisco Waterfront iPhone app, so that even people who have never set foot in the City by the Bay can participate.

Winners will be announced each week on the San Francisco Waterfront website.

Call for entries: The annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition deadline is just days away! Enter your best nature photography before May 2, 2011 for a chance to exhibit your work at the Smithsonian.

The Nature’s Best Photography concept began with simple yet dynamic goals: to celebrate the beauty and diversity of nature through the art of photography, and to use this far-reaching medium as a creative tool for encouraging greater public interest in outdoor enjoyment and conservation stewardship.

The annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards program evolved from this ambitious mission to become one of the most highly-respected and visually compelling nature photography competitions in the world. More than 25,000 entries are received and judged each year in the International Awards.