Search found 623 matches
- Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:49 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
I applied September 25 last year and found out the first Monday in December I think - but most people were notified the day after Thanksgiving.
- Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:38 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
They said, "Mermaid frozen in an iceberg," and he developed the coolest story out of it on the fly, and then pitched it to us without batting an eye. It was amazing to see his mind work that up so fast, and then relate it to us in a pitch, demonstrating how it's done. He's an excellent in...
- Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:36 pm
- Forum: Writing: Craft, Talent, Technique
- Topic: Use of italics for emphasis
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4975
Re: Use of italics for emphasis
Uh oh. The character climax of my novel is all mind speech and is a three way italics conversion. Guess it won’t be up your alley!
- Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:32 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
Reporting in just to—as Wulf said— show we’re all in this together. I have sent 8 queries on my YA fantasy novel so far - and I already have a full request! Very exciting. I’ve completed one story that will be my WotF entry for this quarter and am 1k into a second story. My krakens come back and go ...
- Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:13 am
- Forum: Writing: Craft, Talent, Technique
- Topic: Pitching a novel at Life, The Universe & Everything
- Replies: 13
- Views: 3941
Re: Pitching a novel at Life, The Universe & Everything
That’s a great result! Congratulations!
- Sat Feb 15, 2020 6:27 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Discussion: Q1 Volume 37
- Replies: 437
- Views: 70374
Re: Discussion: Q1 Volume 37
HermioneLee wrote:Thank you very much, TimE. So everyone, from Semi-Finalist to Rejection, receives an email from Joni?
Everyone. She’s amazing!
- Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:39 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
I'm going to give you some free advice...wait a minute, all this advice is free! :) I recall the most important thing I learned in sales, the KISS method: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID. :) It is really, really easy to complicate what a story is, turn the process into some elaborate monstrosity, or cloak i...
- Thu Feb 13, 2020 7:56 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
At the risk of tooting my own horn, I will say that this past year I started focusing on the internal journey of my MCs instead of the external and I got 2HMs, a SHM, and my first pro sale. It’s the emotional element that is compelling, I think, in stories. Even Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne have inter...
- Thu Feb 13, 2020 6:03 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
Thank you for sharing this, Becky! I've focused on internal character arcs with a Three-Act Structure when writing novels, but for some reason I have a really hard time making my brain translate this same concept into short stories. Any tips on that would be much appreciated! Same thing, just short...
- Thu Feb 13, 2020 6:01 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
I took Dan Well's class on "Creating Character Arcs" and it was awesome. Not only does he sound just like he does on Writing Excuses, but the information was amazing. It just helped me finish off my Q2 submission. Thanks Becky! A question: Do you think that the main character arc needs to...
- Wed Feb 12, 2020 6:42 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
I took Dan Well's class on "Creating Character Arcs" and it was awesome. Not only does he sound just like he does on Writing Excuses, but the information was amazing. It just helped me finish off my Q2 submission. Basically, he walked the class through the Three-Act Structure with an empha...
- Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:12 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Discussion: Q2 Volume 37
- Replies: 547
- Views: 73494
Re: Discussion: Q2 Volume 37
Henckel wrote:Does anyone else out there use polysyndeton as a literary device? I don't see this much (if any) in sci fi/fantasy. Not sure us using such a device would be frowned upon in this contest (even when used correctly)??? Any thoughts?
Learned me a new word today!

- Mon Feb 03, 2020 6:16 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: SUPERSTARS Writing Seminar
- Replies: 93
- Views: 23160
Re: SUPERSTARS Writing Seminar
I’m getting up at 3am. I should be dreading the flight and the tired but I’m so excited!
- Tue Jan 28, 2020 9:08 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Is a fantasy story without an ending/solution that involves fantasy wrong?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 4199
Re: Is a fantasy story without an ending/solution that involves fantasy wrong?
It’s generally recommended to avoid details regarding your story on the forum as the contest is anonymous - I’d edit out those details. Judges have been known to browse the forum.
- Tue Jan 28, 2020 7:10 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
I hear y'all on the exhaustion! Despite this absurdly busy week, I stayed up late editing my first story of Q2 because I got in the zone. I'm pretty psyched about it, but the wait is going to kill me if it's my next WotF submission! I've had a long stretch of radio silence from the zines (which, ye...
- Mon Jan 27, 2020 6:10 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Discussion: Q1 Volume 37
- Replies: 437
- Views: 70374
Re: Discussion: Q1 Volume 37
Yeah... they always say that though. I checked the Grinder - it's been mid-April the last two years. I wouldn't start twitching until after the Gala, personally.
- Mon Jan 27, 2020 11:49 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Discussion: Q1 Volume 37
- Replies: 437
- Views: 70374
Re: Discussion: Q1 Volume 37
AlexH wrote:I'm sure I remember Joni saying late-March this time?
They’re frequently aiming for faster results. IIRC last year Dave Farland had some real health issues during Q1, which delayed results. Here’s hoping it’s sooner!
- Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:26 pm
- Forum: Interviews: Entrants, Judges, Past Winners
- Topic: Tom Doherty WoTF podcast
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2201
Re: Tom Doherty WoTF podcast
If you have an audible subscription, I highly recommend the Great Courses "How Great Science Fiction Works" lecture series. I loved it, and found the speaker very personable. Not always the case - I've quit lectures before because of a boring professor! :)
- Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:47 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Discussion: Q4 Volume 36
- Replies: 595
- Views: 80971
Re: Discussion: Q4 Volume 36
Like swift said you can’t resubmit that story, but you’re not barred from entering. You’ll get a critique from Dave Farland so definitely reach out to Joni! General consensus is that anything but a finalist is still a rejection - and there have been mixed results from people using finalist in cover ...
- Sun Jan 19, 2020 1:39 pm
- Forum: Writing: Craft, Talent, Technique
- Topic: Helpful Writing Links
- Replies: 33
- Views: 11510
Re: Helpful Writing Links
https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/SFTerms.html
I don't know if you guys knew this existed, but I'm totally excited about it. Especially if you've got a story going into the Jim Baen awards.
I don't know if you guys knew this existed, but I'm totally excited about it. Especially if you've got a story going into the Jim Baen awards.
- Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:46 pm
- Forum: Writing: Craft, Talent, Technique
- Topic: Pitching a novel at Life, The Universe & Everything
- Replies: 13
- Views: 3941
Re: Pitching a novel at Life, The Universe & Everything
If you’re pitching a complete manuscript, stick to one. If you’re just asking questions, you can mention both. But I wouldn’t try to pitch both.
- Thu Jan 16, 2020 3:44 pm
- Forum: Story Critique Exchange
- Topic: Story critique needed. Thanks :)
- Replies: 2
- Views: 2086
Re: Story critique needed. Thanks :)
You can send it to me. At that size it’ll take me a few days but should be within a week.
- Thu Jan 16, 2020 8:49 am
- Forum: Writing: Craft, Talent, Technique
- Topic: Pitching a novel at Life, The Universe & Everything
- Replies: 13
- Views: 3941
Re: Pitching a novel at Life, The Universe & Everything
1. You talk to an agent or editor about your manuscript. Ideally, you want a completed novel manuscript if you’re going to a pitch session. If you don’t have a completed book, you can still use the time to ask questions, get them to review your query letter, etc. 2. Business cards are a good idea fo...
- Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:12 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
SUPER Congratulations to Wulf Moon for winning "Best Author" in the Critters Reader's Poll! We know how hard he works, he really deserves this recognition. More, Super Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler won Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story, and OUR little Writing Wor...
- Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:21 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
I've completed a flash story on the BLOOD SUCKER prompt. I accidentally wrote 1346 words, dangit, but will cut it down to 500 anyway. As for the British flash competitions, I do suspect they're going to be more in favor of literary type flash, more like FFO than DSF, but a great story is a great sto...
- Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:51 pm
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
If the grand prize weren’t so significant I’d have skipped it - but $12 for a potential $1300 prize is worth it, to me.
- Tue Jan 14, 2020 11:58 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
https://theshortstory.co.uk/competition ... mpetition/
All of you doing the flash prompts regularly - this is a good opportunity for you!
All of you doing the flash prompts regularly - this is a good opportunity for you!
- Mon Jan 13, 2020 11:29 am
- Forum: Publishing: The Business Of
- Topic: Fantasy and Science Fiction-How does Charlie do it?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2682
Re: Fantasy and Science Fiction-How does Charlie do it?
I don't think he does much else, he probably reads really fast, and he's been at this for a long time - I've assumed he has a smooth system for rejecting or holding stories. I've noticed this before, too. He's so fast, and frequently gives feedback and comments to boot. Not to mention curating one o...
- Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:26 am
- Forum: Writing: Craft, Talent, Technique
- Topic: Novel Structure - About Turning Points
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3575
Re: Novel Structure - About Turning Points
I vary where I break it - sometimes it's a cliffhanger and sometimes I tie things off with a bow with a few dangling threads. I (personally) like to have easy places to put a book down. I'm a mom, I have work and life to deal with, so it's nice to have a satisfying place to stop without it nagging a...
- Mon Jan 13, 2020 4:59 am
- Forum: The Contest - Quarterly Topics, and Other Items
- Topic: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!
- Replies: 3656
- Views: 542890
Re: Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge!
Wow. I totally missed this entire thread during my 2-3 year hiatus. I mean, I saw it, but usually only long enough to know there was a new message and click the "mark all threads as read" button. <sadface>. With another glance, I looked at the original post. Damn. wotf015 I will get all c...