My Little Corner

Fires on the Plain

2012-01-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Wahooo!!! We've got a new market for Western fiction, folks. "Fires on the Plain" is looking for hardboiled/noir Westerns of any length, reprints or originals. They're also looking for interviews with Western authors and articles or essays on Western fiction. And it looks like Cullen Gallagher (Pulp Serenade) is at the helm of this new market. You can check it out here http://firesontheplain.com

hat tip to Brian Lindenmuth and Patti Abbott for the info!

The Prompt Story Cupboard

2012-01-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

Do you have days when all the ideas in your head sink like a dinosaur in the tar pits? Yeah, me, too. Well, if you need a fresh idea you might give some of these prompt sites a try. If nothing else they'll add a bit a sparkle to what you've already got or give your story a new direction, or you can find yourself writing a whole new story.

http://www.creativewritingprompts.com This site has a page full a numbers - just run your cursor over the numbers and the prompts appear. Some are prompts for stories, others just writing exercises to get you in the mood.

http://writingprompts.tumblr.com This site combines pictures and written prompts.

http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts Yes, Writer's Digest is online and has a page of sentence/paragraph prompts to get your juices flowing.

http://www.seventhsanctum.com This site is full of generators, mostly for the sci-fi/fantasy writers. They have prompts for setting, character names, villains, almost anything you think you might need to get a story started.

Research

2012-01-27T05:39:00.000-08:00

Research is one of those things that a writer should do for accuracy's sake. In this fun essay over at the Necessary Fiction blog, Rusty Barnes gives an account of how writing from memory and hand-me-down stories can backfire on you. http://necessaryfiction.com/blog/ResearchNotesRustyBarnes

Too Old?

2012-01-26T05:22:00.000-08:00

Last week Adrian McKinty made the bold statement that "crime novels are bad because they are part of a series". http://adrianmckinty.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-are-most-crime-novels-bad.html Now I don't disagree with him because most series do run out of steam, at least for this reader. I've dropped a great many series because I got tired of reading the same old book or the author pulled a stunt that just didn't set right with me (bringing a character back to life was one and pulling the bad guy out of his hat that was never even hinted at through the course of four books).

But this post that I read this morning over at Black Gate really scares me. Scott Taylor doesn't blame the problem on series books but on the AGE of the author. According to him most authors hit their peak at or around 55. That makes me one doomed writer. You can read the post here http://www.blackgate.com/2012/01/25/art-of-the-genre-the-age-of-perfect-creation/ The discussion that follows is quite interesting.

Angry Robot Books Open Door

2012-01-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

Angry Robot Books is opening their doors for unagented authors once again this year. From the site:

"This year, we’re going to narrow the focus, somewhat. Angry Robot are specifically looking for epic fantasy, though Strange Chemistry (our YA imprint) will be looking for all forms of sf and fantasy YA. The doors will be open from April 16th through April 30th."

So if you write fantasy or are a YA author who writes sf/fantasy this is your chance to get your foot in the door. For more details go here http://angryrobotbooks.com/2012/01/the-return-of-open-door/

Anthology Call

2012-01-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ran across this call over at Horror Tree and tracked down a few more details.

"Fading Light" is a horror anthology that seeks stories about life in the shadows after the light is gone from the world. 3000 to 5000 words and the deadline is May 15 with publication in September. Payment is shared royalties. The editor is Tim Marquitz and you can find his call details here http://tmarquitz.com/blog/?p=658

The anthology will be published by Damnation Books http://www.damnationbooks.com/index.php

On Endings

2012-01-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

While searching for a market I stumbled across this blog post by Kyler Campbell over at South85 Journal about writing endings. http://www.south85journal.com/index.php/blog/101-life-on-mars-with-my-father-in-law Coming up with a great ending isn't always easy.

New Markets

2012-01-25T05:48:00.000-08:00

January seems to be the month that great ideas are born for new zines. Of course, they don't always pan out but the ones that do, well, we love them to death. Duotrope has quite a few fledgling zines listed but these two seemed most suited to readers of this blog.

"Circus of the Damned" is a non-paying market looking for horror stories of 1000 to 3500 words. You can check out the details and take a look at this new zine here http://damnedpublishing.blogspot.com/

"Rollicking Tales: Pulp Stories for the 21st Century", a UK based publication, is looking for shorts of 2000 to 20,000 words in all the genres. Payment is shared royalties. There's also a call for an anthology here titled "The Farmers Almanac" looking for shorts centered around farming communities (from cattle ranching in the old west to future farming on far away planets) The deadline for this one is December 31, 2012 with publication in 2013. You can check out the zine and the anthology at http://www.rollicking-tales.co.uk/

Silver Boomer Books isn't a new enterprise but they do have two new anthology calls for non-fiction essays with payment of $10 plus a copy. And three on-spec anthologies. You can find the details at http://silverboomerbooks.com/sbb/wp/for-writers/

A Good Conversation

2012-01-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

So, I've been looking at and reading a few stories in the online literary zines and I'm puzzled. For the most part the stories are almost unrelenting paragraphs of nothing but... story. Don't get me wrong, I love a good story but why no dialogue? Could that be the difference between literary and genre work? The absence of a good conversation between characters.

Color me unliterary, but I love dialogue in my stories. Life is full of conversations, so how can you tell a story where people don't talk with each other?

New Contest

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

While searching for a market for a new story I wrote, I found this non-fee flash contest over at "The White Cat Magazine". It's for their Spring April Fool's issue and the deadline is March 15. They're looking for April Fool's themed stories of up to 1000 words. $50 first prize and three runners up recieve $25 each. You can find all the details here http://www.whitecatpublications.com/?page_id=227

Is Any Narrator Reliable?

2012-01-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting conversation about the reliability of narrators going on here http://blog.bookviewcafe.com/2012/01/22/narrators-reliable-and-un/ The post is by Sherwood Smith.

Have I Got a Story for You

2012-01-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

"Domestic Violence" by Gwen Mullins http://www.pankmagazine.com/domestic-violence/

On Writing Shorts

2012-01-21T04:56:00.000-08:00

Great post about short story writing by author, Joe McKinney. http://waggingthefox.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-i-still-write-short-stories-guest.html

The Sweet Blog Award

2012-01-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Friend of the blog, Oscar Case, has nominated the Corner for a Sweet Blog Award. Thank you, Oscar! Part of the award is name 10 other blogs for the award and tell folks who drop by seven things they don't know about you.

Now naming just ten blogs is an impossible task for me as I drop by most of the links over there on the right on a daily basis and use CrimeSpot.net for most of the rest. Hard to pick just ten. But I thought writing seven thing you don't know about me might be fun.

1. I raced my old '64 Dodge against a '71 Camero and got the old beast up to nearly a hundred miles an hour. And no, I didn't win, but I did marry the boy driving the Camero.

2. I played the maid in "Cheaper by the Dozen" in our senior class play. And spent more of my time learning how to work the stage lights then being on stage.

3. I learned the Morse Code because I had a crush on one of the boys in my class who was learning the code for Boy Scouts and we passed dots and dashes notes back and forth in class.

4. I love horses, but I've never met a horse I didn't manage to fall off of. I've given up on horseback riding.

5. My first job was cook in a Summer camp for boys where I learned to play chess and discovered that I can't taste spices in the food I'm cooking after adding a whole can of chili powder to a pot of chili. The boys claimed it was the hottest and the best chili they'd ever eaten. The boss did the seasoning after that :)

6. Got my car, yes, the '64 Dodge, stuck in the mud on a washed out dirt road and was pulled out by two guys on motorcycles - very cool.

7. Worked at a truck stop and almost gave one of the customers all the money in the register when he trapped me up against the wall and asked how much money was in the register. The boss had told us that the truck stops were getting robbed and not to play hero just hand over the money. He wanted change for a hundred.

If you'd liked to play this game, drop on over to Oscar's blog and check out the details http://oscar-curlyblog.blogspot.com/

The Back Alley Closing

2012-01-20T13:08:00.000-08:00

This notice from Rick Helms, editor of The Back Alley came through several Yahoo groups that I belong to. Sad new, indeed:

This decision has been a long time coming, but I've decided to shut down The Back Alley Webzine.

We've had a great almost-five-year run.

Well, four of the five years were great. 2011 didn't really exist.

After the deaths of my mother and stepfather, within five weeks of each other in 2010, I sort of lost motivation to do a lot of things, and The Back Alley was one of them. 2011 was an amazing year for me personally, with four major award nominations and one win, but all the hoopla distracted me from the editing and publishing duties that might have kept The Back Alley alive.

I was very proud of what we were able to accomplish in just four short years:

Five Derringer Award nominations. Two were for me, and one each went to John Weagly, Debbi Mack, and Chris F. Holm. Two of these nominations resulted in wins (Paper Walls/Glass Houses, written under my pseudonym Eric Shane; and In The Shadows of Wrigley Field, by John Weagly).

A Spinetingler Award nomination for Claude Lalumière (She Watches Him Swim)

An Anthony Award nomination for Simon Wood (The Frame Maker)

And, among my proudest achievements, The Back Alley Webzine became the very first all-electronic publication to be accepted by Mystery Writers of America as an Approved Publisher (Periodical/Webzine).

Along the way, we published stories by winners of the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, Shamus, and Derringer Awards. Authors who graced our electronic pages included O'Neil De Noux, Ross Macdonald protege Fred Zackel, Wayne D. Dundee, Simon Wood, Stephen D. Rogers, Angela Zeman, Patricia Abbott, Jack Bludis, Tim Wohlforth, Keith Gilman, Jochem Vandersteen, Nick Andreychuk, Anita Page, Keith Gilman, John Lau, and G. Miki Hayden, among others.

While I was proud to showcase acclaimed authors, one of the greatest pleasures came from uncovering new and emerging talents. In each issue, I tried to feature at least one story by an author who either had never had a paid publishing credit, or was at the very beginning of what I hoped would be a jet-propelled ride up the writing ladder.

I plan to keep the website up for at least a few more months, and eventually I will migrate all the archived issues over to my personal website, so that they will continue to be accessible for readers looking for a toot of the good ol' hard stuff.

As a side note, I really would prefer to see the webzine keep going, even though I just don't have the time anymore to make that happen. If anyone out there would like to take up the reins and drive the second generation of The Back Alley Webzine, I will happily sell the domain name and rights to produce the 'zine. How about twenty bucks and bottle of Patron Anejo tequila?

Thanks to all the readers for a great run. Onward and upward!
R

Richard Helms

The Edgar Short Story Nominees

2012-01-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Mystery Writers of American have announced the nominees for their annual Edgar Awards. Listed below are the short story nominees. The rest can be found over at The Rap Sheet http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2012/01/edgars-out-of-box.html Congrats to all the nominees!!!

Best Short Story:
• “Marley’s Revolution,” by John C. Boland (Alfred Hitchcock
Mystery Magazine)
• “Tomorrow’s Dead,” by David Dean (Ellery Queen Mystery
Magazine [EQMM])
• “The Adakian Eagle,” by Bradley Denton (from Down These Strange Streets, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois; Ace Books)
• “Lord John and the Plague of Zombies,” by Diana Gabaldon (from Down These Strange Streets)
• “The Case of Death and Honey,” by Neil Gaiman (from A Study in Sherlock, edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger; Bantam)
• “The Man Who Took His Hat Off to the Driver of the Train,”
by Peter Turnbull (EQMM)

The Joys of Marketing

2012-01-19T05:28:00.000-08:00

Reading about this contest gave me a great chuckle this morning. I kept thinking what a great marketing ploy for an author who really doesn't need it. The contest is for Stephen King's latest entry in the Dark Tower series "The Wind Through the Key Hole". All you have to do is send your picture to Facebook and it might be one of a thousand that will be selected to grace the back cover of the book. Great, right? People will be buying the book to see if they made the cover :) Plus one winner will be selected to win some Stephen Kings books. You can check out all the details here http://hellnotes.com/the-face-through-the-key-hole Deadline is January 23.

Coming in March

2012-01-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

This looks like it might be a fun new zine. "Blood and Tacos" is bringing back the pulp heroes of past eras. Submissions are currently invitation only but they are willing to take a look at a query if you're up for writing men's adventure stories. You can check out the new site and read all about the new project here http://www.bloodandtacos.com/

Hat tip to Brian Lindenmuth for the link!!

Anthology Markets Galore

2012-01-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

From Katherine Tomlinson there are two links:

Tentacle Books has 5 open anthologies and the payments range from 4theluv, to 1/2cent a word, with a contest payment scale stuck in there. You can find the calls here http://www.tentaclebooks.com/?tag=open-anthology

J Taylor Publishing has a call for "Make Believe". The stories must be based on the picture they've posted. 5000 to 10,000 words, payment is a percentage of sales. The genre is romance. http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/blog/?p=572

Over at Angie's Desk, Angie has posted her monthly anthology submission calls. http://angiesdesk.blogspot.com/2012/01/anthology-markets.html

Twit Publishing has two open anthology calls. The first is for their Summer/Fall 2012 Pulp! which is open to all genres. The second is for a Diesel Punk anthology. Payment is a percentage of royalties. You can find the details for both here http://www.twitpublishing.com/Submissions.htm

And if that's not enough for you stop on over to the recent updates page of Duotrope. They've got a long listing of new anthologies for you to check out. http://www.duotrope.com/recentupdates.aspx

Writing Violence

2012-01-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting essay over at the Clarion Foundation site about violence in stories. The essay is written by Lynda Williams. http://clarionfoundation.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/writers-craft-55-writing-as-a-violent-act/

2012 Spinetingler Award: Best Novella

2012-01-17T05:33:00.001-08:00

The polls have opened to vote for best novella over at Spinetingler. This is the first year for the category but hopefully not the last. http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2012/01/16/2012-spinetigler-award-best-novella/

Anthology Call

2012-01-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

Keith Snyder has issued a call for "Ride-2" an anthology set in the world of bicycles. Up to 12,000 words in any genre with a March 31 deadline. Payment is a royalty split. You can find all the details at http://keithsnyder.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/call-for-submissions-ride-2/

Commas, Apostrophes, etc.

2012-01-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Dan Waddell has an interesting post about grammar at the Murder is Everywhere blog http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.com/2012/01/grammar-bores.html

Kick-starting Yourself

2012-01-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

Did you stop writing over the holidays? Yeah, and now you can't get your foot high enough off the ground to kick yourself in the butt with a good jolt of motivation, right? Join the club. I usually hit a slump long about this time of year and then kick into overdrive during the spring and summer months. But this year I have a problem - there's a deadline looming for a short story I promised an editor.

I have pages of notes for the story, but couldn't seem to find the right starting place. Four files with four different starts? There's definitely a problem. Then I read a post over at Alexandra Sokoloff's Dark Salon blog where she gives some great advice:

"If you write five minutes a day, you will write more than five minutes a day most days."

Sounds weird, doesn't it, but hey, it worked for me today. I sat down at the computer several times today and did the five minutes and each time I kept going for about fifteen minutes more. Doesn't sound like much does it? But I have almost a thousand words and a place to pick up the story tomorrow.

Give it a try, what do you have to lose? Five minutes of your day?

Open Markets

2012-01-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Bust Down the Door and Eat all the Chickens is open to submissions for issue 11. It's hard to describe what they're looking for here but the guidelines give you a long list of what they don't want. They're open to all genres of shorts in the 2000 to 5000 word range and payment is $10. http://www.absurdistjournal.com/guidelines.htm

Fear and Trembling is an online horror zine that seeks short stories with a spiritual bend. In other words, keep it clean. They're open until April 30. Flash of 900 to 1500 words and shorts of 1500 to 6000 words. Payment is $5. http://www.fearandtremblingmag.com

Midwestern Gothic is open for submissions to their 5th issue. They're seeking work from Midwestern writers of up to 10,000 words. Payment is one electronic copy. http://midwestgothic.com

Linkage

2012-01-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

Richard Parks takes a look at the downside of persistence. http://richard-parks.com/2012/01/09/the-downside-of-persistence/

And Brian Lindenmuth sings the praises of the novella. Http://dosomedamage.blogspot.com/2012/01/was-2011-year-of-novella-new.html

In Honor of Frank Bill

2012-01-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

Punchnels is sponsoring a "Hard Boiled-Down Noir" fiction contest. Up to 500 words max with a deadline of January 27. The top five stories will be published and the authors will be paid the zine's usual fee of $10. And a side note, all entries will be considered for publication. You can find the details here:

http://www.punchnels.com/fiction/the-hard-boiled-down-noir-fiction-contest/

A big tip of the hat to Brian Lindenmuth for the link!!

Charity Anthology Call

2012-01-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Author, Eric James Stone has posted a call for submissions for a charity ebook anthology. He's looking for PG-13 stories up to 4500 words in any genre inspired by the theme "The Three Bill Goats Gruff". The deadline is February 19. You can find the details here http://www.ericjamesstone.com/blog/contact/writing-for-charity-anthology-open-submissions-guidelines/

The charity is an ongoing one that supplies books to kids http://writingforcharity.com

The Short Story Process

2012-01-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

Over at the Bookview Cafe is a fun essay by Linda Nagata on why science fiction short stories are so hard to write. http://blog.bookviewcafe.com/2012/01/06/why-science-fiction-short-stories-are-really-hard-to-write/

Truth is, this applies to every genre a short story writer works in.

When More is Just Right

2012-01-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

Victor Gischler has a great post about the less is more theory of writing. http://victorgischler.blogspot.com/2012/01/remember-writers-less-is-more-really.html

Western Anthology Call

2012-01-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

Michael Knost has a call for a Western anthology listed on his blog. The title is "Dark Trails" and the deadline is June 1. He's paying pro-rate plus a percentage of shared royalties. He wants weird or dark Westerns. The stories must be Western first but no modern westerns. You can find the details here http://michaelknost.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-anthology-guidelines-dark-trails.html

Competitive Writing

2012-01-05T10:04:00.001-08:00

Some of the blogs I visit have a little yellow block on them that contains writing advice. In general I agree with most of the tips that show up but the one today had me scratching my head. "Every writing project competes in the marketplace. It's important to know your competition."

As a short story writer it's hard enough to figure out what an editor wants without having to worry about what other writers are writing to fill one of those vacant slots. The truth is, I don't write like Patti Abbott, or Michael Bracken, or Stephen Rogers, or Keith Rawson, or any one of a thousand other writers out there.

I'm me, and I'm my only competition. All I can do is write the best story I know how and submit it. The rest is up to the editor. If a hundred stories show up for one slot in a magazine, chances are I won't be the one filling it. That doesn't mean my story wasn't wonderful, it just means the editor preferred someone else's story. And the reasons can range from the subject matter I chose to write about to the fact that he spilled hot coffee in his lap while reading it.

When you submit, study your market, see what the editor has published in the past, try to get a handle on the market's target audience. Then sit down and write and rewrite until you have a polished story that you're proud of. The rest, well, that's up to the luck of the drawn.

Our best chance of getting published is to keep learning, to keep improving our writing skills, and to keep writing and submitting. Worrying about what the other guy is writing? Well, that will just drive you crazy.

The Big Click

2012-01-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

"The Big Click" http://www.thebigclickmag.com/ is a new bi-monthly noir fiction magazine set to launch in March of 2012 and helmed by Nick Mamatas. Since there were no guidelines at the link I emailed Mr. Mamatas with a request for more information. Here's what he had to say:

"It'll be invitation-only for calendar year 2012, so that writers can read a few issues and get a sense of what we like. We will be publishing submission guidelines, but only opening for our 2013 issues.

It's a paying market: a flat rate of $100 for fiction. We prefer fiction of under 6000 words.

We're running two stories per issue, a column by Tom Piccirilli every issue, and other non-fiction. We'll be free on the web and also bundling the issues as low-priced ebooks for every e-reader. Our first issue will include fiction by Ken Bruen and an interview with Joe Lansdale. We also have stories lined up from Anonymous-9 and Jim Nisbet."

It looks like this is going to be a top notch site and I, for one, am looking forward to its first issue. And a big tip of the hat to Brian Lindenmuth for the link!

Plotting Die Hard Style

2012-01-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

Janice Hardy has a great post about plotting using the original Die Hard movie as a plotting guide. http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/01/i-meant-to-do-that-three-things-die.html

Twitter Pressure

2012-01-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1313785

And we thought peer pressure was bad back in the good old days!! Now, you've got the whole world telling you what to think and do. Will all the social media out there kill free thinking?

All Due Respect

2012-01-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

The first story of the new year is up at All Due Respect, it's "Dog Days of Summer" by John Kenyon. New editor, Chris Rhatigan has also announced that they're open for submissions. Be sure to check out the guidelines as the word count has changed. And starting in May there will be two stories a month featured instead of one. http://all-due-respect.blogspot.com/

Markets and a Note

2012-01-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

This market is for Pinoy writers only. Philippine Genre Stories has a call for submissions of genre stories (sci-fi, fantasy, crime, mystery and horror). The submission period is January 1 to April 30 for stories of 1500 to 8000 words, payment is P500. You can find all the details here http://philippinegenrestories.blogspot.com/2011/12/pgs-online-call-for-submissions-and.html

Over at Duotrope I found a new market getting set to launch called Fantasy Short Stories: the New Magazine of Fantasy. They are looking for Epic, High, Heroic, and Swords and Sorcery Fantasy short stories and they will be publishing the new zine as an ebook. Payment is a flat fee of $10. Submission through Submishmash. You can find the details here http://fantasyshortstories.org/submissions

Also, something everyone who uses Duotrope should be aware of - they have announced that they will be listing fee-based submissions (excluding vanity presses) in the near future. So be sure to read submission details carefully.

Words of Wisdom

2012-01-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

"Almost anyone who is literate can write a short story. But to write a good short story ... Aye, there's the rub, as Hamlet once remarked. The short story is right up there next to poetry in the demands it places on the writer. It is not just a short novel; it is, say a battle rather than a war. A moment, not a lifetime. It marks some vivid instant that forever alters the life of its protagonist, rather than depicting the slow evolutional effect of time and events on a group of people.

It is unforgiving. There is very little room for artistic maneuvering and none at all for self-indulgence. Every word, every phase, every nuance, is vital. The short story can teach a beginning writer the elements of his craft--along with precision, discipline and grace."

Words of wisdom from Joe Gores in his introduction to Lawrence Block's collection of short stories, "Like a Lamb to Slaughter".

Market Links

2012-01-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

The lovely Katherine Tomlinson sent me a link to an ebook anthology call, "Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity". They're looking for short stories that deal with the question, "What would happen if horror and mythology collided?" The deadline is February 13 for stories of 4000 to 10,000 words. Payment is a percentage of royalties.

While looking around the site where the call was posted I discover that Horror Tree lists calls for submissions to both anthologies and magazines. Most seem to be paying markets in the horror genre. You find all the calls here http://horrortree.com I've also put the link over there to the right in the Markets column. Many thanks to Katherine for the new link!!

And if you're looking for markets to fulfill that New Year's resolution to write and submit more this year, check out the Recent Updates link over at Duotrope. They have 83 markets that opened for submissions today. http://www.duotrope.com/recentupdates.aspx

Happy writing, everyone!!

Odds and Ends

2011-12-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

Xavier Lechard over At The Villa Rose blog has a pair of posts that takes a look at PIs and amateur sleuths. http://atthevillarose.blogspot.com

Spinetingler is looking for your input for the Spinetingler Awards. There's a poll set up for your convenience in nominating novels and short stories. http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/12/29/poll-tell-us-what-should-be-nominated-for-spinetingler-awards/ And while you're there check out the newest flash offerings from Court Merrigan and Mike Miner.

Another 10 or So

2011-12-28T06:14:00.000-08:00

My short story reading has been pretty scattered this year from Western to Fantasy and a huge dip into what's called Country or Rural Noir. All of which was to study how other writers work in those genres and because I was attempting to write that kind of fiction myself. If you're going to learn, you might as well learn from those published in the genres you choose to write in.

That said, I found that narrowing down my list to ten was nearly impossible this year as there was so much great writing to found both in print and online. Chris Rhatigan asked me for five must reads that were published on his blog, Death by Killing and which I've re-posted here. Below that you'll find ten more that I enjoyed for a variety of reasons, stories that I hope you'll enjoy also.

1. "Melanie" by Edward A Grainger
This was one of those stories that just pulled at the heartstrings and had you cheering for the hero at the end.
http://tainted-archive.blogspot.com/2011/01/wild-west-emonday-melanie.html

2. "6/8" by Trey R. Barker
With this story, it was the writing that stuck with me, the pure beauty and poetry of Mr. Barker's words.
http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2011/06/68-by-trey-r-barker.html

3. "Veronica" by Doree Weller
From beginning to end this story did nothing that I expected it to.
http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/09/26/fiction-veronica-by-doree-weller/

4. "Why are Mommy and Daddy Fighting?" by Eric Beetner
With this story, Eric puts you into the mind of a young boy and you feel yourself sitting beside him in the dark, holding your breath.
http://theflashfictionoffensive.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-are-mommy-daddy-fighting-by-eric.html

5. "The Uncleared" by Thomas Pluck
You don't expect a happy ending when you start reading this story, but the ending still slaps you in the face and leaves you reeling.
http://a-twist-of-noir.blogspot.com/2011/09/interlude-stories-thomas-pluck.html

And in no particular order the other 10 or so:

For the same reason that I loved Trey Barker's "6/8". I knew some men were poets at heart but Trey's story and the next two really tap into lovely poetry that make a story sing.

1. "My Beautiful, Brash, Beastly Belfast" by Seamus Scanlon
http://www.gemini-magazine.com/scanlonbelfast.html

2. "Anger Burns" by Gary Carter
http://www.friedchickenandcoffee.com/2011/03/09/anger-burns-by-gary-carter

3. Patti Abbott is a writer who can rip the heart out of your chest with her storytelling and "Father's Day" was the one that did it for me this year. http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/06/14/fiction-fathers-day-by-patricia-abbott/

4. This next story was one of the Derringer winners for 2011. It was originally published in 2010 in the anthology "Thuglit Presents: Blood, Guts and Whiskey". It's a story that blends one of a man's proudest moments with a gut wrenching act of revenge. The story is "Care of the Circumcised Penis" by Sean Doolittle. There's no link for the story but you can check out Sean's website here http://seandoolittle.com/

5. Another favorite this year was Chris Rhatigan's story "In the Hard Nowhere" published in Beat to a Pulp. Unfortunately BTaP's archives are down but if you drop over to Grift magazine you'll find another excellent example of Chris' work, "What is Your Emergency?" http://tirbd.com/grift/?p=341

6. Jodi MacArthur is probably best known for her darker stories but "The Girl Who Was Chased by an Abominable Snowman with a Machete" makes me laugh just thinking about it. What a great joyous ride of a story! http://www.10flashmagazine.com/10flash-fantasy/the-girl-who-was-chased-by-an-abominable-snowman-with-a-machete

7. Another fun story I read this year was "Romo Samson and the Grandmother Spider" by Chris La Tray and published in Pulp Modern (Autumn 2011 issue) This story wasn't fun in the laugh out loud way of Jodi's story but more in the nature of an Indiana Jones romp. You can find a link to the issue here http://pulp-modern.blogspot.com/

And then there was the country/rural noir stories.

8. In 2010 I picked up a copy of "Town Smokes" by Pinckney Benedict and pretty much inhaled this anthology, so I was pleased to discover another of Mr. Benedict's stories online. "Pig Helmet and the Wall of Life" just takes hold and doesn't let go until the blistering end. http://www.fiftytwostories.com/?p=1258

9. The entire collection of "The Outlaw Album" by Daniel Woodrell is a lesson in how to put your reader into a setting without sacrificing the storytelling. All of the stories are gems but my favorite was "Returning the River". If you haven't read this collection yet, please do, you won't be sorry.

10. Joe R. Lansdale was my discovered author this year. Like Woodrell he gives you place without forsaking the story. Last week I mentioned "Torn Away" http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/new/new-fiction/torn-away/ But there was one other story of his that I read this year that's really stuck. If you want to learn how to put a twist ending on a story, this is the lesson plan. "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road". http://www.thehorrorzine.com/Fiction/Oct2011/Lansdale/Lansdale.html

Well, that's just a small sampling of the great stories you can find out there, both in print and online. Happy reading, everyone!!

Science Fiction Trails

2011-12-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

Science Fiction Trails is an annual print magazine that's opened for their 8th edition. They're looking for sci-fi stories set on earth in the Wild West era (1850 - 1900). Payment is a flat $20 for 1000 to 7000 words. You can find all the details here http://www.sciencefictiontrails.com/whats_new.html

Another Market

2011-12-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across "Every Night Erotica" while clicking on links today. They're looking for erotica stories up to 2000 words, pay is $3. You can check it out here http://www.everynighterotica.com

And the New

2011-12-26T15:02:00.000-08:00

While we did lose quite a few zines, the good news is that we have an equal number of new markets.

PulpPusher and Over My Dead Body came back from the dead with a vengeance publishing some great new stories.

Filling out the crime scene we have Shotgun Honey, Grift, Pulp Modern, Noir Nation, and Dirty Noir. All new zines with a great deal of promise.

The Laughter Shack is a new humorous flash site manned by David Barber of the Flash Fiction Offensive.

Then you have the markets that blend the genres. Comets and Criminals, Al Hist: Historical Fiction and Alternate History, The Writer and the White Cat, and Trembles.

You can find links for all these markets over there on the right.

All in all, 2011 was a good year for new zines, with many of the older zines, like Plots with Guns and All Due Respect getting new editors and others like Spinetingler making changes that will improve readership.

And that's your crime market rundown for the year - Happy writing, everyone!!

RIP 2011

2011-12-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

So, I spent the day going back through the blog archives for 2011. It's always interesting to review the past year, read old stories and discover markets I'd forgotten about. But then there's the sad news also, the death of so many zines this year.

Epubbing is changing the face of not only print but the online world as well. Stories that might have been published in zines are now being collected into anthologies or single author collections but the upside is that the zines are also using the new format to get the work out to a wider audience. We're all learning as we go with this new publishing world and it's an exciting time to be a writer.

RIP

DF Underground
Dark Valentine
Southern Grit
Thieves Jargon
Crossed Genres
Basement Stories
Pulp Carnivale
Macabre Cadaver

On the "Iffy" list we have

The Back Alley
Dirty Noir
Pine Tree Mysteries
HyperPulp

Hopefully these four will turn things around and begin publishing again in 2012.

And then, of course, we had zines like Demolition, La Criminophile, and Ice Media who announced they were open then closed up shop without a word.

A Short Story Christmas Gift

2011-12-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

O Henry is probably best know for his wonderful Christmas story, "The Gift of the Magi" but he also wrote several others that I'm rather fond of and thought I'd share.

"A Chaparral Christmas Gift" A lovely Western offering. http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/14976/

And a crime story, "Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking" http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1882

I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday season!!

Dirty Noir Update

2011-12-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that Dirty Noir isn't dead, but they are closed to submissions while they get caught up and reorganized. They won't be publishing stories online, just the quarterly. The first issue due in January 2012. You can read all the details here http://www.dirtynoir.com

And You Thought

2011-12-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

you were the only one. http://io9.com/5870146 The long road to short story success as told by Charlie Jane Anders.

Flip Sides

2011-12-21T04:51:00.000-08:00

To brand or not to brand - that is the question every author has to wrestle with. Do we want to be placed in a nice comfortable pigeon hole or do we want to explore every possibility open to us as writers. The links today look at the flip sides of that question.

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/12/21/dont-get-burned-by-branding

http://www.murderati.com/blog/2011/12/21/the-predictability-factor.html

One of the reasons I love the short story form is that I get to experiment in any genre that suits the story I'm working on. And yes, I've probably disappointed some of the readers who have come to expect crime stories from me, but those story voices that speak to me in other genres just won't be silenced.

Joe R. Lansdale - Again

2011-12-20T06:23:00.000-08:00

One of the "new" writers I discovered this year was Joe R. Lansdale. I first heard his name over at Bill Crider's excellent blog http://billcrider.blogspot.com/ but really came to his work through his wonderful essays over at the Mulholland Books website. Today, Mr. Lansdale has another essay up over at Mulholland called "The Battery Powered Christmas". http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/2011/12/20/the-battery-powered-xmas/

If you haven't read any of his shorts, you're missing out on a real treat. Don't believe me? Try this one called "Torn Away" http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/new/new-fiction/torn-away/ One of my favorite stories this year.

Epubbing Thoughts

2011-12-19T05:17:00.000-08:00

With a hat tip to Charles Tan I have three links to some interesting articles about epubbing.

First up is Nancy Fulda's post about putting together a collection of shorts. She has some interesting ideas. http://nancyfulda.livejournal.com/330370.html

Over at Grasping for the Wind there's an article about how self-publishing can go wrong. http://www.graspingforthewind.com/2011/12/16/when-self-publishing-goes-wrong/

And Richard Parks takes a look at how ebooks are (or should be) changing the way new books are reviewed. http://richard-parks.com/2011/12/16/ebook-reviewing-nice-hammer-too-bad-this-isnt-a-nail

Market Links from Friends

2011-12-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

From Paul Brazill we have a link to a new zine that's looking for "gritty, interesting short fiction" called "Near to the Knuckle" http://www.close2thebone.co.uk/wp/ There's already stories up from some familiar names from the crime zine world but they're also looking at stories in other genres. This is a non-paying market. I do have one nit, there's no editorial staff listed. Please folks, let us know who we're dealing with when we submit. I really hate writing "Hey You, Here's a story I'd like to submit" in my cover letter. :)

And from the lovely, Katherine Tomlinson, we have a zombie anthology call from horror author, Matt Nord. This anthology is looking for zombie stories of 1000 to 8000 words with March 15, 2012 deadline. Payment is 1 digital copy. You can find all the details here http://zombiecustodian.blogspot.com/2011/12/zombies-gone-wild-anthology-new-open.html

Spinetingler Flash

2011-12-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Spinetingler has posted their first flash fiction piece today, and tah-dah, it's one of mine. http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/12/16/flash-fiction-walking-out-by-sandra-seamans

The Use of Words

2011-12-16T05:13:00.000-08:00

"The following story is, in my opinion, both gruesome and beautiful and is ultimately a brilliant piece of writing.

It’s gruesome because of the subject matter, the incest and all the gory details. But this happens in our world and it should not be flinched away from simply because it puts our nerves on edge or makes us want to turn away and sweep it under the carpet.

That is, in my opinion, the biggest no-no in writing. You write about things that hurt, that make people want to turn away. You expose the light to these dark things. You don’t write about the simple stuff, or at least not all of the time." http://a-twist-of-noir.blogspot.com/

That is part of editor, Christopher Grant's introduction to "Purgatory Sex Twins" by Cullan that he published on the site yesterday. The story is disturbing, yet it makes you ache for the characters and the choices they made. And the ending stops you cold.

After reading the story yesterday my thoughts went to the novel "Paris Trout" by Pete Dexter. There is a scene in that book where Trout rapes his wife with a full coke bottle. I remember thinking when I saw the movie that the scene in the book was more powerful because of the words Mr. Dexter used to pull you into that scene. You could feel the soda running down her legs and feel the pain of what he'd just done. But mostly you admired the dignity she displayed by not showing her husband how much he'd hurt her. She never lowered herself to his level.

And that's just it, isn't it? How we use our words to show the devastation of life on a person. We can do it with a beauty that haunts the reader or we can slam them with in your face violence that sends them reeling.

John Harvey touches on this very subject in his blog post today about Country Noir http://mellotone70up.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/3620 where he looks at the differences between Daniel Woodrell and Frank Bill's collections of short stories.

As writers we have to make a conscious decision of how we want to tell a story. Yes, we can put in all the graphic details for the shock value or we can find a way to show the same situation with a dignity that goes beyond the reveal of the violence.

New Issues

2011-12-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

It's certainly looking like a dark and deadly Christmas over at Yellow Mama with the publication of their December issue. http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmama/index.html You'll find stories by AJ Hayes, Jan Christensen, and Richard Godwin to name just a very few.

And issue #2 of Pulp Modern is now available with stories by Chris LaTray, Patti Abbott, and Matthew C. Funk to name a few. http://www.pulp-modern.blogspot.com

BANG!

2011-12-14T05:17:00.000-08:00

From friend of the blog, Paul Brazill, I received this link http://www.bangpublishing.com for a new crime imprint called BANG!. Details are sketchy on the site, but they're looking for crime novels that can be developed into series. On their twitter feed they also stated that they'll look at short story collections as long as the collection centers around one detective/crime solver. This doesn't seem to be a new e-publisher, though I expect they'll also make use of the new technology. Please query with caution and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Yes Yes Yes

2011-12-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

http://richard-parks.com/2011/12/13/short-stories-rock-thoughts-on-a-wfc-panel-2002/

Thank you, Mr. Parks, for saying it so much better than I ever could!

Joe R. Lansdale

2011-12-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

There's a great author interview with Joe R. Lansdale over at Fantasy Magazine and he's talking shorts http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/new/new-nonfiction/author-spotlight-joe-r-lansdale/

Nice to Know

2011-12-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

that in one way or another we writers are all in the same boat with our writing process.

http://www.murderati.com/blog/2011/12/12/the-simple-act-of-showing-up.html

http://femmesfatales.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/12/epic-battle.html

Angie's Desk

2011-12-12T05:45:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend Angie published her monthly submission calls list. http://angiesdesk.blogspot.com/2011/12/anthology-markets.html

Dirty Noir

2011-12-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

There's been rumors floating across the net that Dirty Noir is closing up shop, some from reliable sources. Their online site and Facebook page hasn't been updated since September, and Twitter has been quiet since October. They use a Submishmash submission page so before you submit, it would be best to contact the editors through their online site http://www.dirtynoir.com If you have stories with them, you might want to query as to their status.

Short Story Roundup

2011-12-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

I found two essay written in praise of the short story. The first popped up yesterday over at Murderati and written by Angela Savage http://www.murderati.com/blog/2011/12/8/the-allure-of-the-short-story.html And Terri Farley Moran writes about why we should read short stories http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2011/12/the-mysterious-short-story-why-read-it/

Brian Lindenmuth passed along a link to a new zine called Conjectural Figments http://www.conjecturalfigs.blogspot.com/ They're looking for short stories up to 5000 words in all the genres. The theme for the first issue is Transhumanism, deadline is December 23 with publication on January 3, 2012. This is a non-paying market.

Schlock Magazine has published its Apocalypse issue http://schlockmagazine.net/ Congrats to friends of the blog Manuel Royal, Ron Scheer, and Thomas Pluck who all have stories in this issue!!

And if you're having a bit of trouble tapping into that Christmas Spirit ( that's spirit, not liquid spirits, guys!) drop on over to the Drowning Machine for a real Christmas treat. Naomi Johnson's newest short story, and it's loads of fun! http://drowningmachine.blogspot.com/2011/12/dashers-version-by-naomi-johnson.html

Writer or Author?

2011-12-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

I really love this post by Theodora Goss about the difference between writer and author. http://theodoragoss.com/2011/12/07/writer-and-author/

Strange Beginnings

2011-12-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Back in June of 2010, David Cranmer, editor of BTaP, asked me if I'd be interested in working on a long term project with him. His idea was for a steampunk serial story about "Calliope Andrews: Steampunk Princess". I was to write the first installment. He outlined his idea for freezing this princess and bringing her back to life in the future. He wanted to open the story with a steam powered motorcycle and have a steam powered flying machine of some sort waiting in the wings. He also supplied me with a cast of characters. The rest of the story was mine. And of course, the first thing I did was dump the freezing bit. Why? Because I'd watched a piece on cryogenics on the History channel that pretty much freaked me out, but also made me realize that making the story line realistic was pretty iffy. Besides, didn't Mel Gibson do this movie? :)

After turning in my installment, David asked me who I thought should take over the story and suggested Charles Gramlich because, hey, he writes this kind of story. David agreed that Charles would be great, but he had a different idea. Why didn't I write the entire story? Do you ever have moments in your life when you wish the person you were emailing was standing next to you so you could physically kick them in the nether regions? Yeah, that was my moment, then I said I'd give it a shot.

And so I began writing until even the very first installment had changed into something very different from what David or I had imagined for the story. But, it did still start with a steam motorcycle with a steam airplane in the wings. Why am I telling you all this? Because the final installment of Calliope's adventures, "Into the Green Beyond" is now up at BTaP. You can read it here http://beattoapulp.com/pulp.htm Unfortunately for those of you who haven't read the prior installments, something called Cold Fusion isn't working with BTaP's server so the rest of the story is not available at the moment.

And if you're not tired of me yet, my five picks for Chris Rhatigan's "Five You Can't Miss" series is up. http://death-by-killing.blogspot.com

Interesting Reading

2011-12-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

I enjoy reading about authors and how they work and finding all sorts of new things (at least to me) on the 'net. Here's a few I ran across today. Enjoy!

Over at Spinetingler today I read an essay by Reed Farrel Coleman about how he decided to age his series character, Moe Prager. http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/12/07/aging-moe-by-reed-farrel-coleman/

Mulholland Books had an essay by Joe Lansdale about Jim Thompson. http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/2011/12/05/1641/

Timothy Mayer reviewed an anthology called "Domino Lady: Sex as a Weapon" that I enjoyed very much because he took the time to give us a history of the Domino Lady, a character I'd never heard of before. http://z7hq.blogspot.com/2011/12/domino-lady-sex-as-weapon-moonstone.html

Anthology Call

2011-12-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

Over at Innsmouth Free Press I found a new anthology call for "Fungl" stories. Yep, they're looking for dark speculative fiction focused solely on the fungal. Mushrooms, anyone? Payment is 1cent a word for original stories and $35 (Canadian) for reprints of stories up to 5000 words. You'll have plenty of time to work on this one - submissions open on January 15, 2012 and close February 15. You can find all the details here http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/?p=15615

Anthology Call

2011-12-06T04:31:00.000-08:00

Dagan Books has issued a call for submissions for a new anthology to be published in 2012 called "Bibliotheca Fantastica". The submission period begins December 15 and runs through March 15, 2012.

They are looking for "stories having to do with lost, rare, weird, or imaginary books, or any aspect of book history or book culture, past, present, future, or uchronic. Any genre. Although the fantastical is not essential per se, stories should evoke a sense of the fantastic, the unknown, the weird, wonder, terror, mystery, pulp, and/or adventure, etc."

Up to 10,000 words. Payment is 2cents a word. You can find all the details here http://daganbooks.com/2011/11/14/new-anthology-bibliotheca-fantastica-opens-for-submissions-dec-15-2011/

Pulp Modern Review

2011-12-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

Pulp Modern snagged a nice review from Bookgasm today http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/magazines/pulp-modern-autumn-2011

The Black Orchid Novella Award

2011-12-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Wolfe Pack held their annual awards banquet this past weekend and I've seen it noted in various places that Louise Penny was the recipient of the Nero Award for her novel, "Bury Your Dead".

What I didn't see posted in the usual places was the fact that James Lincoln Warren won the annual Black Orchid Novella Award. This is one of the most prestigious short story contests available to mystery writers and the winner is published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. I'd like to congratulate Mr. Warren on his accomplishment and offer up a Snoopy Dance in his honor.

You can read how Mr. Warren came to write his winning novella here http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2011/12/mrs-swann-toasts-mr-wolfe.html

And you can check out the contest here http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/neroaward/black_orchid_award/BO_award_proc.htm

Monday Morning Morsels

2011-12-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

Brian Lindenmuth takes a look at short stories over at the Do Some Damage blog this morning. Stop on by http://dosomedamage.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-praise-of-short-story.html

Jim Harringon has six questions for Josh Goller, the editor of The Molotov Cocktail over at his excellent Six Questions for...blog. http://sixquestionsfor.blogspot.com/2011/12/six-questions-for-josh-goller-editor.html

If you're stuck and need an interesting prompt to get you motivated stop on over to Peter Rozovsky's blog and take a look at this picture. http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2011/12/storm-and-all-ports.html

I looked at that picture and saw my fictional Mulberry Street where several of my stories have taken place.

Market News

2011-12-05T06:23:00.000-08:00

Spinetingler has opened for flash fiction submissions with new editor, R. Thomas Brown. You can find all the details here http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/12/05/announcement-spinetingler-flash-fiction/

For those of you who write spec-fiction we have two markets from the lovely Katherine Tomlinson.

Dragon Moon Press is looking for fantasy novels of 90,000 to 110,000 words. Deadline is December 31. Details here http://dragonmoonpress.com/2011/12/01/open-submissions/

This call was posted on the spec-fic market blog. Eggplant Literary Productions is reopening for submissions on January 1, 2012 They're looking for novellas of 20,000 to 40,000 words. Payment is a $250 advance plus royalties. They're also looking for flash pieces up to 300 words with a flat fee of $10. You can read the call here http://specficmarkets.livejournal.com/243033.html and you can check out Eggplant here http://eggplantproductions.com For more spec-fic markets you can go here http://specficmarkets.livejournal.com

Expectations

2011-12-04T05:56:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about expectations lately. In my life, expectations have always been for someone else. I expect little and therefore I'm rarely disappointed, which is a comfortable place to live, but doesn't make for a very satisfying life.

So how do you raise your expectations? How do you become that writer who expects to have every story published and become a best selling author? My family laughs at my writing. I hear, "Oh yeah, Mom's little hobby." constantly. And at first it was a hobby, I wrote to escape my everyday. Writing was a way to deal with those things in life that are difficult to understand. Writing allows you to control the outcome, for better or worse.

But something amazing happened, I was actually published and people noticed. And I wondered, can I expect this to continue or will I just fall flat on my face? Is this small gift something I can believe in, that I actually might be good at? I tamped down the expectations. After all, expectations can only hurt you, strip you of any dignity you might have, right?

I kept writing, submitting. Oh, I got slowed down by rejection, the scoff of family members about not making money. A husband's demand that I stop writing that weekly column because he was tired of people talking about it, stopped me dead in my tracks. I quit submitting and went back to the privacy of my writing closet.

With my first computer though, I discovered an online community of writers. People who encouraged, who taught, who took the time to lend a helping hand and I allowed myself to begin submitting again. Building my writing sentence by sentence and story by story. Even here, I've had people make snide comments about my belief in short stories, telling me that I'm just a coward because I don't write novels. But I'm learning to ignore those voices, to keep writing what I believe in, to tell the stories that exist inside of me. And I'm learning to believe in expectations. And in myself as a writer.

ShortStory 365

2011-12-03T05:02:00.001-08:00

Brain Lindenmuth has issued a short story challenge! Can you read a short story a day for a year? If you can, join in the fun of posting what you've read to Brian's new blog ShortStory 365. And he's promising prizes. You can read his challenge here http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/12/02/new-short-story-blogchallenge/

And you can sign up for all the fun here http://shortstory365.wordpress.com/

The challenge begins on January 1. 2012.

Top Picks

2011-12-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for short stories to read drop on over to Chris Rhatigan's, Death by Killing blog. Chris has a new series starting called "Five You Can't Miss" where readers and editors pass along 5 stories that, well, you shouldn't miss reading. There's loads of great reading out there in the ether and this is a fun way to find some of those stories. The series will run straight through January. Already up are picks from Christopher Grant, Katherine Tomlinson, and Richard Godwin. http://death-by-killing.blogspot.com

A Pair of Markets

2011-12-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

With a hat tip to Katherine Tomlinson we have an anthology call. "Pandemonium: Stories of the Smoke" is looking for sci-fi/fantasy shorts of 3000 to 5000 words in the tradition of Charles Dickens. The deadline is December 31 payment is a share of the net profits. You can find all the details at http://www.pandemonium-fiction.com/smokebrief.html

Now, Katherine sent me to this link via another site that's well worth your time to check out called Pornokitsch. And no, there's no porn, but it's a great review site that covers all the genres and seems to have a lot of fun doing it. http://www.pornokitsch.com

And there's a new zine poking its head into the ether called "Crossed Out". They're looking for fast-paced, character driven, socially aware short stories in any genre for their Winter issue. Payment is $20. You can find all the details at http://www.crossedoutmagazine.org/index.html

Market Day

2011-12-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

New markets will probably be pretty slim pickings through December, it usually is with the holiday season beating on everyone's door. I did find a few open markets though.

Pulp Empire http://pulpempire.com/submissions/ has revamped their site and switched from regular issues to themed anthologies. Payment is royalties and the word count varies for each one. Here's your themes and deadlines:
"Heroes of Mars" deadline 12/31/11
"Modern Pulp Heroes" deadline 3/15/12
"Aliens Among Us" deadline 4/30/12

The World SF Blog is looking for spec-fiction short stories up to 8,000. They'd like to see more stories from other countries. This is a non-paying market. http://worldsf.wordpress.com/

Bete Noire is open for subs until the 31st of December. Payment is $10. Details at http://www.betenoiremagazine.com/

And Withersin is open for subs until April. They pay $5 to $10 for online content which is flash up to 750 words and shorts to 3500 words. They're also looking for non-fiction and reviews. They've also opened for novella submissions of 15,000 to 35,000 words. These will be published in both print and ereader format and authors will be paid royalties. You can check them out here http://withersin.com/guidelines.htm

Sigh of Relief

2011-11-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

Do computers drive you crazy? I love writing on the computer except when I think it's getting ready to explode or die. Of course if it exploded it would be dead, wouldn't it? Anyhoo, mine was doing all sorts of weird stuff the past few days, highlighting when I just wanted to erase a letter or backspace, double clicking every link so I didn't always get where I wanted to go and closing files before they opened. Looking for a possible solution, I dug out an old mouse and plugged that in. Now everything is working perfectly and faster. Just have to slow my hand down a bit. :)

Big sigh of relief as a new computer isn't in my budget right at the moment.

Keeping it Simple but Smart

2011-11-30T04:51:00.000-08:00

I found this post by Theodora Goss about simplicity in writing quite interesting. http://theodoragoss.com/2011/11/29/simplicity/

The truth is, most people sitting down to read want to be entertained. Teach me, but don't beat me over the head with your philosophy. And I love beautiful language when I read but I hate having to read with a dictionary in my lap to understand what I'm reading :)

Keeping your story simple doesn't mean dumbing it down to "See Spot run." when you can just as easily say, "Spot cleared the dead fall log with a smooth motion, catching the rabbit in mid-hop."

Angie's Desk

2011-11-30T04:47:00.000-08:00

I missed this earlier this month, but over at Angie's Desk you'll find her monthly posting of anthology calls. This month's calls are mostly erotica and fantasy but there's also a YA call. You'll find the listings at this link http://angiesdesk.blogspot.com/2011/11/anthology-markets.html

Spinetingler

2011-11-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

Spinetingler has opened for submissions and they're also changing their fiction format in 2012. You can check out the details here http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/11/29/spinetingler-is-open-for-submissions-and-some-news/ Spinetingler is a paying market and MWA approved.

Unreliable Narrators

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with a story. I know pretty much how the story is going to unfold, but... You knew there was a but, didn't you? But one of the character's voices keeps talking to me, pulling at me. I love the sing-song sound of her voice but she's what you might call an unreliable narrator and not the PI I had envisioned telling this story. And the truth is, I can't remember ever using an unreliable narrator to tell a story and wondered if there are any preset expectations from readers of this type of story. Do you as readers like this type of story, or do you feel cheated in some way when you've finished?

Recently I read Megan Abbott's "The End of Everything" whose narrator tells you everything, but in reality tells you nothing. Her memories as the story unfolds turn out not to be what she thought they were. But then everyone's memories are different so each teller of the same story has a different view of what happened. Having finished the story, I still can't shake the feeling that I've missed something important.

"Soft Monkey" by Harlan Ellison tells the story from a homeless woman's point of view but she's living in a past that doesn't exist anymore. This one worked for me because you don't know until the twisted end that she's trying to do in the present what she failed to do in the past.

Fredric Brown's "Don't Look Behind You" unfolds the story from the POV of a man who tells you that you're going die when you finish reading the story he's written down. I loved how this story unfolded and the madness of the narrator, but telling me I'm going to die when I know that's not true didn't really work for me.

And "The Payoff" by Stanley Ellin has a narrator who makes you believe he's been forced into killing someone, but the ending? Sends chills up your back when you realize that he's not to be trusted. The totally twisted ending of this story worked on so many levels it was scary.

These were just a few stories I could think of off the top of my head with unreliable narrators. Can you think of others? And did you love how the author told the story or did you feel tricked?

New Reviews

2011-11-27T05:08:00.000-08:00

I love when new readers stop by the Corner and leave comments because I get to find some great new blogs. Last night Tim Mayer dropped by. Checking out his blog I discovered that he reviews pulp fiction and had great reviews of two anthologies, Pulp Ink and Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled. Check him out http://z7hq.blogspot.com/ Many thanks for the kind words, Tim!

The Black Friday Story Cupboard

2011-11-25T11:22:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gone shopping on Black Friday? I did. Once. Never again, but there's something about Black Friday that gets the creative juices flowing and the story cupboard filling up.

Well, think about it. You've got massive traffic jams and spend more time on the highway than in the stores. And if you're not in your car, you're in the checkout line. Waiting. Tempers get shorter and shorter, then some guy starts singing, "tis the season..." Oh, yeah, you can go anywhere with that one.

And of course, you've got crowds of people. Body dump in the parking lot, anyone? Trust me, no one will notice, especially if you tuck a few shopping bags around it and leave it in a shopping cart. A good serial killer would have a field day walking through with his little .22 or hunting knife. Heck, try dropping a guy with a machete into that crowd. "fa, la, la, la..."

Then you have the dressing room. Great for shoplifters or a cat fight. Naked bodies or a naked witness running through the store. "now we don our gay apparel..."

Did you see how I worked that Christmas carol in? Well, how about a group of people stuck in an elevator with "Jingle Bells" playing over and over?

And if you're staying home and away from all the madness, check out the new 4-G commercial. Say 4-G four times really fast and you've got "Walking in an orgy wonderland". And yes, my husband and I both thought that's what they were singing. Great jumping off place for a holiday erotica story, don't you think? Then toss in the new wresting match I saw advertised last night called "Thong Thunder" and you're all set for another mad romp.

The best thing about the Black Friday story cupboard? It doesn't cost a thing!

Looking at Female Characters

2011-11-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's because I've been thinking about female characters and writers lately that a few lines I've heard this past week stood out like a bunch of sore thumbs for me.

From "As Good As it Gets" When the Jack Nicholson character is asked how he writes women so well he says, "I think of a man and take away reason and accountability."

From the Bio channel's biography of Jodi Foster. "She's too intelligent. Hollywood doesn't know what to do with her."

And from another movie, "State of Play". A newspaper editor to a reporter, both intelligent women, "Find out who she knows, who she blows, and the color of her underwear."

I know that there are intelligent female protags, both in movies and books, but why do writers go out of their way to make every other female character appear to be either stupid or a sex machine? Does making that female lead appear more masculine than the other female characters make her character more palatable?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2011-11-24T06:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been around this week, life decided to pounce in unexpected ways which kept me pretty busy with other things. Hopefully next week will be better. Anyhoo, I just wanted to wish everyone in the States a very Happy Thanksgiving filled with friends and family, good food and happy memories. For those of you not celebrating - I wish the same. Life is best when each day is blessed with happy times filled with friends and family. Those memories make getting through the shit life throws at you so much easier.

I'd liked to thank each and every one of you who stops by for the good times you've given me over the years and may it be returned a hundredfold. Thank You!!

Originality Again

2011-11-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

I found this link to a great essay about originality from author, Robert Bennett. http://shufflingandmuttering.blogspot.com/2011/11/who-is-whose-bitch.html

Anthology Call

2011-11-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

A new anthology call with Woodlawn Press attached as the publisher http://hillsoffire.blogspot.com scroll down the page for the guidelines.

Hills of Fire: Bare-Knuckle Yarns of Appalachia is looking for shorts up to 2500 words written in the pulp style and using any time period so long as the story is set in the Appalachia region. Deadline is June 30, 2012 and payment is 5cents a word.

Wow!

2011-11-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

Spinetingler has revamped their site - very nice, guys!! Drop on over and have a look http://www.spinetinglermag.com

The Online Story Cupboard

2011-11-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

I don't know if these story cupboard posts are of much help to anyone but I find there are way too many story ideas out there for just one person, so sharing seems the logical thing to do.

Last week Brian Lindenmuth emailed me a link to a post about pox parties. http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/11/from-pox-parties-to-accidental-bioterrorism.html It seems that there's a group of parents on Facebook seeking other parents whose children have the Chicken Pox and they wish to get together so their children can gain a natural immunity to the disease. The bad thing is, they're starting to mail infected items which is considered bio terrorism. Now that opens you up to a whole world of story ideas. (I wrote a story called "Poxed" that appeared in Crimefactory issue #3 before I even saw this article, so the possiblities are wide open.)

An actual terrorist sending these items, a distraught mother who has lost her child and wants to inflict the same pain on other mothers. Many of these people are also holding group meetings in real life which could lead to a whole other set of ideas.

And this morning I discovered this link http://news.yahoo.com/us-satellites-compromised-malicious-cyber-activity-011210503.html about hackers who have taken over US satellites on several occasions. The article blames the Chinese, but you can take that one step further. What if a group of teenage hackers decided to take over the world? And of course, you could have undercover aliens doing the nasty deed or again, go with terrorists looking to spread more terror. But what if, in taking over the satellite, you open a gateway into the past or future? And of course, there's always a PI who might need to track down that female client's husband before he kills her. And if you're going crime, a group of bank robbers controlling a satellite could control police communications. Or, oh no, the Godfather?

You're only limited by how many what-ifs you leave your mind open to.

Linkage

2011-11-17T05:05:00.000-08:00

For those of you who write dark YA thrillers Jordan Dane talks about starting a new blog with a group of authors who write in this particular genre. http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2011/11/adr3nalin3.html the new blog will officially launch in January but you can check it out here http://www.adr3nalin3.blogspot.com

And Patti Abbott has started a discussion on her blog about writing shorts and what can stall that story when you're writing. http://pattinase.blogspot.com/2011/11/short-story-readers-and-writers.html

The First Line

2011-11-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

The First Line has posted their 2012 first lines and deadlines. This is a print market looking for shorts of 300 to 3000 words in all genres - you just have to use their first line to start the story. Payment for stories has increased from $20 to $30. They are also looking for non-fiction critical essays about favorite first lines from literary works. 500 to 800 words. Payment is $20 http://www.thefirstline.com/

Good Advice

2011-11-15T04:47:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I linked to Chuck Wendig's blog, but today's post contains some of the best advice a writer can get. Be yourself and do what works for you, no matter what's working for Joe Smoe over there. And yes, Chuck says it much better http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/11/15/do-what-thou-wilt-shall-be-the-whole-of-the-law/

Markets

2011-11-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

New Hampshire Pulp Fiction is open for submissions for volume 3. The theme for this issue is dedicated to sci-fi and spec-fic stories, with New Hampshire as a tangible presence, of up to 8000 words. The last issue paid $50 per story but there's no mention of pay for this one so you'll have to make an inquiry. You can find the details here http://livefreeordiediedie.wordpress.com

And from Paul Brazill there's word of a new ezine hitting the streets called Gritfiction helmed by Craig Douglas. They're looking for fiction that makes you cringe, weep, and think. You can check them out here http://gritfiction.wordpress.com This is a non-paying market looking to display new talent.

And there was some chatter on Twitter today about the status of "The Back Alley". According to their submission guidelines, they're still closed to subs and the issue that is posted now was published a year ago.

Learning From Shorts

2011-11-13T05:52:00.000-08:00

One of my regular stops on the 'net each day is Charles Tan's Bibliophile Stalker blog. Like me, Mr. Tan is a short story writer and his blog is an invaluable resource for finding links to articles about short stories. This morning the link is his own blog where he's compiled a list of short story collections for the aspiring speculative fiction writer. http://charles-tan.blogspot.com/2011/11/short-story-collections-for-aspiring.html

"One common problem among writers who attempt to write short fiction is that they don't read enough short stories. Novels, yes. Short stories, no." That quote is from his post and contains so much truth. Yes, we're all readers, but if you're going to write short, you need to read and study shorts. And I'd add this piece of advice. Don't stick to just one genre when you're reading shorts.

When I'm writing Western shorts, I read in that genre. It gives you a feel and flavor of what your readers are going to expect because each genre has its own particular tics. I also read literary shorts because here you learn the beauty of language and how to choose the perfect word to say what you mean. Sci-fi, fantasy, and spec-fic teach you how to build worlds, how to turn a story on its axis to make it more than you thought it was. And horror teaches you how to create fear and suspense. And if you're like me, and write crime stories, you can incorporate what you've learned from other genres to create a story that will touch your reader in a way that just having your characters walk around killing each other doesn't.

Reading shorts teaches you how to think short, how to center your mind on that one bit of story you're writing instead of adding threads here and there that are better suited to a novel than the story you're trying to tell. Reading shorts helps you find the heart of your own story.

Elizabeth A. White

2011-11-12T06:20:00.001-08:00

For those of you looking for new anthologies stop on by Elizabeth A. White's great review site http://www.elizabethawhite.com where you'll find current reviews of:

Pulp Modern
Noir at the Bar
The Chaos We Know
Crime Factory: The First Shift
West Coast Crime Wave

If you check out the archives you'll find other collections and anthologies that Elizabeth has reviewed along with her many book reviews. Elizabeth is a great friend to the short story world. Thanks Elizabeth!!

Hear Us Roar

2011-11-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

Some weeks tend to open themselves up for a theme and this week's is closing out with another round of links relating to women in fiction.

Katherine Tomlinson posted a grand essay on her blog last night initiating Feminist Fiction Friday, where she celebrates women writing women. http://kattomic-energy.blogspot.com/2011/11/feminist-fiction-friday.html

Also from Katherine, I received a link to a feminist flash fiction contest that was being promoted on Nick Daw's blog http://www.mywritingblog.com/2011/11/feminist-flash-fiction-writing-contest.html

And here's a direct link to the Mooky site's contest rules http://www.mookychick.co.uk/feminism-politics/feminism/feminist-flash-fiction-competition-2011.php This is a no fee contest for under 200 words for a haiku, poem, or flash fiction. Deadline is November 30. There are cash prizes and yes, men are allowed to enter.

Stopping by SleuthSayers this morning I found an excellent essay by writer, Janice Law, titled "All Beautiful Girls are Murdered". http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2011/11/all-beautiful-girls-are-murdered.html

Odds and Ends

2011-11-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

If you're putting out your own ebooks you might want to take a look at this post over at Alan Rinzler's blog about choosing book covers. http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2011/11/10/great-book-jackets-tips-from-4-design-pros/

Kristine Kathryn Rusch has been writing and sharing her experiences for many years. Today's blog post takes a hard look at how things are changing and explains why no one knows how to deal with all the new situations coming out of epubbing. http://kriswrites.com/2011/11/09/the-business-rusch-the-old-stone-path

And Chris Rhatigan has a lovely review of Pulp Modern here http://death-by-killing.blogspot.com/2011/11/pulp-modern-issue-1.html Thanks, Chris!

From Brian

2011-11-10T08:34:00.001-08:00

Brian Lindenmuth emailed me a link to Sarah Hans' blog where she's posted a list of deadlines for submissions. There's contests, anthologies, and magazines listed - all paying. http://sarahhans.com/2011/11/01/november-deadlines/

More Noir Nation

2011-11-10T05:59:00.001-08:00

Mulholland Books has posted an interview with Noir Nation editor, Cort McMeel, being interviewed by author Dennis Tafoya. http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/2011/11/10/noir-nation-a-conversation-between-cort-mcmeel-and-dennis-trafoya

The Sanctity of Football

2011-11-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

Did you ever try to wrap your head around a news story but found that all the pieces didn't add up? Here in PA the big and ONLY news story is the firing of Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State for the last 46 years.

Now, I'm not a football fan, so I could care less about him being fired and how this will affect the season. What I'm finding hard to believe is that students actually rioted in the streets last night because he was fired. I would think they would be more outraged that he failed to report the crime of child molestation that was taking place in his own locker room. Sure, he told the school administration, but hell, you can't have that sort of scandal screwing up your football program, can you? It took fifteen years for someone to finally call the cops. Fifteen years and at least eight young men whose lives will never be the same.

I say shame on Joe "let's just say a prayer for the victims" Paterno, Penn State, and a sports-crazed world that believes football is more important than actual human beings.

http://www.wnep.com/