Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

Barking Rain Press is looking for subs, and publishes "complete novels or novellas of at least 20,000 words to sell through the BRP website and other partner sites in print and eBook formats. We will also consider the following: Short story collections (anthologies) with a strong central theme, written by a single author; Reprints of previously published works that are out-of-print, so long as the author owns BOTH the worldwide electronic rights and print rights. While we are open to a variety of literary genres, we are NOT open to submissions containing the following subject matter. These submissions will be automatically rejected: Poetry; A single short story, a single piece of short fiction,or a single work of flash fiction; Children’s books; Erotica; NC-17 / X-Rated / Pornographic fiction; Self-published works that are currently available for sale anywhere. If the work(s) are no longer for sale, and you own worldwide print and electronic rights, they may be submitted for consideration. Keep in mind that if a work can be found for sale or free download through a search engine search, the submission will be rejected outright. Make sure that the work is completely unavailable BEFORE you submit it." Payment: "Barking Rain Press pays authors 50% of net sales for both print and electronic sales (minus PayPal fees). Royalty payments are sent monthly. We pay only through PayPal, so authors must have a PayPal account." Submission periods: "January 1-31; May 1-31; and September 1-30." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Betwixt magazine "publishes speculative fiction of all sorts—fantasy, science fiction, horror, slipstream, weird fiction, npunk, you name it. We particularly like stories that smash genre boundaries to smithereens, but we also love fresh takes on established genres and in-depth explorations of ultraspecific niches. Experiments in form and style are welcomed enthusiastically—but a straightforward narrative with tight, crisp language is just as beautiful. When it comes down to it, we want stories that will amaze us, astound us, provoke our thoughts, and boggle our minds." Length: "Stories of 4,000 to 7,000 words are ideal, but we will consider a range from 1,000 to 30,000 words." Payment: "We pay $0.02 per word up to $150, payable upon receipt of completed contract and author questionnaire." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Class Act Books is looking for subs, and "is currently accepting fiction and non-fiction manuscripts in all genres. Only COMPLETE manuscripts that portray a story with a beginning, middle and end will be accepted." Length: "The submission word count for ebook publication ONLY is 5,000-150,000 words. Word count for books intended to include POD Print publication is 20,000-125,000 words." Payment: "e-book=30% net; print=7.5% net." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Dark Continents Publishing has an open call for their upcoming The Sea antho: "HP Lovecraft once wrote, 'The sea can bind us to her many moods, whispering to us by the subtle token of a shadow or a gleam upon the waves, and hinting in these ways of her mournfulness or rejoicing. Always she is remembering old things, and these memories, though we may not grasp them, are imparted to us, so that we share her gaiety or remorse.' The oceans of this world can swallow us, and sink us into the watery depths where monsters lurk and mermaids frolic. Or we can voyage far and discover new worlds. Selkies sing beneath the moonlight. The Flying Dutchman sails forever damned. Many-tentacled monstrosities drown unwary swimmers. Sunken treasures rest in wrecks shrouded in kelp and guarded by sea serpents. Be your tales wonder- or terror-filled, Dark Continents Publishing invites you to submit your previously unpublished short fiction" Length: "between 3,000 to 9,000 words that falls within the fantasy, horror, weird and science fiction genres." Payment: "a flat rate of $20 per story." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: [Note from PBW: I'm not really sure what it is; the publisher guidelines say "Closing date for submissions is June 21, 2013" but Ralan.com has the reading period listed as "1 June to 31 July 2013" -- so if you want to get a confirm on the open/close of the reading period, you might e-mail the publisher.]

The Dreadful Cafe has an open call for query letters for Membrane, their first antho: "We are now soliciting query letters for Membrane, our first anthology. All genres are eligible, but preference is given to stories that cross more than one and which reflect the flavor and theme described above." [Note from PBW: this flavor and theme thing is described as "Unreal. Imaginative. Intense. An escape from the safe. These stories will propel the reader—by wormhole or peephole—through the fantastic, the criminal, and the insane. Sometimes strange, always original, the stories we publish are of the highest production standards, from thrilling premise all the way to professional editing."] Length: "Manuscripts must be between 2,000 and 30,000 words and not previously published by anyone but the author. Self-published works are accepted and encouraged!" Payment: "Upon acceptance of your completed manuscript, Dreadful Cafe pays for non-exclusive, unlimited, 5-year publishing rights on the following schedule: Short Stories (2,000-7,000 words) — $125; Novelettes (7,001-15,000 words) — $250; Novellas (15,001-30,000 words) — $500/Negotiable." Query on reprints, electronic submission query first only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: October 1st, 2013 or when filled.

Fable Press is looking for sub ops: "seek all flavors of speculative fiction. This could be a thriller with a supernatural flair or a paranormal romance novel. A dark horror story or high fantasy. Utopian/dystopian. Alternate reality/history. Space Opera or steam punk – steam punk space opera? Why not! Speculative fiction covers a wide range of genre fiction and we love it all! Currently, we're only considering Young Adult (YA) and Adult fiction. We aren't publishing Children or Youth fiction at this time." Length: "All novel-length (60,000+ words) submissions are welcome, as well as any serialized novella proposals." Payment: "30% and 40% of the net sale." Reprints okay, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

New Zealand digital-first publisher Paper Road Press wants to see subs "with a strong New Zealand or Pacific voice or work by New Zealand writers" and "specialises in science fiction and fantasy, but we are happy to consider detective and historical manuscripts. If these contain a dash of science fiction or fantasy themes or concepts, all the better. Please query first for other genres." Length: "We are currently seeking fiction of 20,000-50,000 words for our Novellas list, and 10,000-20,000 words for our Shortcuts list." Payment: "min. 35% royalty" Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.

Postscripts to Darkness has an open call for their fifth antho of dark fiction and illustrations: "We print volumes twice yearly, and while we include work from writers and artists all over the world, we give ample space to local creators, emerging or established. While we are open to a variety of approaches and styles, we are interested in original work that pushes and plays with(in) the boundaries of the fantastic, the marvelous, the uncanny, and the horrific. While we are open to a variety of approaches and styles, we are interested in original work that pushes and plays with(in) the boundaries of the fantastic, the marvelous, the uncanny, and the horrific. We are not interested in formulaic re-treads of genre conventions, but in work that revises and interrogates the relationship between genre writing and literary experimentation. We welcome challenging, edgy fiction that embraces not only elements of classic horror, but also dark fantasy, urban fantasy, slipstream, (new) weird fiction, and surrealism. While we are open to English-language fiction by writers of all nationalities, we also strive to support Canadian writers and artists, and maintain at least 50% Canadian content in any given issue. Bearing this in mind, please include with your submission information about your citizenship and/or current country of residence." Length: "We are looking for works of short fiction (up to 3500 words)." Payment: "We offer fiction contributors $25 CAN per story (payable through PayPal), regardless of length. We will also provide a complimentary electronic version of the book to each contributor. Contributors have the option of purchasing hard copies at a low contributor’s rate (30% off.)" No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 30th, 2013.

World Weaver Press has an open call for their upcoming Specter Spectacular II: 13 Deathly Tales antho: "The shift from Specter Spectacular I’s “ghostly tales” to Specter Spectacular II’s “deathly tales” is a slight one, but rather than repeat of the first anthology, we hope to expand on the content and story tropes while still holding onto the eerie and enthralling feeling associated with the classic ghost story. While the final anthology will include some ghost stories, we also hope to feature rifts between worlds, specters and jack-o’-lanters, ghosts that are not ghosts, psychopomps (characters who conduct spirits or souls to the other world, such as Charon, Valkyries, the Grim Reaper, etc.), psychic mediums, and tales of crossing over … and back … and perhaps over and back again. We’re quite intrigued by the possibilities (gothic, mythological, modern, humorous, etc.) and are looking forward to seeing what authors bring to the table. We recommend a familiarity with Specter Spectacular: 13 Ghostly Tales. As we did in the first volume, we will seek a mix of scary, eerie, beautiful, and funny stories to round out the reading experience. The first volume made Tangent’s 2012 recommended reading list and was named a Night Owl Review Top Pick; we hope to see the same quality of fiction or higher in volume II." Length: "Under 10,000 words." Payment: "$10 + paperback copy of the anthology." Reprints okay but editor notes their "Preference for stories which have not been anthologized previously." Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details; open submission period: May 1 – June 15, 2013.

For the final listing I want to mention something that recently came up: a couple of freelancers alerted me to an overseas Asian publisher with an open call that offers $.25/word for children's magazine articles. I don't know this publisher, and since their web site is not in English I can't do any research on them. For those reasons I'm not going to list the publisher by name, link to them, or try to comment on why they would offer so much money via an open call; I'll simply pass along a warning about publishers in other countries that I've always followed: if the money sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Winners

You all offered some terrific journal prompts for the Be My Guide giveaway, and I hope you'll take the next step and use your suggestion (or any of the other entries you found intriguing) as inspiration to start a journal or add to one you've already been writing.

We got the magic hat to work its wonders, and the winners of the giveaway are:

SandyL, who offered From a tarot deck, I pull out a card and then use the imagery and symbolism on the card to write a scene or a character.

Liv, who suggested Write the life story of a lightbulb?

Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your packages out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in.

Cities of Light

This video uses time-lapse photography to show some of the architectural wonders of the Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen (contains background music, too, for those of you at work):

Guangzhou'2012/CHINA from zweizwei |motion timelapse| on Vimeo.

(Video link nicked from Gerard at The Presurfer)

Another Guide

I found How to Publish Your Own E-Book by Nik Rawlinson, published by Magbook, on the tabloid shelf at my local market's checkout line, which was probably why it caught my eye. That and waiting to pay for my groceries is always a little boring, so I picked it up, flipped through it and decided to fork out a rather pricey $14.99 to take it home for further study.

The author is a UK journalist, btw, and brings that sort of no-nonsense tone to the book, which for me made it an easy read. He devotes the first twenty pages of the magazine to convincing the reader why digital self-publishing is the best option, and they're quite effective. There are a few slams against traditional publishing but it's nothing you haven't already heard. Chapter Two addresses writing your book, but only very lightly and not at all in practical terms; this is only section that I found to be basically useless. That said, this is really a book to teach you how to self-publish, not how to write.

Chapter Three is where Mr. Rawlinson earns his cover price by detailing how to create and format your e-book using Sigil, Scrivener, InDesign, QuarkXPress, and iBooks Author. He also looks at working with Kindle Format 8 and how to test Kindle and ePub documents to see how they're going to look. I haven't used any of these programs, so I can't comment on the quality of the info, but there are plenty of screenshots and instructions, and they appear to be what someone would need to get through the basic process involved with each. My only reservation is how long this info will be useful, especially as the e-publishing world continues to evolve. According to the author it has been updated to reflect changes in these programs and services through December 2012, so unless there are radical/unexpected changes ahead in the near future it might be a good reference resource for another year or two.

Chapters Four and Five, Selling Your E-book and After Publication, return to the lighter/theoretical format of earlier chapters, although they contain some solid advice. Since I'm not personally interested in going the indie publishing route, the fact that I found two resources, Sigil and E-Junkie.com., still made it worth the cover price.

I wouldn't call this a complete guide, or a must-have manual for anyone considering digital self-publication, but it contains enough info to get you started down the indie path. I couldn't find it for sale at any US online booksellers but it is available through Amazon's UK site here in Kindle format. Combine this guide with your own research and online legwork, go cautiously, and you just may be able to self-publish your own e-book, too.

Direct e-Sales

Sorry I'm so late posting today (long story), but I do want to pass on some info for those of you who want to self-publish but are not in love with the idea of signing on with Amazon, Apple etc. and handing over a chunk of your profits. Alternative services are coming onto the market now, like E-Junkie.com , which for a monthly flat fee will sell digital downloads of your books. You're paid directly and instantaneously for each purchase via services like Paypal, and you're not required to adhere to preset (and often obnoxious) formatting requirements. Do be sure to read carefully all the terms of service and the amount required per month to keep your title(s) in stock before you sign up.

While a direct sales service isn't for everyone (new-to-the-biz writers might want to first establish themselves via the online booksellers), if you have built a strong following and have a dedicated readership, this could be the way to sell via links from your website or blog and keep 100% of your profits. Authors who have a specialty title might profit more from selling direct as well; you won't get lost in the current deluge on the big bookseller sites.

With the direct sales approach you'd definitely have to be more aggressive with promotions and getting the word out, as you won't have the exposure you'd get on the big bookseller sites, so keep that in mind as well.

Be My Guide

Guided journals, or blank books that include specific prompts or instructions on what to write in them, can provide an interesting journaling challenge and plenty of no-sweat writing practice. They're great for youngsters but I think adults can get a lot out of them, too. If you ever feel blocked, unable to focus or otherwise cut off from the work, a guide journal can be like jumper cables for your creativity. You still have to think and write, but it's nice to have your direction mapped out in advance for you.

On a recent trip to BAM I picked up two newly-published guided journals: Michael Nobbs's Drawing Your Life and The Pocket Scavenger by Keri Smith. Michael, who is the founder of SustainablyCreative.com, has tackled guided journal via impromptu art by putting together a book of drawing challenges.

I struggle most with sketching, and when I spotted Michael's jourrnal I thought it would be geared more toward experienced/confident artists. But while flipping through it I discovered Michael has disabled since the late nineties and learned to draw himself as a way to come to terms with his health challenges. That comes through in the journal, as he puts it: I hope this book will encourage you to draw YOUR LIFE and perhaps show you a way you can enjoy each day just a little bit more. To me the fact that he not only wrote but also illustrated the book convinced me to invest; I like authors who practice what they preach.

I tried out the journal in the fearless sense -- with a pen -- and freehand drew a bunch of different keys I'd been working with on some BookLoop and art projects earlier that morning:



I've already enjoyed working through one of Keri Smith's guided journals, so I had to grab a copy of her latest, The Pocket Scavenger. This journal is a guided treasure hunt through your life where you hunt for ordinary and even mundane objects like postage stamps, buttons, part of a book, a used envelope, something that was given to you -- all of which you add to the journal along with the location, time, date, and a story/notes section where you write a bit about the process of finding the object.

Now to some of you this might sound a little tedious, but wait, there's more to do: once you've found the required treasure, you then flip to a random page in the journal, turn it upside down, and follow the instructions written in the bottom page border to alter the object you found. For example: I found some old postage stamps in my desk. I noted the details of the hunt on that page, then did the flip and got these instructions from the border: add some music. That I interpreted as making the background of my postage stamp page out of some old sheet music from my paper recycling bin. Which then turned the postage stamps into a neat mini-collage:



Both of these guided journals allow anyone, no matter what level of artistic skill they might have, to creatively explore their immediate environment, document their life in an interesting way and journal outside the box. If you've never tried to keep a journal, either one of these could make a great first experience.

As always you don't have to take my word for it. In comments to this post, give us a journaling prompt you think would be interesting to do (or if you can't think of one, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, May 24th, 2013. I'll draw two names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners an unsigned new copy of either The Pocket Scavenger by Keri Smith or Drawing Your Life by Michael Nobbs (to keep it fun, the winner won't know which until my package arrives.) This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something at PBW in the past.

Freely Ten

Ten Things You Can Have for Free

Freeware Caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.

Clip Trap is a handy little utility that "watches the clipboard and keeps track of copied text in its window" (OS: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7)

Efficient PIM is a "full-featured personal information manager (PIM) software program that can help you organize and plan your business and private life. With EfficientPIM you can keep track of contacts, appointments, tasks, to-do lists, birthdays, and much more. The program also gives you space for keeping notes, diaries, and even passwords. In order to be successful you need to be organized and efficient. With EfficientPIM all of the things you need to manage are located in one, easy-to-use interface" (OS: Windows 8/7/XP/Vista [32-bit or 64-bit])

Efficient Sticky Notes "allows various background colors, with optional gradient effect, to be set for the desktop notes. You can also customize the font of each note and set it to be semi-transparent so it will not fully cover up your desktop background or icons. To fully protect your privacy, the software encrypts the login password with the irreversible SHA algorithm and also encrypts data files. Besides, it offers various special features such as managing sticky notes by group, setting note importance, tracking the creation time and last modification time of desktop notes, adding attachments to notes, Recycle Bin, etc." (OS: Win 98/ME/NT/2K/XP/2K3/Vista/7)

Focus Writer is a "simple, distraction-free writing environment. It utilizes a hide-away interface that you access by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen, allowing the program to have a familiar look and feel to it while still getting out of the way so that you can immerse yourself in your work" (OS: Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X)

Listen N Write "can be used to play and transcribe ordinary audio and video recordings (WAV, MP3, OGG, WMA, AVI, MPG, WMV, OGV, FLV, VOB, TS, etc). Listen N Write has special features simplifying the transcription work as you can control via keys (while using its integrated word processor) and insert time markers (bookmarks). Moreover, the audio stream is automatically rewound a few seconds when pressing the Pause key. Listen N Write can be considered the standard program for any transcription because of its simplicity of use and small size" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/2008/7)

ManicTime is a "time tracking software which automatically collects data on your computer usage. It records active and away time, as well as which applications you used and for how long you used them. The data ManicTime collects is stored in a local database on your computer. Once data is collected you can use our simple click and drag feature to accurately tag how you spent your time. Time tagging allows you to see how you spent your time based on your own time tags and gives you accurate information on how efficient you really are. Because there is so much data available about your computer usage, you are able to tag spent time for days in the past. Based on this data you are able to generate various statistics. You can easily find out how much time you spend behind a computer or how much time you spend browsing the web" (OS: Windows XP/2003/Vista/7; Requires: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5.)

Mendeley is a "free reference manager and academic social network that can help you organize your research, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research. Features: Automatically generate bibliographies; Collaborate easily with other researchers online; Easily import papers from other research software; Find relevant papers based on what you’re reading; Access your papers from anywhere online; Read papers on the go, with our new iPhone app" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7)

Sigil is a "multi-platform EPUB ebook editor with the following features: Online Sigil User's Guide, and Wiki documentation; Free and open source software under GPLv3; Full UTF-16 support; Full EPUB 2 spec support; Multiple Views: Book View, Code View and Preview View; WYSIWYG editing in Book View; Complete control over directly editing EPUB syntax in Code View; Table of Contents generator with multi-level heading support; Metadata editor with full support for all possible metadata entries (more than 200) with full descriptions for each; User interface translated into many languages; Spell checking with default and user configurable dictionaries; Full Regular Expression (PCRE) support for Find & Replace; Supports import of EPUB and HTML files, images, and style sheets; Documents can be validated for EPUB compliance with the integrated FlightCrew EPUB validator; Embedded HTML Tidy: all imported files have their formatting corrected, and your editing can be optionally cleaned" (OS: Windows, Linux and Mac)

StylePix is a "convenient, easy-to-use image editor that has all the features of raster graphics editor and adhered to lightweight design and effective UI. In addition, it has a built-in image viewer and batch processor" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8)

TheSage is a "free software application that, through a multi-tool interface, integrates a complete dictionary and a multifaceted thesaurus of the English language together into a unique language reference system" (OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7 [32bit and 64bit])

Writsy Stuff

I subscribe to author/quilt designer Carol Doak's monthly newsletter, mainly because I like her how-to books on paper piecing and want to know whenever she publishes something new. This month she mentioned the success she's having with teaching online classes at Craftsy.com, the hot new how-to crafting site. According to her newsletter in about a month she had 3,000 students sign up for her class on paper piecing, and even at the currently discounted price of $29.95 per student that comes close to making $100K in a month.

Startling figures, to say the least. Some disclaimers: I don't know how much of that Craftsy.com takes as commission or any other details involved in teaching one of their classes. It should also be mentioned that Carol is already quite well known in the quilting world as a very talented and innovative writer and artist. I noted that one draw may be that she includes free for her students a companion e-book which is valued at half the price of the class, which is an excellent bonus. I thought I'd mention it primarily for any of you who may have published how-to craft books and want to check out what's involved in teaching a class.

It would be great if there were a Craftsy.com-type site for writers (Writsy!) where you could sign up to learn how to write a proper query, what needs to be in a submission package, how to efficiently edit a chapter or even the real nuts and bolts of how to put together an e-book when going the indie route. There are a couple of obvious problems with that idea; the primary one being that writing does not translate as well to video as something like crafting. Writing happens in your head and on the computer and the page, and even the most basic screenshots quickly become tedious (or incomprehensible) in video's rapid delivery of visuals. Filming writing workshops like the kind put on at conferences might be a solution, as long as the instructor is a gifted speaker and does something besides talk.

The other big problem is that there is no one go-to, this-is-how-you-do-it standard for everything professional writers do. I think it would be tough to get everyone to agree on a standard as well -- a good example is simply how you write a novel synopsis. I learned first what synopses were and how to write them via my subscription to Writer's Digest magazine -- until an editor asked me why I wrote such odd synopses. Once I explaining that I was following examples from WD articles, the editor informed me that my synopses were in fact too short, that I should not put every character's name in all caps and I wasn't detailing my plot twists or my endings. I asked for an example I could follow, but the editor wouldn't give me one, so I began blindly writing longer synopses, ditched capping the character names and revealed all -- until another editor complained that my synopses were too long and too detailed.

The editor after that one wanted to know why I didn't write out the relationship arcs (and then had to explain to me what those were.) Another asked for chapter summaries to go along with the synopsis. The one after that, who started working with me in mid-series, asked for one-paragraph synopses for all the previous books (and if you want a real writing challenge, try to condense a novel series that contains hundreds of characters and settings and plot lines and over a million words altogether into just nine paragraphs.)

To this day practically every editor I work for has a slightly different opinion about what should or shouldn't be in a synopsis. Some want a lot, others just want bare bones, and still others want something I've never before done. That's why I put together a synopses bible on all the books I've sold so I can at least review what I've done in the past that worked. When I teach writing synopses, I also use for examples only the ones which have resulted in contract offers.

Until someone does come up with enough standards for writers to create a Writsy.com there are plenty of online classes for writers. A few weeks back I noted author Barbara Samuel is teaching an online class on voice; the way she has this set up (maintaining a small class size, the triad approach of lectures/exercises/discussions, and offering a scholarship as well as discounts for group) seems like a sensible way to go about it. Before you invest consider all these things as well as what sort of talent and experience the instructor offers, and let that be your guide.

Interesting Sub Op

Bundoran Press Publishing House has an open call for their upcoming antho, Strange Bedfellows, which is "an original short story anthology of political science fiction ‘where ideology is a character.’ We are looking for well-written science fiction stories with strong plots and compelling, if not necessarily sympathetic, characters engaged in arguments with the world. We want political stories, immersed in science, that take on those arguments without polemic but with passion – recognizing that causes have both effects and consequences. We don’t care what your politics are; we just want you to tell a good story. Similar to our novel guidelines, we are accepting any genre of science fiction, from space opera to near future to any of the ‘punk’ genres. Military SF is fine as long as the focus of the story is on internal conflicts not armed ones. No fantasy, even urban, and generally no horror unless it has a solid SF element. In all cases, political systems, political processes, or political solutions must be central to the story." Length: "We are considering stories in the 2000 to 7500 word range with a definite preference for 4-6000 words. Shorter and longer stores MAY be considered but no more than two stories shorter than 2000 words will make the book and no more than one over 7500 (hard maximum 12K)." Payment: "Payment is 5.5 cents per word (Canadian funds) on publication, plus one contributor copy" On reprints: "No reprints, unless specifically solicited by the editor. (Don’t Query.)" Electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 30th, 2013.

Flaming Art

A festival of art through self-expression, impermanent structures, creative invention/repurposing and spontaneous community, Burning Man is held for one week annually in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. To get a glimpse of what it's all about, here's an excellent video on its art and culture (for those of you at work, plays with music and narration):

DREAM - Art & Culture of Burning Man from Spark Pictures on Vimeo.

Inconveniences

Yesterday laryngitis prevented me from getting any serious work done, and I was slightly miffed. I have a quite a backlog of posts to write and e-mails to answer, and the inconvenience annoyed me. Determined not to sit around and mope, I spent my morning writing session putting together a new journal and thinking about a story. The journal turned out neat, and while no new revelations about my story struck me (for me that kind of lightning cannot be summoned at will) I did sort out a few things that had needed more thought but that I hadn't had the time to brood on.

I devoted the afternoon and early evening to clearing out some closets, packing up donations for Goodwill and cleaning out the pantry. This is my pantry:



Yes, I alphabetize my spices and categorize my canned goods; it keeps me from having to hunt for things when I'm cooking. It also gave me a chance to check expiration dates and get a handle on what I need the next time I go shopping. This is all part of taking care of a family, and that's my first job anyway.

My voice is better now, which is excellent because I hate whispering, but tonight's editing session is off because I have family obligations to attend to. Families tend to be inconvenient that way; they're always doing something that requires our attention and/or our physical presence. And because we love our families for putting up with all of our writing life nonsense (last week my family were absolute troopers when I was spending twelve hours a day online to promote) the work schedule has to come second to them. I don't expect I'll be thinking at all about writing tonight, but that's okay -- I'll be participating in life and having fun surrounded by the people I love. Nothing is better for recharging the creative batteries than that.

Here are five other things you still can do as a writer whenever life interrupts your writing:

Run Title Ideas: for this you need your brain, a pen and a small notepad. Make a key word list that relates to your story and start playing with combinations or synonyms of the words to form new ideas for titles. Pay attention to the world around you, too; I once got a stupendous title idea when I saw a couple of signs on the highway during a road trip and recombined the words.

Characterize the Crowd: Make up a name, an occupation and a goal for interesting strangers you see while you're out and about in the world. Keep that notepad and pen handy to jot down the best of your ideas for future characters (and, if you have the opportunity, note a physical description of the person who inspired it.)

Memory Game: this is one I play often when I'm away from the desk; I observe a person, place or thing, wait five minutes and then jot down what details I remember about them. This is a great exercise in sharpening your memory and determining what is memorable about anything.

First Lines Tinkering: like the title ideas exercise, just think about what words you want to use in the opening sentence of your story, or work on giving more immediate impact to the sentence you've already written.

Story Photo Ops: If you have a camera with you, why not take some photos of interesting subjects around you? Look for things that are not only attractive or compelling in some way, but that also inspire your curiosity. I keep a photo album specifically of neat places and things I see when I'm out that I think I can work into a story.

Inconveniences -- a few large, but mostly minor -- often make a riddle out of our writing lives. Becoming frustrated or sulking when they happen makes them breed, I think, so I've learned to put the work on hold and simply deal with them as cheerfully as I can manage. It's the resentment that is the creative poison, not the inconvenience itself, so shedding it as quickly as possible is the best kind of damage control.

#14 Makes #15

After spending much time online promoting my new release my voice has decided to go on strike; I can't speak louder than a whisper. This is amusing my crew to no end, especially when I try to use the international gestures to communicate vital requests like Please pick that up or Would you mind not teasing the dog? or Eat your vegetables right this minute or I'm going to puree them and put them in your next milkshake.

Naturally typing by hand takes me forever, so I must keep today's post brief. I want to thank everyone who preordered or went out this week to purchase Nightbound. My editor e-mailed yesterday to tell me that the book debuted at #15 on B&N's mass market romance bestseller list, which is really lovely. Consider yourselves all hugged.

I'll be back tomorrow with something more interesting than my endless novel propaganda. One last reminder, if you visited any of the blogs where I was guest posting and entered the giveaway, remember to check back to see if you've won.

Elsewhere Getting Smacked

To wrap up promotions for Nightbound the protagonist from my novel has been featured in Dark Fairy Tales's Supernatural Smackdown event. Stop in if you get a chance, vote for Beau or your favorite character among the competition, and enter to win this giveaway.

More News Elsewhere

The first two covers for my new Disenchanted & Company series are being revealed today; to have a look click here.

Signage Ten

In honor of Nightbound's release I am sending you over to Penguin's Project Paranormal page to read today's ten list here, which will advise you on how to tell if the guy you like is an immortal.

Elsewhere & Wishing You

Today I'm visiting Under the Covers to talk about the fountain of youth and why I personally never want to find it. Stop by if you get a chance, enter the giveaway and you may win this batik bag handmade by me, a signed set of the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy and lots of other goodies.














I'd also like to wish all you moms out there:

Off to Dance

I'm taking off today to handle Prom. So that your stop here was not entirely wasted, here's a video compilation of Russian dash cam recordings that oddly enough do not show terrifying crashes or meteorites exploding. What they do show are good people (and this one has some lovely background music, too):



(Video link filched from Gerard over at The Presurfer.)

Winner

It's always fun for an author to hear which of her characters are her readers' favorites, and your many wonderful comments made this release week extra-special for me, too. We got the magic hat to do its thing, and the winner of the Fourteen giveaway is:

Emily, who wrote I have a lot of favorites, but Jayr would probably win. Total badass who writes poetry!

Emily, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com and I'll get your books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in.

Alpha BookLoops

While fiddling around with new designs for the BookLoop I stumbled on a neat idea -- add a name or message to them by stringing them with alphabet beads:



These are the exact same kind of beads used to make baby and name bracelets; I simply strung them on the BookLoop ribbon to spell out names and words before I tied on the anchor. Here's a closer look:



A couple of tips: line up your alphabet beads first so you don't string them out of order. If you want to use beads or other objects as spacers, be sure they have a large enough bore or shank to permit stringing with a ribbon-threaded tapestry needle.



If you'd like a different look, here's a variation using Tim Holtz's idea-ology Type Charms:



These charms are fashioned to look like the keys off an old typewriter, which you customize by selecting and applying the letter stickers that come with them. A little clear epoxy sticker placed on top of the letter completes the illusion.



Since the charms have a top ring instead of a shank you can knot them on your ribbon like this.



Or attach them to your ribbon by jump rings, like this (you might want to use spacers or stoppers to keep them from sliding and bunching.)



For this example I attached my type charms to a short length of copper chain, to which I tied ribbon to the either end. This gives the loop the look of a charm bracelet.

Another First

I went to the market yesterday to pick up some milk and bread, and of course I walked down the book aisle because not walking down it would mean I have a concussion or something. My books never make it to the market's shelves, naturally, but I do like to see which big name bestsellers have books out on the same week I do -- or any week, for that matter. Thus I cruised along the market's book shelves:



I almost didn't see it, but I've gotten in the habit of checking the very bottom shelves because for some reason that's where they always put my favorite authors' books. And then, I spotted it:



My first book ever in my own market. So is it weird that I tiptoed past it?

Beau Arrives & Elsewhere Celebrating

Today is the official release day for Nightbound, the third and final novel in my Lords of the Darkyn trilogy. As most of you know my published novels are my only source of income, so buying a copy is the best way to show your support for me and keep Paperback Writer funded and ad-free. Also, if you've already invested and have enjoyed the story, please let other readers know about it, as word of mouth is the best advertising in the world a writer can't buy.

Online Shopping Links:
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Tantor (audio edition)
Amazon.com

Today I'm also visiting Once in a Blue Muse, author LJ Cohen's blog, and talking about my busy morning schedule on a release day. Stop in if you get a chance and you could win this giveaway, which includes a handmade quilted tote, a signed set of the trilogy, a Chronicle books Treetops journal, a neat stylus/pen and Levenger's Scheherazade Storytelling game.

Elsewhere with Stories

Today I'm visiting the Word Nerds to talk about one place where a lot of my stories were born (as well as my storytelling.)

Stop by, enter the giveaway and you might win this cool quilted tote packed with a signed set of the Lords of the Darkyn novels and lots of other goodies.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Fourteen

Back in 1999 I outlined a dark fantasy novel series about a secret society of vampires who lived among us. While at the time there wasn't much vampire fiction on the market, I had faith in the idea. Unfortunately I was also a rookie writer and had almost no confidence in myself or my work. The first rejection I received for that proposal was so harsh that I became convinced it was a terrible idea and couldn't work up the nerve to send it out again. I packed up all my outlines and notes, cried over it a little, and then put it away and moved on.

I couldn't let go of the terrible idea entirely, so I wrote some short stories about my vampires for my own amusement. They came out so well that I decided to post a couple on my web site. My readers then went crazy over them, which confused me. If this was a terrible idea, why were they begging me to write more?

I respect my readers' opinions, but the old rejection still haunted me, so I hauled out on my old files, took a hard look at the idea and began tinkering. The only major change I made with the idea concerned the vampires, who had originally been former poets called Darklings. I thought I could do better, so I consulted history, found new inspiration, made my vampires former Templars, renamed them the Darkyn and ran with it from there.

When I submitted my not-so-terrible idea again, I sold it to the first editor who looked at it (after she had a tussle with the second editor who saw it and also wanted to acquire the series.) The series got published, the books began appearing on the Times list and suddenly I had a big hit on my hands.

Nightbound, my fourteenth Darkyn universe novel, in print debuts next week. It's the final book in the third series for this universe, and fourteen years ago I could never have imagined being here. Thanks to my readers I am, and that's part of the magic of the writing life. So is this:



To celebrate this lovely moment I'm giving away a signed set* of all fourteen Darkyn universe novels in print. If you'd like a chance to own them, in comments to this post name your favorite character from the series (or if you don't have one, toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Thursday, May 9th, 2013. I'll choose one name at random from everyone who participates and send the winner all fourteen signed novels and a surprise**. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

*Unless the winner would like the books personalized I'm going to flat-sign the set, which should increase their value as collectors prefer books with signatures only, and I rarely flat-sign anything.

**No, I won't tell you what the surprise is -- that would spoil it -- but my surprises are always good ones.

Elsewhere with Answers

Today I'm being interviewed over at Typing with Wet Nails, author Anna C. Bowling's weblog (and is that not like the best blog title ever? I have so done that too many times to confess.)

I'm also giving away an elegant keepsake box from The Book Whisperer on Etsy, a signed set of the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy, tea, cookies and more. Come over if you get a chance, enter the giveaway and it could all be yours.

Elsewhere with Backpack

Today I'm over at Robin Connelly's blog talking about what it takes to sustain a novel series (a lot of work is only the beginning!) I also have more goodies to give away:



Stop by if you get a chance, join the discussion, enter the giveaway and you could win this lovely backpack filled with a complete signed set of the Lords of the Darkyn trilogy (Nightborn, Nightbred and Nightbound), a custom-made journal and matching memo book from one of my favorite Etsy journal makers, and a nifty sword pen.

Elsewhere Keeping Things Balanced

To celebrate the May 7th release of Nightbound, the third and final novel in my Lords of the Darkyn trilogy, I'll be guest blogging elsewhere for the next couple of weeks. This is the fun part of promoting a new novel for me, because I get to hang out with pals, chat with their readers and talk books and writing. It also gives me an excuse to put together some fun things for the giveaways to go along with my guest posts.

I'm delighted to get this party started by first visiting B.E. Sanderson's The Unpublished Writers' Guide to Survival today to talk about finding the right balance in the writing life. Please stop by if you get a chance, join in the discussion, enter the giveaway and you may win this Spring patchwork tote handquilted by me, a signed set of the trilogy, a pair of mini gardening kits and some delicious goodies.

Affordable Fountains

I was surprised to read that Twilight flick heartthrob Robert Pattison generously gave his waffling leading-lady love Kristen Stewart this 18k white gold Tibaldi Bentley Crewe fountain pen (personally inscribed, no less.) Dropping $46K on a single writing instrument as a birthday gift is probably the definition of extravagance, I guess. I keep thinking how hard she'll kick herself if anything happens to it. How many times have you lent someone a pen only to realize an hour later they never gave it back? I learned my lesson when a kid at a football game borrowed my favorite purse fountain, a Pilot Plumix, from me to jot down someone's phone number -- swearing he'd return it in a minute -- and never did.

I'm also not sure how you'd dare write with a pen that costs as much as a Cadillac. I'm guessing you don't; you lock it up in a cabinet with a glass front so everyone can look at it and envy you (although I'm not sure why; all that does is turn it into a pretty pricey knick-knack.) The minute you ding or scratch the clip or barrel the pen loses value, so you'd probably have to wear gloves and use it only to sign your next zillion dollar contract. Maybe that's all it's supposed to be use for?

As some of you know I'm also a fountain pen fanatic, but I admit, I don't own anything even remotely in the Tibaldi price ballpark. Nor do I think you have to invest thousands to own a lovely writing instrument that will serve you faithfully. Fountains are initially more expensive that the cheapie disposable variety of pen, but in the long term they work out to be a good investment because you can keep using them for years; all you need to buy are replacement ink cartridges or a converter to fill them with bottled ink. If you happen to lose one you won't feel like half your retirement fund just vanished, either.

Here are three of my current favorite fountains, beneath samples of how they write:



Starting at the top, The Ultra Violet True Writer by Levenger is my most recent acquisition, and I'm still kicking myself for waiting twenty years to buy one. This is a smooth, beautiful pen with nice, balanced weight (not too flimsy, not too heavy) and a nib that seems to fly across any kind of paper. The barrel colors are gorgeous, and when you hold it in the sunlight you'll notice they have a subtle sparkle, too. I got mine on sale from Levenger for $44.95, and the only complaint I'd make about it is that the cartridges are on the small side. It comes with a converter, though, so if you write a lot you can knock down the price of replacement ink by using bottled.

My favorite and most frequently used fountain is the red and white fountain in the middle; my Platinum Koi. This pen retails for about $450.00 but you can find it in the $300.00 range if you shop around; I got mine on sale at a Levenger store for $110.00. That still sounds like a lot to spend on a pen, and it is the most expensive fountain I own, but I've also been using it almost daily for ten years and it has yet to quit. Most Japanese fountains are exception, excellent pens and my Koi has proven to be practically indestructible; I've done everything to it except throw it against a brick wall and it still writes as beautifully as it did the day I brought it home. One thing to note about most Japanese fountains: their nibs tend to be one size finer than they're graded, so if you buy one with a medium nib it will write like a fine nib, fine writes like extra-fine, etc.

Platinum also makes the Preppy, which is the third pen there at the bottom of the pic, and an excellent all-use everyday fountain. Made from recycled materials and sporting a steel nib, the Preppy is very lightweight and has decent flow. I like the transparent barrel because I can see how much ink I have left in my cartridge, too. I think if you want to go cheap you can still be stylish, and the Preppy is a fun option. Extremely affordable at $3.00, too.

As for what Rob might get Kristen for her next birthday, it's anyone's guess. Maybe he'll bid on the circa-1640 Hymnal about to hit the auction block. Touted as the first book ever printed in the United States, the expected price tag: $30,000,000.00

No Cost Ten

Ten Things You Can Have for Free

Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.

The free trial version of Action Outline is a "simple yet useful organizer, ActionOutline consists of an Explorer-like interface where you can store and arrange all your information in a tree outline form. Arrange items using your keyboard or mouse, cut and paste branches, place checks or tags next to listed items, search information, print data, export to the external file, or link to web or local files" (OS: Windows 2000, 2003, 2008, XP, Vista, 7 and 8. 32-bit and 64-bit.)

Avance Paint is a "complete paint program designed with an intuitive user interface that makes AvancePaint easy to learn and use. It’s powerful enough to suit the advanced user and yet simple enough to please the beginner. Open unlimited number photo´s or pictures and unleash your artistic talents as you will discover the advanced and powerful but easy to use graphical options! A complete set of 20 photo-realistic filters and more then 40 textures are included" (OS: Win 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8)

FreeText is a "simple and easy-to-use notebook for making notes, keeping to-do lists, storing information on accounts and contacts, etc. It can be helpful when you need to save a link, interesting citation, phone number or to simply insert text from a clipboard for a short time" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8 [32-Bit/64-Bit])

Mikogo is a "free remote desktop app full of features to assist you in conducting the perfect web conference or remote support session. Share any screen content or application in true color quality across the world with up to 25 participants simultaneously, while still sitting at your desk. Mikogo can be employed for many desktop sharing use cases, including web conferencing, online meetings, sales demos, web presentations, remote support, group collaboration, and more. Provide online technical support via remote control. Conduct product and sales demos for customers. Use Mikogo to discuss and edit a current team project. Or on a personal level, share your recent holiday photos with friends" (OS: "Mikogo is cross-platform so you can start and join meetings from Windows, Mac or Linux computers")

PDFCreator "easily creates PDFs from any Windows program. Use it like a printer in Word, StarCalc or any other Windows application" (OS: Win 9x/ME/2K/XP/2K3/Vista/7)

QText is a "handy, simple note-taking program similar to notepad. The program includes an auto-save function and features a tabbed interface to organize your notes. QText resides in the system tray for quick and easy access which is ideal for taking quick notes" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7, designer also notes requires Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0.)

To-Do DeskList "automatically arranges to-do notes on your desktop. Synchronize your tasks between computers and users. To-Do DeskList has beautiful minimalistic design and multiple themes to choose from. Supports reminders, notes, and more. It is very lightweight, easy and simple to use, and much more efficient than complex task management packages" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7)

Web Link Collection is a "handy, free multi-tool to enhance your internet experience. This easy to use utility allows you to organize and manage a collection of internet links which provides quick access to your favorite websites. Additionally, this free utility features a password manager to encrypt and store your sensitive data. Web Link Collection also includes a convenient form filler and several tools to facilitate the navigation and operation of the Internet" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8)

XnSketch allows you to "convert your photos into cartoon or sketch images. This easy to use program features 18 different image effects to enhance your images. Simply click the desired effect and it will be applied to your image immediately. XnSketch also allows users to share their results using email or by Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. XnSketch does not require installation. Just unzip the archive and run the executable file" (OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8 [32-Bit/64-Bit])

The free version of YeahWrite ia an "easy to use fill-in-the-blank word processor for the computer illiterate or for those business professionals that want to create a document quickly and easily, without having to worry about formatting. You can create journals, keep addresses, take notes, and write simple letters and memos. A memo can become a letter with just a few clicks of the mouse" (OS: Win XP/Vista/7)

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Five from Target

On a recent trip to Target I found some very nifty stuff for readers and writers:



Starting clockwise from the left:

Hardcover edition of Taking Eve by Iris Johansen -- this novel was not only nicely discounted, it was signed by the author, something I've never before found at Target ($19.59)

Rifle Paper Co.'s Botanicals Notebook Collection, published by Chronicle Books, features three 32-page notebooks with gorgeous soft covers and ruled pages with a vintage floral header design ($12.95)

Neil Pasricha's The Journal of Awesome, published by Chronicle Books, is filled with fun writing prompts and reminders of all of life's especially wonderful moments ($12.95)

Green-Inspired.com's grid journal is printed on FSC-certified paper with soy inks and has a colorful cover design that reminded me of quilt blocks ($7.99)

Green-Inspired.com's set of five mini 32-page journals are the perfect size for a purse or pocket ($4.99)

I also got an additional 5% off everything because I used my Target REDcard to buy the lot.



This Botanical Notebooks trio would work great as gardening journals, to use for short writing projects, outlines, research notes etc. I really like this mini-journal set too, as they come with a variety of pages: two ruled, one grid, one dotted and one blank -- I can use one set to sketch, draw maps and keep notes and keep them all stowed away in the neat little holder.



The Journal of Awesome (interior pages shown at the bottom here) will make a nice gift for a friend who needs to remember life doesn't always suck. The Green-Inspired.com journal with the quilty design on the brown cover not only opens flat but also has grid-lined pages that are excellent for map-making; since the cover design invokes quilting for me I'll probably use mine for working out new patchwork designs.

Have you found any neat things for readers or writers out there recently? Let us know in comments.

San Diego Rocks

See the city of San Diego, California in less than four minutes, thanks to Michael Shainblum's gorgeous timelapse film (background music, for those of you at work):

WELCOME HOME TIMELAPSE from Michael Shainblum on Vimeo.

750 Words

750words.com is an online writing site that challenges the user to write 750 words per day. You register to create an account, which then takes you to a page where you simply write. Everything you write on 750words is counted and saved, and when you reach your daily goal you're awarded two points and an X in that day's box. Here's a screen shot of one day's page from my account:



There are obvious benefits to joining 750words.com and using the site to get some writing done. First you have a place to work that has no distractions, bells, whistles, etc. -- it's basically just a blank, private page where you can work. The only goal is to write 750 words in one day, and earning your points for accomplishing that goal can be an excellent motivator. You can also leave and come back to it without having to start up a program or open files; you can log off or minimize the window, do some other online work and then go back to it. The site is an excellent way to get into a daily writing routine, whether you make goal or not.

Here's another screenshot that shows the counter at the bottom of the page:



You can print whatever you write on 750words.com, and since it's saved online you can either leave it on your account or copy it to a file on your hard drive (I did this by highlighting, copying the text and pasting it in Word.) Writers who collaborate can easily share an account and use it to pass their day's writing back and forth; all you have to do is coordinate when either of you will log on. This is also a nice site to use for online writing challenges like word wars or group daily goal drives with other writer pals.

At present registering for an account is free (donations are much appreciated), but that will be changing shortly:

On May 1st, all existing users of the site will be given lifetime free accounts (we hope you'll continue to donate when you can). New accounts created after May 1st, 2013 will be required to become members within 30 days after signing up in order to keep writing. Everyone will always have access to previous writings, stats, etc, even if they choose not to become members.

The site owners do note that after May 1st they will be giving out free accounts monthly, and are always willing to hear from someone who might not be able to afford the new usage fee and possibly give them a free account on a case by case basis. In the meantime, you still have a week to snag a free account, so if you're interested do check it out soon.

Interesting Sub Op

Crossed Genres Publications has an open call for their Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History anthology: "Your story must be set between the years 1400 and 1920 C.E., and take place primarily in our world or an alternate historical version of our world. (Travel to other worlds, other dimensions, Fairyland, the afterlife, etc. is fine but should not be the focus.) Your protagonists must be people who were marginalized in their time and place. By “marginalized” we mean that they belong to one or more groups of people that were categorically, systematically deprived of rights and/or economic power. Examples in most times and places include enslaved people, indigenous people, queer people, laborers, women, people with disabilities, the very young and very old, and people who do not share the local dominant religion, language, or ethnicity. Many people belong to multiple marginalized groups, and many are marginalized in some ways and privileged in others. Your story should acknowledge the complexity and intersectionality of marginalization. Your story must contain a significant element of science fiction, fantasy, horror, or the weird, without which the story would not work or would be a substantially different story." Length: 3-7K (firm); Payment: "USD 5¢/word for global English first publication rights in print and digital format. The author retains copyright. Payment is upon publication." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: July 31st, 2013.

The Game of Storytelling

I've finally found a game that can make a storyteller out of anyone: Levenger's Scheherazade Storytelling Game. Created for 2 or more players, the game comes packaged in a little Aladdin-styled shoe pouch and contains a one-minute egg timer, 125 picture tiles and the game rules sheet (which I scanned and posted here if you want to have a closer look.)

The object of Scheherazade is to see which player can use the tiles they draw to tell the longest story in one minute. Each player pulls ten tiles out of the pouch and places them face up, and then takes a turn telling a story inspired by the pictures on the tiles. Each tile used in the story is worth 10 points, and at the end of every round the players vote on who told the most interesting story, and the winner gets an additional 50 point bonus. If a player uses all ten tiles in a minute, they can draw more one at a time from the pouch until their turn is up. Any tiles that are not used during a player's turn are returned to the pouch, and all the tiles are returned to the pouch at the end of each round. There are also 5 special tiles featuring an image of Aladdin's lamp which the player can use like a wild card to represent whatever image they want.

Since there's no actual writing involved I think anyone can play this game, even kids (parents, please note that while the pictures on the tiles are G-rated, they are made of foam and would definitely be a choking hazard for children under the age of 3.) The pouch and its contents are very lightweight; I rolled up mine and stuck it in my purse, so I think it would travel well.



This game is a marvelous way to practice improvisational storytelling and give your imagination a real work-out. The fact that you draw the tiles at random and have only a minute to tell your story is a nice challenge without being too time-intensive. If I still belonged to a writer group I would definitely take something like this to the next meeting. I think it would also be a fun, interactive group activity for both writers and readers at conferences. To suit your particular group you might tweak the rules so that every story has to be told in a certain genre, or you could easily create some custom-designed tiles of your own to add to the pouch and present different challenges (what POV to tell the story in, setting, color themes, specific words; the sky's really the limit.) You could also hold a terrific live storytelling contest with this game.



Levenger currently has the Scheherazade Storytelling Game priced at $14.95 here, and I give it a great big PBW gold star for being fun, unique and quite affordable.

Sub Ops Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize, awarded by the University of Pittsburgh Press, is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. No entry fee, submission period opens May 1st, 2013. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: June 30th, 2013.

The Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose and Books was "established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US Review of Books. Two grand prizes are awarded annually: one for short prose (i.e. fiction and creative nonfiction) and one for independent books from small, micro, and academic presses, as well as self-published books. Prizes include a $250 award for short prose and a $2,000 award for best independent book. In addition to the two main grand prize awards, various other honors and distinctions are given for both prose and books, including the Montaigne Medal, the da Vinci Eye, and the First Horizon Award. Submissions are accepted each year by nominating books and prose." Not entry fee, see guidelines for more details. Deadlines: "The book deadline is January 21st. The prose deadline is March 31st."

The 2013 Family Circle Fiction Contest is open to U.S. resident writers who are 21 or older. Submit an original, unpublished short story up to 2.5K. First prize $1000.00 plus online memberships, second prize $500.00 plus online memberships, third prize $250.00 plus online memberships. No entry fee, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 16th, 2013.

Fanstory.com holds contests throughout the year in multiple genres. No entry fees, and every entrant will receive feedback from the site's volunteer community, which reads and discusses all of the entries. Various cash prizes for winners. See full contest listing page here for more details and deadlines.

The University of Iowa Press holds an annual short fiction award open to "any writer who has not previously published a volume of prose fiction is eligible to enter the competition. Previously entered manuscripts that have been revised may be resubmitted. Writers are still eligible if they have published a volume of poetry or any work in a language other than English or if they have self-published a work in a small print run. Writers are still eligible if they are living abroad or are non-US citizens writing in English. Current University of Iowa students are not eligible. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. We do not accept e-mail submissions. The manuscript may include a cover page, contents page, etc., but these are not required. The author's name can be on every page but this is not required. Stories previously published in periodicals are eligible for inclusion." No entry fee, prize is publication by the University of Iowa Press. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: September 30th, 2013.

"Three times a year Jerry Jazz Musician awards a writer who submits, in our opinion, the best original, previously unpublished work of approximately one – five thousand words. The winner will be announced via a special mailing of our Jerry Jazz Musician newsletter. Publishers, artists, musicians and interested readers are among those who subscribe to the newsletter. Additionally, the work will be published on the home page of Jerry Jazz Musician and featured there for at least four weeks. The Jerry Jazz Musician reader has interests in music, social history, literature, politics, art, film and theatre, particularly that of the counter-culture of mid-twentieth century America. Your writing should appeal to a reader with these characteristics. A prize of $100 will be awarded for the winning story. In addition to the story being published on Jerry Jazz Musician, the author’s acceptance of the prize money gives Jerry Jazz Musician the right to include the story in an anthology that could appear in book or magazine form. No entry fee is required. One story entry only. Submission deadline for the next contest is May 31, 2013. Publishing date will be on or about July 1, 2013."

The Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize is awarded to the best scholarly book in English about Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldier or a subject related to that era. Occasionally an important article, essay, work of fiction, poem, theater project, piece of art or film may also be eligible for the prize. No entry fee, prize: %50,000.00, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: November 1st, 2013.

The annual L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest is open to short fiction submissions of up to 17K by emerging SF, fantasy and horror authors. Open to those writers who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novellete, or more than three short stories, in any medium. No entry fee, first prizes are $1000.00 quarterly, and quarterly winners are eligible for the annual $5,000.00 prize; second prizes are $750.00, and third prize is $300.00. See guidelines for more details. Deadlines: June 30th, September 30th and December 31st, 2013.

The Richard J. Margolis Award is open to nonfiction journalists or essayists "whose work combines warmth, humor, wisdom and concern with social justice. The award was established in honor of Richard J. Margolis, a journalist, essayist and poet who gave eloquent voice to the hardships of the rural poor, migrant farm workers, the elderly, Native Americans and others whose voices are seldom heard. He was also the author of a number of books for children." Submit at least two articles, published or unpublished, up to 30 pages in length. No entry fee, prize is $5,000.00 stipend and a month's residency at the Blue Mountain Center, a writers' and artists' colony in the Adirondacks See guidelines for more details. Deadline: July 1st, 2013.

The St. Francis College Literary Prize is awarded to authors for their third, fourth or fifth published fiction book between the dates of June 2011 and May 2013 (and self-published books are eligible for this one.) No entry fee, prize is $50,000.00. See guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 1st, 2013.

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.

Winners

I liked seeing some of the new series novels you all recommended this week -- some here I definitely want to check out. In the meantime, we got the magic hat revved up tonight, and the winners of the Never Give Up giveaway are:

Diana Troldahl, who thought Written in Blood by Anne Bishop was great

Petite, who was captivated by Deborah Crombie's series.

Leslee, who recommends Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

Jennifer, who can't put down Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to info to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in.

Making

This video is for all the other writers out there who cope with disability and creativity (narrated with some background music, for those of you at work):

The Metalsmith from Dan McComb on Vimeo.

Be Happy We Work at Home

Ten Things That Would Happen if Writing Became a Day Job

Accounting: could slow down in a big way and no one would notice. Meanwhile, the payroll clerk would become everyone's BFF.

Bosses: would have to do a lot more reading, stock up on Pepto, hire an extra secretary just to answer their intercom or phone extension and learn how to speak editor ("Get it done" = "If you can send this to me by close of business today I'll authorize your D&A payment").

Business Conferences: would have to include new events like Project Pitchorama, Character Dress-up for Literacy and The Vampire Ball.

Casual Friday: would be pretty much every day, and would have to be expanded to authorize the wearing of pjs, yoga pants, fuzzy socks and T-shirts with slogans like "OCCUPY PUBLISHING".

Company Coffee Pot: would burn out from overuse every other month or be filled with extra-large tea bags immersed in something vaguely purple that smells a bit like like the Queen's perfume.

Desks: would be buried beneath stacks of corrected chapters, two years of The Writer back issues, three dozen pens that ran out of ink and assorted widgets/gadgets/gizmos, index cards, newspaper clippings, and at least one hundred sticky notes inscribed with enigmatic phrases like "Sx scene Chap 9!!!!" or "Dismember by ch. saw?"

Offices: would need three walls of book shelves, stereo systems, scented candles, locking doors, pillows to scream into and at least one large window overlooking something pretty.

Personal Calls: would have to be authorized for mid-afternoon moments of panic when the employees need to call their best writer pals to say, "I suck. Go ahead, just tell me the truth. I suck."

Supply Closets: would have to be kept stocked with six months' supply of toner, bond paper, highlighters, red pens and lots and lots of notebooks with cute kitten covers.

Water Cooler: would be much more popular, at least until the boss discovers someone refilled it with wine.

Third Set of Twins . . . Maybe

Our mourning doves came back for round three with their nest, and Mama finally flew off long enough for me to snap some quick pics:



Dad is actually standing guard here; he's been especially attentive with this nest. I think that's due to some recent bad weather. I've noticed that in past years when we have storms he tends to stick much closer to Mama and the babies:



I was only able to photograph one baby's head so I'm still not sure there are two this time. I didn't want to upset Dad so I kept at a safe distance:



Once the baby/babies are a little bigger I should be able to tell how many there are. In the meantime, welcome to Dove Central, little one/s.

Never Give Up

There are many kinds of heroes, and yesterday there were quite a few of them trying to help the victims of another despicable, cowardly attack on this country. I actually wrote the following giveaway post (and the title of it, too) this past weekend; as soon as I heard about the bombings I considered holding off on it until next week. But if I can share a book like this, with a story of such hope and heroism in the face of great despair and loss, then it may help someone else who needs that right now. My heart and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and all the people of Boston.

Stephanie Tyler's Surrender, the first novel in her new Section 8 series, is an action-packed romantic suspense novel featuring Dare O'Rourke, a former Navy SEAL and the son of a CIA black ops specialist. Dare is still trying to put his life back together after being tortured and nearly killed during a ruinous mission, but his recovery ends when he's sent to rescue Avery, a half-sister he never knew. By the time Dare finds Avery he realized someone is systematically executing his father's old team as well as their families. To stop the killing, he must find his missing father and take out the traitor -- and the only way to do that is to kidnap his enemy's daughter, Grace. What Dare doesn't know is that Grace barely escaped from her murderous stepfather with her life -- and she's already been warned that Dare is coming for her.

Surrender is a dark, edgy story with lots of twists and turns to be navigated by its unusual cast of characters. Dare and the boys aren't simply unsung heroes trying to get past the ways they've been unfairly judged and treated; they operate in that shadow zone where nothing is black or white. The evolution of the relationship between Dare and Grace was fascinating to follow as it bloomed. Oh, and I'll warn you now, there's a marvelous secondary character named Gunner who will not only steal your heart but he'll probably tattoo something beautiful on it to boot.

As always you don't have to take my word for it. In comments to this post name a series with a first novel you loved (or if you can't think of any, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, April 19th, 2013. I'll draw four names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners an unsigned copy of Surrender by Stephanie Tyler. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

One final note -- I'm also holding another giveaway over at the Disenchanted & Co. blog; stop in if you have a chance.

Tax-Free Ten

Ten Things to Take Your Mind Off Income Taxes

Freeware caution: always scan free downloads of anything for bugs and other threats before dumping the programs into your hard drive.

The thirty-day free trial of Brainstorming Toolbox "not only allows you access to better lateral thinking, creative thinking and problem solving. It also enables you to use the techniques in a simple, structured way on a day to day basis. Brainstorming Toolbox is extremely user-friendly, so you spend more time using it than learning it. By promoting pro-active brainstorming, Brainstorming Toolbox helps you develop new ideas and solutions to bring success to you and your business. Brainstorming Toolbox makes generating new ideas and solutions extremely easy and will improve your brainstorming sessions greatly. It will even allow you to brainstorm successfully by yourself by using the computer to steer you in alternative directions" (OS: Window 98/2000/NT/XP)

Cinta Notes is a "simple program for basic notes keeping that provides a convenient way to quickly store pieces of information that are collected from other documents or websites. All you have to do is select the text to be stored and then press the CTRL+F12 hotkey on your keyboard to create a note. CintaNotes captures the text and uses the application title as the note´s title. Alternatively, you can copy/paste the text into the application and append it to the list of previous notes. You can optionally assign keyword tags that can be used to locate and identify notes at a later time. An instant search feature quickly locates keywords within notes as you type them. Other features include merging of notes and support for automatic capturing of Internet links from IE" (OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7)

i*write4life™ is a "professional tool for serious journal writers. You can now get the fully functional version that used to sell for $69 for free. There are no strings attached. Chances are you will never again want to miss its lightning-fast full-text search and powerful navigation capabilities. Check out the optional iwrite.4.life extensions, too" (OS: Windows 98 / NT / 2k / Me / XP / 2003)

Keep Writing is "a word processor that works like an old school typewriter: it doesn't let you delete. If you really, really have to, you can type over mistakes just like with a real typewriter. The idea is that this will let you focus on productivity (instead of endless polishing) and on reaching your word count goals. It simply encourages you to Keep Writing!" (OS: Windows 7 / 98 / NT / 2k / Me / XP / 95 / 2003 / Vista / 2008 Server)

Pro Frequency's Names List is a "complete US Census Bureau names list data of all the US Names. Can be used in your programs for a variety of purposes, including name spell checker and card verification. Format: Data CSV. Line 1 = Male, Line 2 = Female. All updates, upgrades and lifetime support are free with frequency. Features: Complete list, all US names, CSV usability, multi-platform format, instant use" (OS: 7 / 98 / NT / 2k / Me / XP / 95 / 2003 / Vista / 2008 Server)

Scheduler allows you to "schedule tasks to perform at a particular time of day. Tasks include the ability to open any file in its default program, open a URL in the default web browser and shutdown or restart your computer. The main window can be minimised to the system tray. The uses of this range from using it as an alarm clock or reminder to shutting down your computer at a set time after any remaining tasks have been completed" (OS: not specified but it looks like Windows)

Speedy Painter is "an OpenGL based painting software for Windows. It supports Wacom digitizers to vary size and opacity of brush strokes according to pen pressure. Features: Reference view that follows zoom! Available using the F3 key; Export drawing process into a video: ready to upload it on YouTube!; Multiple layers; Ability to vary stroke size and/or opacity according to pen pressure (supports Wacom digitizers); Replay of drawing process; Import/export drawing process; Loading of most common image formats; Canvas rotation; Canvas flip; Selection mask" (OS: Windows Vista/7 [32-Bit/64-Bit])

Stellarium is "a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. It is being used in planetarium projectors. Just set your coordinates and go" (OS: Linux/Unix; Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8; 64-bit Mac OS X 10.6.8 or greater)

The thirty-day free trial of WhizFolders helps you to "begin your writing project in this writer's outliner for improved productivity. This is an outline software for writers that uses a new list-based outlining approach. Better writing involves being able to cope with new ideas as and when they strike you. With WhizFolders, you can write your ideas in pieces, outline them with drag and drop, and merge then to make a document for your word processor. If you think about it, a word processor is only needed for formatting and fine tuning your manuscript and not as a writing, outlining and research tool. Manage all kinds of notes, ideas and writing projects with this versatile outliner and organizer software. Additional features include a rich text editor, automatic pastes to collect text from Internet browser and other applications, hyperlinks to other notes, documents or web sites, boolean search, keyword tags and so on. Includes a nice tutorial to get you started quickly" (OS: Windows 7 / XP / 2003 / Vista)

The fourteen-day free trial of Writer's Blocks is a "writing program for writers who want all the bells and whistles. You’ll get the core of our program, of course, our unique Block Panel where you organize and visualize your writing with our flexible, sizeable movable blocks. Plus you’ll get our fully integrated word processor. You’ll also get our unique floating Power Panel that makes gathering material from other sources a snap. If you need to track references, we’ve got you covered with our footnotes and endnote capability" (OS: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP Home or Pro - 32 bit or 64 bit )

Comments Catchup Day

See you in comments.