Match Game

Let's play a game. Match the writer with their unusual quirk:

The Writers

1. Charles Dickens

2. Dan Brown

3. Wallace Stevens

4. Sir Walter Scott

5. George Bernard Shaw

6. PBW

7. Dr. Maya Angelou

8. Ernest Hemingway

9. T.S. Eilot

10. John Steinbeck

The Quirks

A. Wore green-tinted face powder and lipstick while writing.

B. Always wrote standing up due to pain from an old leg injury.

C. Wrote in a shed mechanized to slowly revolve.

D. Wrote on horseback.

E. Would take a Bible, a copy of Roget's Thesaurus, a deck of cards and a bottle of sherry to a small hotel room to write.

F. Stopped every hour while writing to do sit-ups, push-ups and stretches.

G. Kept a comb nearby and used it hundreds of times per day while writing.

H. Could not write with loose hair; always wore it tightly bound, braided or pinned up while writing.

I. Wrote while walking.

J. Always kept twelve perfectly sharpened pencils on the desk.

Post your best guesses (no Googling!) and tell us if you have an unusual writing quirk, too. The correct answers will be provided in comments at the end of the day.

Outline 14

Someone (you know who you are) asked me to repost a list of links I put together back in 2012 to help with outlining a NaNoWriMo novel. Here you go:

Planning, Scheming, and Plotting by Stephannie Beman -- Stephannie talks about her method of sketching out a nice, brief checklist to loosely organize her stories in advance of the writing.

Keith Cronin abstains from Roman numerals in his hybrid pantser-plotter approach to outlining, The Big O.

For those who prefer to write the classic synopsis as an outline -- there are one or two of you like that, yes? -- Charlotte Dillon has a fabulous page of info and links here.

If you'd like to organize your outline online, I recommend trying Hiveword, Mike Fleming's free online novel writing organizer, which I demo'd and reviewed here.

If you hate the idea of outlining at all, you may get some comfort (and ideas) from Crawford Kilian's post Writing Without an Outline.

Advice from a master: Effectively Outlining Your Plot by Lee Masterson

Alicia Rasley's classic article Outline Your Novel in Thirty Minutes asks all the right questions; you provide the answers.

For a very brief outline, test drive my one-page ten point novel concept outline template (the first page is the blank template; the second is filled in as an example.)

If you like Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method of outlining, you'll probably also love TextTree, a freeware written as a companion program for it.

TiddlyWiki is a free service that provides a reusable non-linear personal web notebook (LJ Cohen did a terrific virtual workshop a few years back on how to use TiddlyWiki to organize your novel.)

Try virtual whiteboarding with the free online service Trello, which I demo'd and reviewed here.

Juliette Wade's Sequence Outlining offers an event-driven method of outlining.

Writing.com has a Blank Novel Outline worksheet here.

And finally, a post I wrote that after five years remains the #1 most popular on PBW, my Novel Outlining 101.

Off to Work

I have to finish up a project for a client, so there will be no Just Write this weekend. See you tomorrow.

Count 'em Ten

Ten Word Count Widgets for NaNoWriMo

AllIndieWriters.com's Wordcount Tracker

Another Little Progress Meter

Critique Circle's Word Meter Builder

Language is a Virus's simple NaNoWriMo Word Meter

NaNoWriMo's page of official participant wordcount meters

ProgPress is a word meter plug-in for the WordPress (hasn't been updated in a while, so caveat emptor)

StoryToolz's word count meters page (must register to gain access but it's free)

Writeometer, which I think is an Android App

Writertopia's two wordcount meters

Writing Journal, which is a free iTunes time tracker & word meter

Drifting Back

A bit of personal nostaliga this week: this lovely video was shot in Monterey, California, where I lived for while, and shows some of the spots where I'd sit and watch the sunset (with background music, for those of you at work):

Adrift from Brendan Lim on Vimeo.

It's Official

I'm in love:



So cool. Okay, you win by getting married, so probably not for the feminists, but still. How often do you see one of your all-time favorite novels get made into a board game? The web site where you can order it is here.

Image credit: September 2015 issue of Victoria magazine.

Sub Op

Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly has an open call for stories for their ninth issue:

"THEME FOR ISSUE 9: None (all SFR submissions welcome)

Length: 2,000 to 7,500 words.

Payment: 2.5 cents/word (US) paid upon publication, promotional biography with two links, and a complimentary quarter-page advertisement.

Deadline for Issue #9: 15 November 2015.

Rights sought: Six-month exclusive world digital rights from date of publication; non-exclusive thereafter.

Other info: One short story will be published per issue. Please send only edited and polished work. Due to time constraints, we are unable to give personalized feedback on rejected stories.

Stories that tie-in to a previously established world will be considered, but story must stand alone.

All sub-genres of science fiction will be considered.

Any heat level, from sweet to erotic, will be considered. Original, previously unpublished fiction only. No fan fiction, please.

Story should meld the Science Fiction and Romance genres, and must have an upbeat ending.

Not quite sure what we’re looking for? Read our original fiction in previous issues.

No multiple submissions. No stories that have previously been rejected by us.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please inform us if the story is placed elsewhere.

Submit: Standard manuscript format, please. Send brief cover letter with biographical information and publication history, along with attached story (.RTF or .DOC format) to Diane Dooley — Fiction #at# SciFiRomanceQuarterly #dot# org — by deadline."

Hmmm

I can't decide if I like the participant badge design for this year's National Novel Writing Month:



So it's not as awful as that one year when they went with the Gameboy-style design. I like the colors, but the graphics make me think more of writing journals than novels. The hodge-podge font is hard to read, and the design is on the clunky side (and before anyone asks, I was not the model for the crooked hands. Mine aren't that crooked.) On the other hand it's not as awful as that one year when they went with the Gameboy-style design.

What do you think? Let us know in comments.

Free Online Mapper

Wise Mapping is a free open source "web mind mapping tool that leverages the power of Mind Maps mixing new technologies like HTML 5.0 and SVG. A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. It is used to generate, visualize, structure and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, and decision making. It is an image-centered diagram that represents semantic or other connections between portions of information. By presenting these connections in a radial, non-linear graphical manner, it encourages a brainstorming approach to any given organizational task, eliminating the hurdle of initially establishing an intrinsically appropriate or relevant conceptual framework to work within. A mind map is similar to a semantic network or cognitive map but there are no formal restrictions on the kinds of links used. The elements are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts and they are organized into groupings, branches, or areas. The uniform graphic formulation of the semantic structure of information on the method of gathering knowledge, may aid recall of existing memories." You can download this one or use it online, and the currently supported browsers are: "Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 and above. Google Chrome 19 and above Firefox 12 and above. Safari 5 and above. Opera 11 and above. Important: Internet Explorer 8 require the installation of Google Chrome Frame plugin."

Just Write Sunday Edition

Today I'm off to write something new and post it online before midnight. Everyone inclined to do the same is invited to join me.

My link: More on Ghost Writer (click on the title to go to the .pdf), with new material beginning on page 135.

For more details on Just Write, click here to go to the original post.

Image credit: My kid. :)

Flash Sub Op

For those who like to write flash, here's an open call for mystery/suspense fic:

"FLASH BANG MYSTERIES is open to submissions until October 31, 2015. We're currently considering stories for the Winter Issue, which will go live in January of 2016. The detailed guidelines can be found on the Submissions page of the website, but here's the lowdown:

Flash fiction ONLY between 500 and 750 words
Mystery/suspense of all types (police procedural, private eye, amateur sleuth, cozies, hardboiled, etc.). Basically, if it involves a crime and it is within our guidelines, we would love to consider it.
We want stories that feature believable characters who speak naturally, realistic situations that bleed conflict, and surprise endings that stay with us long after we reach the final period.
We welcome new and established authors.
$10.00 one-time payment, via PayPal, upon publication."

(Found over in the Paying Markets forum at AbsoluteWrite.com.)

Next Gen Yarn Bombing

We can 3-D print anything these days, even computer-generated knitted garments -- as you'll see in this promotional video for an inexpensive computer-controlled knitting machine (with background music, for those of you at work):

Made In the Neighbourhood (ft. a clothing printer, OpenKnit) from Gerard Rubio on Vimeo.

No Name Required Sub Op

Just a note for anyone who did not stop by last week -- PBW's weekly Just Write feature has moved to Sundays and will be staying there indefinitely.

Here's an open call I spotted over at AbsoluteWrite.com's Paying Markets forum from a new SF e-zine startup launching January 1st; the interesting part is that they want blind submissions, and don't want your name unless they accept:

"Metaphorosis is a new online semi-pro magazine of speculative fiction. What we want:

style – We want writers who use language beautifully – so that words aren’t just the carrier for your story, they’re part of the scenery. We want the poetry of Roger Zelazny, the finesse and ingenuity of Jack Vance.
mood – We want stories with atmosphere, where mood is an important element. Think Patricia McKillip.
character – We want stories with characters – real people with real emotions, whether those people are aliens or trolls or both. Think Arthur C. Clarke.
intellect and emotion – We want writing that makes us think and feel. We want the intellect of A. A. Attanasio, the social awareness of Ursula Le Guin, the impact of George R. R. Martin.

See our submission guidelines for details.

Timing:

We are now open for submissions! We launch on 1 January 2016

What we pay:

We pay a semi-pro rate of $.01/word. We'd love to raise this, and will do so as soon as funding allows. See our Patreon page for information about where new funding would go.

What we're buying:

The guidelines have details, but we're buying first English rights and non-exclusive anthology rights (monthly for Patreon supporters, and a best-of annual). Sample contracts are posted on the submissions page.

What else:

Submissions are blind. We ask that you not include your name in the submission itself, and we generally won't see your name until/unless we accept a piece.

We pay via PayPal, immediately on acceptance.

Reprints: no, Multiple: yes, Simultaneous: yes

We also buy cover art at $50/piece (nonexclusive, reprints okay)

We'll aim to give brief personal feedback, including telling you by which page we decided a story wasn't for us. Depending on the level of submissions, we may have to curtail this, but we'll try.

Promotion:

We'd appreciate your spreading the word to other writers and artists. And, of course, come read the magazine on 1 January!"

Titlepalooza

Got these SF story titles from FantasyNameGenerators.com's book title name generator:

Veteran Of Life
Girl Of Darkness
Foreigners Of The Moon
Agents Of The Sun
Officers And Recruits
Traitors And Men
End Of The New Order
Border Of The Stars
Mother Of The End
Perfection Of Time Travellers

Not everything you'll get is usable, but there will be a couple that are interesting (A Perfection of Time Travellers would make an awesome short story title.) If you hover over the categories at the top of the page, you'll see links to the other five million or so free naming generators at the site, like the tavern name generator, which gave me this list:

The Secret Bat Pub
The Open Shoe Bar
The Huge Rabbit
The Gullible Sugar
The Spotless Unicorn Bar
The Dusty Cashew
The Modern Curry Inn
Ye Olde Bass Inn
The Warm Hawk Bar
The Victorious Stream

Ye Olde Bass. Even I'd have a drink in a tavern named that . . . .

Poetry Sub Op

Here's an open call I spotted over at Ralan. com from The Pedestal Magazine for poetry for their December 2015 issue:

As editors of The Pedestal Magazine, we intend to support both established and burgeoning writers. We are committed to promoting diversity and celebrating the voice of the individual.

The Pedestal Magazine does not accept previously published work, unless specifically requested; however, we will accept simultaneous submissions, if so noted. Please inform us immediately if your submission is accepted elsewhere. Also, we do not accept submissions by regular mail. Neither do we accept email submissions. We now accept all work through Submittable.com. Please do not submit more than once per reading cycle.

Current and Upcoming Guidelines:

Poetry:
The editors will be receiving submissions of poetry for the December 2015 issue of Pedestal. No restrictions on genre, length, theme, or style. Send up to five (5) poems in a single file. Open for submissions November 2 - 29.

Payment: $40 per poem.

Reviews:
The Pedestal Magazine publishes reviews of full-length poetry collections (we are no longer able to review chapbooks), short-story collections, novels, and various works of non-fiction. Most of our reviews are handled in-house by staff reviewers. If you are interested in submitting a title for possible review, or would like to review a specific title, please query at pedmagazine@carolina.rr.com.

As mentioned above, The Pedestal Magazine does not accept previously published material, unless specifically requested. It asks for first rights to any piece its editors select. At the time of publication, all rights revert back to the author/artist; however, The Pedestal Magazine retains the right to publish the piece(s) in any subsequent issue or anthology, whether in print or online, without additional payment. Should you decide to republish the piece elsewhere, we ask that you cite The Pedestal Magazine as a place of previous publication and provide The Pedestal Magazine's web address.

We do our best to respond to submissions in 4-8 weeks. Please do not query regarding status of a submission until at least eight weeks have passed. All questions pertaining to submissions should be addressed to the editor at pedmagazine@carolina.rr.com.

Thank you for your interest in The Pedestal Magazine."

NaNoPrep Ten

With NaNoWriMo less than a month away, it's a good time to begin the prep for writing your November novel. To help you with that, here are:

Ten Things You Can Do to Prepare for National Novel Writing Month

Decide: Committing to take part in NaNo is a huge thing, and everyone should think it over carefully before signing up. Doing that now instead of on October 31st 11:59 pm gives you more time to weigh all the pros and cons and be sure you can swing it. But if you can do all that in sixty seconds or less, by all means, wait.

Declutter: Clean up your writing space. Leave only the things you absolute need to write a novel in thirty days and get rid of the rest of the ephemera. If you'd rather leave the creative nest intact, set up a new one just for your NaNo novel.

Dig for Supplies: If you want to use a notebook, notepad or other office supplies, and they're buried in some closet or drawer, go excavate and create a NaNo-ready pile. Or, if you don't have the supplies you need, buy them now.

Discuss: You need to write your ass off in November, and you don't need people railroading you with helpful input while you're trying to do that. So: if you must discuss your story idea with a crit partner, writing pal or other source of sympathy and feedback, do it this month. Or make NaNoWriMo like Fight Club and don't talk about it with anyone whatsoever.

Dive into Research: If you need to read up on a certain topic to prep your knowledge base for your November novel, now would be the time. Make it a weekend thing and take notes so that when you are writing next month they're right there and ready to be used.

Do the Outline: This will help you decide if your idea will stretch for at least 50K words. Even if you don't follow it, outlining can help you sort out the story in your head. Organic writers, you can skip this step if outlining kills a story for you.

Dole Out Responsibilities: Talk to your spouse, significant other, kids, parents, friends and anyone else who can mess with you in November and let them know you're trying to write a novel in thirty days. Ask them to help you by pitching in with housework, cooking, laundry, etc.

Dropkick the Doubt: November is National Novel Writing Month. Note the word doubt appears nowhere in the previous sentence. If you must torture yourself, October is the unofficial month of I Don't Know if I Can Do This. My advice? Spend the next couple weeks dropkicking the doubt out of your head. Do November for you, for fun. Screw the doubt.

Dump the Distractions: Weed out all the unnecessary writing-related tasks from your writing life. Put your blog on vacation. Shutdown Facebook, Instagram, and any other time-sucking online vortex. Twit your Tweeter pals and explain you're going to Antarctica for the winter if you have to, but take a break from everything that keeps you from writing.

Dwell on Your Ideas: Now that you've done most or all of the above, spend some time thinking about your story idea. Let it run in your head like a movie only you can see. Enjoy fleshing out your characters. Pick songs or color palettes for them. Assemble your novel notebook. Have fun building your world, laying out your settings, and otherwise visiting and polishing and refining your story playground. Because next month, when it's time to actually play in it? You won't have time.

Just Write Sunday Edition

Welcome to the new Sunday edition of Just Write! Today I'm off to write something new and post it online before midnight. Everyone inclined to do the same is invited to join me.

My link: More on Ghost Writer, with new material beginning on page 130.

For more details on Just Write, click here to go to the original post.

Image credit: My kid. :)

Writing Contest

If you're looking for a writing warm-up for NaNoWriMo, or just a way to give your muse a kick in the mojo, here's a no-fee two-week writing challenge competition that takes place in four rounds:

"WYRM’s Gauntlet features a new writing or reviewing challenge every round. All are invited to enter the first round (until the deadline hits, or we are filled), 8 will move on to the second, 5 to the third, and just 3 to the final round. As you advance through the Gauntlet, fewer and fewer challengers will remain, so judging must become shrewder. Challenges are not announced in advance, but as a new round opens. So pay attention. Some of the challenges Gauntleteers have had to face in the past include: Write a short story from a unique prompt, write a freestyle story of any length, review a published story, review an unpublished story. (All entries are private, and go through our submission form.)

We know that’s pushing your creativity to the brink, but pressure can make all the difference, and we’ll add the following promise. Just as we ask you to meet our mean deadlines, WYRM will judge your stuff promptly to keep these rounds moving. We invented the Gauntlet Timeline, and we always adhere to it.

As for elimination, we cull the herd as the Gauntlet moves ahead. It can be rough, and it can lead to all-nighter judging sessions, but WYRMs are up to the reading workload. Once the Gauntlet has a solid number of entrants (to be known from now on as Gauntleteers) we’ll determine how many can advance to each round. The bottom line is, the air gets thinner the higher you go, and you better be at your best.

The only real rule is to let it all hang out. That means, give us your best shot and don’t worry what the neighbors think. That, of course, and please respect your fellow Gauntleteers and internet citizens in this forum. Trash talking doesn’t bother us, but if you give us a real reason–like hate speech or plagiarism–we won’t hesitate to give you the boot."

According to Ralan.com there is no word limit, and the prizes are: "1st=$150; 2nd=$75; 3rd=$50, +in-depth critique for all 3." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Round 1 opens on October 12th, 2015 (do not submit before that date); Deadline: October 26th, 2015.

Puzzling

This very cool video shows us how cleverly tavern puzzle jugs were made, thanks to artist Michelle Erickson's recreation of one from the Victoria and Albert Museum (with narration by the artist and some background music, for those of you at work):

How was it made? A Puzzle Jug by Michelle Erickson from Victoria and Albert Museum on Vimeo.

Just Write is Moving

There will not be a Just Write Thursday today week as I'm working under a couple of tight deadlines. Thursdays are also turning out to be very work-intensive days for me, and since I just picked up a new series project I've been considering putting the feature on hiatus over the winter.

Rather than do that, I'm going to try something else. As of this week I'm moving Just Write to Sundays, which are now the least work-filled day of the week for me. I'll pick up where I left off last week with Ghost Writer this weekend on Sunday, October 4th, and see if that works a little better. Thanks is advance for your support.

For more details on Just Write Thursdays, click here to go to the original post.

Image credit: windujedi