From the Editor's Desk
Hi and
welcome once again to Fiction Factor! And, as always,
welcome to our new subscribers.
Woo Hoo! I am SO pleased
to announce that Fiction Factor was included in the
Writer's Digest Top 101 Writing Sites yet again! There
aren't many sites that can say they've made the listing 7
years in a row, so I'm very proud that our little Fiction
Factor must be doing something right! Thank you to
everyone who nominated us for the listing. We really
appreciate your support.
I've had a great month! After having a not-so-nice March,
it was wonderful to have a complete turn around through
April. I had great news from my publisher, added a lovely
new client to the freelance side of my writing and
generally allowed my Muse to take control of my days. All
this on top of the great news about making the Top 101
Writing Sites yet again means I wish every month was this
much fun.
I caught up with some writer friends earlier in the month
and one of them was worried that she'd lost all the joy
she used to feel when writing. She felt as though picking
up her novel and working on it was more like a chore than
the great fun it once was. During the course of our
dinner, she seriously contemplated deleting it and
starting something else.
Another member in the group pointed out that writing is
the same as any other job. No matter how much you might
enjoy your job and no matter how satisfying it might be
most of the time, there will always be those times where
it feels more like a chore and loses all its appeal. This
conversation over dinner gave me the inspiration to write
the two articles featured in this issue of Fiction
Factor.
That's enough chatter. Let's get straight into the
writing stuff!
This issue Lee Masterson looks at how to stay motivated
with your writing and also writing for anthologies. Tina
Morgan also presents an excerpt on Antagonists from the
book 'Fire in Fiction' by literary agent Donald Maass.
It's time now to grab a beverage of choice, sit back, and
enjoy this issue of Fiction Factor!
Lee Masterson
Editor-in-Chief
http://www.fictionfactor.com
Pop by and hi to me on
Facebook. I enjoy getting to know our readers! http://www.facebook.com/people/Lee-Masterson/1569278962
"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't
quit."
-- Richard Bach
 The Mashed Potato
Method of Fiction Writing
Yet another step-by-step guide to writing.
You should get a laugh, even if it doesn't help
you win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
For more details click:
http://www.unpublishedguy.com/Default.aspx?tabid=36&EntryID=18 |
 Did
you know...
Authors who write and sell sold short
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Lee Masterson's step-by-step ebook can show you
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Stay Motivated With Your Writing
by
Lee Masterson
No matter what job you do, everyone has moments where
motivation dries up. Writing is exactly the same. While
your story is new, it’s fresh and exciting and you’re
fired up ready to tackle the plot twists and character
creations.
About a third of the way into your book, the story isn’t
new any more and the writing has become just another
chore to get through. It’s at this point that many
writers give up and go off in search of that fresh,
exciting feel of a different story to write.
What many of these writers forget is that writing is a
job, just like any other. Admittedly it’s a fun,
challenging, rewarding job – but never make the
mistake of thinking that it’s too far removed from
what you do during your day job.
Professional writers and novelists know this. They treat
their love of writing as a viable business and they plan
ways to keep the creative juices flowing even on days
where inspiration might be running low.
So how do you keep your motivation levels high?
Read More
So many writers feel as though they can’t read books
by other writers while they’re creating their own
masterpiece. They don’t want the distraction
creeping in to prey on their confidence levels.
The point of reading a lot of different books by various
writers is that you’ll learn to understand how to
spot a lemon at 20 paces. You’ll begin to notice
dialogue that doesn’t sound like real speech and you’ll
spot plot-holes large enough to drive a car through.
By reading more, you’re teaching your mind valuable
writing skills. Gaining an understanding of what moved
you or made you laugh goes a long way into improving your
own skills. You’ll also keep your mind fresh as you
learn to look at your own work with a different level of
objectivity.
Change
Genres
If you’re working on a novel-length work then your
mind may decide it wants to take a break. Nothing you do
seems to get the motivation flowing. Forcing yourself to
continue working on a section of your novel when your
mind is on strike simply won’t work.
Take a little time out from your main project and work on
a short story in a completely different genre. Give your
mind a way to relax and have a little fun. This break
away from the pressure of writing a longer piece can
often be a great way to bring back the motivation for
your bigger project.
You can read the rest of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/stay-motivated-with-writing.html
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 Create A Character
Clinic
Can you create a great character that editors
can't turn down? Holly Lisle can and she can show
you how too!
Did you know that starting with a name and a
character description will KILL your character?
You can learn to bring all your characters to
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Writing Fiction For Anthologies
by Lee Masterson
One of
the best ways to get your creative ideas flowing is to
search through calls for submissions into anthologies.
Anthologies are generally collections of short stories
based around a central theme.
While the pay rate for fiction published in anthologies
is generally not high, there are many advantages to
writing for these compilation markets.
1. You have a new published credit to
add to your portfolio
2. You can stimulate your own creativity
by reading through the submission guidelines of
anthologies that interest you
3. You have the opportunity to break out
of writer’s block by writing something short on a
topic created by someone else
4. You can learn to hone your writing
skills by mastering the short story
5. You are able to show a future novel
editor that you’re able to write
6. You get that unique warm-fuzzy-proud
feeling of being able to hold the completed book in your
hand once it’s published
7. You might actually receive a check
for a few extra dollars!
There are plenty more reasons why writing for anthologies
can be hugely beneficial for all writers, but these are
the main ones that came to mind. Now we’ve looked
into why writing and submitting short fiction to these
markets can be a good thing, what happens if the story
you write isn’t accepted?
Potentially, any anthology editor is going to receive
several hundred submissions for a book that can only hold
20 or 25 stories. How can you increase your chances of
getting your story accepted?
Let’s look into some things you should remember when
you’re dealing with anthology editors.
Theme
The object of most anthology collections is to compile
several stories that revolve around a central theme or
genre. Most editors are very thorough about telling
writers exactly what kind of story they want to see. They
usually make a huge mention of the things they don’t
like or things they won’t accept too. Keep those
limitations in mind when it comes time to write.
When you’re browsing through lists of anthology
markets, try to stick to themes or genres that you enjoy
or that you feel you could work for you.
Light a Spark
As you read through each set of guidelines, you’ll
notice that some just won’t appeal to you, however
there will be others that light a bit of a spark within
the creative part of your mind. Write down the first idea
that comes to you surrounding those particular guidelines
and then see if there’s room to expand on that idea.
Think Outside the Box
Always keep in mind that the most obvious idea that pops
into your head is very likely to be the similar to every
other submission that editor will receive. Take a careful
look at your original idea and see where you can add a
unique twist or if you can approach the situation from a
fresh angle.
The more unusual or unexpected your story line is, the
more chance you have of making your tale stick in the
editor’s mind.
You can
read the rest of this article here: http://short.fictionfactor.com/articles/writing-for-anthologies.html
Crafting the
Romance Story
Did you know... 55% of all fiction sold worldwide
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 Create A Plot
Clinic
Have you ever lost interest in your story only 20
pages from the start and not know how to get it
going again?
Best Selling Author of more than 30 novels, Holly
Lisle, can show you exactly how to structure your
story for maximum effect. Learn to fix problem
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editors beg for more.
Jump Start your novel today: http://tinyurl.com/2z3ant
|
Antagonists
(an excerpt from The Fire in Fiction: Passion, Purpose
and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great
by Donald Maass)
Villains are some of the worst characters I met in
manuscripts, and not in a good way. What I mean is that
they frequently are cardboard. Most are presented as
purely evil: Mwoo-ha-ha villains, as we call them around
the office.
To make an antagonist three-dimensional is to give that
character the power to sway our hearts in directions we
would not expect them to be swayed. To get us to see,
even accept, the antagonist’s point of view.
Now, you may not want your story to feel ambiguous. You
may embrace right and wrong and write an outcome that
makes your values obvious. That is your choice.
At the same time, a wholly black-and-white story cannot
engage us very deeply. The deck is too stacked, the
players too shallow to stir or scare us in memorable
ways. Whatever your intension, it’s worth investing
time in your antagonist, opening up their unexpected
sides, justifying their actions and even making them
right.
That only adds to the drama.
Description: In his new book, New
York literary agent Donald Maass illuminates the
techniques of master contemporary novelists. Some authors
write powerhouse novels every time. What are they doing
differently on the page? Maass not only explains, he
shows you how you can right away use the techniques of
greatness in your current manuscript.
Author bio: A literary agent in New York
, Donald Maass’s agency sells more than 150 novels
every year to major publishers in the U.S. and overseas.
He is the author of The Career Novelist (1996), Writing
the Breakout Novel (2001), Writing the Breakout Novel
Workbook (2004) and The Fire in Fiction (2009). He is a
past president of the Association of Authors’
Representatives, Inc.
You can read the online version of this
excerpt here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/antagonists.html
The Fire in Fiction on amazon.com
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 How
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and fun or writing. Want to know how?
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~ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug
used by mankind." -- Rudyard Kipling ~
Writing Courses
You can see the full list
of available courses here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/courses.html
Writing
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Paying Market Listings
You can find the complete
Market Index here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/markets.html
Happy Market Hunting!
(Disclaimer: Mention of a market/ contest in Fiction
Factor is not necessarily an endorsement. Check all
guidelines in full before submitting)
Sword and Sorceress 24
http://mzbworks.home.att.net/s24.htm
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorcery 24 is seeking
sword and sorcery stories to 9000 words featuring a
strong female protagonist. No reprints. Please read
guidelines in full before submitting.
Pays 5 cents per word
Deadline: 15th May 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://mzbworks.home.att.net/s24.htm
Catastrophia Anthology
http://news.pspublishing.co.uk/2008/09/09/catastrophia-anthology-call-for-submissions/
Catasrophia will be a collection of short stories based
around the theme of catastophes, disasters and
post-apocalyptic fiction up to 6,000 words. Payment is
£0.03p per word (approx 6c per word US) to a maximum of
£100 ($200). No reprints.
Deadline: 31st May 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://news.pspublishing.co.uk/2008/09/09/catastrophia-anthology-call-for-submissions/
Destination: Future
http://www.hadleyrillebooks.com/DestinationFutureSubs.html
Destination: Future is an anthology seeking science
fiction short stories, particularly Hard SF, Space
Operas, Alient Worlds, Exploration and Quest stories.
Editors prefer no submissions of alternative fiction,
steampunk, fantasy or horror. Word counts should be
between 3,000 and 6,000 words. Payment is 3 cents per
word plus royalties if anthology earns out expenses. No
reprints.
Deadline: 30th June 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://www.hadleyrillebooks.com/DestinationFutureSubs.html
Skulls and Crossbones
http://mindancerpress.wordpress.com/books/skulls-and-crossbones/
'Skulls and Crossbones' is a collection of short stories
that feature women pirates in any setting and any time
period. All stories should be between 4,000 and 7,000
words. Editors may consider reprints. Stories should NOT
focus on romantic hook-ups or erotica - rather the
editors prefer stories that feature adventure, intrigue,
battles, trickery, thievery and/or assorted banditry and
outlaw behavior.
Pay is $35 plus one contributor copy of anthology.
Deadline is 1st September 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://mindancerpress.wordpress.com/books/skulls-and-crossbones/
Shadows of the Emerald City
http://jwschnarr.webs.com/submissions.htm
Shadows of the Emerald City and The Terrible Wizard of Oz
is a new anthology featuring short HORROR stories based
in the world of Oz. Deconstruct the 'Wizard of Oz' and
the world it's based within however you choose. Include
blood and gore. Scare us. Disgust us. Be sure your
stories are under 10,000 words. Payment is $20US plus one
contributor copy. Anthology is purchasing one-time
rights. Rights will revert back to the author upon
publication.
Deadline: 31t July 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://jwschnarr.webs.com/submissions.htm
Silly Western Anthology
http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/2008/10/silly-western-antho-call-for.html
CyberAliens Press are looking for short stories from
500 to 3500 words in length, as well as poems, jokes,
puns, limericks, artwork, and general silliness. All
submissions must express one of the following themes:
+ American Wild West
+ Steampunk
+ Prairie Romance
or some mixture of the above.
Submission Guidelines: http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/2008/10/silly-western-antho-call-for.html
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