From the Editor's Desk
Hi and
welcome once again to Fiction Factor! And, as always,
welcome to our new subscribers.
During the week a good friend of mine called to chat
about writing. We're both freelance writers so we tend to
talk for several hours at a time, brain-storming, tossing
ideas about, submission issues, websites, promotional
ideas, discussing writing trends and opportunities -
conversation that only another writer would understand
(or find interesting).
One trend we've noticed emerging is an increase in the
amount of writers wanting to write but never actually
sitting down to the task of writing. These people will
happily describe themselves as being writers, yet they
barely have time to put together a sentence.
The last time I looked, the definition of a writer is
someone who writes.
Life in general is getting busier and more hectic for
almost everyone. Work, kids, social life - things happen
that take us away from our writing. You might think
you're too busy to write, too tired after a hard day at
work, the kids are demanding, there are chores to do, the
dog needs to be walked, friends have invited you out, you
need to answer all your emails instead... It makes no
difference what the reason is - the fact remains that
something else has dragged away your writing time.
Something more important.
Writing is how I create my income. If I'm busy or tired
or uninspired or ... whatever the excuse, that doesn't
mean I can't find 10 minutes to scrawl down an idea for a
new story or perhaps jot down an idea for that scene in
my novel I want to write later. You can write a really
snappy dialogue conversation between two characters that
might get put into a future scene in just 10 minutes. It
can be a huge chunk of time when you're writing down
dot-points for an article you want to flesh out tomorrow
when you have more time. Research future market
submission options for 10 minutes so you'll have a
publisher or publication ready to go when your story is
complete. Give yourself permission to sit down and create
words just because you want to.
Can you find 10 minutes in your day to get something down
on paper if it means you're working towards doing
something you really want? If you've already found 10,
then perhaps you can find 20 minutes?
If you really want to write you'll need to create a
little time away from the distractions and obligations of
every day life. No one will hand that time to you. You'll
need to create it yourself with what you have available.
Set aside some time to work on writing something -
anything - and you'll be surprised at how much you can
get done even in small chunks of time on a regular basis.
When you've found your little chunk of time, make it a
regular habit and keep that same time free. Start
expanding it into slightly longer periods of time. Write.
Learn. Research. Write some more. You might even find
yourself enjoying it - and who knows - you might even
finish that novel!
Let's get into the writing stuff!
This issue Holly Lisle's "Bring Your Novel To
Life" series continues as she looks at playing
chicken with your novel. Terry Ervin looks at why you
shouldn't hesitate to offer another writer a critique and
Paul Turner discovers how writers can benefit from the
short story market.
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
"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't
quit."
-- Richard Bach
 How To Write Page-Turning
Scenes
Let Holly Lisle, author of more than 30
novels, teach you how to write page-turning
scenes that keep your readers up long past their
bedtimes.
Set up great conflict
and sustain suspense that will keep readers on
the edge of their seats - and have editors
begging for more!
Click here for more details: http://tinyurl.com/492sx5
|
 Turn Your Book into a
Best-Seller!
- Learn to write a GREAT novel from start to
finish
- Find out what editors and agents want
-- 100's of promotion and marketing ideas
PLUS - you'll also get "Write
Here, Write Now" - the hugely popular
motivational ebook co-written by Tina Morgan and
Lee Masterson
Order Now and Receive BOTH best-selling ebooks
for the price of one: http://www.fictionfactor.com/order.html
|
Playing Chicken With Your Novel
by Holly Lisle
Part IV of the 8-Part BRING YOUR NOVEL TO
LIFE Series
If you missed the first three articles in this
series, you can find them here: Part I Does Your Novel
Have a Heartbeat, Part II Does Your Novel
Have a Pulse Part III Burying Your
Novel's Message
And now we come to the hard bit. You've got your theme,
and you've figured out how to bury it so that it's there
for you, and SOMETHING meaningful is there for your
reader. You've let go of the temptation to write a
message book---always difficult---and have embraced
telling your story for the sake of the story.
So you start to write. And you find yourself pulling back
every time you get close to putting something on the page
that might be controversial, that might offend someone,
that might tick off a reader.
You're trying to write for everyone, and in doing this,
you're going to end up writing for no one. You're killing
the passion you feel for the story, the life it might
have, the resonance you could bring to it, out of your
fear. You are systematically ripping out the soul of your
book.
Here are three things I've learned and that you'll need
to make a part of your writing if you're going to keep
your story alive.
1) You cannot write for everyone, and you must
not try to.
It is impossible to have the whole world as your
audience, and it is impossible to have everyone love you.
In fact, on about a one-to-one ratio, the more people you
have who passionately love your work, the more people
there will be who passionately hate it. Some of these
readers---on both ends of the spectrum---will then go on
to transfer their feelings about your work to you.
This is part of the gig.
You can, therefore, either strive to write the books that
will stir the passions of readers, and give some of them
stories that will move them and change them and bring
wonder and joy and hope to their lives...or you can gut
your work of all feeling, all life, all rage and fury and
glory, in the hopes that the pitiful rag you're left with
will gain the admiration of the PC people, who live to
have their feelings hurt.
Of the two, I'd rather have my audience among the people
who are not offended by strong opinions and who are not
afraid to have their own. So I'll shoot for writing books
people can love, accepting that this means I'll have
plenty of detractors, too.
2) If you do not have an opinion, you do not have
a story.
Here's one for you. "All men are potential
rapists." Have you ever heard anyone say that?
Here's a secret. Every person who has ever said that is
an idiot. A small percentage of men, and a small
percentage of women, are potential rapists, and a smaller
percentage of each are actual rapists, and the rest are
people who have morals and ethics and who would not,
under any circumstances, rape anyone.
That's an opinion, and you could write a good, powerful
story by burying that opinion as a theme or a subtheme in
your novel. It will give you heroes and villains, forward
momentum, great conflict, struggles to prove innocence or
guilt, moments of defeat and moments of triumph. It will
give you something to care about, a reason to keep
writing, and a reason for your reader to keep reading.
You can
read more of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/chicken.html
 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!
Learn to bring all your characters to life with
sparkle - from an author of more than 30
published novels!
Click here for more
details: http://tinyurl.com/yqqawa
|
 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
plotting while you write!
Jump Start your novel today: http://tinyurl.com/2z3ant
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How Writers Can Benefit From the Short Story Market
by Paul R Turner
There
are countless writers out there who dream of someday
selling a novel manuscript and being able to make a
full-time living as a professional writer or novelist.
Just imagine being able to quit your day job and spend
your time doing what you love, writing and editing your
own manuscripts, attending book reading events, and
promoting your work. Many professional writers eventually
go on to receive a job as a creative writing professor at
a local university, teaching students how to perfect
their own craft. It's a great dream, but unfortunately
most amateur writers take the wrong approach to trying to
get their work published and become a full-time
professional writer. Here are a few tips about using the
short story market to perfect your writing, get your name
out there and eventually sell a novel manuscript.
First, let's get a few things straight about publishing
short stories. It's definitely not glamorous, and there's
not a whole lot of money in it. Most literary magazines
only give a few bucks to writers for the short stories
they publish, so it isn't going to make you rich. And
their readership is usually very low, so you aren't going
to become famous by publishing short stories, either.
Sure, there are a few exceptions to the rule that have
huge readerships and give big payouts if they decide to
publish your work, but getting your writing accepted
there is extremely tough, even if you are a superb
writer.
So, if the short story market pays so poorly and has such
a low readership, why do we suggest that you go there
first if you eventually want to become a novelist? Well,
there are a three reasons. The first is that the short
story market helps writers perfect their writing, and the
feedback you receive from editors will help you become a
better short story writer and novelist. The second is
that it helps you get used to how to actually submit work
to editors, and the process that is involved with getting
published. And the third is that it will help you build
up your writing resume. A publishing company is much more
likely to read a manuscript from a writer who has been
published in several literary magazines, even if they
were small publications.
You can see
the rest of this article here: http://short.fictionfactor.com/articles/benefit.html
(this
link will take you to Short-Fiction Factor)
A Word from our
Sponsor
3rd Annual Aspiring Authors Writing Contest.
All genres of short fiction accepted. 5000 word
limit. $6 per entry.
August 15, 2008 deadline. Cash prizes will equal
75% of the entry fee pool.
See more details at http://aspiring-authors.com
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Don't Hesitate to Offer a Critique
by Terry W. Ervin II
While there
may be ‘wrong’ ways to critique another
writer’s work, there certainly isn’t any single
‘right’ way to accomplish the task either. That
reality causes hesitation in some writers when an
opportunity to work with another writer or to join a crit
group presents itself. The writer may feel inadequate to
the task, concerned about giving poor advice, or fear
alienating or insulting other writers.
Starting off, if someone is a writer, it’s likely
that he has well established experience in reading the
written word. Therefore, it’s not difficult to
fathom that writer providing a well reasoned opinion on a
piece beginning with his very first critique, be it an
article, essay, short story or novel.
The advantage is that while a reader (someone who is
well-read but doesn’t write) may be able to tell a
writer what is working, be it characterization, pacing,
conflict, among other aspects, they may not be able to
explain exactly why. A writer, having more direct
experience in the nuts and bolts of composing fiction for
example, may have clues as to why a piece is working and
suggestions on how to replicate such in other areas. In
addition, the writer may recognize not only why something
isn’t working, but also have concrete suggestions on
how to improve or fix an observed weakness.
This analogy should help to illustrate the point.
Everyone has probably visited a home or business with
immaculate landscaping. The ornamental trees are the
right height, bushes are well placed and manicured, the
flowers always appear in bloom resting in perfect mulch
beds, and the brick walkway’s color and pattern
compliments the house or office building.
Someone who has toured such landscaped establishments can
recognize a well orchestrated creation or sense if
something isn’t quite right. He may even be able to
identify the concern. The parallel lines in one section
of the brick pattern are out of alignment, or the one of
the decorative shrubs isn’t thriving. But can that
individual provide a solution to the problem? Just like a
reader critiquing a written piece, probably not. But a
landscaper, just as a writer, may be able to point out
the exact place where a brick was set slightly askew, and
as the following bricks were placed the flaw’s
presence became magnified. Or the landscaper might
recognize the failing shrub isn’t receiving
sufficient sunlight due to excessive shade caused by the
building.
Once a writer believes he has the skills to offer a
critique, then, even if the writer has an opinion and
suggestions to offer, is he prepared to do it ‘the
right way’?
As mentioned in the first paragraph, there isn’t a
single ‘right way’ to crit a piece. So, even if
a writer believes he has the insight and skill to offer a
worthwhile critique, he may not want to risk doing it the
‘wrong way’.
Even though it may be helpful and timesaving for the
receiver, critiquing is more than identifying typos and
grammar goofs. As such, no two individuals will approach
the task in the same way. And that is beneficial!
You can see the rest of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/critique.html
Review
of A Time To...Volume 2
edited by Carol Hightshoe
reviewed by Tina Morgan
Carol
Hightshoe continues to amaze me with the quality of
stories she chooses for her e-zines: The Sorcerous
Signal and The Lorelei Signal. She's brought another delightful
collection together to commemorate the second year of
publication. In "A Time 2" the stories are
well-written, thought provoking and moving. While many of
the authors are new, their style and delivery is rich and
strong.
Well worth the time and money, A Time 2 is a must read
for the science fiction and fantasy lover. I'm looking
forward to the next anthology...
You can
read the full review here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/reviews/timeto2.html
 Mystery, Romance, Science
Fiction, Fantasy, Memoirs, Screen-Plays ...
You CAN Write Any Book
in Under 28 Days
Best Selling Author Nick Daws has written 30
books in 3 years. He can show you how too!
It's easier than you think!
Click here for more details:
http://www.fictionfactor.com/bookstore/28days.html
|
 Create-A-Culture
Clinic
Have you ever wanted to create your own
realistic world? Best-selling author of more than
30 novels shows you how to create religions,
philosophies, governments and lifestyles that
will make your fiction story feel real!
Click here for more details: http://tinyurl.com/26uy95
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Writer's Announcements
If you have any writing news or
announcements about your successes with writing, we'd
love to hear about it! Let us know about your
announcements and we'll get them in the newsletter for
everyone to see!
This week's news:
Tina Morgan, along
with Jeanne Allen, Piers Anthony, Milena Benini, Orson
Scott Card, Ian Irvine, Wil McCarthy, Simon Rose, Carol
Heightshoe, Bud Sparhawk, Michele Acker, Bob Nailor,
Michael McRae, Darin Park and Kim Richards are very
pleased to announce their collaborative book, The Complete Guide
To Writing Science Fiction, was awarded the 2008 Eppie Award for the
Non-Fiction: Self-Help Category.
Congratulations everyone! Jump over to the
forum and keep the great news coming!
~ "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
Fantasy
Writing Course
Fantasy is all about
the strange, the fantastic, the beautiful and the
amazing. Here is your chance to delve into creating a
great fantasy novel. This intensive course looks at
everything from world building to creating races and
cultures, from plotting to characterization, from
questing to role playing – you name it, if it’s
Fantasy related, we’ll be looking at it, in depth,
up close and personal.
http://fantasy.fictionfactor.com/course.html
How to Beat Writer's Block - and Have Fun Writing
from Now On!
Have you ever wanted to shut out your pesky Inner Critic
and just enjoy the pure creativity of writing? It's
easier than you think - once you know how. Presented by a
best-selling author of more than 30 published novels,
Holly Lisle will guide you through breaking Writer's
Block, re-connecting with your Muse, learn to get past
what was stalling you in the first place and enjoy
writing again.
Click
Here for your course and your bonuses!: http://tinyurl.com/26uy95
Writing
Great Horror Novels!
Join a multi-award winning, best-selling horror author
Kenyon Charboneaux and learn what it takes to write great
horror novels! Limited spaces available - be quick!
http://horror.fictionfactor.com/course.html (This link will take
you to Horror Factor)
Romance Writing Course
Increase your chances of writing a great romance
manuscript and having it accepted for publication. Join
our romance course today and launch your romance writing
career!
http://romance.fictionfactor.com/course.html - (this link will take you to Romance Factor)
 Writers Wanted!
Great Pay Quick Jobs
Best Selling Author Nick Daws exposes
little-known writing markets willing to pay great
rates for writers willing to work now!
Click here for more details: http://tinyurl.com/tr2ga
|
 How to Beat
Writer's Block
Writer's Block isn't just about being stuck
wordless - it's the thought of all the hard work
ahead of you bringing you down
But you can bring back the thrill of creating
stories easily with Holly Lisle's audio course on
beating writer's block for good!
Click Here to jump start your writing again: http://tinyurl.com/5b9b39
|
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)
Cemetery Dance
http://www.cemeterydance.com
Cemetery Dance Magazine buys horror, dark mystery, and
suspense short stories up to 5,000 words: stories that
are creepy, chilling, disturbing, and moody.
Suspense/mystery/crime tales with a horror element are
always welcome and both supernatural and psychological
stories are accepted - the darker, the better.
Guidelines are stringent – please check website
before submitting. Simultaneous submissions are accepted,
if noted in cover letter.
Pays US 5c/word, plus two contributor copies, within 30
days of publication.
Submission Guidelines:
http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/Guidelines
Greatest Uncommon Denominator
http://www.gudmagazine.com
Our dictionary defines literatures thus: written works,
esp. those valued for form and style. And that is what we
are looking for – form and style, though be sure
there’s substance as well. Any genre, including
literary or mainstream, is acceptable. We don’t back
away from a fight – if your work screws with
convention, breaks rules, makes demands of the reader,
then we’re equal to the challenge. Just please, by
whatever you hold dear, give us some prize at the end of
the fight.
Pays 3 cents per word – please read the submission
guidelines in full before submitting
Submission Guidelines: http://www.gudmagazine.com/subs/submit.php
Blue Mountain Arts
Blue Mountain Arts is interested in reviewing writings
for publication on greeting cards. We are looking for
highly original and creative submissions on friendship,
family, special occasions, positive living, and other
topics one person might want to share with another
person. Submissions may also be considered for inclusion
in book anthologies.
They pay $300 per poem for all rights to publish it on a
greeting card and $50 if your poem is used only in an
anthology.
To request a copy of their writer's guidelines (which
include contact/submission information), please send a
blank e-mail to writings@sps.com with "Send Me
Guidelines" in the subject line, or write to them
at:
Blue Mountain Arts, Inc.
Editorial Department
P.O. Box 1007
Boulder, CO 80306.
You can also visit our Web site at http://www.sps.com
Interzone
http://ttapress.com/category/interzone/
Needs: Science Fiction and Fantasy intelligent, unusual,
innovative. Avoid S&S , space opera, traditional
ghost stories.
Other: Do not submit the same story to more than one TTA
publication. Email submissions being accepted during
certain reading periods -- see website for details. Will
respond to overseas via email. Pays £30/1000 words on
publication (3p UK per word - approx 5.5 cents US per
word).
Fiction: to 15,000 words.
Submission Guidelines: http://ttapress.com/category/interzone/guidelines/
Brio
Magazine
http://www.briomag.com/
Seeking
short fiction up to 2,000 words to suit teenaged girls.
Romance stories, sibling rivalry and situations faced
daily by teen girls are especially welcomed. Brio’s
target audience is teenaged girls from 12-15 and Brio
& Beyond’s target audience is older teenaged
girls from 16-19.
Both Brio and Brio & Beyond pay between 15 and 35
cents per word on acceptance.
Submission Guidelines: (downloadable) http://www.family.org/sharedassets/correspondence/pdfs/GeneralInformation/Brio_Writers_Guidelines.pdf
Shades
of Romance Magazine
http://www.sormag.com/
Seeking short stories between 500-1500 words. The short
story must focus on the romance, and have an upbeat
ending. All genres are considered, including historical,
contemporary, paranormal, mystery, regency Futuristic,
and Time-Travel. We do not publish erotica. Payment $20
on publication.
Submission Guidelines: http://www.sormag.com/guide.html
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