No Disclaimers Beta Services

Quick Deadline! ConverSextion Sexiest Story

2011-10-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

ConverSextion is not a publisher or writing blog like so many who offer writing opportunities. It's actually a conversation site, filled with forums where adults can go to talk about sex and sexuality in a mature, helpful, and mutually supportive way.

It's also kind of fun, with humor, videos and--as we see today--Sexiest Story Contests!

As with all good contests, there are great prizes--in this case, cash and gift cards! Prizes are:

1st Place- $500.00 CASH!
2nd Place- $100.00 Gift Card to MyTulip.com
3rd Place- $50.00 Gift Card to MyTulip.com

Just so you know, MyTulip.com sells grown-up toys, so don't go flipping through their website with your kids around!

Entries have to be in by midnight this Friday, so this is a perfect contest for anyone who has a sexy little story that they've never submitted anywhere.

Weekend Getaways

2011-09-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Call for Submissions

Secret Cravings Publishing is taking submissions of short stories of up to 5k - 10k words for a onetime payment of $50-$100 depending on the length of the manuscript.

Any genre Steamy to Burn the page erotic stories wanted.

These stories will be released individually with their own cover. One each Saturday of the week.

Submissions will be ongoing—no deadline.

Normal no-no's apply including: rape, scat, golden showers, etc. Check our general submission guidelines for things we do not take.

Thoughts on Beginning with Fanfiction

2011-08-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

Written by Nancy, one of our 3 fabulous ND betas.

I’ve been on a fan-fiction reading frenzy lately. Why? I could say that, “I don’t know why.” But that wouldn’t be the truth. I do know why.

I got my start in writing – a jolt to the heart of my need to write – via fan fiction. And, just last week, I finished the very first fan-fiction story I ever started. Granted, the phrase ‘the end’ came six-and-a-half years after I wrote ‘Prologue’. But, so be it. Anyone who knows me knows my propensity for procrastination. Except, I don’t think procrastination is entirely to blame.

For those of us who love to read, there’s a certain sense of loss that comes with finishing a story. Maybe that’s why series are all the rage; you finish a book but you haven’t finished the story – get my meaning? For those of us who write, the sense of loss that comes with typing the last word of the last chapter is much more acute. It really does feel like this part of us, the part that we dredged up, stirred about, tapped into, and channeled, has died, never again to be. Yes, we’ll write more stories, but not ‘that’ story. I remember feeling that sense of… writer’s mortality, if you will… when I finished Another Way. I felt depressed. I felt listless. I felt adrift. The men, women, places and motivations I had been living with, exploring, and exploiting, for eleven months were no longer part of my day-to-day existence.

Hence one of the bigger reasons why my Harry Potter fan-fiction story, Hooligan of Hogwarts, took more than six years to complete. I didn’t want to let it go. Through that story, I’d met the most amazing array of people, from all over the world, of whom I’d never have ever interacted with otherwise. Several of these people I lucky enough to call friend. Who’d want to end something that could hurt them?

That got me to thinking… about Cassandra Claire. Yep. The Golden Girl of plagiarism. The Cinderella of fan-fiction writers as she, through fan-fiction, secured a three-book deal with a major publisher and had one of her books appear on the New York Times Bestseller list.

I admit, I got caught up in her Draco Dormiens series. It was fun, full of quips, lots of angst, and populated with characters from the Harry Potter universe. Then, as I read more, and the scandal unfolded, I realized why her ‘voice’ was so familiar. It was Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer voice. Her Draco series was a re-packaged version of the Buffy/Angel television series, with just enough Rowling-ness to hook Potter fans.

Why would someone do such a thing? Especially when Claire has a talent all together her own?

I can answer that one…

Acceptance. Fame. Notoriety.

How do I know?

Even though I never achieved the success that Claire attained, I found my own fan-fiction writing gaining a modicum of popularity. Man – it’s heady stuff. Truly. The reviews, the e-mails, the comments, the flames, the praise, the fan-art, the interpersonal relations; it all culminates to fuel the approval junkie that resides in every single person who creates art in which ever medium they utilize.

I can see Claire getting caught up in it. Who wouldn’t? Does that justify her faux-righteous indignation? Her attempts to vindicate herself? Her constant denials? No. Not in the least. Plagiarism is a foul, cowardly act. It’s deliberate and calculated. To use a Potter-verse term, I consider it Unforgivable. She should have confessed to plagiarism, shrugged her shoulders, and the matter would have dropped in no time. Instead, it has dogged her every step and stemmed her publishing career.

As I stride forward with my publishing career, I take the lessons I learned from Cassandra Claire: own what you do, no matter what it is.

I also take with me the lessons that I’ve learned along the way. In particular, the lesson pertaining to grief and how to grieve for a story: cherish its roots, pay homage to where it came from, the original source of inspiration for the story.

That’s why I’ve been reading so much fan-fiction this past week.

That’s why I’ll continue to read fan-fiction for years and years to come. Hopefully, one of these days, there will be fan-fiction based on one of my stories.

New Publisher Seeking Submissions

2011-08-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

Musa Publishing has opened its doors this week, and is seeking submissions for its October launch. Musa has 9 imprints, based on the 9 Muses, including Romance, Spec Fic, Young Adult, and Action/Adventure.

I've worked with the founders of Musa in the past, and I can attest to their competency, skill, commitment, financial savvy, and devotion to the author. Anyone who get accepted over there will be ruthlessly edited, passionately marketed, and make some real money over time.

Go to their website and blog and check them out. They will be glad to answer any questions you have.

Intergeneration Story Telling Contest

2011-07-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Intergeneration Day/Week is sponsoring a short story contest, in honor of the age old way of passing important traditions down through the generations--storytelling.

These are very short stories, up to 750 words, and there are cash prizes being offered.

From their website:

Writing suggestions include, but are not limited to:

• Stories from an older person, like a grandparent, you have heard.

• Stories you think you might tell your children or grandchildren.

• Stories from history.

• Stories from different cultures.

Don't forget the deadline is August 15!

Crescent Moon Press Looking for Zodiac Themed Stories

2011-07-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Crescent Moon Press focuses on publishing fantasy, science fiction, and the paranormal. They are looking for submissions for their Sabian Symbols series, a zodiac-themed series of novels and novellas.

Their guidelines for these submissions include:

We only accept new material-previously published submissions will not be considered.

Novel length submissions should be between 60,000 and 120,000 words, while novellas should be between 20,000 and 40,000.

All submissions must contain a romance or strong romantic elements.

We do not accept erotica.

They look like an interesting and focused publisher, so follow the link to check them out!

Literal Latte Short Shorts Contest

2011-06-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.literal-latte.com/contests/#short_shorts
First Prize $500

Send unpublished shorts. 2,000 words max. All styles welcome.

Postmark by June 30th.

Name, Address, Telephone Number, Email Address (optional) — on Cover Page only.
Include Self Addressed Stamped Envelope or Email Address for reply.
Include $10 Reading Fee per set of up to 3 Shorts — OR —
$15 Reading Fee per set of 6 Shorts.

Literal Latte is also running a poetry contest with even bigger monetary prizes, so make sure to go to the link for more info~

Short Story Contest

2011-06-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

The Writer's Bureau is running a short story contest until the end of June. There is a small entry fee--5 pounds (unless you're already a subscriber to their newsletter, then it's 4 pounds). FYI--Paypal will convert your currency for you, so you don't have to stress over the monetary figures. And 5 pounds is just over $8 American.

The prize for winning this contest is 500 pounds, which is $817.44 in American dollars.

The Shamrock Challenge from Changeling Press

2011-02-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Changeling Press is one of those quirky and very independent publishers that has been around for a long time--probably because they publish not just paranormal romance, but paranormal erotica.

Here's how Changeling describes itself:

Out of This World Erotic Love Stories Featuring Literary Erotic Novellas

Are your characters wild and wicked, your plots hot enough to require a fire-hazard warning? If the answer is yes, Changeling wants YOU.

Cyborgs, vampires, werewolves, dragon shifters, cat shifters, aliens, genetically altered alien cyborg dragon shifters... Chances are, they belong at Changeling.

Changeling is having its yearly Shamrock Challenge, and invites submission between now and March 17.

Winter Specials and Winter Challenges at No Disclaimers

2011-02-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

Winter Special

Forget Valentine's Day--this February is all about winter weather! In honor of the snow many of us are experiencing, if your story has a winter theme, you can get 1/3 of your beta services between now and March 20-- the first day of Spring.

So send us stories with blizzards, ski cabins, hot toddies, groundhogs, snow days, weather mages, or two people in love snowed in together. Or, if you're way down south (by which we mean the hemisphere), tell us about how you swelter and sweat all through February. We'll beta your work at 1/3 off.

Winter Challenge

Two people are snowed in together.

Rules:

• The story should be more than 1000 words but fewer than 10,000 words. Early chapters of a novel are acceptable, but the word total should be close to 10,000 words.
• The two people must have at least a 10 year difference in their ages.
• Other people may appear in the story, but it should be about the two people snowed in together.
• Someone must cry.
• Someone must give a kiss
• The color red must feature.
• We must see the phrases:
o We’re not going that way.
o What are you looking at?
o Why doesn’t that surprise me?
o It’s not worth it.

The deadline is March 20, the first day of Spring. There will be Spring-themed prizes for the challenge winners!

Salamander 2011 Writing Contest

2011-02-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

Last May we wrote about a contest called the Salamander Writing Contest, which is a well-known contest with big prize money. The directors of this contest emailed my again, with information about the 2011 contest.

Here's what they sent:

Salamander 2011 Fiction Prize
$1,500 Honorarium and Publication
Final Judge: Jim Shepard

SEND ENTRIES: April 15 through May 15, 2011 READING FEE: $15

• All entries will be considered for publication. All entries will be considered anonymously.

• Send no more than one story per entry. Each story must not exceed 40 double-spaced pages in 12 point font. Multiple entries are acceptable, provided that a separate reading fee is included with each entry.

• Please submit two separate cover sheets with each entry, one with the title of the story ONLY, and the other with the title of the story and your name, address, phone number, and email. Your name should NOT appear anywhere on the story itself.

• Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, but the contest fee is non-refundable if the submission is withdrawn. Please notify the editors as soon as possible if a submitted story is accepted elsewhere.

• Previously published works and works accepted for publication elsewhere cannot be considered. Salamander’s definition of publishing includes electronic publication.

• No handwritten, faxed, emailed, or poorly copied/printed manuscripts will be considered.

• Salamander will not consider work from anyone currently or recently (within the past 4 years) affiliated with Suffolk University or the prize judge.

• If you wish to be notified of the arrival of your manuscript, please enclose a self-addressed stamped postcard. Please also include a self-addressed stamped business-sized envelope for notification of contest results. Manuscripts cannot be returned.

• Contest reading fee includes a one-year subscription. Checks should be made out to Salamander. We will send your subscription to the address on your cover sheet unless instructed otherwise. Overseas addresses, please add $10 for subscription postage ($5 for addresses in Canada). Please note that we cannot accept money orders or checks from foreign banks.

Jim Shepard is the author of six novels, including most recently Project X, and four story collections, including the forthcoming You Think That’s Bad (Knopf, January 2011). His third collection, Like You’d Understand, Anyway, was a finalist for the National Book Award and won The Story Prize. Project X won the 2005 Library of Congress/Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction, as well as the ALEX Award from the American Library Association.

SEND ENTRIES FROM APRIL 15 THROUGH MAY 15 (postmark deadline) to:
2011 Fiction Prize
Salamander/Suffolk University English Dept.
41 Temple Street
Boston, MA 02114

Visit: www.salamander.org for contest guidelines in pdf format

Nancy's New Book: Prey for Closure

2011-02-08T06:35:00.001-08:00

One of our betas, Nancy Gaffney, has published a book with Eternal Press! The book is called Prey for Closure, and features a complex, contrary, but very likable heroine and an anti-hero you love to hate, and hate to love!

No Disclaimers helped Nancy get her book ready, and we're so proud of her! I've even found myself wondering, "What would Ellie do in this situation?" Follow the hyperlinks to order Nancy's book, only $4.99 for an e-copy, or contact her here to get one directly.

String Poet Contest

2011-01-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

I would be very interested to know how many of us who write fiction also try our hands at poetry. I don't do much, myself, but sometimes there are deep feelings that only a poem can express. Still, that only leaves 3 or 4 in my poetry folder, and I've never done anything with them.

Anyway, here's a contest. It's inexpensive to enter, and the prizes are pretty good. It's called the String Poet contest, because it's actually sponsored by a music program in New York.

Just be aware, this one requires that you send your poems in by snail mail.

So, do you also write poems, in addition to your books and stories?

Paying Market: The One that Got Away

2011-01-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

Dark Prints Press is launching a new mystery line, and they're inviting short story submissions for their inaugural anthology. Here's how they describe what they're looking for:

Too often our crime-solving heroes do just that – solve crimes. But what about the ones who get away – the grifters who con and don't get caught, the criminals who play cat-and-mouse games with the law only to disappear into the unknown? What goes through their minds, or the minds of their victims and pursuers? What legends do they leave behind, both inspirational and terrifying?

They want short stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words, and if your story is chosen, you'll be paid 75 Australian dollars, which is actually about 75 American dollars (and Paypal converts in automatically).

Submissions can be sent to: submissions@darkprintspress.com.au

This is the gist of the information, but be sure to go to the Dark Prints Press website for the full details.

Boxfire Press: 3 Anthologies

2011-01-06T05:52:00.000-08:00

Boxfire Press is accepting submissions for three different anthologies it's putting together.

Short Fiction: Short stories between 2,000 and 20,000 words. They accept contemporary science fiction, supernatural, slipstream and fantasy short stories for eBook distribution. Usually offers a small advance and royalties.

Flash Fiction: Sci-fi, fantasy, slipstream, paranormal, alternate history, supernatural, steam punk, super hero, etc. They're looking for original, never published short flash fiction pieces for a planned quarterly magazine. There's no minimum word count here, so it can be as short as you like. But nothing over 500 words. They pay .05 a word for flash fiction.

Red Scarf: There's a red scarf lying in the road. How did it get there? They want sci-fi and fantasy (loosely defined) short fiction stories that answer this question. They pay free copies and royalties if they publish you.

Paying Market--West Branch Magazine

2010-12-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

The Bucknell University literary journal, West Branch Magazine, accepts submissions of poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction. They pay anywhere from $30 to $100, depending on the length of your submission. Be aware that the submission period runs from August 15 to April 15, and you can only submit 3 items in that time.

Advice to Writers

2010-12-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

I'm actually not giving any advice to writers at the moment. But, there is a cool blog I wanted to direct your attention to, called Advice to Writers (or ATW for those of us cool enough to use acronyms).

The blog owner, Jon Winokur, collects writing quotations and posts them. That's about it, but for those of us who are at the beginning of what we hope to be long and prosperous writing careers, getting writing advice from the masters can be a really good thing.

On the first page alone, the authors giving advice include John Updike, Dr. Seuss, Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, William Zinsser (one of my writing parents), David Mamet, and David McCullough.

For fun, I'll leave you with one. I love writing quotes and often feature them here, but I don't do it every day like ATW does, so if you have an appetite for this kind of advice, definitely bookmark Advice to Writers.

The secret to being a writer is that you have to write. It's not enough to think about writing or to study literature or plan a future life as an author. You really have to lock yourself away, alone, and get to work.

AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS

Market for Horror Stories

2010-11-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

It doesn't pay much...but it pays something!

Horror Fiction Magazine is soliciting short stories of up to 10,000 words, for which they will pay 3 cents per word.

Here's what they say:

We're looking for well written short stories in the horror genre. Please send anything up to 10,000 words . We pay 3 cents per word upon acceptance.

We do accept simultaneous submissions, but please let us know as soon as possible if your submission is accepted elsewhere. We only purchase first publication rights.

We're also looking for poems in the horror genre of any length, and we're looking for artwork. Please email with a query before submitting artwork.

The easiest way to submit is by sending an email to randyray at gmail dot com.

Horror Fiction Magazine
205 North Ballard
Wylie, TX 75098
972-442-9393

Email: randyray at gmail dot com

Odes to the Olympians

2010-10-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

Write a poem about Athena/Minerva of a maximum of 30 lines.

The deadline is November 30, 2010. There are adult and youth categories, and a $50 prize for each.

You can find more information here.

Twitter of the Dead

2010-10-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

I was at a writing conference this weekend, and discovered a new publisher--Living Dead Press. They specialize in horror short story anthologies. Here is a really fun call for submissions they have going up: Twitter of the Dead.

FYI, they don't pay anything for inclusion but contributors' copies, but that makes it a good stepping stone for bigger and better things in the future.

Contest for Short Short Stories

2010-10-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Bevel Summers Prize in the Short Short Story is open to all authors of stories of up to 1,000 words.
Stories should be sent to Bevel Summers/Shenandoah, Mattingly House, 2 Lee Ave., Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 24450 and must be received by March 31.

Send two copies, one with name and contact information, including e-mail address, and a duplicate with no identifying information, along with an sase for notification. The winner will receive a $250 prize and be featured prominently on Shenandoah's first online issue. There is no entry fee for the 2011 contest. A judge has not yet been selected.

5 Arguments in Defense of Fanfiction

2010-09-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

5 Arguments In Defense of Fanfiction

I always thought that I should dedicate my first book to JK Rowling. Her entire Harry Potter world was so compelling, so all-consuming, that her seven novels weren’t enough. Some of us cared too much about Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest to let them go. What would happen when they grew up? Would Harry hook up with Ginny or Hermione—or Lavender, Tonks, or Luna? Did Harry think about sex, and who would he have it with? Would he become an Auror, a professional Quidditch player, or the Minister of Magic? What about the minor characters? And don’t even get me started on Snape, one of the deepest, most enigmatic and darkly compelling characters ever written.

Since JKRowling didn’t give us the answers to these questions, we had to provide them ourselves. And of course, it wasn’t just the Harry Potter world that compelled us to take the author’s gifts one step further. In addition to Harry Potter fanfiction, I’ve also written stories of the TV show The Office and in the world of Twilight (I’m a sucker for an angst-ridden Edward, and I’m head over heels in love with Carlisle). Dear friends of mine write in the fandoms of Xena, X-Men, Smallville, Battlestar Galactica, V for Vendetta, Maximum Ride, Percy Jackson, Pride and Prejudice, and even, yes, the Bible.

There are those who don’t approve of the whole fanfiction enterprise. If you want a boy wizard or a self-loathing vampire, they say, why not just create your own and write about him, instead of stealing someone else’s? But fanfiction is good for writers, good for readers, good for creators, and good in general. Here are a few reasons why.

1. Fanfiction is good for the original authors. Some authors don’t allow it, and most of fandom respects that , but most authors get a huge kick out of fanfiction. JKR, Stephenie Meyer, James Patterson, Garth Nix, and other writers are thrilled and affirmed that their characters live so fully beyond the borders of their books.

2. Fanfiction is good for business. Did you ever go to a Harry Potter midnight book release or film premier? Most of the people there were members of the internet fan community, or fandom. The HP phenomenon wouldn’t have been a fraction of what it was without the fandom, and JKR knew it. You can’t buy this kind of publicity and you don’t have to—fanfic is a jillion dollars worth of free publicity. Publicity sells books, keeps bookstores open, keeps advertisers happy, and generally promotes a healthy economy.

3. Fanfiction is a training ground for writers. There are some objectors who protest that much of fanfiction just isn’t very good. And I can’t argue—some just isn’t. Some of it’s written by middle-schoolers who can barely spell Edward, much less write a deep exploration of his psyche. But fanfic also comes with two systems that the world of original fiction could stand to learn from: the review system and the beta system. Reviews allow for immediate feedback—how many novelists have access to that? And the beta system is a mentoring/editing system that helps new writers (and experienced ones) improve and perfect their stories. I am willing to wager that young or new writers learn more about their own language from their betas than from their English teachers. No offense to hard working English teachers, but who can compete with Harry, Fang, and Edward? New writers hone their craft in fanfiction, and if they go on to original writing, they don’t make those same beginner mistakes.

4. Fanfiction is a doorway to publication. This is controversial, but some fanfiction stories have been so very good, and so very unlike their models (how “Twilight” is an all-human Cullen family, for example?), that they are easily, and successfully, converted to original works and submitted for publication. If Harry is a non-magical cowboy in the Old West, it’s not too hard to just make him a cowboy in the Old West. If you remove Fang’s wings, he’s just a rebellious teenager with an honorable streak and a crush on a tough girl. Every author is inspired by someone, and those who have their roots in fanfiction can make the transition from “someone else owns these characters” to “someone else inspired these characters.”

5. Fanfiction encourages reading and writing. My teenaged daughters are immersed in the world of the Marauders—Harry Potter’s parents and their classmates. They spend their computer time reading Marauders fanfic (rated T/PG-13 or lower—I’m on top of that). They don’t spend their computer time flirting, sexting, watching questionable music videos, sneaking porn, or chatting with dangerous predators. They only get 90 minutes a day online, and they choose to spend it with Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus. In a time when attention spans are declining, some teens and others are reading and writing for entertainment.

I know it’s not universally approved of in the writing community, but I’ve been grateful for fanfic in my life. On top of all the reasons I just listed, it’s also led me to some of my dearest friends, and we’ve had a wonderful time getting to know each other beyond our common literary obsessions. For that reason alone, it would be a good thing. I’d be quite interested to hear others’ experiences or thoughts about fanfic.

Kathy Teel is a freelance writer and editor, and runs a beta service for new writers of original fiction, No Disclaimers Beta Services (www.nodisclaimerbetas.com). She’s also a staff beta for the fanfiction sites Twilighted (www.twilighted.net) and Checkmated (www.checkmated.com) which are Twilight and Harry Potter sites, respectively.

Writing Contest--Quick Deadline!

2010-09-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

That's the original announcement of the contest, sponsored by St. Martin's Press and judged solely by Lord Archer (whose writings I've never read--I only know him as one of the authors in Bridget Jones's Diary). Anyway, heads up on the quick deadline (October 1). It might be perfect if you already have something lying around you haven't done much with. You can click the headline to this article to get to the entry page, or just go here.

A Great Article About Writing Books

2010-07-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Over on The WM Freelancer's Connection, Pam Houghton has written an article recommending 3 excellent writing books. You should absolutely check out the whole article, "Classic Writing Books," whether you write fiction or non-fiction.

Houghton's choices are:

1. Bird-by-Bird by Anne Lamott (1994)
2. Writing down the Bones - Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg (1986)
3. On Writing Well - by William Zinsser (1976)

I'll give an enthusiastic AMEN to each of these. William Zinsser's book, especially, changed my life. He singlehandedly took me from an academic mindset that made me think that I had to use big words and convoluted arguments in order to appear smart, to a mental place where I suddenly valued clarity, content, and communication. Shorter sentences, simpler, clearer words, and actual things to say.

Another good one is Stephen King's On Writing; that's one I read bits of quite often. Anyone have any other recommendations for writing books?

Rise of the Necromancer Short Story Contest

2010-06-28T06:13:00.000-07:00

Flesh & Bone: Rise of the Necromancers
Short Story Contest
Winning stories selected by Alva J. Roberts
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
Email entries (via docx, doc or rtf attachment)
to: necromancers@pillhillpress.com

Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, in the subject line of your email. Thanks!

Pill Hill Press is excited to announce its second writing contest. Winning stories will be published in a print anthology. Winners will receive:

1st Place - $125.00 + 1 contributor's copy of the book
2nd Place - $50.00 + 1 contributor's copy of the book
3rd Place - $25.00 + 1 contributor's copy of the book
Runners-up - 1 contributor's copy of the book

Send us your darkest, fiercest, most magical DARK FANTASY short story about necromancers and the undead rising...Stories can take place any time (past, present, future, alternate) at any place (Earth, Imaginary Places, Your Grandma's Kitchen Sink, etc.). Stories can be told from the perspective of good or evil or anywhere in between.

Send your best effort. Only one short story per person will be considered for this contest. Final selections will be made after the deadline. Winners will be notified by email.

We prefer stories in the 3,000-6,000 word range, though we will accept stories 2,000-10,000 words. Please do not enter stories under 2,000 words or over 10,000 words.

Contest entries will be accepted until 31 July 2010.
Tentative Release Date: Fall 2010

Writing Quotation

2010-06-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.

~Annie Gottlier

Titles vs Text: What Can I Use in My Writing Without Getting Permission?

2010-05-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Because so many of us find other artists' works important to our own creative process, it's natural that our characters do, too. So, our heroine might hum a song as she gets ready for work, or our hero might remember an inspiring passage from a book he read. But those songs and books, as well as TV shows, movie dialogue, and even web content and photographs, might be copyrighted material. If it is, you'll be expected to undergo the long process of getting permission to use it.

What can you use in the text of your story without worrying about copyright?

Titles. Titles can't be copyrighted, so chances are that if you say that your character was reading a book called Mystic River, Dennis Lehane can't do anything about that. So, if you want to name the song your character is humming, you can. You just can't quote the lyrics without permission.

Words or passages from the public domain. A copyright expires after 70 years (with some exceptions, see here), so after that, the content of the song, show, or book is fair use unless the copyright holder gets it renewed. That's why we can have books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; the original Jane Austen novel has moved into the public domain. Here's a site that can help you find out what books are in the public domain, and here's one for songs.

Things you made up. Why not avoid usage issues altogether and make up the lyrics to your song, or write for yourself the important book passage? If your character is rocking out to that classic hit, “I Love Vampires and They Love Me,” you can say so much more than you could with someone else's words.

Passages you have permission to use. Whether it's a song or book, you need to contact the publisher and explain what you want to do with their work.

What's not allowed?
This one's easy: everything else. You can't use someone else's text unless you have permission from that author/band/songwriter/photographer...whoever holds the copyright. You must contact the publisher to get that permission.
Not even if:
You met the lead singer backstage at a concert last year.
You give them a shout-out in the acknowledgments of your book.
You make it clear that these words are their property, not yours.
You change a word here and there, making it not quite the same as the original.

Think of it this way; you're a writer, right? You wouldn't want someone just using your words without your permission. You might be flattered, but you didn't work your butt off for flattery. All artists and their representatives get final control over what happens to their work—and so will you, when the time comes.

Salamander Fiction Prize

2010-05-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

SALAMANDER FICTION PRIZE
http://media.cas.suffolk.edu/salamander/public/pdfs/2010contest.pdf
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
Deadline June 15, 2010. All entries considered for publication.
Each story must not exceed 40 double-spaced pages in 12-point
font. $1,500 honorarium and publication.

Resource: Mira's List

2010-05-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Mira's list is a blog that focuses on publishing funds available to writers, especially free money like grants and fellowships. Mira is a writer herself, and understand what it's like to need some bucks to finish a project. Check out her site to learn how to tap into the money that's out there for artists and writers.

Writing Tip: Alright?

2010-05-08T12:31:00.001-07:00

Seriously, this one is so common that I don't even bother to correct it in fanfiction any more (original fiction is another story--I WILL nail you on it).

But here's the deal: “Alright” is not a word. You probably mean “all right.”

New Love Stories Magazine

2010-05-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

New Love Stories is a hard copy magazine that pays $300 per accepted submission.

They describe themselves like this: For women over the age of twenty. It is designed to invoke in the reader a wide range of emotions relating to love and romance. Each issue will contain a well rounded mix of stories of loving female/male relationships that will stimulate the readers’ imagination. Adult women of all ages will relate to and live vicariously through the escapades of the female lead in each story. Also included in each issue will be a topical selection of cartoons and poetry.

You can find the writer's guidelines here.

Scare the Dickens out of Us Contest

2010-05-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

"SCARE THE DICKENS OUT OF US" SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.clarklibraryfriends.com/
---
$20 ENTRY FEE / $5 ENTRY FEE FOR JUNIORS
First prize, $1,000 and a trophy.
Second prize, $500 and a ribbon.
Third prize, $250 and a ribbon.

Junior contest prize $250 and a trophy. Junior contest writers
must be age 12-18.

We want ghost stories. Any genre, any tone,
any subject, whatever type of ghost story you can come up with.
The contest is open to published and unpublished writers alike.
All publication rights remain with the author. The ghost story
must be 5,000 words or less. Entry must be postmarked no later
than October 1, 2010. Entries accepted beginning July 1, 2010.

Writing Exercise: Create a Family Tree

2010-05-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

Creating Characters: Create a Family Tree!

Step One: Pick a name, including a first and last name. Male, female, twins - it doesn't matter. All that matters is that this person has a first and last name.

Step Two: Ask your CHARACTER - the one you just created a first and last name for - whether or not he or she has any siblings. This is where you might create a half-brother/half sister or a step-brother/step-sister or you might discover your character was adopted!

Step Three: Since no one is ever born at age thirty, there must have been some sort of parental unit for your character and, if applicable, siblings. Now, give those persons first and last names. If your initial character is illegitimate, this is where you could identify his/her mother/father. If he/she was raised by an uncle/aunt/grandmother/friend of the family, give that person(s) a name!

Step Four: Branch out as far as you want to go! Think about how your own family is structured. Is there a middle name that all first born males/females receive? Does every third child in the family carry the maternal grandmother's maiden name? Did someone in your family marry someone with a different ethnic background and give those children names that match their heritage rather than the core family?

Step 5: As you're doing this, jot down anything that comes to mind about any of the names appearing on your family-tree chart. Was Uncle a miser? Did Grandma have a heart of gold but was a terrible cook? Did someone's sister run-off and have a child with a man she refuses to name? Is your cousin gay? Is one branch of the family happy and poor? Is another branch rich and miserable? Is there an ambitious family member conspiring to take the family fortune? What would happen if distant cousins united to take on the family patriarch for control of the family coffers/land?

What you're doing is providing yourself with, not only a comprehensive look at your character's backstory, but invaluable information about how your character 'ticks'. You have the basis for daddy-issues, mommy-issues, inter-racial relationships, family drama, sibling rivalry, cousin-to-cousin rivalry - so much juicy stuff! Not only that, but you'll have characters to draw on should you find that you've written yourself into a corner, need someone your character can trust or someone to betray your character - so many possibilities!

But don't keep this to yourself!

Share it with us! We'll post it here and on the website!

PS: Do you need a name to get you going? I have hundreds and hundreds of names in my handy notebook--I'll be glad to share!

Writing Quotation

2010-05-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

C. S. Lewis

Publisher: Ellora's Cave

2010-04-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

Ellora's Cave is a publisher of erotic romances, some novel length, some novella length. They are chiefly an e-publisher, though they do publish some paperback books.

Don't ever let the "e" element of publishing put you off, especially if you write romance of any kind--this is the fastest growing segment of publishing, and publishers still maintain the same standards for their e-books that they do for their hard copy books--only now the costs are lower and you can read them on your Kindle. Ellora's Cave sells about 70,000 e-books a month.

You can go to the Author Submission guidelines to see just what they're looking for, and I encourage you to check out the rest of the site, as well.

Writing Prompt: ANswering Machine Part 2

2010-04-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

You Have 5 Messages, Part 2 of 2

You've played back your messages. You know - or don't know - why these people called you.

Now, it's time to find out.

Of the five messages on your answering machine, 'play back' the third message. Listen to it carefully.

Now - write that message from the POV of the person who left it for you.

You have the 'what' - a message left for you. Now, write the 'who', 'where', 'when' and 'how come' - without using those specific words.

This second part can be as short or as long as you want. It can be whimsical, fantastic, erotic, realistic, comedic, horrific or any variation thereof. Also, if you'd like to build off of one of the submitted messages, go ahead and write it!

Send it to us! We'll post it on the blog and on the website!

Writing Tip

2010-03-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

When you’re writing, spell out the word “okay.” “OK” is for notes and other informal writing.

The First Line

2010-03-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Hope Clark for the heads up on this magazine! This is a great place for writes to submit their short works of fiction or non-fiction.

THE FIRST LINE
http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm
---
Pays $20 for fiction and $10 for nonfiction, plus copies.
Fiction: All stories must be written with the first line
provided. The line cannot be altered in any way, unless
otherwise noted by the editors. The story should be between
300 and 3,000 words. The sentences can be found on the home
page of The First Line's Web site. Note: We are open to all
genres. We try to make TFL as eclectic as possible.

Non-Fiction: 500-800 word critical essays about your favorite
first line from a literary work. Writers should include a two-
to three-sentence biography of themselves that will appear in
the magazine should their story run. Upcoming first lines:

Summer:
Paul and Miriam Kaufman met the old-fashioned way.
Due date: May 1, 2010

Fall:
Three thousand habitable planets in the known universe,
and I'm stuck on the only one without ______________.
[Fill in the blank.] Due date: August 1, 2010

Winter:
Until I stumbled across an article about him in the paper,
I never realized how much Walter Dodge and I are alike.
Due date: November 1, 2010.

New Writing Prompt Up at the Main Site

2010-03-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

This is so much fun. I've already done one for this, and it was extremely interesting to work on...and didn't take me that long to write!

You Have 5 Messages: Part 1 of 2

You walk in and you drop your coat in its usual spot - just like you've done a hundred times. And, just like you've done another hundred times, you check your answering machine. The number '5' flashes repeatedly.

You press 'play'.

Write those five messages.

Messages can be realistic, whimsical, literal, figurative, humorous, sexy, suggestive - anything at all. The important thing is to write them down!

This part of a two-part exercise is to look at brainstorming from a completely different point of view.

We'll post your messages on our website and blog so don't forget to send them to us! And anyone who's sent in a writing sample is eligible for drawings and prizes at the end of the year!

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

2010-03-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

LORIAN HEMINGWAY SHORT STORY COMPETITION
http://www.shortstorycompetition.com/guidelines.php
---
$12 ENTRY FEE

The first-place winner will receive $1,000. The second and
third-place winners will receive $500 each. Honorable mentions
will also be awarded to entrants whose work demonstrates promise.
The Saturday Evening Post will publish the first-place winner in
its pages. And occasionally, the Post may also choose to publish
runners-up, either in its pages or on its website. Stories must
be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may
not exceed 3,000 words in length. No theme. The literary competition
is open to all U.S. and international writers whose fiction has
not appeared in a nationally distributed publication with a
circulation of 5,000 or more. Deadline April 1, 2010.

Thank you to Hope Clark and her excellent Total Funds for Writers for this information!

March Specials!

2010-03-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Happy March, everyone! I don't know about you, but here in the Ozarks, we're actually getting hints of Spring! Yay! I am so ready!

As most of you know, March is a very important month to many people. For the Irish, because of St. Patrick's Day. For Italians, because of St. Joseph's Day. For the Jewish, because of both Purim and Passover (which carries into April this year, I know, but does start in March), and for Wiccans because of the Vernal Equinox/ Ostara. Then there's Holi and Vesaki for Hindus, No Ruz for Zoroastrians, Mahavir Jayanti for Jains, Palm/Passion Sunday for Christians, and Magha Puja Day for Buddhists.

For some Christians, March is special to those named David, Patrick, Joseph, Agnes, Chad, Katharine/Catherine, Felix, Kieran, Olivia, Collette, Basil, Frances, Anthony,Victor, Benedict, Roderic, Matilda, Louise, Raymond, Hilary, Gertrude, Alexander, Edward, Adrian, Alexandra, Herbert, Martin, Paul, Julian, Mark, Timothy, Peter, Augusta, Benjamin, and Regulus.

That covers a lot of religious and ethnic groups!

So, here's a special offering for anyone who might see themselves in that long list. If you're someone for whom March is special...OR, your main character is covered by one of those categories above...you can get your first chapter (or next chapter, if you've already started with us) beta'd for free by the No Disclaimer Betas.

So, Italians, Irish, Jews, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Christians, Wiccans, someone whose name (or some variation of it) is on that list, or anyone who is grateful for the promise of Spring at last...whether it's you or a character in your story...you get a free chapter done in the month of March.

Comment on this post, or write us at nodisclaimerbetas@gmail.com and let us know how you qualify for this freebie.

The Way of the Wizard Writing Contest

2010-02-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

The Way of the Wizard

Story Guidelines

(a) The story should be about a wizard, witch, sorcerer, sorceress, of some kind (basically, any sort of user of magic).

(b) The fact that the story has wizards in it should be vital to the story, i.e., magic should be an important factor in the resolution of the plot.

(c) The wizards should be literal, in that they do actual magic, not like a pinball wizard or something like that.

(d) I’m interested in all types of wizard tales, but am especially interested in seeing some stories that explore the idea of wizardry from a non-traditional viewpoint–i.e., something based on the Chilean Kalku or on the supernatural practices of other cultures.

(e) The story may be set in a secondary world, the real world, the present, or in a historical time period…let your imagination run wild.

Genres: Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror. Obviously wizard stories tend to be fantasy, but some sort of SFnal take on the theme would be acceptable.

Reprints/Originals: Original fiction strongly preferred. The anthology will include some reprints, but I will be very selective in my choices given I have all of sf/fantasy history to choose from. If you want to submit a reprint or submit a recommendation for a reprint, instructions for that are here.

Payment: 5 cents per word ($250 max), plus a pro-rata share of 50% of the anthology’s earnings and 1 contributor copy.

Word limit: 5000 words. (Stories may exceed 5000 words, but $250 is the maximum payment per story, and stories 5000 words or less are strongly preferred.)

Rights: First world English rights, non-exclusive world anthology rights, and non-exclusive audio anthology rights. See my boilerplate author-anthologist contract, which spells out the rights in detail.

Reading Period: July 1, 2009 – March 31, 2010.

Response Time: I will be making all of my final decisions in April and May 2010, so if you submit early, your story might be held for consideration for a long time. Most rejections will be sent out quickly, however, so I’ll only hold onto a story if I’m seriously considering it, and if that happens, I’ll notify you.
Publication date: November 2010

Publisher: Prime Books

Submission Instructions: Email your story in .doc Microsoft Word format (preferred) or .rtf rich-text format to jjadams.anthology@ gmail.com. Include the words “Wizards Submission” and the title of the story and your byline in the subject line of the email (i.e., Re: Wizards Submission: “The Wizard’s Revenge” by Slushy P. Slusherton). ETA: There is no need to query first. Submissions should be made in standard manuscript format.

http://www.johnjosephadams.com/2009/06/guidelines-the-way-of-the-wizard/

Writing Tips: Your / You're

2010-01-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

1. Don’t confuse “your” and “you’re.” “Your” is a possessive pronoun: your books, your wand, your power. “You’re” is a contraction for “you are.”

If you aren’t sure which one to use, try reading your “you’re/your” as “you are.” If it doesn’t make sense, chances are the word you want is “your.”

The error I see most often is the use of the possessive in place of the contraction: “Your going to the store.” That is an incomplete sentence without a verb, and the “your” is referring to the going—it’s a going which belongs to you.

Try “You’re going to the store.” That has everything you need--you are going to the store. Or consider, “You’re going to your school.” That might help you discern between the two.

New Publisher: Omnific Publishing

2010-01-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Though we try to avoid disclaimers here, I do have one. I am associated with this publishing firm. However, I don't make any money; I just think it's staffed by some pretty awesome people who care about giving new writers a chance. If your main fiction experience is writing fanfic, Omnific won't look down on you for it. They are currently accepting queries. You can also follow them and get updates on Twitter under OmnificPub.

As always, if you are interested in submitting to Omnific or any other agent or publisher, we can help you get that manuscript ready!

Omnific Publishing is a publishing company specializing in the publication of authors with a proven track record of online success in transformative works. Omnific Publishing seeks to publish their original fiction in a number of different media, including ebooks, audiobooks, and print books. Omnific Publishing is a publishing house with a myriad of resources for author development and promotion, including post submission editing with Certified Editors, associated art development, publication in various media, national marketing, and profitability.

While Omnific Publishing does not wish to limit its future possibilities, in its initial formulation, it will focus on works of fiction in the genres of romance, fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal, chick lit, and erotica.

Omnific Publishing staff are professionally trained in the fields of editing, graphic art, and audio production, and combined, hold years of experience as writers, editors, graphic artists, and audio producers in a quality-focused publication environment.

Omnific Publishing welcomes queries for novel length pieces in the above mentioned genres. Please submit your query letter and synopsis to: submissions@omnificpublishing.com

Another Writing Contest

2010-01-06T04:56:00.000-08:00

Normally I wouldn't post two writing contests in the same week, but this one has a pretty quick deadline--January 15. Twilighted, a Twilight fanfiction site, is hosting its annual Original Fiction contest.

The theme this year is Cheeky Chicks and Bothersome Beasts. It's being judged by author Rosemary Clement-Moore, who writes Young Adult paranormal fiction. If you'd like us to beta your original entry to give you the best chance of winning, just drop us an email at nodisclaimersbetas@gmail.com or beta@nodisclaimerbetas.com.

New Writing Prompt on the Website!

2010-01-06T04:26:00.002-08:00

This one is a lot of fun! I don't know where Nancy gets these, but they're great.

This week's writing prompt on the website is called I Don't Wanna Work.

As always, send us your writing for this prompt and we'll post it here and on the website!

H.O.W. Journal Short Story Contest

2010-01-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

Note: Remember, kids, it is usually legit for contests to charge an entry or reading fee. That's how they get the money for all those prizes. And this particular agency is called H.O.W., or Helping Orphans Worldwide, and is doing their story contest to raise funds and awareness.

Short Story Contest Judged by Susan Minot

H.O.W. Journal is hosting its first short story contest to be judged by acclaimed author Susan Minot.

Guidelines:

The contest is open to all writers and all themes
The word limit is 12,000.
We do consider unpublished novel excerpts if they feel like complete stories.
It's fine to submit more than one story.
Manuscripts should be submitted with a cover note listing the author's name, address, phone number, and email; names should not appear on the stories themselves.
All submissions should be clearly typed manuscripts, double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 inch white paper, one side only.
Submissions will not be returned.
No simultaneous or previously published work.

Awards:

1st Place - $1000 and publication in H.O.W. Journal
2nd Place - $300 and publication in H.O.W. Journal
3rd Place - $100 and publication in H.O.W. Journal

Reading Fee per story

$20.00

Send your submissions and reading fee (a check payable to H.O.W. Journal) to:

H.O.W. Journal
Short Story Contest
12 Desbrosses Street
New York, NY, 10013

Submissions must be received in the H.O.W. offices by May 15th, 2010.

Writing Advice from CS Lewis

2010-01-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

We can hardly do better than that...

Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure you or your sentence couldn't mean anything else
Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don't implement promises, but keep them.
Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don't say “Mortality rose.”
Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was “delightful”; make us us say “delightful” when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please will you do my job for me.”
Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

What Are Your Writing Goals for 2010?

2010-01-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

It's time for new year's resolutions, everyone! Luckily, it's Saturday, so they don't really have to kick in until Monday...whew! But as with everything, if we want to succeed, we have to have clear, challenging, achievable, well-defined goals.

Let's break those down.

Clear. Be specific. Don't say, "I want to become a famous writer in 2010." Instead, tell yourself exactly what you want to do. "I will write 2000 words of fiction a week," or maybe, "I will start sending chapters of my fantasy novel to my betas on June 1."

Challenging. Is it pretty easy for you to write 2000 words a week? Then make your goal 2500. Stretch yourself. Do more, commit more, work those creative muscles. Not a lot more...just some more. Improve yourself and your writing.

Achievable. Don't set yourself up for failure; make your goals things you can achieve if you work at it. Nothing's more discouraging than saying, "I'm going to write The Great American Novel," then letting day after day slide by with nothing done. You can't write The Great American Novel (what is that, anyway?), but you can fill up this page, or complete this scene. It feels great when you do, and it leads you to want to write even more.

Well-defined. This is a lot like clear, but more concerned with details. How are you going to write 2000 words a week? When are you going to write those chapters to send to beta? It might be something like, "I will write for 2 uninterrupted hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons," or "I will write and mail a query letter every Friday morning."

If you're interested, here are mine:

Freelance earnings. I will make at least $2000 per month from January - April, at least $3000 from May - August, and at least $4000 from September - December.

Freelance writing. I will have at least 13 queries in circulation all the time. At the moment, I have 3, so I need to build up to this one. Also, will have my website up and running (that's actually a goal for this week, not this year!).

Fiction writing. I will write at least 2000 words a week. I will complete at least 1 of the 4 fiction books I am working on. I will have something to send to beta on June 1.

Blogging. My blogs will earn money! Still working on the specifics of this, but if you see ads, you might click them!

I guess that's enough to be going on with. So now, I really want to know, what are your writing goals for 2010? Please let us know, and remember, we're here to help you achieve them.

10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

2010-01-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is from The Oatmeal, and it's great! I wish I'd written it. Here are the words you should stop misspelling, but you really need to go to the link and see the pics and examples he put in.

Lose / Loose (a huge one with me!)

Weird, not wierd

Their / There / They're

You're / Your

Its / It's

Definitely (it has no A in it!)

Affect / Effect (affect is a verb, effect is a noun)

Weather / Whether

Alot (which is not a word...it's A LOT)

Then / Than (I don't like this, either, but I find it's often a typo)

Writing Peeves

2009-12-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

So, you're reading a book...or a paper or a fanfic or a story or an essay or an article or a website, or any of the thousands of ways people put words together to communicate something. With all that reading, what is it that bugs you when you come across it?

I do a lot of reading. For one thing, I love to read. For another, I'm a college professor, and I assign speeches and papers...and I then I have to read them (which is often why I get to the end of a semester and ask myself, "What were you thinking when you assigned this?"). I'm also a professional and volunteer beta, so I read for a living.

Here are a few of my pet peeves and irritations in my various reading roles.

As a reader. Typos. This is a published book, for heaven's sake. How many people have had their hands on these galleys? How do typos that are obvious to me get by that many professional book producers? There is at least one in the Twilight series, but I can't remember where it is right now.
As a beta. Punctuation around quotations. Actually, there could be dozens of items on this list, but this is something I'll correct once, and if it's fanfic, I'll send it back after that. If it's original, I'll explain the rule and ask the author to fix all the errors. This is an extremely common error.
As a teacher. Plagiarism. I failed 4 students for plagiarism this semester, even after I explained to them what it was, what would happen if I caught them, and how I always caught them. In addition to plagiarism, which I oppose on principle, I am offended by bad plagiarism. At least try, people! This semester, I had students copy first-person stories told by doctors...as though they were telling the story! And I had students copy from websites and include all the typos (not to mention all the erroneous information out there). Look, if you're going to cheat, at least do it well!
Bonus...because I can't let it go unsaid. Using apostrophes for plurals. "There were two soda's in the fridge." That means, "There were two soda is in the fridge." Makes no sense.

I could go on for a long time, but I want to hear yours. What really bugs you as a reader?

Kat

New Writing Exercise on the Website!

2009-12-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

Check it out here!

We'll publish the three best ones we get here and on the website!

Common Errors and How to AvoidThem

2009-12-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

We're all about helping you fix errors, so here's an article from this month's Fiction Factor Newsletter, written by Dr. Vicki Hinze. In this article, Dr. Hinze gives concrete examples of easy-to-make mistakes and how they might be improved or corrected.

I'm going to reprint the article here, but I really encourage all of you to look into getting Fiction Factor. It's free, and it's always full of helpful articles for writers.

Common Mechanical Pitfalls
by Dr. Vicki Hinze

When asked, a group of editors from top publishing houses, responded that the following are the most often seen mechanical errors in works submitted by authors.

By removing these errors from our works, we greatly enhance our potential for publication—and strengthen our writing skills.

* Author Intrusion, Filtering, Passive Voice.

Use the active voice in writing. Avoid weak verbs: "to be" and its variants: was, are, is. This puts the reader on-scene, makes what’s happening, happen now. Author intrusion reminds the reader she’s reading, hence you lose immediacy, empathy between reader/character.

Show, don’t tell applies. Watchwords: thought, wondered, considered, realized, and the like.

Example:
Filtered: She realized she’d breached the point of no return.
She had to kill him.

Unfiltered, no intrusion: The point of no return. She had to kill him.

* Autonomous Body Parts.

Parts of a character’s body cannot act alone. The character must lift her hands, dart her gaze, tiptoe. Otherwise, the visual images created in the reader’s mind are horror. Disconnected body parts shouldn’t move without the character’s body being attached.

Example: Her eyes roamed around the room.

Corrected: She let her gaze roam around the room.

(Eyes shouldn’t roam. Use gaze. Note that she caused this roaming. In this corrected version, her eyes didn’t act autonomously or independent of her.)

* Cause before Effect, Reaction before Action, Syntax Error.

Whatever the reader reads first on the page, happens first in the readers mind. This error occurs when the reaction to something, say fear, is written down before the action causing the fear, say a hissing snake. Or when the effect is shown before the cause prompting that effect.

Watchwords are: when, as, before, during, while, until, after, and since.

To correct this error, simply flip-flop the phrases to be sure you list cause then effect, action then reaction.

* Use of names in dialogue.

When conversing, people don’t often use names. To be clear about who’s speaking, give the character a distinct voice, an outstanding feature, and use action tags. Have character do something with an object and use it to make it clear to the reader who’s talking. This writer’s tool does double duty: tags the speaker and creates an illusion of action. Body language is an extremely effective method.

Avoid: Figure, Frame, and Presence.

This editorial Pet Peeve doesn’t show up as often now as it once did.

Don’t write: He leaned his massive frame against the door.

Do write: He leaned against the door.

A point: When is the last time you saw a hunk and thought: Wow, what a nice frame?

* Separate Actions.

Keep actions separate, otherwise you risk having the character do the physically impossible. "And" can be a wicked abuser of this mechanical infraction.

Example: She called 911 and drove to the hospital.

Can she really do these two things simultaneously? Without a cell phone? More likely, she called 911 and then drove to the hospital. The actions were separate. One followed the other. They didn’t occur simultaneously.

* Keep Items in a Series Parallel.

Make sure your subjects/verbs/syntax are in agreement.

Do: Walk and chew gum.

Don’t: walk and be chewing gum.

* Ellipsis (Series of dots)

Use the ellipsis sparingly. Otherwise, when you need it, it lacks impact. Punctuate it like . . . this. Or at the end of a sentence, like this. . . .

* Unheroic Character Behavior.

Protagonists aren’t like us, they’re people we want to be like: admirable, honorable, considerate, strong, and aspiring—in their thoughts, actions, and deeds. They’re not perfect, but they are admirable. Respect your characters—even your villains. Give everyone a redeeming quality, and make them strong. Anchoring Scenes.

Show the readers where the scene is taking place, where the characters are and what they’re doing. Specific, concrete details immerse the reader. Without them, reader can’t visualize. Use the senses, and use details that are indicative of the characters’ mood at the moment. Write cinematically: using words that form distinct and vivid pictures in the reader’s mind that convey his/her emotional mood at that time. Intensity.

When in intense situations, characters don’t think deeply. They think in short spurts. In fragments. Readers read faster, which imparts a sense of urgency, hence intensity. Point of View.

Today’s trend is third person, multiple viewpoint. That is, a single viewpoint which at specific intervals transitions to a different character. Some experts recommend one viewpoint per scene to avoid losing intensity.

Hint: use the character with the most to lose as your viewpoint character.

Eliminating these mechanical pitfalls from your work greatly enhances your writing skills and gives the editor fewer distractions during the reading. That translates to fewer reasons to reject your work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Vicki Hinze is an award-winning, best-selling author who routinely shares her expertise at national writers' conferences, online, and through her writing guides. Her latest non-fiction book is ALL ABOUT WRITING TO SELL, from Spilled Candy Books for Writers. This 589-page ebook covers everything you need to know about the craft of writing, the publishing business, and the secrets to getting published. ALL ABOUT WRITING TO SELL is available at www.SpilledCandy.com as a download or disk.

Or you can visit Vicki's author site at www.vickihinze.com

Holiday Special

2009-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

From now until the end of 2009, get 1/3 off your beta services. That's 3 pages for the price of 2, or 15 pages for the price of 10, or 300 or the price of 200...

And guess what? You can stock up! If you pay for 66 pages now, you can have 99 beta'd at your leisure, whenever you're ready to send them!

Know an aspiring author? No Disclaimers Beta Services makes a great holiday gift--especially at 1/3 of the cost! Contact us at beta@nodisclaimerbetas.com to ask about gift certificates.

Copyediting Shakespeare

2009-11-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

This article was posted on RightReading.com. It's great, it's about what it might look like if Shakespeare's prose was looked over by a contemporary editor.

Thomas Christensen
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Recently I was working on an anthology of literary texts that included some classic texts from the mid-twentieth century, works that have been often reprinted and much discussed. To my surprise, the publisher had the pieces copyedited. It was strange to see these familiar texts subject to the editor’s sometimes questionable scrutiny. It made me wonder what might have happened if the selection of works had gone back even further, to Shakespeare.

To be, or not to be: {COMMENT: Weak, confusing opening. Is something missing here? The thought seems unfinished.} that is the question: {COMMENT: Indirect. Why not get right to your main point?} Should I exist?

Is it Whether 'tis nobler in the mind {COMMENT: Where else would it be noble?} to suffer endure The slings pellets and arrows {COMMENT: Not parallel. A sling is a throwing device whereas an arrow is something thrown}of outrageous {Right word? Did you mean “raging”? or just “bad”?}fortune, Or to take arms against a sea troop of troubles {This metaphor is just silly. How can one “take arms” against a “sea”??},

And by opposing end them defeat them? To die: to sleep; No more and die; and by a sleep in this way {COMMENT: I’m completely lost. First we were dead and now we’re sleeping. Were you hurrying to make your deadline? Please review!} to say we to put an end toThe inevitable shocks and heartacheheart-ache and the thousand natural shocks {COMMENT: Aren’t the heartaches caused by the shocks, so shouldn’t the shocks come first? Also, I assume by “natural” you meant “inevitable.”}

That fleshthe body {COMMENT: I suppose the heart is “flesh” in some sense, but we don’t usually use the word that way} is heir subject to may be viewed as a desirable alternative,, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, tTo sleep, to die: {COMMENT: Again, the order seems wrong. Is the repetition intentional – I don’t think it adds anything. You tend to be wordy and indirect and to use obscure vocabulary. Please try to simplify. You might want to look at Strunk and White’s Elements of Style};

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may comeBut what if dreaming occurs not just in sleep but also in death? {Though a bit far-fetched, this is an interesting idea. Could you develop it further? (BTW, I’m just curious, have you been reading Japanese literature? I sense an affinity)}When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, {COMMENT: I’m sorry, but this does not work for me at all!} died, what might we dream about? That is something that must be considered.

Must give us pause: there's the respect {COMMENT: It took me a long time to figure out the confusing passage after the semicolon. Have I got the sense right? Also, I think this is a new thought, and it should be a new sentence.} We should also give some thought to the difficulties that are associated with senior status. That makes calamity of so long life;

Do we want to experience For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, {COMMENT: This is a bit of a purple patch but I think we can keep it (although it does sound a little kinky — is that what you intended?). I think what follows is a bit long and convoluted, however, and I’ve tried to streamline.}

The snubs and condescension, oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The lack of a viable social network and the slowness of the legal system, pangs of despised love, the law's delay, Ineffective political representation and the tendency of seniors to be victimized by others, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When we could take our own life with a dagger? When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear, {COMMENT: It’s wonderful that you are trying to be poetic, but do you really expect readers to continue after encountering lines that contain terms like “bodkin” and “fardel”?}

Do we want to To grunt and sweat under a weary life’s heavy loads, Or is it But that the dread of something what comes after death — Theat undiscover'ed country from whose bourn which No traveller returns, — that troubles the will us And makes us rather prefer to bear those ills we have our current problems Rather Tthan flyprecipitate others that we know not of remain unknown?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all; In effect, such reasoning is a form of cowardice {COMMENT: Is this what you meant?} And thus the native hue of resolution our natural impulse Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, constrained by overthinking the issue {COMMENT: I think you are overreaching here. I’ve tried to make your point clearer and more direct.} And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. so that important matters get forgotten in our busy daily lives {COMMENT: This seafaring conceit comes out of nowhere. It’s very distracting, so I’ve taken it out.}— Soft you now! Shhh! {COMMENT: Is Hamlet addressing himself here? If so, this could potentially be a dramatic moment. Can you make this more obvious?}

The fair Here is lovely Ophelia! {COMMENT: I take it she just walked in? This was not at all clear.} Nymph Angel, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember'd. remember me {COMMENT: I like the notion of opposing the steadying effect of religious faith with the rudderless bleakness of nihilism. Have you discussed this with Marketing?

To highlight this a little, I’ve changed “Nymph” (this pagan reference just confuses the issue) to “Angel,” and I’ve tried to wrap things up on a stronger, more hopeful note for this target audience.} in your prayers.

{COMMENT: Will, it was a pleasure to work on this. I hope you will see the point of these edits—I definitely feel the text is much clearer and stronger now! If you have any questions, let’s discuss. BTW, I know this is fiction, so please don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t help being a little concerned about the strong suicide theme in this passage. Well, I hope I’ve done my small part. Please give me a call if you need my help. — ED.}

What's in a Page?

2009-11-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

I had a potential client ask that question recently, so I thought I should share the information with everyone. She asked, "What exactly do you consider a page?"

It's a good question. For professional editors, a page is 250 words. They also charge anywhere from $3 to $6 a page to edit it.

But for professional betas, like us...a page is, well, a page. So, if you send us a Word doc, and the word doc says that it's 10 pages long, your doc is 10 pages. Two world-class betas will beta that for $20.

Now, we will ask you to make your pages at least 1.5 spaces between lines, but that's really so that we can read it and beta it effectively, not so that we get more pages out of you.

Also, we betas care about you, your story, and your development as an author. We'll be your cheerleaders, hand holders, and old-school English teachers. You can't buy that kind of commitment.

Beta work on a page of text? $2. Beta love for your writing? Priceless.

Are You Blue?

2009-11-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

This looks like a fun writing opportunity from the Indiana Review:

Call for Submissions: Blue

Indiana Review is looking for art, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for a special feature on Blue in our Summer 2010 issue.

What do we mean by blue? We mean the color, the mood, the music. We’re looking for work that honors, laments, declares war on, reinterprets, reinvents, and redefines “blue.” Our door is wide open and the possibilities are endless.

We’re thinking the color blue; the blues; narrators named Blue; Holden Caulfield; Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue;” William Gass’s “On Being Blue;” a melancholy mode; blue ghazals; blue sonnets; blue sestinas; blue short shorts; blue memoirs; blue suede shoes; the blue lagoon; Paula Abdul leaving American Idol; Ellen judging American Idol; tragedy; blue roses; familiar blue tropes (see clouds, sky, moon, dolphins) turned on their ears.

As always, we want work that is well crafted and original. Don’t go for the obvious—surprise us! We won’t know it until you send it. Deadline: December 1st. Online submissions only. Regular submissions still open.

Nemeses and Enemies

2009-11-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is from the Daily Writing Tips newsletter. It's an interesting insight; I think most of use these words interchangeably. I highly recommend Daily Writing Tips; they're both informative and fun.

Nemesis is a stronger word than enemy.

Enemy is an unfriendly or hostile person. Nemesis is an avenging force.

In classical mythology Nemesis was the goddess of retribution. She punished both hubris (false pride) and wrongdoing. The goddess represents the idea that one cannot escape divine retribution.

Lowercase nemesis came into the language in 1597 with the meaning “retributive justice.”

One of my favorite Agatha Christie mysteries has the title Nemesis. In it Miss Marple is portrayed as Nemesis, tracking down a murderer many years after the crime was committed.

Conan Doyle called Professor Moriarty “the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes.” If it hadn’t been for the insistence of outraged readers, “The Final Problem” would have been the final Holmes story. It ends with Holmes and Moriarty plunging to their (presumed) deaths from the top of the Reichenbach Falls. Each was the other’s nemesis.

Wisdom About How We Use Language

2009-11-03T09:16:00.001-08:00

This is from an 18th century Kabbalah scholar, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

Those who abuse language fall into forgetfulness, which is the death of the heart.

This is what I've been saying forever! Words mean something! They have to be used right, and well, or we lose the very meaning they are trying to convey.

Commas Save Lives

2009-11-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

10 Rules for Writing Numbers

2009-10-20T21:28:00.001-07:00

We got into a discussion on a beta group recently about the rules for writing numbers. I see writers very often trying to take short-cuts by using numerals instead of writing them out. I usually correct that when I'm betaing.

Here's an article that can help with that question. It's called 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals and is found on DailyWritingTips.com.

Here are some of the rules:

Numbers versus numerals. The number is the quantity, the numeral is the symbol.
Spell out smaller numbers. Some sources say anything under 10, some day anything under 100.
There aren't any other rules. All the "official" sources disagree. However, I definitely lean toward writing out.
Use the comma and the decimal. but know how to use them right. The US and Europe use them in opposite ways; know which one you need.
Never start a sentence with a numeral. First words are always spelled out.
Spell out centuries and decades. It's the eighties, not the 80's.
Spell out related words. Use 5 percent, instead of 5%.
Spell out estimations. About four thousand, not about 4000.
Two numbers next to each other. I had a party with eight 12-year-olds
Spell out ordinal numbers. That was the tenth rule.

I hope y'all find this helpful; I did.
Kathy

October Special!

2009-09-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

If you sign up for No Disclaimers Beta Services between now and the end of October, you can lock in special introductory rates for a year! Write us at NoDisclaimerBetas@gmail.com for details...don't forget to put "October" in the subject line so we know you're not a spambot!

A New Service for Writers

2009-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

The original No Disclaimers is a group of writers who once honed our skills by writing fanfiction in various fandoms. But fanfiction requires a disclaimer, a statement that reminds the reader that this is basically someone else's world, and someone else's work. We want to write with No Disclaimers.

And we bet you do, too.

The fanfiction world is filled with betas--writing guides who proofread and offer guidance on an author's fanfiction or "fic." But we at No Disclaimers understand that sometimes those of us writing original fiction or nonfiction need a beta, as well.

This beta service is for those writers who need a practiced, skilled, insightful, and kind-but-firm read over their stories, chapters, or articles. You're past the "my mom read this and thought it was great" stage, but you're not quite to the "I'm sending it to an agent/publisher/professional editor" stage.

That's where we come in. And we charge far less than a professional editor does.

Every submission you send our way will have at least two pairs of eyes looking it over. You can request more if you want. You can stick with the same two betas, or you ask for new sets of eyes the next time you submit.

No Disclaimers Beta Services makes some firm promises to our clients. We will never pull our punches--if something needs to be said about your submission, you can bet we'll say it. But we're writers, too, and since we know what it's like to give your creation into the hands of strangers, we'll always seek to help you improve your craft in an encouraging way. And who couldn't use a little encouragement?

Just email your submission to NoDisclaimerBetas@gmail.com, and we'll help you get that story ready for the next stage. Thank you, and keep writing!