Writing Round Up, Cool Exercise, and Submission Opportunity
Write Better Now
Every Monday, we’re sending out a quick round-up of what we talked about and some cool links to check out to help all of us become better writers.
As a reminder, on Wednesdays the WRITE BETTER NOW podcast comes out here (and everywhere).
Later in the week there is a bonus post for paid subscribers because, honestly, it’s super kind of you to support me that way, and I want to make sure to make it’s worth your while. Thank you for being here.
Here we go!
On the podcast, we talked about Dwight Swain’s four basic structure/steps to story and putting scene and sequel together.
And we dug a little deeper about what exactly is the scene’s disaster.
Writing Exercise of Awesome
This exercise comes from the ever awesome WritersHQ site again. And it’s actually really good about figuring out your plot when you’re a wee bit stuck. It’s a direct excerpt.
Cool Links By Other People and a Place to Submit!
Dwight Swain has a book, The Techniques of a Selling Writer and it is helpful and what I’ve been referencing this week.
“Study for Belief with Lines from “Star Trek: The Original Series” by Dayna Patterson
A piece about Gabby Rivera writing America Chavez, Marvel's first queer Latina superhero.
SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITY
Stonecoast Review
Submissions are currently OPEN but will close on Friday, 9/30/2022.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE SUBMITTING: We accept Fiction, Genre Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Dramatic Works, Experimental, and Visual Art. We can’t wait to see your best pieces! Stonecoast Review offers feedback on 10% of declined submissions. Contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the issue in which their work appears. Stonecoast Review acquires First Serial Rights and First Electronic Rights for all work published in the journal. Rights revert to the author upon publication.
Our staff is a group of volunteers, all either current Stonecoast MFA Program students or alumni of the program.
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
When submitting your work, include a short cover letter and bio (50words maximum). Submissions are only accepted through Submittable.
To more fully commit to our value of elevating socially marginalized voices and emerging writers, Stonecoast Review will no longer implement the policy of “blind submissions.” The practice was once believed to support the unbiased judgment of submissions by withholding the author’s identity from the reviewer. Beginning with Issue 18, all first readers will have access to the cover letters and names of submitting authors. Stonecoast Review gives privileged attention to the works of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ+, and Disabled authors and emerging writers. We invite more established writers to submit and join our efforts in elevating needed voices.
We accept only one prose submission, one poetry submission (of up to three poems), or five pieces of visual art per author, per submission cycle.
Submitted work must be previously unpublished. Stonecoast alumni may submit already published work for consideration as reprints.
We encourage simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your submission immediately if accepted elsewhere. If you submit multiple poems and one is accepted elsewhere, please attach a note on Submittable identifying which poem is no longer available.
Your work must use standard manuscript format: double spaced, 12 pt., Times New Roman font. Poetry may be single spaced. However, if a divergence from these rules is integral to your piece, we will still consider it.
GENRE GUIDELINES:
Fiction and Popular Fiction: Limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer.
Creative Nonfiction: Limit submissions to 5,000 words or fewer.
Poetry: Limit submissions to 3 poems, with no more than 50 lines each.
Dramatic Works: Limit submissions to 12 or fewer pages.
Visual Art: Limit submissions to 5 pieces. We seek visual images for the cover and interior of our issues. We welcome experimental and unusual art forms. We accept 2D digital images of all forms of fine art—photography, sculpture, painting, and mixed media. Please send high-res digital images (no lower than 300 dpi) in JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, or RAW file format.
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION MOMENT
So, I’m teaching another cool six-month class at the Writing Barn in Austin. It’s a pretty fantastic place. And the class is super fun. I’ve had a ton of students get unblocked and get published and get awards and things. It’s a lovely community. You should check it out or just come hang out with me as your writing coach. I offer a ton of different options.
