Month: March 2019

Calls for Horror Anthologies

Was sent here by my editor….thought I would share.

theresajcbs1999's avatarAuthor Theresa Jacobs

I’ve been slacking on my blogging, just busy with life, so here are some open calls I’ve seen.

Some I’ve entered, you can too!

Good Luck. 

Fractured Mind Publishing54436075_626325777816085_5115914835380404224_n.png

As most of you know, Fractured Mind Publishing will be publishing three anthologies in 2019. They are:
1) Seven Sins of The Apocalypse
2) More Lore From The Mythos
3) Christmas Kills

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RED CAPE Publishing

https://redcapepublishing.com/submissions/?fbclid=IwAR2DTuByBiWa9O_RaugkJngSH2gB90G_xOM2W_Sq3mmHH5GIqTogZe2zFxU

We are currently calling for submissions for a series of horror anthologies. The series will be based on the theme of the Four Elements, and will consist of four books. We are looking for short horror stories, between 3000 and 5000 words, on each of the themes; Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. 

logohttps://www.darkmarkets.com/search/label/Anthologies

Gothic Fantasy: Epic Fantasy March 24th

American Cult Anthology April 31st

Year’s Best Cosmic Horror 2018 May 31st

The Third Corona Book of Horror Stories April 30th

Haunted Playthings Aug 31

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Friday writing

Ok, here is the thing with writing… No writer is perfect. At least not alone. We all depend upon other sets of eyes to catch the mistakes before it goes to print. Alpha and beta readers, editors (of both developmental and copy types), these all give the feedback needed to polish the manuscript for publishing.

Copy editors (like Xterraweb or Deedra Nichole editing) go through the manuscript for grammar and spelling mistakes. They check for tense and wording. These are your basic editor.

Developmental editors (one of the listed also has developmental prices…but there are quite a few out there. Those are the editors I personally have worked with.) work with the author who is stuck. They will help find plot holes and flaws in the characters and story. They help find solutions for the author who can’t see where to go with that story.

These are just before it goes to publish. At publication there are even more possible people involved. It depends upon your book. Children’s books often require an illustrator. Then there is a cover designer. (I do my own. Not everyone does.) Some even use publishers, and marketers.

So everytime you pick up a book… Consider the amount of work it took to get it to you. No author is alone in creating the book. And it takes effort and skill to get it in your hands. Do everyone involved a favor. Review what you read.

Not today

I overdid yesterday. I have no spoons. I will be back to updating tomorrow.

Wake up Wednesday

Well I ended up a half an hour before I had to be. So I am going to squander it on hot creamy coffee. I do one third of my cup in cream. I use the powdered type, so today it is French vanilla.

I will wish you have as nummy a coffee as I have.

Tuesday tea party

So I realized this week I am overloading myself, again. Trying to do a weekly newsletter, a healthy weekday blog, a weekly patreon post, and still trying to both write and live life. Some weeks I can juggle it all. Others I think it may take double my allotment of spoons just to live. I plan on keeping up with the patreon. More or less with this blog. (Hiccups happen).. Life and writing don’t stop… But I think that I will be more realistic about the newsletter. I am moving it to a biweekly affair. That may be easier to keep up with it. I skipped last week unintentionally. I was just overwhelmed by all that I had to do.

To be honest I wonder how some people manage to juggle the huge amount of stuff that they accomplish.

Monday poet Spotlight : DW Storer

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to a wonderful artist. He was so nice and gave me a wide variety for you to read.

D W Storer

Author and poet

Born October 1966 in Mitcham , Surrey – currently residing in Exmouth, Devon

– Even the most ordinary can lead to the most extraordinary inspirations –

as a writer I tend to mix prose and verse to illustrate scenes , moods, emotions-

works range through the spectrums of dark nihilism, paganism, humour, and even children’s poetry books

Heretical in religious views, pagan, lover of classical history and forteana

Prefers classical music and jazz

published works – all available on Amazon

The Key of the Storm
Poems Without A Home
The Recusant Who Never Recanted
The Myth of Age And Time
Over The Seas and Far Away

For children – the Blue Ted’s Adventures series
Blue Ted’s Seven Sleeps ‘Till Christmas

Blue Ted’s Easter and Other Tales

Blue Ted’s Seaside Adventures

Blue Ted’s Halloween Adventures

Blue Ted’s Snowy Days Adventures

Blue Ted’s Viking Adventures

Blue Ted Meets The Aliens

Grunkle’s Book Of Bottom Burps

Works in progress

The Lady In White – pagan / wiccan poetry
The Diary Of A Madman – poetry dealing with depression and mental illness

D W Storer has performed in many London recitals of poetry with theatre groups and spends his time, when not writing, mostly staring at clouds, waves, trees, and rocks

He can be found on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/dwstorerauthor
and on Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darren-Storer/e/B008JDJ04M

First Draft Friday

Today I want to talk about the writing process. To be specific, I think that I will talk about the first draft/initial edit. Both adult novels and children’s books have the process in common.

The story must be written. Until it is on my screen, I say screen because I have not used paper in years. I have arthritis and it is harder for me to use pen and paper. I miss it. Still the stories must be told.

Children’s stories are usually my telling my daughter a bedtime story. I have to tell it how it comes out in my head. Then I go back and I clean up the grammar and the story itself. My tagline speaks of a half mad poet. Well, it’s a truth. I am not entirely sane. It makes communications occasionally difficult.

Writing a story is another form of communication. Some days it is easier than others. So, I will often catch in my edits a bit of confusion and have to fix it. That is what the first draft is for.

Tell me a story

Today I think I want you to tell me a story. So I know how hard that is so I will ask questions to help. Hey, consider it a birthday present.next wednesday is my big day.

1.) Who is the story about? This is the most important part. Without a who, the story really will fall flat.

2.) What is the story about? Here is the reason, the details of it.

3.) When does the story take place?

These are three questions that every writer asks themselves with every story. Plot issues can be fixed in editing…but without these three answers the story doesn’t happen.

Submit your story. Email it to patti.mouse@gmail.com. I will feature the best one here on a future blog post. Also…you want to be a featured poet…email me with an example of your work to be considered.

Weird Wednesday

Last week Wednesday was the best response. I figured I would do a similar thing again. My birthday is next week and I don’t know if the blog will update on the 13th. Depends upon if I am able to get it scheduled ahead. The rest is either funny or something that caught my attention. Lol blessed day to you all.

Temporary Temporals

How fleeting life can be. A string of moments, all connected with something called a lifespan. I recently got news about a friend who is fighting cancer. It hit harder than I ever could have expected any news to hit. She is younger than me. And it feels damned unfair. Now mind you, as usual, she has it under control. She has always had it under control.

It seems like it is easy to react from outside of a situation with righteous indignation, and fear. Those two emotions cause us to fail to see the weight we put on the one inside with each question. Sometimes, it would be kinder to just be an ear.

It’s hard to be just an ear when we want to scream frustration. It will pass but what damage do you do to those around you as you fight to calm yourself down?

That is the stage I am in. I am fighting to remind myself that this too shall pass. It is not about me, and I have to learn how to be there for her. I have to not let my own fears come between me and supporting her. It is Damned Unfair, but life is not about what is fair. It is about learning, loving, and creating. So I wish for all of you…

May you love deeply,

May you learn happily,

And may you always

be able to create beauty!