Writerly Ways
Aug. 13th, 2023 09:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI need to start a spread sheet of where I keep submission dates. As it turns out I DO NOT have to turn in my ghost story by tuesday. No, I have to the 31st. I could even try to find a beta for it. Ah...
And I was thinking about the gothic romance open call, was going to ask for location suggestions until the story half formed in my head (down to the first not really romantic 'romantic' dinner at Hillbilly HotDog) so let me move on to the planned talk. Prequels.
Let me ask you, how do YOU feel about prequels? How do you generate tension in them? I ask because I look at Netgalley and Goodreads a lot for book review giveaways and more and more I'm seeing prequels to series (often ones I've not read so...) and I just finished watching the last of the Endeavour series which is a prequel to Inspector Morse.
And while I enjoyed it that was a problem for me over the years with that series. Oh look, Young!Morse is in interrogation for a crime he didn't commit. Oh look, Young!Morse might be killed. And they have zero tension because I know that he doesn't die and doesn't go to jail and that he is in fact a detective in oxford. So I was left thinking, why bother? Is this for the people who don't know it's a prequel?
So that leads me to wonder what kind of conflict would be effective then in a prequel? Knowing the main character has to live does present a problem. I suppose we can kill off lovers/friends/clients whatever. I've never really wanted to write a prequel (probably because my fool self can't finish a series) but it was something worth thinking about
OPEN CALLS
Screams From The Ocean Floor
Rattus Futura: An Anthology of Future Rodents Theme: stories about the future which feature rodents
The Crow’s Quill October 2023 Issue Theme: Historical Horror
Uncanny & Unearthly Tales (Vol 2) – The Midnight Labyrinth Theme: A tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected
Y’all Ain’t Right Theme: A reckoning of southern extreme horror
Haven Speculative 2023 Limited Submissions Call #5
Sam Asher, and The Cosmic Background A New Pro-Pay Home for Strange Flash
Nightmare Diaries I need to send to this one!
The First Line – Winter 2023 I found this one to be encouraging in the past.
Monarch Educational Services: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries
The Colored Lens: Now Seeking Speculative Fiction Submissions
Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers this August
U30 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for August 2023 This has PLENTY of good ones
From Around the Web
It’s Time to Stop Reading and Start Writing
FORGIVE THE WRITERS, FOR WE ARE SO TIRED
How to Write a Prologue That Draws Readers In
Do I Need a Book Publicist?
Tips For Writing Interesting Chapter Titles
From Betty
Five Problems Caused by Tone Mishaps and How to Fix Them
Five Mistakes That Reverse Social Justice Messages
Being Hacked Made Me Realize the Importance of Newsletters
Just. Write. The Thing.
Words of Wisdom for the Muddle in the Middle
Writers, have you fired “Chekhov’s Gun”? (I'm being bad about this in my 80s era monster hunter thing. Geez)
The Secret to Writing Your First Book Faster
Powering Through the Un-Fun Parts of the Job I wish I could get someone to do my un-fun parts like the edits
Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Mad Scientist
Iconic Characters: Made Not Born
Follow the Energy of Denial
Don’t over-explain default objects and gestures
And I was thinking about the gothic romance open call, was going to ask for location suggestions until the story half formed in my head (down to the first not really romantic 'romantic' dinner at Hillbilly HotDog) so let me move on to the planned talk. Prequels.
Let me ask you, how do YOU feel about prequels? How do you generate tension in them? I ask because I look at Netgalley and Goodreads a lot for book review giveaways and more and more I'm seeing prequels to series (often ones I've not read so...) and I just finished watching the last of the Endeavour series which is a prequel to Inspector Morse.
And while I enjoyed it that was a problem for me over the years with that series. Oh look, Young!Morse is in interrogation for a crime he didn't commit. Oh look, Young!Morse might be killed. And they have zero tension because I know that he doesn't die and doesn't go to jail and that he is in fact a detective in oxford. So I was left thinking, why bother? Is this for the people who don't know it's a prequel?
So that leads me to wonder what kind of conflict would be effective then in a prequel? Knowing the main character has to live does present a problem. I suppose we can kill off lovers/friends/clients whatever. I've never really wanted to write a prequel (probably because my fool self can't finish a series) but it was something worth thinking about
OPEN CALLS
Screams From The Ocean Floor
Rattus Futura: An Anthology of Future Rodents Theme: stories about the future which feature rodents
The Crow’s Quill October 2023 Issue Theme: Historical Horror
Uncanny & Unearthly Tales (Vol 2) – The Midnight Labyrinth Theme: A tale delivered from a character who stepped through a door and found themselves someplace unexpected
Y’all Ain’t Right Theme: A reckoning of southern extreme horror
Haven Speculative 2023 Limited Submissions Call #5
Sam Asher, and The Cosmic Background A New Pro-Pay Home for Strange Flash
Nightmare Diaries I need to send to this one!
The First Line – Winter 2023 I found this one to be encouraging in the past.
Monarch Educational Services: Now Accepting Manuscript Queries
The Colored Lens: Now Seeking Speculative Fiction Submissions
Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers this August
U30 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for August 2023 This has PLENTY of good ones
From Around the Web
It’s Time to Stop Reading and Start Writing
FORGIVE THE WRITERS, FOR WE ARE SO TIRED
How to Write a Prologue That Draws Readers In
Do I Need a Book Publicist?
Tips For Writing Interesting Chapter Titles
From Betty
Five Problems Caused by Tone Mishaps and How to Fix Them
Five Mistakes That Reverse Social Justice Messages
Being Hacked Made Me Realize the Importance of Newsletters
Just. Write. The Thing.
Words of Wisdom for the Muddle in the Middle
Writers, have you fired “Chekhov’s Gun”? (I'm being bad about this in my 80s era monster hunter thing. Geez)
The Secret to Writing Your First Book Faster
Powering Through the Un-Fun Parts of the Job I wish I could get someone to do my un-fun parts like the edits
Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Mad Scientist
Iconic Characters: Made Not Born
Follow the Energy of Denial
Don’t over-explain default objects and gestures
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