cornerofmadness

Here's another character building exercise for us. Ask your characters this (write it if you're so moved) how would the character react to the relative/friend who always invites themselves along with whatever excursion the character is proposing so much so that the character no longer wants to discuss plans anywhere in this person's vicinity. (guess what prompted this one)

Feel free to share how your character would act


Open Calls


July, 2026 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

Diabolical Plots Open theme speculative fiction

Sweet Screams A Taste of Darkness Sweetness, baking, desserts & food-centered horror

Constellations of Becoming: Queer Futures and Other Worlds Queer futures, queer identities, alternate realities, transformative possibilities, and speculative worlds

The Rotting Leaf

Manuscrypt Magazine Aliens & Cryptids

Dirty Magick Magazine

Ten Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in July 2026

Gnome & Bone Magazine

18 Juicy July Open Submission Calls

Mixtape Stories


From Around the Web

Using “Find” to Find Weak “To Be” Constructions I do this for all my original stuff.

Launching a Book With Confidence

You Don’t Need Permission to Invest in Your Writing

The Four Seasons of Writing: How Authors Can Build a Burnout-Free Writing Routine

The Draft Before the Draft

Finding Writing Communities That Support Black Authors


From Betty


Narrating a Close Point of View

Getting Your Plot to Build Momentum

The Beating Heart of Your Story—Structure.

The Declaration of Independence: A Master Class in Writing


Brave or TSTL?

Turn the Tables on AI Scams

How to Twist Office Romance Into Fresh Conflict

How to Use Scrivener (Without Anxiety)

Will Your Story Keep Readers Hooked?/A>

Pocket Books Relaunched as Home for Self-Published Authors

How Do You Effectively Co-Author a Fiction Project?

Principles of Plotting Part III: Variation

On Description

Advice for older writers

Why Every Author Needs an Editor (and How to Choose the Right One)

Conflict vs. Tension: The Difference That Makes Stories Impossible to Put Down

Two Online Security Habits Every Writer Should Make Part of Their Routine

The Tyranny of Showing

The Why Test (for Creative Projects)

Futurescapes Writers’ Workshop: Workshops and Community for Speculative Writers

Happy Father's Day to the fathers out there and a Happy Litha/Summer solstice as well (a tad late). I'm having some busy times but within a week I will have sent out four stories to open calls (two out already, two more I want to reedit and sending them out soonish). I feel a bit accomplished and I decided to try a free trial of duotrope. I'd be more impressed with the search if it would stop telling me there are no horror open calls when I know damn well there are.

I was looking for world building help. It's not necessarily something that comes naturally to me and often I don't much need to do it to an extensive degree but the new dieselpunk thing requires me to do a lot so I found this site. Which has a lot for free (even though yes, they want you to buy stuff). I like that they said you don't have to do it all (because it's huge) but it got me thinking. I didn't finish it yet, doing the things off and on. Now some I can and will leave undone, like the political stuff. That's not really what this series is about. We can mostly hand wave over it's a democracy that replaced a royal system far back enough it doesn't matter to the story I'm telling. Local politics would be more important.

But this is also where the naming of things being hard comes in. They have cats/dogs/horses because I'm lazy. Should they have other unique animals? Yes. Do I feel like maybe it would take away from the story (a mystery) yeah probably.

( Here's what i have under the cut if you're interested )

Still wish I had an alpha reader/sounding board for this one but it's going pretty well regardless


Open Calls


Crooked Spine Issue 2 Folk Horror & Water

Tales From The Crosstimbers

Slapshots in Space and Magical Marathons Speculative Sports

Dickenson Publishing Group Is Open For Horror/Weird Fiction Novelettes Deeply Weird Horror

Cosmic Roots And Eldritch Shores July 2026 Window Speculative storytelling including science fiction, fantasy, myth, legend, fairy tales, and eldritch fiction

80 Publishing Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers

106 Calls for Submissions in June 2026 - Paying markets

30 New Literary Magazines to Send Your Work To




From Around the web

How to Level Up Your Writing With Chris Fox

Open Up! Writing the Opening Scene

Writing Cross-Genre, Selling Direct, And Serialising On SubStack With P.D. Alleva

Why Writers Should Experiment with Writing Found Fiction

From Betty

Matriarchies, Patriarchies, and Beyond

Your Plot Is a Fractal

When Your Characters Begin to Breathe

Character Arc Secrets: The Four Beat Formula

5 Ways To Step Up Your Writing Game (That Have Nothing To Do With Plotting)

Beware of Dog and Other Things to Remember

The ABCs of Avoiding Scams

Edits: A Survival Guide

Don’t over-engineer how the reader “hears” your words

YouTube for Writers, Part 10: How Authors Can Monetize YouTube with Audiobooks and Consistent Content

here.

Publishing Trends and Writing Tips Every Author Needs to Know in 2026

Author Newsletter Legal Requirements: What Every Writer Needs to Know About CAN-SPAM Compliance

How to Write Mythic Fiction: 7 Practices to Reconnect With the Lost Art of Mythmaking

Drop the Chain of Demands

Authorial Sleight of Hand

What We Write About When We Write About Grief, Part Two.

So pretty soon I have to dig into the dev edits for my 1980s monster hunting story and thought that is also the perfect time to start writing the synopsis. I'll be going through this novel chapter by chapter so what better time to work on the synopsis as well. My first links will be of synopsis writing but I'm curious for my friends who have done this, how did you approach it? It's been a few years since I've even tried. I remember going chapter by chapter and summing it up in a couple of sentences per chapter.


Open Calls

Solar Punk Magazine Solarpunk Horror

Otherside Unthemed Speculative Fiction & Poetry

Tails of Terror Animal attack horror centered around pets from Rosco’s Pet Emporium

Last Girls’ Club: Fall 2026 Hive Collapse / Cascade Event

Sideshow Circus sideshow horror / carnival horrors / strange attractions

Ten Publishers Open to Direct Submissions in June 2026



From Around the web


How To Write A Novel Synopsis (With An Example)

How To Write a Book Synopsis: Complete Guide & Examples




How to Live with a Fictional Universe in Your Head

The US Horror Writer’s Guide to Quarterly Taxes and Self-Employment Income

Make Every Sentence Sing






From betty

Six Bad Arguments Against Social Justice in Speculative Fiction

Four Questions to Ask When a Character Is Clever

Six Reasons I Ask Questions As an Editor

What Is a Power Fantasy?

Should Your Tale Start With Dark Backstory?

Literary Pathways for Microtension

The Unreliable Narrator: How to Deceive Readers Without Losing Their Trust

Interiority vs. Visceral Reactions in Deep POV

Charting Your Course #3: Self-Publish Online (Part 2)

The Blueprint that Sells Books

When Deep POV Revisions Feel Flat (And What To Fix Instead)

Marketing, Algorithms, and Tropes

The Crime Fiction Evolution

How Universal Fears Pull Readers into the Story

How to Generate Better Story Ideas Using the Ones That Don’t Work

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Cultivating Trust.

Five Truths I Learned Editing Hundreds of Books That Might Change Your Life


8+ Ways to Signal Your Character’s Fear to Readers

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Visualization

How to come up with good comp titles for your book

How to research a literary agent

Tending Your Story: How Writers Build a Lasting Writing Habit

How Writers Can Handle Criticism Without Losing Confidence

Why Writers Procrastinate at the Blank Page—and How to Quiet the Mental Chaos

The First Steps to Self-Editing Your Manuscript

How Writers Can Restart Their Writing Routine After a Creative Lull

How to Write Mythic Fiction: Stop Borrowing Old Myths and Start Creating New Ones

What Makes Human Storytelling Human

Anything Is Possible.

A Draft With a Will of Its Own

I mean I'm just sitting in lectures and walking around one exhibitor hall but I feel like I've worked 36 hours without a break.

Okay had to stop for a second after three loud explosions. Not lightning. Not fireworks. No clue. Pool people were looking around too but maybe it is a storm, just one I can't see lightning for. But it was nice all day. Weird.

All the little kids are gone but now there are new ones in this hotel (it's huge, 40 floors) and they're doing the same thing, running floor to floor taking up the elevators and screaming down the halls. eye roll (seriously I had a focus group today, left a talk I was enjoying early to give myself 15 minutes to get upstairs for my lap top and back again only to still end up 5 minutes late. Slow elevators. We also have an Indian wedding going on with all their beautiful finery (one of the boys was talking to me in the elevator, he was the sweetest thing)

Speaking of sweet, man it's a matter of outside perspective isn't it? I was SO disappointed in my not-violet hair color but people have commented about how nice it looks but between last night and today like a half dozen strangers have come up to tell me how much they liked my purple plum hair one young professor (grad student?) told me that it matched my plum flower shirt perfectly and even my hair style reminded him of flowers. And here I thought people would think it was ugly because it wasn't the color I had originally wanted.

I learned a few things in the update seminars today including the huge role of vitamin A in craniofacial deformities (cleft lip, cleft palate etc). Planning a child? Get some A in your life. And while I knew that pigs were very close to humans physiologically (more so than mice but I don't normally talk animal testing because of people's feelings about it), I didn't know we were looking at them in terms of fertility. Nor did I know that male fertility has dropped 52% in the last 50 years (so 1% a year which doesn't sound like much until you really see the math) I missed why they think it is other than endocrine disruptors and environmental health, like pesticides nor did I know we had transgenic pigs with the glowing green jellyfish gene that they are using to test a few theories about breast milk which is another cause of lowering fertility, immunologic health and probably more. Breast milk has more than colostrum and fats/sugars in it. They have EVs (extracellular vesicles) which they're tracking with those transgenic pigs but we do know be it human or pig, breast milk leads to the healthiest of babies, cow milk is a close second but formula and plant milk are way behind (sorry vegans) Soy milk especially has the ability to be an endocrine disruptor because it's an estrogen mimic (this I knew and I don't eat much tofu any more or drink the milk at all because my cancer is estrogen sensitive and why risk it)

The focus group I was in was interesting but way harder than I thought. It was on escape rooms and I mean it was HARD. It took me and my partner a half hour and some hints to get out. It's not available to buy yet but I think it might frustrate my students because you really have to not only know your stuff but solve puzzles too. It is a virtual game, fantastic graphics etc and like a true professor on a labeling exercise there were more than you needed to get it right (and it took me a second to realize that randomly capitalized letters were the code for getting a lock open) some things you really had to know your shit or you were staying locked in there. My students are never escaping (and hell I barely made it past the match the emoji string part but mostly because I couldn't see it on the labeling part, too small, I'm too old) I think the overall feeling was shorter ones with just key systems would be good versus trying to tie multiple systems together this was tough enough to be a final exam prep (I'd have to give them major points) I think it was fun and if it was reasonable I would consider it. However, with all due respect to the very cool VR tool another vendor let me use 1000$ a student to use it is not reasonable. A full lab would cost me 25K (but it's only 3K in years after that. Per student? Per class? Don't matter, that's the entire budget for my entire department.

I never met my mentee. We just played phone tag. I did have a great idea handed to me at breakfast (there was that explosion sounds again wtf IS that?) one of the profs is sharing her pintrest and what she does is collect AI generated anatomy stuff, much of which is wrong and she prints it and makes the students fix it.

And yeah no writerly ways other than links (because I'm just sitting here watching Insidious while eating dill pickle corn puffs and whatever that sound is, it's shaking the windowpane. It seems mechanical almost like a train track.) I did make progress on my merfolk story and the sapphic divinity story crapped out today (mostly because I have a character and a setting and no plot and I don't know the Rifreddo Witch festival. I need to research it more)

Oh it IS Fireworks. I can't see them in the sky because my view is wrong but I can see them reflecting on the glass building across from me. Probably some baseball game or memorial day celebration.

and as I wrap this up it's nearly 1130 and people are running and yelling in the hall and I am not amused

OPEN Calls


81 Publishing Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (keeping in mind this isn't just people of color, LGBT, disability etc count for some of them)


28 Journals with Fast Response Times

Fun In The Dark. Small town weirdness, uncanny communities, strange local traditions, unsettling suburban or village horror

The Submission Pit May 2026 Window Open speculative fiction

Spookane: A Spokane-Based Horror Anthology Horror stories connected to Spokane, Washington and nearby regions

The Monstrous & The Divine This is the one I'm trying to write for once I do more research on that witch festival in Italy

Crooked Spine Issue 1 Open horror / debut issue horror fiction

Movie Horror Themed Anthology Horror centered on movies, filmmaking, or watching films



From around the web

YouTube Is Crawling with Pirated Audiobooks Made Using A.I. This is behind a pay wall but the title tells you all you know. I did find someone (real) reading classic short stories and after listening to a few of them I am FLOODED on YT with AI readings of all the classics plus I'm sure if I clicked on it AI pirated books. Can we just not.

How and Why I’m Creating a Physical Archive of My Writing

Association of American Publishers Applauds Sweeping Default Judgement Against Notorious Pirate Site Anna’s Archive

Authors Guild Wins Default Judgment Against TouchPoint Press.

The Ghost in the Machine (Inherited Creative Blocks).

How to Pace Your Prose for Greater Impact another one for the current book


From Betty

Anatomy of a Fable.

Five Surprisingly Successful Characters and Why They Work


Giving Your World Fantastic Skies.

Should Your Tale Start With Dark Backstory?

Literary Pathways for Microtension

How to Spot and Plug Plot Holes

Revisited: “Your Brain on Writing”

The Kind of Short Stories People Really Want to Read

Why Writers Should Never Make Smart Characters Act Dumb

How Writers Can Use Pinterest to Drive Traffic and Build Long-Term Visibility

Why Consistency Matters More Than Ever for Author Email Newsletters

Do Authors Really Need a Book Launch Team? What Every Writer Should Know

Do Authors Really Need a Book Launch Team? What Every Writer Should Know

What to Do When Someone Writes ‘Your’ Book

Thoughts on How the Marketplace Is Shaping the Stories We Tell

The Weird Editing Habit I Can’t Write Without

A Plot Twist with a Twist

Why Research is Important when Writing Fiction

Your Voice Is the Point. Stop Toning It Down

The Art of Withholding Information I need to contemplate this one for my current novel

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Visualization

I'm still grading and making tests so it's just links tonight

Open Calls

Stone’s Throw The Red, White, and Due,” focuses on stories about Indigenous people, histories, and voices across past and present landscapes.

Allegory Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Speculative Fiction / Humor / General Interest with an original twist



Green Sheaf The Crone

Book Worms Summer camp horror / campfire horror

Scattered: A Dark Forest Press Zine Horror / Dark Fiction / Weird Fiction

After Brunch Journal: Now Seeking Submissions




From Around the Web

Eight Types of Black Hat Storytelling to Avoid

Should You Write a Series? How Much is Enough?

You Can Handle Rejection (And That’s Good Because You’ll Have To)

The Three Lies We Tell Ourselves About Time


From Betty


Why “But Men Are Objectified Too” Doesn’t Hold Up

Using the Heroine’s Journey

I Fell in Love with Writing Micro Prose - You Could, Too

Sensory Anchors for the Messy Middle

Fear's Toxic Cousin: THE FATAL FLAW

Your Antagonist’s Response to Fear

The Author’s Guide to Generative Search Optimization (GSO)

How to Write Authentic Emotion

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus Entry: Dissociation

Creating Microtension Through Setting Description

From Cathartic to Intentional: How to Write When It Feels Hard

Is Passive Voice Always Wrong? When and How to Use Passive vs Active Voice in Writing

Find a Writing Buddy (2026 Edition!): Critique Partners, Beta Readers & More

6 Ways to Discover Your Character’s Greatest Fear

From Thrillers to the Supernatural: What Writing YA Taught Me About Storytelling

Discipline Versus Devotion

Keeping Conflict on the Page

Layer Cake: Writing Historical Fiction

I am going to keep this short as my contacts messed up my right eye again. It's swollen and I can barely see out of it. Sigh.

So between yesterday's con and today's author meet up at the book store I wanted to talk about interacting with your potential readers. Of course there are no hard and fast rules to this and the readers are individuals too. But let me compare yesterday's young man to today's young woman. He was enthusiastic. He sold the book far better than his blurb did. Today, she was entirely hands off letting me look at the blurbs. The only thing she said was that the book in my hand was book 2 in the series. Made zero attempts to sell her work.

The sweet spot is somewhere between these two most likely. Did I buy a book? Yes because I want my new book store to succeed (and in my heart of hearts I doubt it will) But if she had been at the con yesterday I would have walked on past. I'm not saying be a carnival barker but hoping for the blurb to do all the work when you are there might also not be your best bet. You seem...disinterested.

I've only done this once. I wasn't as interactive as I probably should have been and I definitely sold worse than my companions who were far more interactive with the potential readers. None of this is helped by the fact that some of us are deeply introverted and just being there is tough. I swing back and forth between extrovert and introvert so I need to find better ways because I want to be the author behind the table again.

If you'd done the in person book sales, what are your tips? your don't do this stories?


Open Call


Slasher Summer Slasher Summer (female identifying/non binary authors only)

The Rotting Leaf Eco-fiction and environmental storytelling

Orion’s Belt Science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, magical realism, horror, and other speculative genres

Dancing Star Press Is Open To Novellas Science fiction and fantasy

here.

The Metaworker: Now Seeking Submissions

90 Publishing Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers



From around the web

Draft2Digital’s New Fees Will Create Real Problems for Indie Authors and Small Publishers

First Look at a First Draft: How to Revise Your Manuscript

Charting Your Course #3: Self-Publish Online (Part 1)

How Compassion Changed My Writing

How I Published in 50 Litmags in Less Than a Year: A Strategy That Works

A Quick Start Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Publishing


From Betty

The Why & How of Second Person

Introducing Characters

Why Horror Becomes Action and How to Prevent It

Can My Hero Give Up Revenge?

Why "The Story Behind Your Story" is So Important

Charting Your Course #3: Self-Publish Online (Part 1)

Want Stronger Writing? Start Writing Less.

The Bullet Point Guide to Digital Self-Publishing

Dialogue That Kills It: Crafting Conversations Full of Suspense

I Think. Therefore I Don’t Amble

Dialogue Bloat

How Does Fear Play Into Character Arc (Part 2)

YouTube for Writers, Part 8: Crafting Titles and Thumbnails That Work Together

Why Blog Traffic Drops in the Summer (and What Writers Should Do About It)

Internal Conflict vs. External Conflict: The Shift From Projection to Agency in Character Arc


You’ve Got Main Character Energy

If you celebrate, I hope you had a good day. Mine was....here I did make up some delicious lemon-rosemary lamb chops though (I know, I know but I do like that protein) Had a sugar crash out and then was dizzy. I'm supposed to do a blood pressure when that happens. I did. It gave me an error message twice. Now I'm thinking OMG it's off the chart high (vs these digital cuffs fuck up half the time) third time and it was a normal BP (thanks for the heart attack my cuff)

And I wasted a lot of time preparing for a book swap at my book store. Even got the goodreads ratings and the more books you bring the m ore tickets for $$$off at the store. Then I realize I would be double booked for this. I look to see if I can do both...and realized YES my bookstore put this event up. NO it's NOT my book store. It's in fucking Buffalo NY. Well that's a help. Fuuuuck.

So now both a book ad and a BP cuff have made me feel stupid.

Sigh. My Easter gift didn't make it. Mom got an email to tell her they ran out of stuff to fill the order. Story of my life.


Let's get on with the writerly ways. I DID write another full chapter of the new novel. I'm up to 12K. I will give another taste of the novel last (probably the last one too and as always your input is so appreciated)

I had things to say and ask but it's late, I'm feeling dumb so let me ask for help. Some authors do charity drives for this "honor" b ut I'm just going to ask. Ezio had a clowder of kittens. The only one I have named is Honeybunny. (for now) Yes, they have cats instead of something fantasy else because lazy right now.


Anyhow toss me some names. They might make the book (it's not an earth setting so pop culture stuff won't work). Thanks. How do you feel about naming characters and stuff? I struggle with it if I'm honest

Open Calls

I SHOULD have more here but I didn't think to save any from my new source and I have work to do yet tonight so you'll be seeing the usual sources

Open Calls

NonBinary Review Films (interpreted through a speculative lens)

The Dancing Griffin Press Halloween Special Horror stories set during the month of October with at least one character death (Started something for this)


Sinister Soiree: A Celebration Horror Anthology Celebrations that turn dark or horrific (I submitted to this)

Three-Lobed Burning Eye. Open speculative fiction

Emberwick Press Is Open To Novel Submissions Theme: Open themes with a focus on character driven storytelling
Genre: Contemporary, fantasy, romance, romantasy, mystery, historical fiction, horror, and thriller across MG, YA, and adult audiences

Ten Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in April 2026

27 Literary Fiction Publishers that Accept Direct Submissions – No Agent Required



From Around the Web

Alternative Ways to Describe Character Reactions

What Bookstores Want From Traditional Publishers—and How the Bookstore Market Has Changed

Children in Horror


Creating Chemistry Between Your Characters

Using Origin Stories to Sell More Books


From Betty (who also sent me a bunch of stuff from Pintrest that I don't have time to showcase this week)

Seven Ways Jokes Can Sabotage Your Story

How Do I Write for Niche Readers?

Fights Between Protagonists

Why Writers Need to Learn How the Publishing Business Works

Descriptive Words of Wisdom

Why Criminals Believe They Are Heroes

Managing Backstory

How Does Fear Play Into Character Arc? Part One

What Your Story Problems Reveal About Your Writing Brain

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus Entry: Suppression

Why Worldbuilding Fails Without Strong Characters (and How to Fix It as a Writer)

How Writers Can Stay Consistent on Social Media Without Burnout: 9 Simple Strategies That Work

What Noir Can Teach Any Writer

Failing the Perception Check

Overlooked Tools


This is chapter three of the novel. Content Warning: set within a morgue, autopsy, mentions of sex work

( Chapter three )

It's late somehow. I spent the day on the diabetes rollercoaster starting out at 350 and staying there until suddenly I was 80 at 5 pm. So I'm tired. I'm groggy. I'm not going to have much energy for writing thoughts today but can we talk about call backs.

Do you do them? Do you like them? I have not used many and I like them well enough. This is front of mind for two reasons. At my book club thing, one of the ladies was talking about what she hated about the indie book she had was it was forced call backs done badly. She said she liked call backs but this one went on and on. And without spoilers, The Amazing Digital Circus had a massive and wonderful call back. Everyone was praising the foreshadowing of that.

But I'm also thinking...was it? What if they just simply rewatching/reread earlier stuff and thought hey, you know what... ha. (that would be how I'd end up doing it)

Open Calls


The Cookout Anthology Science fiction and fantasy stories by Black authors from the African Diaspora, centering on the beloved traditions of the cookout: the joy, drama, and delicious food! - Fantastic pay on this one my friends if you're in the target group.

Sinister Scales Anthology Reptiles featured prominently in the story Genre: Science fiction and fantasy

BloodClot!Zine Revolution including personal, social, technological, and spiritual upheaval Genre: Speculative fiction, literary fiction, poetry, and personal essays - Also only open to people of color

WERE-2 Creative stories centered on were-creatures other than werewolves Genre: Primarily urban fantasy, but science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and other speculative genres are welcome - Another pro rate pay. This one I hope to try for (look at the anchor authors)

Goblins & Galaxies Magazine Adventure driven stories featuring sword and sorcery, dark fantasy, or science fiction elements

84 Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (March 2026)



From Around the Web

9 Tips for How to Write Dark Stories Responsibly (And Make Hope Feel Earned)

Genre as Delight, Not Dictator: How Learning About Genres Helps You Write Better

The Most Important Lesson I Learned After a Decade of Writing



From Betty


What Is a Throughline in Writing?

Seven Ways to Clarify Critical Information

Is Your Subconscious Messing with Your Writing Identity?

Awaken Your Creativity

We Become the Stories We Tell Ourselves

The Greatest Feeling

From Idea to Page: The Journey of a Romance Novel.

How Fear Shrinks Your Character’s World Over Time

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Catastrophizing

YouTube for Writers, Part 7: Why Captions Matter and How to Use Them

here.

Before You Share That Post: A Writer’s Guide to Verifying Information and Building Trust Online (Part 2).

The Facebook Copyright Hoax Is Back: Why Writers Must Verify Before They Share (Part 1)

The Power of Goal Setting for Writers: How Clear Goals Help You Finish Your Book

Why Author Newsletter Replies Matter (and How to Get More Reader Responses)

Finding The Heart of the Story

Stuck: Further thoughts on Pride and Prejudice.

Made it to PA. Forgot my damn onion sets for the parents. Guess I'll be growing onions... And I didn't even bid at fandomtrumpshate didn't realize it was that fast and I'm slightly salty about that. We didn't even get half a weekend to deal with this. Yes there were other days but jobs are a thing and so is time. Oh well. Oddly I don't really care that much. I can whip my money to charities on my own and there is always next year. Hope all my friends who DID manage to manage their time better than me got good requests and got the ones you were bidding on.

I have no thoughts for the writing side of things but I do have Ezio's character sheet done. Been noodling it (and letting it show me where the world building needs to happen) Ezio wasn't meant to be a central character but at this point I see 2 overarching story arcs and his is one. We meet him almost immediately after one of his dancers is murdered. I'd love opinions on this if you have time.

( Meet Ezio Zucca )


Open Calls

The Best Noir Sci-Fi-Horror of 2026 Mixing speculative fiction and police or military stories

The Gren-Wode Stories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood

Savagery on the Salty Seas, Volume 1. Maritime-themed horror has a high word count

Solar Punk Magazine April 2026 Window Works that stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement

Otherside April 2026 Window Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community

Stone’s Throw April 2026 Window SCHOOLS OUT (FOREVER)

Ten Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in March 2026

45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026



From Around the web

The Official Manuscript Wish List Website a wishlist from agents

Putting in the Work (from the woman who runs that author zoom I go to)

The Opening Mystery: Creating Curiosity before the Inciting Incident

Keep the audience engaged as you keep secrets.

Five Quick Ways to Level Up Your Manuscript

How to Write a Gripping Psychological Thriller

Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story

How to Get and Keep Amazon Reviews Without Getting Banned

Goals, Conflicts, & Stakes: Why Plots Need All Three

Authors Guild Expands “Human Authored” Certification Program to All U.S. Authors

3 Common Mistakes Committed by Self-Published Novelists

nothing from Betty this week. I wasn't the only one with a con this weekend.

Last week I wrestled with a tough emotion to portray in fiction and here's another one, grief/mourning. this might be one of the most personalized of emotions. It's freaking tidal, coming and going with whatever moon your mind is following. I think the difficulty of this emotion is just how different it can be person from person, from all the various lived experiences out there. It's not even necessarily the same within one person.

Take me for example. Within a year I lost my last two uncles (the only two I was related to by blood) and the grief hits different for both of them. Uncle S died suddenly, unexpectedly, of a heart attack. He was, without a doubt, the more gregarious of my uncles, the 'fun one.' The fourth of July last year was hard because the family always went to his lake house. Mom and I had also been at a rock/gem show the day he died and when that rolled around, neither of us wanted to return so that is a shared bit of grief that maybe in a story might not make sense.

Uncle D was the shy uncle, the introvert who really should have been helped more in school with his learning issues but that wasn't the done thing in the 50s and 60s. The first anniversary of his death is coming in the next few weeks and yet oddly there is a lack of grief when I think about it. It's not that I didn't like this uncle but it is different. Maybe it was the lack of a funeral. Maybe it was how much he pulled away almost as if afraid he had nothing to talk about with me because he wasn't 'smart enough' (no, I know he feared that.)

Even yesterday, I finally decided to stop being a jackass and answer my 3 month back log of emails/blog comments. I had at least a dozen in there that I owed spikedluv. There is so much regret in that, an emotion that doesn't go with grief alone but it is a big part of it. There is, of course, nothing I can do about that but I am determined to get the rest of the owed comments out in the next few days. I'm avoiding future regret, right? And avoidance is definitely one sign of grief.

I think in many ways, grief isn't necessarily hard to write but the way others perceive it i s where it gets sticky.

For example, I think I wrote grief well in These Haunted Hills but the book fell flat (though I did just find a great review by someone I'm not sure I know on GR) Ah well (but that's a heart break for another time)

How do you handle grief in fiction?


Open Calls


Story Unlikely This mag pays well BUT you have to subscribe which is free but if you get a paid sub your pay as an author goes up and that, while I understand it, doesn't necessarily sit well with me.

Horror Library Volume 10 Original, thoughtful horror-centric short stories

Folded Space Podcast Science fiction, exploring new worlds, future possibilities, and the enduring human spirit

The Whumpy Printing Press is looking novelette, novella, novel, short story collection, and graphic novel submissions Novelette, novella, novel, short story collection, and graphic novels that fall into the whump genre (i.e. a character needs to be hurt). We’re looking for strong stories with a balance between whump and plot. Ideally science fiction or fantasy (is it possible I DO NOT have a whump story?!?)

Street Magic III Magic. Hiding right under our unsuspecting noses, or swirling around all around us. When we’re talking about Street Magic, it’s probably closer than you think.

SciFi To Go: Food For Thought Funny short stories in the areas of science fiction, fantasy, and horror

86 Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Writers (February 2026) many of these include LGBT and women in general





From Around the Web

How the Page Thinks: Spatial Intelligence in Writing


The Four-Act Structure and the Circular Shape of Story

Fix Flat Deep POV: 7 Probing Questions for Better Immersion

How to Build an Author Brand That Attracts Readers and Sells Books (Step-by-Step Guide)


From Betty


How to Create a Simple Language

How to Use Story Structure in Non-Narrative Writing

Six Rape Tropes and How to Replace Them

Reconciling Character Choices With Your Plot

How to Make Your Dark Event Pay Off

Using Contradictions to Create Masterful Microtension – Part 2

Setting the Stage with Powerful Description

Fix Flat Deep POV: 7 Probing Questions for Better Immersion

How to Turn Feedback into Action: Understanding Editorial Letters

Why Writers Fear and Resist Change (and Characters Do, Too)

YouTube for Writers, Part 6: Building Your Author Brand on YouTube

Why Every Writer Needs a Critique Group (and the Six Relationships That Shape Your Career) Okay this one is something I have been saying forever. Ignoring the whole God bit (which fine if you're religious great but otherwise I don't feel like it needs to be in this article. This is not for everyone). I do still wish I could get more people into my critique group.


Email List Segmentation for Authors: How to Reach Readers and Increase Sales

A BREAKTHROUGH Program for Writers of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror This is like a college class in a way complete with application fees. It is NOT a cheap opportunity by any means.