A to Z Challenge : Moving and Writing

My Max Brenner Hug-a-Mug of hot chocolate. 

I've done it for 3 years and loved it, but this year too much is happening. We all know of the time drain that is the A - Z -- writing the posts is the easy part, but there is a lot of visiting/commenting to do.

What I'm doing in April -- firstly, I'm moving house. You all know what a joy that is. I'm moving from our inner-city Brisbane apartment across the river to a townhouse Heritage style, in West End, a very trendy avante garde suburb, full of great restaurants, book shops, organic food stores and overall a great vibe. I'll have my own office for writing and teaching. So the move, although exhausting, will be worthwhile.

I've also set myself the challenge of completing edits on my novel, Fijian Princess, and have it ready for submission by the end of April. Luckily it's school holidays for the first two weeks of April in Australia, so a little less drain on my time.

I am writing my short stories for writing competitions. My Writing Group encourages writing for competitions. I usually choose one and focus on that, otherwise I end up entering none! I'm currently happy with my story idea for a 'homelessness' theme, due end of April.

I will also be posting occasionally -- I'll be back for the Insecure Writers Support Group tomorrow and may post once a week.

So this year I'm not in with all the excitement of the A - Z, but I'm clapping in the background.

• If you'd like me to come visit you (I want to visit my friends once a week to catch up on their posts), please leave a comment. Makes it easier to comment on my phone when I'm in transit--which is where I do most of my blog commenting. 

All the best A - Zers!

Challenge yourself to write a short story, well, a pretty long short story, for a chance to get publisher feedback or a request.

The Best Reason to Challenge Yourself with a Short Story:

Announcing the Pitch Your Shorts  online pitch session!  

Several editors from Entangled Publishing will be visiting Jami Gold's blog in the second week of January to take pitches for shorter length works.  They’re interested in stories with strong romantic elements that end in a “happily ever after” or a “happily for now.”  They’re looking for stories in the 10-60K word range and are open to many genres:

• Contemporary
• Historical
• Romantic Thrillers
• Science Fiction, Dystopian, Steampunk
• Paranormal and Urban Fantasy
• Fantasy

If you have stories already completed that would fit those guidelines, get them polished.  If you have ideas along those lines or if you’ve thought about attempting a short story, get writing.  (Another great thing about short stories is they’re quick to write and revise.)

The editors have promised they’ll make at least one request from those who pitch on Jami's blog, and for the pitch that excites them the most, they’ll offer detailed feedback.

Do you notice that phrase: “they’ll make at least one request”?  That means this isn’t a contest, where only one pitch can win. This is more like a writing conference, where editors can request every pitch that interests them.  Yes, really.

This is a fantastic opportunity, and I want you all to consider pitching something.  I’m asking for you to help spread the word about this so everyone has time to get something ready.  I love helping my friends and readers out, and this could be a way to start a publishing career, experiment with a new genre/point-of-view/verb tense, or try out a new format.

Even if you consider yourself a novel writer, try writing a short story for this pitch session.  Get a head start on a New Year’s Resolution to work toward a publishing credit with a buzz-worthy publisher.  Plus, this is a chance to improve our skills.  In one shot, we can practice our structure, learn how to write a short story, pitch to several editors, and have a chance at a request and/or feedback.  How cool is that?

Mark your calendar: Pitch Your Shorts will begin January 10th

Have you written a short story before?  Have you ever developed a short story into a longer one?  Is it easier for you to see story structure in shorter works?  Will you be preparing a short story for Pitch Your Shorts?  (Please say yes!)

Excited? Spread the word!

Win a book contract! An Honest LIe Anthology - call for short story submissions - closing March 15

Before I begin, a plug for my entry in the Race for 200 Contest. I posted it today. Please go here to read/comment. Thanks.

Well, I told you I was getting into my writing and I have been hitting the books and sent off one short story yesterday, woo hoo! And for my next Donna Hole generously  pointed me to Open Heart Publishing short story anthology.Over there in my side bar is a symbol for Open Heart Publishing, and the link for the current anthology requirements for An Honest Lie Volume 3; Justifiable Hypocrisy. I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone who enjoys writing short stories to send a submission. But be quick!

Open Heart Publishing is a small press, and the stories they pubilish are top class. It is a paid gig.

So get writing, or dust off one of your short stories of between 3,000 and 5,000 words. For further info go to the link.

EricW Trant, a previous winner of the best story in a  volume, (the prize is a book contract with Open Heart Publishing!)  has posted the first 330 words of his own submission here, and invites others who are wanting to submit to post up to (not to exceed) their first 330 words as a way of promoting the call for submissions. You can read Donna Hole's extract here and Roland D Yeoman's here.. I am entering the full rejigged text of my Perfect Silence of the Night vampire story. Some of you may have read excerpts. It was my first attempt at paranormal and I loved writing it. It's great to try a different genre. My opening is below:

The Perfect Silence of the Night

The hazy moon hovered in the inky sky, asking the stars to dance.

The milky brightness shone upon the earth, lighting the way for two cloud-shadows who swiftly passed by the trees.

The cloud-shadows drifted through the forest in the perfect silence of the night, onto the bright green carpet of the upland grasses.

Vipunin and Cuchulain, strolling through the trees from the opposite direction, paused, alert. Camouflaged by foliage, they watched, their pale, stony faces rapt, eyes starry bright.

‘Something delicious this way comes,’ murmured Vipunin to his companion.

‘Hmm, delectable...oh, Vipunin, the journey has been tedious thus far. May we feast?’

‘No, Cuchulain, you are too impatient. Let’s watch awhile. Humans are endlessly fascinating. It takes me back...’

The two hungry vampires tugged their cloaks around their tall, slim bodies, blending into the cobalt night.

They watched, bodies twitching, eyes burning, thirst raging within their breasts.

Vipunin and Cuchulain looked at each other and nodded, knowing each other’s thoughts. Yes, the two humans were uncommonly beautiful as they stepped from the shadows into the Verdant Valley, a male and a female.

The male was strikingly handsome, so much so that Vipunin, who considered himself the most arresting representation of the male form on this earth and the next, was instantly awash with jealousy. He clamped his teeth, his jaw fixed in a scowl. This human could be his double, with his thick black curly hair falling to his shoulders and his features etched with pride and strength.

This male pretender will not live, Vipunin mused. He continued his incantation inside his head:

Oh proud one

The darkness awaits

It will claim your soul

then the darkness will eat you whole

Beware Vipunin…

‘The male’s mine,’ Vipunin spat.

Aussie Short Story Competition for Aussies

It is highly frustrating when I see a competition and get all excited, then read the fine print and see it is only for UK or US residents etc. Happens a lot. However, here is a competition for Aussies only! Woo hoo! In the age of email subs, I don't see why competitions should suffer from xenophobia, but sadly this is life.

As I have quite a few Aussie blogger friends now, I am putting this up in case you've missed it. A literary magazine, Wet Ink  has this short story competition each year. Here are a few guidelines to whet your interest. Click here for full submission details. There is a $15 entry fee.

Here's the blurb:

Presenting the $3000 Wet Ink Short Story Prize

First prize is $3000, 1 year’s subscription to Wet Ink, and publication in Wet Ink.

Two highly commended entries each receive $100, a year’s subscription to Wet Ink, and publication in Wet Ink.

Closing date for entries is 31 August 2010, so start writing, and good luck!

Have a great week writing,

Denise