Tag Archives: short stories

Articles, Blog, Craft, Opinion, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Alice Sudlow and Dan Brotzel each offer ten tips for entering and winning short story contests. Joe Bunting provides a guide to story arcs and writing an effective first chapter, while Robert Wood challenges us to add a radical twist to our plots.

At Writer’s Digest, David Corbett teaches us how to develop our characters with each new scene while Elizabeth Sims shows us ways to elevate our stories to greatness. KD Holmberg reminds us that inanimate objects can also be powerful characters, and Chris Winkle helps us fill in our story’s middle.

All that and little more. Enjoy!

How to Write a Good First Chapter by Joe Bunting

Story Arcs: Definitions and Examples of the Six Shapes of Stories by Joe Bunting

Ten Lessons from Entering Hundreds of Short Story Competitions by Dan Brotzel

10 Steps to Win a Writing Contest by Alice Sudlow

6 Daring Plot Twists to Try in Your Writing Part I and Part II by Robert Wood

7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great by Elizabeth Sims

Inanimate Objects as Characters by KD Holmberg

How to Craft Characters Scene by Scene by David Corbett

Backstory for Writers: When and How by Ane Mulligan

Filling in Your Story’s Middle by Chris Winkle

Publishers File Suit Against Internet Archive by Association of American Publishers

Publisher Rocket vs. KD Spy: Which is Best for You? by Brendan Hufford

 

 

 

Blog, Free Fiction

Free Stories on Wattpad

If you’re unfamiliar with Wattpad, it is a website where writers post stories of all lengths and genres for your free reading pleasure.

I currently have four complete speculative fiction short stories posted there as samples from the first two volumes of my Middle of Eternity anthology series.

In the coming weeks, I will post one or two new stories. For now, happy reading!

Blog, Upcoming Projects, Writing and Publishing

OK, Now What Am I Working On?

Amidst all of the turmoil, chaos, and uncertainty that continues to be 2016, I must admit that it was not a bad year for me as a writer. I always wish I’d done more, of course, but I’m grateful to have four stories and an essay published across three anthologies, one of which was a second place contest entry that earned me $250. Click on each cover below for more information about the books.
Write Here Write Now Cover Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity Beach Nights
 
Last month, I had a short vignette accepted for the 2017 anthology of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. That book will be titled the Write Connections and is slated for a March release.
 
I also finished my first of what I hope will be three stories for Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity, the third volume in the Middle of Eternity speculative fiction series (no release date yet) and I’m working through a gods and monsters tale that is due in six weeks. YIKES!
 
Most importantly, I wrote the first four chapters of an SF novel that has been in development since 2012. It’s one of those projects that, at first, I simply tinkered with between other stories, but I finished the outline in 2015 and wrote four chapters over winter before being pulled away onto other projects. I intend to switch my focus back to this novel and complete the first draft in 2017, even if that means postponing or turning away some other projects. Only so many hours in the day and while I love writing short stories and editing anthologies, it’s been over three years since my last novel was published, so I’m overdue! 
Shout out if you’re working on any cool projects!
Blog, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

About This Writing Stuff was once a weekly feature on my blog until April 2015. As life became increasingly hectic, I was unable to maintain that schedule. I revived it briefly on New Year’s Eve last year and kept it going for about a month or two into 2016 before I again became overwhelmed.

So, let’s try this again. I can’t promise to be consistent, but I’ll do my best.

About This Writing Stuff is a collection of interesting articles from the writing and publishing world. Most are instructional, meant to provide helpful tools for writers. Some are merely news or updates, but all are meant to inform with no bias on my part. In other words, I don’t always agree with every article, but I welcome your feedback and opinions.

This week, we start with a pair of “How To’s” as Patrick Ryan provides excellent advice on the basics of short story writing, and over at Digital Book World, Penny Sansevieri wants to optimize your Goodreads giveaways.

Jami Gold helps to improve your productivity and strengthen the stakes in your story while W.B. Sullivan has something urgent to discuss. Janice Hardy and Candace Robinson offer fuel for your writing while Eileen Cook builds conflict with dialogue.

We then get down to the business of publishing and promotion with James Scott Bell, Anne R. Allen, and Barbara O’Neal.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How to Write a Short Story with Clarity and Economy by Patrick Ryan

How to Make the Most of Goodreads Giveaways by Penny Sansevieri

Increasing Our Productivity: Why It’s Not Simple and Strengthening Stakes: It’s Not About Going Big by Jami Gold

6 Ways to Cultivate Urgency That Will Captivate Fiction Readers by W.B. Sullivan

5 Reasons Your Plot Stalled by Janice Hardy via Jody Hedlund

4 Ways to Use Experience to Fuel Your Writing by Candace Robinson

What Authors Need to Know About the Publishing Industry Today by James Scott Bell

Selling Books on Social Media: 4 Steps to Less Wasted Time by Anne R. Allen

Money and the Writer by Barbara O’Neal

I Can’t Believe You Said That–Using Dialogue to Build Conflict by Eileen Cook

Hold On To The Light – SFF Authors and Fans for Mental Wellness by Gail Z. Martin