Thursday, April 29, 2010

Clicking Around the Net

Hi! My name is Sandra and I'm a clicker. Yeah, pass me a link and off I go clicking from site to site. That's what happened to me yesterday when Barb Goffman passed along this link http://fictionfordessert.blogspot.com/ There's a flash contest in progress here at the moment. 400 words using crimson - sincere - rickshaw in the story. Very short notice as the contest deadline is tomorrow. And please note that this site is for our G-rated writers. Lots of nice blog posts and stories posted here for your reading pleasure.

Now, from this site I clicked to another one http://thenovelette.com/ which happens to also be running a contest. http://writingcontest.thenovelette.com/ This one is for stories up to 2000 words based on the photograph that's posted. I must tell you that my mind went straight to dark when I saw the photo and while it might inspire a story, it won't be suitable for this site. The deadline here is August 31. Neither of these sites charge a fee and I can't see where there's any prizes except to have your stories published on these sites.

***Just a quick note here - L B Gschwandtner from thenovelette.com site has stopped by and noted in the comments that there are prizes for her contest.

Also from the first link, I clicked onto http://www.shortbreadstories.co.uk/ Alas, no contest here just lots of good writing articles and a slew of short stories on the site. Like I said, these are all G rated sites for general fiction. But then, not everyone who stops by here writes mysteries or noir.

And speaking of clicking and writing articles - I was checking out the guidelines for Sword and Sorceress #25 and found a couple more articles. First the anthology guidelines http://www.elisabethwaters.com/guidelines.htm They're looking for sword and sorcery shorts with strong female protagonists up to 9000 words but they prefer shorter, and the deadline is May 14. There's a press all lined up and the pay is 5cents a word (if I remember correctly).

The writing links?

"Why Did My Story Get Rejected?" by Marion Zimmer Bradley http://www.elisabethwaters.com/why.htm

"What is a Short Story?" also by Bradley. http://www.elisabethwaters.com/what.htm

6 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm glad someone does it. I don't allow myself much clicking so I'm glad someone finds the most interesting writerly type stuff and posts it.

pattinase (abbott) said...

And your blog is the most detrimental to my accomplishing anything. I should limit myself to looking at night only. You are too generous in your research.

Welcome To The Wish Granters Books said...

Hi Sandra The Clicker:
Re: the 2,000 word short story contest @ TheNovelette.com, we do offer prizes and this contes offers a really great EXTRA prize.
This is from the site:
Popular judging as always with a $25 e-certificate to the Reader’s Choice Winner, but here’s the most exciting part of this contest:

The Editor’s Choice winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com or B&N.com AND will also receive a free short story, essay or novel chapter (up to 8,000 words – one piece of writing only) critique and edit from Catherine Adams of Inkslinger Editing LLC.
or click to http://writingcontest.thenovelette.com/new-writing-contest-photography-prompt/
And thanks for the mention!
LB

sandra seamans said...

Force of habit for me, Charles. The online sites are where I actually started to learn how to write.

Oh, but it's so much fun, Patti! Besides, I don't want to be the only one wasting time :-)

Welcome to the Corner, LB! Thanks for clarifying that. My clicker somehow missed that link. And we're always looking for new places for short fiction lovers here on the blog!

Jim Jackson said...

Thirteen years after they were written Marion Zimmer Bradley's two articles are still spot on for those of us looking to produce the right story for the first big sale.

Thanks for clicking...

~ Jim

sandra seamans said...

My pleasure, James. Good writing advice is usually constant through the years - we just need to let go and embrace it.