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WRITER WISDOM


Famous writers write through raising children, working other jobs, and the ritualistic act of showing up to write daily. They shut off the internet and phone. As a writer, you do it or don't do it, with the blame falling squarely on your shoulders and only yours alone. If I skip a day writing, I understand I did it to myself. The successful writer shows up to work daily and finds some sort of routine. And you might be surprised at how many of them exercise just as ritualistically whether walking, running, or swimming.

For the longer quotes of these authors, go to https://jamesclear.com/daily-routines-writers

"A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper." ~E.B. White

“The repetition itself becomes the important thing.” ~Haruki Murakami

"When I am working on a book or a story, I write every morning." ~Ernest Hemingway

"Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers." ~Henry Miller

"I awake at 5:30, work until 8:00, eat breakfast at home, work until 10:00, walk a few blocks into town, do errands, go to the nearby municipal swimming pool, which I have all to myself, and swim for half an hour, return home at 11:45, read the mail, eat lunch at noon." ~Kurt Vonnegut

"I don’t believe in writer’s block. Think about it — when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn’t it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due?" ~Jodi Picoult

"It’s a funny thing: people often ask how I discipline myself to write. I can’t begin to understand the question. For me, the discipline is turning off the computer and leaving my desk to do something else." ~Barbara Kingsolver

"I’ve decided that the trick is just to keep after it for several hours, regardless of your own vacillating assessment of how the writing is going. Showing up and staying present is a good writing day." ~Karen Russell

"I have met so many people who say they've got a book in them, but they've never written a word. To be a writer — this may seem trite, I realize — you have to actually write. You have to write every day, and you have to write whether you feel like it or not." ~Khaled Hosseini

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Featured article

Taking Flight With Speculative Poetry 

By Lisa Timpf 

Do you enjoy fantasy, science fiction, or horror books and movies? Are you interested in science? Can you think about everyday occurrences in new ways? If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, writing speculative poetry might be up your alley. 

My own introduction to speculative poetry came in 2015, when I spotted a call for submissions for Eye to the Telescope.. This online magazine, published by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, puts out quarterly issues with specific themes. 

The theme that caught my eye was "Music," and I penned a poem titled "The Valkyries Ride On." Though Eye to the Telescope turned it down, "The Valkyries Ride On" found a home elsewhere. More importantly, writing the poem hooked me on speculative poetry. Thanks largely to the speculative side of things, poetry now generates a quarter of my writing income. 

Speculative Poetry and Who Publishes It?

Speculative poetry encompasses a wide range of themes including alternate history, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and steampunk. This diversity offers broad scope for artistic play. 

When seeking publication venues, there are four websites I find particularly useful. The Horror Tree site skews toward horror, but it also lists calls for other forms of speculative work. Ralan.com breaks out markets by pay category, and highlights new markets as well as publications that have folded. The Submission Grinder allows users to search markets by genre, pay rate, or turnaround time. Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity, though it doesn't focus exclusively on speculative works, has also yielded helpful leads.

I also submit regularly to certain publications where I've had past success, such as Star*Line, Eye to the Telescope, Polar Borealis (which features Canadian writers), and New Myths. The latter, an online publication, offers a minimum $30 payment. Scifaikuest, which caters to minimalist forms such as haiku (referred to as scifaiku), tanka, fibonacci, and haibun, has also been a good market.

Some mainstream publications accept poems with a speculative bent. For example, I've had spec-tinged poems accepted by Eastern Iowa Review, among others.

Thinking Speculatively

Not sure where to begin your speculative poetry journey? My own poems have had many jumping-off points. News articles, particularly those related to science, have sparked several poems, including "Do Androids Dream, Indeed," "The Cool Neighbours," and "A Dish Best Served."

Fairy tales, nursery rhymes, myths, and legends can also serve as the basis for speculative poems. I've written poems about a grown-up Little Miss Muffet, nursery rhymes in modern times, and Blackbeard returning as a porch pirate. "After the Quest is Over," which appeared in Issue 46 of Eye to the Telescope, was inspired by the King Arthur legends. 

Everyday life and personal experience can be a wellspring for poetry ideas. My job required a fair bit of business travel, and on reflecting how travel becomes "old hat" for frequent flyers, I came up with this poem, published in Scifaikuest August 2017, online edition: 

excited chatter
a crowd at each viewport
up in business class
the seasoned travellers yawn
just another trip to Mars 

Even books and magazines can spark ideas. After reading an astronaut's biography, I wrote this poem, published in the print edition of Scifaikuest August 2017:

fresh back from weeks in space
he tackles the "honey-do" list
forgetting where he is
he sets the hammer in the air
expecting it to hover

Personal interests—in my case, sports, gardening, pets, and the environment—can also be fertile ground for speculative poems. 

The Universe Is the Limit

Seven years after penning "The Valkyries Ride On," I've had over 200 speculative poems published in online and print venues. You, too, can take flight with speculative poetry. Whether you choose to write about dark matter or dark matters, fairy tales or tales of fairies, the universe is the limit.

Author Bio: Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and book reviews have appeared in New Myths, Star*Line, The Future Fire, and other venues. Lisa's speculative haibun collection, In Days to Come, is available from Hiraeth Publishing. You can find out more about Lisa's writing at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/.

 

COmpetitions

ORNA ROSS GREEN STORIES NOVEL PRIZE 
https://www.greenstories.org.uk/upcoming-competitions/orna-ross-adult-novel-prize/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline January 3, 2023. Our mission is to create a cultural body of work that entertains and informs about green solutions, inspires green behaviour and raises awareness of the necessary transformations towards a sustainable economy. Typically novels are 60,000 – 95,000 words. Submit three chapters (minimum of 4,000 words, maximum 10,000 words) as one document. Open to all adults (18+) of any nationality, as long as the submission is in English and has not been published elsewhere. The competition is open to novels that are either partially complete (at least 50 percent) in the first draft phase, or fully complete and unpublished (between 50,000 and 100,000 words). Pays £1000 for the winner and £500 for runner up. 

CHIMERA FANTASY AWARDS
https://6305688ae3775.site123.me/
£6 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2022. Our site will showcase each year's top three novelists; the winner receiving a cash prize of £2,500, with £1,200 for second and £600 for third place. Our website will also feature all 12 shortlisted candidates and their work, and each of these 12 will receive constructive feedback from our judges. If you are a self-published or unpublished author who would like to compete for our award, please email the first 10,000 words of your manuscript, along with a single page synopsis. All novels entered for the prize must be at least 50,000 words; we shall request full manuscripts from the shortlisted 12. 

MINOTAUR FIRST CRIME NOVEL COMPETITION
https://us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks/writing-competitions/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 16, 2022. The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Novel (in any genre). For the purpose of this Competition, a “Published Novel” means a work of fiction of at least 60,000 words.  If a winner is selected, Minotaur Books will offer to enter into its standard form author’s agreement with the entrant for publication of the winning Manuscript. After execution of the standard form author’s agreement by both parties, the winner will receive an advance against future royalties of $10,000. On the condition that the selected winner accepts and executes the publishing contract proposed by Minotaur Books, the winner will then be recognized at the Edgar Awards Banquet in New York City in April 2023. 

BREAKWATER FICTION CONTEST
https://www.breakwaterreview.com/contests
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2022. Prize $1,000 and publication in the next forthcoming issue. We are seeking submissions for pieces that breathe freshness to the form. We are interested in previously unpublished prose ranging 1,000-4,000 words. All entries will be considered for publication. 

WRITING IN THE MARGINS CONTEST
https://briarpatchmagazine.com/writinginthemargins
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2022. Briarpatch is accepting submissions of original, unpublished writing and photography for our 12th annual Writing in the Margins contest. This year the categories are creative nonfiction, poetry, and documentary photography. Winning entries in each category will receive cash prizes of $500 and will be published in Briarpatch, an award-winning, nationally distributed magazine of culture and politics. Runners-up in each category will receive cash prizes of $150 and will be published online. Creative nonfiction limited to 2,000 words. Poetry limited to two pages. 

FIDDLEHEAD POETRY CONTEST
https://thefiddlehead.ca/contest
ENTRY FEE. $35-$50 CAD. Deadline December 1, 2022. One prize of $2000 CAD. No simultaneous submissions and no previously published (or accepted for publication) submissions. One poetry entry is up to three poems; no more than 100 lines per poem. You will receive a one-year subscription to The Fiddlehead with your first entry. The winning entry will be published in issue #295 of The Fiddlehead and on the website. 

THE JAMES DICKEY PRIZE FOR POETRY
https://fivepoints.gsu.edu/james-dickey-prize-poetry/
$25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2022. Send three previously unpublished poems no more than fifty lines each. Entry fee includes a one-year subscription. The winner will receive $1000 and will be featured in an upcoming issue of Five Points. The winner will be announced on the Five Points website in the spring of 2023.

JOY BALE BOONE POETRY PRIZE
https://www.theheartlandreview.com/joybaleboonepoetryprize
$10 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 15, 2022. Submit no more than three original, unpublished poems. Any style and/or length accepted. Each finalists (there's usually about 20) will receive a free copy of the Spring 2023 issue of The Heartland Review wherein winners and finalists will be published. Grand prize of $750. 

DAVID J. LANGUM, SR. PRIZE IN AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION
https://langumfoundation.org/about-prizes/american-historical-fiction/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2022. Offered annually to the best book in American historical fiction that is both excellent fiction and excellent history. A prize and $1,000 honorarium is awarded to the winner each year for the best book in American historical fiction published in the preceding year. The novels must be submitted by December 1st of their year of first American publication. The dominant story line must take place prior to 1950. Self-published and subsidized novels are not eligible. Romance, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, horror, inspiration, and children’s literature are not eligible. However, literary novels that contain some elements of romance, mystery, or spirituality are eligible.

SLIPSTREAM POETRY CHAPBOOK CONTEST
http://www.slipstreampress.org/contest.html
$20 ENTRY FEE. Deadline December 1, 2022. Offers a $1,000 prize plus 50 professionally-printed copies. Everyone who enters the competition receives a copy of the winning chapbook plus a classic issue of Slipstream magazine (a $20 value). Send up to 40 pages of poetry: any style, format, or theme (or no theme).

SUDDEN FICTION CONTEST
https://theplazaprizes.com/competition/sudden-fiction/
£14 ENTRY FEE. Deadline November 30, 2022. First Prize: £1000. Second Prize: £300. Third Place: £100. The 10 shortlisted entries will be published in The Plaza Prizes Anthology, which will be launched at our awards ceremony, August 2023. Sudden Fictions can be in any style or form, but must be in English, and written for adults. Limit 1,500 words. In 2022-2023, we are offering 50 FREE ENTRY BURSARIES across all our competitions to writers on low incomes, and from underrepresented groups. You can apply for a bursary if low income, class, race, age, gender, sexuality, caring responsibilities, location, disability, or mental and physical health affects your writing.
 

GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS / CROWDFUNDING

 

WRITING BETWEEN THE VINES
https://www.writingbetweenthevines.org/application
Deadline November 28, 2022. Vineyard retreats for writers in all genres including fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, and poetry. There are five retreats with up to nine placements available for 2023. Please read details for each retreat carefully before applying as the length of stays do differ. All of the retreats may be applied for as a solo residency. Writing Between the Vines offers writers a space to work, a place to create-- surrounded by the beauty and majesty of vineyards in locations around the world.  Funded through application fees and in partnership with wineries, Writing Between the Vines provides writers the time to focus on works in progress or cultivate new ideas in residencies of up to one week in length at no charge.

TENNESSEE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
https://tnartscommission.org/grants/individual/
Deadline January 23, 2023. Fellowships provide those individuals who by education, experience, or natural talent engage in a particular art form or discipline, and live and work in Tennessee. To qualify, an artist must be financially compensated for his or her work, and this compensation must be a significant source of support for their livelihood. The Commission anticipates that each fellowship recipient will be awarded $5,000. In a year, the Tennessee Arts Commission may award approximately 1-2 fellowships each in Craft, Media, Visual Art, Dance, Music, Theater, and Interdisciplinary Performing Arts as well as three in the Literary Arts. 


COVE PARK RESIDENCIES
https://covepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FUNDED-RESIDENCIES-2023_2024-APPLICATION-GUIDELINES-.pdf
Deadline December 5, 2022. The Funded Residencies are aimed at those who urgently require the time, care, financial support, and facilities we offer to focus upon and develop their own professional practice. Cove Park is located on a 50-acre site overlooking Loch Long on Scotland’s west coast. The site benefits
from both an outstanding rural location and proximity to Glasgow. Cove Park's Funded Residencies are open to national and international individuals and collaborators who urgently require the time, care, financial support, and facilities we offer to focus upon and develop their
own professional creative practice. 
  

FREELANCE MARKETS / JOBS

THRILLIST CULTURE
https://www.thrillist.com/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT7xfNFwf8iqKodjJaxRN6jjovsh4I5piyB0zFM6FIHKDz2nU7UqPTPpCJtJepkVBlJ-4J-bBt6sVba/pub
In lieu of traditional entertainment stories, everything published under Thrillist Culture should be through the lens of place and/or experience to closely align with the Travel, Food, and Local verticals. 
What we're looking for: Feature stories (at least ~1,000 words) about pop culture that heavily focus on a venue or city, a local community, publicly accessible or behind-the-scenes experiences, and generally anything to do with a location, experience, or food angle. Typically (though not always), our stories will fit into one of our columns or themes: Location Scout: Reported features speaking with cast, crew, business owners, historians, etc., about how a specific venue or city informed a project; Need to Know: Profiles of cool, underground, and historic spots—ie., movie theaters, music venues, comedy clubs, art spaces, and more—across the country with fascinating histories; Festival Circuit: All-things festival related, whether it's a genre-specific or underrated film festival, an all-new food fest, or a beloved music fest held in a unique location. This column reports on regional events worth knowing about; Opening Night: Event coverage about the opening night or an early date of an exciting, buzzworthy show—from concert tours and Broadway plays/musicals to special arts performances or comedy gigs; Local Favorite: Profiles exploring the relationship between artists/bands and the scene that they got their start in, diving into their roots and community; Pop-culture places: Profiles of bars, restaurants, hotels, BnBs, and more places that readers can visit themselves that have a pop-culture bent. Essentially, these stories bring attention to everywhere that should make any pop-culture fiend's dream travel itinerary; Insider reports: Behind-the-scenes reports from set visits, tapings, live shows, and more. Send pitches to Leanne Butkovic, Entertainment Editor at [email protected] . Rates begin at $300. 

NEW SCIENTIST 
https://www.newscientist.com/freelancers/
In general, we are looking for science and technology stories from around the world that will intrigue, entertain and inform the widest possible audience, be they physicists, biologists or people with no science background at all. We cover fascinating bits of pure science with no possible application as well as high-impact stories such as weapons technology and the psychology of terrorism. Besides reporting the latest research, we also try to find interesting scientific or technological angles on major news events. Reports indicate that this opportunity will pay 51p to 70p per word for UK writers and $1.20 per word for US writers.

BEZZY 
https://www.bezzy.com/
A suite of online communities providing meaningful connection to people living with chronic conditions. Are you a writer living with psoriatic arthritis? Currently looking for folks to write essays and tip-based articles for BezzyCommunity (POVs, nutrition, exercise, family / sex / relationships, etc.). Email for pitches is [email protected]. Pays 200 to $300 per article.

WONDERMIND
https://www.wondermind.com/real-stories/
Pitch callout: Wondermind is looking for freelance writer pitches that center personal stories about mental health. For November and December, we’re interested in pitches that discuss family (including estranged and chosen), dating and relationships, deleting dating apps for your mental health (this one’s a top priority), holidays, traveling as a plus-size person (another priority). Body image, disordered eating / eating disorders, diet culture, trauma and stress disorders, boundaries, habits, resolutions, and inner child work. If you have any pitches that fit these topics and how they relate to mental health / fitness, email [email protected]. Pitches should include a headline, ~two paragraphs describing the idea, how this topic *personally* relates to you or someone you will interview, why you’re the one to write this, your relevant experience, and links to clips and online profiles / websites. Rates start at $300 and are dependent on the topic, article format, and reporting required.

TEXAS OBSERVER
https://www.texasobserver.org/
The Texas Observer is a nonprofit news organization known for independent, investigative reporting, narrative storytelling and sophisticated cultural criticism about all things Texan. Send pitches directly to Kit O'Connell, Digital Editor, at [email protected]. Pays 50 cents/word. 

BACHTRACK
https://bachtrack.com/about-us
We list over 30,000 events each year in classical concerts, opera and dance and publish around 130 reviews every month from our team of around 150 reviewers based all around the world. We also interview leading singers and instrumentalists together with some of the stars of the future and preview festivals, competitions and new seasons. Lawrence Dunn, Editor seeks pitches at https://twitter.com/l_dunn1 (Direct Messages). Reports indicate that this opportunity will pay £125 to £250 per article. Needs ideas for features, interviews, playlists, opinion pieces, critical reflections, and tracts of invective. 

REFINERY29
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/single-files-stories
Pays $350 to $500. Send pitches to [email protected]. Single Files is a section of personal essays that explore the unique joys and challenges of being single. 

ILYMAG
https://ilymag.com/about/
We tell modern love stories in a variety of formats and mediums across real life and the life behind our screens—from digital cover stories, featured editorial packages, and original video series to branded and white-label content, multimedia campaigns, and activations. We hope to inspire people to expand their definition of love while simplifying their understanding of it. Through multimedia storytelling and immersive experiences, we aim to create, facilitate, and advance conversations around the world’s most influential, nuanced word. Pay is $150 to $200 per piece. Email pitches to Editor Rae Witte at [email protected].

NEWS LINES MAGAZINE
https://newlinesmag.com/pitch/
New Lines Magazine publishes essays and reportage on a wide range of subjects that focus broadly on the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. We also cover politics, culture and controversies in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Russia and Central Asia, and conduct deep-dive investigative journalism based on open-source intelligence and leaked data. Estimated payment $500. Pitch Alex Rowell, Online Editor at [email protected]


 

Publishers/agents

ALBERT WHITMAN AND COMPANY
http://www.albertwhitman.com/submission-guidelines-for-unrepresented-authors/
Albert Whitman & Company currently has an open submissions policy. We will read and review un-agented manuscripts and proposals for picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult novels. 

ANDREWS McMEEL PUBLISHING
https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/submissions/
Andrews McMeel Publishing is a leading publisher of poetry, inspiration, humor, and children’s books and licensed, popular calendars. We publish as many as 150 books and 200 calendars annually. We are happy to consider submissions from creators and literary agents. THey also do a lot of work-for-hire.

MARBLE PRESS
http://marblepress.com/submissions/
We publish juvenile, literary, and commercial fiction books, picture books, early-middle-grade books, (early readers), middle grade novels and graphic novels. We are interested in narrative nonfiction and books that challenge traditional forms.  At this time, Marble Press is accepting unsolicited manuscripts from both represented and unrepresented authors and author-illustrators. We will read from established authors as well as new talents.

CHERRY LAKE PUBLISHING
https://cherrylakepublishing.com/submissions
Cherry Lake Publishing Group is a publisher of quality children’s books. We publish a wide range of books, including board books, beginning readers, picture books, and select middle grade titles. We accept both fiction and nonfiction submissions. We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and welcome stories from diverse authors. 

CRESTON BOOKS
https://www.crestonbooks.co/about
https://www.crestonbooks.co/submissions
Creston Books fills the void left behind by the major New York publishers who no longer put out a broad range of quality picture books. The golden age of picture books, when fine books were edited and published despite not being blockbusters, does not have to be over. Creston Books is author/illustrator driven, with talented, award-winning creators given more editorial freedom and control than in a typical New York house. We work hard to promote every book we print, not just the few we think will sell the best.​
 

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