T-zero Xpandizine
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 Produced and published by the members of Writers' Village University since 1998    ISSN 1521-2639       
05 February 2012
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Margaret I. Carr

Omniscience and your characters

We create them therefore we know everything about them, right? Well....

Some writers do carefully 'build' their characters but others find them pretty much fully realized emerging in their minds and demanding that their stories be told. Most of us are somewhere in between. We may start out with a character or a plot idea or a setting that we want to use and construct the rest as we go.

Their lives are an open book.

In order to be 'all-knowing' about our characters we will have to find out 'everything' about them. If we are 'designing' them we can use Character Charts or Questionaires to establish how they look, what their background is and anything else that we need to know for our story.

But it is written in a code we have to decipher.

What if they simply arrived in our mind? This can be particularly annoying when they keep demanding we tell their story but get coy about telling us what it is. This is where the Interview technique can be a very useful tool. Just deciding on what questions we would like to ask our character can be very helpful. Take the scene suggestion from last month, the people standing in line waiting for a ticket office to open. A few minutes before it is due to open someone walks up to the first person in line, hands over an envelope and steps in front of him/her.

How many books?

Technically, if we really are trying for Omniscience, we should know everything about everyone in the line. That seems a bit impractical. It could take months to figure all of them out and that seems excessive for a simple scene. Perhaps we should concentrate on the characters who will be important to the scene.

How do we know which characters are important?

Since we are focussing on character in this scene and a conflict situation tends to be very revealing of character we want to choose the characters who will be active either overtly or covertly. It may seem that the first person in line and the one who steps in front are the most active but how revealing of character are their actions? It may be more interesting to understand those further back in line. Now we have something to work with. Are the characters we choose going to do something, say something or just silently fume? The author knows what is going on but the characters are not omniscient.

Choices.

Writing is essentially a matter of making choices. We choose to create or resolve tension by what we reveal to the reader. If we reveal too much we can lose all the suspence and end up losing the reader entirely. So, before we choose to tell all we need to think carefully about whether the loss of tension will serve our purpose.

Margaret I. Carr


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Announcements:

Vote for your favorite story from the November/December F2K contest via our online poll at http://4-writers.com/f2k-vote.htm

Questions regarding F2K should be sent to suz@wvu.org.

Anxious for F2K to begin? Check out F2K-zine, our new bi-monthly e-zine produced by and for the students and staff of F2K. F2K-zine is full of helpful advice, poetry, examples of completed lessons, contest winners and a lot of fun! Read the current holiday issue of F2K-zine at: http://4-writers.com/F2K-zine/

Margaret I. Carr


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Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

GROWING UP

WHEN I THINK BACK, we must have put our mother through a hard time. She's now gray at eighty-two but it's a wonder she didn't start turning at twenty-eight. My father died at seventy-two with hardly a gray hair, but then I guess he would have added to hers as well!

There are six of us, three boys and three girls produced in eight years, but not in that order. It went boy, girl, boy, girl, girl, boy. Definitely says something for the Blue Point oysters and no TV! Mind you, I had three in two years and nine months and I had TV and no oysters!

Being the first girl and second child, I was very much a tomboy as there were no other girls my age close by and my girl cousins lived the other side of the island. As a result I was on the tractors and trucks and up to no good as much as the boys. We all learned to drive very early and were quite proficient at six or seven, at least the three oldest. After our escapades there was a bit more control with the younger ones in the early years. We had a lot of cart tracks to drive on and could get from one plantation to the another five miles away, only having to cross over a main road.

Naturally we made the most of this, especially on weekends when people were scarce and my father was out fishing, my mother sleeping and whoever was supposed to be watching us, was also sleeping! Vehicles to drive were no problem as they were many and the keys were never removed. Quite often what we did was fairly drastic and ended up on occasion with the police being called to help look for us. I think they came three Sundays running; we got to know them quite well. We heard afterward that they quite liked having the Sunday shift.

The fourth Sunday was my father's turn. He and his helper Blackie had gone out fishing at 4 a.m. but by 4 p.m., their usual return time, there was no sign of them. At that time there was no VHF or other contact and the boat was only a single engine 32-footer called 'ME TOO'. Night came and still no word, when finally we got a call about 9 pm. from the coast guard in town to say that they were there and to come and get them. They were lucky, the engine had broken down early in the day and for once my father couldn't fix it. They had drifted about 80 miles when a Norwegian oil tanker on the way to the USA actually stopped, turned around and towed them back to the island! Amazing! Neither did they claim salvage, as my uncle, who was Norwegian Consul at the time, told the captain of the tanker they were poor fishermen, so they took the 1700 Flying Fish that 'Me Too' had caught that day instead! I often wondered if they knew what to do with them.

FLYING FISH are found in the waters off Barbados and Tobago and are so called because they fly or skim over the water for long distances. They are caught in nets and can be about 10 to 12 inches long. They may be bought whole in the fish markets but for convenience should be gutted and filleted so they end up flat with four fingers.

FRIED FLYING FISH

Check fish for stray bones or scales, rub with lime and salt and leave to soak for at least an hour.

Season with your favourite seasoning (check April column) between the 'fingers' and leave to marinate for an hour or so. May be left overnight in the fridge. Dredge with flour, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg and milk and cover with breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. Fry in hot oil on both sides till golden, being careful not to overcook. Condiments may include tartar sauce, hot pepper sauce, pepper jelly or whatever you fancy.

They may be used as a main dish, or in salads or sandwiches cold or hot. I prefer flying fish hot, straight from the pan and have served them warm in a salad. Chop fish in pieces, add chopped onion and mayonnaise and any extra flavouring you might like to the mayo: garlic, dill, a little curry maybe. Mound the fish on a bed of salad and enjoy.

The fish may also be cut into fingers when raw and fried as above and served with a dip as an hors d'oeuvre.

Another useful dish which may be served as an hors d'oeuvre or with a meal is:

SPINACH FRITTERS

  • 8 ozs. spinach chopped
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 med. onion chopped
  • 2 tbs. butter melted
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime to taste
    OR
  • lemon pepper.

Wash and remove stems from spinach and chop finely. Add onion, tomato and melted butter to spinach. Beat egg in bowl and add spinach mixture. Add flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix well. Add enough milk to allow mixture to drop from spoon.

Heat oil in flying pan and fry till golden on both sides. The spinach will release some water, so adjust consistency to suit, but do not make the batter too floury.

For those of you who drink, try some:

RUMMY BANANAS

  • Ripe bananas (1 per person)
  • Sugar
  • Butter
  • Rum
  • Cinnamon (optional)

Melt enough butter in pan to cover the bottom generously. Slice bananas in half lengthwise and place in bubbling butter. Dredge well with brown sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon and douse with rum, simmer till bananas are softened but not sloppy and serve on their own or with ice cream or whipped cream.

Don't forget to use Barbados Rum, the 'best in the west'!

Bon Appetit
Cath


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Craft Books Review

Margaret I. Carr

WRITING FOR MAGAZINES: Twelve New Things Writers Must Do Today to Make Money
by Meg Weaver

Published by Wooden Horse Publishing, 1961 Main Street Suite 222, Watsonville, CA 95076.
Telephone (888) 236-7228 or (831) 728-0835, fax (831) 761-9085.
Web site: http://www.woodenhorsepub.com/
e-mail: mweaver@woodenhorsepub.com
Sample chapter and purchase information at:
http://www.writersweekly.com/magwritexcerpt.htm

You've worked and studied and written and worked and studied and practiced techniques and written more. Now you want some recognition and if at all possible some financial rewards for your efforts. Money! At least enough to support your writing habit. Non-fiction writing for magazines is supposed to be the prime approach, but -- why is it so much harder to sell to magazines now? Meg Weaver has a good explanation and, even better, a step-by-step plan that will help you sell to the magazines of your choice.

Can't stand to read on the screen? Buy a ream of paper and an extra ink cartridge and print it out! Yes, this book is worth the effort. Fiction or non-fiction, booklength or for magazines, the information on how to use submission guidelines and where to find the information the guidelines omit can make the difference between a certain rejection and a possible sale. (As an editor it made me cringe and resolve to revise T-zero's Guidelines to make them more useful.)

This book won't teach you how to write. It *will* show you how to study the market and determine the best approach to selling your work. Take a look at the sample chapter and see if you don't agree.


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Fiction Corner

Alison Hawke

Before sending your drabble:

  1. Read the drabble submission guidelines.
  2. DO NOT send your drabble as an email attachment.
  3. Make sure your drabble is EXACTLY one hundred words long.
  4. Use your spell checker.
  5. State which month the drabble is for.
  6. Only one entry per person per month.

Drabble of the Month

Thanks to all who sent in drabbles about mysteries. This month's winners are Ilse Lombard and Caitlin Wolfe.

Out of Africa
by Ilse Lombard

He doesn't wake with a start, but slowly emerges from sleep. A sixth sense is warning him to lie absolutely still. Don't move! On his tummy with his hand above his head, he can feel it - cold and moist, throbbing slightly on the back of his upper arm, waiting to pounce, to sink its fangs into his exposed flesh. He lies like this, hardly breathing, for seemingly hours and then, he can't take it any longer. He must be brave. With a mighty heave he tosses the monster against the wall and there it sits, heart pounding, croaking softly.

In the Spirit
by Caitlin Wolfe

She stepped quietly with her soft, slippered feet down the carpeted stairs. Her large, round eyes, filled with wonder, traveled from the bottom of the stairs to the living room ahead, covered in red, green, and gold. Outside, the gray morning cast a dim light across the room, giving it a mystical air.

The green foliage in the room, adorned with the ornaments of a lifetime and memories of generations, stretched from the carpet to the ceiling. In awe, she carefully held a small box from below its branches in her hands like precious crystal.

"I wonder what it is?"

The theme for February is in the dark, the theme for March is the examination (suggested by Peter Keane), and the theme for April is war. If you have any ideas for drabble themes, please email me.

Email your drabbles and themes to me at alison@4-writers.com.


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Fiction Short Story

Liz Inskip-Paulk

We Have Found Each Other

We have found each other. Quite a feat considering the huge mass of humanity on the railway station platforms. Rush hour on a Wednesday at St. Pancras. The immense iron roofs stretching over our heads hundreds of feet up, wrought iron curving from one platform to another. Generations of families and lovers having met in this exact same place since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert got married.

We have found each other. Each time we leave, a worry always crosses my thought that perhaps this was it. That you will not return. That we will not be reunited once more. I am filled with horror at such a conclusion, my heart is filled with ice at the mere thought. But surely, if I pray hard or meditate or do all the right things, you will return.

You have so far for the past ten years. Reliable. Dependable. Beautiful. "Well put together," as my granny would say. You stand out in the crowd. Pure unadulterated beauty. Classical style.

And always on time. Never late. I don't know how you do it. The gods must be smiling over us and over our relationship, let me tell you. So many people have lovers and families who are as fickle as the wind. They change each other with the frequency of their library books. But not you and I. You and I are above that. Beyond that.

Each day I get up, with the anticipation of seeing you. Each night I go to bed, satiated with having been with you. Our love is beyond definition. People don't believe me, don't understand me when I try to describe the depth, the purity of how I see you. They just don't understand.

I think it's because you are a train.


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Excerpt From Word Castles

by Tom Spencer

Coming soon to an e-bookstore near us.

No One Walks Alone

Write of bitterness,
the chance you never had.
Put to paper, well intended push.
Write it so the world will know
your frightened inner being’s flow.

Dip your quill in ink.
Put to paper what you think.
Every thought has gone before,
write it out, throw wide the door.
From writing, taste of freedoms drink.

To soar with words is wonderment.
Writing time is time well spent.
Remove the beast from deep within.
Expose the thought, make him friend.
Write your sorrows, begin again.

Copyright © 2001 Tom Spencer


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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Poetics Presents
Featuring a second offering of eight poets from WVU Poetry Class 104
"Freeing the Poet Within you"

Dyan Hunter
"Without a Parachute"

Geraldine Cook Davis
"Night Terrors"

Gloria Pimentel
"My Treasured Friend"

Maryann Hazen-Stearns
"I Am Number Five"

Maxine Staley
"Childhood Memory"

Meena Radhakrishnan
"THE OLD HOUSE"

Susan Elliott
"Cotton Thermal Lover"

Susan Rosenkrantz
"Eight Place Settings"


Be one of the first to read the new F2K e-zine! F2K-zine is produced by and for F2K students and staff and is full of poetry, stories, helpful information and a lot of fun. The first issue will be available soon through a link on the F2K main page.


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Healthy Horizons

Laurie Lupold

I had something totally different planned for this month’s Healthy Horizons but unfortunately I lost it in my computer somewhere. It has definitely been a tough month but things are looking up. I’m finally going to see my doctor tomorrow and I will be going back on my medications. Faith holds true. I made it through this lengthy crisis in my life.

I have just one comment I want to make pertaining to this subject and then I will go on with my column. People with bipolar and other types of mental disorders come to points in their lives where they feel above the medication. In my case, it wasn’t so much I felt I was above it, I just reached a low point in my life where I simply didn’t care. Well, from my experience, often taking yourself off medications sets you up for a major fall. Please before you decide to do anything so drastic, talk to your doctor and really listen to what he or she has to say. Don’t make hasty decisions that, in the end, you’ll regret. With that said I’d like to move on to the essence of my column for the month.

January brings new beginnings and closures to a year that might have been the best or worst we could’ve imagined. My thoughts this month don’t really cover the writing experience but they do have a lot to do with character. When I think of the year gone by, one of the things that had the most effect on my life was the political charade of the year.

I must say, with the circus of stars captured in the political outfield, I for one am very concerned for our future. We went from a bored political forum which had nothing better to do with its time than to display an outpour of information regarding someone’s distasteful personal life to a forum of chaos where for weeks we had no resolution of who would lead our country in the new millennium.

Now I know I’m pushing my luck bringing up such a delicate topic but please trust that my comments are not meant to offend anyone. These are simply some thoughts that rolled off a double play and landed somewhere in back field. I, for one, voted; though I’m not sure whether I chose the better of the two. It’s a bit hard to choose between a man who inhales his wife’s lips on national television and a man who’d rather be fishing than home when his daughter is having surgery. Let’s face it: we weren’t given the best choices.

Then we went through weeks of politics and innuendos that left us feeling exhausted over the whole idea of having anyone run our country. Do we ever really think about the models we choose to represent us? Are these the kinds of people we really want to be? Sure, we want our children to grow up and respect upstanding positions. Perhaps even aspire to the presidency; but who do we model them after? In recent years has there been anyone who could uphold such an honor?

I say bring it back home to where the real heroes are. Right within your own walls. You are the representatives of what is good and wholesome in this life. You are America the Beautiful. You signify the class of the home of the brave because you are the mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters and brothers who set an example of what this country is all about. The lessons you teach and the experiences you share are far more valuable then the political mayhem we might witness on the evening news.

Stay within the law but be your own person. Grasp life with positivity and caress it as you would a newborn baby. Share yourself with others but never forget to value yourself. Don’t take life so seriously that you neglect to enjoy it. Be kind. Be caring and always be reaching for those Healthy Horizons.


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Inclinations

Priscilla Fagan

Words, Words, Words

Polonius asked: "What do you read, my lord?"

Hamlet answered: "Words, words, words."

The mark of a writer: the written word. Ah, but the trick is to use them with caution and convey the meaning of what you're trying to say in as few words as possible. Hemingway said, "All our words from loose using have lost their edge." Yes, we can fill a manuscript with words, thousands of words, but we can also lose our reader if we don't move the story along and this is where unnecessary words can get in the way. "I hate anything that occupies more space then it is worth. I hate to see a parcel of big words without anything in them." William Hazlett, 1822.

Mark Twain tells us, "I never write 'metropolis' for seven cents because I can get the same price for 'city.' I never write 'policeman' because I can get the same money for 'cop.'" C.S. Lewis puts it a different way, "Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something 'really' infinite." Simplify! Don't send readers to the dictionary if you can help it. I tell that to myself whenever I'm tempted to use a word such as 'unsalvageable' when I know 'hopeless' will convey the meaning.

H.W. Fowler said in A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, "Those who run to long words are mainly the unskillful and tasteless; they confuse pomposity with dignity, flaccidity with ease, and bulk with force."

The art of writing is rewriting and that's where the real work begins. Where we omit those useless words and find the right words. Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug." William Safire said in the New York Times Magazine, "Why use a modifier to set straight a not-quite-right noun when the right noun is available?" My advice is to find an excellent book on revision and keep it next to you at all times. Walt Whitman remarked in 1888, "The best writing has no lace on its sleeves." So, you say you have a manuscript ready to send out with 150,000 words? I'll go out on a limb and say, wanna bet? Roll up your sleeves fellow writers and get to work. Oh, and don't forget, you are having fun.

Words, words, words, as Shakespeare wrote. It's not enough, just to write a story that flows from your head and ends up on paper. That's just the beginning and yes, the push you needed, but it's the blood, sweat and tears that turn that original idea into a manuscript. Leo Rosten said, "The only reason for being a professional writer is that you just can't help it." Why else would we put ourselves through rewrite after rewrite looking for better words? In a nutshell; I just can't help it.

I leave you with this beautiful perspective from Maya Angelou, "The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart."

I wish you all a safe and prosperous New Year.

Until next month, I remain,
Priscilla the eternal optimist


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Market Watch

Nancy B. Leake

Matching markets with your work

Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines the word "promote" as:

  1. to raise or advance to a higher position or rank
  2. to help bring about or further the growth or establishment of
  3. to further the popularity, sales, etc. of by publicizing and advertising

When a writer desires recognition he needs to promote himself in all aspects of the word. Definition number one: relates to job advancement or salary. Number two: to writing skills. And number three: to having a well-known name with the sales that go with it.

Promotion comes in many ways: by writing and rewriting, by joining classes and participating, and by submitting and self-promoting. The first two groups of promotion will help your skills improve. I will be concentrating on self-promotion to increase marketability.

In the beginning, there was a story. The author thought it wondrous, but no one wanted to pay for it. We have all been there. Getting published is easy, but doesn’t always pay. Many sources are available that publish stories for clips, subscriptions, or for advertisement. These are all forms of self-promotion. Free publications lead to a greater chance of the next place paying for publications. It’s a process creating refinement of writing skills and marketing tactics, plus the bonus of clips for your portfolio. Web newsletters and book review sites are big markets for nonpaying promotion. A new site for reviews of many forms is at http://www.Re-Views.com.

Contests are another source of promotion. Various types of contests exist with all level of prizes from books to large cash awards. Some contests have minor submission costs; others are free. Be wary of any contests asking for more than $10-$15. Anything larger should send up a warning sign. Be familiar with the source before paying. Many contests announce the winners in the newspaper or on websites additional promotion.

Get your name out there, self-promote. Become known to your peers and to the consumers in your community or your web community. Critique groups, writing groups, and classes are methods of communication. Write your own e-newsletters or start your own e-groups. At Topica or E-groups, starting a group or newsletter is easy. Just sign up on the main page. Network in your community. Church bulletins, neighborhoods or workplace newsletters are a good source to advertise your writing. Write a column relevant to your expertise or place a low-cost ad. Many bookstores and libraries have writing groups. Meet other writers and work together. Start a web page to promote your work and follow that with advertising for the new venture. I recently did just that: www.writetimewriteplace.homestead.com. On a web page you can play with many ideas and use it as a marketing tool.

However you choose to promote yourself, the only way to get ahead in your writing, increase your wallet size, add to your list of clips, and feel better about yourself is to just "Do It." Sales and fame won’t come to you without effort. You must make them happen.

Remember, when you submit your writing, to always enclose a query letter that looks professional and enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE), if you want a response or want your manuscript returned.

There is nothing fiercer than a failed artist. The energy remains, but, having no outlet, it implodes in a great black fart of rage which smokes up all the inner windows of the soul. Horrible as successful artists often are, there is nothing crueler or more vain than a failed artist
Erica Jong, Fear of Flying

I would like to hear about your experiences in submitting your writing, whether good or bad.

When you send your suggestions to me please enclose:

  • The name and type of the market
  • What type of writing they publish and the word count
  • The guidelines for submission or how to get the guidelines
  • How to contact the company, and whom to contact
  • What they pay
  • If they accept submission from new writers, if noted

Print Markets:

The Three Penny Review (TPR) is a serious and well-regarded "quarterly review of the arts and society." The online version provides work from prior issues. They accept critical articles (1500 to 3000 words), stories and memoirs (to 4000 words), and poetry (to 100 lines). All articles should be double-spaced, with at least one-inch margins. Payment is $200 per story or article, $100 per poem or Table Talk piece, and each writer gets a year’s free subscription. No simultaneous submissions or online submission are accepted. Response time is three weeks to two months. Sample copies are available for $10. Mail to The Editors, The Threepenny Review, PO Box 9131, Berkeley, CA 94709, (510) 849-4545.

Pacific Review, An annual literary publication printed in the Spring is accepting unpublished manuscripts for its April 2001 issue. Guest authors for this issue include: Raymond Federman, Pulitizer prizewinner Mark Strand, and others to be announced later. The magazine accepts fiction, poetry, and essays (to 4000 words). Payment is two copies of the magazine. Submission deadline is January 31. Response time is 6 months. Please send submissions to specific genre editor at: Pacific Review c/o Dept. of English and Comparative Literature, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182-0295.

FLESH AND BLOOD is a print, digest-sized magazine published three times a year, featuring dark fantasy, the bizarre, and supernatural stories. "The more descriptive and dark, the better!" Payment for FNASR and reprint rights is 1/2-2 cents/word (to 4,000 words). No multiple submissions and no simultaneous submissions are accepted, but reprints are fine. Response time is 1-3 weeks. Send to Editor/Publisher: Jack Fisher, 121 Joseph Street, Bayville, NJ 08721.

The Writer's Voice publishes WV, a quarterly literary magazine, dedicated to promoting the emerging writer. They accept quality fiction (to 7,500 words, longer works of exceptional quality may be considered for serialization), poetry (five poems, not to exceed five pages total), and creative nonfiction (to 3,500 words). Payment is in copies. Notate if the story is a simultaneous submission. All pages of the manuscript should contain the title of the work and page numbers only. A cover letter containing the author's name, address, and telephone numbers should be included. Send to WV Magazine The Writer's Voice, West Side Y 5 W. 63rd St., New York, NY 10023. Please specify the genre of your submission on the outer envelope. No e-mail submissions accepted.

Freelance Markets:

STORYHOUSE.COM, is a website exploring the art and philosophy of coffee and storytelling. It is the Web presence of a Portland coffee-roasting and coffee home delivery service. They are seeking works for coffee labels, art, stories, letters, and articles. Labels are printed for once-a-week coffee deliveries to subscribers. Immediate need is for nonfiction material. Stories are run over several weeks, so chapter or section breaks should be at 1,000 words. They also need poetry, debate, and academic pieces, and graphic art, and good answers to the question, "What is the most important thing you have ever done or seen?" Longer pieces may be used and serialized over several labels. Payment is $25 for 1,000 words, with more flexibility for poetry and graphic art. Additionally, the writer receives one can of coffee and three copies of the label. Rights relate to label use only, all other rights are retained by the author. Sample labels may be viewed on the website. E-mail submissions to mrcoffee@storyhouse.com listing "submissions" in the subject line of the e-mail, or send to Todd and Esther Cowing, editors, 4019 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214; (503) 233-1144; fax (503) 232-2702.

Freelance music review writers to write music reviews on all genres of music: rock/pop, country, rap, hip-hop, etc. Experience and knowledge of music is preferred. Payment $.27/word for 200 to 400 words. E-mail music review or music related samples to John L. Black at jlblack@tcac.net.

Experienced automotive writer to write 1,200-word articles previewing the 2001 models for a general-interest consumer publication. They seek detail-oriented journalist with an engaging writing style and familiarity with subject matter. Payment is $275. E-mail cover letter or resume, plus a writing sample, to falbert@seattlehomesmag.com.

Freelancing4Money.com is seeking a freelancer to provide seven (7) market listings of web sites that currently need or regularly hire writers for freelance work, every two weeks. Each listing would be around 75-150 words, and should contain contact info, needs, requirements, payment, etc. -- everything that would help a freelance writer obtain the job. The freelancer will find and verify web sites that work with freelance writers. Pay is $100 (plus phone expenses) for seven web site market listings, issued bi-weekly. This is an ongoing project. E-mail a letter of interest, work experience, and biography to job34@freelancing4money.com. Do not send as an attachment.

KATE HARPER DESIGNS, seeks quotes that are introspective and humorous (less than 20 words, the shorter the better); lines that take a lighthearted look at life, work, marriage and families. Submit the following themes January through March: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Graduation. July through October: Christmas, and year-round: Birthdays and everyday fun. Payment is $25. More guidelines available online.

Fillers:

Politically Correct Magazine is looking for facts and gags to be illustrated by the cartoonist, newsbreaks, poetry, and short humor (20­-200 words) pays $.01/word. Send a #10 SASE for writers' guidelines to Politically Correct Magazine, Turquoise Butterfly Press, PO Box 750, Athens, OH 45701-0750.

Radiance Magazine On-line, needs short stories ($35-$50), poetry ($10-$15), kids' projects, book reviews ($35-$75) tips, and profiles ($50-$100). Send to Radiance: The Magazine for Large Women, PO Box 30246, Oakland, CA 94604, or e-mail to info@radiancemagazine.com, (510) 482-0680, Fax (510) 482-1576.

Strange Horizons Magazine needs poetry (under 100 words), payment $10-$20. E-mail to poetry@strangehorizons.com subject: "POETRY SUB: Your poem title" in plain text in the body of the e-mail. No attachments or simultaneous submissions accepted.

Web Markets:

Millennium Shift Magazine, has been voted as one of the "50 Best Places to be Published On-line" for January by Writer's Digest. The magazine is looking for "something with personality, with an edge" (to 1000 words). Payment is $10 for each item published, paid on or about the 15th of the month, following the month of posting. You may submit often, to a limit of four items per month. (If items are published in serial installments, it will be considered a separate item, and payment will be made accordingly). Your byline and a link to your e-mail and URL if available, will be included. Payment is for non-exclusive rights for the 30-day period. Each month, one writer will win The Wordhammer Writer's Award, a $20 BONUS (in addition to regular payment) for the best published item, as voted by our readers. During the initial 30 days' posting, an acknowledgement of each month's winner will appear on the home page. Email to submit@millenniumshift.com, do not send as an attachment.

Southern Ocean Review, is a nonpaying, electronic literary magazine published quarterly, containing fiction, poetry, criticism, comments, essays, on any genre and articles about the visual arts and music. "We seek, merely, excellence in writing, whatever its style, content, or subject matter." Send to Trevor Reeves, editor, Southern Ocean Review, PO Box 2143, Dunedin, New Zealand, with International Reply coupons included to the value of the return postage or email to treeves@es.co.nz. No attachments please. They also produce a print version of each issue of the magazine. This will be available at the time the e-mail version is published. For ordering information see the book catalogue page. Additional guidelines are also available online.

Re:Views (Regarding Views), is a new, nonpaying, monthly Internet publication that offers reviews for media, music, and toys (to 600 words); for example, reviews on books, magazines, e-zines, software, websites, movies, television, music, toys, etc. Mail to Digital Images Publishing Studios, P O Box 44894, Columbus, Ohio 43204 or e-mail to submit@Re-Views.com. No attachments are accepted.

Fiction Fix is a monthly Internet magazine about writing fiction for writers and aspiring writers. Articles should be of the how-to variety in a friendly, straightforward, slightly humorous style (800­1000 words). "Convey solid, informative material with a light, personable touch." They prefer a query first. Response time is two weeks. Payment for one-time rights and archive rights for one year is $10-$20 for original work, no payment for reprints. Reviews of writing books, opinion pieces, and personal experiences of writing are accepted, but no payment is currently given. First-person essays for The Writer’s Voice can be entered in their contest; check the contest page. Submit articles in text only to Karen Hertzberg, managing editor at ffeditor@coffeehouse4writers.com, query at karen@coffeehouse4writers.com.

Beware:

ComicsOne.com owes payments to freelance writers.

The International Association of GrantWriters & Nonproft Consultants, http://www.iaogwanc.org/aboutus.htm, owes a large amount of money to two writers.

Sneeker.com has snuck off.

Several warnings have come from several writers about http://www.contentwritersneeded.bigstep.com/homepage.html. They ask for a one-time processing fee of $20. There are also horrendous grammatical errors at this web site.

Processing fees for submissions to web sites are out of line. Please do not give people money for publishing your writing.

Alerts credited to "A Byte Out of Crime" newsletter.

Email your markets to me.

All opinions stated in this column are my own and not opinions of T-zero or Writer’s Village University.


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
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[an error occurred while processing this directive] Writer's Resolutions The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

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Writer's Resolutions

Journey

To me, a resolution is much like a goal. It is something I have set for myself to do. The New Year is here; many of us set resolutions in hopes of changing behaviors, completing tasks. I have found that very few ever keep them. Why is that? Many are unattainable. For example: I recently saw a resolution someone made that said, "I will write more." This is all well and good but how are they going to achieve this goal? Such blanket resolutions are hard to keep because they need to be clarified.

Writing down your resolutions and placing them in prominent places is always a good idea. It will help you to remember them, but what will help you to keep them?

Knowing what tools you have to achieve these goals is important. Tools can be any number of things: your favorite pen, a special type of legal paper and/or a certain space in the house. Honesty and time management are also important tools. You need to manage your time, plan for those "unexplainable" situations adding in a setback "forgiveness" factor. What you may want to accomplish isn’t necessarily realistic in the face of illness, familial obligations and work schedules. Without the built-in "forgiveness" factor, you will grow quickly discouraged. You must be honest and reasonable when setting your resolutions!

Use a calendar to help you mark your progress. You can note where your setback occurred and where your most progress was made. This will help you in re-evaluating your goals. I personally recommend you re-evaluate your goals each time you don’t meet one. Find out why and reset it with the modifications. If you find yourself within a slump, you may want to change the place where you write, or the color of your pen or move to the computer, anything to get you back on track. When I seem to get into a slump, I move from the den to poolside. This change of scenery: fresh air, squirrels and the garden help to put me back on track. If your writing rhythm goes askew, do anything that has to do with writing. Leave the novel; write a short story. Leave the short story; write a poem. Read.

I believe in the milestone system with rewards. Not everyone subscribes to this mode of thought. Long-term goals can be broken into a series of short-term goals. When you have reached one of the short-term goals (a milestone) reward yourself for a job well done! Buy a new book or watch a movie instead of writing for one day. Maybe have a bagel with your breakfast. If you don’t make your short-term goal but have worked diligently despite outside interferences, have a few consolation items around. Keep yourself focused!

Let’s look again at the resolution "I will write more." It’s ambiguous at best. Is it plausible? Yes, with smaller more defined goals. Remember to set your resolutions realistically. That is the essential key to keeping them.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year.


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
http://TheWritersEzine.com
Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved
Submissions Guidelines The Writers' Ezine - T-Zero Xpandizine

The Writer's E-Zine Home

Writers' Village University - F2K: Free Fiction Writing Course - ePress-online
Writers' Village University Membership Information

Submissions Guidelines (Updated)

Until further notice, only plain text submissions in the body of the email will be considered.
NO ATTACHMENTS.

What We Pay For

Fiction: Stories should be of interest to writers in general, not just a narrow group.

Fiction should be submitted to fiction@thewritersezine.com. Payment starts at $15.00.

If considered for publication, you will be asked to return an email agreement including your name and address.

Craft Features: Queries about Craft features should be sent to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Payment starts at $15.00, and, if considered, you will be sent an email agreement to fill out and return.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Please do not email us to ask what we pay for in other categories. When we can add to our list, we will include it in these guidelines.

What We Publish

Original short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, particularly non-fiction related to the craft of writing and interviews.

For fiction we prefer something with a plot and resolution. If we like the main character, we are more likely to accept the story. If the main character has a problem to resolve or has to make a choice, that's conflict, and we love conflict! Too many writers confuse conflict with fight scenes. Don't be one of them. Give us a protagonist who acts, makes choices no matter how hard they are to solve his or her dilemma, not a wimp who drifts along and has to be rescued.

Non-fiction should be related to the craft of writing or be good resource material for writers. Accuracy and originality are vital. No reprints. If it has already been published somewhere else, our readers will spot it and let us know.

What We Won't Publish

Anything that inspires "hate," is defamatory or is pornographic.

Simultaneous submissions.

Material that has appeared elsewhere (reprints).

Seasonal material submitted during the same month (i.e., a Christmas story in December). Our lead time is short compared to print publications, but we do need time to edit, html and proof submission. A good guideline is to submit the manuscript by the first of the preceding month (i.e., submit a Christmas story before November 1st).

Length Recommendations

  • For Fiction, under 1500 words is preferred. We will consider excerpts from longer works.

  • Poetry should fit on one printed page if possible. A maximum of five poems may be submitted at one time (when the hold is lifted).

  • Non-fiction or Craft features have the most leeway in word count. In general these manuscripts should be 750 to 2,000 words. We like to take advantage of the hypertext capabilities we have available and link to charts, graphs, lists and so forth. Thumbnail versions may be included in the body of the article.

Rights

All rights other than first electronic, non-exclusive 'anthology' (for collections of T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine works only), and non-exclusive archival rights (we keep back issues online) are and remain the sole and exclusive property of the author.

Formats We Will Accept

Plain text in the body of an email.

T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine is an HTML publication. This gives us access to a variety of options but it is also a limiting factor.

  • Underlining is used exclusively for links in HTML. Please do not underline in your manuscript. It you are including a link to a webpage for reference, please mark the link the following way: (WEB LINK) http://thewritersezine.com (END WEB LINK).
  • The less than (<) and greater than (>) signs are used to enclose HTML encoding. If you need to use brackets, please use the square [ ] ones instead.
  • Paragraph indentation requires time consuming insertion of multiple HTML symbols. Please separate paragraphs by inserting a hard, blank line between them.
  • Fonts need to be simple. No multiple fonts. We prefer standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier or Arial set at 12 point. If your subject matter requires something else, ask us first.
  • The curly (smart) quotes, apostrophes, the em dash (two hyphens together) and ellipsis … (three periods) become strange and exotic characters when copied from your word processor into email. Check your preferences or options to see if you can use straight quotes. 
  • Text formatting such as bold, italic, centering, bullet list, etc., should be noted in the text by using all caps in parentheses. For example, if you wanted to italicize the word submission, you would type: (ITALICS) submission (END ITALICS).

Editing

We expect you to run spell-check and to check your grammar and punctuation before submitting. We will not reject a submission for a few typos or errors, but will if there are an excessive number of errors.

Note: Since our reading audience is international, we do not require a specific version of English. Use the spelling appropriate to your region.

We will automatically correct obvious typos such as “ton” for “not” and may correct simple agreement problems. For anything beyond that, time permitting, we will return the submission to you with a request for corrections.

Getting to Know You

Fiction and Craft features published in T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine include brief third person biographical notes on the writers. For all submissions, please compose your own bio and include it to save our editors and yourself time later if/when your piece is accepted for publication. We suggest sharing a little about your background, occupation, geographical location and what inspired your story.

How and Where to Submit

We do not accept submissions via US mail. Email submissions only, to the appropriate department, in the body of the email. No attachments accepted.

Fiction should be sent to fiction@thewritersezine.com.

Craft Non-fiction should be queried first. Send query to nonfiction@thewritersezine.com.

Poetry: Due to the large number of recent poetry submissions, a temporary hold on further poetry submissions is in place until early 2008.

Include the type of submission (fiction, non-fiction) in the subject line.

Be sure to include your name and email address in the body of the email.

If you do not receive an acknowledgement that your submission or query was received within a week, please send a follow-up query with “Did you Receive?” in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include your name and email address, the title of the work submitted, and if different, the email address sent from. Do not resend the submission unless we request it.

Good luck!


T-Zero: The Writer's Ezine
http://TheWritersEzine.com
Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

© Copyright 1998 - 2007, Writopia Inc. All rights reserved