February 28, 2012

Hi friends & writers,

I’ve learned that some people who signed up for The Tuesday Writer are not receiving it. I’m sorry. Please try checking your spam folder first; if that doesn’t work, you can always read it via the blog: thetuesdaywriter.blogspot.com.

I hope this helps! Thanks again for reading and writing.

e

PROCESS: 5x5 SUBMISSIONS POLICY

Oh, how some of us (including me) wish that a magazine editor would simply knock on our door and say, “Hey! I want to publish your writing!” But alas. It rarely, if ever, happens.

Here is a more likely route to publication: send five pieces of writing to five venues each. The benefits are many: it is easy to chart who is reading which work; most venues accept simultaneous submissions, so it increases the chance that one will love the piece and want to publish it; and finally, if all five venues pass on one piece, then the 5x5 system offers a known stopping point to decide whether to revise before sending the piece out to five more.

Try this: When you feel ready, pick five and go!

FEATURED VENUE: ZOETROPE: ALL-STORY

An established journal that showcases great writing & art, Zoetrope (est. 1997) seeks short stories and one-act plays (all under 7000 words). Snail mail only.

Submission Guidelines here: http://www.all-story.com/submissions.cgi

PROMPT

“A piece of advice I never trusted” (10min)

February 21, 2012

Hi friends & writers,

Hope you are using this warm-sock weather for some good writing sessions! Here’s issue #7:

PROCESS: KEEPING STEAM WHERE IT BELONGS

Writers know that there is only so much internal steam available to push a piece of writing forward. Sometimes talking about a piece or sharing it or even editing it too soon can stop the momentum by letting out steam in a non-forward direction.

Try this: Keep a piece of writing to yourself for as long as you can. Share it only once you have reached a plateau and feel confident that sharing it will not keep you from continuing.

FEATURED VENUE: ADVENTUM MAGAZINE

This biannual digital & print magazine accepts creative nonfiction and seasonal haiku (!!) that explore some aspect of personal experience in the outdoors. Reading period ends May 15.

Submission Guidelines here: http://www.adventummagazine.com/submit.html

PROMPT

“We were waiting until spring to ____.” (10min)

February 14, 2012

Hi friends & writers,

Happy, happy Valentine’s Day! Please take time to show your writer some serious looooove…

PROCESS: MASQUERADING NOUNS AS VERBS

Here is a technique that author Karen Russell does beautifully: making up verbs using active nouns. Can you picture a smooth character who “tigered” around a party? Or a child who likes to “jack-in-the-box” out from behind the sofa? Or a quiet animal “ghosting” through the forest? Any noun with built-in motion can function well as a made-up verb – and these new verbs can add liveliness and movement to a scene.

Try this: Keep a list of nouns that have their own built-in motion, and test some of them out as verbs in your writing.

FEATURED VENUE: THE NELLIGAN PRIZE

The Nelligan Prize through Colorado Review offers one winning story a huge prize ($2000) for a small entry fee ($15, or $17 online). Stories can be any theme but must be under 50 pages, and the deadline is March 10. All submissions will be considered for publication.

Submission Guidelines here: http://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/nelligan-prize/submission-guidelines/

PROMPT

Describe the fault lines. (10min)

February 7, 2012

Hi friends & writers!

There is always something of a relief when February hits and we are off the hook (somewhat) from our resolutions, and we can relax into accepting all the chocolate being offered city-wide. I hope your months get off to a luxuriant start.

Wishing you happy writing,

e

PROCESS: THEMATIC VENN DIAGRAMS

I studied English not math, so bear with me: but remember Venn Diagrams, those three-circle collisions that show relationships between sets? They can be useful in figuring out the theme of a given piece of writing. It is what these three topics have to say about each other – with YOU as the person saying these things – that best determines a story’s theme. And knowing the theme is extremely helpful when revising, because it shows us what must stay in, and what can come out.

Try this: Draw three circles that overlap, and label one for each topic you think your story is about. Perhaps the writing is about parenthood, insomnia, and sumo wrestling; or perhaps it is about nature, underground cultures, and a summer you lived in New York. Whatever the topics, try linking them as a threesome, and the middle – where they intersect – is what makes your story completely its own beast.

FEATURED VENUE: THE NEW YORKER

Yes, the real New Yorker – why not? There is no submission fee, they respond in a timely fashion, and their online system is straightforward. Pull out your best piece and send it to them, just because they might say yes.

Submission Guidelines here: http://www.newyorker.com/contact/contactus

PROMPT

Think of a character from myth or folklore – Vulcan, Venus, Jack of the Beanstalk, Snow White’s stepmother – and write their thoughts as they get up in the morning. (10min)