Someone on Substack had a genius idea
Emails from The Universe, spooky reads, and TONS of writing resources
So I started getting emails from The Universe…
Did you know that
has a substack newsletter? I subscribed on a whim, and I can’t say that I’m in love with the content (it’s cute; it’s the sort of uplifting, spiritual stuff you’d expect from The Universe), but it certainly does tickle me to see emails from The Universe in my inbox.Whoever created this newsletter is a freaking genius. How creative, right? There are plenty of people writing uplifting, spiritual newsletters, but it carries a little more gravitas when it comes from The Universe. It makes me wonder what other unique newsletters one could write. What other kinds of Substack Alter-Egos one could create…
Looking for something to read on Halloween?
I’m halfway through the newest Jennifer McMahon paranormal/psychological thriller, My Darling Girl, and let me tell you: the woman is a master. She just keeps cranking out terrifying, page-turning, expertly-written novels, year after year. It’s awe-inspiring, truly, how she continues to find new ways to give me nightmares.
So yeah, if you’re looking for a spooky season read, look no further than Jennifer McMahon. She knows what deep-down scares us, and she finds the perfect balance between supernatural spookiness and the terrifying depths of our own messed-up minds. Long ago I wrote a blog post ranking McMahon’s novels, but she’s published several more since I wrote that.
In summary, here are a few of my favorites:
The Invited is a brilliant twist on the classic haunted house story.
Don’t Breathe a Word makes fairies absolutely terrifying.
The Drowning Kind does the spooky-diary-from-the-past trope perfectly.
The Winter People (which also uses a diary-from-the-past) is just CRAZY SCARY. Do not read it alone at night — you’ve been warned.
Looking for a Halloween read for the kids in your life? I LOVE the picture book The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd. It’s just the right amount of spooky for the 2 to 6 year old crowd, and it’s so much fun to read aloud or even to act out with your kids. My 3-year-old is obsessed with it right now.
Well, what do you know??
In my last newsletter I happened to mention the Roald Dahl short story, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” Literally the next day my husband and I were looking for something to watch on Netflix, and, what do you know, Wes Anderson has created several short films of Dahl’s stories, including “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”
Here’s what I’ll say about the shorts (I’ve now watched a few): they are very Wes Anderson-y. So if that’s your thing, you’ll like them. They are also extremely faithful to the original material. In a way that I think actually works against the films. You’ll see what I mean if you watch them. As I was watching “Henry Sugar” (which stars Benedict Cumberbatch), I thought, you know, this is neat, but I think I’d rather just read the story. But that’s just me. You might feel differently.
Either way, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” is a masterclass for the embedded narrative or “story within a story” technique. I recommend reading it, or watching the 30-minute film if you're a Wes Anderson fan.
Writing News & Resources
For All Writers:
If you’re a writer or an aspiring writer in the DMV area (or able to travel to Bethesda), The Writer’s Center Compass Fellowship is a great opportunity! $1000 in credits toward any TWC workshops within a two-year period, a $300 cash stipend, and opportunities to be published in The Writer’s Center Magazine and featured in TWC events. Deadline: Nov. 1.
Submit to Uncharted Magazine’s Novel Excerpt prize for sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, or thriller. Submit the best 5,000 words of your work-in-progress by Oct. 31!
Wild Ink Publishing has a call for submissions for several short story anthologies. Wild Ink is a small indie publisher that also publishes full-length novels, so getting a short story in one of their anthologies can be a good stepping stone to possibly publishing a book with them — see my interview with S.E. Reed. They have open submissions for:
Ten Penny Dreadfuls: Stories and poems of of the horror and dark fantasy genre. Deadline: October 31.
Uncensored Ink: A Banned Book Inspired Anthology. Deadline: November 30.
Clio’s Curious Dash Through Time Anthology: Poems and short stories appropriate for middle grade readers (5th-8th grade). This anthology is about historical, contemporary, and futuristic materials. We would like to give readers a timeline of stories focusing on the beginning of time, through to the most fantastical futuristic idea you can possibly imagine. Deadline: January 15.
Applications are now open for the Tin House 2024 Summer Residency program. In an effort to accommodate working writers, parents, & anyone with schedule limitations, they offer flexible dates and the ability to attend with partners/children. Deadline Nov. 1.
Check out this list of no-fee literary journals currently open to submissions (or will be open in November).
Ready Chapter 1 is offering fiction contests and agent critiques, now through November 12.
Nanowrimo is offering a variety of virtual events to help you prep for National Novel Writing Month (November).
The Yale Review is now accepting pitches on a rolling basis. Seeking diverse, sharp, intelligent voices on a wide range of subjects, from literature, art, history, and politics to film, television, music, & more.
Check out this12-month Group Coaching opportunity for genre novelists.
The folks at Cheshire Novel Prize host a FREE group on their private app called Writers Space where you can talk about writing, ask for BETA readers, and connect with other writers.
Have you been working and reworking the beginning of your novel but can’t seem to push past a certain point? Then you should attend my Finish Your Novel 1-Day Workshop on Dec. 2 at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD.
Ready to submit a story? Check out this list of 40 Free Writing Contests! And of course, check out NewPages for submission calls from literary magazines and journals.
Poets & Writers is offering Mapping the Maze, an online workshop for poets who have developed their craft and are ready to make a concrete plan for getting their work published. Begins November 3.
Check out the Chestnut Review for stubborn artists. Their submissions are always open and they pay $120/piece. They promise to respond in 30 days, which is HUGE in the lit mag space. Free submissions in most genres and free issues online, plus paid feedback options. They also offer workshops and international retreats. Sounds pretty amazing to me.
Check out my list of writing and publishing resources — my very favorite books, websites, and podcasts on writing, publishing, and the creative life.
Thinking about self-publishing? This detailed guide tells you all the steps you need to take: How to Self-Publish a Book: A Guide for Aspiring Authors.
For KidLit Writers:
SCBWI Members (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Fall Writers Retreat will be held on Nov. 4 in the Baltimore/DC area, and the in-person and virtual annual conference will be held February 9-11 in NYC (and online).
YALL Fest, the free Young Adult Book Festival in Charleston Nov 10-11 is looking awesome this year!
Check out Literary Rambles for information on kidlit agents and agent interviews.
The Highlight's Foundation is offering the Whole Novel Workshop: a life-changing retreat with amazing faculty members for those with a full novel manuscript they want to workshop. In-person all genres November 5-10
From Bitsy Kemper’s blog: over 100 publishers accepting unsolicited picture book manuscripts. (Updated June 2023)
Check out this incredible list of upcoming events for KidLit writers!
For Querying Writers:
Agent Eric Smith is offering a 2-hour query letter writing webinar with a lengthy Q&A portion on November 2.
The Blue Pencil Agency Pitch Prize offers agent one-on-ones for up to 10 winners. Deadline: Nov. 5.
Pitch contests are starting to move off of Twitter, though some remain there (for now). These events can sometimes feel like a bunch of authors screaming into the void, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. After all, I found my agent through a Twitter pitch party. I am now an official success story. So mark your calendar for these upcoming pitch parties.
#PitDark, October 26 on Twitter (“X”): For writers of “dark literature” such as horror, thriller, mystery, dark fantasy, etc.
#MoodPitch, November 9 on Twitter (“X”), Threads, AND Blue Sky. That’s right, all three platforms. Not sure how that’s going to work, but bless them for trying. Your pitch should be accompanied by a mood board of images that communicate the vibe of your book.
Here’s a query letter template from agent Samantha Wekstein and lots of querying advice from agent Eric Smith.
Find a long list of example query letters on Quite the Query.
Every Friday, Operation Awesome offers one free query critique through their #QueryFriday contest.
Every month I will chose one subscriber for a FREE submission package critique. Send me your query letter and the first two pages of your manuscript, and, if you’re the winner of the month, I will send you back in-depth feedback on both. Interested in receiving a critique? Fill out the form here.
Writing Conferences & Events:
The Writing Day Workshop “How to Get Published” Conferences will held both online and in person this year. I attended one of these conferences in person a few years ago, and I thought it was fantastic. I can’t vouch for the virtual version, but there are some benefits: recorded classes, no travel expenses, attend in your comfy pants. Plus, sign up for pitch sessions with agents for $29 a piece. Check out the upcoming conferences:
Writers Digest offers loads of virtual conferences on a variety of publishing and writing craft topics.
YALL Fest, the free Young Adult Book Festival in Charleston Nov 10-11 is looking awesome this year!
The Hampton Roads Writers Conference will be held in Virginia Beach November 9-11.
AWP 2024 will be held in Kansas City February 7-10 2024, and early bird registration and community scholarship applications are now open!
FREE Virtual Conference from The Writer’s Workout is coming March 2024 -- sign up now to stay in the loop!
Hold the date for the Washington Writers Conference, being held in Bethesda, MD May 3-4, 2024.
For more writing conferences, check out this list or this list of 19 Writing Conferences for Emerging and Established Writers.
Ditto it put a smile on my face 😁