The Prompt that Led to a Rare Short Story
What's the deal with story challenges? (Plus TONS of writing links and resources!)
*For writing news, links, and resources, scroll down.*
What’s the deal with short story challenges?
I used to be really into the NYC Midnight story challenges. I haven’t done any recently because I’m focusing on writing novels, but when I was trying to get back into the habit of writing regularly, when I was trying to rev up my creative engine and prove to myself that I didn’t have to sit around waiting for the muse to show up, I found these challenges extremely helpful and exciting.
The way the NYC Midnight short story challenge works is this: You sign up and pay, not knowing what prompt you will be given. When the challenge begins, you are emailed your assignment. For example, once my assignment was to write a romantic comedy. The word “steak” had to appear somewhere in the story, and one of the characters had to be an architect.
You then have eight days to write, polish, and submit your story. The stories are judged, and if you score in the top five of your heat, you move to the next round, where you get a new assignment and this time have only three days to write your story.
(The timing is different depending on the challenge. In the Flash Fiction challenge, for example, you only have 48 hours to write and submit.)
The thing I loved about these challenges is they pushed me out of my comfort zone. They forced me to write something I normally wouldn’t. (Once I had to write historical fiction, which is so not my thing.) And, every time, they proved to me that I can be creative on a deadline. That I can hammer out a story in a week or less, even if I start with literally no idea whatsoever.
And that, my friend, is so liberating, and such a great way to boost your confidence. To know that the stars don’t have to be perfectly aligned for your creativity to flow. That it’s okay to begin, even if you don’t know how to end. That if you sit down at your computer and put in the effort, ideas will come.
Extremely Rare
Back to that romantic comedy/steak/architect assignment. I ended up writing a story called “Extremely Rare,” and it placed in the top five of my heat. In the second round I had to write a ghost story (which is my thing), and I won honorable mention for that. Pretty cool, seeing as how I wrote the first story in a week and the second story in less than three days.
Here’s what one of the judges said about “Extremely Rare.” (Oh yeah, did I mention? You get personalized feedback on every story you submit! )
This story has such a sweet and unique sense of romance to it. It's almost sad and hopeful all at the same time, and very enjoyable.
Want to read “Extremely Rare?” It’s available for paid subscribers of my newsletter!
NYC Midnight’s 2023 Short Story Challenge is happening in January, and you can sign up now. In fact, NYC Midnight, Globe Soup, and other writing organizations offer various story challenges throughout the year. If you haven’t yet given one a whirl, maybe it’s time to try?
She’s kind of a big deal
I am honored this week to have a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog. In case you don’t know about Jane, she’s kind of a big deal. In addition to being a professor with The Great Courses, she has been featured as a publishing expert by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. She is an editor and publishing industry guru whose newsletter was awarded Media Outlet of the Year in 2020.
Also, she created this recently-updated and extremely helpful infographic about the key book publishing paths.
My guest post is: How I Changed My Query Letter and Opening Pages to Get More Full Requests. Check it out, along with all the other informative articles on Jane’s site.
Are you interested in writing a guest post for Jane’s blog? You can pitch to her on her Contact Form!
Writing News & Resources
For All Writers:
Check out this list of FREE writing events (both virtual and in-person) for the month of December, hosted by The Writers Center.
Apply for the 2023 Kurt Brown WC&C Scholarships. Three winners will receive $500 to help them attend the WC&C event of their choice. Winners plus six finalists will also receive a free one-year AWP membership. Applications are open from December 1, 2022 through March 31,2023.
For a special issue, The Rambling is inviting essays (1500-2000 words) that document & reflect on your experiences re-reading a favorite or formative book from your youth. Deadline February 3, 2023. Send submissions to theramblingonline@gmail.com.
The Hunger wants your weird and wild poetry, prose, and hybrid work through April 1. They accept submissions without fees for the month of December!
The Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize is now open — deadline February 8, 2023. The Prize is for a novel by a woman over the age of 18 that marries literary merit with unputdownability.
Hoping to write more in the new year? Or finally start that novel? Learn more about my email courses for paid subscribers: Cultivating a Regular Writing Routine and Getting Started on Your Novel.
Looking for some podcasts on writing and publishing? Here are a few suggestions, and be sure to browse through their backlist to find episodes that interest you!
First Draft with Sarah Enni - Weekly conversations with storytellers about how their art informs their lives.
Track Changes - I just finished listening to this podcast series (also from Sarah Enni), and it was SO interesting. I learned about book contracts, going on submission to editors, and what happens after the book deal. All sorts of insider info, or, as Sarah Enni says, all the stuff you don’t know you don’t know about publishing!
The Manuscript Academy Podcast - Hosted by an author and the agent responsible for creating Manuscript Wishlist, this podcast features interviews with top agents, editors and authors on the craft, business, and community of publishing. (Recently the editing style of their podcast has changed, and I have to say I’m not a fan. But their older episodes are great!)
The Good Story Podcast - Hosted by former kid lit agent Mary Kole, this podcast is all about writing, the craft, submission, publishing, and career- building for writers of all kinds and ability levels.
Hit Send Podcast — Two writers discuss behind the scenes workings of the publishing industry, with occasional guests.
Queries, Qualms, and Quirks - Published authors share their successful query letter and discuss their journey from first spark to day of publication. Author Sarah Nicolas interviews authors of all genres about how they got started writing, getting their book deal, and their experiences with publication.
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing - A podcast for emerging writers, who are looking to improve their work with an aim to having it published,
or for anyone who would like a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry.Writer Mother Monster - A conversation series devoted to dismantling the myth of having it all and offering writer-moms solidarity, support, and advice as we make space for creative endeavors.
For KidLit Writers:
Upcoming Kidlit Workshops (online and in-person) from The Highlights Foundation. Everything from Picture Books to YA!
I recently found this incredible list of upcoming events for KidLit writers!
The Ultimate Craft & Business of Writing, Illustrating, & Publishing Children’s Picture Books is an excellent, interactive online course from the Children’s Book Academy that will run from Jan 9 - Feb 13, 2023.
The Voyage YA Best Chapters Contest is now open — deadline January 15, 2023. First place wins $1,000, publication in Voyage, and a consult with an agent. Fifteen other winners receive agent feedback on five pages.
From now until December 31, WriteOnCon’s Critique Boutique gives you chance to buy critiques on your manuscript pages or submission materials from industry professionals, including agents, editors, and traditionally published authors. You do not need to have attended WriteOnCon to buy a critique, and the prices are very reasonable (starting at only $29). Open to all genres of kidlit, from PB to YA.
Sign up with Multicultural Children’s Book Day to be a Diverse KidLit Reviewer and receive a free children’s or YA book. You don’t have to be a blogger as long as you’re willing to share your review on a site like Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Sign up ends December 31.
SCBWI (The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) will hold their annual conference in person in New York City February 10-12. They will also have a virtual conference on February 25.
For Querying Writers:
All registered AWP conference attendees, both in-person and virtual, are eligible to submit a sample of their work to the 2023 Writer to Agent program to be reviewed by over twenty agents at five excellent literary agencies. If an agent is interested, they will contact you to set up a meeting during #AWP23. The deadline to submit your query letter and writing sample is Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Check out my guest post on Jane Freidman’s blog! What I Learned from 90 Queries: How I Changed My Query Letter and Opening Pages to Get More Full Requests.
Check out my video: How to Find the Right Literary Agent
Yes, the publishing industry tends to get quiet in December, but if an agent is open for queries and you’re ready to query, go for it. According to Manuscript Academy on Twitter: “It's okay to query during the holidays if you are truly ready. Get in line, writers! We want to read your fine words.”
What Your Query Rejections Are Telling You: The 4 Types of Rejections and What They Mean.
Every Friday, Operation Awesome offers one free query critique through their #QueryFriday contest.
If you have the bandwidth for it, check out this insanely comprehensive spreadsheet of successful queries. Learn the details and read the actual query letters for books that got agent representation.
I don’t know what’s going on with Twitter these days, but it’s still functioning. I assume Twitter pitch contests will continue to happen unless I hear otherwise. If you’re still on Twitter, 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 Twitter pitch parties. And be sure to read my article 13 Things to Know About Twitter Pitch Events.
Jan 25, 2023: #IWSGpit for all ages and genres
Jan 26, 2023: #KidLitPit for Picture Books through Young Adult
Feb 16 #PBPitch for Picture Books
Savvy Authors will sponsor their annual Sweetheart Pitchfest Feb. 15-17. This free event is for writers of all genres with a completed manuscript who are looking for an agent or editor. Register for free to learn more.
Writing Conferences
The Murphy Writing Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway will be January 13-16 at the historic Seaview Hotel near Atlantic City, NJ.
The Writing Day Workshop “How to Get Published” Conferences continue to be held virtually...for now. 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, you can sign up for Zoom pitch sessions with agents for $29 a piece. Check out the upcoming conferences (and remember, anyone can attend from anywhere; just keep the time zone in mind).
AWP Conference (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) will be held in March 8-11, 2023 in Seattle.
All registered AWP conference attendees, both in-person and virtual, are eligible to submit a sample of their work to the 2023 Writer to Agent program to be reviewed by over twenty agents at five excellent literary agencies. If an agent is interested, they will contact you to set up a meeting during #AWP23. The deadline to submit your query letter and writing sample is Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Go to AWP for Free! Have your registration cost waived when you agree to work a four-hour shift at the conference. Applications are now open for work-exchange.
Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are interested in writing can apply for the AWP HBCU Fellowship Program and meet award-winning author A.J. Verdelle at #AWP23. Applications deadline: January 15.
SCBWI (The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) will hold their annual conference in person in New York City February 10-12. They will also have a virtual conference on February 25.
The San Miguel Writer’s Conference and Literary Festival will be held Feb. 13-17 in beautiful San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I have both attended and presented at this conference, and it’s a good one. San Miguel is such a cool, artsy city, and no need to speak Spanish (though that certainly helps).
The Washington Writers Conference will be held in Bethesda, MD May 12-13.
Super Early Bird tickets ($359) include FOUR agent-pitch sessions and are available through Dec. 31, 2022.
Early Bird tickets ($369) include three agent-pitch sessions and are available Jan. 1, 2023, through Mar. 31, 2023.
For more writing conferences, check out this list or this list of 19 Writing Conferences for Emerging and Established Writers.