#writetip : Joining a writing group / community

Talking from experience now, going at it alone as a writer is a recipe for writers block. You hit many stumble blocks as you try to develop your story. Some of these stumble blocks being plot holes, character inconsistencies and just the plain old "I-ran-out-of-ideas" dilemma.
I found that when I joined an author group I was not the only writer experiencing these problems. In fact they are pretty common. The great thing about the writing community is the support. Authors, whether they be established or just starting out, will help you to the best of their ability. You quickly learn so much more about the writing world than if you went at it alone. And the the great thing is nobody judges you. We all were newbies at a stage.

Why not learn from others' experiences?

There are some great author groups on Facebook, the links I will post below and under the 'Interesting Links' tab.

Authors Critique Group -- Facebook
Writers' Group -- Facebook
Authors and Book Lovers Discuss -- Facebook
Creative Writers' Forum -- Facebook

Our responsibility as authors

Gutenberg's printing press necessitated the spread of literacy during a period when only the rich and fortunate could afford expensive texts. Roughly 500 years on and one would think illiteracy is a thing of the past, yet this is not so.

Around the world the rate of illiteracy is still startling, it is not limited to Third World countries, although illiteracy seem to be more prevalent there. My own father is not exempt. At age 73 he still struggles to read, but he tries, even though his efforts are heartbreaking...and I am ashamed to admit, annoying at times, because like so many others I take the gift of literacy for granted.

As authors, creators of content, weavers of fantasy and romance I feel we have a personal responsibility to help eradicate illiteracy. In today's world one cannot survive without the ability to read. The internet, the paper, the books we write and even our shopping requires us to be literate. There is not one activity in our normal lives that doesn't require us to read. So should we not ensure that others can go about their daily lives without having to guess by the picture on the package if the product in their hands are soap or fabric softener? Could you imagine living in a world  when you are so utterly shut out and blinded?

As authors, we should do something. After all it would be to our benefit as well. Higher rates of literacy means more potential readers.  Throwing money at the problem is out of the question. Money cannot solve a problem, especially when the problem so desperately requires human involvement and commitment.

I feel it is time we as authors give back. Either through our time or by providing free resources. Even if you just donate one book to a child in need, or raise awareness for a reading campaign in your area. It is the small efforts that eventually make big changes.

Let's make illiteracy a thing of the past by paying it forward.

Publisher Open to Submission: Asimov's Science Fiction

Click HERE to go directly to the page

Below find some information from their web page.

Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine is an established market for science fiction stories. Asimov’s pays 8-10 cents per word for short stories up to 7,500 words, and 8-8.5 cents per word for longer material. (Works between 7500 and approximately 10,000 words by authors who make more than 8 cents a word for short stories will receive a flat rate that will be no less than payment would be for a shorter story.) We seldom buy stories shorter than 1,000 words or longer than 20,000 words, and we don’t serialize novels. We pay $1 a line for poetry, which should not exceed 40 lines. We buy First English Language serial rights plus certain non-exclusive rights explained in our contract. We do not publish reprints, and we do not accept “simultaneous submissions” (stories sent at the same time to a publication other than Asimov’s). Asimov’s will consider material submitted by any writer, previously published or not. We’ve bought some of our best stories from people who have never sold a story before.

In general, we’re looking for “character oriented” stories, those in which the characters, rather than the science, provide the main focus for the reader’s interest. Serious, thoughtful, yet accessible fiction will constitute the majority of our purchases, but there’s always room for the humorous as well. SF dominates the fiction published in the magazine, but we also publish borderline fantasy, slipstream, and surreal fiction. No sword & Sorcery, please. Neither are we interested in explicit sex or violence. A good overview would be to consider that all fiction is written to examine or illuminate some aspect of human existence, but that in science fiction the backdrop you work against is the size of the Universe.

Write tip : Should I use an exclamation mark?

Recently I came across this nifty chart  and I had to share it.

Publisher Open to Submission: Black Inc Books

Below find the details just as they appear on Black Inc. For more information click the link Black Inc or alternatively check the right hand "Interesting Links" Tab

Submission Guidelines

GENERAL SUBMISSIONS

Black Inc. is happy to consider proposals for general non-fiction, including history, current affairs, biography and memoir, and for fiction. Black Inc. does not accept unsolicited proposals for poetry or children’s books. Please take a look around our website to get a sense of the range of books we publish.

Please note that we do not accept submissions by post. Owing to the number of submissions we receive, we cannot discuss submissions by telephone or in person, and we cannot provide detailed editorial feedback.

If you would like us to consider your work for publication, please send an email tosubmissions@blackincbooks.com containing:

• A short (up to 1000-word) synopsis of your work
• An indication of the total word count of your manuscript
• A list of your previous publications and any other relevant information about yourself
• Attached as a Word document, your complete manuscript

For non-fiction only, if the manuscript is not yet complete, please send a proposed chapter outline and a sample chapter.

We aim to respond to all submissions within twelve weeks.

Friday Flash

Recently an author made me aware of Friday Flashes...below is the information from their site. The link to Friday Flash is on the right hand side under the "Interesting Links" tab as well as below the copied information.

Call for Article Submissions

We here at Friday Flash Dot Org are both proud and honored to be a part of the #FridayFlash community.

We have grown quite a bit since I started a little experiment on Twitter to explore how social media might be used to help writers develop their online presence via the little hashtag, #FridayFlash. The response has been tremendous, with hundreds of people participating over the three plus years we’ve been doing this, many on a regular basis. Since its inception on May 29th of 2009 we have gone on to expand to Facebook, Google Plus, and launched this website. The goal of all these efforts is to help you develop a bit of a following in order to expand your base, while encouraging you to continue to develop your voice and skills as a writer. Toward that end we attempt to provide you with with relevant and worthwhile content on a weekly basis with the Friday Flash Report, the News Flash, and one writing related article each Thursday.

Estrella has been doing a bang up job as our Editor keeping this site fresh and alive week in and week out. However, in order for her to continue to bring you fresh content each week we need contributors to fill the bill. While we have wonderful contributors, both regular and periodic, who share their thoughts with you on a continuing basis we are beginning to feel the pinch for fresh content. Some of our contributing writers have had changes in circumstance, myself included, which prevent them from posting on a regular basis. As a result the number of articles available to fill the editorial calendar is dwindling, and we may not be able to continue to supply fresh content each week without your help.

While this presents us with an editorial challenge, it provides you with a bit of an opportunity.

If you are a current or former member of the Friday Flash community, and you would like to help contribute to the cause, please consider contributing an article or two for our Thursday feature post. We will consider any nonfiction writing related piece that is original, thoughtful, and well written.

Some of the topics we will consider include, but are not limited to:

• General writing tips
• Challenges presented by your current writing project, and how you overcame them
• Reviews on writer’s workshops or conferences you’ve attended
• Your personal writing environment – how you make it work
• Reviews of books on the craft of writing that you have read — what advice worked, what did you find lacking
• Articles about stories, authors, characters, or settings who have inspired or influenced your work
• Success stories – thoughts on your first sale, NaNoWriMo, how you got published or landed an agent, your journey as an indie author

We cannot pay you except via your name on the byline, your bio in the footer, and our eternal gratitude.

If you are interested in contributing to Friday Flalsh Dot Org with an article on writing related topics please contact Estrella or me via email or a Twitter DM and we will give it every consideration as a potential article in one of the upcoming Thursday slots.  

Thanks, and keep on writing.

Friday Flash dot org

Sharpen Your Grammar and Earn!

A handy way to improve your grammar and developing a sharp eye for detail is to do some freelance proofreading work. There is no shortage of people who require the services of a proofreader. Proofreading helps to keep your mind sharp by not only exposing you to various writing styles and thought processes, but also by helping to develop a sharp eye for detail. Inevitably your grammar improves and you become more aware of sentence structuring. It was through some proofreading work that I finally learned what the split infinitive was. We all have our habitual mistakes we make during writing. Whether it is sloppy sentences, concord errors or the dreaded apostrophe, we all make mistakes. 

Proofreading on the side helps to create awareness of how we use language as writers. In the end it helps to enhance our writing.