A wolf howls in the distance. You lock your door and place a chair under the handle, just to be safe. It is, after all, only a month until All Hallow's Eve, and who knows what sort of ghosts and ghouls are waking from the dead?
Intrigued? You should be! I'm hosting a Halloween story writing contest. Here are the details:
Subject: Anything Halloween related - ghosts, vampires, Frankenstein, the disaster at your last Halloween party. Keep it rated PG. Scary is okay, profanity is not. And try to limit the gore.
Length: This is a type of micro fiction - in this case, 250 words or less.
Date Due: October 15 at midnight.
I will post the stories on the site Halloween Story Writing Contest, along with a place to vote. I reserve the right to edit for spelling and grammar. I also reserve the right not to post a story, due to it being unsuitable (doesn't follow guidelines, too offensive, etc.) Each posted story will include a link to his or her Halloween-themed/writer-themed lens, site, or blog of choice. In addition, I will mention all entrants in a post on my blog promoting voting on the contest.
Images: To make this site more visually appealing, I might add images that I feel suit the story. You may make general suggestions, although I can't guarantee anything.
Prize! The winner of the voting will receive two customized blog posts by me here; one post in which the story is posted with links, and one "spotlight" post on the person who wins, including links of your choosing. There might also be a bonus prize, depending on the success of the contest.
Although the contest is hosted on Squidoo, you don't have to be a member of Squidoo to participate, so spread the word to all your writer friends!
Email Submission Format:
To: emma(at)emmalarkins(dot)com
Subject line: Halloween Story Writing Contest
Squidoo Lensmaster profile (if you have one)
Name or Pen Name as you'd like it to appear (I'd prefer not to attribute stories to awesomedude53)
Title of Story
Body of Story in the email (no more than 250 words)
Link you would like to promote
Your email (if not included elsewhere)
For more information, and to read an example, check out Halloween Story Writing Contest.
Happy Hauntings! And if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment below!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
iPad: Writer's Tool or Writer's Downfall?
So, I had a chance to try out an Apple iPad the other day.
Let me preface this by saying (and this is just my own personal opinion; please don't hate me) I'm not a huge fan of Apple. I do own, and love, an iPod Nano that is several years old. However, ever since I used Macs in high school and had to use a PAPER CLIP to get the darn things to eject a disk, I've never quite recovered.
So it was with a bit of a jaded eye that I turned my attention to this new toy. And after my experimentations, I still consider it to be a toy. For one thing, I just can't quite get into the touchscreen mentality. I've touch-typed ever since I learned how in the most useful class I ever took, and I can get a fairly decent WPM going when I put my mind to it. That's how I managed to write two novels each in about a month. But touchscreens make touch-typing just about impossible - you need feedback, and those little bumps that let you know your fingers are on the home row.
Another thing is the fact that the iPad doesn't come with a stylus. You can buy a third-party iPad Stylus, and if you have an iPad, I highly recommend that you do so. The thing is, I stopped finger-painting a long time ago, and there's a reason for that: I learned how to use tools, like a pen and a pencil. Going back to writing or drawing with your finger is not an easy (or pretty) thing.
In conclusion, I could see an iPad being useful if you wanted to take down notes on the go or brainstorm away from your desk. And if you had a lump of cash sitting around with nothing else you wanted to spend it on. But I still see it as more of a procrastination device than a serious tool for writers. Just my 2 cents.
Let me preface this by saying (and this is just my own personal opinion; please don't hate me) I'm not a huge fan of Apple. I do own, and love, an iPod Nano that is several years old. However, ever since I used Macs in high school and had to use a PAPER CLIP to get the darn things to eject a disk, I've never quite recovered.
So it was with a bit of a jaded eye that I turned my attention to this new toy. And after my experimentations, I still consider it to be a toy. For one thing, I just can't quite get into the touchscreen mentality. I've touch-typed ever since I learned how in the most useful class I ever took, and I can get a fairly decent WPM going when I put my mind to it. That's how I managed to write two novels each in about a month. But touchscreens make touch-typing just about impossible - you need feedback, and those little bumps that let you know your fingers are on the home row.
Another thing is the fact that the iPad doesn't come with a stylus. You can buy a third-party iPad Stylus, and if you have an iPad, I highly recommend that you do so. The thing is, I stopped finger-painting a long time ago, and there's a reason for that: I learned how to use tools, like a pen and a pencil. Going back to writing or drawing with your finger is not an easy (or pretty) thing.
In conclusion, I could see an iPad being useful if you wanted to take down notes on the go or brainstorm away from your desk. And if you had a lump of cash sitting around with nothing else you wanted to spend it on. But I still see it as more of a procrastination device than a serious tool for writers. Just my 2 cents.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Halloween Comes But Once A Year
I know it's not strictly writing-related, but I wanted to share with any fellow Halloween-lovers what I've been working on at the wonderful write-what-you-want site Squidoo. That's right, you can write anything you want on Squidoo, and if you're good, you can even get paid!
Yes, I am Emma Larkins, and I admit that I love Halloween. I love everything from the pumpkin-carving to the costume-making to the decorating. I used to love the trick-or-treating, but unfortunately I've long outgrown that stage. Now I just have to satisfy myself with awesome Halloween parties!
So here are a few sites to satisfy your cravings for all things Halloween-y:
Scary Spooky Halloween Music: What better way to get in the mood than with Michael Jackson's Thriller, Monster Mash, and Casper the Friendly Ghost?
Spooky Scary Halloween Movies: From the silly (Ernest Scared Stupid) to the terrifying (Halloween, of course) there are movies here to suit everyone's taste.
I Love Pumpkins - Carving, Patterns, Eating and More!: For those who just can't get enough of pumpkins, this site is for you!
Halloween on Squidoo: A plethora of Halloween sites, from costumes to decorating to recipes, to suit anyone's taste.
And if you're still not in the spirit, how about a Halloween classic?
Yes, I am Emma Larkins, and I admit that I love Halloween. I love everything from the pumpkin-carving to the costume-making to the decorating. I used to love the trick-or-treating, but unfortunately I've long outgrown that stage. Now I just have to satisfy myself with awesome Halloween parties!
So here are a few sites to satisfy your cravings for all things Halloween-y:
Scary Spooky Halloween Music: What better way to get in the mood than with Michael Jackson's Thriller, Monster Mash, and Casper the Friendly Ghost?
Spooky Scary Halloween Movies: From the silly (Ernest Scared Stupid) to the terrifying (Halloween, of course) there are movies here to suit everyone's taste.
I Love Pumpkins - Carving, Patterns, Eating and More!: For those who just can't get enough of pumpkins, this site is for you!
Halloween on Squidoo: A plethora of Halloween sites, from costumes to decorating to recipes, to suit anyone's taste.
And if you're still not in the spirit, how about a Halloween classic?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wannabe Writers Unite! (Online and In Person)
One of the hardest parts of being a writer (other than actually sitting down to write... and editing once you've actually finished something... and getting someone to read what you've written...) is that it gets a bit lonely from time to time. Nothing but you and your computer screen, and often a blank computer screen at that. Not exactly socially stimulating.
Meeting other writers, both wannabes and seasoned authors, can be a huge boost to every aspect of your writing - your motivation, your dedication, your willingness to get through rough spots, your technical skills and your knowledge of the industry. Not to mention, getting connected is one of the best ways to get published.
If there's any chance whatsoever that you can get together with an actual, physical group of writers, go for it! There's no better way to boost your writing career. Check out Local Writers' Associations of America to find a group near you.
I live in Virginia, and like to write science fiction and fantasy. If you're like me, you might find Mid-Atlantic Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Conventions of interest.
Online groups are great as well. Here's a review of online writers' groups. And if you're up to the challenge of writing a novel in a month, the community aspect of national novel writing months like NaNoWriMo can't be beat.
Meeting other writers, both wannabes and seasoned authors, can be a huge boost to every aspect of your writing - your motivation, your dedication, your willingness to get through rough spots, your technical skills and your knowledge of the industry. Not to mention, getting connected is one of the best ways to get published.
If there's any chance whatsoever that you can get together with an actual, physical group of writers, go for it! There's no better way to boost your writing career. Check out Local Writers' Associations of America to find a group near you.
I live in Virginia, and like to write science fiction and fantasy. If you're like me, you might find Mid-Atlantic Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Conventions of interest.
Online groups are great as well. Here's a review of online writers' groups. And if you're up to the challenge of writing a novel in a month, the community aspect of national novel writing months like NaNoWriMo can't be beat.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
So You've "Finished" Your Novel.... The Writing Part, At Least
What's next?
There are as many philosophies about what to do when you've finished your first draft as there are writers (probably even more, as I'm sure some people could claim more than one). Here's what I've done so far, and how it's worked out for me.
When I finished the first draft of my first novel, I celebrated - I think I had a nice dinner or something. I'd never written a novel before, and it was a great feeling. It had taken me more than six months, writing fifteen minutes at a time. After the dust settled from all of the celebrating, and I let it sit for a while, I went back and read through parts - and realized that I really didn't like it very much. Life intervened.
When I finished the first draft of my second novel, I was thrilled. I'd written it during Nanowrimo (meaning that I wrote 50,000 words in one month) which I considered quite an achievement. Right away I printed off a hard copy, which I hadn't done with the first novel. That made it feel more real, and I even committed to reading the whole thing through from start to finish. It wasn't a bad story. In the meantime, I started writing the sequel to the novel. And at some point realized that the real story started halfway through my first novel, and needed to be changed radically, and so I gave that one a break as well.
The third complete novel took me a little over a month. The idea for it appeared out of nowhere, and I didn't spend a lot of time plotting how it would look. Instead, I just jumped right in and wrote the whole thing. I was glad when I finally put "END" on the bottom of the manuscript, and again I printed it out to have the physical thing in my hand, to make it a reality that I'd actually produced something that was, if not publishable, at least an admirably thick stack of paper. This time, however, I went a step further, and started giving out copies to friends and families. I'm feeling pretty good about this one, and now that I've got people reading the story, it means I have to take it as far as it will go!
So far, the best comment has been this: "You could totally get this published. There are books out there that are way worse than this. Wait, no, that sounds bad! I mean your's is better than some I've read, that have been published!"
In summary: finish your first draft. Print it off so you have something to show for it. Get people to read it. And then read it yourself!
There are as many philosophies about what to do when you've finished your first draft as there are writers (probably even more, as I'm sure some people could claim more than one). Here's what I've done so far, and how it's worked out for me.
When I finished the first draft of my first novel, I celebrated - I think I had a nice dinner or something. I'd never written a novel before, and it was a great feeling. It had taken me more than six months, writing fifteen minutes at a time. After the dust settled from all of the celebrating, and I let it sit for a while, I went back and read through parts - and realized that I really didn't like it very much. Life intervened.
When I finished the first draft of my second novel, I was thrilled. I'd written it during Nanowrimo (meaning that I wrote 50,000 words in one month) which I considered quite an achievement. Right away I printed off a hard copy, which I hadn't done with the first novel. That made it feel more real, and I even committed to reading the whole thing through from start to finish. It wasn't a bad story. In the meantime, I started writing the sequel to the novel. And at some point realized that the real story started halfway through my first novel, and needed to be changed radically, and so I gave that one a break as well.
The third complete novel took me a little over a month. The idea for it appeared out of nowhere, and I didn't spend a lot of time plotting how it would look. Instead, I just jumped right in and wrote the whole thing. I was glad when I finally put "END" on the bottom of the manuscript, and again I printed it out to have the physical thing in my hand, to make it a reality that I'd actually produced something that was, if not publishable, at least an admirably thick stack of paper. This time, however, I went a step further, and started giving out copies to friends and families. I'm feeling pretty good about this one, and now that I've got people reading the story, it means I have to take it as far as it will go!
So far, the best comment has been this: "You could totally get this published. There are books out there that are way worse than this. Wait, no, that sounds bad! I mean your's is better than some I've read, that have been published!"
In summary: finish your first draft. Print it off so you have something to show for it. Get people to read it. And then read it yourself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)