Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

Greetings Wulf pack. Hope the writing is going well for everyone. And congrats Crystal!

I’m hoping to solicit some suggestions from the group. I’ve got about 30 hours of driving ahead of me soon. If you have any suggestions of writing instruction audiobooks/podcasts, please enlighten.

I figure this might be helpful for others in the pack/lurkers as well. Given I will be driving, please limit commentary to things that you know to be in audio format.

Lurker jumping in, but I really like Matt Bird's Secrets of Story as an audiobook. The narration is nice and clear (I've usually got background noise) and it's well paced for listening. His descriptions of story structure made me understand it better in many ways and his examples feel very fresh.

Greetings Wulf pack. Hope the writing is going well for everyone. And congrats Crystal!

I’m hoping to solicit some suggestions from the group. I’ve got about 30 hours of driving ahead of me soon. If you have any suggestions of writing instruction audiobooks/podcasts, please enlighten.

I figure this might be helpful for others in the pack/lurkers as well. Given I will be driving, please limit commentary to things that you know to be in audio format.

Lurker jumping in, but I really like Matt Bird's Secrets of Story as an audiobook. The narration is nice and clear (I've usually got background noise) and it's well paced for listening. His descriptions of story structure made me understand it better in many ways and his examples feel very fresh.

Thanks Glib! I’ll check it out.

Please join me in congratulating our challenge beastie Crystal Crawford on delivering a real baby boy kraken into this world! I've seen the pictures, he's adorable, and he's got the full set of tentacles. Mom and baby are doing well!

Congratulations Crystal Crawford! Wishing you peaceful nights of sleep and lots of energy for your little one!

Hey there Wulf Pack. Just taking a step back to out discussion of cover letters. If you received a HM or SMH from WOTF for a story, would you normally mention this in your cover letter to the Mag of F&SF?

Hey there Wulf Pack. Just taking a step back to out discussion of cover letters. If you received a HM or SMH from WOTF for a story, would you normally mention this in your cover letter to the Mag of F&SF?

General consensus as far as I understand it is, probably not.

I get the same feeling. Though in the challenge the question was specifically directed toward should we list non paying and non pro publication to impress the editor. I agree the answer is no. But in this case, the additional info is unique to the story. .... I still kinda think the answer is no, but thought I'd throw the q out there for y'all.

I'm prepping my q4 WOTF submission for market. It's now ready to send to magizines once I get joni's email.

Hey there Wulf Pack. Just taking a step back to out discussion of cover letters. If you received a HM or SMH from WOTF for a story, would you normally mention this in your cover letter to the Mag of F&SF?

An HM is a wonderful thing in this domain--we all know what it means. Silver, even better. Semifinalist, you're almost there, and you get a critique from an NYT bestselling author, David Farland. But in the outside publishing world, these are still considered rejections. First readers probably wouldn't know much about what those ranks actually mean.

Now Finalist? Finalist is a title most people understand to mean you were in the top honors of a contest. In some contests, Finalists actually get prizes. I think it does carry some weight. If you don't have other publishing credits, you could list it like this: In 2019, was a Finalist in the Writers of the Future Contest. Brittany (The Girl in the Glasses) could actually list two, which I think is very impressive, even in the outside world. But less categories than that? It's probably not going to help you much in getting out of the slush. But your professionally written story will. : )

Now if you have a string of HMs and higher, and no other pro credits? I might say something like this: In the Writers of the Future Contest, I have received ten honors from Honorable Mention to Semifinalist. How many carry enough weight to sound weighty? Who knows? If I was first reading for a 'zine, I'd probably pay a little more attention if I saw six or more. It shows consistency, which might bode well for the manuscript I'm about to read. But honestly, the first paragraph is going to tell me all I need to know. It really is that fast. You can tell right away if you're in the hands of a pro or not. Ask our first readers here. They know what I'm talking about.

Keep working toward getting those "respectable sales" I've talked about. They help a little. I think they'll at least help you get more personal rejections. The editors see you are selling to their competition, and they'll want to encourage you to send your best to them. I know I'm prone to think of sending first to an editor that's been nice and has been encouraging me. I respect editors that take the time to do so by writing personal rejections.

I hope that helps. Like we've said, credits help a little, but trying to make nothing burger look like prime rib won't help you at all. In fact, it might even hurt you as they say, "Where's the beef?"

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

One other thing that might help, at least with getting personal rejections. If you subscribe to that editor's 'zine, say this: "I am a subscriber to X magazine." If it's been for a few years, say: "I am a long-time subscriber to X magazine." Every business wants customers to come back, so customers get better treatment. Editors are no different. They want you to keep subscribing, so you might get a few nice words for mentioning you support them.

You're the reason they're in business.

Which brings me to another important topic. If you want a 'zine to support your writing, you should support it. Obviously, you can't subscribe to them all. But you should be putting something back into the industry financially to help keep it alive. Publishers are always strapped for cash--it's why so many go under. Help them stay afloat. Help a Kickstarter fund that you'd like to sell to. Make a difference, don't just expect the industry to hand you checks. Plus, you should be reading the issues of the 'zine you are specially targeting. How can you hit a target if you're shooting blind? Me? I've supported Kickstarters I've felt were important, even if they weren't open to outside contributors. I targeted Deep Magic when they restarted their venture, and I bought some issues to study what they buy. They're only $3. My first submission got a form rejection, my second got a nice rejection saying I had made the second tier of rejections (which they said was a big accomplishment with them), and the third was my sale "Weep No More for the Willow" in the Fall 2019 issue. The lesson? Support the industry that you want to support you. And study your markets.

ASSIGNMENT:
If you have the funds, I'd like you to pick a 'zine or anthology this week you'd like to both support and to study because you believe they're a good market for your stories. Do yourself and them a favor. SUBSCRIBE. You don't need to tell us if you did or not--sometimes writers can be so strapped for cash even three bucks can determine whether you'll be eating that day.

And then, start reading. Just like you do for Writers of the Future. You do buy each new anthology from WotF, don't you? If not, THAT is where you should start. Order Volume 35 from Galaxy Press or your favorite bookstore.

Thanks Wulf.

This week's prompt is... An alternative narrative destroys a faithful ambassador to a foreign country (fantasy) or an alien world (science fiction).

Please see Moon's post below:

MONDAY STORY PROMPT EARLY!

Officer, please link back to this on Monday. And here's why I interrupt this channel for an important announcement.

The last time there was massive political news sweeping the nation, Dave commented that he received many stories about governments betraying a protagonist. He spoke favorably about this, saying he received many noteworthy stories on the subject, and viewed them as writers dealing with their feelings through fiction. So what does this tell us? I'll venture some guesses. Dave watches the news, he is up on current events. Dave likes stories that deal with political intrique. He is not afraid of choosing some of these stories to make the WotF Volume relevant to current societal concerns. Like any good editor, he seeks good stories that have depth and make statements about the concerns humanity has.

Well, there's another such issue in the news. Dave lives in this country, he is certainly aware of it and is no doubt following it. While WotF is not a political publication, I will venture to my challenge beasties a story reflecting some of the issues along these lines might strike a chord in Dave--it did before, and he wrote about it in his tips. True, since this current news cycle is part of the collective consciousness, there will likely be other stories reflecting these issues. Still, my guess is someone is going to write a good one, and it could end up in the finalist selections.

So, if you'd like to have at it, I give you your Monday prompt, ahead of time so you can have more time to work on it. Here it is:

An alternative narrative destroys a faithful ambassador to a foreign country (fantasy) or an alien world (science fiction).

May the Force be with you! (BTW, today is the half way mark for Q1. By now, you have one story of 3000 words or more completed and are working on your next. Right?
Beastmaster Moon

Hey, fellow Wulf Pack members! We're about two thirds of the way through November, so friendly reminder to those who signed up for the bonus flash challenge: if you'd like the fact that you completed it for November to be on the roster, make sure you post here! I'll post reminders like this occasionally, but I'm not going to chase anyone down.

Swift Potato, my Bonus Flash Challenge completed for November.

Best,

Retro

Thanks, Retro!

Hey, fellow Wulf Pack members! We're about two thirds of the way through November, so friendly reminder to those who signed up for the bonus flash challenge: if you'd like the fact that you completed it for November to be on the roster, make sure you post here! I'll post reminders like this occasionally, but I'm not going to chase anyone down.

I have completed one for November, putting me at 2/12. Thanks!

Nice! Got you down for 2/12!

Swift Potato, the flash prompt challenges completed for November are IRRESISTABLY SWEET and THE BEAST WITHIN.

Best,

Retro

P.S. Leah, you're doing extraordinary compilation of our data. Just wanted to let you know.

Swift Potato,

You're the official KEEPER OF THE RECORDS, but I believe that makes 3/12.

Thanks! Compiling data together and searching things up is sorta my jam, so I've enjoyed doing it for the challenge
I might've taken "one flash per month" too literally here! For the time being, I'll say if anyone has done more than one in a month, just let me know and I'll add it to your current number (so, Retro, I'm assuming you did two in November, and I'll put you down for 3/12). If Moon has other ideas I'll defer to him. Thanks for pointing this out, or I'd be short-changing some of you on the roster!

Someone wrote this today on FB where I posted the story about finding out I was a winner last year. To this day, my wife cannot handle talking about the ending to my story.

"Wulf Moon tell your wife that you had no choice concerning the ending. David Farland says in his book, Writing Wonder, that all of the winners of WoTF "...panel of judges will almost always give the award to the story that wrings the most tears from the reader."

And here was my reply: "That's true, and I was aware. So when I started this one, I went in with the objective to write a story that would make David Farland cry. That was my emotional target, and I gave it my all. Looks like it worked. "

My word to the wise today. You have six weeks to do this, challenge beasties. Make it so.

Beastmaster Moon

Flash finished for November. Purchased my target magazine and started reading

Confession time: I missed my deadline. My target magazine closed and I MISSED THE DEADLINE. I'd thought it was open through the end of the month but I was wrong and that smarts. So...I signed up for their reminder emails. I set up a WRITER STUFF ONLY email that I can check every few days and it won't be flooded with all the stuff from my everyday email (which is a lot). I struggle to stay organized, it's a chronic problem...but this...this made me pretty sad.

In conclusion, don't be like me. Know your deadlines. Don't be sad when they pass.

Got you down, thegirlintheglasses!

Man, that sucks. I hate when that happens. I hope they're going to reopen soon and you'll have the chance to submit then...

Confession time: I missed my deadline. My target magazine closed and I MISSED THE DEADLINE. I'd thought it was open through the end of the month but I was wrong and that smarts. So...I signed up for their reminder emails.

Ugh, that's awful! Moon might have a different opinion on this (which I would trust)... if you're only a couple days past the deadline and that's the best market for your story, you could e-mail them (just keep it short). You never know!

If I want to be a professional, I have to act professionally. I missed a deadline. I don't want my first impression to my favorite magazine to be...well, unprofessional. Surely this particular magazine already has many excellent stories to choose from. Would it not come across as unprofessional, as well as a bit prideful, if I emailed, asking for an exception because "my story really fits and is awesome, I promise"... With Wulf's earlier tips in mind, I don't think it would reflect well on me. So I'm swallowing this one and vowing to do better next time. Learning experience. Sharing with the rest of you, so you're not in the same boat. I'll submit elsewhere and wait for their next opening. A little sad. A bit more learned. A lot more determined.

😉

If I want to be a professional, I have to act professionally. I missed a deadline. I don't want my first impression to my favorite magazine to be...well, unprofessional. Surely this particular magazine already has many excellent stories to choose from. Would it not come across as unprofessional, as well as a bit prideful, if I emailed, asking for an exception because "my story really fits and is awesome, I promise"... With Wulf's earlier tips in mind, I don't think it would reflect well on me. So I'm swallowing this one and vowing to do better next time. Learning experience. Sharing with the rest of you, so you're not in the same boat. I'll submit elsewhere and wait for their next opening. A little sad. A bit more learned. A lot more determined.

😉

Makes sense! You'll get it next time!

If I want to be a professional, I have to act professionally. I missed a deadline. I don't want my first impression to my favorite magazine to be...well, unprofessional. Surely this particular magazine already has many excellent stories to choose from. Would it not come across as unprofessional, as well as a bit prideful, if I emailed, asking for an exception because "my story really fits and is awesome, I promise"... With Wulf's earlier tips in mind, I don't think it would reflect well on me. So I'm swallowing this one and vowing to do better next time. Learning experience. Sharing with the rest of you, so you're not in the same boat. I'll submit elsewhere and wait for their next opening. A little sad. A bit more learned. A lot more determined.

😉

Brittany is correct. This would come across as highly unprofessional to ask for an extension. Editors set deadlines for a reason--they already have too many stories to select from, so cutting off submissions on a certain date helps them to focus on what they have. Blatantly ignoring guidelines is a sure way to get an immediate rejection, and editors have long memories. You want them to remember your name for good things, like submitting on time, properly formatting your manuscript, and having a rep for sending them wonderful stories.

The only caveat I have on this is if you have a working relationship with an editor, in other words, they've bought your stories, they've had no problems with you in the past, and you are friends. In all friendships, you can ask a friend for a favor, and if you haven't asked before, they might be willing to grant you one. It is imposing, but if your request is reasonable--such as asking if I get this story in your mailbox by first thing in the morning instead of midnight--they may see that as a non-issue, especially if it gives you time to give the story you were submitting another pass. We are not talking about WotF here. We are talking about editors that have bought your stories, are friendly with you, and have a vested interest in you sending them another good one. As in all friendships, be careful not to take advantage, or you will soon not have a friendship. : )

Here's the good news, Brittany. I know the magazine you speak of, and they will open again. It's frustrating to miss a submission window, just as it is frustrating to miss a quarter in WotF--you never know what might have happened had you gotten in. But the good news is there will be another opportunity, this is not a one-time anthology call. Those ones REALLY hurt to miss, because some of those themed ones will never happen again, and you might have had the perfect story for it. Finally, there are always other markets to try in the meantime. The thing to be careful of here is that you don't get your story tied up being held by a less desirable publication when your target market opens back up, and that can happen. There are some simultaneous submission markets, allowing you to submit elsewhere while waiting to hear from them. I've never liked the idea and am very surprised when publishers offer this--they go to a lot of work reading and making final selections, only to get a letter from you saying you sold it elsewhere. They asked for it, I guess. It still would bother me greatly to send that letter...

I am terrible at organization as well. Many creative types are. So I print out target markets and write their closing dates prominently across the top of the page with a black Sharpie. And I have a standing manuscript holder on my desk where I arrange them by date, so the deadline is always staring at me on the one closest to closing. Good reminder, good motivator.

Some of you use computer calendar and alarm systems. Some just write on their calendars in BIG LETTERS. To our fellow challenge beasties, please tell us how you organize so you don't miss important submission windows.

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

I use my day planner religiously. I sort out what writing tasks I want to accomplish each day. As for deadlines, I write in the official deadline for the submission, but I usually write in a few days earlier that I would like to be ready to submit on that day. That way, if something goes wrong or I think I need more time, I still have it.

I use a bullet journal to keep things organized for myself. I'll write down submission deadlines, goal deadlines, average response times for markets I've submitted to, etc. Each week I have a little box to tell me what's coming up next week so I have ample warning for each deadline. It also means I have to manually write it down at least three times, which helps me personally to commit it to memory. Then I have a countdown app on my phone that counts down by the second how much time is left - submission deadlines go there as well so I know exactly how I need to budget my time.

Swift...what's a bullet journal? Something special, or regular bullets going down a notebook page?

Could you tell us the name of your countdown app? That would help some, I'm sure!

There's some fresh posts about how I got the announcement last year on my Facebook if you want to check it out. It's funny--pictures are coming up from last year, but I was under gag order still while other finalists were called. All I could do was say, "It was a good night to open a nice bottle of wine" or "sometimes you need to focus on the good moments in life." So hard not to be able to tell anyone. Joni said not to, and I obeyed! Some days later, I saw other finalists posting results on FB, so I called Joni to get the okay. I think she had forgotten she said she'd let me know when I could announce. : ) All good now, but it was killer hard to wait back then! Twenty-five years I'd been working toward this moment! Finally!

All the Beast,

Moon

A bullet journal is essentially a blank notebook that you nab to use for making lists and goals and whatnot. There's a whole philosophy behind it and lots of Instagram and Pinterest space dedicated to it...but at the end of the day, you make the bullet journal what it needs to be for you. It's supposed to help you keep your life organized and you can make it as artistic or as simple as you want. Most people do weekly "spreads" to write down what they need to get done for each day, and sometimes a to do list of what needs to get done that week that doesn't have a specific day assigned to it. It's been very useful to me, but I am a hugely list-oriented soul. I also use Google Keep to keep track of lists that change a lot over time or that almost never change (and are therefore easier to keep there than in a journal), like grocery lists or packing lists for vacations. If anyone feels this would be helpful for them, I'm happy to post some links! I like to use mine to collect bits of writing advice that gave me that "aha!" moment as well.
The app I use is called Time Until. I have it on an Android phone, but I'm sure there are plenty of free countdown apps for iPhones as well if this one isn't available!

Afraid I'm a bit old-fashioned. Just a tad, you know.

No surprise there.

For the past 20 years, I've purchased the yearly At-A-Glance calendars. Every hour of each day is accounted for and written in – medical appointments, writing deadlines, dental appointments, chores, special foods which need to be purchased, et cetera. The beauty of this is I can select a specific date in time from 11 years ago and know precisely what I was doing between 1 and 2 P.M.

I still vividly recall where I was that terrible day tomorrow in 1963 when John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot in Dallas.

Best,

Retro