Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

I got an HM for 4th Quarter! Yippee!

And, yes, I would love to have a higher placement, but just meeting every single deadline this year was a huge accomplishment for me. This group is essential support for me these days. I have been facing some medical issues. Knowing my pack has my "writing back" means so much. If I fade back a bit, please know that I am still rooting for all of you while I concentrate on getting my 2 stories done.

Even in the short time I've been part of this group, I am learning so much!! Most importantly: Write. Write. Write. Submit. Repeat. Victory awaits us all!

To meet each quarterly deadline is a huge accomplishment, expecially when you're facing health issues. Health comes first, family comes first, but if you can find a way to reasonably meet the deadlines, you will have learned great things every professional writer must learn--how to make deadlines in spite of life stuff.

Glad the Super Secrets and exercises have been helping. More to come!

Keep writing fresh stories! That is where we grow.

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

MOON'S SUPER SECRET BONUS CHALLENGE VOL. 36 CONTEST YEAR END RESULTS

The Q4 results just in were from our Volume 36 challenge, but many of you were in that as well. We still don't have the final results, because the semifinalists and winners are yet to be announced for Q4. (Update! They have now been announced! Details added!)

We can conclude a few facts. Out of around a dozen challenge beasties for the Vol. 36 Super Secrets Challenge, THREE of our challenge beasties made Finalist. Kate Julicher. The Girl in the Glasses (Brittany). And Disgruntled Peony (Liz), who actually placed fourth in Q4! WELL DONE CHALLENGE BEASTIES! And we also have a FOURTH FINALIST! Swift Potato (Leah Ning) wrote that she had been lurking behind the scenes, following all of Moon's SUPER SECRETS and applying the exercises. Her Q4 submission was the direct result--she told us so--and she was first to join the Vol. 37 Super Secrets Challenge. She is a challenge beastie, as we call our members, she just had to wait for the open call to happen again.

As for Silver HMs, we watched some of our challenge beasties level up, achieving TOP 50 or so out of thousands in the quarter for the very first time! Here we have ChuckT and RSchibler and Henckel. (Tony Dutson got one as well in Q3 & Q4--nicely done!--a new challenge beastie for Vol. 37). As far as I know, these were the first Silvers these challenge beasties received from this contest. We watched them level up by writing fresh stories each quarter and applying the Secrets. WELL DONE CHALLENGE BEASTIES! (Update: Kate Julicher posted she got a Silver HM in Q4, and she was in the Vol. 36 Challenge.)

We had abundant HMs throughout the quarters in our Vol. 36 challenge--I can't even count them all. As Kevin J. Anderson once told me, "Getting even one HM in Writers of the Future is a BIG DEAL, they don't give those things out lightly." And even if we didn't place, we still wrote fresh stories. That is a win for each and every one. Feel good about that. It's how we grow as writers. WELL DONE CHALLENGE BEASTIES!

RSchibbler (Rebecca) achieved her FIRST PRO SALE to an anthology, and posted it was directly related to the help she received from Moon's Super Secrets. Chuckt achieved his FIRST SALE to an anthology, and said the same. Congratulations to our NEW PUBLISHED WRITERS!

Finally, I predicted at the start of the year one of our challenge members would be a winner for the Writers of the Future Volume 36 year. We had our first WINNER! Surprise! It was from a secret pony riding along with us that zoomed up to the finish line in the final Q4 sprint! SwiftPotato (Leah Ning) won THIRD PLACE!!! She will be our challenge beastie to carry our banner to the Writers of the Future stage in victory! Well done, Leah! I hope to be there to cheer you on!

CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE WULF PACK! YOU ARE WRITERS! NOW FORWARD, CHALLENGE BEASTIES! ANOTHER YEAR AWAITS!

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Reposting the TOC as requested.

All pages are for ascending order in the forum. Links will take you directly to the comments explaining each secret.

Moon's SUPER SECRETS copyright 2019 by Wulf Moon.

Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge, Vol. 36

BOOK ONE
Moon's SUPER SECRETS: How to Write a Winning Story

SUPER SECRET #0: Proper manuscript format for the win! Improper manuscript format for the lose! - p.8
SUPER SECRET #1: Enter EVERY quarter. - p.2
SUPER SECRET #2: DON'T drive to the story! - p.2
SUPER SECRET #3: Set the hook! - p.2
SUPER SECRET #4: Pick a major emotion and make your reader FEEL it down to their core! - p.2
SUPER SECRET #5: A story is a PROMISE. - p.3
SUPER SECRET #6: Hint in your opening the grand vista of your world. - p.3
SUPER SECRET #7: Private message for challenge members only. - p.3
SUPER SECRET #8: Kill "as you know, Bobs" in your story! - p.3
SUPER SECRET #9: Open your story with your protagonist. - p.3
SUPER SECRET #10: Private message for challenge members only. - p.3
SUPER SECRET #11: Triple check that your name is OFF your manuscript!!! - p.3
SUPER SECRET #12: MAGIC UP FRONT! - p.3
SUPER SECRET #13: DON’T OVEREDIT! - p.4
SUPER SECRET #14: Do not overthink your story! - p.4
SUPER SECRET #15: Open your short story with 1. A CHARACTER, 2. in a SETTING, 3. with a PROBLEM. - p.5
SUPER SECRET #16: Read your story out loud. - p.6
SUPER SECRET #17: Know thy judge! - p.7
SUPER SECRET #18: Start your #%$@#%!& hero’s quest! We’re on the clock! - p.7
SUPER SECRET #19: Mock-up your story! - p.8
SUPER SECRET #20: Employ the 7 Point Plot model. - p.9
SUPER SECRET #21: KISS. - p.10
SUPER-DUPER SECRET #1: Take your reader on a *deep* emotional journey. - p.11
SUPER SECRET #22: THINGS GET WORSE! - p.12 and p.14
SUPER SECRET #23: READ! - p.15
SUPER SECRET #24: Study your judge! - p.15
SUPER SECRET #25: For WotF, DON'T write a story in first person narrative! - p.17
SUPER SECRET #26: Find your wise reader! Preferably, someone with more pro sales than you! - p.18
SUPER SECRET #27: Private message for challenge members only. - p.18
SUPER SECRET #28: YOU MUST WRITE. - p.20
SUPER SECRET #29: Help your subconscious to ENGAGE. - p.21
SUPER SECRET #30: Experience life, don't just read about other people's experiences. - p.22
SUPER SECRET #31: Not too long, not too short. Your story needs to be jusssst right. - p.23
SUPER SECRET #32: Deploy your MAGIC SWORD. - p.30
SUPER SECRET #33: KILL YOUR DARLINGS: The Economy of Words Flash Exercise - p.33 for summary and tip; p.22-28 for exercise and critiques
SUPER SECRET #34: A Climax Goes Big Badda Boom - p.34
SUPER SECRET #35: "Who was that masked man?" - p.36

BOOK TWO
Moon's SUPER SECRETS: How to Get Professionally Published

SUPER SECRET #36: RELEASE THE KRAKEN! - p.47
SUPER SECRET #37: Aim Your Baby Kraken at a Ship it Can Take Down! - p.51
SUPER SECRET #38: Cover letters--how you dress to kill - p.54

Thanks Swiftpotato! That was a lot of work I know.

No problem!

Man, who is going to be the one to break 50,000 views on this topic? We should have a party! That's 50,000 in one year!

I got a SHM! I couldn’t have done it without this group and Wulf’s critique. Feels good to level up! The email said those stories were in the top 50 out of thousands of entries.

Congratulations! And best of luck submitting that one to publishers!

Trying again to identify a hook. Ok, the first hook in Yellow Submarine by Rebecca Moesta is:

"Life with a sixteen-year-old is never short on melodrama."

This hook tells the reader what to expect and prepares them for what is coming next. Did I get that right? I think I am getting this.

I just checked, and we broke 50,000 views today! In exactly one year--it was this day last year I began Moon's SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge with some brave Forumites that stepped up to the plate! We're at 50,030 views for our first year and 1720 posts to this topic! Good to know the SUPER SECRETS are being read by so many. May they help many more reach their goals of writing fresh professional stories!

Thank you for your support of this important topic! The proof is in the pudding!

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Trying again to identify a hook. Ok, the first hook in Yellow Submarine by Rebecca Moesta is:

"Life with a sixteen-year-old is never short on melodrama."

This hook tells the reader what to expect and prepares them for what is coming next. Did I get that right? I think I am getting this.

Any kind of drama is a hook. Even melodrama.

Hey all, happy Monday before Thanksgiving! Congrats again to those who got honors for last quarter, and congrats to those who got R's as well - it means you submitted. Good job!

Today's Monday prompt is: FATAL ERROR. Happy darling killing!

A hook I wrote yesterday: "I learned that night, that time travel has unexpected consequences."

I am done with one and two and heading on to number three.

Best,

Jason

Congrats on everyone's participation in Q4! So impressed by the group. Liz - we are rooting for you. Best of luck!

For the rest of us, let's see if we can turn these into sales elsewhere. This seems like a good week to do it, as submissions should taper into the holiday and slush readers might have more time. Make sure to check formatting and change the filename (would be unprofessional to have "WotF" anywhere).

I read my piece and still like it. I made about 200 minor edits and released that kraken. Those changes wouldn't have influenced DF, but I couldn't help myself. For those of you I've copy-edited, hopefully this reassures you that I ALWAYS have a lot of comments - even on something I wrote myself, which I had recently considered finished.

I have my quarter's second short story pseudo-written in a detailed outline. Aiming to have it ready for peer review by next week. My first story of the quarter is caught in a market that probably won't respond by the end of the year. I still intend to submit this next story to other (fast-rejecting) markets ahead of WotF. If it gets held for consideration, I'll just have to pull a Moon and write into NYE!

Happy Thanksgiving to those in/from the US!

Man, I am itching to send my Q4 off to another market, but I'm still waiting on my results...I'd like to wait until semifinalists are informed to email Joni and ask about it so I don't bother her while she's still busy.

Meanwhile, I've also been writing tons! My first story is done and buttoned, and the second has been going through some major changes, but is nearly ready to go for peer review. I've been writing on a third story while my poor husband reads my second (he's been phenomenal at picking out when I make crap story decisions). In the meantime, I'm also making my way through the courses in Dave Farland's writer's bundle and they've sent up numerous lightbulbs for me, which I'm doing my best to incorporate into my work.

Best of luck in those markets, officer - hope you don't have to "pull a Moon", but if you do, I'm sure you can pull it off!

Congrats on everyone's participation in Q4! So impressed by the group. Liz - we are rooting for you. Best of luck!

For the rest of us, let's see if we can turn these into sales elsewhere. This seems like a good week to do it, as submissions should taper into the holiday and slush readers might have more time. Make sure to check formatting and change the filename (would be unprofessional to have "WotF" anywhere).

I read my piece and still like it. I made about 200 minor edits and released that kraken. Those changes wouldn't have influenced DF, but I couldn't help myself. For those of you I've copy-edited, hopefully this reassures you that I ALWAYS have a lot of comments - even on something I wrote myself, which I had recently considered finished.

I have my quarter's second short story pseudo-written in a detailed outline. Aiming to have it ready for peer review by next week. My first story of the quarter is caught in a market that probably won't respond by the end of the year. I still intend to submit this next story to other (fast-rejecting) markets ahead of WotF. If it gets held for consideration, I'll just have to pull a Moon and write into NYE!

Happy Thanksgiving to those in/from the US!

Officer, don't pull a Moon, you could HURT yourself! Such things should only be done by trained professionals!

Seriously, glad you are following through on the Secrets and the premise behind this year's challenge! Well done!

FORWARD, CHALLENGE BEASTIES! IT'S WORKING!!!

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

Man, I am itching to send my Q4 off to another market, but I'm still waiting on my results...I'd like to wait until semifinalists are informed to email Joni and ask about it so I don't bother her while she's still busy.

Meanwhile, I've also been writing tons! My first story is done and buttoned, and the second has been going through some major changes, but is nearly ready to go for peer review. I've been writing on a third story while my poor husband reads my second (he's been phenomenal at picking out when I make crap story decisions). In the meantime, I'm also making my way through the courses in Dave Farland's writer's bundle and they've sent up numerous lightbulbs for me, which I'm doing my best to incorporate into my work.

Best of luck in those markets, officer - hope you don't have to "pull a Moon", but if you do, I'm sure you can pull it off!

Don't pull a Moon, that's DANGEROUS!

Officer, could you give us a brief bullet list of those lightbulbs Dave set off for you? It helps all to see the highlights that helped you!

Thanks for all your work here! Don't forget...you've earned a crit from me.

CHEERS!

I am done with one and two and heading on to number three.

Best,

Jason

Glad you are reading them, Jason. We know most of them, it's understanding how to implement them that's the problem. Sometimes hearing it explained in a different way helps us to understand what we could not see before. Much also has to do with being at the right place in our writing to understand.

Have at it!

Cheers!

Man, I am itching to send my Q4 off to another market, but I'm still waiting on my results...I'd like to wait until semifinalists are informed to email Joni and ask about it so I don't bother her while she's still busy.

I didn't want to jinx it in case you already heard, but I'm hoping for you to get that SF - and some valuable feedback. No news is good news! I assume she holds the SFs back in case a Finalist withdraws.

Meanwhile, I've also been writing tons! My first story is done and buttoned, and the second has been going through some major changes, but is nearly ready to go for peer review. I've been writing on a third story while my poor husband reads my second

Way to go!

Best of luck in those markets, officer - hope you don't have to "pull a Moon", but if you do, I'm sure you can pull it off!

Thanks! Well, I would (hopefully) only be doing it because editors liked my other stories. I'm more likely to follow Dave's suggested story structure if I'm under time pressure. That's a goal for my next story, regardless.

Man, I am itching to send my Q4 off to another market, but I'm still waiting on my results...I'd like to wait until semifinalists are informed to email Joni and ask about it so I don't bother her while she's still busy.

I didn't want to jinx it in case you already heard, but I'm hoping for you to get that SF - and some valuable feedback. No news is good news! I assume she holds the SFs back in case a Finalist withdraws.

Meanwhile, I've also been writing tons! My first story is done and buttoned, and the second has been going through some major changes, but is nearly ready to go for peer review. I've been writing on a third story while my poor husband reads my second

Way to go!

Best of luck in those markets, officer - hope you don't have to "pull a Moon", but if you do, I'm sure you can pull it off!

Thanks! Well, I would (hopefully) only be doing it because editors liked my other stories. I'm more likely to follow Dave's suggested story structure if I'm under time pressure. That's a goal for my next story, regardless.

I'm hoping for the SF too, but trying not to get my hopes up too high...I know the story I sent has flaws, and if I know its flaws, Kary and Dave most certainly do and then some. Either way, I will update you all when I do hear back
That's a fair point about it being because of an editor liking your stories...in which case, I hope you have to write all the way to NYE!

Swift--How could it not be a SF? I bet you've checked your spam folder a million times. Have you gotten any emails from Galaxypress? If not, maybe they don't have the right email?

Swift--How could it not be a SF? I bet you've checked your spam folder a million times. Have you gotten any emails from Galaxypress? If not, maybe they don't have the right email?

The only thing I can think of otherwise is that I just got missed in the wave of results sent out - I've seen it happen on the forum before I've checked spam, and I know they've got my email since I had a brief back and forth with Joni on my confirmation email. I'll be excited to see the result regardless!

Super Secret #25, really!?! That is probably why I got a "R". I write all of my stories in first person. Crumbs! Well, now I know.

That rule is just that,a rule, like a lot of other rules for stories, writing....Like Wulf has said, write the best darn story you can. For example, his story that won, is done is the first person view which tugs at your heartstrings...

crlisle wrote: Super Secret #25, really!?! That is probably why I got a "R". I write all of my stories in first person. Crumbs! Well, now I know.

That rule is just that,a rule, like a lot of other rules for stories, writing....Like Wulf has said, write the best darn story you can. For example, his story that won, is done is the first person view which tugs at your heartstrings...

Einstein is correct. His Theory of Relativity proves that when you accelerate to...wait, wrong Einstein. : ) The Secrets are like the Pirates Code--they're more like guidelines, really. But it's good to know an editor's preference, and the preference of several judges of this contest. I heard it from the horses' mouths at the WotF workshop--all three of our instructors spoke strongly against first person, using the world "hate it" many times. I deeply respect our instructors, but I obviously don't agree with totally excluding a POV tool--there are stories that would be weakened using any POV other than first person. How about the classic, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT? And if you're going to be writing in YA, I think it would be wise for your success in that genre to write in first person. But they, like all editors and judges and human beings, have a right to their opinion, and since they hold the keys to the kingdom, it's good to recognize you're going to have a harder time getting admitted into the WotF pearly gates by these gatekeepers if you write in first person. Some of these judges consider it a mortal sin. : )

But if you write a truly great story, you can be absolved of almost anything.

You can still do it. I did. And I know Tim Powers loved the story, in spite of his strong dislike for first person. Dave loved it, too--he was one of my four final judges. You're just going to have to make them jump over a really big hurdle in their preferences. If your story is good enough, they will make the jump, grumbling all the way. The same is true for 16,999 word stories. If your story is good enough, they will make the jump, grumbling all the way.

But do you really want to push that envelope, knowing they're going to be grumbling? Your story, your call.

Their contest.

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

SwiftPotato, I am hoping for the best for you! That would be AWESOME to make semifinalist on your first. But it's good to keep your hopes in check--I've had lost results before, it does happen. Kills you when you see everyone getting news, and you haven't, so your hopes go sky high, and then the winners announce, and the reality of what must have happened sinks in. Been there, done that. More than once, actually. It's a big contest--sometimes things do fall through the cracks.

And sometimes they don't, and it's everything we were hoping for. So here's to hoping it's the sign you're hoping for! We're rooting for you!

Keep up the good work, challenge beasties. You got a cool flash prompt today. Spin that WHEEL OF FORTUNE!

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

SwiftPotato, I am hoping for the best for you! That would be AWESOME to make semifinalist on your first. But it's good to keep your hopes in check--I've had lost results before, it does happen. Kills you when you see everyone getting news, and you haven't, so your hopes go sky high, and then the winners announce, and the reality of what must have happened sinks in. Been there, done that. More than once, actually. It's a big contest--sometimes things do fall through the cracks.

And sometimes they don't, and it's everything we were hoping for. So here's to hoping it's the sign you're hoping for! We're rooting for you!

Keep up the good work, challenge beasties. You got a cool flash prompt today. Spin that WHEEL OF FORTUNE!

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon

Thanks, Moon! That's exactly where I'm at. Keeping my hopes low, just putting my head down and writing some more.

I just released the Kraken! I submitted a brand new flash fiction story about time travel to Daily Science Fiction.
My heart is racing. Why do I feel so nervous?
I have high hopes for it. When I read the story to my husband, he laughed out loud for at least 5 minutes at the end. This is highly unusual for him. I usually just get a chuckle at the most.

I just released the Kraken! I submitted a brand new flash fiction story about time travel to Daily Science Fiction.
My heart is racing. Why do I feel so nervous?
I have high hopes for it. When I read the story to my husband, he laughed out loud for at least 5 minutes at the end. This is highly unusual for him. I usually just get a chuckle at the most.

Congratulations, crlisle. You just leveled up again!

All the beast,

Moon

Still buried in my editing jobs, guys. New secret is coming, but gotta help my clients meet THEIR deadlines. I just had a bestselling author write to ask for my help with an Audible job for one of their books. That's just WEIRD. And a writer didn't show for a blog talk interview today, and I was asked to step in last minute. What? Me? That's just WEIRD.

Want to hear my latest narration of my newest published story? That came out today, too. That's just WEIRD. : )

Here it is, the sequel to my award-winning story, "War Dog." This one is titled "Cold Iron." http://www.thirdflatiron.com/liveSite/pages/Podcasts

Keep working on that winner for Q1 Volume 37! A win in WotF opens up magic doors! Cheers!