In training

There's a reason my posts here have been somewhat short and sparse, and why I haven't been as good at keeping up with others' blogs as I would like - it's because as some of you know, new obsessions are taking up my time and energy lately.

I began researching the family tree, and that's a bit time-consuming to say the least, but is totally fascinating and will definitely inspire plenty of short stories in the future. The other day I found a newspaper article (online, via this site ) in which I read about how my great-great-great-grandfather's estranged wife was taken to court for non-payment of a baker's bill. She pleaded coverture - which I believe means as a married woman she tried to pass the debt off on to her husband. He was at the time shacked up with his house-keeper, who was my great-great-great-grandmother and the mother of all twelve of his children. (The wife got let off, by the way.) I'm completely hooked on this research.

And the other drain on my time is training. Somewhat foolishly a couple of months back I agreed to do a triathlon in early September. It's a sprint triathlon - the word sprint here refers to the short distances, not the speed at which I'll do it, you understand. It's 400m swim, 18km cycle ride, 5km run, in that order.

Now I've always been active but am not a naturally athletic type, so getting fit for this is no easy job. We're all taking part - hubby's the one who talked me into it, and the boys are both taking part in their age category events which are shorter distances.

Swimming's ok - it was always 'my' sport, though I have decided to do a nice breaststroke rather than knacker myself doing crawl. However good a swimmer you are you'll only save a few seconds or a minute or so over that distance by going faster. Better to concentrate on the other disciplines where you can make greater time savings.

Cycling's ok - well I used to cycle a lot as a student, and after an overhaul at the bike shop my road bike is in good condition and is a pleasure to ride after years of using a cheap mountain bike on days out with the kids. Never underestimate the joy of dropped handlebars, I always say.

And then there's running. Hmm. At school I was one of those kids who got shouted at for walking along the back straight during the 800m. We assumed the PE teacher was too short-sighted to see that we were walking, from the other side of the track. I had a brief fling with early-morning runs in my twenties, but anything which involves getting out of bed before I really have to is never going to last long with me. Plus we had no shower, only a bath, and after running I would lie in it too long and miss my train to work. Then I had kids and that put paid to any regular serious exercise for years. Well, till now, really.

So I've been going out for runs two or three times a week for the last couple of months, trying to build up. We are lucky living near the sea - we can run along the cliff top or the prom, and it's beautiful. Even in this hot weather it's not too bad by the sea, and I usually prefer to go in the evening when it's getting dark. We have two favourite runs - a 3.5km run going west on the cliff then back on the prom, and a 4.5km run going east on the cliff then back on the prom.

But running 5km, as I need to for the race, has been a bit of a mental block. I've never run 5km in my life before. This evening, hubby bullied me into doing 8km - the two regular runs linked together.

And I did it! Woo hoo! OK so I walked up the hill which leads up from the prom to the cliff top, but, hey, it's steep. Anyway my heart rate monitor barely registered a drop in heart rate walking up. I reckon if I'd tried to run up it would have called an ambulance for me. It feels like a huge hurdle overcome - if I can run 8km I should be able to run 5km, even after the swim and bike ride. Shouldn't I?

So if the blog's a bit quiet, with not much about writing for women's mags for the next couple of months you now know why. I'm either huffing and puffing along the prom, or peering at ancient wills trying to work out where all great-great-great-great-great-grandfather's money went.

If you are awaiting payment from My Weekly...

They're behind, but catching up, and you'll be paid on publication or when your name comes to the top of the list, whichever is sooner. Is what I have heard.

What one editor looks for in a short story

Useful article here by Jo Derrick, editor of The Yellow Room magazine, on what she looks for in a short story. (Submission details for The Yellow Room are linked on the right on this blog.)

Lovely blogging friends

I'm just back from a great day in London, and a meet-up with a group of writer-bloggers, most of whom I hadn't met in 'real life' before. We had a fab time in a pub, plenty of wine was drunk and lots of chatter. Amazing how you can really know someone through the net, without ever having properly met them!

Anyway I can confirm that Leigh, Helen, Sally, Tam, Cally, Jumbly, Maddie, Bernadette, Karen and Queenie are all lovely wonderful women, whose blogs and company I can thoroughly recommend!

Unfortunately I forgot my camera, or I could have posted a photo. Others had cameras, sadly I seemed to be stuffing chocolate brownie into my mouth every time anyone took a snap.

How to be lucky

Thanks to Sally Zigmond for the link to an article which contains what is probably the greatest writing quote ever, from Tim Clare, and which just has to be copied here in bold italics red large font:


Getting published is about practising until you're really good, then persevering until you're really lucky.

Prima - wise words for October

The little things that make my day are...

Complete the sentence in around 30 words, and email to wisewords@natmags.co.uk Include your contact details and postal address, they pay £25 for each one used.

That's almost a pound a word and is probably the best rate you'll ever be paid!

My Weekly Guidelines June-Aug

The new set of guidelines for My Weekly are out, and there are a few changes so I will put them here in full. Note changes to submission procedures, inclusion of details re submitting features, details about the Pocket Novels.




MY WEEKLY GUIDELINES NO.7 JUNE 8 – AUG 31

FICTION ( for issue dates through September and November)


Hello and thank you for your interest in writing short stories for My Weekly. We have an exciting new addition to our guidelines this month.

Maggie Seed, our new My Weekly Pocket Novels Editor has provided some inspiring suggestions for what she is looking for in this genre. If you aren’t familiar with this collection this will give you an insight into what they are about and if you are familiar you’ll find Maggie’s new outlook refreshing and motivating.
Look out for these words of wisdom after your usual category listings.

Also of interest, some guidance from our Commissioning Features Editor


Can I please remind everyone that I can consider only one manuscript per month


For authors new to us, please take some time to study carefully the detailed descriptions and inspirational examples overleaf, which will help you tailor your short stories exactly to our current needs. We can only consider stories in the categories stated.

I’m afraid we are no longer able to return unsuccessful manuscripts or indeed enter into correspondence about their progress. If you have not heard about the fate of your story within 6 months of sending, that unfortunately means it hasn’t been successful. For this reason, please do not submit the only copy of your work.

Stamped addressed envelopes will no longer be necessary.

Unfortunately it is impossible to give individual critiques. The editor’s decision is final.

It is vital to include a summary of the piece. The category for which it is intended and the wordage should be clearly marked.

Please pay attention to the story lengths as they are important.

Happy writing!

Liz Smith
(Commissioning Fiction Editor)



PRESENTATION

As we now edit on screen, please take a moment to check your manuscript and ensure that:

· Double quotes (“…”) are used for dialogue throughout
· You have avoided excessive use of ellipses (…) and exclamation marks
· There are only SINGLE spaces between words and sentences (please eliminate all unnecessary spaces).
· To enable you to see exactly where spaces and new paragraphs occur on a Word Document, go to the tool bar at the top of your screen and find the button with the “backwards” P. It will say Show/Hide when you move your cursor over it. Clicking on this will bring up these “invisibles”.
· If you are emailing your story, make sure it is as a Word attachment and not in the body of the email
· You are enclosing only a SINGLE MANUSCRIPT, not several at once and that your story is in a standard plain type of 12pt.
· All manuscripts must be type written, with accurate wordage supplied.


How Do I Submit?
You can send us your work by email to : myweekly@dcthomson.co.uk
or by post to: The Commissioning Fiction Editor, My Weekly, D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd., 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.

If one of your stories has been accepted already, please mark the email for the attention of Liz Smith. Most important!

For your manuscript to be considered, it’s imperative you mark prominently on your envelope or email into which category your story falls. If you don’t do this, I’m afraid your work can’t be considered.

What Are The Required Categories?
You’ll find our present requirements overleaf, not only the types but the lengths.

Will The Categories Remain The Same?
No, they will change as our stocks fill up in some areas and deplete in others. Therefore, if you have an idea that doesn’t suit our present requirements, don’t despair ­- it may do so in the future. However, please be guided by the wordage mentioned.

How Will I Know When The Categories Have Changed?
There is an expiry date at the top of the first page of these guidelines. You can then request our latest guidelines by post (please enclose an S.A.E.) or by email
Well, here are the details you’re anxiously awaiting, so get your thinking caps on and good luck!

DO’S √ DON’TS X
√ Display clear intent
X Use black humour
√ Be uplifting, have message of hope
X Describe graphic violence
√ Offer different points of view
X Construct stand-up humour
√ Have strong central characters
X Rely on continuous one-liners
√ Be evocative and atmospheric
X Include overt sexuality or smuttiness
√ Use light and shade
√ Use natural, modern dialogue
X Rely on formulaic predictability
√ Portray relationships realistically
X Construct contrived storylines
√ Introduce humour where appropriate
X Overlook punctuation/spelling and grammar
√Try to move the reader
√Uphold family values
X Use unrealistic dialogue for a specific age group
√ Check all facts are accurate
√ Set stories in other countries
X Portray one-dimensional characters
X Use clichéd situations and dialogue
X Neglect continuity

THESE ARE THE TYPES OF STORIES WE NEED:


Twist In The Tale (between 1400 and 1600 words)
- “clues” must not be misleading
- positive, pleasant outcome
- characters well rounded, need not all be likeable
- revenge must not be vindictive
- a nice surprise instead of a “con”
- ensure crime themes have emotional engagement



Coffee Break (700 Words Only)
NB No twist endings please

- include a frisson of excitement, hint of passion
- character studies
- unusual, offbeat subject
- humorous
- conversation – can be all dialogue
- a moment in time
- pulse racing, without being sexually explicit




Romance (either 1200 words or 2,000)
- believable characters
- unusual theme situations
- try not to be too predictable
- doesn’t have to have a standard happy ending
- must still be hopeful
- inspiring
- light and shade work well
- try to ring the changes with themes
- convincing emotions
- engaging dialogue



FEATURES

My Weekly features are written on a commission-only basis. If you have an idea you’d like to pitch to us, please email the following:
Health – Sally Rodger srodger@dcthomson.co.uk
Celebrity, General Features – Susan Anderson sanderson@dcthomson.co.uk
Looking Good – Eileen Towns etowns@dcthomson.co.uk
Real Life – Audrey Patterson apatterson@dcthomson.co.uk
Cookery – Jennifer McEwan jmcewan@dcthomson.co.uk
Travel – Gladys Sturrock gsturrock@dcthomson.co.uk
Gardening – Sian Watson siwatson@dcthomson.co.uk





MY WEEKLY POCKET NOVELS GUIDELINES

Love! Romance! Passion! Adventure!
Avid fans of romantic novels can get their fix from My Weekly Pocket Novels!
Two published every fortnight.

We look for stories with a strong, developing romance between two identifiable characters. Within the time it takes to read one of the novels, we would like the reader to share and experience the breathless/breath-taking excitement of a growing relationship.
Do: Create characters our readers can identify with, rejoice with or grieve with. They can have flaws.
Do: Thrill and intrigue the reader. You have two hours (roughly) to take the reader through a gamut of emotions and resolve the dilemma, mystery, pitfalls and obstacles.
Do: Include a heart-stopping moment! Key moments to consider: She realises she likes him; she thinks he is lost to her forever; that second-chance moment when she realises happiness can be hers…THE KISS!
Some questions you might like to answer: How can she resist him? How did he misjudge her? What kind of a woman is she?
Do: Set our pulses racing (ooh la la!) BUT remember we want passion, not pornography!
Do: Use dialogue so the reader can participate in the story’s development rather than being told in large chunks in straight narrative.

Sometimes: There can be a secondary plot to help develop the romance. For instance, there are often complications and misunderstandings between the hero and the heroine, or there is something vital at stake, such as a child, an inheritance, a relationship etc.
Crime and intrigue can feature, as long as they don’t distract from the developing romance.
Who: Our heroines vary in age from their early twenties to middle-age and are compassionate and morally sound. They are more modern in their relationships, thoughts, feelings and experiences when the novel has a contemporary setting.
Where and When: Stories can be set anywhere in the world and can be contemporary or historical.
How: The story is usually told from the woman’s point of view, although occasionally it is from the man’s.

Presentation
Please send in a synopsis and the first three chapters in manuscript form or via email.
If we wish to proceed, we will ask you to send in the full novel electronically.
Word count: around 30,000 words, no more than 32,000.
Double spacing, double quotes, single space only between full stop and next sentence.
If accepted for publication the completed novel must be presented electronically in a format compatible with ours (i.e., Word or rich text format)

Please send to:
My Weekly Pocket Novels
D.C. Thomson & Co., Ltd.,
80 Kingsway East
Dundee DD4 8SL
Email: myweekly@dcthomson.co.uk

Brown envelopes

Odd but nice surprise in the post yesterday - an envelope from Take a Break, and inside, a couple of my unused SAEs. So I can reuse them in future subs.

I always wondered what they did with unused SAEs (unused because they bought the story rather than returning it). I assumed they steamed the stamps off or something.

Maybe I should take it as a hint to send a few more to TAB. Not sure I've got much out there with them at the moment...

People's Friend - know your reader

Superb post here by Teresa Ashby which anyone who submits to People's Friend should read!

Got any budding young writers in the family?

In July's Take A Break's Fiction Feast there's a competition announced: Young Fiction Writer of the Year. Judged by Anthony Horowitz who writes the Alex Rider series of novels for young adults. The competition is open to children from 8 to 18 and there are some great prizes up for grabs (must encourage my sons to have a go!)

Details on the website here.

Fiction Feast - new slot

June's TAB Fiction Feast included a story in a new category - Crime Time. I assumed it would be the kind of cosy crime we see in other magazine, but it was quite a bit darker than those. The main character was a pretty horrible person, and deserved what came to him. The last part of the story is written from another POV, and she's not very nice either! (It's a complex plot, which involves drunk driving, molestation of a hitchhiker and a hit-and-run accident.)

Usually one of the first rules of womag writing is to ensure your main character is sympathetic. The reader has to care what happens to them, or why would they read on? However in this story the MCs aren't at all sympathetic but the story is gripping. If someone in one of my writing groups had asked my opinion on this story I might have said I thought it was too dark for a women's mag, and to try a competition instead. But then I am usually wrong about these things, clearly so in this case!

July's Fiction Feast doesn't include a Crime Time story, so perhaps this is only going to be an occasional slot. Could be worth sending TAB your crime stories though? I should add that although the story was dark and downbeat, it did have a moral theme - you can never really get away with anything.