Here's another monthly random photo for use as a story prompt.
Please share success (or otherwise!) report any womag news, tips, advice you may have, make womag related comments or observations and ask questions – and answer them too if you can help.
(If you have news or a question relating to a particular magazine, it's also fine to add it as a comment to the latest post for that magazine.)
10 comments:
It has to be the variety, Patsy!
So many themes and topics - you'll never be bored. One warning, though: it can turn you into an inveterate eavesdropper...
I like the photo. There are names for all these brick patterns, aren't there? 'Stretcher bonds' and stuff like that. Interesting.
I just love to write! I don't think any of us would be writers if we didn't. And hopefully, I'm improving with time, a bit like a fine wine or something ;)
As a bit of news, I've seen that Woman's World in USA are looking for Valentine's and Superbowl stories (mystery and romance) now; the window closes first Thursday in December.
I love the self-indulgence of being able to sit at my laptop and immerse myself in another world for a few hours. Womag stories are so wide-ranging, we can be indulging in an illicit romance in the morning, walking through fog-shrouded Victorian London at lunchtime, and finish the day with a nice juicy murder! How brilliant is that.
Writing has opened up so many opportunities for me, I absolutely love it. Markets may have shrunk over the years, but the friendship and support of this network of lovely writers means that we share whatever new ones appear and mourn when old favourites are lost.
And maybe it's just me, but isn't it a thrill to walk past the supermarket shelves and see a magazine that you know has a story of yours in it? I still get a buzz from that.
I confess I've fallen out of love with it. My final story is in the 2020 My Weekly annual (nice to be in hardback!)
Maybe one day I'll pick up short-story-creating again, for I loved those journeys once, the thrill of finding an idea, growing it from a seed to a seedling to a proper story and then, once mature and finished, transplanting it to an editor and watching it flower into a magazine-printed story. And, let's face it, I liked the money too.
But that fire's gone out.
I'm having a(nother) bash at tree saplings again now, but they are very slow-growing and there are so many life distractions and I despair of myself and my own commitment.
(Sigh)
Good luck to those short story writers who remain.
Celia, I've just read your Pony School story in My Weekly's 2020 Annual (I have one in it too). What a spiky, funny, endearing read. I chuckled when Claire 'borrowed' the trophy horseshoe. What a shame you don't feel inclined to write any more. If you don't have the inclination to do longer adult ones at the moment, you might want to try writing a few children's ones instead - you clearly have the knack of writing from a young person's POV. You may already write them, of course, but if not, then Ireland's Own publish 800 word stories for youngsters in their Owen's Club section. It's a lovely, gentle magazine, quite old fashioned in style, and while the pay isn't massive (certainly not compared to adult ones), it's not bad for so few words. Do think about it, your story was lovely.
@ Penny – Writing hasn't turned me into an eavesdropper – it's something I started to justify my nosiness!
@ Carrie – I live it too, at least when it's going OK! Thanks for the info.
@ Chris – When I have a story in, I've been known to lurk by the magazines hoping to 'catch' someone buying the appropriate issue.
@ Celia – Sorry you've fallen out of love with writing these stories. I hope either that's temporary, or you find something else to be passionate about. If we're not enjoying it we're probably best off doing something else for a while.
Hi back,
Chris - thank you for your comments - I must get a copy and read your story too!!!!
And dear dependable Tosh (remember that?) - yes, I'll find something else. Thank you for this site and your perseverance with it through the thicks and thins of Womagging.
TTFN
C
@ Celia – of course I remember!
Chris - Your charity shop tale is original, well-told and very neat - liked it a lot. Someone could use that one as an example for a writing group doing short stories. I see other names I know throughout the Annual and must go read everyone else's now!
A little codicil, Tosh: in despair of ever 'doing' again I sent some revamps off at the end of the summer and one of them got itself shortlisted in Writing Mag's 'Dark Tales' comp. They got my name wrong (since when was I CKAnderson?) but it's mine alright and oddly enough just that little tiny bit of success has made me think ... get on with it!!!!
Never give up, persistence pays, now where have I heard that phrase before?
Great read thank yoou
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