Weird Circular #11 August

The August Weird Circular

August's Weird Circular is live with submission ideas, prompts, and more!

Welcome to the Weird Circular

Dear Fellow Writers of the Weird:

This week I received multiple "Close, but not quite" rejections. In many ways, these kind of submission responses get to me more than the standard form ones. 

Do you practice rejectomancy? It's the art of obsessing over rejection letters, parsing them, checking them against the Rejection Wiki to see if they are second tier or the coveted "personal" response. It can be useful, but it can also be a downward spiral of distraction. 

The waiting game is hard. It's hard to push yourself to make that time about new writing. But I want to encourage you to rethink your process, whatever it may be. Shake yourself up. Submit that piece you don't think any market will take, maybe because it's too edgy or not edgy enough. Get out there. SUBMIT!

- Holly 

P.S. Only two writing prompts this month. I'll probably return to three next month, but for now, go submit something! 

August Submission Calls

Fear No Lit's Submerging Writer Fellowship, Deadline Aug. 31: Open to writers not currently in an MFA or without a book published. Award: Chapbook publication, $500 cash, $500 for AWP travel, AWP launch party.

Other Upcoming Submission Windows: 

Need more submission ideas? Check the

newest markets,

, Duotrope's

,

, or Literary Mama's

.

YOU SHOULD BE WRITING

Prompt #1: This isn't really a prompt, but a process exercise. Daniel José Older once said, "Writing begins with forgiveness. Let go of the shame about how long it’s been since you last wrote, the clenching fear that you’re not a good enough writer, the doubts over whether or not you can get it done." So for this prompt, I want you to spend a day NOT writing. Instead, make notes and observations about your world. Really watch people, whether it be at work or in a coffee shop. Record conversations in your head. Become a journalist of the world. Don't let yourself write any story or poetry, but at the end of the day you can transcribe your thoughts if you want. Bonus Round: Come back to those thoughts the next day. What did you learn? Hopefully the practice of not writing will have opened up your mind to see the world a little more clearly. Take your notes and see where they lead you - if they inspire any writing, great. If not, that's fine too. Remind yourself it's okay to take days off sometimes. 

Prompt #2: Inspired by Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series. Write a story, poem, or essay where the narrator plays heavily into the voice of the piece. Perhaps the narrator is explaining the world in a dry, routine kind of way. Or maybe they are talking to someone off-stage, yet to be unveiled. Use third person, if possible, or better, third person omniscient. Bonus Round: Write a different piece, with a completely different voice. Try to make this voice as opposite to the previous. Maybe it's a child versus an adult, or a man instead of a woman. See how different you can make the two voices. (Then, if you're feeling brave, you can mash them together into one piece. This is a true challenge and should only be undertaken if it feels right.) 

Editing tip of the month: Take a piece you've written that's ready for revision and print it out double spaced. Now make some margin notes for each of the following types of writing in the piece: Dialogue, Exposition, Backstory, Plot, Action, Character-building, Imagery, Setting, Climax, Denouement. You can even use different colored pens or highlighters if you want.  Sometimes, sections will include both of the above, such as Image/Setting, Character/Plot, Plot/Action. Now, go back and look at your piece. Do you have enough setting? Is your story heavy with exposition at the beginning? Is there enough plot?

Inspiration from the Ether

♛ Weird Story of the Month: Last Chance ♛

➳ Craft Article of the Month:Practicing the Literary Arts ➳

☢ Weird Inspiration from the Real World Clown With One Arm, Wielding Machete Arrested After Terrorizing Town ☢

News From Your Corporeal Host

  • I'll be at Armadillocon 39 next week. Check out my schedule. 

  • My poem, "Dear Shotgun City" is live at Eye to the Telescope. 

  • I have a new short story up at Luna Station Quarterly - "The Joy of Baking."

  • Look for my poem, "Bird House," from Strange Horizons, August 7th. 

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