Weird Circular #22 July

The July Weird Circular

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

Welcome to the Weird Circular

Dear Fellow Writers of the Weird:

It's been an interesting month in the world of lit mags. Shimmer Magazine, one of my favorite SFF publications, announced it will be closing its doors in November. All writers have a dream publication and Shimmer was one of mine. The work they published gave a home to the weird, experimental, and hybrid stories of SFF in a way few other magazines can match. They were also one of the first mags to ever send me a personal rejection. On the other hand, my most favorite podcast, The Drabblecast, is returning to scheduled programming. This is one of the few podcast markets that publishes exclusively flash fiction and microstories. The audio production is stellar and features fun music and sound effects.

I think these two events can teach us a lot as writers. At what point are you going to realize you will at some point need a transition, a change, in your writing? Are you prepared for the sudden desire to stop writing, or else to venture out into some new project that feels terrifying? One piece of great writing advice is to always be working on The Next Thing. I've seen writers who work on one thing for years and when it comes time to transition, they panic and retreat. Don't let this be you. SUBMIT that story you are sitting on. WRITE the thing you've been wanting to write for years. REVISE that old drawer poem or novel. Just do it. And then, do the next thing. Make what you love happen because YOU deserve it. I believe in you. 

--Holly 

Submission Calls

Shimmer is taking short fiction (Fantasy, some SF, less than 7.5k words) for their last issue. 

Other Upcoming Submission Windows: 

Need more submission ideas? Check the

newest markets,

, Duotrope's

,

, or Literary Mama's

.

YOU SHOULD BE WRITING

Prompt #1: Write a piece about a curse. Include some kind of object, place, or person in the piece. Need some inspiration? Check out these

 and the

 (Take care with this exercise because it's easy to fall into stereotypes and cultural appropriation.Let's try not to do that.) 

Bonus Round: Bonus points if you can include the word "Curse" in the title of the piece. 

Prompt #2: How did the hand appear?

Bonus Round: What happened when it left?

Prompt #3: Write down a list of 3-5 things you did this summer. They could be really bland like "went to the beach" or more ephemeral like "learned to love again," or "bought a new car," "ate ice cream every morning." IDK, you do you. Look at your list and circle your favorites, say, at least 3 things, and include them in a story, poem, or essay. 

Bonus Round: What if you lost one of those things? Work the idea of loss into the piece. See where it takes you.

Editing tip of the month: Make an editing calendar. List all your pieces that need revising. Now decide on a timeline for them, however loose it might be. Create a goal sheet and try to stick to it. Shorten your goals to daily goals and write them out on a calendar. 

Inspiration from the Ether

♛ Weird Story of the Month: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Lighthouse of Quvenle the Seer by Lina Rather♛

➳ Craft Article of the Month: In Defense of Escapism by Kelly McCullough ➳

☢ Weird Inspiration from the Real World: The haunting of Potsford Wood Gibbet ☢

News From Your Corporeal Host

Join the conversation

or to participate.