Weird Circular #34 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 Weird Writers,

This month's Weird Circular is Emily Brontë themed! Emily has some words of wisdom to share on finding your own path: "I'll walk where my own nature would be leading: It vexes me to choose another guide."

As a writer, there are going to be people who want to change your voice. Who want you to write a certain way. From critique group partners to editors, even well-meaning folks think they know what's best for you. But the truth is, you have to find your own path to walk as a writer. Knowing where that trail starts is worth the adventure. 

Your corporeal host,

Holly 

P.S. I'll be adding a new feature to the newsletter: Print postcards! If you'd like to opt out, you can scroll to the bottom of this email and change your subscription preferences. This system is entirely run by Mailchimp, so I never see your address! You can also unsubscribe...but I would hate to see you go, dearies! 

Submission Calls

Upcoming Submission Windows: 

  • Podcastle, Deadline July 15: Fantasy Fiction (up to 6k words). Pays .06/word. 

  • Apparition Lit Flash Fiction Contest, deadline July 15: Theme: Speculative flash. This is a call for trans writers. The flash must pass or discuss The Topside Test which requires that the piece includes multiple trans characters who know each other and talk to each other about something other than medical transition procedures. Flash (under 1k words). 

  • Sub-Q, deadline July 15. Accepts interactive speculative fiction (1k – 5kwords). Pays $.09/word for original stories, $75 for reprints.

  • Nonbinary Review, deadline July 24: Theme: The Odyssey by Homer. Short stories (Up to 5k words), Flash (up to 1k words), Poetry (Up to 3 pages, up to 5 poems). Pays 1 cent per word for fiction and nonfiction, and $10 for poetry.

  • Fiyah, deadline July 31: Theme: Chains. Speculative stories by and about Black people of the African Diaspora. Short fiction 2k – 7k words an, novelettes up to 15k words. Pays $150 for short stories, $300 for novelettes, $50 for poetry.

  • Room Magazine, deadline July 31: Theme: Hair. Publishes work by women (cisgender and transgender), transgender men, Two-Spirit and nonbinary people. Pays $50-150. Fiction/nonfiction (up to 3500 words). Poetry (up to 5 poems). 

  • Bloodbath Literary Zine, deadline Aug 1: Theme: Hauntings. Horror zine. Short fiction/flash from 50 to 2,500 words, Poetry (maximum 30 lines). Pays £20 per 1,000 words for prose, £20 per 15 lines for poetry.

Need more submission ideas? Check the

newest markets,

, Duotrope's

,

, or Literary Mama's

.

YOU SHOULD BE WRITING

Prompt #1:

Emily Brontë's poem "

" is about the darkness we hide in our minds. Write a piece that reflects on this poem or how it makes you feel. Or, write about a time you "cannot hide." 

Bonus Round:

Try writing a piece that copies the title of this poem. Or, write a cento poem by taking one line from

and combining them into one poem. 

Prompt #2: In one of her diaries, Emily wrote this telling passage: 

"Anne and I say I wonder what we shall be like and what we shall be and where we shall be if all goes on well in the year 1874–in which year I shall be in my 54th year, Anne will be going in her 55th year, Branwell will be going in his 58th year, and Charlotte in her 59th year. Hoping we shall all be well at that time."

Write a piece about yourself, or a version of yourself, 40 years in the future. (Time travel is totally allowed.)  

Bonus Round: Bonus points if you can add a description of what the world will be like 40 years from now. 

Prompt #3:

Emily Brontë's most beloved book

Wuthering Heights

contains some truly amazing lines. Among my favorites are these

quotes. Try to write a piece that is "wildly dramatic." Go as over the top as you can.

Bonus Round:

Bonus points if your story has some ghosts and an "observer" narrator!

Editing tip of the month: Make yourself a list of "problems" in your manuscript. Maybe they are things you want to change, or else feedback from critique partners. Now make a list of "solutions" to those problems. Writing down what you want to fix and why will help you stay focused in editing.

Inspiration from the Ether

♛ Weird Story of the Month: Repatriation by Nalo Hopkinson   ♛

➳ Craft article of the month: A Stutterer’s Guide to Writing Fiction  by Jake Wolff ➳

♫ This month's writing music is from Nox Arcana ♫

News From Your Corporeal Host

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