Weird Circular #40 February

The February Weird Circular

February 02, 2020

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

Welcome to the Weird Circular

Dear Fellow Weird Writers,

You may have noticed that I skipped January's circular. Well, to be honest, I have just had a lot going on. One of the things that matters to me is putting my loved ones and my own self-care first, so I just needed a break. Sometimes, you just have to accept that you need a breather.

But I'm back with a bunch of submission calls and new prompts for your writing inspiration! Don't forget to check the very bottom of this newsletter, where I list all my latest writing and publications. 

Your corporeal host,

Holly 

Submission Calls

Upcoming Submission Windows: 

  • Hawk & Cleaver/The Other Stories Podcast, deadline Feb. 17: Theme: Remote Places. Speculative Short Fiction (around 2k words). Pays $5/story. 

  • Cantina Publishing, Silk & Steel: An Adventure Anthology of Queer Ladies, deadline Feb. 22. Theme: "We’re looking for stories of high adventure that feature one weapon-wielding woman and one woman whose strengths lie in softer skills, but who is just as powerful in her own right." Speculative Short Fiction (3k-7k words). Pays .08/word. 

  • Speculative City, deadline Feb. 24. Theme: Alternative Histories. Fiction, poetry, and essays (Under 5.5k words). Pays $20-55. 

  • Apparition Lit, deadline Feb. 28. Theme: Transfiguration. Short Fiction (1k-5k words), Poetry (5 poems) Pays .03/word. 

  • Drunk Monkey, deadline Feb. 29. Theme: Pop Culture. Short Fiction ( up to 3k words), poetry (5 poems), nonfiction (up to 5k words). Pays $5/word. 

Need more submission ideas? Check the

newest markets,

, Duotrope's

,

, or Literary Mama's

.

YOU SHOULD BE WRITING

Prompt #1:

Make a mix tape for your character or aesthetic. Use Spotify to list your favorite songs for your genre. Writing Space Opera? Try ambient vibes. Modern fiction? Mix in some Beyonce. 

Bonus Round:

Bonus points if you can vibe enough off your playlist to write a new scene based on one of the songs. Listen to the music and get inspired by the lyrics. 

Prompt #2:

 Write a piece in which a library plays a key role. 

Bonus Round:

Bonus points if the library is magical in some way. 

Prompt #3:

 What hides in the photographs?

Bonus Round:

 Who is taking the photos?

Editing tip of the month: Try rewriting your book starting on page one. Don't look at the old version of the book. Do this for the first chapter and see what surprises you. Did the character do something different? Did you describe the setting in  a different way?

Inspiration from the Ether

News From Your Corporeal Host

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