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Inklings Issue 1.06
================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Newsletter for Writers on the Net
Issue 1.6 Wednesday, December 22nd, 1995
================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0106.html>
In This Issue
-------------
Feature Article:
---------------
SEARCHING FOR FANTASY by Judy and Daniel Tucker
Regular Columns:
----------------
FRESH INK What's new for writers, best of the Web
MARKET Market information
ASK THE BOOK DOCTOR Carol Henson answers reader's questions
SUBSCRIBER PROFILE Stephen Gard: children's illustrator
WORKSHOP Standard Manuscript Format
Welcome to the last issue of 1995!
Many thanks to Dave Schoonmaker for mentioning my Writers'
Resources On
The Web site in the January issue of Writer's Digest (p51). Those
trying
to accessing the URL, however, should note that the one given in
the
article is incorrect: there should be a tilde in front of "ohi".
The correct URL is:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/www/writesource.html.
All subscribers will soon be receiving the Annual Reader Survey.
I would
appreciate it if you could please take the time to fill this out,
and
e-mail or snailmail it to me by January 15th (details given in
survey).
This is your chance to tell me what you like/dislike about
Inklings, and
what you hope to see more (or less!) of in future issues. Of all
the
surveys I receive, one will be chosen at random and its author
will
receive a FREE COPY of the 1997 WRITER'S MARKET (or whatever
other one
writing resource book you'd like of similar value, and that I can
find
in Toronto bookstores).
Have a good winter holiday, everyone, and see you in the new
year!
=================================================================
=======
This issue sponsored in part by:
* Samurai Consulting * http://www.samurai.com/
Services include internet consulting, WWW page design,
mailing lists, FTP sites, system maintenance, and training.
Contact Bryan Fullerton at bryanf@samurai.com for more info.
=================================================================
=======
Copyright 1995 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. See end of issue for more
copyright
details, and info on how to subscribe and unsubscribe. Send
questions
and comments to morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca.
FRESH INK
=========
Internet Fantasy Writers Association
------------------------------------
The IFWA was created as a networking tool for Fantasy Writers on
the Internet. Membership is open to all who meet at least one of
the
following requirements:
* Have made one sale to a Fantasy related publication or
* You are a publisher, editor or staff member of a fantasy
related publication or
* You maintain a fantasy related Internet accessable resource.
All others are welcome to become Associate Members if they have a
vested
interest in the fantasy genre.
To request membership send e-mail to: jtucker@teleport.com (Judy
L.
Tucker) Subject: Membership Request. In the body of the message
state
your qualifications. If you do not wish your E-mail address to
be made
public in their membership list, you should let them know.
http://www.teleport.com/~jtucker/ifwa.html
Albany Poetry Workshop
----------------------
Many links of interest to poets and poetry-lovers including how
to
critique poetry, poetic terms, poetry writing tips, 20th century
American poetry, writing exercises, opportunity for critiquing.
http://www.sonic.net:80/web/albany/workshop/class.html
Cedar Bay Press Reference Desk
------------------------------
Helpful resource for writers. Links to online publishers,
reference
info, bookstores, literature, news and reviews, and events. The
Cedar
Bay Press home page features artist and author showcases,
classifieds,
and other resources.
Reference Desk http://www.teleport.com/~cedarbay/places.html
Home Page http://www.teleport.com/~cedarbay/index.html
Inklings seeking software reviews!
----------------------------------
If you're using software you find particularly useful for
writers, I'd
like to hear about it. No ads, please (i.e. don't send a review
of your
own product). Query.
Dark Fiction/Horror Writers Newsletter and Website
--------------------------------------------------
Free weekly newsletter based out of a workshop in AOL. Market
news,
events, contests, featured guests, reviews, more. Some content
specific
to AOL users, but lots of interest to horror writers in general.
Good
market info.
The website includes a link to info about the workshop, the
newsletter,
features, reviews, artists, editors, writers, conventions,
associations,
links, and more.
For free subscription, contact DarkEcho@aol.com
DarkEcho's Horror Web is located at http://w3.gwis.com/~prlg/
Screenwriting mailing list
--------------------------
SCRNWRIT has 800+ subscribers discussing screenwriting as well as
writing in general. Many daily posts. One subscriber recommends
sending
the message "SET SCRNWRIT DIGEST" to the listserve after
subscribing to
download all 60-130 messages only once each day.
Address: listserv@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU
Message: Subscribe SCRNWRIT
Pennwriters
-----------
Non-profit organization dedicated to help writers of all genres
to get
published. Newsletter contains market reports, advice from
editors,
member news. Annual writing contest. Reference library, members
pay
postage only. Annual conference. Membership fee. For more
information,
contact tims@trumbull.com.
Children's Book Council web page
--------------------------------
The Children's Book Council (CBC) is a non-profit trade
association of
children's book publishers and producers of related literacy
materials
for children. The website includes some online articles of
interest to
those in the children's literature and writing fields.
http://www.cbcbooks.org
Authors Links & Info
--------------------
There are many "author lists" on the web. In my opinion, this new
site
promises to be one of the best. Maintained by Robert Daeley, each
listing for an author may contain a brief biographical summary, a
photo,
quote, and a hypertext table of other sites related to the
author.
Elegant design and excellent resource.
http://www.empirenet.com/~rdaeley/authors/authors.html
A Zillion Kajillion Cliches
---------------------------
ZK Cliches is based on a database of over 10,000 cliches, catch
phrases
and idioms; simply enter a word and it will return a list of
phrases
containing your word. The company also produces a sister program,
A
Zillion Kajillion Rhymes. Working demos are available online
Compuserve,
AOL, and eWorld. Available for Mac and Windows. For more
information,
contact Xcentric@aol.com.
The Automated Pen
------------------
Publishes mystery, romance and fantasy writers in electronic
format on
the Web. Free promotion for authors whose work fits their readers
interests, even those published elsewhere. Genre readers on the
World
Wide Web can visit their information forum in The Reader's Corner
at
http://www.quake.net/~autopen. Authors are promoted through free
e-mail publication through short theme pieces or short stories.
Write
autopen@quake.net or send SASE for writers' guidelines.
"We have teamed with other publishers and new product developers
who are
developing new mainstream products which will make reading
electronic
books affordable, convenient and easy on the eyes. We have titles
in
production now and WILL be selling genre fiction on and off the
Web in
eighteen months. We are not paying advances but we are offering a
better
than normal royalty."
"Though we are engaged in a new type of publishing business, we
act in
most ways like a traditional publisher. We are not attempting to
make
money off authors. We do not charge them for promotion or any
aspect of
manuscript preparation or revision." Off-web authors can send an
SASE
for article and short guidelines (promotional) and/or manuscript
guidelines to The Automated Pen, Claire Wong, P.O.B. 2201, Menlo
Park,
CA 94026-2201
About The Automated Pen and Manuscript Guidelines
http://www.quake.net/~autopen/autopen.html
Polar Express Share The Spirit '95 Campaign
-------------------------------------------
Houghton Mifflin Company is asking anyone "who still believes in
the
spirit of the season" to send an email message to
share_the_spirit@hmco.com explaining how they keep the holiday
spirit
alive. For every twenty-five e-mail messages received by Dec.31,
Houghton Mifflin Company will donate one copy of Mr. Van
Allsburg's book
to a children's hospital and contributors will be eligible to
receive a
free copy of The Polar Express CD-ROM Edition courtesy of
Houghton
Mifflin Interactive.
Although there were a few "hoax" email campaigns in previous
years, this
one appears to be legitimate.
Remember, send your email messages to share_the_spirit@hmco.com.
For
more information, send email to info_sts@hmco.com.
Website: http://www.hmco.com/polarexpress
MARKET INFO
===========
Correction
----------
Last issue included a market listing for Recursive Angel, a
monthly
online zine. Fiction submissions (Max 1500 words, max one story
at a
time) should be sent to 3468441@mcimail.com with "Fiction
Submission" in
the subject header, NOT "Poetry Submission". Apologies for any
inconvenience this has caused.
Blood and Midnight seeks horror writers
---------------------------------------
"BLOOD & MIDNIGHT showcases Dark Fiction/Horror in all forms,
from classical
and romantic to as cutting edge as possible. Editor Meg Thompson
will look
at all styles, but cross-genre stories must be horror more than
anything
else. No setting or plot is ruled out--traditional to
contemporary.
TIPS:
1. I'm not a real sci-fi fan, but if the story is a real
skin-crawler, I
shall overcome my prejudices!
2. Don't bother me with White Supremacy, child pornography, or
lots of dead
animals UNLESS your work can overcome these by a great plot, a
memorably
creepy bad person, and genius.
3. Involving characterization and a dynamic plot are what keep
me
interested. Avoid what's been done before, unless you can do it
better.
Push the envelope.
4. Don't write a story with BLOOD & MIDNIGHT in mind. Write
your stuff,
polish it up, and send it! I expect completed work, as I am not
in the
business of extensive rewrites. If it has to be rewritten, I
don't want it
in the first place. The good side of this is that no one will
butcher your
work!
TERMS:
1. Pays a minimum of 1c per word, on publication or earlier,
for First
North American Serial Rights to manuscripts up to 10,000 words,
plus a copy
of BLOOD & MIDNIGHT with your work in it.
2. A contract will be provided for your protection and ours.
3. No sample copies are available at this time, as the first
issue is
planned for Winter/96 publication.
No poetry at this time. Non-fiction writers sought for special
projects.
Artists' portfolios welcome any time.
Anything else? Write to:
Meg Thompson /Preternatural Productions, 8510 16th Street #101,
Silver Spring, MD 20910 or email bloodnight@aol.com."
(Source: Dark Fantasy/Horror Newsletter. See Fresh Ink for more
info)
Dream Forge
----------------------------------------
Monthly ezine, 95% freelance. Pays approx 60 days after
publication.
Submit seasonal material 2 months in advance. "Looking for
stories with
a positive message, even if the message is hidden deep within the
fabric
of the work." PREFERRED LENGTHS: 1,000 to 2,000 words, for
Humor/Op-Ed;
Fiction 2,000 to 4,500+. Guidelines for #10 SASE or obtain demo
issues
at: http://www.nauticom.net/users/drmforge/index.html
NONFICTION: Humor, Satire, Essays, Reviews, Op-Ed, and Commentary
from
1,000-4,000+ words. Pays $10-$100, w/profit sharing. FICTION:
Short
stories most any genre from 1,000-6,500+ words, longer works will
be
serialized; Pays $10-$100, w/profit sharing. POETRY: Any style
and
length will pay: $2-$20, w/profit sharing.
Snailmail:Dream Forge, Inc., 6400 Baltimore National Pike, #201,
Baltimore, MD 21228-3915. E-mail: dbealer@dreamforge.com
MyVillage Online
-------------------------------------------
Family-oriented ezine seeks stories 2,000-5,000 words. "We prefer
stories which are on the edge without been irreverent or vulgar,
good
natured and enriching without been vacuous or irrelevant."
Several
different sections including Family Health & Fitness, Family and
Personal Finance, Family Eating and Food, Family Lifestyle,
Family
Entertainment, Family Home Improvement. 10c/word.
Contact:
jem@theark.com or write to Ark Multimedia Publishing, My Village
On-Line, 606 Aberdeen Rd. Hampton, VA 23661.
Domestique
----------------------------------------------
DOMESTIQUE is a new publication premiering in Feb '96 for women
responsible for running the home. "We are in need of quality,
tightly
written articles for a number of our columns." Payment ranges
from 1 to
5 cents per published word, payable within 2 weeks of
publication. For
writer's guidelines, send an e-mail with your postal address to:
penworks@ix.netcom.com OR send your request in writing to:
PenWorks, DOMESTIQUE, P.O. Box 509013, Indianapolis, IN
46250-9013
For all written correspondence, be sure to include a SASE.
Red Letter Press
----------------------------------------------
Red Letter Press, a new publisher, invites serious
queries/synopses by
writers with manuscripts. No poetry, sci-fi, experimental. Prefer
snail
mail. Include SASE. Red Letter Press, Five Points Station, P. O.
Box
5837, Columbia, SC 29250.
Cedar Bay Press LLC Seeking Authors and Writing Organizations
-------------------------------------------------------------
"We are looking to publish an anthology of short stories by
unpublished
writers in the spring of 1996 and looking for submissions. There
are no
fees. Authors are paid in copy plus a percentage of the retail
sales.
Only unpublished authors may apply. Submissions are considered
giving
us first international rights and must be on a non-returnable
3.5" Disk
in one of the following formats: Microsoft Windows Write or Word,
Word
Perfect or PC-DOS text. Submissions should be mailed to Cedar
Bay
Press, Box 751 Beaverton, OR 97075-0751.
Deadline: March 1, 1996 Release Date: May 1. 1996
BACKGROUND INFO:
This year we are publishing (at our expense) anthologies by both
the
Palo Alto Writers from California and the third in a series of
anthologies by the Oregon Writers Alliance. We are very
supportive
toward the literary community and encourage other writing groups
to
contact us with regards to getting their writers published in
print.
The Anthologies are published 8.5 x 11 and bound with a spine
label.
Generally an anthology is about one hundred pages and priced
under
$15.00 retail. A percentage of all our retail sales is returned
to the
writing group."
Questions or comments: editor@cedarbay.com.
ASK THE BOOK DOCTOR
================================================================
Carol Henson is a Book Doctor/editor/author cruising the 'net on
a
regular basis and would be happy to respond to your questions
about Book
Doctors, editing, writing, etc. Her new web page is located
at: http://pages.prodigy.com/MI/ubkx12c/bookdoc.html.
Send your questions to Carol Henson at UBKX12C@Prodigy.com with
the
subject header: "Book doctor question". Carol will answer
selected
questions in future issues.
Overcoming writer's block?
--------------------------
I would like to receive some advice to overcome the so called
"writer's block."... Also: When I finally find something to write
about,
I don't know how to develop it in an organized plot. - NR
Dear NR:
These are very common problems that, unfortunately, can happen to
any
writer at anytime. You mentioned to me that you carry a notebook
around
with you to jot down inspirations. You may not realize it, but
you're on
to something there. Keeping a journal or note pad full of ideas
can
help you out when you're staring at a blank computer screen. I
have a
friend who clips out items from the paper or jots down ideas and
labels
them, then puts them in a file cabinet. When she's stumped for
something to write about she can go through her files and see if
anything "jumps" out at her. Give it a try.
About following up on those idea... make sure you keep up your
subscriptions to writer's magazine, especially the one you're
reading
right now! Inklings offers lots of resources for writers and
Writer's
Digest, The Writer, etc., often run articles on plotting and
basic
storytelling. Make sure to read those articles thoroughly.
Most
important of all is NOT to give up. Keep on writing!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: To see a list of how other writers overcome
writer's
block, see the results of Writer's Poll #1 at the following
website:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/ink/poll1results.html]
SUBSCRIBER PROFILE: Stephen Gard, children's writer
================================================================
Stephen Gard is a children's writer who lives in New South Wales,
Australia. He has over forty books in print with many more in
progress
or in press and has also published plays, television and radio
scripts,
and film scores. His web site includes information on his
publications,
music compositions, interesting links, and info about his
Writers'
Workshop for Young People.
The Internet has helped Stephen with research for several of his
books,
though he was disappointed when he tried to find information for
his
latest series of children's books about Australian history:
"(C)yberspace is overwhelmingly devoted to American concerns. But
this
may change. When libraries make CD-ROM material available
on-line,
research will be a breeze, unless one wants to grub about amongst
incunabula or the dusty newspapers of last century: and who knows
if
even now such things are indeed being imaged, indexed and
archived?"
"And as for 'networking' - I'm still a recluse, devoted to my
work and
not glad-handing. But the Internet is a tap to the outside world
that I
can turn on and off at leisure. Anytime of the day or night, it
overflows with ideas and potential new friends, people you can
evaluate
in advance by the quality of their prose or the newsgroup company
they
keep!
The 'Net contains a quantity of ephemera; the mass-circulation
newspapers that are now urging one to 'get on the 'Net' publish
'hot-lists' of Web Sites that are little more than side-shows.
Their
existence proves its democratic nature. Attempts to censor the
Internet
are essentially attempts to censor life - it is diverse and
undisciplined, shocking and elating. If you're a student of life,
as
most writers ought to be, the 'Net is where humans are gambolling
most
entertainingly at present.
I have not - yet - tried cyberpublishing because I write for a
living,
and I'm wary about where my money will come from and where my
work will
go. But I recommend more and more to the young and new writers I
know to
seek opportunities to put their work on the Internet, because in
the
beginning of a writer's career, money is less important than
being
*read*.
The Internet is the best opportunity to present one's work to a
mass
audience since the invention of printing. For this reason I have
included extracts of my work in my Web pages. The author is now a
stall-holder, the Internet is an electronic bazaar, and the world
and
his wife browse by..."
=-------------------------------=
Stephen's web page: http://www.peg.apc.org/~sgard/welcome.html
You can reach Stephen Gard at sgard@peg.apc.org.
=-------------------------------=
SEARCHING FOR FANTASY
================================================================
by Judy and Daniel Tucker (jtucker@teleport.com)
Back in May, when my husband and I first jumped on the Net, I was
researching a story based on Lord Tennyson's "Lady of Shallot."
I
thought our new connection to the information highway would be a
great
way for me to further my research. At first the task was
overwhelming,
entering the Web was like walking into a library without a card
catalogue. After many hours of browsing, we learned a few tips
and
would like to pass them on to others.
Finding information on the net:
* Define your topic as narrow as possible and work outward. If
you are
looking for information on Rune Stones, start your search with
Rune
Stones before trying Norse or Magick.
* Search engines. Search engines are a great place to start your
search
for information. They are tools that can point you in the right
direction. I prefer using Webcrawler ( www.webcrawler.com )
and Yahoo
( www.yahoo.com )
* Once you find a site that is close to the information you are
seeking.
Write to the site maintainer (An E-mail address is almost always
on
their home page). Ask where you can find the information you are
seeking. I have received 100's of pages of information E-mailed
directly to me along with E-mail addresses of other sources,
just by
sending a few messages.
* Keep a record of useful sites and contacts. Also, keep in
contact
with those who helped you. Having a list of people you can
network
with, will cut your net searches down to one or two E-mail
messages.
Don't expect the Net to hold all the answers. The Internet is a
great
source of information and can provide a starting point for you.
However
for research, it still doesn't hold a candle to what can be found
at
most libraries.
Some useful sites for the Fantasy Writer:
The Labyrinth is probably the most extensive source for Medieval
research on the net. From there you can access the full text of
many
historical documents and some very useful links.
(http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/labyrinth-home)
What better place to search for the Holy Grail than The Oxford
University Arthurian Society (http://info.ox.ac.uk/~arthsoc)
Anders Magic Page contains a thorough and up-to-date listing to
magical
related sites. (http://www.nada.kth.se/~nv91/-asa/magick.htm)
SFWA - The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America is the
leading organization for SF/F writers. The SFWA site provides
membership info and some valuable tips on writing. (http://
www.greyware.com/sfwa/)
=-------------------------------=
Judy and Dan maintain a home page with links for fantasy writers.
They
also maintain a small mailing list for fantasy discussion.
(http://www.teleport.com/~jtucker)
=-------------------------------=
WORKSHOP: STANDARD MANUSCRIPT FORMAT
================================================================
This article is reprinted with permission from Mary Soon Lee's
Speculative Fiction Page at: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mslee/wr.html
---------------------------------
Before submitting your stories make sure they are in the standard
manuscript format. This is described in many, many "How to Write"
books -- and I strongly recommend that you read at least one such
book. Pared down to the bare essentials, the rules are as
follows....
Your manuscript should look as though you typed it.
Neither
handwritten manuscripts nor ones that use a dozen
amazingly nifty
fonts are likely to be well received. If you are using a
word
processor try to select a non-proportional font (one
where every
character has the same width).
Do not justify the text. By this I mean don't select the
option
from your word processor that makes every line of text
end
exactly at the right margin. Remember, you want your
manuscript
to look as though you typed it, even if you are printing
it on
the world's most expensive laserwriter.
Use high quality 8 1/2 x 11 inch white paper.
Only print on one side of the paper.
Do not staple the pages together.
Use wide margins -- at least an inch all around the text.
Double space the text.
Show new paragraphs by indenting the first line of the
new
paragraph by five spaces. Thus:
This is the end of one paragraph.
And this is the start of the next paragraph. Note
that the text is double-spaced, and non-justified.
The top of the first page: Put your name, address, and
telephone
number at the top left of the first page. Put the word
count to
the nearest 100 words at the top right of the first page.
Something like this:
Jane Smith Approx. 3200 words
123 Home Lane
Writers' Ville PA 15206
The rest of the first page: The story's title and your
name
should appear a little less than halfway down the first
page.
Then leave a couple of blank lines, and start the story.
The
title and your name should be centered:
GREAT STORY
by
Jane Smith
Put the page number, your surname, and a keyword or two
from the
title on the top right of every page after the first one.
Something like this:
Smith/Great Story/20
To show a scene break, leave a blank line, then have a
line with
a single asterix centered in the middle, then have
another blank
line. Thus:
With a whimper, Bob died.
*
It was a dark and stormy night, very dark, very
Do not use italics. To show text that should be
italicized in the
final published version of the story, underline that
section of
text. At the end of your story, leave a couple of blank
lines,
then write "THE END" or "###" centered on a line. And
that's all
there is to it.
=-------------------------------=
Mary Soon Lee will be teaching a one-day workshop for writers
interested
in sf/fantasy/horror on Saturday, July 27th, 1996 in Pittsburgh.
Please
send her e-mail (mslee@cs.cmu.edu) if you are interested.
==========================================================
EDITOR: Debbie Ridpath Ohi (morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca)
COPY EDITOR: Cathy Rutland (cathyr@rom.on.ca)
Subscribers are welcome to recirculate or reprint Inklings for
nonprofit
use as long as the appropriate credit is given and the ENTIRE
text of
the newsletter is included (including credits and information at
the end
of each issue). Others should contact me at
morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca.
All articles copyrighted by their authors.
Inklings is a free newsletter for writers on the net and is
published
every 2-3 weeks. For more info, please e-mail:
morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca
or see http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/ink/inklings.html
WWW-VL: Writer's Resources on the Web:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/www/writesource.html
INKSPOT: Resources for Children's Writers:
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/inkspot/
To subscribe send e-mail to majordomo@samurai.com with "subscribe
inklings" in the message body. To unsubscribe, use "unsubscribe
inklings". Find out more info with "info inklings".
===========================================================
