Dear Sun

Or maybe Dear Hot, Broiling, Sun. That's how I'm going to start my Unsent Letter. Because I've got a little something something to say about this heat situation--although my brain might be too melty to make any sense.

Let me just direct you to all the particulars for the Unsent Letters site. You can get paid for a blog post, and if your letter gets selected for the book, you can get paid even more. And you don't have to be a professional to pen a letter. Anybody can write a letter, and just about everybody's got something to say. Plus, I don't think there's any specific deadline here, but honestly, I can't really think much at all these days.

Except to say that Mr. Sun's going to get a piece of my mind. Or what's left of it.

Finding Something Friday On Flash (In a Flash)

So, I was zipping around Twitterdom last night, checking out what write_jobs had to say, when I came across a lovely little horror flash mention for those of you itching to get your fingers on something short, dark, and scary. (That did not come out quite right, but I'm sure you know what I mean.)

Anyway, I started my flash search at Dark Moon Books. While there, I found that there's a Dark Moon Digest (a paying market) where you can send your creepified (not sure that's a word, but you know what I mean) submission.

Then, I clicked on the Contest page and honestly, you'll just have to scroll down the page and see if there's anything you'd like to write. I was a woman on a mission, though, so I kept looking till I found what I'd come for: Frightmares, the Flash Fiction Anthology.

Ah, success at last! They'll accept previously published work, as long as you hold the copyright. So, yeah. Now I'm off on a Frightmares submission mission. Wish me creepified luck!

Tooting My Horn Tuesday for Flashlight Memories!

So we're driving home from church, and it being Easter Sunday, the all-grown-up Junior Halls were sitting in the back seat.

Now, it's not easy to get out of the parking lot on a regular Sunday, but for Easter, it's a real test of patience and Christian love. We waited...and waited...and waited. Suddenly, Juniorette Hall piped up from the back seat.

"What are you doing, John?"

"Do you mind?" he asked. "I'm reading our (wonderful and scathingly brilliant) mom's story in this book."

He was holding my copy of Flashlight Memories. I brought it along a week or so ago on an out-of-town trip (and read the stories). Somehow, it had migrated to the back seat and out of my mind. All I can say is thank goodness for (inquisitive) Junior Halls sitting in the back seat.

Flashlight Memories is such a delightful book! The (incredibly industrious) folks over at Silver Boomer Books gathered a ton of (charming) stories related to favorite reading memories, especially from those childhood days when the love of reading first takes root. I wrote about my favoritest little Golden Book, "A Pickle for a Nickel" by Lillian Moore. I sigh every time I think of that funny, little storybook.

And now, here's where you can order your own copy of Flashlight Memories and here's where you can read about the authors published therein (bet you'll recognize a couple names!).

So, that's the end of that story (never let it be said that the all-grown-up Junior Halls are good for nothing).

Tuesday Tip on a Submissions Goldmine

I cannot tell a lie. (Well, I can. And have. Many times. This is not one of those times.) Um, where was I? Oh, yeah. I did not want to share this rich vein of submission deadlines. Truly, Sally Clark's blog is that good and the little devil on my shoulder said, "Now, Cathy C., here's a goldmine you can sit on, and cash in big."

But the little angel on my shoulder said, "Shame on you, Cathy C.! Now you get your little boomerosity in that chair, go to your blog, and share what you found." Well, I don't need to tell you that when your angel starts talking about your boomerosity, you better listen.

So if you're looking for one blog to check regularly for a ton of submission opportunities, then you shouldn't miss the Christian Writers Submission Information. And if you want to catch up on deadlines, then zip over to this page and check out the month.

There's enough there to keep you busy writing all month long. And that's a good thing. Because as you know, an idle mind is the little devil's workshop.

Monday Mail: Cougars on the Prowl

Way back in 2010, I gave you a heads up about this fun anthology call-out over at Mozark Press called A Shaker of Margaritas, Cougars on the Prowl. But if you're like me, you la-ti-da'ed around, forgetting all about the story you were going to write.

And now, yeeeooow! According to an email I just opened, it's last call for the Mozark Press stories! There is absolutely no time to piddle around. You must pounce on that idea. Think cougar. Think Boomer Lit. Think Heavens to Murgatroyd!

And if you don't have any idea what Heavens to Murgatroyd! means, you're probably not a person of a certain age. You probably remembered to write your 1500 to 3,000 word story way back in 2010 when I told you about this submission opportunity.

But for the rest of us, it's exit, stage left (to write)!

(Thanks to Harlequeen at Flickr for the photo!)

Monday Musings on Publishing and Such

Before I commence to gentle musing, I have a bit of a loud shout:

YOU ONLY HAVE TILL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO ENTER THE JANUARY BIG BANG CONTEST FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A BARNES AND NOBLE GIFT CARD.

Now, on to (quieter) publishing subjects and such.

My good friend, Donna, over at Donna's Book Pub, interviewed Linda Fisher on the subject of publishing (Linda edited and pubbed a recent anthology, A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas). Linda also gives details about a submission opportunity at Mozark Press. You'll want to read the whole thing for inside tips to getting your work published. Then you'll want to submit. So zip over there now.

Wait! Not now, now. After you read the next publishing subject. To wit, the very BIG, very jam-packed book I just purchased called Jeff Herman's Guide to Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents.

I'm not kidding about the size of this book. It's as thick as...well, let's just say you could use it as a booster seat. I'm plowing into it this week as Book 1 on my list of writing books to read this year. I thought I'd better start in January if I have any hopes of completing it. And I'll share interesting tidbits as I go.

So, Tidbit One: "As someone who was young and is presently less young, I will confirm that nothings beats lessons learned from direct experience, especially those instances that carve humility into our know-it-all hides." From Jeff Herman's introduction

Amen to that, Jeff. You and I shall get along swimmingly. And one more note here. If you're looking to purchase Jeff's book, please choose carefully. I almost picked up the 2010 edition rather than the 2011 edition! The publishing world changes every day and you want to get the latest news, so make certain the cover reads "2011."

Now we all have brilliant writing to produce, or contests to win, so I'll end my musings and get back to work. Oh, and now, you can zip over to Donna's Book Pub!

Are You on the Prowl for a Place to Publish?

I am such a sucker for alliteration. I'm also a sucker for short fiction and getting my stories published in fun anthologies. Maybe you are, too. So why don't you write something for A Shaker of Margaritas: Cougars on the Prowl?

Mozark Press has just released A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas, but apparently the editor's hungry for more stories of romance, mystery, suspense, humor, well, any genre, really, as long as it's set in modern times and has a "woman of a certain age" prowling about. And FYI: that age is a Baby Boomer, born between 1946 and 1964.

Start writing your 1,000 to 3,000 word story now and you'll be ready to submit when January 1st rolls around. And you know, you don't have to be a cougar to write about 'em. But why let your characters have all the fun?

(Find more info about the contest and compensation here.)

Tooting My Horn Tuesday: Hot Flash Mommas!

You know how your stories are sort of like children? You're proud of them when they go out in the world and do well. And you love each and every one of them, exactly the same.

Except sometimes, you like one a little better than the other. She makes you laugh, or she makes you smile, or maybe she makes you sigh. But mostly, there's just something there, close to your heart, that makes you like her just a teensy bit more than the others. Not forever, of course. You know that tomorrow, your heart will be pulled in another direction.

That's just the way it is, with stories and kids. And that's the way it is with my story, "The Funny Thing in The Bathroom at Casa Del Rio." You can read it in A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas. This anthology has just come out of Mozark Press, and it's brimming with wonderful stories about the forty or older woman and her search for happiness, or love, passion, or perhaps revenge.

I'm not sure what each character is searching for because I haven't had time to read each and every story. But I've enjoyed the ones I've read so far. And I'm so glad that this story of mine found a home there. There's a little piece of me in that forty-something woman who bumps into a long-ago lover in the Senoritas.

Makes me feel twenty-something again when I read it. And for just a few minutes, that's a fine thing. Might make a fine gift for the woman of a certain age you know. That's all I'm saying.

And that I really love "The Funny Thing in the Bathroom at Casa Del Rio." I'll keep smiling... until the next special story grabs my heart.

A Little Inspiration with Coffee and May

The entire title of this post should read "A Little Inspiration with Coffee House Fiction Anthology 2010 and May Kuroiwa."But that's rather long for a title-and May knows a little something about titles.

May Kuroiwa is visiting here today on the WOW blog tour as one of the judges for the Coffee House Fiction Anthology. This anthology is made up of the winners of the fifteenth Dame Lisbett Throckmorton Fiction Writing Contest. These short stories are the best of the best, a variety of genres and subjects sure to inspire you on your own writing journey.

And May is sure to inspire you, too. She's stopped in to answer a few writing questions, on a variety of different subjects.

1. May is currently pursuing an MFA in a low-residency program offered by Warren Wilson College. What influenced your decision to take on an MFA program when you were published and already enjoying literary success?

If my final measure of writing success was to be published, then seeing one of my stories in print would have been enough and I'd have moved on to other easier projects--like learning how to firewalk. But I want to tell stories and do my best at making them accessible to readers. That means pursuing craft by attending conferences and workshops and taking classes, being willing to experiment with genres and tools like point of view, and searching out excellent mentors. Pursuing an MFA was the next step.

2. What's a low-residency program and how does it differ from other programs? How do you know what's best for you if you're considering an MFA?

To decide whether a full-residency or a low-residency program is the best fit, consider these questions:

Do you live within commuting distance, or are willing to move close to, a full-residency program? If not, investigate low-residency programs. You only have to attend 8 - 10 day residencies twice each year.

Are you willing to build one on one mentoring relationships, and to receive your instructor's feedback on your work by e-mail, snail-mail and over the phone? Or would you prefer a traditional in-classroom setting?

If you must continue working and have family obligations, are you disciplined enough to dedicate 25 hours minimum each week to schoolwork? Low residency semesters are six months long; you won't get summer or winter breaks.

Can you afford the tuition? Some full-residency programs offer complete funding but it's rare to find financial aid in low-residency.

3. May has also judged literary contests, so can you share with us what catches your eye immediately that makes you think a story or a poem might be a winner? And what makes you say "No" at first glance?

As a judge at Coffee House Fiction and for high school scholarship contests, I must say that although the first sentence is important, and that first paragraph, many writers neglect to carefully construct their titles. A story that opens with an authoritative line contained within a beautifully written paragraph, and which then fulfills on the promise of its title, just might be a winner.

First glance no-nos: colored ink or paper, strange eye-bending fonts and formats, and cute illustrations. My advice is to allow the story to stand on its own merits.

4. I've been watching Hawaii Five-O (the new one, but okay. I'm old enough that I watched the first one, too) and I find the island culture so interesting! I know you grew up in Hawaii and wonder how much of that culture finds its way into your work?

I watched Hawaii Five-O while growing up too.

The act of writing is revealing. My cultural background and the way life is unfolding and what I've been wondering about all influence my work. Some of my short stories include surfing, discovering the bones of ancient warriors in beach sand, and Hawaiian chants, but all my stories are about relationships. I write about that intersected space between family and friends, between a character's self-image and the story's reality, and the past and the present and what sort of future that relationship promises. I hope my stories can transcend cultural barriers by dealing with the issues of being human.

So now you should be good and inspired. Or should it be well and inspired? May can let me know. She'll be dropping in today to answer any and all writing questions. Oh, and don't forget to check out Coffee House Fiction to find out how you can order the latest anthology!

Tooting My Horn Tuesday on Thin Threads: Compassion and Giving

Many years ago, when my children were very young (they were so young, the third one was just a gleam in the Good Lord's eye), I watched as a young mother walked out of a K-Mart and left her little brown-haired girl behind. The episode, and how the event unfolded, rocked me to the core of my beliefs. But it changed me, too.

Years later, when I started writing essays, the K-Mart story surfaced and begged to be told. I bet I wrote a dozen versions of that story. And each time I submitted the essay to a market, it came back with a "No, thanks." I can't say that surprised me. I knew there was something more I needed to tell, and that I hadn't gotten to the heart of the story. Then I saw the Thin Threads Contest.

As described on the website, a thin thread is a "moment, event, setback, crossroad or encounter that connected you to a person, place or an opportunity that changed your life for the better." I knew immediately that I had to try again.

I suppose that this time, I got it right. Because "A Little Brown-Haired Girl" was selected for Thin Threads, Special Edition: Compassion and Giving. They're always looking for life-changing stories, and maybe you have one that's just right for this series. Find out more at their website. Or submit your story for the Thin Threads Contest like I did.

I'll be ordering a few copies of the Thin Threads Compassion and Giving, perhaps have a contest here and give it away. But it won't really compare with what a little brown-haired girl gave me so many years ago.

Market of the Month: Patchwork Path Books

I like to mix up the markets here at the Hall of Fame, so this month, I decided to go with nonfiction. But fiction will work quite well, too. (It's a dilly-dally market.) Which brings us to Patchwork Path Books.

Choice Publishing Group is looking for stories right this very minute on living the American Dream. But you can write a non-fiction essay, too. They'll be reading stories and essays till...let's see, December 31st! So, you have plenty of time to come up with something between 250 and 2000 words for Patchwork Path: Star Spangled Banner. And if the editors choose you, you'll receive payment of $50.00.

That's a nice bit for a story. Or even an essay. (But don't dilly-dally too long!)

Finding Something Friday: Mozark Press

So, here's the thing. Friday is my "Catch Up on All Things Bloggy" day. And generally speaking, I start out the day, zipping from blog to favorite blog, reading about what my creative buds have been up to in their little corners of the writing world. It's all very interesting, but exhausting, in an "information overload" kind of way.

That's why I have to go out to lunch on Fridays. It helps me process all that information. I know it may look like I'm talking about my neighbor while inhaling chips and salsa, but trust me. I'm processing.

Except that today, I happened to stop over at Becky's blog and read somewhere among the last week's posts about this submission call out at Mozark Press. Which had, if I remember what Becky said correctly, originally popped up on Donna's blog, who knows when.

Well. I could barely concentrate on my quesadilla fajita or eavesdropping on the table next to me. All I could think about was a flash story I'd written that I knew would work for this A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas anthology.

One teensy, little thing. I needed about 700 more words, a 40-ish protagonist and a totally different middle and ending. So, that whole writing thing took longer than I planned. Which explains my Finding Something Friday post at a few minutes before Saturday.

Oh, and one more thing. You only have till June 15 if you've got a story stuck in your head now. And really. You don't have time to be lolly-gagging at lunch dates.

Finding Something Friday on Market of the Month (Yeah, Finally)

What can I say about the Market of the Month?

How about...

1. It's kinda late.

2. It's an anthology looking for humorous submissions.

3. It's about Monster Mashups.

I'm a big fan of mashups (where you take two of something, like a song, and mash it together to make a whole of something). I'm a big fan of humor. And, I'm a big fan of horror. So when I saw Groanology, it spoke to me. And what it said was, "Cathy C. Hall, here's your crazy market of the month. Finally!"

Fortunately, I've got a little time on my hands to write this story. I need two monsters and a humorous plot. And I need to keep the witty words short (1200 to 3200) and turn them in by June 1st.

So, there's your Market of the Month, finally. What have you got to say?

Finding Something Friday: Flashlight Memories at Silver Boomer Books

When I was looking for the Market of the Month, I came across a note I'd made about Flashlight Memories. But alas (and alack, even), submissions are due by March 15th! Technically, that would be a Market for the Half-Month.

But why should I let a few days keep you from submitting to a delightful anthology? Especially one by my friends over at Silver Boomer Books? And most especially for an anthology that's so dear to my heart.

Flashlight Memories will features poems and prose re: childhood reading. Oh, it makes me smile, just thinking about "A Pickle for a Nickel." Or the Just So Stories. Or reading in my secret hideout with- you guessed it- a flashlight. In fact, I have so many childhood memories about reading, it'll be hard to choose just one to write.

So, I have to run. By the time I decide what to write, the month will be half over!

Double Tootin' Tuesday: The Ultimate Bird Lover and CNN (Radio, That Is)

For all of my fine-feathered friends out there (and really, I'm just talking to the family of wrens who nest in a hanging plant on my screened porch every year), I'd like to say thank you very much!

Because without you, I wouldn't have had a fine story for The Ultimate Bird Lover. Remember way, way back (and for once, I'm not exaggerating) when I wrote that story about Sally the crazy dog gobbling up the baby wren? Yes, I know that doesn't sound like what you'd call a happy story. But it had a heart-warming point.

Still, you can imagine my surprise when a fellow from CNN Radio invited me to do an interview about birds and such. On the radio. At CNN.

Well, I don't need to tell you that I high-tailed it to CNN! See, I started in radio way, way, waaaay back in the day, so I was thrilled to see CNN Radio up close and personal. And also, because I'm a ham.

Anyway, we had quite the conversation about birds and such. More about "and such" than Sally and the baby wrens. But I managed to wing it(C'mon, you had to see that coming) and I believe The Ultimate Bird Lover was even (briefly) mentioned. Maybe, if you live where a CNN affiliate broadcasts, you heard me blah-blahing away. But if not, you can still read my story. Because truly, it's a sweet story.

So, all's well that ends well. (Well, except for the baby wren.)

Finding Something Friday on Chicken Soup's Family Matters (and Tweeting Such)

Sometime this week, I found an email in my Inbox from the Chicken Soup folks. But I just got around to reading it today. Perfect for Finding Something Friday!

Apparently, people just love nutty family stories. You know what I mean: those knee-slapping tales about your mom or dad or cousins or sister-in-law doing those weird and wacky things that made you want to slap them smack in the...um, well, someday you'll laugh at those stories. Right now, other people will find them HI-larious. So, write them down, send them in to Chicken Soup, and make a bunch of money off Uncle Bob backing into your car so he wouldn't hit a pregnant squirrel. You won't make enough money to fix the car, but you can wave the check in Uncle Bob's face. Oh, and act fast. Deadline is February 28th.

I also found out that on this day in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta. I got that factoid from the Atlanta History Center. Technically, I got that bit of info from a tweet, 'cause the Atlanta History Center is on Twitter. So, if you think Twitter is just 140 character lines about what's for dinner, it's time you checked out your museums, aquariums, news services, and even charities. Twitter's amazing. And okay, a little bit weird and wacky.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that the photo of the Beneficent Mr. Hall that goes along with this post in no way is meant to imply that he is weird and wacky. I can't help what you infer.

Finding Something Friday: Did Someone Ask for Zombies?

First off, I opened my Gwinnett Daily Post to find a veritable smorgasbord of zombie news. A review of the movie "Zombieland" got the living dead ball rolling, but then I found this neat story about a guy at Netherworld (a local horror spot that's so scary, the Beneficent Mr. Hall refuses to go. But then, he won't go down the street in the dark, either.) and how parts of this zombie-tastic movie were filmed there (No pun intended. Wait, I think I will intend that pun.)

I also read how the University of Florida had included a response plan for the zombie apocalypse on a disaster recovery site. Now that's what I call being prepared. Apparently, the powers that be failed to see the prudence of having a plan in case of an attack of the living impaired. The zombie plan has already been removed. All I can say is, heaven help Florida if the zombie apocalypse starts there.

If you have a great idea for a zombie story, you should check out the Library of the Living Dead Forum. By my last count, there were 8 anthologies with open submissions for all things zombie-tastic. I've got a great story in mind, about a zombie attack in a Southern state, that had a plan and foolishly threw it out. Heads rolled.

End of Month Submission Madness

According to my calculations, you have about a week to pull yourself and your writing together and submit something, somewhere.

Now, I know it's summer. I know it's too hot to think up settings, or characters, or heaven forbid, a plot with a twist. And I completely understand that you can't possibly do a thing while So You Think You Can Dance is on. But it's time to shake off the sand, get your feet out of the kiddie pool, and fire up the grill, um, gray cells. 'Cause if you don't use it, you'll lose it. And by "it" I mean your mad writing skills. So, try one of these fine destinations for your sizzling stuff:

Glimmer Train has all kinds of contests, all year long. June happens to be Open Fiction. How sweet is that? Those folks must know you're in no mood to write anything new. They're expecting you to send in something you've had lying about for awhile. However, they expect it to be amazing. That's why the entry fee is $20. (First place wins $2,000. Yes, $2,000.)

June's Contest Challenge at Cool Stuff4Writers is titled "Chaos." Just create chaos in your scene, in 300 to 500 words and you could win $25.00. I create chaos every day; in fact, Sally the crazy dog is a pro at creating chaos. Even the beneficent Mr. Hall creates his fair share of chaos. So, I've got this contest in the bag if things ever settle down enough for me to actually write about the chaos. Oh, and there's no entry fee. Whee!

But I know that not all of you write fiction. So, I'm going to remind you about A Cup of Comfort for a Better World. Maybe you thought you missed the deadline. But the deadline was extended to July 1st. So, if you've got between 1,000 to 2,000 words on a story that celebrates compassion, or volunteerism, or generosity, then start writing now.

Because time, tide, and writing deadlines wait for no man (or woman).

Finding Something Friday on Texan Guidelines (Yeehaw!)

Okay, technically, I didn't find a contest or anthology relating to Texas. But as it happens, both of my finds today come from that great state of Texas. And when I say "great" I mean "birthplace of Cathy C. Hall."So, even though I wouldn't take a million bucks for Georgia, I have a soft spot in my writing heart for Texas. On to the writing opportunities...

First up is the NANO Fiction Contest. If you write fast and furious, this is the contest for you. Short, short fiction, micro-fiction, teeny-tiny bursts of fiction-it's all good for the NANO Fiction Contest. Yes, there's an entry fee, but the prize is pretty durn big (isn't that just like Texas?). So, send something to Houston by August 1st and win 500 bucks!

Next is an anthology or two from some fine folks in Abilene. But as wonderful as Abilene apparently is, please don't mail your submission there-send it by email. Or so say the editors of Grandma's Quilts/ Grandpa's Attic. This anthology will be produced by the Silver Boomer Books folks, who like stories and poetry, but check out the website for all the details ('cause there are a whole lot of details!). You have till September 15th, and that's plenty of time to polish up something grandmotherly or grandpa-ish. Or quilt-y/attic-ish.

Good luck, pardners! (Yeehaw.)

Finding Something Friday on Lots of Writing Stuff

So much to share today, I'm just jumping right in! Grab what you like and start writing...

If you've got a wonderful mom story, you need to polish it up and send it in for the Cup of Comfort for Mothers. They've done some restructuring over at C of C, so check out the new site for submission details and the handy-dandy submission form. You have till May 15th to get your wonderful mom story submitted, but check out the blog for other C of C happenings, like the Redbook and Cup of Comfort Silver Linings Contest (also ending on May 15th!) Plus, you'll get a feel for C of C, which definitely helps if you want to get published in this series!

Lisa (a writer's group buddy who just started a blog called Writing In the Buff, which is totally not what you're thinking), sent me a heads-up about Mind-Wings Audio, a company producing audio short stories in all kinds of genres. It's brand-spanking new, so I can't tell you anything more than what you'll find over there. I took a look around, though, and noticed lots of mystery and suspense. Which means either a. they really like mystery and suspense or b. they've got enough of that and are looking for something new. Whatever you send, it's got to be long, like 8, 000 words or so. Sheesh, that's a book where I write from.

And I know this isn't writing, but you're creative types, right? When I saw this note in the latest National Geographic, I ripped that page out (it's okay-It's my NG) because you might be visiting a national park sometime soon. I love parks, and I'm always thrilled to find a new one. So, I'm going to check this link to see what I've been missing around Georgia. And I'm going to grab my new camera and take some pictures for Your Shot in National Geographic. Wouldn't it be swell if Georgia, sweet Georgia showed up? Check out the guidelines here.

Now, here's Sally the crazy dog, who absolutely refused (again) to help me choose a winner for a book contest giveaway (Through Endangered Eyes by Rachel Dillon, remember?). Notice how Sally's actually ignoring me? Any other time, Sally would be all over a tasty piece of paper (the scraps of paper had names of the contestants). But when I need her to pick one lousy piece of paper, she's the Queen of Sheba. Hmmph. So, I'm sharing a cat story today. (It's a wonderful story by Ruth Hartman, who's a wonderful writer and, I hope, a good sport).