Venturing into plotter territory

I finished my first short story of the year and submitted it. It shines... as much as a supernatural story with a gory crime scene can shine. I'm happy to be on track with one thing this month.

With that out of the way, I'm concentrating on starting the revisions for Witch's First Rule (WFR). I've been re-reading it and I don't like the way it's written. Once upon a time, I thought it was genius. Oh, how naive was I. It's amazing to think that just in a matter of a few years, my writing style and standards have changed so much. It's going to take a lot of rewriting, but I have faith in the story itself.

To clear out all the clutter, I made a plot points list. Yes, you read correctly. I made a list. I actually made a couple of lists. I'm not saying I'm abandoning my pantser nature, but this plotter technique is helping me see the story in a different light. I can organize the plot, making sure there's enough action to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

I'm a pantser with first drafts, but I've grown into a plotter when it comes to revisions. Perhaps I've found my true writer's path. It's only taken *mumblemumble* years.

In other news, my son is doing better. His mood is good and his cough is going away. Hooray! Yet we had to go into the clinic this morning for me. I have strep throat. I'm a good sick person, though. I will be spending the weekend reading and playing Dragon Warrior 3 on the DS. Hope you have a good weekend!

A couple of anthologies to think about

One of my goals this year is to write a short story every month. No time like the present to get started. I have a few new ideas for some sci-fi stories, but right now, they're just story hooks. No plots yet. Sometimes it helps when you have a prompt to spark your imagination.

My favorite site for links to anthologies accepting submissions is Ralan.com. I've been using this site for years. It's easy to navigate, reliable, and gives you a lot of choices. Here are a few anthologies that caught my attention:

DARK FAITH 2 - 1-time print (Apex Publications). Horror/dark blended with faith. Pay: 5¢/word. Words: <4k. RT: unknown. Reprints: no. Deadline: January 31. E-subs: ONLY. Maurice Broaddus & Jerry Gordon, Editors

EXTREME PLANETS - 1-time print/Kindle (Chaosium Inc.); sf (fic). Pay: 3¢/word +3 copies. Words: 4k-10k (<20k for pros). RT: after DL. Reprints: pros query only. Deadline: June 30. E-subs: ONLY. David Conyers, David Kernot, & Jeff Harris, Editors

FUNGI - 1-time print/eAntho (Innsmouth Free Press); all SpecFic; key element: fungus (fic). Pay: 1¢/word. Words: <5k. RT: Spring 2012. Reprints: yes. Opens: January 15 (Do not submit before!) Deadline: February 15. E-subs: ONLY. Silvia Moreno-Garcia & Orrin Grey, Editors
 
MORTIS OPERANDI - 1-time POD (The Harrow Press); supernatural crime (fic/art). Pay: $50 +copy. Words: 3k-6k. RT: <3 months. Reprints: no. Deadline: when filled. E-subs: ONLY. Kfir Luzzatto & Druann Pagliassotti, Editors

BUGS! - 1-time print (Pill Hill Press); all genres (fic). Pay: $10. Words: 4k-10k. RT: <3 months. Reprints: no. Deadline: when filled. E-subs: ONLINE FORM ONLY. Gerald Costlow, Editor
 
10 REASONS TO CROSS THE MOAT - 1-time print (Sam's Dot Publishing); sf/f (fic/poem). Pay: fic=$20; poem=$5. Words: fic=2k-9k; poem=<100 lines. RT: reject/holdover=1-2 months; final=after DL. Reprints: no. Deadline: May 1. E-subs: ONLY. Katie Hartlove & Sylvan Bree Baker, Editors

This list is as much for me as it is for you. I like to share, and I realized in my annual desk cleaning, I had too many little pieces of paper with various anthologies written on them that were lost in the jumble. I now have a clean workspace and I'm ready to write. Hm, but which one to start with?