Wicked Wednesday - writing for the holidays

(A Krampus monster from the local Krampus parade)

I don't just mean writing for Christmas holidays. I'm talking about any holiday. Groundhog Day to Easter to Halloween.

That specific time of year rolls around and writers get inspired to write about it. Write when the inspiration hits. Holidays bring up a lot of powerful emotions and memories. There is a ton of inspiration strolling around, too, like the Krampus. Use it to your advantage.

Yet there is one problem with writing a holiday themed story on that holiday: it will be too late to publish it for that time of year once you're done.

The way I've dealt with that problem is to push my muse ahead six months holiday-wise. I've already written a couple of Valentine's Day stories and one Easter piece. I'll start in on some summer stories next month.

This way, I have holiday themed stories set to send out to various venues with plenty of time to rise up in the slush piles and be seen by editors with still a few months to spare before the holiday itself. I send Christmas stories out in June and July. Publishers usually get loads of those ones.

And yes, I do get inspired to write seasonal tales during those particular times of year. It just means I have to sit on them a little longer before submitting. As I said, write when the inspiration hits, but submit with enough time for an editor to get to your story and comfortably fit you in their schedule.

Have you ever written a holiday themed story?

IWSG for September 2015 - co-hosting, the surprise, and nerves!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

This month is my first time co-hosting. I'm a little nervous, but I have awesome co-hosts: Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, and Heather Gardner!

Plus, IWSG has a surprise for us. It's completely awesome. Read on down through this post to find out what it is!

This month I'm nervous about several things. Not just about co-hosting! I finished a project and I've submitted it to my publisher. Will they like it? It's different than the trilogy I already have with them. What will I do if they don't want it? That means querying other venues. Yikes!

I've also started a new project. One that's ambitious even for me. A serial with nine parts. I tell myself that I will outline for this story, but my muse just wants to write. She has consistently snubbed any outline I've tried to write in the past no matter how general I make them. So I end up pantsing. Which works most of the time for me, but with a nine part serial? That needs planning. Big time planning makes me anxious.

Are you nervous about anything this month?

Now the reveal.... 

The IWSG Short Story Contest 2015

After the success of last year’s IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond, we decided to create another book. This time it’s a short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in the anthology.

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.

Word count: 5000-6000

Theme: Alternate History/Parallel Universe. That’s right, we’ve decided to go the speculative route. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines, except erotica or graphic violence.

Story deadline: November 1st, 2015.

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to TheIWSG at gmail dot com before the deadline passes. Make sure to include your contact details.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges:

·         Laura Maisano - Senior editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian fiction

·         Russell Connor – Author and owner of Dark Filament Publishing Startup

·         Candace Havens  - Author and Editorial Director for the Covet, Edge and Select lines at Entangled Publishing

·         Dawn Frederick – Literary agent and the founder of Red Sofa Literary

·         Alice Speilburg – Founder of the Speilburg Literary Agency

·         Michelle Johnson – Founder of Inklings Literary Agency and Writers' Center and Bookstore owner

·         Kendare Blake - Author

·         Lydia Moëd - Associate agent at The Rights Factory

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. The winners will also receive an exclusive badge to display on their blog.

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!

2012 Writing Goals

I didn't do nearly as much writing as I wanted to this year, but I learned a lot about the craft, networking, and critiquing. Learning how to tear apart someone else's story makes me a better writer in the end when I do the same for myself. Connecting with other writers has also helped encourage me and taught me so much. You guys are the greatest!

Goal #1: I want to get back to writing one short story a month and submitting it. I did this for a few years before my son was born, but I lost a lot of momentum when I had a newborn to care for. This will also mean I will have one new short story to present to my CPs and writers' group every month. My lessons in critiquing will continue.

Goal #2: Try to get one short story polished to such a degree that it is published in a SFWA approved publication. This is a very difficult thing to do. I want it, though. I want it so much. It will take work, work, and more work, and whole load of originality and great storytelling.

Goal #3: Revise and submit three of my paranormal romances: Witch's First Rule (mainstream adult paranormal romance), A Lion's Heart (erotic paranormal romance), and Sorrow Phage (urban fantasy with a romantic subplot). It's going to take a lot of time. Revising is one of my least favorite things to do. Yet marketing it properly when I submit a novel is something I like even less. I will take my lessons learn and apply them, and hopefully *knock on wood* I'll have a novel with a wonderful press next year.

Goal #4: Complete the A to Z Blogging Challenge in April. I'm very excited about this challenge. I think I might do a story that covers all 26 days. The tricky part will be making it apply to each letter. I also realized that April will be a hectic month for me. My son's and husband's birthdays, and we'll be visiting my family in Canada for a week. I'll have to make sure my blog posts are written beforehand.

Goal #5: Complete the NaNoWriMo challenge in November. It might be my only chance next year to write a new novel.

Whew. That sounds like a lot, but I have the whole year. I can do it... right?

What are your writing goals for 2012?