October is for Spooky Tales

It was great to be able to take some time off in September to do research for a side project for a book I would like to write. I made numerous trips to my local library (old fashioned, I know), started to put together short character bios, a timeline for my story and sketched out a rough outline. Not having a deadline looming over my head gave me one less thing to worry about during a much anticipated heart procedure I had done last week as well. (It went smoothly and I am recuperating comfortably at home.)

After all the rest and relaxation, I am ready to get down to brass tacks. October is one of my very favorite months. #1: It's my birthday month. #2: It finally starts to cool down here in the South. #3: Halloween. Need I say more?

For October I have found an international literary journal that is accepting submissions on the theme of horror. What could be more perfect? The Flexible Persona is asking for nonfiction and fiction pieces that will produce terror, anxiety and horror in their editors and readers. This themed issue is free to enter and the deadline is (what else?) October 31st. Selected pieces will be chosen for an on-line audio format as well as a special e-reader edition in February 2015. Please visit their site for more information.

After the mild success I had in the Chilling Tales for Dark Nights contest in June, I am really excited to write another horror story. I hope you won't think that I am cheating since I will be writing another scary story. I found the link to my short story if you missed the voting stage this summer or would just like to read my short story again, typos and all.

Something interesting I ran across was Paul Jenny's site, Stories are the Wildest Things: Writing and Reading With Paul Jenny. He is an author based out of New York City that has taken an interest in telling other writer's stories, both fiction and nonfiction. He hosts a podcast, Stories are the Wildest Things, in which he reads aloud his readers' stories and shares writing tips.

My question for you today is, if you were to write a horror story, would it be something inspired by something in your real life or something created by your imagination? I look forward to hearing from you in the comment section below.

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you.

September Writing Reminder

I may be taking a break from a long term challenge/contest this month, but I will still try my hand at a quick 48-hour contest this weekend. I want to remind my fellow writers that Literary Journal Toasted Cheese is hosting Three Cheers and a Tiger's annual sci-fi/fantasy writing competition this weekend. Today they will post a prompt and word count limit on their web page. The goal is write a sci-fi/fantasy short story according to the prompt within the next 48 hours.

I am interested in this particular challenge because this is a genre that I have struggled with. If you remember back in June I tried to write a science fiction story for L. Ron Hubbard's Writers and Illustrators of the Future. I was able to write a horror story for Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, which I had never done before, but the science fiction story eluded me. I look forward to a second chance. (Thank you again for voting my story in the horror writing contest! You guys are amazing!)

Congratulations to the winners of the BBC sponsored radio play writing competition. They have narrowed their favorites down to a short list of finalists. I wish I could hear what the final performances sound like. I hope I get a chance to participate in it again next year.

Do  you have a particular genre you struggle with? One you were surprised you were good at writing? Share it with me in the comment section below!

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you...

September Writing - Taking Time for Myself

In July and August I had set out to write short stories according to a prompt or a theme and for those two months I have failed to finish writing my stories. Summer has been difficult for me to find time to write. Not that I am complaining, but between the kids and vacations and the doctor appointments and outings, writing took an unfortunate backseat.

For September I have decided to get back to basics. During the last eight months I have learned a lot about myself, the way I think, write and react to deadlines and pressure. For the remainder of this month I am taking the time to work on a personal side project that has been rattling around my brain for the last few weeks. I am hoping it turns into an interesting story that will expand into a novel. But only time (and dedication) will tell.

I still participate in Flash! Friday every weeks. It is a great way to exercise my brain and write a killer story within 150 words. This month, Toasted Cheese Literary Journal is hosting Three Cheers and a Tiger's 48-Hour Science Fiction/Fantasy writing contest. During the weekend the weekend of September 19-21, they will provide a prompt and writers are encouraged to write a story within 48 hours. I have tried my hand at sci-fi/fantasy before and failed beautifully. But I am never one to give up easily, so I just may throw my hat in the ring again. For those who are interested, We Said Go Travel's Fall writing contest will open on September 11. Please read my inspiration travel article, Welcome to the Double J, that I submitted to their February writing contest.

I hope that taking time for myself will allow me to ready for what is ahead. I already know of a few challenges that I want to be prepared for come Fall and Winter. If I can't get my ideas out of my head and on (electronic) paper now, I know that I won't be able to focus on the challenges I have lined up in future months. Taking time for myself is, in itself, going to be a challenge.

What challenges do you face in your writing? Share your thoughts below.

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you.

End of Summer Writing

July was a bust for me. Between dealing with having the kids home for summer and my heart catheter, I hardly got any writing done at all. That's not to say I was wholly unproductive. I managed to submit two previously written pieces to two different writing competitions/publications. Let's hope that the end of summer will greet me with more success. Besides, 11/12 is still an 'A'.

In July, I attempted to write a short story for the "Skin" themed issue of The Chattahoochee Review. I had an idea, an outline and even a few hundred words down on (electronic) paper. I had an idea for a photo essay for the Stoneboat Literary Journal but didn't get a chance to finish the project. This time it wasn't a matter of taking on more than I could chew so much as life getting in the way. But I sure did have a great time going bowling, being a beach bum, going to the zoo and in general just hanging out with my kids. The heart catheter and doctor's appointments on the other hand were not so much fun.

For August, I have set forth what is probably going to be more of a challenge than I think it will be, but I am ready to get back to work. The Red Line is an online magazine that publishes English language short stories from International writers. They are currently accepting submissions about "Joy". The Nonbinary Review is a quarterly interactive library. Its goal is to invite writers to take the issue's theme (right now it is L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz) and to re-investigate it and write a new story related to the theme.

I'm not going to stress about trying to get both of these done right this second. The Red Line is due by August 31 but the Nonbinary Review's submissions are open longer, though it doesn't state the deadline on the website. So let the creative juices flow!

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you...

(I submitted my two previously written pieces to FireGoat Books and Loudoun County Public Library)

15 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic

• Know Your Audience
• Don't stray off topic. This is a blog about writing. If I wanted to write about fluffy kitties and rainbows I would share that information on a different blog. You want your peers to share your thoughts not get confused by them.

• Make it Interesting/Make it Relevant
• New readers are hard to attract. What you want is to keep your readers loyal. Keep them hungry and keep them coming back for more.

• Write Damn You!
• Write well, write often and write what you know. Be your own expert but don't sound like a douche.

• Include Links
• Including links to your old pages will help garner more page views and drive up traffic. Since you're here, check out the very first edition of Writing 12 in 12 to see why I started this particular blog. 

• Update old Posts
• Always keep things updated. You may come across new information and be able to re-post an old blog to a new audience.

• Make Popular Posts Accessible 
• New visitors will be able to read through your most popular material quickly and get hooked on the awesomeness that is you. Mine is at the bottom of my page. Enjoy!

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• In order to get people to read your blog, they first need to be able to find your blog. Use keywords in your title, subheads and text. I'm pretty notorious for not doing that, but if you want to be better than me, try being direct in your titles. If you're writing about about your latest gardening failure, put that in your title. Don't say, "Slugs Abound!" say something more like, "Gardening Fail in Local Neighborhood: Famine for Family of Five". Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but now you see why I'm writer. Adding images to your posts is another great way to increase SEO's. People searching for images are likely to "StumbleUpon" your blog.

• Networking
• Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Reddit, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram are your friends, as well as numerous others that are more specialized and tailored to your special interests. Get active. Get social. Share and share alike. Learn how to use hashtags in social media.  Jump into conversations relevant to your blogs and don't be afraid to post to different sites. Just make sure your blogs are actually contributing material to their sites otherwise you'll come across as spammy and no one likes spam, unless there's a natural disaster. (Those are are links to sign up for service - not shameless self promotion)

• Google Analytics
• Google Analytics is free. It shows you your audience source, time spent on your blog, number of new visitors and total page visits.

• Use Images


• Use your own images or borrow other's legally. You can search to be sure your images are not being 'borrowed' without permission and if they are ask for a link back to your blog. 
• Here's a picture of my dog to tide you over.

• 

  Sancho the Dog
  Picture by Laura Romero

• Guest Blog(gers)
• If you get the chance to, accept the opportunity to be a guest blogger on someone else's site. Likewise, let someone guest blog on yours.

• Look Professional
• Update your look often. Always look for ways to make your blog more user friendly. Use eye pleasing colors, easy to navigate pages, make links easy to follow, include a comment section and a way for readers to subscribe and share your blog. 

• Be an Active Participant
• When people comment, comment back. Answer thoughtful questions with thoughtful answers and encourage discussions. 

• Offer a Subscription
• Include an RSS feed using Feedburner so you can encourage a loyal fan base.

• Above All, Be Yourself
• I'm silly and goofy with a sense of humor that only those closest to me truly appreciate. Mostly my kids. It has taken a long time to find my groove and it that's just fine. No one says you have to be perfect right out of the starting gate. Have fun, be yourself and enjoy your time writing. It will show. 

Celebrating Indepenence

What a great month June turned out to be! My horror story, Youthanasia, made it to the public voting round with Chilling Tales for Dark Nights' Short Story Horror Writing Contest. The story fought the good fight for the first few days, staying within the first three spots, but eventually I got knocked out. In the end, I came in somewhere in the middle. Thank you to everyone who voted for me.

Congratulations to the winners! I read everyone's stories and there were some very good ones I was up against. I am honored (and very proud of myself) to have been a part of it. In fact, I am looking forward to the next one. The way I see it, I have only been serious about my writing for the last six months and to get that far is a real treat.

After having written a horror story, I had a difficult time coming up with a sci-fi/fantasy story to submit to L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest. I tried and I tried but all the ideas I came up with had to do with ghosts and horror. Guess I was on a roll. And it may very well be that sci-fi/fantasy isn't for me. I enjoy reading the genre but I probably am just not cut out to write about it. And that's OK. That's what this project is all about; finding my limitations and finding myself.

For the seventh month, and seventh venture, I have decided to try to submit to a magazine. I have looked into several options and found quite a few that appeal to me. Am I going to submit to every single one of them? Probably not. Something I have learned is that I can't force myself to do something, i.e. the sci-fi story. So for this month, the month where we celebrate our independence, I am going to celebrate my own independence and not pin myself down with only one option.

Option 1: Mountain Tales Press is accepting cowboy poetry.

Option 2: The Chattahoochee Review is accepting submissions on the theme of "skin", either literal or figurative.

Option 3: Stoneboat Literary Journal is taking submissions of poetry, fiction and non-fiction works. But they are also accepting photo essays, which I am most interested in. They also accept comics and graphic fiction/non-fiction.

Option 4: Good Housekeeping is running a writing contest. Submit stories that are "All About Love."

Option 5: The Quotable will be accepting a variety of writing on the theme of "desire".

Most all of these magazines close their submissions on August 1, making my July goal perfect timing. I have some ideas for what I want to try to write for some of these and haven't figured anything out for others. I have decided that if I can submit to at least two of these magazines than I have made July a successful month.

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you.

Six Month Check-Up

I started an experiment six months ago in order to force myself to expand my horizons and stretch my comfort zones. If I was going to try to be a serious writer than I wanted to prove that I didn't have to limit myself to just one genre. Sure, I had the most experience with play writing, but that was just because of my background doing theatre in the Houston area. Since my stroke I have had to seriously consider the fact that my amateur stage career, and any chances at a real career were over, giving me the rare opportunity to take my time and explore my options.

In January I taught myself how to write a radio play for BBC World Drama's International Play Writing Competition. The format is different from that of a stage play, which I still need to work on. In fact, I am currently in the market for some new software to help me with that very problem. The judging will likely take place in August.

In February I wrote a short piece for travel website, We Said Go Travel. I was really proud of this piece. The theme was to write about a place you were influenced to spend your time wisely. My Grandma and Paw Paw, both influential themselves, had just passed away and I couldn't think of a better place to write about than the time spent growing up on their property in the Big Thicket in East Texas. You can read my piece here, if you are interested. And a hearty congratulations to the winners. I hope one day I can be half the world traveler some of those lucky writers are.

In March I participated in Three Cheers and a Tiger's short story mystery writing challenge. You are given a prompt at Just the Place for a Snark, a writing forum, and in 48 hours required to write a short story. Twice a year, Three Cheers hosts this type of competition. In the Spring it's all about the mystery, in Fall they want your sci-fi/fantasy stories. You can win the winning entries in the June edition of Toasted Cheese.

April was a tough month for me. I was having some health issues that kept me from completing my personal challenge of writing a poem a day for National Poetry Month. I managed to do it about half the time, which only makes me determined to try again next year. I submitted my poems on poet Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides Blog where he challenges writers to write a poem a day every day for the month of April.

In May, I wrote a short story about an object for Haunted Waters Press's Summer issue of From the Depths. It could be any object in the world, real or imagined, however tangible and what did I do? I missed the deadline. But the editors at Haunted Waters Press read my blog (how cool is that?) about learning my lesson, and gave me a chance to submit my story anyway. What a fantastic opportunity and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also, check out their Penny Fiction. I haven't been able to think of any yet, but they get some fascinating entries.

And here we are, halfway through June. So far I have submitted my horror story to Chilling Tales for Dark Nights. I admit that I have yet to start on a sci-fi/fantasy story for L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. I'm having a hard time thinking of something to write about. 

One more fun thing I have found to do is Flash! Fiction Friday hosted by Rebekah Postupak. As many Fridays as I am able, I participate in writing a flash fiction story (about 150 words) that has to do with the prompt given. I have had so much fun reading everyone's entries and trying to come up with something creative and original. It's a great writing exercise, if nothing else. Fiction Friday is on Twitter.

New things I have learned/done:

Written a radio play

Written a horror story

Missed a deadline

Been given a second chance

Been disappointed at what I have produced

Realized I do better with specific guidelines rather than being giving unlimited reign (my imagination goes into overdrive and then shuts down - for days)

I write terrible poetry 

I write pretty good poetry

Quit second guessing myself!

I hate writing author bios

Sci-fi/fantasy may not be my thing...

I need to be less fearful