Places to submit

Qwerty Magazine

The submission period for Qwerty Magazine, Issue No. 44, Winter 2022 is now open. ​Qwerty is a graduate student-run magazine at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, Canada. Work submitted between now and September 2021 may not be read and responded-to immediately.​ The number one criterion, above all else, is mastery of craft. “Though Qwerty has primarily published literary fiction and fine art, we have no qualms with publishing genre fiction that subverts convention, experimental work that inverts tradition in pursuit of innovative storytelling, or images that play on the senses in unusual ways. So go ahead: send us your stories that tap into the lower depths of the public consciousness. And also send us your poems and photos about the zombie apocalypse. So long as it’s exemplary, we’d be delighted to feature your work in future issues of Qwerty.”​ Fiction/Creative Non-Fiction: previously unpublished fiction and creative non-fiction up to 5,000 words in…

Prompts

After Retirement . . . Prompt #592

After Retirement By Ron SalisburyWhat were you thinking Eunice askedas the fireman who had strapped meto his back brought me down fromthe eucalyptus on the engine ladder.It seem like such a good idea, justnail little boards to the tree and keepclimbing. The canopy of things up there,a complete universe, distance like future.Thinking was something I usually did.Then one day stopped. Idea doesn’t haveboundaries, besides, I had these little boardsleft over from the fence. Note from Marlene: When the prompt is a poem, you can write on the mood or the theme of the poem, a line, or a word. Just Write! You are welcome to comment on my Writers Forum Facebook Page. Ron Salisbury “Since the seventh grade, all I’ve ever wanted to be is a poet. It is a great honor to be chosen as San Diego’s first Poet Laureate. This appointment will empower me to represent the dynamic San Diego…

Sparks

Memories

Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Memories By Frank Hulse Confession is good for the soul. So here goes: Something I’ve been gnawing on, off and on all day like a dog bone with just a little more flavor. I can remember my combination lock from my freshman year in college. I can remember what the locker room smelled like. It was directly adjacent to the indoor swimming pool so it was primarily chlorine—but there were more than a few other smells I won’t describe here. If I see a post or a picture from a high school classmate, I can immediately hear her/his voice. I can remember church camp out at Osage Hills State Park when I was in 8th grade and showing off in the swimming pool, more or less like a peacock when it fans out its train. I…

Prompts

Pastiche . . . Prompt #591

Today’s writing prompt is not the usual 15-20 minute freewrite. Instead, it’s a bit more challenging and will take time to pursue. When you are ready for the challenge . . . Create a pastiche. “Pastiche (pronounced pass-TEESH) is a creative work that imitates another author or genre. It’s a way of paying respect, or honor, to great works of the past. Pastiche differs from parody in that pastiche isn’t making fun of the works it imitates – however, the tone of pastiche is often humorous.” Examples of Pastiche The TV show 30 Rock is about a television studio, so there are plenty of opportunities for pastiche. In various episodes, the show mimics classic shows like “The Brady Bunch” or “Seinfeld” and major television events like the Olympics. From the tone of the show, it’s clear that these imitations come from a place of irreverent love, so they fall into the category of pastiche rather than parody. Pastiche is common in music,…

Sparks

Ode To A Table

Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Ode to a Table By Julie Wilder-Sherman Lined with age, scratched without intent, indentations of mountain ranges from 7th grade homework reside in her second panel. Rings of white from overly hot cups and larger spheres from sizzling casserole dishes placed upon hot pads too thin. Dents on corners from swift, careless movement, black pen lines etched through paper, bleeding into the wood.  The long, suffering life of my dining room table, surviving, still standing with the family that unthinkingly scarred her. Julie Wilder-Sherman began reading books at an early age, encouraged by her mother who would allow her to take books to bed when she was as young as two years old. Raised in a family of readers, writers, performers, musicians, and political activists, Julie followed her dream of singing professionally and met her husband, bassist…

Prompts

Cool Desserts . . . Prompt #590

July is National Ice Cream Month Write about a memorable ice cream or cool dessert. Or write about interesting or unusual ice cream desserts. Wicked Slush Dave and Julie Pokorny have created a destination experience in Petaluma, CA with their unique Wicked Slush. Soft serve with a twist. “Back East, it was Carvel. The creamiest, dreamiest, tallest, most improbable tower of soft serve ice cream, covered in chocolate magic shell. Remember? You had to crack through the shell to get to the goodness inside. Well, in Petaluma, we have Wicked. Creamy, dreamy, towering swirls of soft serve ice cream, made from local, organic Straus Family Creamery Dairy. Now imagine this in not only chocolate or vanilla, but in any one of 26 different flavors! And that magic shell? How about 6 different flavors? How about this concoction sitting in a crunchy sweet waffle cone? Yep. That’s how we roll at Wicked.”…

Sparks

I Scream, You Scream

Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. I Scream, You Scream By Nona Smith It’s been well over a year since I’ve done any grocery shopping at Safeway. Early on in the pandemic, it was Harvest, our other local supermarket, who quickly adopted safety precautions: it made mask-wearing mandatory, limited the number of shoppers inside the store at any given time, provided handwashing stations outside, and offered free Latex gloves. Safeway was slow to adopt protective measures, making me feel unsafe in Safeway. Fast forward eighteen months, and I’m fully vaccinated and in need of a cake mix Harvest doesn’t carry. Being as health conscious as it is, the shelves in the baking section at Harvest are laden with organic, gluten-free, paleo, KETO, dairy-free cake mixes. There are only a handful of non-organic, full-on gluten, white sugar mixes on the very bottom shelf….

Sparks

Dedicated to Dad

Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. Dedicated to Dad By William Frank Hulse III  I was out on the back patio, grilling some hamburgers. After talking to the two dogs next door I sat down at a little café/bistro table my wife arranged as a little hygge spot for us. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement and turned to see a beautiful yellow butterfly go passing by, on its way to a luncheon appointment I suppose. I smiled at the thought and then, for some reason, my father came to mind. He died 18 years ago but he has this clever way of making his presence known. Sometimes, it’s one of his nifty quotes that he borrowed from Will Rogers – a local hero of ours. Other times it’s his shadow that looms large when I’m guessing what…

Prompts

An idyllic afternoon . . . Prompt #588

I have the good fortune of belonging to a Facebook Group called Hygge Life. A group that posts phenomenal photos and all positive comments. Recently, someone posted photos of her inspirational garden in Essex Coast, UK, with this invitation: “Hygge friends! Come take a little stroll with me to my favourite corner of the garden! We can sit a while and sip on our tea/coffee/tissane and gaze at the craziness of our raised veggie beds, the beginnings of the sweet pea pyramid, the formal and wild flowers and listen and watch as the busy white bottomed bees gather pollen! We can stay a while and chit chat about all things Hygge or . . . just listen, smell, and look at the wonder of Mother Nature. Come join me!” Writing Prompt: Imagine being in this garden, sitting at the blue table, across from a friend. What would you chat about?…