Sweet Lit, A Literary Confection “The purpose of Sweet Lit, from its inception in a small apartment in Columbus, Ohio, was to: 1) recognize the ever-changing nature of the written word in an evolving literary landscape; 2) create a simple and readable digital platform for dialogic exchanges between poetry, short creative nonfiction, and graphic pieces; 3) publish diverse voices from all over the country and world; 4) foster and support emerging writers of any age from various social and economic backgrounds; 5) maintain lasting relationships with the writers Sweet Lit has published.” Sweet seeks poetry and creative nonfiction and anything in between. Sorry, no fiction. General submissions are open May 1st through June 30th for Creative Non-Fiction and Poetry. Graphic Essays are open year-round. Guidelines
Category: Just Write
Memoir: Writing For Clarity
“I think most memoir writers write first of all for ourselves, not for any specific audience. We write for our own clarity. The painful admissions, the ways in which we are upset by ourselves, our actions, things we did, things we failed to do, all of that has to be honestly faced. No point in skirting the truth. Who would we be fooling? Ourselves?” — Abigail Thomas Excerpt from “Memoir is Exploration, So Keep Yourself Open: An Interview with Abigail Thomas” By Dinty W. Moore, Brevity magazine Abigail Thomas is the author of many acclaimed memoirs, including A Three Dog Life, Safekeeping, and What Comes Next and How to Like It. She lives in Woodstock, New York, with her dogs. Dinty W. Moore is the founder and editor of Brevity magazine and is likely out in his garden at this very moment.
The RavensPerch
From the founder, Gretna Wilkinson, Ph.D.: The RavensPerch is an online international literary and visual arts magazine. We welcome established as well as emerging writers, tomorrow’s stars. TRP is unique in that the platform brings the literary world together across generations: a home for adults, young adults and children. We publish poetry, fiction, non-fiction and visual art. We are interested in writing that makes us react — all the way from calmly to boisterously. We even give you permission to break our hearts and make us ask for more. Thank you, Dave Seter, for letting me know about The RavensPerch. Dave has four poems in the February 9, 2023 issue.
Simple listening allows sparkling . . .
“A dear friend gave me a small notebook, with a sun on the cover. I often find myself writing in it while drinking my morning coffee, mostly just short phrases or impressions. It reminds of the simple listening that allows sparkling dew drop images to appear.” — Pam Hiller You can read more of Pam’s writing: Journey on The Write Spot Blog and in The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries. #justwrite #amwriting #iamawriter
Motto for 2023 . . . Prompt #702
What will your motto be for 2023? #justwrite #iamwriting #iamawriter
270 Park Avenue
Memorable writing that sparks imagination. Lean in. Hear the writer’s voice on the page. 270 Park Avenue By Karen Handyside Ely 270 Park Avenue Crowed sidewalk. Manhattan energy. Staccato heels slap on the pavement. Collars pulled high to shield numb earlobes. Heads down, eyes forward. We are missiles on a mission as the flinty sky threatens snow. A teeming line of ants, racing the storm. No exit ramps on Park, just a continuous flow of determined arrows. All in a hurry to beat the flurry. Up ahead, one woman stops Creating a ripple, a log jam, startling the herd. Bending down, she speaks in warm puffs to the man shivering on the curb. They exchange words, unheard but plainly visible. Breath bubbles above their heads. She hands him her coffee still steaming in her to-go cup, and walks on. Movement begins anew, ever forward, but smiles appear on New York…
Abandoned Mine
“Abandoned Mine” is looking for: Poems that are accessible and understandable. Poems people will want to re-read. Poems people will want to share with family and friends, neighbors and co-workers. Poems people will remember for the rest of their lives. Many people today are of the belief that they don’t “get” poetry, regarding a poem with almost the same trepidation they might regard, say, a complicated physics equation. In fairness to those many people, some poems are dense. Or cryptic. Or full of confusing words. (Or all three.) Such poems can be intimidating. Such poems can sometimes dissuade people from reading more poetry . . . more. Submission Guidelines Thank you, Dave Seter, for your important and thoughtful poem, “Language of Chemicals and Probable Cause” in Abandoned Mine.
50-Word Stories
“A 50-word story is a piece of fiction written in exactly 50 words. That doesn’t mean ‘roughly’ 50 words; it doesn’t mean ‘as close to 50 words as possible’; it doesn’t mean 50 words or fewer. It means exactly 50 words. As with any other form of fiction, a 50-word story should have a beginning and an end, a plot and character development (even if they are only implied), and a theme, meaning, or purpose of some sort. Many 50-word stories are built around twists or climactic moments. 50WS posts two reader-submitted stories every weekday. To submit your stories for possible publication, see the Submissions page.”
Taste of Summer . . . Prompt #679
A Taste of Summer is inspired by Ellen Wu and her beautiful plating and photography. Ellen describes this gorgeous dish: Greek Yogurt with Summer Fruits Greek yogurt, figs, strawberries, cherries, gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries. Chopped pistachios, freeze-dried strawberries. Raspberry coulis (with Chambord) Peach coulis (with Peche liqueur) “The afternoon lighting turned its yellow color to green.” Prompt: Taste of Summer
The Ghost Story
Do you have a ghost story that’s itching to see the light of day? The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Award (deadline Sept. 30, 2022) “Ghost stories are welcome, of course—but your submission may involve any paranormal or supernatural theme. What we’re looking for is fine writing, fresh perspectives, and maybe a few surprises in the field of supernatural fiction.” Twice each year “The Ghost Story” awards $1,500 and publication to the winner of their short story competition. Two other writers will receive Honorable Mentions that include publication and a $300 cash award. Winning stories and Honorable Mentions will be published on “The Ghost Story” website on June 1 and October 31. GUIDELINES Ghost stories are welcome, of course—but your submission may involve any paranormal or supernatural theme. What we’re looking for is fine writing, fresh perspectives, and maybe a few surprises in the field of supernatural fiction. Story length should run between 1,500…