The Write Spot Blog by Marlene Cullen

Category: Just Write

  • Writing is intimate . . .

    Excerpt from The Sun November 2003, “Keep The Hand Moving,” Natalie Goldberg interviewed by Genie Zeiger:

    Zeiger asked Natalie, “What is the difference between speaking our stories and writing them down?”

    Natalie: Writing it down is more intimate because, first of all, you are developing a relationship among your hand, your arm, your shoulder, your heart, and your mind. Then, because the story is recorded, you have a chance to read it later, so you can see who you are and come home to yourself.

    I tell students to read deeply—which doesn’t mean reading all the great literature but just reading carefully, studying the mind of the author rather than whipping through the book. Reading is important because when you read, you enter the mind of the author, and so you get to study a practiced mind.

    Notice: How do writers create structure in a book? How do they turn phrases and present facts?

    Note from Marlene: Your turn. Just Write!

    More about writing practice from Natalie Goldberg

    #amwriting #justwrite #imawriter

  • Panoplyzine

    Panoplyzine is a fresh new look at poetry and short prose.

    “We seek to publish lively new insights in creativity, outlook, perspective, and analysis. Issue 1 debuted in August 2015. We’re edited by three friends located around Pensacola, FL who got together to offer a new look and a new option for readers and writers and lovers of good writing worldwide. In January 2022, we welcomed a new editor based in Romania to enhance our viewpoint and feel.

    Our mission is to share the best in contemporary poetry and short prose, to enlighten and entertain, and to touch our readers’ hearts and minds.”

    Submission Guidelines

    Guy Biederman had success with “This isn’t the story I intended to write” being published in Panoplyzine.

    Guy’s piece “Send It!” encourages writers to submit their writing. “I record where, when, and what I send, and of course, the results. I record quality declines if I’m given feedback, especially from those who invite me to try them again. And when accepted, I write Yes! next to that entry in Zapfino font, just to party a little.”

    May 5 and May 19, 2022: Guy will teach flash fiction writing. Free on Zoom through Recovery Writing of Idaho.

    Register for Recovery Writing.

    Just Write! And then, submit your writing! Places to Submit.

  • MacQueen’s Quinterly

    MacQueen’s Quinterly : Knock-your-socks-off Art and Literature publishes writing of a thousand words or less.

    “Short forms are deceptively difficult to write well, and although they take only a few minutes to read, the best resonate far longer than that. Perhaps for a lifetime. We’re dedicated to publishing such gems—please dive in to see the latest we’ve found for you.”

    Submission Guidelines

    Bonus Info:

    Guy Biederman is a successful contributor to MacQueen’s Quinterly.

  • Rollick Magazine

    Rollick Magazine is committed to championing new literary voices and is open to unsolicited submissions of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

    “We are specifically interested in publishing contemporary literature, thought, and opinion about popular culture, society, and everything on the periphery. We are passionate about representing all types of voices and seek to offer a home to those who might be otherwise marginalised or underrepresented.”

    Submission Information

    #amwriting #justwrite #iamawriter

  • Inspiration to “Just Write”

    Photo by Robin Hewett Jeffers

    Thank you for visiting The Write Spot Blog. I hope you find motivation to Just Write from these blog posts.

    I feel like I’ve been hibernating. I guess I needed a rest. You might be feeling that way, too.

    In these difficult times, it’s hard for some to be motivated.

    After the glitter of December, I enjoyed being quiet in January.

    February 1st seems like a good time to start a new writing year!

    My flexible blog post schedule:

    Monday: Inspiration to write

    Tuesday: Quotes about writers/writing

    Wednesday: Writing Prompt

    Thursday: Guest Blogger

    Friday: Writing Prompt

    Saturday: Places to submit your writing

    Sunday: Book Reviews

    Memorable writing posted randomly on the Sparks page

    I don’t post every day. I don’t want to overwhelm anyone, including myself!

    If you want to contribute to The Write Spot Blog:

    ~ Send your inspirational thoughts about writing, or the writing life

    ~ Email writerly quotes to me

    ~ You can be a guest blogger: 800-1,000 words to inspire writing

    ~ Share places to submit writing

    ~ Send a book review – what you liked about the book, not a summary

    It’s a new day! Just write!

    Marlene, Happy Curator of The Write Spot Blog

  • Wordrunner eChapbooks Anthology 2022

    Does a new year inspire you to reach your goals of submitting your writing to publications?

    Here’s an idea to start off the new year. Send your writing to Wordrunner eChapbooks anthology.

    Wordrunner eChapbooks Anthology 2022

    Submissions will open January 1 through February 28, 2022.

    There is no theme.

    “We simply want to publish your best writing.”

    Guidelines

    Submit up to three poems (no longer than a page each) or three flash fictions (750 to 1,000 words each), or one short story, novel or memoir excerpt, or a personal essay (up to 5,000 words).

    There are separate categories for each genre (poetry, fiction, nonfiction). You may submit to more than one category. Send your best.

    All submissions to the anthology must be previously unpublished.

    No genre fiction (horror, fantasy, mystery), please, unless a story transcends its genre. Literary/speculative fiction is acceptable.

    Fees for submissions to the anthology: $3. These fees cover basic operational expenses and payment to authors.

    All rights revert to authors. We appreciate being credited as a first publication source.

    About Wordrunner eChapbooks

    “We are pleased and proud to showcase diverse and talented writers, whether they be emerging newbies or old hands with a long list of publishing credits. We read submissions blind, always on the alert for genuinely excellent writing.”

  • Get past ego to connect

    “I think American society alienates us from ourselves, and we have a great need to reconnect. Human beings yearn to connect and to tell our stories before we die.

    Sometimes we want to write, but when we get down to it, there’s resistance, because the ego gets scared.” — Natalie Goldberg in an interview with Genie Zeiger, “Keep The Hand Moving,” The Sun November 2003.

    Ideas on how to get past ego and Just Write

    The Inner Critic Tar Pit of Doom and Despair

    Is “Go Big or Go Home” Right for You?

    Rachel Macy Stafford: Live Love Now

    #amwriting #creativewriting #justwrite #freewrites

  • Writing contests. Yay or Nay?

    If you are thinking of entering writing contests, it’s important to research to determine if a contest is legitimate and reputable.

    But, how to find reputable contests?

    Go to trusted sources.

    Research websites, blogs, and social media by people you know and trust.

    Anne R. Allen, a trusted source, blogs about writing:

     “Writing Contests are Important: How To Tell the Good Ones from the Scams”

     “Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags.”

    C. Hope Clark’s  Funds for Writers newsletter is a great source for announcements of vetted contests, and a handbook of writing contests.

    Writer Beware, the publishing industry watchdog group.

    If entering contests is in your writing budget, here’s something to consider:

    B. Lynn Goodwin, founder of Writer Advice: posted:

    “Too often writers submit to agents and editors without having any credentials, but winning a writing competition—especially a well-known one—gives you immediate credibility and something to add to your writing resume.”  —Brian Klems, writer, speaker, freelance editor, husband, softball player, perennial fantasy sports underachiever, Huffington Post contributor

    Reputable Resources for contests:

    The Redwood Branch of The California Writers Club hosts several contests a year.

    The current contest, the 2022 Poetry Anthology deadline is soon . . .

    November 15, 2021 at 9 pm (PST)

    Reedsy, online author services in the self-publishing industry, posts contest information.

    Post your writing contest experience on my Writers Forum Facebook Page, under this post.

    #amwriting #justwrite #writingcontests

  • ‘Tis the season . . . NaNoWriMo

    ‘Tis the season for NaNoWriMo.

    National Novel Writing Month is held during the month of November.

    Have you ever done it? Have you thought about it and wondered if you could or should do it?

    I say: Go for it!

    What do you have to lose?

    And, you might gain some excellent writing.

    “National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days.”

     Sharon Oard Warner says “A work of fiction that logs in at 50,000 words is actually a novella . . .”

    So, if the idea of writing a novel is overwhelming, consider writing a novella.

    Prepare for NaNoWriMo

    Julie Artz writes about her NaNoWriMo experience on Jane Friedman’s blog, “Want to Win NaNoWriMo? The Secret is Preparation.”

    Learn from her mistakes to get “that coveted NaNoWriMo win.”

    Prolific author Bella Andre wrote about her struggles with writing, “Guest Blogger Bella Andre couldn’t stand it anymore, so she . . .”

    As for me? Yes, I have participated in NaNoWriMo. It was fun to “pretend to be a writer for a month.” And then, guess what? I did become a writer. I wrote about my experience, with tips on how to prepare and succeed with NaNoWriMo: “Concept is simple, execution is difficult.“

    NaNoWriMo-Is it for you?

    Tips to Unlock the Book Only You Can Write

    Thanks, Chris Baty and Grant Faulkner for NaNoWriMo and for inspiration to Just Write.

    #amwriting #justwrite #NaNoWriMo #ChrisBaty #JaneFriedman #Bella Andre #novella #GrantFaulkner #NoPlotNoProblem!

  • Cagibi

    CAGIBI is versatile in its purpose and mission to readers and writers. The journal centers on literature in which character conflict, ultimately story, is tied to place. 

    Nicole R. Zimmerman succeeded with what CAGIBI looks for in a story. Read “Autumn Inferno” by Nicole R. Zimmerman, an example of exceptional, extraordinary writing, an unforgettable story told in an illuminating format.

    Cagibi, qu’est ce que c’est? What is a cagibi?

    American phonetic transcription: /kä’jēbē/

    A cagibi, from the spoken French, is versatile in its purpose: it may be a shed, a cubbyhole, a cupboard.

    It is a space to store tools or personal items for safekeeping: shovels, love letters, suitcases, pails, heirlooms, tchotchkes.

    It is a space too low for grown-ups but perfect for children to hide and play.

    It is that snug space under the stairs just large enough to fit a small writing desk.

    It is a space that isn’t quite a room, usually windowless, but also door-less, a space that is at once intimate and yet open to the world.

    It is any shelter, no matter how tiny, that allows for big imaginings to take shape.

    CAGIBI is invested in sharing the universal human experiences to be found in works of prose and poetry set within places unfamiliar to readers; thus, our expressed interest in international—or world—literature, and works in translation. 

    Journal in Print and Online

    CAGIBI’s journal is bundled online in quarterly issues, with one print issue each year.

    Cagibi publishes an annual print issue.

    Online, the quarterly online issues are published in January, April, July, and October. Each issue publishes stories, essays, poems, and art.

    We welcome non-traditional and emerging writers, as well as minority and marginalized viewpoints.

    Publishing Between Issues

    Cagibi Express is a separate online section: a space between issues.

    Submit your writing to Cagibi.

    #amwriting #justwrite #creative writing #creative nonfiction