A huge congratulations to Kimberli Bindschatel for making it to the quarter finals of Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award (Young Adult Fiction). Check out her entry here.
I first met Kimberli while writing for her Whisper in the Woods, a northern Michigan nature journal packed with gorgeous photography. Along with publishing and editing, she is also a talented photographer. And now she can add writing to the list of her many accomplishments.
Best of luck to Kimberli and all debut authors!
My story, A Damselfly in Distress, has found a home in Knowonder’s Nerissa’s Celebration, a collection of 30 read aloud stories for kids. It’s part of the Story-a-Day Initiative: “a Literacy Program that drives progress through fun, compelling and affordable stories each and every day of the month.” Let’s get everyone reading!
And check out the Year’s Coolest Literary Magazine Innovations.
What would Gutenberg think?
I’m taking a break from my literary journey to share a smattering of good news and a moral of sorts.
First the good news:
I recently discovered that Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA chose my short story, The Quincienera Text, to be part of their Women of Promise Scholarship:
“Each student read a beautiful story – The Quinceañera Text, by Erin Fanning – with a cross-generational theme that resounded with the students own experiences. When they arrived at Pine Manor each student wrote an essay on the story and later participated in a seminar-style discussion with their peers and a member of the faculty.”
I felt as if I’d won a contest I hadn’t been aware of entering. And I learned that touching someone with my writing was the ultimate reward for taking pen to paper (or, rather, fingers to keyboard).
I was equally honored to be profiled in the October issue of Toledo Reads. Sharon Arquette, the writer, told me she had been looking for an author with an eclectic career, someone who pursued a variety of literary avenues. She came across my website and was intrigued by my publication history. What I viewed as a scattered, unfocussed writing “career”—calling it that is a bit of a stretch—she found interesting (and, although flattering, the profile exaggerates my accomplishments a bit).
Which leads to my moral:
Enter contests, answer calls for submissions, promote your writing, and, most of all, learn the ins and outs of patience and perseverance. I could go on and on with numerous cliches and tired advice that you’ve head a million times but I think you get the idea: if you give up, you’ll never discover where all those hours of translating your imagination into words might lead you. You, along with your readers, could end up in a pretty spectacular place, where storytelling meets inspiration and promise.
I better wrap this up. My snake-wrangling buddies, Mano and Rafael, are honking the horn of their rusty F-250. They’re ready to hit the road and neither one of them is exactly known for patience—it’s the beginning of another literary adventure.
Happy holidays and see you in 2013!
Word Crushes is going on hiatus while I take a literary journey.
First stop is southern Arizona, where two snake-wrangling buddies are in desperate need of guidance. Then it’s off to Oaxaca, Mexico to research rumors involving a band of knitting-needle-wielding witches (try to say that three times fast). And finally I’ll head north to Idaho to help a heart-broken cowboy who is seeking solace in Jane Austen novels (I doubt I’ll be able to offer any better advice: Austen has been known to cure many broken hearts).
As you can see, it’s going to be a busy spring and summer–no time for blogging. I do hope, though, that the travels will help me refocus and come back with a new and improved Word Crushes, perhaps integrating the blog with my website. But all that will have to wait…
For now, bon voyage–happy reading and writing!
Cast of Wonders: The YA Sci-fi & Fantasy Audio Magazine — “Cast of Wonders is a YA Sci-Fi & Fantasy fiction podcast, but we don’t rigidly define the genre. We’re looking for stories that evoke a sense of wonder, that have something unreal about them. We aim for a 12-17 age range: that means sophisticated, non-condescending stories with wide appeal, and without explicit sex, violence or strong language. Think Harry Potter or The Hunger Games.”
The School Magazine — “What is The School Magazine? It is Australia’s most loved and longest-running literary magazine for children. For generations, it has been introducing young readers to a world of words.”
Kindle Singles program sells over 2 million short stories — “Last year, Amazon began offering its affordable, bite-sized Kindle Singles for sale. Kindle Singles have a length that’s smaller than books, but longer than most magazine articles — essentially, short stories. But until now, no data existed on exactly how well these Singles are selling. “
Five hundred new fairytales discovered in Germany — “Collection of fairytales gathered by historian Franz Xaver von Schönwerth had been locked away in an archive in Regensburg for over 150 years.”
“‘I want to be abducted by aliens,’ Attison said as he shoveled a spoonful of tuna into his mouth.” From: Swamp Monster Bonanza By Michele Tallarita
“The 7-11 is empty, so I count the hairs on the third finger of my left hand.” From: Stubb By Arthur Slade
“Any minute Ms. Morris will call the girls up on stage. The cattle call.” From: In the Spotlight by Emily S. Deibel
Whew! Does it get any better than that? First lines that pull you in, making the computer screen disappear until all you see is a story unfolding word by word. Yet, this is exactly what I’ve come to expect from YARN–an online magazine packed with essays, poems, and fiction for teens. And YARN never fails to deliver.
In the following intervew, YA Consultant and Reader Lourdes Keochgerien discusses how YARN got its start, types of stories she is looking for, and what to expect in the future:
What inspired YARN? How did it get its start?
Back in the winter of 2008, Kerri Majors, co-editor, started writing a short story for young adults. After a little online research, she discovered how few venues exist for such writing. That story became a novel, so she didn’t wind up needing a YA literary journal, but ever since then, she’s wanted to start a journal that featured YA writing. After talking about it on-and-off with writer friends like Shannon, co-founder/co-editor of YARN, Kerri decided it was time to make the dream a reality in the summer of 2009.
What do you look for in a story? Are there any specific types of stories or plots that you wish writers would send you?
The story should be for a teen audience and honestly portray situations this audience can relate to, without losing their respect along the way. It’s also important that the story ring true, reel us in from the first words, and keep our interest from sentence to sentence. There is no one way to do this, of course, and we want stories that are as quirky and unique as possible. And people say writing YA is easy!
Believe it or not, despite the popularity of sci-fi, fantasy, and steampunk in YA novels, we don’t see many short stories in those genres.
Why would you pass on a story?
We’ve passed on stories for many reasons: sometimes it was because they were more for a children’s or adult audience, and sometimes it was because the story wasn’t well enough thought out, and still other times it was because, well, it just didn’t float our boat. This is a very subjective process, and because we’re all writers ourselves, we know how frustrating it can be. The important thing for writers to remember is to keep working on their craft, and keep sending out their work.
What do you enjoy the most about editing YARN?
All the editors can agree that one of the most wonderful things about editing YARN is discovering new talent, adult and teen, and helping those writers shape their stories into publishable work. We are very hands-on editors, willing to work with a writer who has promise. With teen writers especially, it’s exciting to see exuberance in their prose. The love they have for reading and writing will live on for a very long time.
Who are some of your favorite authors and why?
There are so many wonderful YA writers today, it is difficult to narrow the list down to a few. All the authors that we have had the opportunity to interview and publish can be found on our favorites list including: Barry Lyga, Malinda Lo, Pete Hautman, Allen Zadoff, Arthur Slade, Mitali Perkins, and Tina Ferraro just to name a few. Each author offers such an unique prespective on adolescence with heart, humor, and honestly.
Anything new coming to YARN this year?
Well, we don’t want to give away all our secrets, but we can tell you that we will have new short stories by Kody Keplinger and John M. Cusick, an interview with Gail Giles, new editors’ blogs, and of course, new publications from the brightest new fiction, non-fiction, and poetry writers in YA.
Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers – “Writing short stories means beginning as close to the conclusion as possible, and grabbing the reader in the very first moments. Conserve characters and scenes, typically by focusing on just one conflict. Drive towards a sudden, unexpected revelation.”
The Tony Hillerman Prize & Hillerman Short Story Contest – “What we are looking for: Your best mystery short story, set primarily in New Mexico. We’re seeking compelling, original, well-written stories that have not been previously published.”
The Short Story Website – “Welcome to Story, the campaign to celebrate the short story. We believe that the short story is one of the most exciting and important literary forms, that can and should reach the widest possible readership. We believe that the short story matters.”
Announcing the First Absolute Write Speculative Fiction Short Story Anthology! – “We’re looking for a few great (short) stories…”
Crashtest – “Crashtest is a magazine by and for high school students. If you are currently a student in grades nine through twelve, we want to hear from you.”
How to Take Your Short Stories to the Next Level – “I decided to round up several excellent articles on writing short stories. From an interview with one of the top short story writers of today to plot advice to how to sell short fiction, these articles will help you take your stories to the next level.”
A YA anthology of Japan-related fiction to support teens affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 – Deadline is Agust 15.
The winner of the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway is Julie from Columbus, Ohio. Thank you to everyone who entered.
And a big welcome to all the new subscribers. Feel free to send me your writing news: published short stories, calls for submissions, market updates, contest information–just about anything to do with short fiction for teens.
The titles promise a world flipped around, where reality tumbles and the truth surprises. The first lines pull you in and the rest of the stories unfold with fantastic and futuristic twists.
It can mean only one thing: a new edition of Spaceports & Spidersilk has hit the internet. So it’s perfect that Word Crushes next interview is with Marcie Tentchoff, Editor of Spaceports & Spidersilk–an online fantasy and science fiction magazine for readers 8 and older (part of the Sam’s Dot Publishing lineup of magazines, novellas, and novels).
What do you look for in a story? Are there any specific types of stories or plots that you wish writers would send you?
I look for strong, well-written stories with plots and characters younger readers can relate to. Tween or teen characters and viewpoints help. A speculative (sf or fantasy) element is required. I never get enough good science fiction stories. Conflict and conflict resolution are important. Make it a real, complete story. Try to send in work that will be accessible to readers of nine or ten, but still appeal to older readers.
Why would you pass on a story?
There are a lot of reasons why I’d pass on a story. Lack of a speculative element is an automatic rejection. Too often I receive pieces about fantasy or science fiction rather than pieces actually written in those genres. Don’t give me a good poem or story, then tell me at the end that the speculative element was all in the characters’ heads or all a dream. Don’t give me a poem about how much we wish for real magic, give me a poem where magic is real.
What can writers do to make your job easier?
Read the guidelines. Please. And take them to heart. Then read a lot of stories and books aimed at readers in our age range.
What do you enjoy the most about editing Spaceports and Spidersilk?
I love it when the occasional gem comes in to my slush pile, a piece that grabs at my emotions and makes me smile, or laugh, or cry, or where wit rings through every paragraph. It’s a great feeling to read something I love and think, “yes, this will be in the next issue.” And then I love handing that piece to my kids to read.
Who are some of your favorite authors and why?
My list of favorite authors would be far too long. Some recent middle grade and YA authors I enjoy are Tamora Pierce, Patrick Ness, Holly Black, Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, Sarah Prineas, and Derek Landy. All of these writers have the ability to tell great stories, ones that can draw readers in and keep them reading, spellbound, until the book’s end.
Any changes coming to Spaceports and Spidersilk this year?
I may be playing more with loosely themed issues. we’ll see.
Questions for Marcie? Leave a comment .
Erin Fanning 