WordTrance

Balticon! and George R.R. Martin

This past weekend I attended Balticon, a science fiction and fantasy convention. The four day event celebrated its 50th year in a big way with over twenty Guest of Honors from past years–and filling Guest of Honor duties this year, George R. R. Martin. The convention revolved mainly around the book world, but there was plenty of art, music, parties, panels, and speakers specializing on various…

When Is It Time to Submit?

By Anita Gill —

When Is It Time to Submit?

For the last three to four years, I have taken stories to writing workshops. My printer would whir as I collected and stapled my drafts to pass out, and I was eager to share my work. For me, the workshop was a way to answer my question: is it ready? In other words, is it strong enough for me to send out?

In my workshops, there were some students who read…

Waiting for You (part 4 of 4)

Part 4 of a Short Story by Gangaa Arunan–

(Links to the previous parts: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3)

When the message was opened by Ajay, he could not believe his eyes as it was from me, his angel. The message was, “want to meet you – waiting in front of your house.”

He drove his car crazily, while informing his servant to let me in and make comfortable arrangements for me. When Ajay arrived…

Halloween has descended upon us once again like the blackness beyond our world’s shores reaching high tide. It seeps into our bones and infects our grim little imaginations. Zombies and maniacs and ghosts and aliens and demons. Clowns, perhaps. There are more flavors of horror stories than your nerves can handle, and part of the fun of the season is devouring one while salivating each morsel. Or…

The Woman Next Door (short story)

By P. Wish —

The sharp sound of lightning permeated through the glass window. The wind swooshed violently, blowing away leaves and trees. The damp soil smelled sinister in the stormy weather. Edward looked out of the window. His eyes fell on a tiny female figure that stood outside the door. The wind slapped her face. She wore a red rain coat. She hurriedly entered the code and opened the door to…

By Anita Gill —

Facing Rejection: Having a Writing Cheerleader

A couple of months ago, an editor contacted me. He had published a story of mine in his journal years ago, and he wanted to contact past contributors so he would have things to say in an upcoming interview (i.e. Well, Anita has gone on to have great success in her writing…) Except that wasn’t true. Over the past two years, I hadn’t…

Child bonding problems. Parental mishaps.

When you bring a child into this world you have this incredible responsibility thrusted upon you.

When I take my toddler to the park, I watch him like a hawk, sensing any dangers and hazards. Millions of people become parents, but this doesn’t mean parenting is easy, far from it, and when you are a “first time parent” there is a steep learning curve.…

Waiting for You (part 3)

Part 3 of a Short Story by Gangaa Arunan–

(Links to the previous parts: Part 1 and Part 2)

I looked at Ajay. The smile in his face and his patience and curiosity was very attractive. I waved my hands for him to come over, and when he did, with a mischievous smile I said, “My friend would like your number. What do you think?” It was an incredibly special moment for him; he knew that I liked him…

By Ailyn Koay–

Since the rewriting of Snow White’s story showed on screen, followed by Hansel and Gretel, many authors have embarked on the retelling bandwagon. I have enjoyed countless rewrites of my favorite classics; from author Marissa Myers, who wrote the Lunar Chronicles that include titles Cinder, Scarlett, Cress, and Winter which is due out soon, to Heather Lyon’s The Collector’s Society…

Writing and The Class System

By Francis H Powell —

In Britain and many other countries there is this crazy obsession with the class system. When I say crazy I mean it is nonsensical…why is it that people need to judge and class others? However, the subject presents rich pickings for authors.

The class system is something that fascinates me and certainly plays a part in my stories. Foreigners are confused and intrigued by the…

This past weekend, I attended a horror convention in Williamsburg, Virgina called Scares That Care!It revolves around all things horror: movies, books, artwork, memorabilia, crafts, etc. It included a rather impressive haunted house for the small space they had to work with, panels, Q&As with special guests, and performances. It was a blast. And it was all for a good cause. Scares That Care! is a…

By Anita Gill —

Making Revision an Easier Process

Ok! You have your draft of a story saved on your computer (and hopefully backed up too). You come back to it a few days later, still feeling that excitement you had when writing it on the first day. But now you’re back. And you see problems. Lots of problems.

Revision is inevitable for any piece. We need revision. Sometimes, we need to put the…

Waiting for You (part 2)

Part 2 of a Short Story by Gangaa Arunan–

For a change, I want to narrate the story in third person, I hope you like it. Last time, while I was narrating the incident, I did not use the characters’ names. The woman is Priya and my movie star is Ajay. They had a chance encounter the other day while crossing on an overpass at a bus station.

When Priya came out of her office, she saw him in the…

In Search of Enduring Characters

By Francis H Powell—

It is true for everybody that certain books and stories stay with us long after we have read them. Characters in books are mentioned in everyday life, take for example “Big Brother” by George Orwell. We live in a world dominated by many of Orwell’s visions and “Big Brother” has become emblematic of surveillance, ( I come from a country increasingly known as the “surveillance…

By Francis H Powell

A writer looks at a blank screen, their mind searches for ideas, of what to write. They tap away, but don’t like what they have written and the delete button clears all they have written, erased forever. Maybe for different writers it’s a different experience. Some maybe keep a notebook and fill it with ideas of storylines, outlines or perhaps even characters. Writers need…

Part 1 of a Short Story by Gangaa Arunan–

It was a busy Monday. I was walking from my hostel to the office, and I looked pretty that day, wearing a white churidhar. I am a person who always wears a smile, as you would know if you saw me. I crossed the road using the overpass to reach my bus stop. While whispering the lyrics of a song playing on my ear phones, I noticed a man who was standing on…

The Brooklyn Boys Club

The Brooklyn Boys Club is a biographical account of wild and charismatic Renzo and his adventures growing up as an Italian-American in Brooklyn. It is told through chapters that focus on different aspects of Renzo’s life, and each chapter is filled with hilarious and riveting mini-stories illustrating Renzo’s wild times.

It is the newest book from author Ellie Midwood. She came to the United…