Writing Prompt: In The Dark

This is a prompt that is simple but effective. You can use new characters, ones you have previously created, or even ones other authors have created. Put them in a normal situation, or rather, what would be a normal situation for them. Do they work at an office building? Place them there. Do they go…

Writing Prompt: Wrongly Accused

In The Fugitive a doctor is accused of killing his wife. In Double Jeopardy a wife is accused of killing her husband. Both did not commit the crime they are accused of. They are both innocent. That has been a reoccurring theme in movies and literature for a very long time. It can be a…

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Profit Margin or Pride? The Stories of 2 Self Published Authors

Self-publishing is a tangible and viable option in this evolving digital age.  Knowing that traditional publishing houses no longer have the only say in who does or doesn’t get their book into print (physically or electronically), opens up a new landscape for writers and authors. But the question remains, “Will I be successful?” The answer…

Writing Prompt: After Death

There is a book called Sum: Forty Tales of the After Life. It is a book of very short stories by David Eagleman, a neuroscientist and writer. Each of the short stories is a completely different interpretation of the afterlife. In one afterlife you know everyone else there, but just tangentially. You can never meet…

Annoucing the Winners of the Haiku Writing Contest

Congratulations to the winners of this week’s writing contest! They are listed below. But first, a bit about our contest series. Every week we are going to have a contest on our Facebook Page. The contests will change from week to week but the winners will always be published in the magazine. The contest winner…

Two Serious Ladies: Now Accepting Submissions

Two Serious Ladies is an online magazine of writing and visual art by women based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Founded in February 2012, this young magazine, curated by a solo editor, is already a tastemaker. They have been lauded by a devoted following for publishing brave, transformative work. Decidedly avant-garde, Two Serious Ladies is…

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Writing Contest: Announcing the Winners

Congratulations to the winners of this week’s writing contest! They are listed below. But first, a bit about our new contest series. Every week we are going to have a contest on our Facebook Page. The contests will change from week to week but the winners will always be published in the magazine. The contest…

Writing Prompt: Dark Alley

It is a familiar scene. If you close your eyes and you can picture it. A pretty woman walks into a dark alley. She is in a big city. Their is steam rising from the sewer. It goes without saying that it is dark and the alley is dirty. This scene has been shot a…

Crack The Spine: Open to Submissions

Crack The Spine is an online and print journal. They publish four print issues a year and 52 electronic issues. They seek to publish  strange literary works in a number of different forms, including flash fiction, micro-fiction, poetry, short stories, personal essays, and book reviews. Crack The Spine has an easy to navigate website that…

Top 3 Reasons Why Fiction Manuscripts Get Rejected

My number is 28, what’s yours?  You know, the number of times a Literary Agent or Publishing House sent you the “Thank you, but no” letter. As writers we research the best possible way to write a query letter; how to manipulate our 350 page manuscript into a one page synopsis. We review all possible…

Halfway Down The Stairs: Open To Submissions

Halfway Down the Stairs is an established electronic journal that has been around for some time and seems to have established a regular readership. They publish poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, as well as book reviews.  New issues are published quarterly (March, June, September, and December), and each issue has a theme. They primarily publish mainstream  literary…

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Shock Totem: Open To Submissions

Shock Totem is a literary journal that publishes horror and dark fantasy short stories as well as non-fiction about real horrors, such as addiction. They are also open to poetry, as long as it is dark, on a more limited basis. They are primarily a bi-annual print journal, but they do publish some writing electronically…