Discussion: Q1 Volume 42

@craydimensional So you were Anonymous 55055.

@tj_knight actually anonymous 5501. But I am back to Cray

Hard to believe it's almost November. There's a chill in the air now. Wind's picking up and leaves are falling. Time to drink more hot beverages, bake some scones, and be assaulted by holiday decorations. At the moment there's a fight between Halloween, Fall in general, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Soon folks will begin wondering when Q4 results will come out [usually happens the week of Thanksgiving or the week before Thanksgiving]. 

I am deep into reading Pratchett books and I'm thinking of devouring Soule's The Writer's Guide to Deep POV Character Expression. I'm slowly getting back to writing more after a fight with stage 4 bladder cancer. I'm still getting chemotherapy [better to be safe than sorry] but it looks like I might be a rare case. I may actually be disease-free [that's what the urologist said to me before he removed the stent from me]. AND I might not have to undergo any further surgery [like I can keep my bladder and right kidney, yes!]. I feel like I and a large group of prayer/positive healing energy warriors who have been with me the whole summer and on into fall and beyond are close to beating this thing. All I can say with any certainty is that I feel a LOT better. I feel healthy.

I have lots to be thankful and grateful for. I'm gathering my writing gear to head to the twitching tent which should be quiet for a good while. I have a Q1 story to write while we wait for Q4 results to be finalized. 

@physa glad to hear you're doing so well after such a horrible disease. Let's hope for some good Q4 news to ice that cake with!

@physa This morning an app on my phone asked me to think about what I am grateful for, and now I know. I am thankful that my fellow twitching friend is beating this disease. Wishing you good health going forward.

@physa I am sorry you had to go through that, but also very happy that you beat it! I wish you more good news in this mashup of a season, and lots of fun writing

@physa such great news! You're so brave! Proud of you!

Posted by: @crlisle

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@physa such great news! You're so brave! Proud of you!

@physa My thoughts are with you as you recover. Pratchett is one of my favorite authors and his humor is good medicine. (I have the death of rats tattooed on my leg).

@physa I am so glad to hear you are on the mend. It sounds like you have been through an extremely difficult time, I hope that is all behind you and I'm sending you best wishes on your recovery from across the pond, and also hoping for some good news for you in Q4 to digest along with those scones.

@physa Amazing. So glad that you're pushing through and beating this thing. You're a true hero!

@physa That’s so great to hear! I’m so glad! I hope you stay disease-free as you continue to heal. 

Is next week WotF twitching time? 

Last year I received my 4th Quarter results on November 10th. I'd say it's a pretty fair guess? They are very busy getting this next volume together, so timelines might be juggled around as needed.

@toddjones 

Dates I have from recent years are : November 14, November 23, November 3, December 8, November 6, and November 10.

Looks like any time in November!

There might be a delay this time since Martin has been slightly out of commission.

I'm speculating.

@tj_knight Hope Martin is ok.

@ajzach I have a first week in Nov response once so I was wondering. Glad most are mid-late Nov; that leaves time for them to give me a call about my story being a finalist.

Reminder: My PM inbox is open to 450s.

Wow, so I guess it's time to really focus on Volume 42. Congrats to the Volume 41 winners! Anyone else having a tough time finding good writing time? It's been one thing after the other on my end but it's got to calm down soon! Today I take my husband to the hospital for outpatient thumb surgery. At least it's not me this time.  

Anyway, I have the rest of November and all of December to write my Q1 story which I haven't started yet. I did write a story in October but it isn't something I'd send in to WOTF. I'm struggling to find a shiny new story to write that will be a great fit for this market.  

I've started on a thing. Wrote half of it, realized the setting was all wrong, and then spun back to the beginning. I'm a third of the way in again now. Feels like a complete Contest mismatch if I'm wholly honest, but I have a solid history of being wrong about that, so I'm entirely ignoring that feeling because I like the story.

@physa "I'm struggling to find a shiny new story to write that will be a great fit for this market.   "

I'll throw out a writing prompt for you (just because it's a story I'd like to read):

An invitation to a place no one has ever seen

My mind is into darker stories currently. Need something lighter for WotF.

Posted by: @toddjones

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My mind in into darker stories currently.  Need something lighter for WotF.

This is always a curious one. There are definitely some dark, dark stories that appear in WotF, but their treatment usually means that somewhere within it, you can find a light shining. I'd certainly argue that WotF leans into the optimistic and hopeful stories, rather than cynical and pessimistic ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be dark along the way. Sometimes, that contrast just serves to make the light feel brighter.

Posted by: @toddjones

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My mind is into darker stories currently. Need something lighter for WotF.

Struggling with the same problem. My current story is on the very dark side of dark fantasy. Might have crossed the line into horror. And the violence is kinda excessive. It’s also bending at least one of the famous unwritten rules.

Honestly, I'm probably looking at an R or even DQ here, but I don't have time to write another one. Also, I kinda like it.

Posted by: @marius

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Struggling with the same problem. My current story is on the very dark side of dark fantasy. Might have crossed the line into horror. And the violence is kinda excessive. It’s also bending at least one of the famous unwritten rules.

Honestly, I'm probably looking at an R or even DQ here, but I don't have time to write another one. Also, I kinda like it.

 

If it were just time not to go from scratch, I was going to suggest editing to soften the edges, but if you like the story and don't want to change then I think thats also reasonable. None of us know for sure what will or will not win, and if you would be forever sad seeing it printed edited down then obviously thats a deal killer for that approach. I've certainly been there!

Posted by: @marius

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Posted by: @toddjones

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My mind is into darker stories currently. Need something lighter for WotF.

Struggling with the same problem. My current story is on the very dark side of dark fantasy. Might have crossed the line into horror. And the violence is kinda excessive. It’s also bending at least one of the famous unwritten rules.

Honestly, I'm probably looking at an R or even DQ here, but I don't have time to write another one. Also, I kinda like it.

 

I like dark speculative (demons, people hearing voices, etc.) Apex Magazine likes darker stories, maybe a good market for it.

Posted by: @doctorjest

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Posted by: @toddjones

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My mind in into darker stories currently.  Need something lighter for WotF.

This is always a curious one. There are definitely some dark, dark stories that appear in WotF, but their treatment usually means that somewhere within it, you can find a light shining. I'd certainly argue that WotF leans into the optimistic and hopeful stories, rather than cynical and pessimistic ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be dark along the way. Sometimes, that contrast just serves to make the light feel brighter.

 

My understanding is that WotF is PG (possibly PG-13, but in the US that is pushing the definition with some content I find R). If you wouldn't read it to a 13 year-old, then it probably is too much. 

Posted by: @toddjones

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Posted by: @doctorjest

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Posted by: @toddjones

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My mind in into darker stories currently.  Need something lighter for WotF.

This is always a curious one. There are definitely some dark, dark stories that appear in WotF, but their treatment usually means that somewhere within it, you can find a light shining. I'd certainly argue that WotF leans into the optimistic and hopeful stories, rather than cynical and pessimistic ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be dark along the way. Sometimes, that contrast just serves to make the light feel brighter.

 

My understanding is that WotF is PG (possibly PG-13, but in the US that is pushing the definition with some content I find R). If you wouldn't read it to a 13 year-old, then it probably is too much. 

 

Frankly, given how gruesome and awful most things 13 year old boys are into (I have teenage boys) the rule should be, would the 13 year old show it to their parent freely or hide it because they're afraid the parent would ban it. 😉

Posted by: @toddjones

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Posted by: @doctorjest

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Posted by: @toddjones

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My mind in into darker stories currently.  Need something lighter for WotF.

This is always a curious one. There are definitely some dark, dark stories that appear in WotF, but their treatment usually means that somewhere within it, you can find a light shining. I'd certainly argue that WotF leans into the optimistic and hopeful stories, rather than cynical and pessimistic ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be dark along the way. Sometimes, that contrast just serves to make the light feel brighter.

 

My understanding is that WotF is PG (possibly PG-13, but in the US that is pushing the definition with some content I find R). If you wouldn't read it to a 13 year-old, then it probably is too much. 

 

They do like darker, weirder stuff and I enjoy their magazine, but if you watch the Snap Judgement videos they do (which are super helpful and entertaining, so I recommend to watch them regardless, if you haven't!) you'll see multiple instances where their Editor Lesley Conner outright states she is not as much a fan of fantasy. However, we have both Rebecca Treasure and Leah Ning on here so much greater expertise than me on what Apex likes.

The Dark is another venue, as is Grimdark magazine, though if memory serves me right, their word count limit is pretty low (3k? maybe 4k? but not higher I am sure, which is why I've never sent them anything as I am sadly, too wordy)