Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

No, some haven't reported in, and some just reported. It's not your job to make them report, Brittany, just to record them when they do. You don't have to scour the topics worrying you missed someone--it's each ones responsibility to let us know they met the challenge. So post if you subbed a Fresh story guys and make it easy on Brit. And I thank you so much for volunteering for doing this record keeping, Brittany, it takes a load off me so I can bring you more SUPER SECRETS. Plus, keep up with all the stuff WotF is having me do right now. It's a whirlwind of activity as you get close to the workshop, gala, and release of the volume. Signings are being organized, ticket schedules being discussed with Joni, tuxedo guy checking in, friends list for the gala, cross checks on the line edits (SOOOOooo glad that's over!), you name it, it's nonstop.

Again, three cheers for Brittany! We signed up for the challenge. It's our job to make it so. The list and recording is the proof we are doing the work, and so we can cheer one another on.

Cheers!

~Beastmaster Moon~

Sorry there were a few I never got a first letter for, though I'm sure there were submissions. It's possible they were in the thread further up or a messenger report I missed. I can update soon. I see some have already started reporting again so I'll go through the that tonight. But I'm human guys. I may still miss lol. Just let me know and I'll fix it 😉 I know everyone wants in!!!

No biggie.
Q1 and Q2 stories in for me. Q3 in progress.

I posted something similar on Q2, but need to post here as well. Q2 ends March 31st.

Q2 ENDS MARCH 31ST!!!

Less than a month to wrap up, you challenge beasts! It's BEAST MODE time! It's a good idea to have some flash pieces written you can expand in a hurry when a quarter deadline looms and you've had a bad quarter. My winner began as just one page, an intro I had written six months before, with no idea where it was going and I had tucked it in a drawer. In 36 hours, I expanded it into a 6100 word story and pushed submit at 11:56 pm on the last day of the last quarter. And it won. You can do this. Never miss a quarter, because you never know what will get a hit and make you shout, "FISH ON!"

But if you don't have a lure in the water, one thing is for certain. You will NEVER catch a fish.

This is a Fresh story challenge. You took the challenge because you desired to push yourselves beyond your comfort zone. I commend you for doing so, for in fresh stories, we grow our skills. It takes pushing ourselves to our limits to win this contest, and I want to see you win.

I've done critiques for about a fifth of you in this challenge now. As I suspected, you are all good writers. As I suspected, there's things in these secrets each of you still need to apply to get the win. So next quarter, I'll be doing more critiques. In the meantime, I invited you to pair up with someone in this challenge, a sparring partner to train with. Have you done so? Use your messaging power, and ask someone in the challenge list if they'd like to swap with you each quarter. Find someone you think you might be compatible with. You don't need tons of critique partners; you need one good one. Hopefully someone with more pro sales than you. Use the buddy system to grow your skills. Oh, and Brittany is taken. She's been my sparring partner from before I began this challenge. Although she might be inclined to call me her taskmaster--I've given her a few tough challenges, and she's lived up to every one!

At Superstars Writing Seminar, Kevin J. Anderson gave a speech about standing on the backs of giants. He mentioned one of those giants he thanked for helping him in his career was Dean Koontz. Dean Koontz replied, "I try to help lots of authors. You were just the only one that listened."

Fortune favor the listeners,

~Beastmaster Moon~

I submitted a fresh story for Q1. I have a lot of irons in the fire on a daily basis so I usually try to stop by at least once a day.

I think my Q2 is done. I guess. I really need to stop picking at it. I've gone back through all of Wulf's tips, and tried to make sure it is checking all the boxes.

I think my Q2 is done. I guess. I really need to stop picking at it. I've gone back through all of Wulf's tips, and tried to make sure it is checking all the boxes.

Yeah, over editing is dangerous, AjZach. We think we're polishing to perfection when often we're taking away the beautiful swirls and energy that went into the creation. I've had some pretty agates I thought would come out with enhanced lines in the grit of the tumbler. I pulled them out at the end of the processes, and they were indeed shiny, but some had lost the very rings I had hoped to enhance! True, some were better, but I know I've destroyed some gorgeous agates shining them up. Same with stories.

Revising is dangerous. Proceed with caution. I've suggested the buddy system so you can get other eyes on it before you send out. But be very careful. Everyone, including me, has their own ideas on what works, and what a story needs. They can help. They can harm. But I do think in the early stages, we need some help. That's why I encourage finding someone that's ahead of you in success. It likely means they've figured some things out, and their comments will be of benefit. You still have to believe in what you wrote, and hang on to your voice with all your might.

As to whether you should revise at all after an initial pass for errors and continuity, I recommend my mentor's short book. He's a judge of WotF as well. Dean Wesley Smith's HEINLEIN'S RULES: FIVE SIMPLE BUSINESS RULES FOR WRITING. Ten bucks at wmgpublishing.com. Dean makes a very good case for not revising, aside from what I wrote above. And gives you his definition of Heinlein's rules. It's short. And it's worth reading.

I hope that helps.

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

~Moon~

I've taken four weeks to let it simmer, and now I'm back to do my revisions and make a draft 2 -- though this time around, my first sweep of "revisions" is going to be sticking the various pieces I wrote together into one vaguely coherent whole, and then editing it so that I have one story (right now, I suspect I have a couple of scenes written twice, and one or two scenes that I forgot to write, so sorting that out is going to be the beginning). I do plan to try and keep my revisions as light-handed as I can reasonably manage, though.

I'll post this here. Kary told me she'll be finished with Q1 tonight. That means Dave has the cream of the crop and can finish his work now. The workshop starts March 31st. My guess is we'll see the first wave within a couple weeks, and hopefully the top tier before the workshop begins. Remember, the contest has never had a first reader before, so a lot of Dave's culling work has already been done for him. We'll have to see how that changes things, but theoretically it should speed things up compared to years prior. Don't forget Q2 has always been slowest because everyone is busy with the workshop and gala.

Instead of twitching, use the energy to make the best Q2 entry you've ever done. I'll give you another super secret here soon that's mighty important. Miss this one and YOU'RE OUT!

Stay tuned! Same bat time, same bat channel!

And if you're one of my Facebook friends, you can see video of the anthology on the assembly line, see John Goodwin flipping through pages, maybe even read the bio of some of your friends in the book! It's a sneak peek!

~Beastmaster Moon~

Thanks, Wulfy. Great info here. But I can't believe you were up at 2:55 am to post this, or was that my time and 11:55 your time?
Either way, you rock.

Super Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler doesn't sound like the title of a story for which anyone'll need a pack of tissues. Sounds far too upbeat for tissues.

I entered my "canned" story in Q1. Just putting the finishing touches on my Q2 entry, written specifically for this quarter! It made me almost cry so that's a good sign.

I entered my "canned" story in Q1. Just putting the finishing touches on my Q2 entry, written specifically for this quarter! It made me almost cry so that's a good sign.

Awesomesauce.

Thanks, Wulfy. Great info here. But I can't believe you were up at 2:55 am to post this, or was that my time and 11:55 your time?
Either way, you rock.

Thanks, Dragonchef! I'm in Washington state, so Pacfic time for me. It was likely around 12:55 am or 1:55 am. I don't go to bed until my mind shuts down, and that's typically when it happens.

I'll post this here. Kary told me she'll be finished with Q1 tonight. That means Dave has the cream of the crop and can finish his work now. The workshop starts March 31st. My guess is we'll see the first wave within a couple weeks, and hopefully the top tier before the workshop begins.

That's an awesome update, Moon.
Started on my story for Q2 today. I had written one in January, but it's still in a submission queue.

Super Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler doesn't sound like the title of a story for which anyone'll need a pack of tissues. Sounds far too upbeat for tissues.

Ah, that's the trick, TimE. You discovered a SUPER-DUPER SECRET. Lure you in with the happy snappy title, lead you down the yippy skippy path...and then go for the sucker punch. 

Dave has commented that the stories that win tend to be tear jerkers. That's because it's a real trick to get us to care so much for a character, the reader actually gets emotionally invested. It happens because we aren't just writing the plot arc, we're writing the emotional arc of our protagonist. But for the emotional arc to work, we actually have to use code that will spark those emotions in our reader. To get them to cry, we have to key up deep emotions in them as they're reading along about someone else. As they find points they admire in the protagonist, the readers often find points they admire in themselves, or admire in people they like. This creates the bond, just like in real life. You want to know this person, and the cool thing about people in stories, you actually get to see inside of them and see what they think, what makes them tick. Unlike the nice lady at the checkout at Walmart that might take you months to keep meeting and figure out she likes cats just like you, you get to lead your reader inside your nice lady's home and show her cuddling her cat. Ah, she loves cats. Oh, it was a rescue? Oh, she used her last dollars for food to adopt the cat instead? If you're a cat person--and the internet proves MANY are--you're going to love it that she SAVED THE CAT. She's a good un'.

But of course, this is a story. Bad things happen to good people. And when they pass through the crucible, we find out who they really are, what truly makes them tick, and whether their values can stand up under pressure. At the same time, we find out their flaws, how they feel about those flaws, and what it feels like to fail, just as we fail at times in our own lives. After the reader gets emotionally invested in your protagonist, you get to put your protagonist through hell, and darn it if the reader won't turn pages just to see how things are going to go for this new friend they care so much about. And if you can keep ramping up the trials until it's a do or die situation, and this dear protagonist has to make some huge sacrifice that in order to save the day will cost them the thing they love most dear, well, if you've done your job right, your reader is going to choke up, shed a tear, maybe even start bawling. Think they'll remember that story? Of course. It will touch them much more deeply than a story that's just a bunch of strung together Hollywood action scenes. It's going to make them stop and evaluate their own emotions.

Speaking of Hollywood, have you noticed a lot of movies are just one car chase and massive explosion after another? While visually stimulating, how long do you meditate on that movie after you've left the theater? And yet, they had great plot, there wasn't a dull moment, everything was moving *fast and furious.* : ) But they were missiing the most important element. And that's emotional heart. Great stories have heart. They don't just engage the mind. They engage our emotions. They make us feel. Deeply.

This secret began because you mentioned my story, "Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler." You're no doubt going to test my words against the story. If I did my job right, you're not just going to be intellectually stimulated, you're going to feel the story. Might even shed a tear. Might even go write your own emotionally engaging story.

And that will be your winner.

You've made me reveal something new in this topic, and so I'm calling these special ones by something new. This is SUPER-DUPER SECRET #1: Take your reader on a *deep* emotional journey.

This is high level stuff. If we were in Harry Potter's organization called Dumbledore's Army, this would be the Patronus Charm. This is the secret that can take down dementors. But you're going to have to put so much power into the charm, I'm going to have to give you a piece of chocolate after. You'll be drained.

But all that power will be in your story! And that's what makes winners. That's pro-level stuff. That's why the copyeditor for Volume 35 wrote to me, and said she cried while typesetting my ending. She said it was the only story in the anthology that made her cry. For me, that letter was better than a lexan trophy. Because a story I wrote activated the feelings I intended inside the heart of another person. Mission accomplished.

I promised you some chocolate. Here it is. Donald Maass is a friend of mine. And he wrote a book called THE EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION. It's deep stuff. But emotions always are. Get the book.

Fortune favor the studious.

~Beastmaster Moon~

I entered my "canned" story in Q1. Just putting the finishing touches on my Q2 entry, written specifically for this quarter! It made me almost cry so that's a good sign.

Well done, KD. You'll enjoy my SUPER-DUPER SECRET #1, it's what you just did!

Best of success!

~Moon~

I'll add that book to my collection. I've written a crime novel that was high on emotion, but my short stories have lacked it. Everyone who's read my Q2 entry has said they've laughed out loud and someone I didn't know had been attracted to it by the title - clearly, I need to add some tragedy.
Just planning out my Q3 - mmmm…. thinks.
I've got half my title - … Lawn Doodler, dunno where that came from...

I've got half my title - … Lawn Doodler, dunno where that came from...

The dog on your lawn?

I've got half my title - … Lawn Doodler, dunno where that came from...

The dog on your lawn?

Sssshhh.

Thanks for this thread Wulf. I am brand new to this game and stumbled on WotF and submitted my first story in this Q1 without knowing anything more about the contest than what is on the rules page. This thread really helped fill me in. For example: There is an awards ceremony? Wow! There are three winners every quarter? Wow! They pay all three winners? Wow! They get art for their story? Wow! All winners get published? Wow! . . .

And this Wulf guy is laying out some great tips and is giving a lot of time to help the forumites. Who is he? Oh! He's a winner.

What's the best way to set up a swap? I see a thread on that. Post over there?

Thanks for this thread Wulf. I am brand new to this game and stumbled on WotF and submitted my first story in this Q1 without knowing anything more about the contest than what is on the rules page. This thread really helped fill me in. For example: There is an awards ceremony? Wow! There are three winners every quarter? Wow! They pay all three winners? Wow! They get art for their story? Wow! All winners get published? Wow! . . .

And this Wulf guy is laying out some great tips and is giving a lot of time to help the forumites. Who is he? Oh! He's a winner.

What's the best way to set up a swap? I see a thread on that. Post over there?

Hey, welcome, Chuckt! Congrats on submitting to the contest, that's the first step. I'm glad you've been enjoying the Super Secrets. I write them to help anyone to improve their writing, with a special slant toward winning this contest, which is the best pro sale a new writer can have. I hope you will watch the gala livestreamed on April 5th by going to the WotF website and clicking on the Awards Ceremony. I've watched it for years and it's a lot of fun, and the speeches are highly motivational.

You are welcome to sign up for the challenge. You can still do the three-quarter challenge, as Q2 is still open to submissions. You'd just have to tell us you're committing to three fresh stories for Volume 36, starting with your Q2. This means no trunk stories, no rewrites, just a totally fresh story written for each quarter. It's a challenge meant to push your skills. Join us if you dare!

The best place to do story swaps is to go to the Q you are entering and post that you've got a story at X words you'd like to swap critiques on. Someone is always ready to help. Watch for people--and I know of at least one in this challenge--that post that they're always ready to do a critique. Private message them.

I hope that helps. Let us know if you'd like to join the FRESH STORY CHALLENGE and we'll get you on the illustrious list!

Cheers!

~Beastmaster Moon~

Thanks for this thread Wulf. I am brand new to this game and stumbled on WotF and submitted my first story in this Q1 without knowing anything more about the contest than what is on the rules page. This thread really helped fill me in. For example: There is an awards ceremony? Wow! There are three winners every quarter? Wow! They pay all three winners? Wow! They get art for their story? Wow! All winners get published? Wow! . . .

And this Wulf guy is laying out some great tips and is giving a lot of time to help the forumites. Who is he? Oh! He's a winner.

What's the best way to set up a swap? I see a thread on that. Post over there?

More wows! You get a week long workshop conducted by top bestselling authors. Volume 35's workshop will be taught by David Farland, Tim Powers, and Orson Scott Card. You get published in a bestselling anthology and on top of the prize money, you get paid pro rate for your story. You retain all rights to that story. The anthology also hits the bestseller lists every year of late, so you can truthfully call yourself a bestselling author on your blurbs. You get a banquet on awards night worth $100. You get an awards gala that glitters every bit as much as the Oscars. You get a custom trophy that's gorgeous, the feather within individually handcrafted by a silversmith. And your hotel and flight are covered, and most of the meals are as well. Your guests get treated like royalty, attend the banquet and ceremony for free, and can enjoy a special radio show like production the night following the gala at the Hubbard Theater. There's more, but just wanted to add that to your goodies list.

As far as pro sales go, you can't top this one for all the benefits. When do you get to spend a week for free with Orson Scott Card, Tim Powers, and David Farland? And Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta and others come in to teach as well when they get there. The information these pros share and the encouragement the staff behind this contest gives has launched many a writer on the path of a successful career.

Go for it!

~Moon~

Pretty awesome. I'll do the challenge. I've only got a career total of two stories so everything has to be fresh from me in any event. I submitted my first story in Q1 and can put my second one in Q2. I've started a third. The fourth will be a big challenge to get done I think.

So I understand, there is a "4 in 36" thread but you are challenging folks in this thread to do an original story each Q?

Do all the Q results roll out at the same time or is it kinda waves of Rs and the other stuff later? (Not that I'm expecting anything other than an R)

(Not that I'm expecting anything other than an R)

There have been first time winners before so you might as well twitch with the rest of us, especially on Thursday.

Pretty awesome. I'll do the challenge. I've only got a career total of two stories so everything has to be fresh from me in any event. I submitted my first story in Q1 and can put my second one in Q2. I've started a third. The fourth will be a big challenge to get done I think.

So I understand, there is a "4 in 36" thread but you are challenging folks in this thread to do an original story each Q?

Do all the Q results roll out at the same time or is it kinda waves of Rs and the other stuff later? (Not that I'm expecting anything other than an R)

Correct. This challenge under Moon's SUPER SECRET Challenge is for original stories, written for each quarter of Volume 36 contest period. It's too late to sign up for the four fresh challenge, but we made a 3/4 challenge as well, and since Q2 isn't over, you have taken up that challenge. Brittany is our master of records, she'll get you recorded, chuckt.

Results come in waves, but it's a bit of a new animal now because the contest recently hired a first reader (Kary English) to assist the coordinating judge (David Farland). Normally rejections and HMs and Silver HMs go out *around* the same time, and semifinalists and finalists and winners come later. Finalists (usually eight) do know they are in the running--the contest administrator calls them, but they're under strict orders not to tell anyone. Then, they wait for four judges to be assigned to read and decide the winners, first, second, and third. Then the finalists get a call again, where they get the good or bad news. Finally, at the gala itself, one grand prize winner selected from the first place winners of each quarter gets announced. This is called the Golden Pen, and it's an additional trophy with $5000 in prize money.

*Twitching* around here means that state of anticipation/agitation waiting for imminent results. We talk about Thursday twitching because results often come out on Thursdays for some reason. I'm going to ask Joni why that is when I see her.

All the beast,

~Moon~

*Twitching* around here means that state of anticipation/agitation waiting for imminent results. We talk about Thursday twitching because results often come out on Thursdays for some reason. I'm going to ask Joni why that is when I see her.
~

Ah! Now I understand that reference. Based on other posts, Q1 likely to be slower than the others so probably not today?

*Twitching* around here means that state of anticipation/agitation waiting for imminent results. We talk about Thursday twitching because results often come out on Thursdays for some reason. I'm going to ask Joni why that is when I see her.
~

Ah! Now I understand that reference. Based on other posts, Q1 likely to be slower than the others so probably not today?

Probably not, simply because the contest is gearing up for the writer's workshop/award ceremony. Still, you never know...

I have an original piece in Q2.

I'm 1200 words into my Q3 story and have it roughly outlined.

Probably not, simply because the contest is gearing up for the writer's workshop/award ceremony. Still, you never know...

And, Dave is on his way to Provo today for a Writer Workshop. The waiting game continues.

Probably not, simply because the contest is gearing up for the writer's workshop/award ceremony. Still, you never know...

And, Dave is on his way to Provo today for a Writer Workshop. The waiting game continues.

Makes sense. I don't pay attention to these things as much as I used to. Twins will do that to a person.