Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

Congratulations, Brittany! Your attitude toward obstacles is so inspiring! (And I'm gleeful that I'll get to read your story in this volume!)

Congrats Brittany!

Brittany, I know I echo others in saying how proud I am of you! You stayed focused on your goal and succeeded.

Plus, I share your feelings about this group. Best people in the world!! And Moon made it all possible by starting this thread and leading the troops along the way. We have something very special in this group. I belong to others who are cynical about authors helping one another. I don't think that they can quite believe how much we truly admire, respect, and root for one another in our individual journeys.

Super-duper congratulations, Brittany! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! You’ve got three finalists under your belt, so OF COURSE you deserve to be a published finalist! Glad they made room for one so deserving as you. You’ve been a stellar member of the Super Secrets Workshop and all my master classes. More importantly, your dedication through trial (and childbirth!) has earned you the respect of all. You give hope to all! This IS a win. You don’t get the prize money, but who cares, you get everything else! Pro pay for your story, expense paid trip to Hollywood, a gala that rivals the Oscars, a week long workshop with NYT bestselling instructors, published in a #1 bestselling anthology that will be in every major bookstore, a PR team to book you signings and interviews, AND the tee shirt! You get it all ... because you’ve got it all! Well done, challenge beastie! Carry on, Muzik Lady 3000!!!

With the promise of a vaccine ... See you in Hollywood!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

That's super amazing! GREAT work Brittany! It's a fantastic story!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! Congrats Brittany!

A quick note to all. Note what Brittany believes locked in this outcome on this story. Her opening. It’s why we spent almost two months on openings in Super Secrets. If you nail your opening, everything else follows. This is because you created a tight chute for the rest of the story to flow down. It forces you to focus on heart’s desire all the way through to the climax and denouement. Brittany will tell you she took this counsel and after fixing her opening, she went through her entire tale and aligned everything else to match up with the stated heart's desire and stated plan to obtain it (yeah, I teach you to be quite blunt about this on the page). It’s so important. It’s so important. Do I need to repeat that? : ). Fail in the opening to get it strong enough, and the rest of the tale will be weak.

If I were you, with a Q1 about to go out, I’d go back over those exercises and test my opening. And then take that focus and make sure the rest of the story stays straight on target.

Dismissed!

Commander “Beastmaster” Moon

Yeahhh!!!! Way to go Brittany. Looking forward to reading your story in the anthology!

As we celebrate Brittany’s victory, I wish to tell you about another today. I know some were disappointed I didn’t do an open call on this workshop again this contest year. I am sorry. But it was wide open during enrollment period for the last two years for anyone in the Forum that wished to commit to the requirements. I had to find a way to limit it—this free year-long master workshop takes a tremendous amount of my time! Time I could be editing for clients and writing my own work, which I really do make my living with. Many asked me to take it private, but that would not serve my purpose. I created this so anyone looking on, regardless if they had the time to commit, could benefit from the teachings and exercises here. And let’s face it—you have to reach a certain level before you can withstand a pro edit, and many of these are in the public eye which is now pushing half a million views in two years! So here we are, a smaller group of forumites, committed to excellence in writing, sharing what we know with any that wish to look on. This is my ‘do good to others now’ philosophy, not ‘when I get to the top I’ll help’ philosophy. You do good with the power you have right now at your disposal. I am very happy to see the Pack embrace this; may it take each of you far.

You don’t know this, but I have had way more than a hundred letters from onlurkers saying how much this workshop has helped them. You don’t need to be in it to benefit. It’s all here, out in the open. This has always been my motive for this project—to make it easier for writers that were willing to do the work, to succeed. In record time. Yes, record time. I remember my twenty-five painful years. I would like to spare you some of that.

Below, I share with you why I do this. What you never see.

Well, now you do.

This forumite just made their first pro sale!

Sent: Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:33 am
From: BlackInk
Recipient: Wulf Moon

Dear Wulf,

My flash sci-fi submission for Flame Tree's December newsletter was published today. I wanted to thank you because had it not been for you, and this forum (through which I found a writing partner and friend), I would have never even known about Flame Tree. Thanks to all the advice and exercises you make publicly available in the Wulf super secrets thread. I can say for the first time in my life, even though I've been writing since I was a young child, I got something of mine published. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Below, I share with you why I do this. What you never see.

Well, now you do.

This forumite just made their first pro sale!

Sent: Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:33 am
From: BlackInk
Recipient: Wulf Moon

Dear Wulf,

My flash sci-fi submission for Flame Tree's December newsletter was published today. I wanted to thank you because had it not been for you, and this forum (through which I found a writing partner and friend), I would have never even known about Flame Tree. Thanks to all the advice and exercises you make publicly available in the Wulf super secrets thread. I can say for the first time in my life, even though I've been writing since I was a young child, I got something of mine published. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

This is awesome! Congrats, BlackInk!!!

And Wulf, thank you for all the advice... both here and in your crit of my opening. My story's opening is about to get a serious makeover!

YES!!!!! I am SO insanely happy for you, Brittany! CONGRATULATIONS! I know when KD Julicher was a published finalist she got to do the workshop and gala - is that happening for you too? Do I get to hang out with you in Hollywood?? Because if yes I CANNOT WAIT to meet you!!! I'm totally doing a happy dance for you right now!

Congrats Brittany, and YES, she gets to come hang with us in Hollywood. Published Finalist is like winning, except they let you keep entering, it's totally the best! (Except for actually winning which is actually the best).

Thanks guys. You would know, Kate. And yes, I'm super excited to meet you both, COVID-willing (that's a thing, right? lol). I don't have all the details yet, it's kinda a blur and I'm still pinching myself. Is this real... Yes. Yes, it is. We're going to have a blast!

Yay!!!! I'm so excited for you, Brittany!! Congratulations!!!!

I can't wait to read your story!

Thank you! I’m so happy to finally have one in print!

Congratulations, Brittany! Your attitude toward obstacles is so inspiring! (And I'm gleeful that I'll get to read your story in this volume!)

Aw! Thank you for sharing that. I’ve been inspired so much by the people here! You guys do good, and because of that, good comes around.

Congrats Brittany!

Thank you!

Brittany, I know I echo others in saying how proud I am of you! You stayed focused on your goal and succeeded.

Plus, I share your feelings about this group. Best people in the world!! And Moon made it all possible by starting this thread and leading the troops along the way. We have something very special in this group. I belong to others who are cynical about authors helping one another. I don't think that they can quite believe how much we truly admire, respect, and root for one another in our individual journeys.

Thank you so much! I do believe a big reason I was able to stay the course was because of kind people like YOU who were encouraging me to keep going. I love that this forum inspires goodness. That makes me so happy. As we each succeed, we can continue to lift each other along. I think that’s a beautiful sentiment.

Super-duper congratulations, Brittany! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! You’ve got three finalists under your belt, so OF COURSE you deserve to be a published finalist! Glad they made room for one so deserving as you. You’ve been a stellar member of the Super Secrets Workshop and all my master classes. More importantly, your dedication through trial (and childbirth!) has earned you the respect of all. You give hope to all! This IS a win. You don’t get the prize money, but who cares, you get everything else! Pro pay for your story, expense paid trip to Hollywood, a gala that rivals the Oscars, a week long workshop with NYT bestselling instructors, published in a #1 bestselling anthology that will be in every major bookstore, a PR team to book you signings and interviews, AND the tee shirt! You get it all ... because you’ve got it all! Well done, challenge beastie! Carry on, Muzik Lady 3000!!!

With the promise of a vaccine ... See you in Hollywood!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

A tee-shirt!? Didn’t know you get that! Lol

Gosh you make me blush! I’m so grateful you put together this super secrets group. To me, it mirrors what the whole contest is about. Giving back. And I know you posted above about potentially moving it to private—I’M SO HAPPY YOU DIDN’T. This is a bright spot on the internet for me, a place I can learn and be inspired, even if I don’t have the ability to pursue the time commitment at the moment. There have to be others like me, I am certain.
This group inspires me, continues to inspire me, and I’ll be reading and working through the workshop alongside the rest, as time permits. Rock on!

That's super amazing! GREAT work Brittany! It's a fantastic story!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris, I appreciate that. Your encouragement was vital for me last quarter, I do not forget. My story would not have been the same without it. You are a fabulous writer, talented with your unique descriptions and belly-laugh humor; but what I respect even more, is that you are a kind and thoughtful friend. Thank you so much!

Wow! Congrats Brittany!

Thank you, Zeet!

Yeahhh!!!! Way to go Brittany. Looking forward to reading your story in the anthology!

Thank you! I hope you like it.

GUYS!!!! Thank you for this. I really do appreciate the encouragement and heartfelt congrats. This was so wonderful to read today, especially as I look up to so many of YOU. You are doing good work and I am certain it will get us all closer to those wins, very soon.

Wishing you all the best! 

Brittany

As we celebrate Brittany’s victory, I wish to tell you about another today. I know some were disappointed I didn’t do an open call on this workshop again this contest year. I am sorry. But it was wide open during enrollment period for the last two years for anyone in the Forum that wished to commit to the requirements. I had to find a way to limit it—this free year-long master workshop takes a tremendous amount of my time! Time I could be editing for clients and writing my own work, which I really do make my living with. Many asked me to take it private, but that would not serve my purpose. I created this so anyone looking on, regardless if they had the time to commit, could benefit from the teachings and exercises here. And let’s face it—you have to reach a certain level before you can withstand a pro edit, and many of these are in the public eye which is now pushing half a million views in two years! So here we are, a smaller group of forumites, committed to excellence in writing, sharing what we know with any that wish to look on. This is my ‘do good to others now’ philosophy, not ‘when I get to the top I’ll help’ philosophy. You do good with the power you have right now at your disposal. I am very happy to see the Pack embrace this; may it take each of you far.

You don’t know this, but I have had way more than a hundred letters from onlurkers saying how much this workshop has helped them. You don’t need to be in it to benefit. It’s all here, out in the open. This has always been my motive for this project—to make it easier for writers that were willing to do the work, to succeed. In record time. Yes, record time. I remember my twenty-five painful years. I would like to spare you some of that.

Below, I share with you why I do this. What you never see.

Well, now you do.

This forumite just made their first pro sale!

Sent: Wed Dec 02, 2020 10:33 am
From: BlackInk
Recipient: Wulf Moon

Dear Wulf,

My flash sci-fi submission for Flame Tree's December newsletter was published today. I wanted to thank you because had it not been for you, and this forum (through which I found a writing partner and friend), I would have never even known about Flame Tree. Thanks to all the advice and exercises you make publicly available in the Wulf super secrets thread. I can say for the first time in my life, even though I've been writing since I was a young child, I got something of mine published. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! BlackInk, you freakin' rock!!! So happy to hear this news.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I already said some private congrats to BlackInk and Brittany, but just wanted to briefly step in to say, I love this group. You’ve gathered a wonderful bunch of writers together here, Moon, and you’re all awesome.

Again, super congrats to you, Brittany! Nailed it! Going to be fantastic to watch your publications start racking up as the momentum keeps you moving forward. The pack really helps us, doesn’t it?

And way to go, Black Ink! Aren’t you glad we’ve kept at those flash contests, despite sort of floundering through what exactly they were seeking in a story. You figured that out, clearly, with a solid ending in the December newsletter.

Keep it up, Top Gun, wolf pack, beasties, and you lurkers, too.

Just popped in here to say thank you all.

I got several rejections from Flame Tree before this story and my 1st ever submission there was such a big flub. It was on the precognition theme for the scifi genre and I wrote mine as fantasy (I blame the baby and sleep deprivation on this) :O I sent an embarrassing email retracting my submission so as not to waste their time but anyway goes to show, keep writing! Keep submitting!

Congratulations to Brittany. I read your semi-finalist from Q3 and can't wait to read your to-be published Q4 story. Baby # what is this then? 😉

wotf054

Guys, I have the biggest news and wanted to post it here first because I believe this group has made all the difference.

To make a long story short (I’m bad at that guys, but those KYDs help) I received a phone call from Joni that I will be a published finalist in volume 37!!! I screamed and told her I thought I’d die (or something similarly dumb) and she said don’t do that. I had a story to publish. My first!

Congratulations, Brittany! You rock!

Congratulations Brittany, with all you've been through you deserve this. I look forward to reading your kraken in the next anthology.

6,300 VIEWS IN 24 HOURS! A NEW SUPER SECRETS RECORD!

During the past couple of weeks, I've seen a huge uptick in views on the Super Secrets. Two, three, even four thousand views a day. This normally happens a few days before the end of a quarter, but now it's nonstop. And we've never hit 6,300 views in twenty-four hours before, and I do keep an eye on it. Why such an increase?

Word is getting out. People are hearing about all your great results. They are reading the Secrets themselves and doing the exercises and seeing the value (see the post I made above as one of the many examples). This makes me happy--it's the reason I established this workshop. You are setting a wonderful example of what writing fresh stories and doing smart practice and sending those stories out can accomplish. The progress of everyone and the accomplishments achieved has been nothing short of phenomenal. We have three from this workshop that will be at the Writers of the Future workshop and gala next year! Amazing!

To all in the Super Secrets Workshop and to all onlurkers, keep writing smart. I love hearing about all of your accomplishments. It makes this all worthwhile.

Now get those Q1s shining bright! Less than a month away! Winning Writers of the Future can be your personal Magic Sword that has the power to change your destiny. You are on a quest to gain the totem of power. There are many roads to a professional writing career, but none that have yielded so many SFF professionals as Writers of the Future. It is worth every effort!

One thing that I'm certain will help you is doing those Nail Your Opening exercises. I hope you have done those and applied lessons learned to your Q1 story. Another thing that would help is if you could get a pro edit on your first five pages. Sorry, I wish I could do that for everyone, but these are detailed and take time. But I am giving one away! That's right! And they really do help you focus your story on that beating heart we talk about. If you'd like to be there when I roll the bones, sign up ASAP for my Wulf Pack Club. It's my monthly club letter where I share more tips and prizes. Somebody is about to win this helpful free edit. May it be YOU! http://www.driftweave.com

Now don't miss your deadline! Keep writing! You can't win if you aren't in!

Beastmaster Moon

P.S.: Thank you to one and all for your nice congratulations to Brittany and BlackInk. Thanks for your kind words to myself as well. You make this worth it. 

Conratulations to Blackink and sorry I didn't catch that post!

I wanted to say a public forum thank you to our fearless leader. My first ever HM (from 20+ years ago) was FINALLY accepted for publication after I KYD'd the sucker down to half its original length. It went to Enchanted Conversations and will post sometime within the next 90 days, so I'm pretty happy and grateful. Also, this morning I finished my second full length story written within the last 30 days. Guess how often I've ever written two short stories within one month?

Never. (Chapters, yes. Stories? No.)

I wanted to say THANK YOU Moon!

Congratulations on your sale, empressed! Super cool!

Challenge beasties, it's that time again - today's Monday prompt is: BOTTLED SECRETS.

Conratulations to Blackink and sorry I didn't catch that post!

I wanted to say a public forum thank you to our fearless leader. My first ever HM (from 20+ years ago) was FINALLY accepted for publication after I KYD'd the sucker down to half its original length. It went to Enchanted Conversations and will post sometime within the next 90 days, so I'm pretty happy and grateful. Also, this morning I finished my second full length story written within the last 30 days. Guess how often I've ever written two short stories within one month?

Never. (Chapters, yes. Stories? No.)

I wanted to say THANK YOU Moon!

GREAT news, Victoria! I’m happy your story will be published, and I’m glad KYD helped! Super-duper good news on your increased output!

Thanks for your support of my master classes. May the knowledge continue to serve you well!

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

For any that wish to know what KYD is, and the system of exercises that have spawned several WotF Finalist entries, you can learn it here:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7600&start=960#p92258

Be sure when you do the 250-word portion, you follow the instructions, or you will miss the purpose of the final phase of the exercise. You are now amplifying the beating heart of your story, shaping everything around it, not just editing out words.

It is such an important exercise, this year I’m having workshop members do one a month.

I will be teaching a master class on the system next year, but in the meantime...

Cheers!

Beastmaster Moon

Good morning, beasties! Today's Monday prompt is: LAVENDER SKIES.

I've finished the edits for the workshop members that qualified this quarter, but I'm still working on the many edits for my clients. Sorry I haven't finished up the "Muzik Man" Three Act Analysis. Soon! I do hope you'll read BlackInk's analysis over in the other thread for forum members that want to follow along without the workshop requirements. Very detailed and insightful, especially concerning the deeper issues of the human experience I was shining a light on. Nice job, BlackInk!

I do wish to leave you with an important point. In my master classes (and here in Super Secret #41) the most important concept I teach is Heart's Desire. I find it missing in almost every story I work on in my freelance editing business! I can't stress it enough, and even after I teach it, I still find some need to do more work on this. They think because they casually mention something their protagonist wants to do that they've covered it. The problem is, it's not clear to the reader. In turn, because the writer is so casual about it, it's not clear to the writer, either. Their story does not laser focus on that one thing the hero wants more than anything else, is even willing to put their life on the line to obtain. End result? A weak story as the writer wanders about in the tale trying to figure out what their protagonist really wants. Instead, there should have been a strong statement of what they want in the very beginning, and everything else in the story should have been hinged to how they planned to obtain their Heart's Desire.

Remember my KYD exercises? When you do the final 250-word portion, what are you supposed to write this vignette about? THE BEATING HEART. The entire exercise is designed to help you to find that one poignant emotional desire as you craft the vignette. Then, when you one day build up from there into a short story, you will know exactly what that entire story needs to be about. You will craft a strong story, because you focused first on the deep emotional issue the story is truly about.

Last night, I watched THE AMAZING SPIDER MAN. I consider this one the best in all the series done in the Spider Man universe. And when I watched the bonus disc with the "Making of" features, I discovered why. As they spoke about the director, Marc Webb, they said this: "As a filmmaker, he's very much about character all the way through. His feeling on it is if we get the heart of the story right, you know, the rest will fall into place."

I'm not the only one that understands this Super Secret.

You have a couple weeks left to craft your winner. Get Heart's Desire right, and you will have a winner. Because you took your readers on a deep emotional journey. Those are the stories that win, time and time again.

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Thank you, Beastmaster Moon! The Heart's Desire has been extremely helpful for me in focusing my stories.

Okay, I asked this before but I could not sign on here for over a quarter and half and I have forgotten. I think that the confusion with me signing on started when I signed up for the other WotF workshop-which I finished. I could sign on for that one but not this forum. Anyway, it has been straightened out after a few requests for aid.

So reading what is now the first post we can enroll in this one at the beginning of quarter year? Or was that just for the first quarter of this workshop?

Unfortunately it is the beginning of the contest year when Wulf rosters members and this year- because he has contributed an enormous amount of time and effort to this workshop for the past 2 years- the registration grew a little more stringent and limited. However, you are welcome and encouraged to follow along as an observer, and there's a separate thread for working the exercises in the Writing/Craft thread. Welcome back!

Thanks for the reply. Which ones are they doing now? Or does it matter to an observer?

Thank you, Beastmaster Moon! The Heart's Desire has been extremely helpful for me in focusing my stories.

So glad to have helped, Crystal. It's the Secret to crafting powerful stories that a reader, and judge, won't forget.

Because you touched their heart.

Much success to your Q1!

Beastmaster Moon

Thanks for the reply. Which ones are they doing now? Or does it matter to an observer?

Hi, Louis. So sorry about the trouble getting into the Forum. John Goodwin let me know the glitch happened, and that he just admitted many new members that were in limbo. We're glad to have you aboard.

As for this thread, this is my own little circus sideshow. The big top is outside, just waiting to be explored. I did open enrollment for Super Secrets at the start of the contest year for the last two years, but this year, I had to close it and reduce the size to keep it manageable. As Becky mentioned, there is a thread for anyone wanting to share in the exercises from the Super Secrets that aren't in the workshop. viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8000

I do read those, and share comments when it seems valid to do so. Right now, we are doing the exercise for Super Secret #46, The Three Act Structure. It's a review of the Super Secrets through an analysis of my story "Muzik Man" published in DEEP MAGIC, Fall 2020. You'll see a very nice analysis by BlackInk in that other folder. Here's the actual Super Secret and assignment: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7600&start=3540#p99597

Anyhow, do take advantage of the critique swap folders, and do post in the quarter you plan to submit a story to. And do introduce yourself in the thread NEW USERS; INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. Welcome to the Forum!

For those of you in the workshop, stay tuned for the final analysis of "Muzik Man" using the three act structure and the Super Secrets. I've almost finished up for the year with my clients in my editing business, as well as the complimentary edits for those in this workshop, which will give me the time to finish up this Super Secrets assignment as well.

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon