Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

@wulfmoon 
Nice work, David! An awesome story   

Speaking of DreamForge, our very own Super Secrets Top Gunner Crystal Crawford just had her second publication there in the latest edition! Great story, and it also includes the editor’s markup if you’re a subscriber—might help you see what editors do behind the scenes to help make writers’ stories shine.

Do take note of her opening line on this one, challenge beasties. The editor commended her on it, and Crystal told me she created it by applying this workshop’s lessons on how to create openings that hook! Well done, Crystal! 

Here’s Crystal’s story, free to read, but if you subscribe you’ll get to see the editor’s notes!

https://dreamforge.mywebportal.app/dreamforge/stories/show/one-shot-at-aeden-crystal-crawford

@wulfmoon can't wait to read. Congrats to all in this edition.

Congratulations Crystal. I read your story and enjoyed it, especially the ending.

@storysinger Thank you!

@ccrawford 

v35: Q4 - HM
V36: R, R, R, R
V37: SHM, HM, HM, SHM
V38: SHM, HM, HM, HM

Crystal, it’s fascinating seeing your Contest results in your signature. You’re an excellent writer, but it’s obvious how the training here has helped you level up in your writing since you joined. Night and day difference. That’s the benefit of getting a better grasp on storytelling skills and writing mechanics, and then doing smart practice through writing fresh stories to work with the knowledge. I’ve seen this in the signatures of so many here that joined the workshop, and it’s no accident.

Congratulations on reaping the benefits of doing the work, including achieving multiple respectable sales on the traditional publishing side of the industry. Well done! Another great alumni example that reminds this year’s challenge beasties that there’s a good reward for staying the course. Cheers!

@wulfmoon Thank you!  Yes, as I've told you privately, my writing has grown leaps and bounds since joining your Super Secrets workshops here.  (I messaged you that I believed you've shaved about 10 years off my learning curve for short stories, at least, and I mean that!)  I'm very proud of my last two years' results... but you can tell from the string of R's that first year of consistent entering that I was stabbing in the dark. I really didn't know what I'd done "right" with my HM that first quarter, and I didn't know how to replicate it. At the end of that year, I joined Super Secrets when you did open call for the workshop.  And the results from there speak for themselves.  It's been hard work!  But I was working hard before and not getting much of anywhere because I was never sure what to focus on. After I found the Super Secrets, I started working smart. 😉 

And I listed these separately down below, but my 2 sales to DreamForge Anvil came during the last year I was in the Super Secrets workshop, too -- one in April 2021 and one in December of 2021.  I also saw my first-ever "Hold for Consideration" for Apex Magazine during that year and a nice Personal rejection from Fantasy & Science Fiction, and even though neither of those stories got published at those times, that was super-exciting and definitely a level-up from previous results I'd had subbing to either of those publications.

I'm very grateful to be part of the Wulf Pack and for what I've learned through the Super Secrets.

Your Monday writing prompt is:

Tears for the fallen.

I'm doing my March check-in early because my family and I are taking a vacation and I won't be near a computer during deadline day. 

I wrote a 3600-word story this month. 

I wrote a KYD then turned it into a short story that was submitted to an anthology for my 3rd submission this quarter. 

I also submitted my entry for WOTF this quarter. I appreciate this group and the accountability. I didn't think I'd make the submission this window and complete a new story for the anthology I submitted to. Instead, I got down to business and hit both submission windows. Thanks to all for the encouragement. 

This month is even worse than the last. I don't know how much longer I can keep myself in the challenge. Definitely the quality of my writing has gone down just to try and make the monthly deadlines. I'm writing this here in the hopes it'll give me the pressure to finish up this month and stay with it but with kids trading off sicknesses, me getting sick, and life duties/stress I don't know if that's realistic. It seems like such a doable challenge too but I have to try remind myself it's okay to admit when things are too much to handle.

I'm in awe of all of you able to stay with it. 

Posted by: @scribblesatdusk

This month is even worse than the last. I don't know how much longer I can keep myself in the challenge. Definitely the quality of my writing has gone down just to try and make the monthly deadlines. I'm writing this here in the hopes it'll give me the pressure to finish up this month and stay with it but with kids trading off sicknesses, me getting sick, and life duties/stress I don't know if that's realistic. It seems like such a doable challenge too but I have to try remind myself it's okay to admit when things are too much to handle.

I'm in awe of all of you able to stay with it. 

Good luck @scribblesatdusk! You can do it, . I'm working on the 3.000 new words and need to do another submission before March ends...

Posted by: @scribblesatdusk

This month is even worse than the last. I don't know how much longer I can keep myself in the challenge. Definitely the quality of my writing has gone down just to try and make the monthly deadlines. I'm writing this here in the hopes it'll give me the pressure to finish up this month and stay with it but with kids trading off sicknesses, me getting sick, and life duties/stress I don't know if that's realistic. It seems like such a doable challenge too but I have to try remind myself it's okay to admit when things are too much to handle.

I'm in awe of all of you able to stay with it. 

Setting goals and having a group that cheers us on in making them can be a powerful motivator when it appears life is getting in the way. But there are times when life does get in the way, and we have to bail on what is not essential to maintain our mental health and well-being, both for ourselves, and for our families. Having children adds another layer of responsibility, because they have needs as well, and parents have the responsibility to care for those needs.

Only you can decide when the challenge you signed up for is no longer a motivator, but a burden. We are happy to cheer you on, and under normal circumstances, I know that you can do this—you wouldn’t have committed to it if you didn’t feel the goals were within your reach. But no one will fault you if you need to back out. We are not in your shoes. You know what’s best for you. ?

Why not see how this month goes. If you make it, well and good. If you don’t, you can withdraw without shame. I hope the challenge revealed that under favorable circumstances, you’re able to produce much more than you imagined. There is tremendous potential within us that often needs a push to get unlocked. But not at the sake of our health and our families.

We are writers. When our circumstances change, or if we can make them change, we will use them once again to pursue our full potential.

I know this will be the case for you, whatever you decide.

All the best,

Wulf Moon

Posted by: @jarrodkwilliams

I'm doing my March check-in early because my family and I are taking a vacation and I won't be near a computer during deadline day. 

I wrote a 3600-word story this month. 

I wrote a KYD then turned it into a short story that was submitted to an anthology for my 3rd submission this quarter. 

I also submitted my entry for WOTF this quarter. I appreciate this group and the accountability. I didn't think I'd make the submission this window and complete a new story for the anthology I submitted to. Instead, I got down to business and hit both submission windows. Thanks to all for the encouragement. 

 

You’re welcome, Jarrod. I’m glad the challenge has worked out for you. May you see good rewards for your efforts. Enjoy your well-earned vacation! ?

Received my contributor copy of the latest LTUE benefit anthology! My story in A Parliament of Wizards is a reprint of my humorous fantasy epistolary, “Beast of the Month.”

I wrote this story at a writers’ retreat at Rockaway, Oregon, around twenty-five years ago, attended by Jerry & Kathy Oltion, Rob Vagle, Nina Hoffman, Bruce Holland Rogers, and more from our Wordos writers group out of Eugene. Everyone laughed at the reading. Bruce came up to me after and said, “I hope you find a market for it. That story deserves to be published.”

Took me twenty years, and it was held by publishers several times, but Juli Rew at Third Flatiron Anthologies was the editor that gave me my break, launching my Phoenix career. And now LTUE Press shares it with the world again! Enjoy all the enchanting stories in A Parliament of Wizards, including my laugh-out-loud tale of a wizard’s mail order club that goes terribly awry. These stories will put a spell on you!

Also, Top Gunner Candice Lisle has a fun story in here, and WotF winner Eric James Stone does as well. Eric’s story is not to be missed, and is well worth studying for how to take tropes and throw them on their head. If you have a few bucks, I highly recommend to workshop members that you study Eric’s story. He is a master of the short form, and this one is an excellent example of why.

Order yours HERE, knowing you’re also aiding a good cause—helping students to be able to attend the wonderful LTUE convention!

As promised, my latest Super Secret of Writing, just published in DreamForge magazine. I recommend reviewing the article and checking your Q2 submission against it to be sure you ‘wrote smart dialogue, son!’ ?

Here’s the editor’s intro:

Dialog can be deadly dull or crisp and engaging. You know it when you see it, but can you write it? Can you bring your characters’ tongues to life? From the Dangers of Saidisms to “As You Know Bobs,” Wulf Moon points out the landmines of bad dialog and gives you the super secret to delightful character conversations.

Free to read HERE.

All the best to you in writing smart Q2 entries! The deadline is almost here!

Posted by: @scribblesatdusk

 I have to try remind myself it's okay to admit when things are too much to handle.

Scribbles, 
Moon has already stated so accurately how appropriate it is to ensure your health first, in all its forms and responsibilities. The rest of us are definitely cheering you on (you know you can do it!). Should life require an adjustment away from writing, we'll be waiting, ready to cheer you on again in the future 

Well I did the mystery abroad the ____ KYD. I read some shorts by Agatha Christie to get a handle on how to write a mystery but this isn't the quality flash I'd ever send out anywhere. I may come back to it one of these days when I have more time.

I still have the 3k story to finish and my wotf q2 entry to edit (though it is in its final stages). I think another reason this month in particular was hard is I have so many different stories to try to keep track of. My Q2 is very diff from my 3k story and both are totally disconnected from my KYD. Hard to find time even to think about so many different threads and do them justice.

Gotta make the most of today while my coughing is the least it's been these past 2 weeks. Now that I'm finally on the mend it feels I may complete it all.

Thank you all for the support. The challenge has been incredibly valuable in improving my writing and showing me how much I'm capable of.

Life is a journey, that lasts a lifetime

Take your best shot, lay it on the line

If you should stumble, clear it from your mind

Because the hand of fate, can be cruel or kind

I'm glad you're getting better, stay strong (@scribblesatdusk)

Your Monday prompt for the KYD challenge is:

Scorched earth.

Have fun, challenge beasties! Don’t miss your Q2 deadline, which is this Thursday, March 31st, at midnight Pacific Time. My closest submission time stamp was 11:58 PM. For a healthy heart, I DO NOT recommend this. ?

Cheers!

Beastmaster Moon

Hey... Ive been writing a scifi piece that has an android-robot but your super secret #44 says dont make names that are indiscernible or that cause the reader to be removed or step back from their immersion... What would you recommend for androids or robots?  I want the reader to read it and know immediately that its not human and thought that keeping it short with a number would be sufficent but more than one critiquer referenced this rule... Would you recommend naming the robot something more human and taking extra care to make sure i say its an robot? 

Thanks,

Shockhawk

Posted by: @shockhawk

Hey... Ive been writing a scifi piece that has an android-robot and i named it IJII-3 but your super secret #44 says dont make names that are indiscernible or that cause the reader to be removed or step back from their immersion... What would you recommend for androids or robots?  I want the reader to read it and know immediately that its not human and thought that keeping it short with a number would be sufficent but more than one critiquer referenced this rule... Is it my letters (as IJII might be pronounced EGEE or IJEYE) or would you recommend naming the robot something more human and taking extra care to make sure i say its an robot? 

Thanks,

Shockhawk

Great question! I'm very curious what Wulf Moon will say on this. My perspective is look at our technology. Anything that has made it big has pronounceable, easy to remember names. Siri. Alexa. Roomba (okay I'm stretching with this one, but still). 

Posted by: @shockhawk

Hey... Ive been writing a scifi piece that has an android-robot and i named it IJII-3 but your super secret #44 says dont make names that are indiscernible or that cause the reader to be removed or step back from their immersion... What would you recommend for androids or robots?  I want the reader to read it and know immediately that its not human and thought that keeping it short with a number would be sufficent but more than one critiquer referenced this rule... Is it my letters (as IJII might be pronounced EGEE or IJEYE) or would you recommend naming the robot something more human and taking extra care to make sure i say its an robot? 

Thanks,

Shockhawk

This reminds me of Star Wars; Luke abbreviated C3PO down to "Threepio" and R2D2 down to "R2."

@shockhawk 

A good question, and a common issue in stories by aspiring writers. Some think alien unpronounceable names are cool, so they come up with some doozies. The problem is if a reader can’t easily pronounce the name, they’re going to stumble over it every time you place it in the text. It becomes a puzzle for the analytical mind to solve. How is that *#$@&! name pronounced?

Your goal as a writer is to keep the reader in the reading trance. You cast a spell over their conscious mind and carry them into a vision state when you do your job right. Outside world vanishes as they enter and become immersed in your world. But every time they hit a speed bump like an unpronounceable word or name, they have to stop the show. Even if it’s for a moment, the analytical brain jumps in and says, ‘There’s that dang word again.’ When it’s a significant character or protagonist’s name, it’s going to happen repeatedly, and annoying your reader is a bad idea.

Choose a name that’s easy for readers to sound out in their head. If it’s a major character, the name should also have relevance. Take Seven of Nine in Star Trek Voyager. Easier to say than K4791B0839WQ, which the writer could have chosen—the Borg could have had serial numbers—but how do you pronounce it? Seven of Nine was easy to pronounce, and it reminded you each time you saw it she wasn’t a normal human, she had been part of a cyborg unit. 

Scribbles makes another good point. Catchy names stick. It’s why a great deal of thought and research goes into product naming. Do the same with your characters and they’ll be remembered, and hopefully even talked about, because your readers will be able to roll those names off their tongues.

That said, you can open with a complex name, like an android or alien named Rtz’vcd’aiQwrty, but then you say: Nobody could pronounce her name. Everyone just called her Ritz. And then for the rest of the story, you call her Ritz. Easy on the eyes, easy on the mind, easy on the tongue. ?

Year 4 Q2 check in. Since Thursday is my birthday, I'm going to go ahead and report that for March, I did a KYD, 3 submissions to pro paying markets, wrote at least 3,000 fresh words: on my submissions and a short story I'm currently working on, and submitted a Q2 entry for WOTF. I also submitted a Q2 IOTF entry as well. So... I've been able to complete all of the requirements to stay in Moon's Vol. 39 challenge for both Q1 and Q2. It's not an easy challenge, but so far so good. I shall now set my sites on April and Q3. Good luck to the other year 4 self challenge folks!

@physa Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I am also a March 31st b-day, which is known as the day of tenacity--very appropriate for any writers, I think.

Posted by: @nvhaskell

@physa Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I am also a March 31st b-day, which is known as the day of tenacity--very appropriate for any writers, I think.

Happy birthday to you, too @nvhaskell! And... congrats on your V38 win and all expense paid trip to Hollywood coming up soon...  

Posted by: @physa

Year 4 Q2 check in. Since Thursday is my birthday, I'm going to go ahead and report that for March, I did a KYD, 3 submissions to pro paying markets, wrote at least 3,000 fresh words: on my submissions and a short story I'm currently working on, and submitted a Q2 entry for WOTF. I also submitted a Q2 IOTF entry as well. So... I've been able to complete all of the requirements to stay in Moon's Vol. 39 challenge for both Q1 and Q2. It's not an easy challenge, but so far so good. I shall now set my sites on April and Q3. Good luck to the other year 4 self challenge folks!

Great work, Amy! It's called a challenge for a reason! I'm glad it's helping you reach new heights in your writing.

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

March report:

1. 2 Fresh short stories (1500 horror and 3000 SF) plus another 4000 fresh words as I expanded one of my older works for the current WoTF quarter.

2. 1xKYD based on the Librarian theme of an upcoming anthology

3. Submitted to WoTF (just now)

4. Submitted to 10+ pro markets

Did some vigorous edits on some past pieces, especially ones aiming for Resnick.

Year 4 - March Report

1. Wrote 1 fresh story (3k words) and heavily reworked 2 others (5k and 11k words)

2. Wrote 1 KYD

3. Submitted to WotF (today)

4. 9 pro submissions this quarter

Posted by: @morgan-broadhead

Posted by: @shockhawk

Hey... Ive been writing a scifi piece that has an android-robot and i named it IJII-3 but your super secret #44 says dont make names that are indiscernible or that cause the reader to be removed or step back from their immersion... What would you recommend for androids or robots?  I want the reader to read it and know immediately that its not human and thought that keeping it short with a number would be sufficent but more than one critiquer referenced this rule... Is it my letters (as IJII might be pronounced EGEE or IJEYE) or would you recommend naming the robot something more human and taking extra care to make sure i say its an robot? 

Thanks,

Shockhawk

This reminds me of Star Wars; Luke abbreviated C3PO down to "Threepio" and R2D2 down to "R2."

 

Interestingly, I don't think anyone abbreviates bb8 in the movies (they refer to 'bb' units, but not him specifically). I guess that one less syllable from C3PO and R2-D2 is enough they didn't feel the need to shorten.