Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

Posted by: @glenda-thompson

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Excellent prompt. Addictions make a great story.

Thanks, Glenda! And welcome to the WotF Forum!💜

Posted by: @michellejdiaz

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Thanks, Moon! I can spin something off this for sure.

I’m certain you can, Michelle. You have the skills! Cheers!

 Speaking of Michelle Diaz!

Michelle Diaz has been a member of this Super Secrets of Writing Workshop for about three years. She's taken my masterclasses at LTUE for the last two years, and she's a member of the WotF Forum. I should mention first that she's a teenager, a senior in high school this year. Since joining us, she's received numerous honors in the WotF Contest, the highest being a WotF Finalist last year. She was awarded the Youth Scholarship by the Superstars Writing Seminar--easily valued at $1,000. She received the Golden Key honor for a story in their Western Region this year in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards--their highest regional award! And last week Michelle was announced as one of three finalists in the Worldcon 2025 Short Story Youth Contest--a world class honor! While we hope she earns a win in the final judging, Michelle will always be a winner to us!

Congratulations, Michelle Diaz!

While I take my hat off to all of the WotF and IotF winners this year at the gala, I would be remiss if I did not mention two successful followers of the Super Secrets of Writing that won Writers of the Future, Volume 41. Congratulations to Robert "Fred" Lowell and Sandra Skalski! Three cheers to your success!

Here's the post I made to my Facebook page before the award ceremony:

Tonight, April 10th, 2025 is the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Vol. 41 award ceremony, streamed LIVE at writersofthefuture dot com. Two of my Patreon members (seen above) will be there, stepping up to that glamorous stage to receive their trophies and give their acceptance speeches: Robert “Fred” Lowell, and Sandra Skalski! The Wulf Pack Writers group is gathering in our Discord Wulf Den in a watch party to cheer them on, but we hope you’ll do the same from home tonight. It’s an incredible red carpet event with all the glamour of Hollywood. In fact, some of us call it “The Oscars of science fiction and fantasy.” When you tune in online, you’ll see why!

Fred joined the Wulf Pack Writers group a few years ago after attending the masterclasses I teach at the LTUE Seminar in Provo, Utah. He joined the annual Super Secrets Workshop and Challenge and faithfully practiced the primary exercise the group works in to advance, the KYD: Kill Your Darlings Exercise. I’m happy to say Fred was published this year in LTUE’s annual anthology–I got a signed copy from him there–and now he’s following it up with his contest win and publication in the bestselling anthology, WRITERS OF THE FUTURE VOL. 41. Way to go, Fred! YOU HAVE LIFTOFF!

While we’ll be celebrating the achievement of all of these writers and illustrators, another writer we’ll be especially cheering for is Sandra Skalski. She’s a friend from Twitter that saw my posts when I launched my HOW TO WRITE A HOWLING GOOD STORY Kickstarter and got my Illustrated workbook and Howling book before the public release. When I launched my Patreon page, she joined there as well and remains a valued member. And then last year, I saw her name on the quarterly Q1 Writers of the Future winners’ list, and lo and behold, Sandra had won First Place! I wrote to congratulate her, and this is what Sandra wrote back. Don’t worry, I asked for permission and Sandra said: “Feel free to share my thoughts. Your books truly helped me, and I refer to them often.” Here’s Sandra:

Hi Wulf

Thank you for your good wishes. And thank you especially for your wonderful books. I can’t tell you how many times I was stuck on a story and I opened one of your books and figured out the problem. I think focusing on heart’s desire was key for me. You’ve helped so many of us with your time and generosity. You rock!

I hope you’re at the workshop next year. I would love to meet you.

Thanks,

Sandy

Well, life has kept me from attending the event this year, but thanks to the live-stream, it won’t keep me from cheering both of these emerging writers on as they take the stage to celebrate their wonderful victories. Thousands enter this contest every quarter from around the world, and it truly is the greatest talent search contest for speculative fiction writers. Huge congratulations to Robert “Fred” Lowell, and Sandra Skalski! And hats off to all of tonight's winners! You worked hard for this achievement!

It's Monday, and that means it's time for your Monday KYD Writing Prompt!

Forgive me, I'm working on my Super-Duper Moongirl novel this week, so I must be brief. But I haven't forgotten I owe you a Kill Your Darlings writing prompt! Here it is:

rage against the machine

Beastmaster Moon

@wulfmoon Congratulations to Michelle.  In addition to being an amazing author, Michelle is a fantastic hand at web design and sports a magnificent work ethic. I sense fantabulous things to come from Michelle.  Watch out, World, here she comes!

@wulfmoon Thanks Moon! The Super Secrets help me win for Volume 41 and will help many of the Wulf Pack do the same! Excelsior!

Posted by: @wehlingfl

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@wulfmoon Thanks Moon! The Super Secrets help me win for Volume 41 and will help many of the Wulf Pack do the same! Excelsior!

We are super-duper proud of you, Fred! We first met at LTUE and I noted your dedication to learning all you could in my masterclasses taught there. You joined the writing group I founded here immediately, and you put your nose to the grindstone and did the work I assigned the annual workshop members without complaint. I also appreciated your humility in recognizing there were things you needed to master, like my Magic Sword principle, which you were working on in the very story that became your WotF winner! 

Writers of the Future will put a spotlight on you and your career like no other organization. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! Well done, Fred! And might I add, that was an excellent acceptance speech! Great eye contact with your audience, no notes, lots of heartfelt sincerity. Truly wonderful example for all here planning to stand on that stage to watch and study.

All the beast!

Wulf Moon 

@wulfmoon Thanks yet again, Moon. I'm *still* working on the Magic Sword thing...

@wulfmoon Thank you, Moon! 😊 I certainly couldn't have come this far with you and the Wulf Pack to help guide my writing journey. We rise as one!

Posted by: @glenda-thompson

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@wulfmoon Congratulations to Michelle.  In addition to being an amazing author, Michelle is a fantastic hand at web design and sports a magnificent work ethic. I sense fantabulous things to come from Michelle.  Watch out, World, here she comes!

Aw, thank you, Glenda! You were an absolute joy to work with. 😊 

It's Monday, and that means it's time for your Monday KYD Writing Prompt!

Forgive me, I'm working on my Super-Duper Moongirl novel this week (again!), so I must be brief. But I haven't forgotten I owe you a Kill Your Darlings writing prompt! Here it is:

war dance

Have at it!

If you'd like a bonus prompt with tips, I wrote a one this week that's not behind the paywall on my Patreon site. Yeah, FREE! Check it out.

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

It's Monday, and that means it's time for your Monday KYD Writing Prompt!

Here's a trope that has yielded big payoffs for some writers and producers:

salvaging starships

Remember: show the editors and judges something they haven't seen before. If you can turn a trope on its head and give readers unexpected thrills (think Alien and the sequel, Aliens), your story will rise in estimation. Maybe all the way to the top of the Writers of the Future Contest! 

Keep those first readers and judges on the edge of their seats! Surprise them and keep ratcheting up the tension at every turn! Boring stories get tossed, but so do melodramatic stories (oh waily, waily, waily!). Find that perfect balance that feeds the soul as it feeds out adrenaline!

Beastmaster Moon

@wulfmoon Thanks, Moon! So many ways one could spin this prompt.

It's Monday, and that means it's time for your Monday KYD Writing Prompt!

Cause and effect. Action and consequence. See what you can do with this one!

corridor of consequences

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Posted by: @wulfmoon

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It's Monday, and that means it's time for your Monday KYD Writing Prompt!

Cause and effect. Action and consequence. See what you can do with this one!

corridor of consequences

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Thanks, Moon!

It's Monday, and that means it's time for your Monday KYD Writing Prompt!

Cause and effect. Action and consequence. See what you can do with this one!

sentient storm

There are many types of storms. It could be a stellar wind, it could be a storm cloud that terrorizes a planet, it could be a digital storm that rumbles through electronic utopia. Find the fascinating problem, and choose a character that would be least likely to have the capacity to solve it. And put them behind the eight ball for maximum internal arc!

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

@wulfmoon I've been thinking about a story where the MC's ancestors express themselves as weather.  Good prompt.  I'll save this one for later

@wulfmoon Thanks, Moon!

I have another Super Secrets of Writing article published in the May issue of Story Unlikely. This Super Secret helps writers with flashback transitions and how to NOT lose their readers in the time warp! Its title? “You Are the Wizard of Speed and Time, Part 2.” To read this one, you do need to subscribe to Story Unlikely, however. But they have great privileges for joining. And editor Danny Hankner is a writer himself--he was a Finalist in the last quarter of Writers of the Future!

Danny makes a lot of these free, including his stories, but publishing a magazine is not free. And he does pay pro rate to his writers, and that comes from subscriptions. 

Just letting those of you that are followers know where to get the latest Super Secret. 

Cheers!

Wulf Moon

Well deserved! Congratulations, Michelle!

@wulfmoon Dang Michelle, you're blowing it out of the water! So fun to watch you soar. I can't wait to hear how WorldCon goes for you!! ❤️😁

Congratulations, Michelle!

Posted by: @wulfmoon

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Some exciting news for a Forumite and Super Secrets Workshop member!

Here's our public post:

Congratulations to Michelle Diaz for her world-class honor in the Seattle Worldcon 2025 Short Story Writing Contest! Michelle is the winner of their Youth category with her story “The Dream Terminal.”

 

Her award? Payment of ten cents a word, a free Worldcon membership for herself and her guardian, publication on the Seattle Worldcon website, and publication in the special Worldcon hardcover anthology Grimoire published by Grim Oak Press!

 

We are extremely proud of our youngest Wulf Pack member. Michelle joined Wulf Pack Writers and our annual Super Secrets of Writing Workshop a little over two years ago as an unpublished writer and swiftly advanced. At seventeen, she earned Finalist in the Writers of the Future Contest, the largest talent search for speculative fiction writers in the world. She was one of two high school seniors awarded the Young Superstars Scholarship last year for the 2025 Superstars Writing Seminar. This year in the Western Region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Michelle earned two Gold Key Awards for her writing—this is their highest regional honor.

 

And now at eighteen, Michelle Diaz has achieved her first professional sale, and in a deluxe hardcover with a gorgeous, illustrated dust jacket at that! We applaud Michelle for her dedication to learning, honing her skills, writing fresh stories, and courageously sending her stories out to markets. Go Michelle!

 

 

Here are the kind words Michelle wrote back when I informed her about her win—this shows you her caliber. Shared with permission:

 

Thank you so much for forwarding this to me, Moon!

 

Thank you for all the time you spend with us in the Wulf Pack and for all the work you put into your Super Secrets. They have helped so many people, including myself, and I hope your knowledge continues to teach and guide people for many years to come!

 

All the best,

 

Michelle

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We look forward to watching Michelle’s bright future unfold, and we certainly look forward to reading her story when the anthology is released this year at Seattle Worldcon. If you’d like to read it along with the other speculative stories, you can preorder the anthology today. Grim Oak Press publishes beautiful, limited edition hardcovers for many bestselling authors like Tad Williams, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Terry Brooks! This is certain to be a quality publication.

 

Grimoire: A Grim Oak Press Anthology For Seattle Worldcon 2025

 

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Congratulations, Michelle!!!

Awesome job, Michelle!!

Congratulations Michelle!