Wulf Moon's SUPER SECRETS Workshop & Challenge!

All right, beasties, we've got nine days left until the end of the quarter. Get those fresh stories done! And don't forget to post here when you SUBMIT, because that's when I'll roster you!

Thanks for the motivation, Swift! If anyone has last-minute feedback they’d like, feel free to send it my way. I’ve sent my possible WotF entry to some fellow beasties and thread followers for feedback. I was totally stuck with two other stories that were done except for final linking scenes, but I had to set them aside for now. Instead, I expanded one of my newest flash with wonderful results. Tried to keep in mind Heart’s Desire, too. So yay! Now prepping wrap up on my second story. Best of luck with writing everyone! And stay healthy and safe!

Alex, if you could get the heart, characterization, and world-building Miyazki works are packed with, it would be impressive indeed.

That's great to hear, oishisushi! Keep pushing - you're almost at the finish line!

In addition, it's that day again... Today's Monday prompt is: ETERNAL SACRIFICE.

Good to hear you applied Heart's Desire, RJK Lee. As you know, I think it's a critical element to every story that often gets talked about by instructors only as an addendum to the 7 Point Plot, if at all. It would be a mistake to overlook what is the most important aspect of a story--the internal emotional story arc of your protagonist. Without it, you can write a perfectly plotted story hitting all the elements: a character in a setting with a problem, the try/fail cycles, the grand climax, the thoughtful denouement...and still fail. If readers don't *care* about your protagonist and their need to achieve their heart's desire, they might read your story to the end, but it's going to be like popcorn--nothing to chew on, no deep nutritious substance.

Give readers (including editors and judges!) something to sink their teeth into!

About one week away, all! Marines, we are leaving! Q2 is about to fall, and we are on to the next beach head. Fulfill your oath and get one story in to the contest, and one fresh short story out to a respectable market that you wrote in the last three months! All that continue to show up on the roster as having met each quarter's requirements get a critique from me. I am working my way through those meeting the challenge each Q to get you a line-by-line critique. I normally spend three or four hours on these so I can show you how to craft a professional story. Getting one will help you up your game, so do stay in the game! : )

Success to your writing!

All the beast!

Beastmaster Moon

Wulf! Thanks again for posting your Super Secrets. I'm not in the group, but I've been studying your methods and have written per these proven guidelines to best of my ability.

The best advice for me was the word count. My first draft of my Q2 story was 17K and I have cut it down to around 7,500 after reading rule #31.

Hopefully we will still be able to go to Superstars next year, look forward to meeting you.

Cheers, Kizer

Wulf! Thanks again for posting your Super Secrets. I'm not in the group, but I've been studying your methods and have written per these proven guidelines to best of my ability.

The best advice for me was the word count. My first draft of my Q2 story was 17K and I have cut it down to around 7,500 after reading rule #31.

Hopefully we will still be able to go to Superstars next year, look forward to meeting you.

Cheers, Kizer

Thanks, Kizer. Many have said the Super Secrets helped them. I'm glad they've helped you as well.

Actually, figuring out Super Secret #31 for myself personally made all the difference between selling...or getting nice personal rejections. It also made the difference in winning this contest. When Dave told me in a Semifinalist critique I needed to kill my darlings, I realized I had already trained to do so in my flash, and just needed to apply the lessons learned in it to my short stories. Practicing my KYD Exercise really helps train you to write lean and mean.

Sounds like you're figuring it out! Keep us posted on your success!

See you at Superstars!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

I'm in for Quarter 2! I just submitted short story #1 to the Writers of the Future contest tonight. I'm still working on finishing my second short story for this quarter and my flash for this month, but I currently have 2 partial flash pieces that could both possibly be KYD'd and then built back up into a longer story, and one other short story going, so as soon as my brain can decide which one to focus on I'll be wrapping up the second short story and then finishing out one of the flashes out of what's left. 8 days. I can do this! (Focus, brain, focus!)

I'm in for Quarter 2! I just submitted short story #1 to the Writers of the Future contest tonight. I'm still working on finishing my second short story for this quarter and my flash for this month, but I currently have 2 partial flash pieces that could both possibly be KYD'd and then built back up into a longer story, and one other short story going, so as soon as my brain can decide which one to focus on I'll be wrapping up the second short story and then finishing out one of the flashes out of what's left. 8 days. I can do this! (Focus, brain, focus!)

Glad you got in your Q2. That's priority, Cristy.

All the beast!

Moon

Got you down, CCrawford! Nice job! You got this!

Hi Swift Potato,

Just a short post letting you know I've submitted my second fresh story to a respectable market. I already submitted by first fresh story to WOTF.

Best,

Retro

Nicely done, Retro! Got you down!

Just noticed Wulf's FB post. Congrats on the piece in the ZNB Apocalyptic anthology, SwiftPotato. Pre-ordered it since I love apocalyptic stories. Looking forward to reading yours.

Congrats, Swiftpotato!

Thanks, all!

For those still wrapping up their Q2s, Dave's recent Writing Tips said something I'd like to repeat for emphasis:

"4. Does the tale offer an ingenious solution?
An ingenious solution to a problem isn’t just one that the average person hasn’t considered, it’s one that no one has considered. Stories that are profound come from writers who think outside the box. Sometimes, the ideas are completely innovative, and maybe even seem to defy logic."

Surprising climaxes dazzle. Readers love it when the story comes to an unexpected conclusion that makes total sense once exposed. They are tough to pull off because savvy readers--and in this Contest's case, your judge--have seen it all. When you give them something they've never seen before, or at least did not expect to see, it gives a stunning surprise which is satisfying.

If, in that finale, you have also explored a theme that has personal meaning to the reader, and you engage them not just intellectually, but *emotionally*, the story will be deeply satisfying.

Pull this off with professional skill--sleek and seamless writing technique--and you will have your winner.

Think seriously on this.

I will end with one final tip that in this contest is THE most important of all: Make. Dave. Cry. The stories that make the judges cry win over all others again and again. It is a proven recipe, because it is very hard to do. When you can make a judge that has seen everything get so emotionally involved that they cry at the end of your story, you have created real magic.

Go make magic. You have five more days. I did this in a day and a half and you can, too. IF you've been training like an Olympian.

We've grown to around a thousand views a day right now in the Super Secrets Workshop. This means hundreds of others are keeping up with these Super Secrets just like you. We are happy so many are reading them and we're happy to help. But you have one advantage over them.

You are Challenge Beasties. You've been doing the work.

Fortune favor the diligent!

Beastmaster Moon

I have often run out of the shower dripping water everywhere, towel draped around me as I dash to my office to write them down quick!

I agree with the shower suggestion -- I actually bought myself a waterproof notepad for the shower because, somehow, that's when ideas come to me!

You guys must be related

Swift Potato, I finished my KYD flash prompt today for the month of March to HIVE MIND.

Still waiting for results from full-manuscript request after query to respectable market on my science-fiction novel.

I think I'll take a break today from the cable news television medical cheer channels, and play some retro music on my piano, sing along, and try to remember the sixties and seventies – when the only pandemics were in dystopian science-fiction novels.

Best,

Retro

Got you down, Retro! Best of luck with that request, and enjoy your break.

Swift Potato, I finished my KYD flash prompt today for the month of March to HIVE MIND.

Still waiting for results from full-manuscript request after query to respectable market on my science-fiction novel.

I think I'll take a break today from the cable news television medical cheer channels, and play some retro music on my piano, sing along, and try to remember the sixties and seventies – when the only pandemics were in dystopian science-fiction novels.

Best,

Retro

Good idea, Retro! It's good to be informed, but you have to take a break from the drama from time to time or it wears you down.

Glad you got a full ms request! I hope you have a good response! Congrats on keeping up with the flash challenge, too.

Keep that retro music in your heart!

All the beast,

Wulf Moon

Checking in... My flash for March is done! (Written and KYD'd and built back up, based on the old "Wolf Moon" prompt that I hadn't had a chance to do until now.) Second short story is written and currently out for feedback... but I'll be sure to make the deadline. I'll check in with an update once I submit it to a market.

Got you down, CCrawford! Nice job! You're almost there

I have been busy producing an audiobook, and I figured with the quarter closing, I needed to lay off assignments so you could get your beastie vows fulfilled. But many of you are checking in that you've made it, so it's time for a new assignment! Don't worry about it until you've met your deadlines, however. Those are your priorities! But for those sitting at home with nowhere to go and nothing to do, the Beastmaster loves idle hands. No he doesn't! He wants them turning pages in books or working a keyboard with what? Fresh stories! Say again? FRESH ORIGINAL STORIES!

ASSIGNMENT

Martin Shoemaker is a winner of the Writers of the Future Contest. He wrote an article in the book HOW I GOT PUBLISHED AND WHAT I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY titled "How I (Almost) Didn't Get Published." (For those of you not in the workshop but wanting to benefit from the lessons, you can get your copy at: http://www.CamdenParkPress.com/howigotpublished ) After reading this article, please answer the following and post the answers here, and please do so ONLY if you were enrolled in this year's workshop:

1. How old was Martin when he submitted his first story to a pro magazine? What happened? What didn't he realize?

2. Did he quit writing? What is true of natural born writers?

3. At 21 years of age, what did Martin do again? What happened? Why did he quit submitting again?

4. What does every writer starting out need to realize and come to grips with?

5. Did Martin quit writing? At what age did he muster up his courage and send another story out? What happened?

6. At this point, Martin realized an important fact: If you want to get published, you have to plan for a lot of rejection and figure out how to deal with it. How many months was he able to endure the process?

7. What mentor helped Martin reevaluate his process? What rules changed everything for Martin? Instead of reworking stories after they were rejected, what did Martin do?

8. After suffering rejection after rejection for six months, on the last day of his sixth month do or die personal challenge, where did he send his last submission before he quit writing forever? I might add, a story that had been rejected by a pro magazine.

9. Did he win? How close did he come and what kind of energy did he absorb from being so close?

10. In Martin's own words, what changed from that point on?

11. What happened within a month of that change in mentality?

12. A year later, what else happened? And what else? And a year after that, what else?

13. Success didn't come instantly, it almost never does. But why do you feel Martin was slowly selling more and more and more to respectable markets?

14. What was Martin still doing throughout this time, and how close did he come to "pro-ing out"?

15. But what happened? Why do you feel this finally happened for him? Can you think of a few reasons?

16. Because Martin almost gave up, but didn't, what has happened since he won Writers of the Future and was published in Vol. 35 with "Unrefined"?

17. What did John Greenleaf Whittier write?

18. Which of Martin's bullet points under Lessons Learned hits home most for you?

19. Not so many years ago, Martin was just like you--aspiring to be a professional writer. After reading the account of his career path, what are you determined to do?

PREAMBLE TO ANSWERS TO ASSIGNMENT: I was surprised (not really, lol) by the similarities in life events between Wulf Moon and Martin Shoemaker. Although both diverged in professional choice, the protagonist meets mentor moment was remarkably similar. If I'm not mistaken, I believe Dean Wesley Smith provided the Obi Wan Kenobi to both these authors.

1. Mr. Shoemaker was 14 years of age – he refers to this as his "dinosaur days," even though the man is under 60 years of age. He used the snail mail method, probably typed the story on a IBM Selectric 1 (God, I LOVED that metal ball), and submitted to a market. George Scrithers wasn't buying; he returned the manuscript with a form postcard and the words "Puns generally don't work for us." I guess Scrithers didn't find the manuscript punny.

2. Mr. Shoemaker did not quit writing. He gave up submitting. All natural born writers share an intense need to share their creativity, their spark, their imagination, and their wit.

3. He submitted a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired story he thought had potential to Amazing Stories. The synchronicity again was George Scrithers who was at the helm of Amazing Stories. The story earned a rejection, Shoemaker gave up, and figured the whole ordeal was futile.

4. Overnight success usually takes 15 years unless you have a trust fund, a sugar daddy, are a billionaire's beneficiary, or own a Hollywood studio.

5. Mr. Shoemaker never quit writing. He became a computer programmer. At age 47, (a veritable youngster), he wrote a book and comic strip based on software design. He wrote and taught a class on software design. This attitude showed great wisdom – until you earn your own chapter in How I Got Published, you need to pay the rent/mortgage, food bills, health insurance premiums, and support a family. Computer programmer is a respectable profession. AND he continued writing.

6. The rejections began to hurt less. He sent Scramble to another market. He researched markets. He endured the process for six months. He gave up again and set an arbitrary date – January 1st – where he planned on giving up writing altogether.

7. Dean Wesley Smith was the mentor who helped Mr. Shoemaker reevaluate his process. (another synchronicity with Mr. Wulf Moon?) He advised Mr. Shoemaker 1) You must write; 2) Finish what you start; 3) Don't rewrite except editing; 4) Put it on market; 5) Keep it on market until sold. Wulf continually reminds us of these principles since the time of The Flood, and he is correct). Mr. Shoemaker followed his mentor's advice.

8. The Mother Anthony was sent to Asimov's, and on 12-31, he sent it to WOTF. Mr. Shoemaker internally kept his promise to continue submitting to the WOTF contest, just like Wulf Moon did.

9. Although he did not win, he came in as a Finalist. Pournelle loved it. The energy he absorbed was that a famous writer loved his story, and it bestowed him with confidence.

10. In Martin's own words, he "gave up giving up." He sold two stories to Digital Science Fiction.

11. He realized a fear of rejection held him back and he began sending old stories to new markets.

12. Scramble sold to Analog and Science Fiction and Fact, and took second place in Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest.

13. I feel Martin sold more to respectable markets because his writing sharpened and editors at different magazines took notice of his sales and sales potentials.

14. Martin was still submitting to Writers Of The Future. Murder on the Aldrin Express was published in Year's Best Science Fiction.

15. He called Joni and apprised her of the situation. She told him "Then you'd better win it." I feel the reason this happened to him is because he was more concerned about writing and sending out stories that he forgot about rejection and immersed himself into the joy of writing. He became more concerned about creating new ideas and stories instead of arbitrary editors telling him his stories weren't a perfect fit for them.

16. Unrefined won 3rd place in Volume 31, Quarter 1. He's since had 33 short fiction sales and was nominated for the Nebula Award, and Washington Science Fiction Small Press.

17. Whittier wrote "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: It might have been."

18. You can write and achieve great things. All good things come in time. But don't quit the day job.

19. As long as I draw breath, I will continue to write and create different stories, after my obligations to family, their goals, hopes, and dreams are discharged.

Nice answers, Retro! I enjoyed your comments. Especially to #19. : )

Yes, Martin and I have many similarities to our writer journeys. Dean Wesley Smith was my mentor as well when I lived in Eugene, Oregon. He also chose my story "Seventh Heaven" out of thousands when he was editor of Viacom's/Pocket Book's contest Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and published it in Vol. 2. A Borg love story, what could be sweeter? : )

As a mentor, Dean pulls no punches and babies no one. "Oh? You want to learn how to swim? There's the water! Go swim!"

Back to learning how to swim!

All the beast,

Beastmaster Moon P.S.: If anyone wants to read my Star Trek Seven of Nine story titled "Seventh Heaven" you can get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Worlds-S ... 102&sr=8-1

Amazon Five Star Review: "Seventh Heaven ***** - This is a beautiful story about Seven of Nine and a surprise visit by another well known Borg who had earlier regained his individuality. The author captured Seven of Nine's personality perfectly!"

Update: Successful submission of two fresh short stories for this quarter, one to Writers of the Future and one to Fantasy & Science Fiction. Good luck my dear Kraken! I already reported successful submission of my fresh flash story for this month. I'll look at sending off my other recently rejected pieces, then I'll take a look at the latest forum homework.