Our November Meeting is Tomorrow
Join us next Tuesday, November 8th, at The Edney Innovation Center on the 5th Floor to hear Randy Nabors and Deveraux Chivington share their experience in publishing books, what path they chose, and why. If you cannot be there in person, here is the LINK to join virtually. See the full description here https://chattanoogawritersguild.org/2022/11/03/novembers-monthly-program-path-to-publication-a-writers-story-2/.
The Mildred Haun Review
Several local writers have works in the 2022 edition of The Mildred Haun Review from Walters State Community College. Congratulations to John C. Mannone, Sherry Poff, and Natalie Kimball. My short story “Family” appears at the end of the volume. A downloadable copy of the Publication is available online https://www.ws.edu/_media/pdf/special-events/mildred/review/2022-review.pdf.
I also have a short nonfiction piece accepted for the Nashville journal, Waxing and Waning, from April Gloaming Publishing https://www.waxingandwaning.org/. It should be published early in 2023.
Regional markets are my best option now; perhaps you should consider them too. Unfortunately, there isn’t a directory and learning about them appears to be primarily by word of mouth. Please send your success stories to ray.zimmerman@chattanoogawritersguild.org.
Magical Realism
I sent one of my short stories to an out-of-town friend some time ago and got the reply, “I didn’t know you wrote magical realism.” Well, neither did I. After reading a bit about the genre and a few short stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Luis Borges, I decided that my friend was right about that particular story, titled “Aphrodite.” It included elements of Magical Realism.
So, what is magical realism? According to one source, https://www.thoughtco.com/magical-realism-definition-and-examples-4153362, it is the introduction of fantastical elements into a real-life, everyday narrative. The website includes several examples. There are some great YouTube videos on the subject too.
I have begun intentionally reading and writing in the genre. I don’t expect great results from my early efforts, but it is a path of experimentation and growth. I will see how my critique group responds to my most recent submission. Tell me about your favorite genre.
Contests and Awards
I generally do not enter contests beyond the local and regional level, but if you want to try for the “big-time awards, check out these listings from Poets and Writers magazine. https://www.pw.org/grants.
Editing
There are some great local editors, but if you haven’t found one you can work with, editing services from Writers Digest Magazine may be an option https://writersdigestshop.com/collections/2nd-draft. The prices are competitive, but editing is expensive, as you probably already know.
An Opening
If you are struggling with an opening sentence, you might want to look at this article from The Writer, a magazine founded in 1887 https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/fiction/three-elements-opening-sentence/.
Inspiration from the Natural World
A total lunar eclipse will happen early Tuesday morning. Stardate from the MacDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin offers an online article with an embedded podcast https://stardate.org/radio/program/2022-11-06.