Anthems for Authors – Lady Writer

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my first “Anthems for Authors” piece. I like songs about writers – a lot. But Lady Writer by Dire Straits is my favorite. That’s probably because Mark Knopfler wrote it for me. That’s right. You heard me. Yes, I have been on television – a few times. I know I made those appearances long after the song was released, but that doesn’t matter. As I said in my last post of this sort, this is one of those times when I exercise my right to replace reality with my version. That’s just how I roll.

So enjoy this video – the lyrics are fantastic and Knopfler’s guitar skills are legendary. And now, Lady Writer by Dire Straits.

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Week 11 Flash Fiction Contest: The Last Season

Photo by K.S. Brooks

This will be the last season for the old lodge. Jess is getting on in years. The money from the developers must have been mighty tempting, too.

There is another reason Jess decided after all these years to sell that lodge—and a reason he’ll be leaving soon afterward. There is something no one else knows yet.

In 250 words or less, tell me a story incorporating the elements in the picture. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.

Use the comment section below to submit your entry. Entries will be accepted until 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time on Tuesday, March 13th, 2012.

On Wednesday morning, we will open voting to the public with an online poll for the best writing entry accompanying the photo. Voting will be open until 5:00 PM Thursday.

On Friday morning, the winner will be recognized as we post the winning entry along with the picture as a feature. Best of luck to you all in your writing!

Entries only in the comment section. Other comments will be deleted.

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Photograph by K.S. Brooks, used here with the photographer’s permission. Copying or reproduction of any kind without express consent is prohibited. All rights reserved.

For a more detailed explanation of the contest & its workings, please see the post called “Writing Exercises Return with a Twist” from 12/24/11.

By participating in this exercise the contestants agree to the rules of the contest and waive any and all further considerations or permissions otherwise required for any winning entries to be published by Indies Unlimited as an e-book, showcasing all the photos and with the winning expositions credited appropriately and accordingly.

Serendipite Studios Selected for Prestigious NYC Showcase

Kathy Meis, Founder of Serendipite Studios

Serendipite Studios of Mount Pleasant is one of twelve new companies in the United States selected as a finalist for the O’Reilly Publishing Startup Showcase. The competition is part of O’Reilly’s Tools of Change Publishing Conference in New York City on February 13 -15, 2012.

Frustrated with current economic models in publishing, Founder and CEO Kathy Meis started Serendipite Studios about a year ago with a mission to protect quality literature and journalism. In late December 2011, the company introduced Pappus, a revolutionary book discovery tool that enables authors and publishers to blog directly from their books and reach their readers in seconds.

“Digital books are technically giant web pages. You can do amazing things with them,” says Meis. “Our goal is to help authors and publishers engage with readers from within their books without interrupting the reading experience.” A writer herself, Meis spent a year studying the problems facing authors and readers. The biggest problem she found was discovery. Continue reading “Serendipite Studios Selected for Prestigious NYC Showcase”

The Horror… The Horror…

“Horror… Horror has a face… and you must make a friend of horror.” Colonel Kurtz, Apocalypse Now

You’d think that horror would be one of the easiest of genres within which to write: create a protagonist who is either extremely likeable or go for the opposite, a character deserving of some particularly overdue and nasty payback; either invent or import a monster from Familiar Horror Trope Land (sparkly or not, preferably the latter); bring them together in some unexpected location and everything gets all squishy and liquidized and unpleasant and the audience members lose all control of their bodily functions and curse your parents… except that’s not necessarily what happens at all. Horror is hard to write. Okay, no, I just lied. Horror is easy to write, but good horror is hard to write. Continue reading “The Horror… The Horror…”