Annie Proulx

Its never too late to start. Annie Proulx didn't start writing fiction until her 50s. 

She published her first novel, Postcards, when she was 56. 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/05/annie-proulx-ive-had-a-life-i-see-how-slippery-things-can-be

 

Flash fiction

 

 

Where to submit Flash fiction:

Flash Fiction Magazine. No cost to submit. Simultaneous submissions allows. $40 if accepted into anthology.

Jellyfish Review. Responds within 7 days. Submissions closed for now.

Pigeon Pages Their flash fiction contest is 750 words or less. $7 fee. Ends September 6th.

Electrictiy

Electric generation varies widely by state, as this chart attests.

https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/electricity-generation-by-state/

 

Overall, 60% of the U.S. electricity still comes from fossil fuels. The clear winners: Maine, Vermont, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.

 

For more visual charts,

 https://www.visualcapitalist.com/

 

Hermit Crab Essays

What is a hermit crab essay?

I read a story in Chestnut Review that uses this technique.

https://chestnutreview.com/cr_v4_n1/how-to-use-your-fathers-lawn-mower-yasmin-nadiyah-phillip/

by Yasmin Nadiyah Phillip.

Here's more on the topic:

http://www.thewritingaddict.org/2019/02/how-to-write-hermit-crab-essay.html

The Writing Addict's advice, though, is for non-fiction.

Writing Contests

 

If you like writing microfiction, this one's for you.

Fractured Lit – Micro Fiction Prize – $20 fee

Deadline: September 19, 2022

“Guest judge Grant Faulkner will choose three stories from a shortlist. We’re excited to offer the winner of this prize $2500 and publication, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive publication and $600 and $400, respectively. … Fractured Lit is looking for flash fiction that lingers long past the first reading. We’re searching for flash that investigates the mysteries of being human, the sorrow, and the joy of connecting to the diverse population around us. We want the stories that explode vertically, the flash that leaves the conventional and the clichéd far behind. Fractured Lit is a flash fiction–centered place for all writers of any background and experience. … [Submit] 4 stories of 400 words or fewer each per entry.”

Reasons to submit:

• Friendly to emerging writers
• Prestigious judge
• Share the wealth—multiple prizes

From 

Fiction Writing Contests Worth Your Time in Fall 2022

Licorice Pizza

 I tried to watch Licorice Pizza but it just didn't seem real to me. I didn't  believe the main character was 15. Plus, it just seemed like Almost Famous did it better.

Moira Allen has a great article on "submitter's block."

https://www.writing-world.com/basics/writer.shtml

Allen writes, 

        

"You want to write, but you don't. Or perhaps you start, but can't bring yourself to finish, leaving a dozen promising articles or stories in various stages of incompletion. Or perhaps you finish, but can't quite bring yourself to stuff those pages into an envelope and pop them in the mail. Your family,      friends, or critique group say your work is wonderful. So what is holding you back?"

 Moira Allen is the editor of Writing-World.com (https://www.writing-world.com) and the author of more than 350 published articles. Her books on writing include Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, The Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals, and Writing to Win: The Colossal Guide to Writing Contests.

Reptiles

 

                               Credit: Pixabay / CCO Domain.

A study published in Nature, April 2022, maintains that 1/5 of reptiles could go extinct. Wild caught reptiles sold in the pet trade could hasten extinction of certain species. 

When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Sola

Set in the Pyrenees, this novel draws on history, myth, and ghost stories. 

Not Much Said the Cat by Michael Swanwick.

 

Nebula-award winner and five time Hugo award winner, Michael Swanwick offers a startling collection of stories in Not Much Said The Cat.

Though the man in "The Man in Grey" says he is "nobody," its clear there's more to him than meets the eye. He tells Martha, "I am not a camera. I'm just the man who stands in grey, making things happen."

He stops Martha from falling in front of a train because that wasn't in the script. Yet, in a dramatic twist, Martha goes off script anyway.

The metaphysical idea that everyone is just a character in someone else's story is explored to its fullest in "Goblin Lake."

Besides playing with metaphysical ideas, many of the stories explore artificial intelligence and self-determination.

"The Dala Horse," explores artificial intelligence in bots. The girl's backpack is sentient and the small dala horse is a node who enters the girl's consciousness and battles a white witch. 

Many of these stories are involve space exploration and colonization, "For I Have Lain Me Down" and "The She-Wolf's Hidden Grin."

Almost each one of these stories could be expanded into full novels. Two characters in "Tawny Petticoats" appear in many more Michael Swanwick stories. 

These stories fascinate because they present alternate histories, e.g. "Pushkin the American" and present chilling future possibilities.

https://www.tor.com/author/michael-swanwick/

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