Writerly Ways
Still exploring the themes from last week, bad teachers/schools. There are very problematic themes in a lot of YA dark academia stories, where part of the dark is just how bad the teachers are (which isn't the point of dark academia) In this situation (so very prevalent in Harry Potter) the teachers fail these students time and again (imagine the fact there is no social workers with Hogwarts and they keep sending Harry home to physically/mentally abusive caretakers)
But a lot of Goodread/Netgalley arcs I've seen take it one step further; the students have to fight to the death in some cases. School competitions, no problem we have that literally everywhere. Fighting for position in the academy, fighting to not getting expelled, fighting to the death is a level above, sort of taking the idea of 'you have to have high stakes' a bit too far. Would you send a student to a school who was going to fight your child until they're killed? Would you want to be that student? I recently struggled thru an early Stephen King The Long Walk where 18 year old boys are walked non stop for hours/miles until there is just one. Fall behind? You get shot.
So this is not a new thing but it has certainly gained popularity after the Hunger Games. I would love to see other high stake things happening in a school that doesn't involve harming kids/teens
OPEN CALLS
Phantom Worlds: The Cellar Door Looking for horror stories that take place when alternate realities invade our own.
In The Mood: The Future
Robots Past & Future
Wyrd Wytchy West
Last Girls Club Spring Issue Theme: Lost at Sea
Brink Literary Magazine January 2025 Window Hybrid fiction with the theme of Renewal
Submissions: If I Die Before I Wake, Volume 10: Tales of Cryptid Chaos
Five Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in December 2024
Beaver Magazine: Now Seeking Submissions
24 Manuscript Publishers Always Open To Submission
37 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for December 2024
From around the web
How to Use Exposition to Evoke Emotion
5 Ways to Fight Your End-of-Year Writer’s Fatigue
Top 8 Lessons I’ve Learned as a Writer in 16 Years
From Betty
Building Temeraire: How Novik Included Diversity and Justice in a Historical Setting
How to Write Three Types of Friendship Arcs
Why Breaking Stereotypes Makes Stronger Characters
Don’t Like “Forced Diversity” in Stories? Let’s Talk About It
A Distribution Primer
Weathering Disruption with Creativity Intact
Social Media Words of Wisdom
Every Story is a War
The Ripple Effect: How to Weave Plot with Character
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being Pregnant
Turning Off the TV in Your Mind
The Benefits of Brainstorming for Writers: Part 2
3 Tips for Finishing Writing Projects in Time to Enjoy the Holidays
Learn to Love Accuracy in Writing
Advent Joy
Day 15 - Write a short story or poetry. Done
Day 15 tea apple cinnamon coffee cake - this is one of ones I bought the same day I bought the advent calendar. It's more like almond flavored. That's about it. It's tasty but it's not apple cinnamon coffee
But a lot of Goodread/Netgalley arcs I've seen take it one step further; the students have to fight to the death in some cases. School competitions, no problem we have that literally everywhere. Fighting for position in the academy, fighting to not getting expelled, fighting to the death is a level above, sort of taking the idea of 'you have to have high stakes' a bit too far. Would you send a student to a school who was going to fight your child until they're killed? Would you want to be that student? I recently struggled thru an early Stephen King The Long Walk where 18 year old boys are walked non stop for hours/miles until there is just one. Fall behind? You get shot.
So this is not a new thing but it has certainly gained popularity after the Hunger Games. I would love to see other high stake things happening in a school that doesn't involve harming kids/teens
OPEN CALLS
Phantom Worlds: The Cellar Door Looking for horror stories that take place when alternate realities invade our own.
In The Mood: The Future
Robots Past & Future
Wyrd Wytchy West
Last Girls Club Spring Issue Theme: Lost at Sea
Brink Literary Magazine January 2025 Window Hybrid fiction with the theme of Renewal
Submissions: If I Die Before I Wake, Volume 10: Tales of Cryptid Chaos
Five Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in December 2024
Beaver Magazine: Now Seeking Submissions
24 Manuscript Publishers Always Open To Submission
37 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for December 2024
From around the web
How to Use Exposition to Evoke Emotion
5 Ways to Fight Your End-of-Year Writer’s Fatigue
Top 8 Lessons I’ve Learned as a Writer in 16 Years
From Betty
Building Temeraire: How Novik Included Diversity and Justice in a Historical Setting
How to Write Three Types of Friendship Arcs
Why Breaking Stereotypes Makes Stronger Characters
Don’t Like “Forced Diversity” in Stories? Let’s Talk About It
A Distribution Primer
Weathering Disruption with Creativity Intact
Social Media Words of Wisdom
Every Story is a War
The Ripple Effect: How to Weave Plot with Character
Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Being Pregnant
Turning Off the TV in Your Mind
The Benefits of Brainstorming for Writers: Part 2
3 Tips for Finishing Writing Projects in Time to Enjoy the Holidays
Learn to Love Accuracy in Writing
Advent Joy
Day 15 - Write a short story or poetry. Done
Day 15 tea apple cinnamon coffee cake - this is one of ones I bought the same day I bought the advent calendar. It's more like almond flavored. That's about it. It's tasty but it's not apple cinnamon coffee