Improbability is in the Details

Photo Friday: Before and After

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:47:05 GMT

This ended up being one of my favorite photos from Hannah and Aaron's wedding, but it was also the one that took the most work to clean up. Generally, I don't do much photo post-processing. I fiddle a bit with the levels, maybe lighten things up a bit if the setting was dark, and decide if the photo would look better in black and white (due to high ASA, or lighting issues, or contrast and texture that I want to bring out). Very occasionally I crop something, if the subject of the photo is worth it.

It looks like she has a cybernetic organism erupting from her arm. The soft focus isn't really working here, either. But I loved the pose, and I thought the contrast could be brought out. I tried a bunch of different options to hide the weird rectangular photo effect, but most of them left a patchy appearance. Finally, I used a super-huge brush and just burned the whole area. Converting to black and white made it easier to do this seamlessly, and it also emphasized the light and shadows that make this an interesting photo. After tweaking the levels to bring this contrast out, I'm really happy with the result.

Photographs from the Wedding of Hannah and Aaron

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:21:45 GMT

Congratulations, Hannah and Aaron Barnett! I went to this wedding planning on taking a few photographs--and ended up taking a whole lot, at the request of the bride's mother.

Photography notes: I got to try out my new 85mm 1.8 lens, which I bought specifically so I would have a fast lens that I could use in low light and weird lighting situations, like reception halls. Conclusion: it does what I bought it for. I brought my standard zoom lens along, thinking I would switch between them. I tried switching to my zoom, taking a couple of shots--and I promptly put the 1.8 lens back on and used it exclusively for the rest of the night. I'm happy with it. I think I got some great shots. Getting used to the telephoto effect takes a little time, and I have to remember to really pay close attention to where the focus is because it has such a shallow depth of field. But I like it, I'm happy I have it, and I'll definitely use it again!

Highlights:

The full set of photos is here.

Aswiebe's Market List Update 2012-05

Tue, 15 May 2012 22:56:25 GMT

http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/markets.html

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 06/15/2012.
Permanent link to this newsletter in the archives: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/archive2012.html#051512

Editor's Note

Sometimes, I think my favorite part of writing is submitting the finished stories. That's daydream time, you see. I do my market research, I find (what I think is) a good match for one of my short stories. They'll love it, of course. How could they not? They'll pay me their top rate. They'll want to include it in that anthology they're putting together, and I'll earn royalties on it. Other editors will read my story when it's published, and they'll love it too. I'll get story requests. One of the big publishers will ask if I have a novel ready to go--and I will. I'll get fan mail, but not the creepy prison stalker kind. Everyone who reads my story sign up for my email list or follow me on the social network of their choice, so that they can know the instant I have something new out. Did I mention royalties?

What was that? It's time to stop daydreaming? I'm supposed to actually go write something? And gather critiques? And edit it? Three times? Well, okay. I guess I can postpone my daydreaming until my next project is ready for submission.

What I've been up to lately, writing-wise:

This month, I have two short stories being reprinted in anthologies!

Sky-Tinted Waters, an anthology of 20 tales from local Minnesotan speculative fiction authors ranging from debut talents to established professionals, is now available for purchase from award-winning small-press publisher Sam's Dot Publishing.

My short story, "These Things Take Time," (previously published by Emerald Tales), is among the selected.

EXCERPT:
"The coffee's weak," Mark said. It came out more accusatory than he'd intended, but Lily had become quite inconsiderate recently. On top of the smaller things, like making the coffee the wrong strength, she no longer asked about his day, complaining about her work problems instead.

Of course, if she had asked about his day, he would have lied. She still believed he was working extra hours at the office. He didn't dare tell her about the project that was truly taking up his time.

Read more.

The Washington Pastime has put out an anthology of selected stories from the last year, including my heartwarming literary story, "Gone Huntin'." If you'd like to have it for your very own, you can get a copy here.

The man stamped his feet hard against the stoop when he stepped outside of his cabin. It was an hour yet before sunrise and cold enough that his breath frosted the air, hanging white against the dark of the trees. Even through the layered flannel shirts and down jacket he was wearing, he felt the bite of winter.

Shouldering his rifle, thermos in hand, he walked through the woods to his stand. Birds' sleepy chirps fell silent when he walked by, twigs snapping under his boots. There was just enough light for him to make out the path. When he reached his stand and climbed up the ladder, he saw fresh claw-marks from the black bear that roamed in the area on one of the trees nearby. They shone white against the dark tree bark. He was glad for his rifle.

Read more in The Washington Pastime Collections Anthology Vol. 1.

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!
- Abra Staffin-Wiebe

Things Shiny or Useful
Archive of all shiny or useful links: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/shiny.html

* How to Build or Improve Your Writer Platform in 30 Days [marketing, social media]: http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html

Featured Market

Grand Science Fiction is looking for new speculative fiction short stories of exactly 100 or 1,000 words.

We’ve had several queries about submitted stories. The biggest concern is the submitter thinks we will ignore any work that has even the slightest error.

If you took the time to submit a story that is speculative in nature, is 1000 or 100 words in length (and a couple over/under is easily remedied with a rewrite request), and, in essence, follows the guidelines, we will respond. If you sent a western erotica with a horse as a main character, we won’t respond. If the story is 4,688 words, we won’t respond either. Yes, we have received both.

We try to respond within a couple of weeks. Some stories are in a “maybe” pile. Some stories are accepted within minutes of reception. Most stories have to go through five slush readers, and they have lives of their own beyond GSF. Shocking, I know.

The basics: SF/F/H, exactly 100 or 1,000 words, $.05/word, no reprints.

Market List Updates
To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word – Fiction	Flat Pay – Fiction (Lowest)	Website
Shimmer Magazine	All spec-fic, mostly modern fantasy	$0.0300		http://www.shimmerzine.com/guidelines/fiction-guidelines/
Cthulhurotica ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 07/31/12	Cthulhu mythos-themed erotica	$0.0200		http://daganbooks.com/current-projects/short-stories-anthologies/
Cucurbical (Paper Golem Press) ANTHOLOGY SERIES	All spec-fic, themed	$0.0100		http://www.papergolem.com/submissions.html
Futuredaze ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	YA science fiction		$200.00	http://underwordsblog.com/publications-projects/guidelines-futuredaze/
Jukepop Serials	All genre fiction, published serially		$30.00	http://www.jukepopserials.com/home/submissions
Urban Green Man ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 11/30/12	Fantasy themed to the Green Man mythos		$3.50	http://www.urbangreenman.com/submissions.htm
Grand Science Fiction	Spec-fic stories of exactly 100 or 1,000 words	$0.0500		http://grandsciencefiction.com/
Hidden in the Basement (Wicked East Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 10/30/12	General horror	$0.0010		https://sites.google.com/a/wickedeastpress.com/wicked-east-press/open-submissions
Fantastic Frontiers	SF and fantasy	$0.0300		http://www.fantasticfrontiersmagazine.com/submissions.html
D.O.A. II: Extreme Horror ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 08/01/12	Extreme dark fiction	$0.0100		http://bloodboundbooks.net/bloodboundbooks/?page_id=26
Shadows of the Mind ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 08/01/2012	Horror	$0.0025		http://trinitygateways.net/submissions
Scifia	Science fiction of all types		$25.00	http://scifia.submishmash.com/submit
Fires and Phantoms ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 08/31/12	Gay ghost stories in the Gothic tradition		$10.00	http://www.firbogpublishing.com/
Specter Spectacular	Ghost stories		$5.00	http://worldweaverpress.com/submissions/calls-for-anthologies/
Specutopia	Science fiction, fantasy, and cross-genre	$0.0100		http://www.specutopia.com/fiction_guidelines.htm
Down the Rabbit Hole (Wicked East Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 7/31/12	Themed to travel to another world		$5.00	https://sites.google.com/a/wickedeastpress.com/wicked-east-press/open-submissions
Once Upon an Apocalypse ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 07/31/12 OR WHEN FULL	Fairy tale retellings with zombies (vol 1) or Cthulhu mythos elements (vol 2)	$0.0300		http://onceuponanapocalypse.com/2012/04/21/guidelines-are-here-for-both-anthologies/
Mermaid Tales ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE UNTIL FULL	Fantasy themed to mermaids		$10.00	http://luckythirteenpresents.com/submissions/
Sins of the Seven (Wicked East Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 05/14/2012	Themed to the 7 deadly sins		$5.00	https://sites.google.com/a/wickedeastpress.com/wicked-east-press/open-submissions
Dark Finds (Wicked East Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 5/30/12	Themed to cursed objects		$5.00	https://sites.google.com/a/wickedeastpress.com/wicked-east-press/open-submissions
Heavy Metal Horror ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 6/30/12	Splatterpunk horror		$10.00	http://alter.lefora.com/2012/04/25/heavy-metal-horror-a-splatterpunk-anthology/
Kindle Singles	All genres		$1,000.00	http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_356729702_1?ie=utf8&node=2486013011
Chimaera Serials - DEAD MARKET	Speculative - fantasy and horror - short stories, poetry, novels, and nonfiction		$20.00	http://www.chimaeraserials.com/Submission%20Guidelines.html
10Flash Quarterly - DEAD MARKET	SF/F/H or suspense, themed issues		$20.00	http://10flash.wordpress.com/guidelines/
Whispering Spirits - DEAD MARKET	Spirits Ghosts and Incarnations		$10.00	http://www.whisperingghosts.com/

Aswiebe's Market List

Aswiebe's Market List is a searchable, sortable spreadsheet of paying fantasy, science fiction, and horror markets. This way it's easy to find, for example, only horror markets that accept reprints greater than 10,000 words. For more information on what it is and how to use it, see About Aswiebe.com's Market Spreadsheet.
If you find it useful, please consider donating via PayPal to help support it.
To help prevent these from being flagged as spam, please add this email to your contacts. Thanks!
Feel free to forward this email on to people you think might find it useful. If you're so moved, go ahead and link to Aswiebe's Market List on your blog or webpage.
To report a new paying market, go to my contact page.

Links
Aswiebe's Market List
About Aswiebe's Market List
Abra Staffin Wiebe's main website
Abra Staffin Wiebe's blog

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!

Abra Staffin Wiebe, Compiler of Lists

Feel free to share this newsletter with others by whatever means you like, as long as you include all of it. If you want to subscribe to this email newsletter, go here. To unsubscribe, simply reply to this email with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Sky-Tinted Waters, a Minnesotan Anthology

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:00:26 GMT

Sky-Tinted Waters, an anthology of 20 tales from local Minnesotan speculative fiction authors ranging from debut talents to established professionals, is now available for purchase from award-winning small-press publisher Sam's Dot Publishing.

My short story, "These Things Take Time," (previously published by Emerald Tales), is among the selected.

EXCERPT:
"The coffee's weak," Mark said. It came out more accusatory than he'd intended, but Lily had become quite inconsiderate recently. On top of the smaller things, like making the coffee the wrong strength, she no longer asked about his day, complaining about her work problems instead.

Of course, if she had asked about his day, he would have lied. She still believed he was working extra hours at the office. He didn't dare tell her about the project that was truly taking up his time.

Read more.

Support Minnesotan authors!

Rewind, Replot

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:04:36 GMT

I have successfully finished and mailed off "Making God in Their Image"!

Of all my short stories, this may be the one that changed most between my plot outline and the final draft. I had written half of what I outlined as the main plot thread when I realized the wordcount was going to exceed the contest limit by a couple of thousand words at the rate I was going, and I couldn't prune out enough to keep it under. I pondered taking out the attempt/not-quite-success subplot that was supposed to provide impetus and show the possibility of change, but I feared that would leave me with a problem -> solution! storyline that would seem too easy. And the wordcount would still be tight.

After sleeping on it, I took out the half-written *main* plotline and turned the subplot into the main plot. This changed the emphasis and ending "feel" of the story considerably, as I discovered when my critiquers read the ending and went, "Huh. That last paragraph doesn't really jive." It also meant I needed to shift the emphasis for where readers would find resolution. Their satisfaction needed to come not from an outright triumph, but from a not-quite-success.

There are some parts I find charming that are still in there despite their original purpose being to support the "main" plotline: how much aliens love children, and the rarity and expense of living pet fish on an alien planet.

I like it quite a bit. I'm definitely going to send it out to be published whether or not it wins the contest. I just have to decide if I want to add that former main plotline back in--or not.

I am a bit sad that I didn't get to use my "what are the worst/funniest things you've seen someone do while drunk" research, though I did learn a valuable lesson from it: never trust a tipsy man with a full bladder.

Grammar Shame

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:22:22 GMT

It's time for me to confess a dark, shameful writerly secret: I've never been entirely clear on the whom vs. who thing. Shocking, I know!

During my revisions of "Making God in Their Image," I had to look it up, and I found this useful tip from Grammar Girl:

Like whom, the pronoun him ends with m. When you're trying to decide whether to use who or whom, ask yourself if the answer to the question would be he or him. That's the trick: if you can answer the question being asked with him, then use whom, and it's easy to remember because they both end with m. For example, if you're trying to ask, "Who (or whom) do you love?" The answer would be "I love him." Him ends with an m, so you know to use whom. But if you are trying to ask, "Who (or whom) stepped on Squiggly?" the answer would be "He stepped on Squiggly." There's no m, so you know to use who. So that's the quick and dirty trick: if you can't remember that you use whom when you are referring to the object of the sentence, just remember that him equals whom.

::shakes fist at sky:: I shall never go whom-less again!

The Washington Pastime Collections Anthology Vol. 1

Tue, 08 May 2012 20:36:29 GMT

The man stamped his feet hard against the stoop when he stepped outside of his cabin. It was an hour yet before sunrise and cold enough that his breath frosted the air, hanging white against the dark of the trees. Even through the layered flannel shirts and down jacket he was wearing, he felt the bite of winter.

Shouldering his rifle, thermos in hand, he walked through the woods to his stand. Birds' sleepy chirps fell silent when he walked by, twigs snapping under his boots. There was just enough light for him to make out the path. When he reached his stand and climbed up the ladder, he saw fresh claw-marks from the black bear that roamed in the area on one of the trees nearby. They shone white against the dark tree bark. He was glad for his rifle.

Read more in The Washington Pastime Collections Anthology Vol. 1.

Nice to Hear

Mon, 07 May 2012 19:56:48 GMT

What keeps me writing? The satisfaction of finishing a project, the joy of writing in flow, the benefit to my sanity--and the nice things people say about my writing.

A Critters critter who ended up not finding enough to critique but who read my submission and sent me an email anyway said, "I loved this all even though I shuddered a bit at the
gruesome bits . . . A really lovely piece of work with an excellent vision even though it is all very horrific."

And Sherry Merriam, a friend and reader of Circus of Brass and Bone, recently confessed to me that there are two writers whose stories she never reads in bed: me, and Lovecraft.

Aw. Warm fuzzies.

Recipe: Garlic Asiago Bread

Sun, 06 May 2012 20:20:28 GMT

I've started experimenting with the artisan bread in 5 minutes a day thing, and it's going well--super-easy and super-tasty. I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing this earlier when bitwise started doing this and talking about how awesome it was. Phil, of course, wants me to perfect an Asiago garlic bread since that is the fanciest bread we frequently buy from the store. These are my additions/notes so far. (The basic recipe is here.)

Mix into the flour before adding to the bowl:
1 1/2 c. grated Asiago/Parmesan cheese plus more for the crust
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (may try increasing this)
1 tsp. rosemary (this does add a distinctive Rosemary flavor--may try omitting)
1 dried red pepper, minced (forgot this on my first attempt)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder (may try increasing this)
fresh garlic, in slices--I used a head of garlic with the cloves toasted in a hot pan while still in their skins, then peeled them and sliced into largeish chunks. This was rather time-consuming. I will try jarred garlic--I think raw garlic on its own would be too strong.

After letting the dough rise, liberally sprinkle with grated Asiago cheese and put in oven. Halfway through baking time, I pulled bread out and sprinkled the expanded loaf with even *more* Asiago cheese. The goal is to make it an excellent Asiago-cheese vehicle. It is surprisingly hard, since the cheese doesn't want to stick.

Photo Friday: Baby Toys

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:26:42 GMT

Cassius thinks his toys are okay, but he is far more interested in our grownup toys: TV remotes, my ebook reader, and laptops. So now he has his own keyboard to bang on.

Recipe: Tortilla Lasagna

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:47:05 GMT

This recipe got a, "This is tasty food, remember how you did this," comment from Phil. It is very, very loosely based on a Kraft Foods recipe that used hamburger, no beans, and Mexican-flavored Velveeta.

Tortilla Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef strips, chopped small
3 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. beef broth (bullion strength of 1 c.)
3 c. cheddar, separated
1/2 can refried black beans
2 c. cooked beans (pinto/kidney)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. lime
1 1/2 c. salsa, separated
6 tortillas

* Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
* Brown meat and garlic.
* Add broth, spices, beans, and 2 c. cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and beans are heated through.
* Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 c. salsa and lime juice.
* Spread 1/3 of mixture into bottom of 9x13 pan.
* Cover with tortillas.
* Spread 2nd 1/3 of mixture.
* Cover with 2nd layer of tortillas.
* Spread 3rd 1/3 of mixture.
* Spread remaining 3/4 cup salsa on top, and cover with rest of cheese.
* Bake 30 minutes.
* Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

We shall name him--Tail-Grabber

Tue, 01 May 2012 01:44:39 GMT

Everyone who knows our cat, Fu Manchu, has been expecting this day for some time. It all began innocently (and photogenically) enough....

Then things started to go wrong....

And very, very wrong....

The rest is not pictured because I was busy intervening. You see, Fu Manchu decided to run away from the thing grabbing his tail. The baby decided to continue to hold on to that tail, even after he fell (possibly because he was too stunned to let go). Fu Manchu panicked and bit the baby in the face. The forehead, to be precise. The baby had hysterics, because of the fall and the biting. I soothed the baby and put neosporin on his head and now all seems to be well. It was just a tiny puncture and a long scrape. He's doing fine--and still reaching out to grab Fu Manchu's tail when the cat's nearby.

No, we did not drown Fu Manchu in the river. Yes, we still have three cats.

Aswiebe's Market List Update 2012-04

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:07:31 GMT

http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/markets.html

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 05/15/2012.
Permanent link to this newsletter in the archives: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/archive2.html#041512

Editor's Note

Ack! I just realized that although I updated my market list on the 15th, I didn't write this newsletter or announce it! Let that be a lesson to you: sometimes, keeping a list of tasks on a post-it note is not the safest way to go. As my life gets busier (baby, day job, writing projects, etc.), I find that lists are invaluable. But sometimes, it's even more critical to keep the important stuff sorted out at the top of the list and in a place you'll see regularly! I've finally created a separate "Action Needed - Writing" section in my Gmail inbox, and hopefully that will keep things in order . . . as long as the reminder-emails don't become so copious that things get lost in them.

I'm doomed.

What I've been up to lately, writing-wise:
I’ve finally created a proper index page for the podcasts of the writing group I’m a part of: MinnSpec, the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers Group. We meet monthly to learn more about the craft of writing. Episode topics include the following: conventions; not getting the future wrong, how to do a presentation, organization for writers, creating characters, rejections, it came from the slushpile, and the happy coroner. Find all the episodes here: http://www.meetup.com/MinnSpec/messages/boards/thread/22420402

I also created a page on my market list website just for the shiny and useful links I've included in these newsletters, organized by category. Hopefully, this will make it easier when I'm looking for "that great article on character-building or marketing that I read awhile back." Browse the links at http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/shiny.html

As far as my own in-progress writing, in addition to The Circus of Brass and Bone, I'm working on a couple of new short stories, one to submit to a contest and one to submit to an anthology. Wish me luck!

"The Radiator Burped," a humorous horror story about things that go "bump" in your apartment, is now out in the _A Big Book of Strange, Weird, and Wonderful_ anthology.

EXCERPT:
Eric chewed on his pencil as he re-wrote his ad. GPM seeks N/S housemate(s) for spacious two-bedroom . . . but he didn't want a pair of newlyweds. If he wanted cooing doves, he could have gotten them from his second-to-last boyfriend, the pet store owner.

None of the respondents to his last ad had seemed quite right . . . in the head.

"Hi! This is Eric. Please leave a message after the beep."

"Beep. I have two cats, a ferret, and a bunny-rabbit. Is that okay if I putdown an extra deposit? The place sounds fine and so do you. You know, if you're lucky I might even bring a hamster."

Buy the anthology here:
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Strange-Weird-Wonderful-Unforgettable/dp/1466490349

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!
- Abra Staffin-Wiebe

Things Shiny or Useful
Archive of all shiny or useful links: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/shiny.html

* What’s a Book Marketing Cheat Sheet [marketing]: http://writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/007280_04042012.html

* Why You Should Be Writing Short Fiction [marketing]: http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-you-should-be-writing-short-fiction.html

* 25 Lies Writers Tell and Start to Believe [humor, motivation]: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/03/27/25-lies-writers-tell-and-start-to-believe/

* Your Taste is Why Your Own Work Disappoints You [motivation]: http://kottke.org/11/04/your-taste-is-why-your-own-work-disappoints-you

* Learn how to write dialogue from the movies [dialogue, writing exercise]: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/how-to-write-effective-dialogue?et_mid=548945&rid=2957480

* My Amazon KDP Select Free Experience [marketing, ebooks, self-publishing]: http://mayalassiter.com/2012/03/my-amazon-kdp-select-free-experience-or-how-i-gave-away-8500-books/

* Promoting Ebooks with KDP Select [marketing, ebooks, self-publishing]: http://ruthnestvold.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/promoting-ebooks-with-kdp-select/

* Making humanoid monsters non-human [worldbuilding, characterization]: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?613084-LotFP-IWI-concoct-house-rules-magic-items-and-monsters&s=d7fc69d231ae2023fa8d83ce1873d282&p=15209665#post15209665

* Complaints Medieval Monks Scribbled in the Margins of Illuminated Manuscripts [humor]: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/03/21/monk-complaints-manuscripts/

Featured Market
Midnight Echo Magazine is an Australian horror magazine, but they do accept non-Aussie submissions. Issues are themed.

Marty: “I want people to really stretch their imaginations. Take us into space, into hell, or into beyond—and leave us there if you need to, but don’t take us into wacky, weird, gonzo style stories. If you need to be explicit to do this, then fine, but there’s nothing wrong with the old quiet school of horror, where what you don’t see is what does the damage.”

Mark: “I want to publish stories that challenge the way I think about traditional values—faith, love, desire, religion—stories that blur the line between right and wrong, fantasy and fact. Stories intertwined with emotion. Content is not an issue with me but the more adult the theme, the better the writing has to be. Don’t be frightened to sub the ol’ tropes (vampire, zombie, werewolf) but make it something special. Surprise me. Shock me. Entertain. I am not adverse to poetry but it has to engage me in some way, the things I have highlighted above would be a good place for poets to start.”

Amanda:”Scare us. I’m looking for character-driven stories that push the limits of horror versus hope—I want to see the internal and external battle between predator and prey. Delve into the darkness of the mind, or the formless abyss where monsters live and inflict your worst, but make it war. I’m after content and combat in context, though, so any splatter-porn should be backed up by a damn fine story.”

The basics: themed horror, up to 10,000 words, $.03/word, no reprints.

Market List Updates
To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word – Fiction	Flat Pay – Fiction (Lowest)	Website
Midnight Echo	Horror and dark fantasy	$0.0300		http://midnightechomagazine.com/submission-guidelines/
Atomic Avarice	All genres, themed to civil disobedience and revolutionary ideals	$0.0100		http://www.atomicavarice.com/
Big Bad ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 07/31/12	All spec-fic, with a bad guy main character		$50.00	http://johnhartness.com/big-bad-anthology/
Fantasy-Faction Anthology, The ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY	Fantasy		$0.00	http://fantasywritingcontest.com/
Scareald, The	Scary, paranormal		$5.00	http://thescareald.com/submit.html
Abstract Quill Short Story ONE-TIME CONTEST – DUE 05/15/2012	Speculative, science fiction, literary		$100.00	http://theabstractquill.com/?p=82
Evil Inside, The ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 6/15/2012	Horror/dark fantasy themed to evil being released somehow		$25.00	http://yureipress.com/95/new-releases/submissions-open-for-horrordark-fiction-anthology/
RetroFuture Engine, The	Retrofuturism, steampunk, etc.		$3.00	http://retrofutureengine.blogspot.com/p/submissions_05.html
After Death ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 6/30/12	Themed to what happens after someone's death.	$0.0100		http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com/2012/04/open-submissions-new-fiction-anthology.html
Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes, The ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 05/30/12	Pulp		$15.90	http://alchemypress.blogspot.com/p/pulp-heroes.html
Alchemy Press Book of Ancient Wonders, The ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 06/30/12	All spec-fic, themed to ancient wonders: ruins, tombs, ancient mythology, etc.		$15.90	http://alchemypress.blogspot.com/p/ancient-wonders.html
Shelter of Daylight	Positive, uplifting SF/F		$15.00	http://samsdotpublishing.com/sheltergl.htm
Mirror Shards: Exploring the Edges of Augmented Reality ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY - DUE 2/11 – 5/5	Themed to augmented reality	$0.0200		http://blackmoonbooks.com/2011/04/08/mirror-shards-anthology-annoucement/
Winter Well ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY – DUE 9/30/2012	SF/F novellas with a middle-aged or older female protagonist	$0.0025		http://crossedgenres.com/submissions/winter-well-speculative-novellas-of-older-women/
Fender Stitch – DEAD MARKET	All genres – the unique and unusual.	$0.0500		http://fenderstitch.com/submission-guidelines

Aswiebe's Market List

Aswiebe's Market List is a searchable, sortable spreadsheet of paying fantasy, science fiction, and horror markets. This way it's easy to find, for example, only horror markets that accept reprints greater than 10,000 words. For more information on what it is and how to use it, see About Aswiebe.com's Market Spreadsheet.
If you find it useful, please consider donating via PayPal to help support it.
To help prevent these from being flagged as spam, please add this email to your contacts. Thanks!
Feel free to forward this email on to people you think might find it useful. If you're so moved, go ahead and link to Aswiebe's Market List on your blog or webpage.
To report a new paying market, go to my contact page.

Outlines

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:33:26 GMT

Who's got a kick-ass story outline for the WorldCon writing contest? This girl! There are even places for the grue and the wry humor that I begin to suspect might be key parts of my writing "voice."

I've been wondering for a couple of years what my writing voice might be, and if I had one, and if it was important to have one, and if it was important to know if I had one. Now I think I might. And I think I might have identified part of it. ...Or this might just be a writing style hangover from Circus of Brass and Bone. After all, my best-sold short story lacks the gue (mostly), although I suppose the humor's there....

People who have read my writing are welcome to weigh in here.

Ahem. Anywho, story outline #1 (WorldCon)--completed! Story outline #2 (next Circus ep)--completed! Story outline #3 (invited anthology)--next outline up, but only after I've finished writing the WorldCon story, writing the market list newsletter that I forgot about, and getting my Critters ratio back up to snuff before my story's due to go out for critique.

Photo Friday: Who was that caped crusader?

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:52:26 GMT

This is one of my favorites from the non-baby photos that I've taken recently. It's all about the textures and the shadows. Taken at birdfigment's muppet-themed party--she was Super-Grover.

MinnSpec Podcast: Love Stinks

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:27:19 GMT

MinnSpec writers group has a new podcast up!

Episode 9: Love Stinks - Writing Dysfunctional Relationships
We have real live therapists discussing relationships, how dysfunctional relationships function, and what behavior patterns can really mess up your characters' love lives.

Index for all episodes.

Review: From Their Paws, We Shall Inherit

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:21:33 GMT

"From Their Paws, We Shall Inherit" by Gary Kloster is a gripping short story about new hope in a near-future world where government and society are failing. It made me care so much about the survival of the main character and his family. It's written in a highly enjoyable style, and I loved Kate Baker's reading.

Read it
Listen to it

Recipe: White Lasagna

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:19:15 GMT

Ingredients

8 ounces lasagna noodles
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. broth
1/3 c. flour
1 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onions
garlic
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bag spinach
1 box mushrooms
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1 1/2 c. cheddar
1 1/2 c. mozzarella
1 c. parmesan
1 eggs, slightly beaten
mozzarella cheese
1-2 c. cottage cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Melt 1/4 c. butter
Brown celery, onion and garlic.
Blend in flour and pepper. Add broth, cook and stir until bubbly and thickened.
In separate pan, cook mushrooms until beginning to soften
Add spinach and cook until just barely starting to wilt
Add vegetable mixture to broth mixture
Stir in seasonings.
Add cream cheese
Add wine, shredded Cheddar and 1/2 c. Parmesan (or cheese of your choice).
Cook over low heat until smooth.
In separate bowl, stir together egg, mozzarella, and rest of Parmesan (plus cottage cheese, if available).
Layer cooked noodles, vegetable mixture, and cheese/egg mixture.

Repeat until all is used; top with Mozzarella.
Bake on top rack for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Circus of Brass and Bone Ep 15: Hail the Heroes

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:21:24 GMT

Episode 15

Hail the Heroes

Download MP3 podcast

Lacey clapped her heels to her mare's flanks, urging the horse to a flat-out gallop. Her breath thundered in her ears as she galloped toward the child trapped on the bridge.

Ahead of her, the girl sharpshooter aimed and fired at the monsters. One jerked its head to the side as its jaw exploded. Lacey could have cheered. Then she saw lumpy flesh crawl over the shattered bone. Within seconds, it was as the beast had never been injured.

Genevieve dismounted and sank to one knee to steady her rifle as she aimed and fired. One of the monsters collapsed to its knees and then pushed itself up and rose again. She was aiming for the joints, Lacey realized. It wouldn't stop them, but it might slow them down long enough.

The little girl huddled against the railing, easy prey for the monsters unless Lacey could get there first. The angles flashed through her mind. The only way to rescue the girl at a gallop would be to perform a modified cossack drag. Lacey needed to circle in front of them and grab the child on the way back.

"I'm coming for the girl!" Lacey shouted, hoping her voice carried over the thunder of hooves. "Don't shoot!"

Genevieve aimed, fired. Reloaded, aimed, fired. Her horse bolted back across the bridge. Genevieve could have fled then, but she didn't. She stayed by the little girl and kept firing as Lacey galloped past them.

"Don't shoot!" Lacey shouted, as she raced between them and the deer-things.

The monsters were so close. Too close.

Read more....

Recipe: Banana Cake

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:32:02 GMT

This is the original allrecipes recipe, and it's pretty darn delicious. The cake comes out surprisingly dense. Not sure the frosting's necessary, I think I'll try it without next time. The recipe also makes way too much cream cheese frosting--I had a good cup and a half left over. Next time I think I'll halve the frosting, making sure to almost melt the butter so that it can spread easily. Also at some point I need to try substituting coconut cream in the cake for milk. Mmmm....

Banana Cake VI

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

2 1/8 cups white sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,

softened

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2.	In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.	Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
4.	For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Strange, Weird, and Wonderful Anthology

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:59:27 GMT

"The Radiator Burped," a humorous horror story about things that go "bump" in your apartment, is now out in the _A Big Book of Strange, Weird, and Wonderful_ anthology.

EXCERPT:
Eric chewed on his pencil as he re-wrote his ad. GPM seeks N/S housemate(s) for spacious two-bedroom . . . but he didn't want a pair of newlyweds. If he wanted cooing doves, he could have gotten them from his second-to-last boyfriend, the pet store owner.

None of the respondents to his last ad had seemed quite right . . . in the head.

"Hi! This is Eric. Please leave a message after the beep."

"Beep. I have two cats, a ferret, and a bunny-rabbit. Is that okay if I putdown an extra deposit? The place sounds fine and so do you. You know, if you're lucky I might even bring a hamster."

In Which Writer Brain is Like Squirrel Brain

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:52:07 GMT

Just finished multi-day day job work project! I should write! But today is Sunday! Sunday is submissions day! But I haven't written in days! I need to record the next Circus of Brass and Bone episode, which has been sitting around for a week waiting for me to get a chance to record it! But the baby is napping, so I can't record audio now! The next most urgent thing is editing the next 3 written episodes of Circus of Brass and Bone, especially since my husband (and alpha reader) just stuck his thumb on the ending and said, "This is crap. It feels like you're wrapping up all your loose ends for the end of the series, and why do you need this revelation here anyway?" But I want to write! But I may have to restructure those three episodes and that might change what should get written next. I should process my writing to-dos, and especially update my submissions and manuscripts spreadsheets before I forget and everything gets all bollixed! But today's my 11-year wedding anniversary (yes, we got married April Fools' Day)! I should spend time with my husband! That means not locking myself away in my study. I could work on editing or submissions on my ridiculously obsolete laptop, and be in the same room! But the baby's napping, so I should be using this undisturbed time to write! But what I need to write might change depending on what editing I have to do! And I just wasted writing time writing a blog post! Aaaaaaaaaaagggghhhh!

Recipe: Saffron Coconut Rice

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:53:21 GMT

I now have a "rice side-dish that goes with everything" recipe! It's pretty, it's easy, it's mildly flavorful--enough to eat leftovers on their own, and you could probably add other veggies or meat to it and turn it into a proper meal. In fact, I should try that some time. Anyway, this recipe's a keeper.

Ingredients:

2 cups white Thai jasmine rice
2 carrots, diced small
1 can/2 c. good-quality coconut milk
1+3/4 cups good-tasting chicken or vegetable stock
2 +1/2 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut, unsweetened (optional--I didn't have it)
1 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. saffron threads (optional)
2 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (OR soy sauce if vegetarian)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
small dried crushed chili (available in the spice aisle)
fresh chives for garnish

Preparation:

Place stock in a pot and set over high heat. Add the turmeric, saffron threads (if using), garlic, fish sauce, lemon juice, cumin, and chili. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Add the rice, shredded coconut, plus coconut milk. Stir continuously (to keep rice from sticking to the bottom) while you bring liquid back to a gentle boil.
When liquid is gently bubbling, add carrots, reduce heat to low (just above minimum) and stop stirring. Cover pot tightly with a lid and cook about 15 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed (use a fork to pull rice back so you can see to the bottom of the pot).
Turn off heat, but leave the pot on the burner (covered) to steam for another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Rice will stay hot in this way for an hour or more (great if you're having company!).
Before serving, fluff rice with a fork and taste-test for salt. If not salty enough (this will depend on the saltiness of your stock), add a little more fish sauce OR a sprinkling of salt if vegetarian. If too salty, add another squeeze of lemon juice.
Garnish if you like

Aswiebe's Market List Update 2012-03

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:27:04 GMT

http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/markets.html

The next update of Aswiebe's Market List will be after 04/15/2012.
Permanent link to this newsletter in the archives: http://www.aswiebe.com/writing/archive2.html#031912

Editor's Note

I've always been fond of lists. (You may have guessed this.) And as a writer, I've found that lists are incredibly useful: lists of writing markets; lists of manuscripts; lists of submissions; lists of actions to take when I get a story published; and even a list of things to do when I officially become a "pro" writer--places to get memberships, etc.

I think I missed a list.

My writing group had a meeting about ebooks recently, and the discussion strayed to distribution and publicity. And I realized, I'm missing a list. If you're writing a book, whether you're planning on self-publishing or submitting to traditional big publishers or going through a traditional small press, you need your own list of what to do when your book gets published and in the months leading up to that publication date. You need a list (there's that list thing again!) of sites and blogs you want to ask to review your book. You need to be able to re-read that brilliant article about marketing. You need to remember that convention list, and those rules for how to effectively promote yourself at a convention. You need that list of agents or lawyers who specialize in negotiating writing contracts. You need to remember which bits of your website will need updating, and where you want to promote it. You need it all in one place and ready to go when lightning strikes.

So if you'll excuse me . . . I've got a list to make.

What I've been up to lately, writing-wise:
Not much! I realized that my long-term plot plan for Circus of Brass and Bone, my online post-apocalyptic steampunk serial story, was way too long and too big in scope and that the motivations for the climactic ending didn't make sense. So my brain is currently made out of plot-spaghetti, while I figure out how to keep in all the stuff I need to keep in while still ending the story in a more expeditious manner.

Keep writing, keep submitting, and good luck!
- Abra Staffin-Wiebe

Things Shiny or Useful

* Great character descriptions from science fiction and fantasy books [characterization]: http://io9.com/5823291/great-character-descriptions-from-science-fiction-and-fantasy-books

Featured Market
Horror on the Installment Plan is a new, pro-paying market for horror. Issues are themed.

This is a weekly subscription-based ezine. All purchases are made based on the immediate need for the theme and the quality of the story.

What we're NOT looking for:

No supernatural romance or other pseudo-horror. Vampires and werewolves are okay, but they must be monsters, not suitable dating material.

No "torture porn". Gore and adult themes are fine, but they should serve the story, and not the other way around.

The basics: themed horror, less than 3,000 words, $.05/word, no reprints.

Market List Updates
To see all the details about these new listings and what they're looking for, as well as hundreds of other listings, go to Aswiebe's Market List and download the latest version of the spreadsheet.

Name	What they want	Pay Per Word – Fiction	Flat Pay – Fiction (Lowest)	Website
Toasted Cake (Podcast)	All genres, flash fiction		$5.00	http://toastedcake.com/submissions.html
Horror on the Installment Plan	Horror, themed issues	$0.0500		http://contempinstruct.com/index.php
Nonproliferation (Rymfire Press) ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 04/16/2012	Apocalyptic sci-fi		$3.00	http://rymfirebooks.wordpress.com/submissions-anthology/
AE Micro 3 ONE-TIME CONTEST - DUE 3/26/12	Themed: space	$0.0600		http://aescifi.ca/index.php/non-fiction/39-contests/1057-announcing-ae-micro-3
Swords and Sorcery	High fantasy and historical fantasy		$10.00	http://www.swordsandsorcerymagazine.com/submissions.html
Abomination Magazine	Dark spec-fic	$0.0100		http://abominationmagazine.com/?page_id=6
Age of Certainty ONE-TIME ANTHOLOGY - DUE 05/31/12	Spec-fic themed to proving/disproving God's existence	$0.0100		http://rebelepublishers.com/submissions/#aoc
Tor.com	All spec-fic	$0.2500		http://www.tor.com/page/submissions-guidelines
Institute for the Forsaken - DEAD MARKET (on hiatus until further notice, see front page)	Horror	$0.0200		http://www.razorthinstudios.com/iotf/guidance-councilor/
Vampires 2	Pulp-style stories themed to vampires		$50.00	http://www.vampires2.com/WritersGuidelines.html
Mistresses of the Macabre	Horror by women writers		$20.00	http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Mistresses_of_the_Macabre.htm
Telepunk Press	All spec-fic, mystery, and weird - "anything cool"		$10.00	http://telepunk.com/submissions.php
Alternative Witness	Christian-friendly, all genres, especially spec-fic		$1.00	http://alternativewitness.com/15-2/
Bloodtide	Urban fantasy, paranormal romance, dark fantasy, thriller	$0.0020		http://crimsonmelodies.com/submissions/
Metro Moms - Metro Fiction	All genres except horror		$25.00	http://metrofiction.submishmash.com/submit
Brain Harvest - DEAD MARKET	unique, original, and weird	$0.0300		http://www.brainharvestmag.com/submit/
Ghostlight Magazine - DEAD MARKET	Horror, dark sci-fi, dark fantasy, or dark humor, preferably with Michigan or Great Lakes connection		$5.00	http://www.greatlakeshorror.com/ghostlightmagazine.html
Vulgata - DEAD MARKET	Literary/All Types		$100.00	http://www.vulgatamagazine.org/17fiction.html

Aswiebe's Market List

Aswiebe's Market List is a searchable, sortable spreadsheet of paying fantasy, science fiction, and horror markets. This way it's easy to find, for example, only horror markets that accept reprints greater than 10,000 words. For more information on what it is and how to use it, see About Aswiebe.com's Market Spreadsheet.
If you find it useful, please consider donating via PayPal to help support it.
To help prevent these from being flagged as spam, please add this email to your contacts. Thanks!
Feel free to forward this email on to people you think might find it useful. If you're so moved, go ahead and link to Aswiebe's Market List on your blog or webpage.
To report a new paying market, go to my contact page.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:17:26 GMT

This is a good beef stroganoff, and if that's what you're in the mood for, that's what you'll get. Pretty mild flavors, not a showstopper, but good comfort food. I didn't have porcini mushrooms, so I didn't do that part, but I bet it does add good depth to the recipe. Original source: Cook's Country. This is a fairly low-effort recipe, too.

Slow-Cooker Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 c. beef broth
(Optional: 1/4 c. dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 c. white wine
1/3 c. soy sauce
1 1/2 lbs. stew meat
2 regular-sized containers of baby portabella mushrooms or most of 1 Costco-sized one, halved and sliced*
6 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. sour cream (I used yogurt mixed with heavy cream)
2 Tbsp. dill
Salt and pepper

* I like these better than the white button mushrooms that the original recipe called for.

(Optional: Combine 1/2 cup broth and porcini in bowl and microwave until steamy and mushrooms have softened, about 1 minute. Line fine mesh strainer with one paper towel and strain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Chop porcini fine and set aside.)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions and tomato paste, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon. Add soy sauce, (remaining) broth, (chopped porcini, and reserved porcini liquid,). Add beef and white mushrooms to slow cooker. Bring broth mixture to a boil, then transfer to slow cooker, cover and cook on high until meat is tender, 6 to 7 hours (or cook on low for 9 to 10 hours).

Set slow cooker to high, if necessary. Transfer 2 cups sauce from slow cooker to large bowl and whisk in flour. Stir flour mixture into slow cooker and cook, covered, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in sour cream and dill and season with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles.