Category: News and Updates

Posted on

NEW RELEASE: Lenses!

Avid Fantasy reader drawn into Lenses anthology.


A note from a Beta Reader:
“Lenses” is an enthralling sci-fi fantasy anthology that brings together a diverse array of stories penned by seven talented authors. Each story in the collection explores different facets of science fiction and fantasy, weaving a tapestry of narratives that are as varied as they are captivating.

The anthology opens powerfully with a story about a goddess becoming human, setting the tone with its exploration of divine intervention and the human experience. This tale is not only a great opener but also establishes the anthology’s theme of exploring different perspectives and realities.

Among the standout stories is “I’m Not the Bad Guy,” a fantasy tale that skillfully balances vivid visuals with a compelling narrative. The protagonist’s insistence on their own morality, despite evidence to the contrary, offers a fresh take on the classic good versus evil trope and challenges readers to question the nature of villainy.

“CoffeeQuills” contributes a story that, while not aligning perfectly with the anthology’s overarching theme, stands out for its unique approach and intriguing narrative, adding diversity to the collection.

“The Cotton Mouth Smile” takes readers on a journey through a post-apocalyptic, space-faring existence. The story is notable for the way it blurs the lines between reality and illusion, leaving readers questioning the protagonist’s perception of their world.

Another significant addition is “Florin,” a story that delves into themes of identity and self-determination, with a central focus on artificial intelligence. This tale stands out for its insightful commentary on AI and the nature of consciousness, wrapped in a narrative filled with unexpected plot twists.

Overall, “Lenses” is a richly varied anthology that offers something for every sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast. The collection stands as a testament to the imaginative power and narrative diversity that the genre can offer, making it a must-read for fans of speculative fiction.

This incredible anthology has 11 stories, 7 authors, and a ton of fun escaping reality. Grab it in the first week while it’s 99cents. It’s still a deal at 6.99, but you don’t have to miss the steal of a deal!

https://books2read.com/lenses

Scifi Reader enjoying Lenses Anthology
Posted on

Unleash Your Writing Inferno: Join the “Stories on Fire” Challenge!

Get ready to embark on a scorching literary adventure that will set your imagination ablaze! Throughout the sizzling month of September, we’re daring you to dive headfirst into the “Stories on Fire” challenge.✨

Every day, you’ll be crafting mesmerizing short stories that ignite the senses and spark the mind. Your words will dance across the paper, captivating readers and leveraging twists that’ll leave them grasping for more!

The heartbeat of “Stories on Fire” – Twitch Live Streams! Feel the pulse of a dynamic community of writers. Each one is passionately typing away, supporting each other’s creativity, and sharing the journey. It’s like a worldwide writing bonfire, and you’re invited!

Here’s why diving into “Stories on Fire” is the perfect choice for any aspiring or seasoned writer:

  • Cultivate Consistency: Writing daily isn’t just about producing stories. It’s about cultivating a writing routine that will stick with you long after September ends. The habit you form during this challenge will propel your writing journey forward like never before.
  • Unleash Creativity: By pushing yourself to write a new story every day, you’ll train your brain to think outside the box, explore new genres, and experiment with fresh storytelling techniques. Your creativity will be pushed to new horizons!
  • Conquer Writer’s Block: Writer’s block? Say goodbye to that dreaded concept! The daily practice of putting words on paper will melt away any mental barriers, leaving you with a newfound sense of confidence.
  • Join a Supportive Community: For some, writing can sometimes be a solitary endeavor, but not during “Stories on Fire.” Connect with fellow writers, share your challenges and triumphs, and be inspired. Together, we’ll fan the flames of creativity!
  • Witness Tangible Progress: At the end of September, you’ll have a collection of unique stories – a testament to your dedication and growth. Whether you choose to polish them further or keep them as a personal treasure, you’ll have proof of what you’re capable of.

Are you tired of waiting for the “perfect time” to pursue your writing dreams? The time is NOW, and we’ve got just the blaze to set your creativity free! The “Stories on Fire” Challenge – an exhilarating journey that will transform your writing journey in just 30 days.

???? Don’t let this moment slip away. Click the link below to secure your spot and join a community of fiery storytellers from around the world who are ready to light up the literary stage together.

Sign Up
Posted on

Stories on Fire! Coming January 2023

Are you ready to flex your creative muscles and improve your writing skills? Join our 30-day writing challenge!

The challenge is simple: write a short story every day for a month. Each day, we will provide a prompt to get your creative juices flowing. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, this challenge is for you.

Not only will this challenge help improve your writing skills, it will also give you the opportunity to engage with a community of fellow writers and authors. You can share your stories with the group and receive feedback and support from your peers.

Join us and see how your writing skills grow and evolve over the course of the month. Sign up now and let’s get writing!

Posted on

31 Days to Stories on Fire!

31 Days is Rebranding. Our Schedule is Changing but the Event is still the same!

Stories on Fire is the new name for 31 Short Stories in 31 Days.

The Months we will run the event are January and September with intermittent fun stuff in between! Watch this channel to find out more soon!

Posted on

31 Days Wrap Up

31 days Wrap Up! 

First off – everyone who took part successfully moved the needle on what they finished. This is huge for an author. Congratulations! You should be proud of yourself. I know I’m really excited for you. 

This last month at our weekly wrap-ups we did giveaways. 

The first week was an Edit – this edit is for a single short story during the month of September. That award went to MiyaWrites. You should visit her stream channel. You’ll love it there.

The second week was for a year subscription to 4TheWords – that award went to TheUniqueLee who kindly contributed some accountability tools for the whole team! Such a wonderful support gift. 

The third week was for a premade book cover from GoOnWrite.com – They are incredible cover designers. – Licia who creates really intense worlds, won the cover. I am going to enjoy seeing them released into the world. 

Our last award was a bundle of all three. That was awarded on the 31st to UncleToBen – he runs a family fun variety channel usually, but was happy to step in and do more writing streams than his usual once a week while he was accomplishing 31 stories in 31 days. 

All of our streamers have been wonderful. We can thank so many who stepped in and stayed on schedule for the event. Special mentions:

CoffeeQuills wrote without prompts, but created a full short story daily. 

Angsthase used the prompts, created a story a day, and filled in a lot of empty slots. Thank you for taking on so many extra hours!

Belldandy245 and MiyaWrites both stepped in to fill gaps and help ensure our 31 days authors could find a 31 days streamer during the day. 

NursingGeek was kind enough to begin her writing streamer career during the challenge to help keep the momentum going. 

We’ve got so many others I am likely going to miss in this blog post, but thank you all for streaming and chatting and writing at your pace. Every minute you shared this event, the community felt your support.

In the future- Watch for the InExhaustible Media Twitch channel and YouTube. We’ll have that in place before our next event in January. That’ll be where the whole 31 days streamers will be shared for all to see. Currently, the plan will include hosting a regular schedule video that will play the schedule of our known streamers and how to find them on twitch. It will also share some book trailers if you’re looking for a good book to read, and a variety of additional things to provide value to our writing community. 

For streamers, they can look forward to orientation some time in December to prep for the January event. That’ll be fun too. I’m looking forward to ‘meeting’ all of you in Discord before we start writing like madmen. 

Also watch for 31 Tales – a Charity Magazine filled with incredible writing for all to enjoy!

The fourth quarter is going to be amazing.

I can’t wait to share more with you as we go along. Keep Writing.

Posted on

What is the definition of a Story or Short story for 31d31s?

Recently, it’s come to my attention there is a little confusion about what constitutes a story for this challenge. I attempted to clarify during the event, but did not make myself very clear. With this in mind, I want to clear up any uncertainty.

My first stop was Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary. This is what I found:

Story (noun) – 1) an account of incidents or events 2a) a fictional account shorter than a novel

child reading a book

So, that sums up nicely the way I define a story. A short story is going to be something you create as a storyteller. It might be a slice of daily life, or it might be a complex take down of the covert dark government on a world far from home, or it might just be how the toes got polished different colors. It’s your story. Tell it how you want in the world you chose. Develop the plot, or write by the seat of your pants.

As long as you create your story between 1000 words and 15000 words you’re creating what qualifies for the 31 Short Stories Challenge.

As long as there are storytellers, there will always be stories. You who are reading this are a storyteller. You got this.

Create. Enjoy. Have fun!

Posted on

Launch Event Incoming!

Round 3 of 31 Short Stories in 31 Days just keeps getting bigger. Have you followed the #31s31d hashtag? Or the #31d31s? Both will start getting busy in the next few weeks. If you haven’t signed up yet you can do that from the 31-Stories page on this site. The fun is just beginning. 

The discord is being revamped for function, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to get an updated design at some point too. There’s a lot going on. Our streamers are setting up their 31 stories stream overlays or backgrounds. Our writers are sharing the commitments in the participant chat, so we can all work together for accountability and support. Many of our short story support team will be lurking during the month to answer questions, be available on discord, and on the website while offering support throughout the month. 

This is going to be the biggest short story a day event yet! Have you joined us? We’ll have a lot of activity on July 24th at 5p ET on my twitch channel – HTTP://twitch.tv/theladywrites

Maybe we’ll do a challenge accomplished feature during the June MEGA event. That is happening June 24th, 2022. If you need to know more about Writer’s Conduit check out WritersConduit.com and see the highlights from this past year! 

Posted on

HalfWay Through July

So much has been going on! 

I hope you’ve visited a few of the other streamer events. They are a blast. I’ll link to my previous post about all of that at the end. Feel free to go back and check out the information. 

Today we are preparing for the 31 short stories launch event on Twitch. I’ll have a giveaway going for 3 months of 4thewords. This will include the hoodie! 

I’ve been really busy trying to figure out how to organize things. Without the incredible volunteers helping me out, I’d be so lost. My biggest thanks go to Heather W. Adams, published author, friend, and incredibly talented creative. She took my hastily thrown-together guide for January and made it a work of art. Having two kids home to work remotely challenged every bit of my sanity this past year. As we hit each milestone in the semester I diverted my attention to motherly things instead of prep for 31. Heather kindly offered to do an update for me. A month later she overhauled it and truly made it beautiful. If you’re participating in the event, you’ll be thrilled with the upgrade. 

Because of her skilled hand, we’ll be putting the book up on the LuLu bookstore for sale as a workbook. It will be priced at cost as there is no goal to make a profit off the event. Unfortunately, giving the print book away free would also be a challenge as printing costs money. Can you tell I’m excited about next month, yet? 

So, if you have a moment to stop by her stream, visit twitch.tv/Angsthase and tell her thank you for her incredible work on the guidebook. If you are in the discord, you’ll see it in a few days. Everyone else will see it during the launch event. 

If you have never seen 4theWords – go visit 4thewords.com and check out the fun game. It’s free for the first month and those participating in the 31 Short Stories Challenge will also get another free month. There are monsters, quests, and currently this month a special Water event. This blog post was written in 4theWords because I have a quest to fulfill. 

We’re going to have a lot of fun come August, but July has been wonderful and fun too. 

I hope you’ve visited SableAradia and the Game of Tomes, Tourney event – or CampNano – or the Writer’s Games 2021. This has been a full, fun, wonderful writing month. Twitch has been full of great people supporting one another.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there. 

Posted on

Things to come

This summer is going to be busy – We’ve already been busy. 

Writer’s CONduit was a huge success. If you missed it, that’s fine. It was just our first year. We ended a three-day weekend with international scheduling for 77+ panels, guests, and fantastic discussions. There was a host of excitement, planned events, and wonderful support. Our Twitch Based event was one of the biggest, most exciting things I have ever been privileged to be a part of. 

Topics covered ranged from representation to writing as a business. It covered things like Streaming101 and picking your publishing track between Traditional and Independent. This amazing resource was 100% free of charge to anyone who wanted to see it. It will continue to be free of charge when you visit the YouTube channel. 

You can follow http://twitch.tv/writersconduit and http://youtube.com/writersconduit for videos, VODs, and updates. If you want to learn more about what’s going on around twitch, what’s going on in the writing community, or get involved with Writer’s CONduit 2022 please feel free to visit the website and get signed up for the newsletter. 

http://writersconduit.com

Going forward we have many wonderful events coming up just around the twitch writing community, but really even beyond. I am participating in Game of Tomes Tournament – Tourney of Tales, I believe as well as the 4thewords River Festival events. The great thing about these two is that I can combine my efforts and still contribute to both. There are streams all over twitch offering support for both events. If you search GoT or 4thewords you’ll find someone fun to chat with while you’re writing your next masterpiece. 

The other major project I’m undertaking for July is preparation for 31 Short Stories in 31 Days. That’s a challenge event I coordinate twice a year with the help of many really incredible twitch streams and friends. If you participated in January, you’ll be thrilled to see an upgraded guidebook, available both in print and ebook. We will be releasing this second edition under Creative Commons and the print version will be at cost. 

The guidebook will have many fun and fantastic options it had before, including 35 writing prompts, info on the event, and some fleshed-out guidance. All of the streamers participating in the challenge will be able to give away a free version of the book. It will also have a glossary of industry terms, just to make it easier for everyone after the event. We’re working on an Edit Your Short Story challenge as well. All of the stories written during 31s31d will be eligible for submission to the 31 Tales magazine, launching in December this year. 

31 Tales is a charity magazine only accepting short story submissions from individuals participating in the event. This magazine will support Doctors Without Borders, but also help those submitting learn the process of submissions, contracts, etc. The short story cap for these tales is 3000 words, leaving plenty of room for many authors to contribute. 

All participants in 31s31d will also get a code for a free month to play 4theWords. If you opt to join the challenge, it would be a pleasure to gift that to you. 

We’re working on many other ways to bring value to our community and share in the incredible opportunities ahead. Watch this space for more information on 31 Short Stories in 31 Days and the streamers involved.

I can’t wait to share more! 

challenge word in transparent glass shapes

You can check out more about 31 Stories in 31 days by visiting the Short Stories Challenge Page

Posted on

Rebuilding, and planning the future.

Hi, my friends. Welcome to TheWritingNetwork as it’s rebuilding again.

This site has been around in one form or another since 2005. The primary goal has always been to offer helpful support and advice in the venue of writing. Originally, it started out just as a freelance writer’s site. It was targeting jobs, supporting skills, and development of business functions. Over time, it has grown to support writers, authors, small publishers and anyone interested in writing and editing. The blessing this site has been for myself and others over the years has been immeasurable.

While we are rebuilding after the latest hack to our site, we will be redesigning our plan for posting.

Authors will want to visit us Mondays for posts on Creative writing, developing your story, and editing. We’ll also visit topics like Marketing your book, developing a promotional or launch plan, and where you can find the best lessons and classes for developing your skills. You’ll find helpful videos and support resources posted among the messages each week. Also, Authors – our sister site is ReadersRetreat. If you’d like your book featured there, you can contact me through the page below for details.

On Wednesday we’ll visit the essentials of publishing. We will offer suggestions for marketing, building your publishing base both as an author and as a small press, we will also share marketing information and outline different options for business development.

Friday will is dedicated to Freelancers. We’ll discuss tips, where to find work, how to create a cover letter or resume specific to freelancing and a plethora of other topics. We will also direct you to the tools you will need for improving your writing. We will be hoping to support your success throughout the process.

You will encounter some fantastic guest spots, authors, and talented, experienced freelance writers along the way. They will share tips, suggestions, and knowledge that will help you find success.

Please feel free to comment and share. If you’d like to be featured in a guest spot, visit our Facebook page and drop a message about what topic you’d like to discuss. http://facebook.com/TheWritingNetwork I’m on the site daily. Therefore, I will get the message quickly.