Thursday, February 9, 2012

Thursday Helpful Links:

For today's helpful hints, I've got a smorgasbord (hey, I spelled that right the first time!).

First, Rachael Harrie's Fourth Writers' Platform Building Crusade is open for sign-ups. I had no idea it was time until I happened it across it on someone's blog. I think you have about a week to sign up. I'm not sure I'll be doing it this time around, but if I do it will be last minute sign-up, right around the time I miraculously get all aspects of my life caught up.

If you're not sure what the Writers' Platform Building Crusade is, I'll tell you! You sign up to participate in some mini writing projects. You are given specific dates for participation, and on the opening date you are given details for what you are supposed to write. You have a couple days in which to write to the given specifications. You visit other participating blogs and others visit your blog from the main linky list(s). You also compete, so there are judges and voting. If you've got the time, it's a great way to build your platform and stretch your writing skills.

An annual magazine, "Kansas City Voices," is accepting submissions through March 15, 2012. Don't let the name fool you, they are open for any quality subject matter, not just that related to Kansas or the midwest. They accept prose and poetry. This is a paying market.

Pentalk is a community on Facebook where you can view little mini-workshops on various writing-related items, share your expertise or look for someone else's guidance.

Dark Markets is a website that keeps you apprised of horror markets accepting submissions. There are some great projects on there!

Big World Magazine is looking for photos and stories that are travel/culture related.

Q&W Publishers are putting together an anthology on "The Old Weird South". This is a paying market.

Just a Contest appears to be a great site where you can track down various contests. You can even sort the categories for your search.

Finally, Writer Gazette seems like a wonderful overall resource for writers, listing resources, articles, calls for submissions, contests and such.

Weekly Reminders

Are you devious at heart? That's the theme for the PPB NLAPW Flash Fiction Contest. More information can be found on the Flash Fiction Contest tab at the top of my blog.


The A-to-Z Challenge is filling up fast! No worries, though, there is no limit to how many people can sign up to participate. The sooner you sign up, though, the sooner you can start getting to know your fellow A-to-Z participants. Click on the A-to-Z tab at the top of my blog or go to the official A-to-Z website for sign-up, information, helpful posts from our team and past participants, and video challenge pieces.


I'm officially registered for the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference! They are still open for attendees, but register soon if you want a chance at Read & Critique appointments or a pitch appointment.

Any helpful links or sites to share? Please feel free to share links and/or to ask me questions about what I've posted, especially if it's about the reminder links, as those are the ones I'm most familiar with.

May you find your Muse.

18 comments:

DL Hammons said...

Thank you for all of the helpful links and reminders! :)

shelly said...

Thanks for all the great info!

M.J. Fifield said...

I signed up for the writers campaign and the A to Z challenge. They're both going to be a lot of fun.

Tina said...

Some awesome-sounding truly helpful links out there! Thanks for sharing.
That first link about the writer's platform sounds like something I'd like. Being all competitive in nature...I dig it.
Oh, and by the way, it's smörgåsbord. Forgivable mistake. You're not Swedish! But you'll be learning more about my motherland come April ;-)

Tina @ Life is Good

Co-Host of the April 2012 Blogging from A to Z Challenge

Twitter:
@AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You keep on top of the news better than I do!
Did the campaign last year and couldn't keep up with the writing tasks. With the A to Z Challenge, there's just no way.

Susan Kane said...

These sites are wonderful! How did you pull them all together?

Unknown said...

You have great links and reminders! And I'm with you on signing up for the platform-building crusades. When I get all aspects of my life caught up - if that will ever happen! I always seem to behind in one thing or another.

Christine Rains said...

Thanks for the links! :)

Andrew Leon said...

Just so you know, I have an idea for A-Z, so I'm signing up.

Today's vrification word: obamicat

Is that a political statement? There should a lolcat for that one.

Shannon Lawrence said...

DL, my pleasure!

Shelly, I'm happy to pass it along!

M.J., fun! Good luck with both.

Tina, haha, yikes! I've never gotten the hang of doing any kind of accent mark on the computer. You'd rock the Platform Crusade!

Alex, I doubt that! I did it last year, as well, and made it through all but the last one.

Susan, I send myself an email whenever I find a helpful link I'd like to pass along, either through searching for something, finding it on LinkedIn, etc. This week I'm researching Flash Fiction places and happened across a lot of great links, very few of which had to do with Flash Fiction, ha!

Donelle, exactly. This month has seemed worse than others, but I'll probably think the same thing next month.

Christine, no problem!

Andrew, great! I'm betting there *is* an lolcat for that one, haha.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks for the helpful links. So much is going on at the moment it's hard to keep up.

Miranda Hardy said...

So many things to look into. Thanks for the info.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Lynda, don't I know it!

Miranda, I hope there is a golden nugget in there for you!

Deborah Walker said...

Thanks for the links, Shannon. I'm going to work my way through the dark markets.

Arlee Bird said...

Now that's maximizing some linkage. Nice resourcing.

Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge

tania. F. Walsh said...

Great links... love them.

Rosaria Williams said...

So good of you to find me and leave a calling card with your thoughtful comment.

I came back here to thank you; but, it's more than a thank you. You have a treasure trove here and I'm going to spend time sorting through the goodies. Lovely to meet you.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Deborah, I hope you find something that works for you!

Lee, thanks!

Tania, I'm glad!

Rosaria, wonderful compliment, thank you!