[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Behind Bars & Links

It being summer, the Littles and I like to go visit some new places every little once in awhile. One of our most recent "field trips" was to the Prison Museum in Canon City. It's actually adjacent to a prison that still runs, and was the female ward for the territorial prison. Believe it or not, this was not my first foray into a prison. My grandpa, a dental surgeon, worked in a prison sometimes, and he took me with him at least once that I remember. I got to eat in the cafeteria when I was about six or so. What stuck out most to me was that he poured milk over his cake. Yes, I was so disgusted by that, that it's all I remember of eating in a prison other than the trays and the noise.

The entrance to the museum/ex women's ward.

One of the guard towers. See that razor wire? On the other side of that wall are the real convicts.

The gas chamber, which they disassembled, moved out of the prison, and reassembled outside the women's ward.

A movie filmed in the prison about a real prison break from there. Note the slogan!

This probably amuses me more than it should. The iron horse was for prisoners to lean over for...corporal punishment?

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

The current fall submission window for Jamais Vu closes July 15. Horror and thriller. Pays $.05/word. Short fiction, book & film reviews, poetry, and non-fiction.

Lamplight's fall reading period ends July 15. Pays a flat fee of $150 for short fiction, $50 for flash. Dark fiction.

Horrified Press has an anthology call out with the theme We Come in Peace. 1000-6000 words (flash or short fiction). Deadline July 15. Pays in royalties. Also closing July 15 is an anthology with the theme Biohazard--same requirements/details as above.

The Bearded Scribe Press is seeking submissions for their first anthology, Twice Upon a Time. They're looking for twisted fairy tales (see list for those already covered). Will pay royalties and a copy of the book. Deadline July 15.

Mystery & Horror, LLC has two anthology calls out with deadlines of July 15. One is History & Horror, Oh My! and the other is History & Mystery, Oh My! They want it to have taken place at least 50 years in the past and to be historically accurate. Up to 8000 words. $5 advance, plus royalties.

Cleis Press is seeking stories for their anthology, In Vikings' Arms: Erotic Romance for Women. Historical erotica. Deadline July 15. Pays $50 and 2 copies of the book.

FireGoat Fantastic Tales is seeking fairy tales, folklore, fables, and speculative fiction. Current deadline July 15. Pays $10 per story. 500-5000 words.

Belladonna Publishing is seeking stories for their anthology Strange Little Girls. Deadline July 15. Pays $120 flat fee, plus 2 hard copies of the book and 1 e-book copy. 2000-8000 words.

Tethered by Letters has multiple publications seeking seeking all manner of things. Noteworthy: Short stories, first chapters, and screenplays. Published online, with possibility of being in the annual anthology. The Bolide: flash fiction. Tethered Tidings: celebrity author interviews. The Phantom Script: poetry. Collective Perspective: community writing project. Always open for submissions. Payment unknown. They also have a contest with a deadline of July 15. $10 entry fee. $400 first prize.

Contests:

Mash Stories has a quarterly writing contest. Current deadline is July 15. 500 words written to a prompt. No submission fee. Winner receives $100, publication on the website, a podcast made from your story, and publication in their magazine. No entry fee. The current three words are monkey, cathedral, and relativity.

Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Publication news? Ever visited a prison? 

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Yucca, yucca, yucca & Links

Hello!  It's Wednesday, and I have a mini-field trip for you for [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday.  I took the kids to Garden of the Gods on a drizzly spring day after a bit of a fail that was intended to be our actual "field trip."  Unfortunately, our visit was cut short when it became a thunderstorm, but I did snatch a few pictures before we had to get back to the car.

The last is a yucca plant in bloom, and the second to last is a hummingbird I was stalking.  It never got close enough for me to get a workable picture, but it kept buzzing the kids and I because we were near the feeder.  Waiting it out didn't work, so we finally gave in and agreed we'd come back on a warmer day and try again.

As far as the yucca plant (otherwise known as soapweed, as Native Americans of the area - Utes - used it to make soaps and shampoos, in addition to thread, needles, medications, etc.), for most of the year those blossoms are hardened and brown.  In fact, I love to find one full of seeds and give it to the kids as a rattle, of sorts.  I've never really seen it in blossom, and I loved the juxtaposition with what I'm used to.

I hope to have some great photos for you over the course of the summer!

Now for some links:

I read this post just in time to make sure I fit it into my link post today!  Andrew Leon, at Strange Pegs put together a book of short stories written by middle schoolers from a writing class he teaches at his son's school.  It's a fundraiser for the school, and just sounds like such a neat project that I wanted to pass it on to everyone.  

A friend posted this on Facebook and I was amused: S**t People Say to Writers

For you photogs out there, there's a local contest called Quintessential Colorado.  I'm tempted to enter, just for the heck of it.

Need inspiration?  Ghostwriter Dad wrote 34 Unexpected Places to Find Writing Inspiration

Cultural Weekly is having a Writing Contest.  It closes May 30.

I just thought this was interesting: 7 Authors Who Almost Died

Any helpful links to pass along?  Do you like a good fog or prefer you never have to deal with one?  What color are your hummingbirds?

May you find your Muse.

Shifters, Weres & Walkers, Oh My! Research & Field Trip No. 2

With the popularity of Urban Fantasy, we're seeing a lot of animal characters, usually in the form of weres/shifters, but skinwalkers are starting to trickle in, as well. Some of the presented characters are remarkably well done, the pureness of the beast brought across in stunning descriptions, while others are dull and uninspired. If you're going to write a character with animal traits, whatever the form may be, you will appeal to readers more if you've painted both sides of your character in equally vibrant hues.

An excellent way to do this is to observe the animals you're portraying in person. One good place for this is the zoo, which most people should have access to, though it may mean a day trip to another city. If the zoo is a good one, you should be able to observe the animal in an environment similar to their natural one, which should give you some insights.

An even better way to do it is to find a conservation site near you. This one is harder to come by, but extremely gratifying if you can find it. This year, I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit two such places, and will hopefully visit another in the spring or summer. Most exciting about that future visit is that they have a black leopard, which is an animal I'll be writing about in my next novel. I can't wait!!

The two sites I've gotten to visit were The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center and The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation, both of which are wonderful places that obviously care about their animals (one has all wolves and wolf-dogs, while the other also has foxes and coyotes). The place I went yesterday, the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation, actually allowed us several hours of visiting in the pens with the wolves. It was an amazing experience, and one I hope to repeat in the not-too-distant future. There is nothing like personal interaction to really get the feeling for an animal, especially one as misunderstood and maligned as wolves.

Another benefit to visiting one of these places is that you get to support the very animals you are writing about. Many of these places rely on donations, alone, such as the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation I visited. The owner, Mark Johnson, gives three hour tours (yes, every time I say it I hear Gilligan's Island theme music) where you get to interact with his wolves completely free. He never asked us for a donation, even. He is entirely dedicated to his wolves and they, in turn, are well cared for and loved. This is the type of place I like to support, and I'm glad that I'm able to do so while also getting the experience of a lifetime and possible research for future stories. Some photos will be posted at the end of this post.

I know that I am very lucky to live in a place that offers the kind of access I have to places where I can study wildlife. If you aren't in an area like this one, you can observe similar animals in person, such as cats or dogs. Though they aren't the same, they have similarities that can be conducive to your descriptions. Watch how they move, how they eat, how they react to things. Though they are domesticated, they still have much in common with their untamed brethren.

Lastly, there are animal documentaries galore! If you can't visit or observe animals in person, check out documentaries and do your research on their habits. You will still be able to watch them, and in fact, will more often get to see them in their wild settings, which is great information to have.

This may all seem like a lot of work, but I assure you that it's worth it to really get the correct characterizations down. Of course, if your shifter or were acts and moves like a hairy human, I suppose research isn't all that necessary, other than observing hairy humans in their natural habitats. If your character is supposed to take on an animal's attributes, your writing will truly come alive when you present them in vivid living color.

The following photos are from the wolves of Rocky Mountain Wildlife Foundation:

This is Baby; she is a sweetheart who likes kisses and belly rubs.

Baby again.

~Yawn

Baby howling back at Josie, a wolf-dog in another pen.

Apache (who I've posted pics of before); he was digging under their shared house.

I think this was Apache, as well, standing on top of their house.

Lakota, who I found just gorgeous (of course, they all were); he is Apache's brother.

Lakota doing a little snacking.

~nom, nom, nom~

Side view of Lakota

Merlin, who has never been touched by human hands.

Merlin, watching us closely.

Another of Merlin.

Zoya, a part-wolf, part-Siberian husky. She has one blue eye and one amber.

Zoya getting a belly rub (sort of amazing to have a wolf offer up their belly to you; several of them did so, all female, I believe).

Cherokee, Apache and Lakota's sister, who was also quite a fan of belly rubs.

Thanks for looking! As always, all photos are mine alone, and cannot be used or copied without my permission.

Aren't they gorgeous?! Have you had the opportunity to visit rescued wild animals at a conservation center? How do you research your animal characters?

May you find your Muse.