Happy Friday, everyone! I have another writing contest/publishing opportunity to bring you today, this time from the magazine The Writer. It’s not for fiction writers or poets, although this experience could certainly help you prep your entry. This opportunity is called “Your Writing Life”.
“Your Writing Life” is an essay contest from The Writer with the possibility of having your essay published in the magazine. Here are some crucial details:
Any topic is fair game for your essay so long as it pertains to some aspect of writing. So, you can write about something like struggling to make time to write as the mother of a newborn or balancing a 9-to-5 job with your writing aspirations, anything as long as it discusses some aspect of writing.
The essay must be 2,000 words or less.
The entry fee is $25 for the first submission of the transaction. Each additional submission–up to 5 per transaction–costs $15 a piece.
You can pay an additional $25 to receive a 200-word critique of your essay from the judging panel, which includes both what you did well and what you can improve on. However, you can only receive critique for one essay, even if you submit multiple to the competition.
You must submit your entry using the online entry form. No e-mail or postal submissions are accepted.
The deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 1, 2018.
The prize will be $1,000 and publication in the April 2018 issue of The Writer. Every essay they receive will be considered for publication in The Writer.
I have a general idea for an essay and may enter this contest, but life lately has taught me not to make too many promises in those regards so it may or may not happen. Hopefully I’ll be able to; it’s quite the opportunity!
Good luck to everyone who chooses to enter.
Do you know of any unique publishing opportunities or writing contests with upcoming deadlines? Drop a line in the comments or e-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and I will try and discuss it in a future Friday Fun-Day post.
Happy Hump Day, readers and writers! Today I want to bring you a special announcement about a writer whom I’ve reviewed on this blog before, Wren Cavanagh. You may remember her as the author of The Last Flag and Of Cats and Sea Monsters or as the editor/co-writer of the Summer of Magic anthology. I’m happy to say that Cavanagh has a new novelette out called Honeycomb: Revelations.
A science fiction novelette, Honeycomb follows Quint, a level seven cyborg, as attempts to solve the mysterious of the disappearances plaguing the debtor colony on the planet of Honeycomb. Monsters, mayhem, and guilt-ridden struggles for survival unfold.
What–or who–is behind the disappearances? What sort of beast lies waiting beneath the surface of Honeycomb? And who will survive to make it off that God-forsaken rock?
This story is published through the small press Notch’s Publishing House, which dedicates its efforts to “creature-feature” type stories.
Cavanagh has put a lot of thought and imaginative energy into the world of this novelette, and I’m very excited to see her take it further. It’s an exciting piece of classic science fiction, although it certainly does not feel played-out or like anything I’ve read before. As a bonus, Cavanagh has added the story “Goblin’s Amends”, her piece from the Summer of Magic anthology, to the end of the Amazon copy.
I will provide a thorough review of Cavanagh’s new work sometime next week. Until then, I recommend Honeycomb: Revelations for fans of science fiction, particularly those who appreciate colonization elements and don’t mind a few grotesque descriptions with their mystery and speculative fiction.
Honeycomb: Revelations is available as an e-book on Amazon for $0.99.
Do you know of any small-press/indie books that are coming out? Want to help extend their reach? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and we can discuss featuring the release in a future post.
Well, writers, we’re one week into NaNoWriMo 2017. I should’ve talked about it sooner but, hey, I’ve had a lot on my plate. Point is from now through the end of November, I will be bringing you posts about NaNoWriMo success stories, tips on how to best make it through those 50,000 words, and distractions to keep you from going entirely insane from this process. (Of course, we’re writers; I’m not sure many of us were sane in the first place.)
If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is, here’s a brief explanation: National Novel Writing Month (shortened to NaNoWriMo) is a sort of writing sprint. Every November writers, both novice and experienced, dedicate their spare time (and then some) to writing a 50,000-word novel in thirty days. To some, it sounds easier than it actually is; to others, it’s a petrifying prospect of monumental proportions. All I know is that it’s not easy and it’s not for everyone.
A confession: I have never participated in NaNoWriMo and I don’t plan to this year. I have a feedback session and a critical response due before the end of the month. I’d rather not hold myself to a deadline of 50,000 words in thirty days if I don’t have to.
But that leads to my first word of advice: if you don’t succeed this NaNoWriMo, it won’t be the end of the world. Whether you run out of time, run low on steam, or decide that you just can’t do it this year, it’s no big deal. It’ll boost your self-esteem and put you ahead of schedule on your next book if you finish, but it won’t break your career if you don’t. Just have fun with it.
Here’s some more advice: if you simply can’t fit NaNoWriMo into your busy life this month, make your own Novel Writing Month. You won’t have the community and virtual badges that you get when you participate in the official national event, but the badges aren’t the point, are they? The point is to kick your writing rear in gear and finally put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard). You can find your own community in friends who write, forums, and, as always, this blog.
Be sure to keep an eye out for more of my tips and success stories as the month rolls along (when your hands start cramping from all your writing). Until then, good luck to all participants!
Have you taken this challenge before? Do you have any personal NaNoWriMo successes to share? Advice for newbies? Drop a line in the comments below or e-mail your thoughts to thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com for a chance to have them featured on this blog.
It’s no secret that I love Disney. I watch their movies and TV shows all the time, go to the Disneyland Resort at least once a year, and, 9 times out of 10, I’m proud to admit that I’m obsessed with the franchise. Today is the rare 1 out of 10 when I’m less-than-proud of the Mouse and Uncle Walt. The cause? Disney’s approach to its dispute with LA Times.
According to an article from CNNMoney, the issue started when LA Times published a two-part investigative report by Daniel Miller about Disney’s business ties with Anaheim, home to the Disneyland Resort. In the report, Miller accuses Disney of a “carrot-and-stick” approach to secure “subsidies, incentives, rebates and protections from future taxes in Anaheim”. MSN states that Miller quotes and cites local politicians on the matter, including Anaheim’s mayor, Tom Tait.
Disney claims the report is biased and driven by a political agenda, referring to an opinion piece from the Orange County Register which calls the LA Times report “a hit piece” with a “seemingly predetermined narrative.”
CNN received a statement from Disney which states, “Despite our sharing numerous indisputable facts with the reporter, several editors, and the publisher over many months, the Times moved forward with a biased and inaccurate series, wholly driven by a political agenda.”
In response to this disregard for journalistic standards, Disney banned LA Times film critics from advanced screenings of their films. Needless to say, that did not go over well, with several reporters declaring a protest of Disney advanced screenings in solidarity with LA Times.
Fortunately, Disney announced earlier today that it has lifted the ban after discussions with LA Times leaders. However, we still have an important matter to discuss: did Disney do the wrong thing when it banned LA Times film critics from advanced screenings?
I first need to say that I am not discussing the actual LA Times report in detail. That is an entirely different can of worms in and of itself, one which I can’t thoroughly cover here. (Although I do question the journalistic methods used and the conclusions drawn.) Instead, I want to focus on Disney’s response as a social and business decision.
Personally, I think this was not Disney’s best decision of late. I spotted so many holes in this approach that it’s no wonder this ship sank. Let’s take a look at a few:
Violation of freedom of the press. This issue is clearly the one which the public has honed in on. Biased reporting or not, Disney tried to punish LA Times for publishing a report that the company didn’t like. That is a form of censorship. I’m guessing most people saw the backlash coming a mile away. In today’s political climate, the issues of freedom of speech and freedom of the press are incredibly touchy subjects. It’s a fire which big corporations like Disney shouldn’t start unless they want a drop in profits.
Negative attention for Disney. Let’s face it, Disney comes out looking like the bad guy here. The “little guy,” i.e. Daniel Miller and LA Times, tried to expose what they claim is a truth which the public should know. Disney, in turn, cut them from the inner circle of advanced movie screenings. A Robin Hood and King John image comes to mind here where, instead of money, Robin Hood–a.k.a. Daniel Miller and LA Times–appears to steal the “truth” from Disney and give it to the “truth-starved” masses. (I must emphasize that I have no clue who’s telling the truth in this situation and I’m reserving judgment until I learn more, although what I’ve heard doesn’t make LA Times look any better than Disney. However, Disney’s reaction certainly paints this narrative.) Most attention given to Disney in this scenario is negative, not exactly something such a large company wants or needs. Some people are pointing out Disney’s tax and employment contributions to Anaheim as well as all the work Disney has done for the city, but the general attention has been overwhelmingly negative.
Positive attention for LA Times. Not only does LA Times look like some sort of folk hero, they also get attention as a victim. They printed a story and they get punished for doing their job. A little hard not to empathize with them. Also, in order to understand the scandal, more people are going to be reading the original report. Not really the reaction Disney was hoping for.
Loss of publicity for films. These advanced screenings are to get word-of-mouth kicked up for movie releases. The fewer newspapers which publish reviews about a movie, the more likely that movie is going to struggle due to lack of exposure. Even before the protests Disney wasn’t doing itself a favor. Sure, Thor: Ragnorak and Disney’s other films get plenty of exposure through TV ads and movie trailers, but a good review can make or break someone’s decision to see that movie. LA Times has a huge reach; when coupled with the growing number of journalists who chose to support the newspaper, it could’ve done some damage. And the film critics didn’t even have anything to do with that report!
That guilty look. Most importantly, this reaction makes Disney look as though they have something to hide. If you have “indisputable facts,” why not present them through another paper or media outlet? I’m sure that, before this whole debacle, any news outlet would’ve given an arm and a leg to have the chance to publish Disney’s side of the story. It would’ve been like catnip to readers. Nothing like printing an opposing story to get a leg up on the competition. However, Disney chose to censor LA Times instead. I love the company and I want to hear their side in regards to their practices with Anaheim but that reaction doesn’t scream “innocent.”
Does all of this make me any less likely to watch Disney movies or visit the parks? No. Do I think Disney has provided a lot of jobs and services to Anaheim? Yes. Do I think that Disney has cheated Anaheim in its business practices? The jury is still out. Do I think that Disney reacted inappropriately? Yes. I am mostly on the same page as Jake Tapper:
i have nothing but love for both ABC and Disney (Went to Disneyworld in March w family). I think this one move is petty and beneath them.
I still have a high opinion of Disney and, therefore, hold them to a higher standard than most companies. I’m not saying that LA Times was right to publish this report. Frankly, the report sounds very biased and should have at least gone to the effort of including Disney’s side of the story. Regardless, Disney should know better than to react this way.
If nothing else, Disney should know how horribly such reactions backfire. It’s not a good business practice and, especially right now, not a good social practice. I think Disney had many other options that could have turned out much better for them. Instead, they chose the one that pretty much guaranteed that everyone will read the article they disagree with. I just hope that Disney finds a way to release their side soon so that we can all form a balanced, informed opinion on the matter.
Update 1/23/2020: Recently, a comment has been left by the daughter of the author of this book revealing some information about the events within the book and acts committed by the author that make it so that I can no longer condone the reading of this work. I have since been in contact with her to discuss this information and what actions to take regarding this review and any others for works by Frank Mares that have appeared on The Writer’s ScrapBin. For this reason, I have removed all links to the Amazon page for the purchase of this book and to the author’s blog. However, this review will remain live so that readers can see the daughter’s account in the comments section below. Comments have been closed for this post so that the young woman cannot be harassed for telling her side of the story through this blog.
Disclaimer: As with The Spirits Control Your Love Life, Soul Mates: A Psychic Love Affair by Frank Mares does not necessarily reflect the views or belief system of The Writer’s Scrap Bin, its authors, or its readers. Reincarnation and similar supernatural/spiritual concepts drive the book and traditional religious belief systems are questioned. If you take offense to any of these topics and/or otherwise wish to avoid them, proceed with caution.
I’m going to start off this hectic week with a review of a new, fun, and emotional book by an author I have previously discussed on this blog, Frank Mares. The novel, Soul Mates: A Psychic Love Affair, is the second book in Mares’s 50 Shades of Psychic Love series and the sequel to The Spirits Control Your Love Life.
Mares classifies Soul Mates as “paranormal” instead of “nonfiction” and most of the names have been changed but, overall, it’s a supposedly-true account of Mares’s own experiences with love and the spirit world; he only altered the genre and names for liability reasons and because, admittedly, a lot of the content seems outlandish.
Soul Mates: A Psychic Love Affair fills in some of the holes left by The Spirits Control Your Love Life, including Mares’s (known as Nick in the book) relationship with a woman he truly loves named Megan and their constant cycling in and out of each other’s lives. Even when both have married and started their families, Nick and Megan can’t manage to stay away from each other permanently. Little does Nick realize (until later in the book), the spirits have choreographed this dance for them and they’re about to kick things up a notch.
Image retrieved from Amazon
Mares starts us off with a seemingly-unrelated love affair between a cowboy named William and the female owner of a saloon, Kate, whom William has nicknamed “Willow.” We then return to Nick’s middle-of-the-road single days at the Tiki apartments, which we received a glimpse of in Mares’s first book. In addition to following Nick’s on-again, off-again relationship with Megan, we watch Nick’s second marriage to Karol take form, evolve into a family and business partnership, and, finally, unravel. All the while, Megan lingers in the background, sometimes as a part of Nick’s life and sometimes only in Nick’s mind.
What do the spirits have in store for Nick? What does Megan have to do with it? And how does the concept of “soul mates” play into this tangled web?
Soul Mates is an emotional rollercoaster that shows us that even the accidents and coincidences in our lives are well-planned; the good and the bad are all for our spiritual growth and it’s up to us to make it out the other side stronger. I found myself much more quickly engaged with this book than The Spirits Control Your Love Life, especially since Mares manages to maintain the same quirky and humorous narrative voice that he established in the first book. More importantly, I became very emotionally invested in Nick, Megan, and even the side characters, which made the read much more enjoyable.
As with the first book, Mares addresses the good, the bad, and the ugly of everything, including himself. He’s not shy to call himself (a.k.a. Nick) a pig for being so focused on women’s looks and he admits when he’s done something wrong or, some might say, kind of creepy. His brutal honesty makes me laugh out loud, and it’s one of the reasons his writing style keeps me engaged. Mares’s all-encompassing approach also makes sure that nothing is left out, and so I felt I was getting as complete a story as I could possibly get. There were even some notes from people like Megan and references to books by other psychics, which made me feel as though I was getting a well-rounded view of Nick’s relationships and the spirit/psychic world.
Unfortunately, his unfiltered thoughts did lead to one (incredibly minor) aspect of Soul Mates which bothered me. Nick shows empathy toward Karol in regards to her migraines but, in some passages, the narrative tone makes it sound as though Karol’s migraines are a strain on him and his lifestyle. Mind you, Karol grows to be a real witch and I don’t approve of how she handles their marriage, but I am also a migraineur and I took personal offense to this tone. Of course, I just had my worst migraine attack in months this last Friday, so I might be touchy about the subject. Either way, migraineurs should try and bear with him because the rest is worth reading.
In a way, I feel as though I were experiencing two separate books. The first half reads more like the first book, an exploration into the spirit world and how it affects our everyday lives. The second half sustains this theme—enhances it, in fact, as Nick’s choices are more directly dictated by his spirit guides—but I felt a turn toward a more psychic romance/detective novel atmosphere. The latter half is where I would say the “outlandish” content comes in, but the book continues to be entertaining and compelling nonetheless. I have the compulsion to say that these halves could have been separate books, and yet they are so intricately entwined and inseparable that I cannot think of any logical way to split them.
The earlier chapters include a brief summary of the first book. I was a bit relieved to have had this section. I had read so many books and short stories since I read The Spirits Control Your Love Life that I couldn’t remember many crucial details; Mares’s summary helped to refresh my memory. This summary also makes it possible that a new reader could come into this book without having read the first one, although I highly recommend reading Mares’s first book if you’re interested in the spirit world and reincarnation.
Image retrieved from the Amazon Author Page for Frank Mares
In particular, Mares presents an interesting take on the “soul mates” concept which, in hindsight, seems obvious. A prominent theory is that groups of souls travel through each life together with the relationships changing each time. Mares addresses this theory and explains that soul mates are not the stereotypical, perfect romantic partner. Instead, they are the other members of our soul groups, the group which we deliberately chose to stay with during each life. I personally prefer this definition of “soul mates” and find that Mares explains it very well through his psychic readings with Brenda and his father.
I am captivated by the love/spirit connection which Mares emphasizes in his books. However, he repeatedly touches upon a concept in Soul Mates which captured my attention even better than his love stories: his psychic visions about economic issues in the U.S. I’ve found psychic books about love and relationships to be a dime a dozen; one about a psychic’s personal insights into our economic future, well, that’s a diamond in the ruff. The fact that Mares has a strong background in investment makes me even more interested in his economic views when coupled with his intuition. I want him to continue with 50 Shades of Psychic Love but I still thought it worth pointing out that Mares has a variety of observations to share with the world.
I came across several proofreading errors in my copy. Mostly the errors include missing words, repeated words/phrases, unnecessary hyphens, missing or misused punctuation, and switching between “Brian” and “Bryan” as the spelling of Nick’s son’s name. Overall, these mistakes do not detract from the book. However, they become distracting after a while.
My favorite line from this book reads “while it is fulfilling to do so, writing a book for the most part is a money losing venture.” While this is often the case, I think that Mares has hit the mark with Soul Mates. At 290+ pages, it’s a long read. However, it is also entertaining, heart-wrenching, and spiritually stimulating.
A lot of the content seems out there and, in truth, I’m still trying to sort out how much of it I believe. I label myself a “skeptical believer,” meaning I’m very open to the paranormal but I still take everything with a huge grain of salt, so it takes more than you’d expect to make me fully believe. Nevertheless, I’ve found a kindred spirit in Mares because he validates many of my beliefs in this book. Maybe I believe him, maybe I don’t. All I know is that I agree with Mares on one thing: everything happens for a reason.
Due to recent information that has come to light since the publication of this review, all information regarding the sale of this book has been removed.
Zut alors! You miss one week, you miss a lot. I’m home now, and that means I can frantically catch up on all the reading, school assignments, writing, blog posts, and Fiverr orders that I’ve allowed to build up while I’ve been having a blast at Disneyland. (Well, there are some exceptions to the “having a blast” part, but that’s for another post.)
Now that I’m back home, I’ll be able to catch you up on my Disney adventures, the works I’ve been reading, and the launch of NaNoWriMo, which started this past Wednesday. You can look forward to some insider glimpses at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (more so if you subscribe to my newsletter, The Scrapbook), my tips on taking a Disneyland vacation, and some news about a story recently launched by one of the writers reviewed on this blog, Wren Cavanagh.
Pardon my horrible pictures; I have a shaky hand and it was crowded.
I have one tip about vacationing I want to share in this post: leave your work at home.
As tempting as it seems, bringing work on vacation does not help you keep up with demand. Sometimes it only slows you down. Most times it serves as a downer to your vacation. I not only fretted over getting the work done, which dampened my fun, but I was often too tired to get anything done once I was in the hotel room. (That’s why I have to scramble to finish both schoolwork and freelance jobs now.)
Trust me, it’s no fun to have a great time at a theme park only to get back to the room, exhausted, and discover that a client didn’t like what you submitted to them and you have to start all over again. It’s draining. So, unless you’re planning a full-on working vacation in which you stay in the hotel room and focus on writing, reading, or freelance gigs, you’re better off planning to not have that time to work and enjoying yourself while you can.
I’ll leave you with that nugget of wisdom and get back to you with more tips, tricks, and reviews later in the week. In the mean time, wish me luck on catching up! Also, good luck to all of you pursuing NaNoWriMo; you are braver than I.
