Feminism and the vampire novel

In a continuation of our general discussion of all things Twilight, here's an interesting article that summarizes the feminist argument against Twilight, among other things (race, sex, etc.). The author, Caitlin Brown, basically argues that, although the generic vampire novel itself has inherent problems, those problems offer tons of opportunities for subversion, complexity, and individual choice. Furthermore, while Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight, defends her writing by claiming that Bella (protagonist) makes choices, which makes her a feminist. However, these choices align Bella, and Twilight as a whole, with all of the failings of the vampire novel, and produce no interesting or empowering twists on the format. Far be it for me to dip my toe into the "does making anti-feminist choices mean you're not a feminist" argument. But the article makes good points about genre and audience and expectations, all in a readable way. Read it!

FAQ about publishing your work online

Hi, all! If you're not already reading the Editorial Ass blog (featuring blogger Moonrat), you should be. Make it happen.

One of Moonrat's posts is about the sticky issue of what to publish online, e.g. on a blog, if you want to eventually publish that work in real life. We have had this discussion before -- it's kept us from doing more with the blog, or from creating an online mini-magazine (maglet?). But Moonrat answers the question well, and with great perspective, since she's an acquisitions editor who has to worry about issues like this routinely.

Here's her thought: if your blog doesn't have a ton of readers, and if you take the work down later, there is absolutely no problem with posting your unpublished work online. Make sure that you don't post the entire MS in one post, of course. But, on the whole, posting your work online is a good way to 1) get constructive feedback and 2) build a fan base.

With that in mind, maybe I'll start posting my own writing on my blog!



Have a great rest of your summer, and I'll see you all in Chicago this fall.

For the Twilight mockers

I just found a completely hilarious Twilight thing online and I thought maybe some of the anti-Twilight WiP people might appreciate it.

Apparently this blogger got word of a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies thing called Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. I know - really?? But here, children, is Mr. Wickham, Vampyre. In which Lydia falls down a lot, Wickham sparkles, and there is a naughty little Regency romance joke at the end. Pity this girl doesn't go to UC; I think she knocked our Twilight challenge all hollow.

Incidentally, I got to meet the editor of the Twilight series, and she's actually a very nice, very smart, very not-creepy woman.

Summer publishing opportunities

Hi, all!

While cruising Craigslist's writing jobs, I came across this post, from a poetry chapbook publisher looking for submissions. The publisher, Big Table Publishing Company, is made up of writers who promise not to reply with form letters. They sound like nice people, and this could be a great opportunity to get your work out there, especially if you have a collection of poems that could make up a chapbook. Find out more information about their submission guidelines here.

Another post offers an opportunity to submit fiction or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. It's from 10ktobi.org, a.k.a. 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, run by the Literary Writer's Network. Looks like 10ktobi publishes lots of work on their website, then puts together a print edition of the strongest online work at the end of every year. Be sure to check out 10ktobi.org's "About" section, as well as their submission guidelines. No payment available, but exposure is a great thing. As Lisbeth said in her intro to agents and publishing, having any kind of audience or exposure is a plus when you're trying to sell your work.

If you have the time this summer, consider submitting to either of these places. Let us know how it goes! And even though WIP is on summer hiatus, you can always send your work to the listhost for feedback.

Summer reading list

Long overdue, here is the open post for our summer reading list. I'll include a few here; leave your suggestions in the comments.

Intruder in the Dust - William Faulkner
Trickster's Choice - Tamora Pierce
The Greenlanders - Jane Smiley
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Tamora Pierce rocks.

A few of us went up to Skokie to see Tamora Pierce last night. And it was a blast! She started out reading veeeeeeeeeery slowly and quietly, then had a coughing fit, then laughed and said, "Got you, didn't I?" After that it was loads of fun. She talked some about her experiences (getting started, getting published, continuing to write), and then opened it up for questions. Lots of interesting ones, and she had great answers for all of them. We all agreed that she inspired us to write. Yay.

I'll be drawing from this event -- including her brilliant but unobvious declaration that she borrows/steals from real people and cultures regularly -- for many weeks, but for now, here's a quote from her website about how to deal with writer's block.

How do you deal with writer's block?
Here are some fixes I use when I get stuck:

• Introduce a new character, a strong one with an individual style in speech, dress and behavior--one who will cause the other characters to review their own actions and motives to decide where they stand with regard to the new character. Don't forget that with me, at least, new characters include animals: most characters will react to an animal intrusion of some kind in an interesting way.
• Have something dramatic happen. As Raymond Chandler put it, "Have someone come through the door with a gun in his hand." (My husband translates this as "Have a troll come through the door with a spear in his hand.") Machinery or vehicles (cars, wagons, horses, camels) can break down; your characters can be attacked by robbers or pirates; a flood or tornado sweeps through. Stage a war or an elopement or a financial crash. New, hard circumstances force characters to sink or swim, and the way you show how they do either will move things along.
• Change the point of view from which you tell the story. If you're doing it from inside one character's head, try switching to another character's point of view. If you're telling the story from an all-seeing, third person ("he/she thought") point of view, try narrowing your focus down to one character telling the story in first person, as Huckleberry Finn and Anne Frank tell their stories. If down the road in the world you've created someone has written a book or encyclopedia about these events, insert a nonfiction-like segment (that doesn't give the important stuff away) as a change of pace. Try telling it as a poem, or a play (you can convert it to story form later).
• Put this story aside, and start something else: letters, an article, a poem, a play, an art project. Look at the story in a day, or a week, or a couple of months. It may be fresh for you then; it may spark new ideas.
• If you have an intelligent friend who's into the things you're writing about, talk it out with him/her. My husband often supplies wonderful new ideas so I can get past whatever hangs me up, and my family and friends are used to mysterious phone calls asking about things seemingly out of the blue, like what gems would you wear with a scarlet gown, or how tall are pole beans in late June?
• Most important of all, know when it's time to quit. Sometimes you take an idea as far as it will go, then run out of steam. This is completely normal. When I began to write, I must have started 25 things for each one I completed. Whether you finish something or not, you'll still have learned as you wrote. The things you learn and ideas you developed, even in a project you don't finish, can be brought to your next project, and the next, and the next. Sooner or later you'll have a story which you can carry to a finish.

That'll never happen

Last night's meeting was a return to form for WIP. We discussed upcoming events, and did an extended free-write on an interesting prompt.

Events to note:

• This Thursday: RSO Fair for prospies! We'll be tabling from 7:30 to 9:00 in Hutch. Consider volunteering for a shift (even fifteen minutes would be helpful). All you have to do is sit there and talk to excited eighteen-year-olds about creative writing. BEST JOB EVER. Anyway, if you can't do a shift, please do stop by and show your support for WIP.
• Next Thursday: another RSO Fair. Same time and place. Again, please volunteer or stop by if you can.
• Tuesday, May 5: the second annual WIP reading! 7:00 p.m. in Hallowed Grounds, with great food and hip music. This time we're adding Sliced Bread to the list of sponsors, and are opening it up to all kinds of writing. It is tentatively titled "Close/Open," referring to the closing of old worlds and the opening of new ones through epiphany; if your work doesn't fit this mold, though, you are still welcome to read. An official call for submissions is to come, but if you have any work you'd like to share, please contact me. It only needs to be a couple of pages long. And if you're stressed about quality, you can submit it to the workshop for feedback. There's still plenty of time. We will also need volunteers to be present, but details are to come. And if you know of singers or guitarists who'd like to perform, pass on the word, and have them contact me. We have two or three slots for performances.
  

Last night's meeting:

• The prompt was: "Write about an event you are fairly sure you'll never experience. Write it in the first person, and include as much detail as you can. Make it believable. Let your imagination flesh out the scene."
• Over half of us wrote about death. What does this mean?

For next week:

• Continue writing your scene. Those of you who weren't present, respond to the prompt. Polish/rewrite as necessary. Submit two pages to the workshop by Sunday night. We'll discuss them on Tuesday.