I'm Still Here For You!

It's been interesting over the last few years, since I've relegated this blog to archived-for-the-masses status.

Some of your names have shown up as published authors (even bestselling ones). Others have shown up as publishers or agents. And some of you, I think, have moved on to pastures of a different hue.

For those of you still hard at it who are still receiving this blog in your inboxes, here you go:

JILL BOEHME, EDITOR

Competitive rates, fast turnaround. I'm currently booking slots for April; first come, first served.

WAIT, THERE'S MORE! 😄

I'm SUPER excited to be teaching 2 classes at the Tennessee Writing Workshop on April 26. If you're in or near Middle Tennessee, consider attending! Many classes to choose from, plus opportunities to hobnob with agents.

CHECK OUT THE SCHEDULE HERE

Classes I'll be teaching:

1. REVISIONS: FROM NIGHTMARE TO NEXT-LEVEL

2. FANTASY AND SCI-FI: HOW TO BUILD AN UNFORGETTABLE WORLD (WITHOUT BORING YOUR READERS)

Hurry and register for the workshop! And if you do, drop me a line and let me know you'll be there.

That's all for now! You can still find me on INSTAGRAM and X (more on the former than the latter). If you're an "oldie but goodie" from MSFV's halcyon days, I would LOVE to hear from you!

Happy writing, all!

Hello, my dear readers!

This blog has been retired for nigh on 3 years, but many of you are still signed up to receive email notifications.

If you're still on a journey-toward-publication, I invite you to sign up for my NEW MAILING LIST FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS.

You'll receive tidbits of advice and encouragement directly in your inbox (instead of having to wade through the massive archives on this blog).

I hope you'll join us!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW

(Psst--it's free. Just like the blog.)

I Wrote a Thing! Want to Join Me?

Engin Akyurt

Y'all! I've discovered a site for writers that I think some of you may enjoy. It's called VOCAL, and it allows you to publish your fiction or non-fiction story of 600-2000 words--and maybe make a little money, too.

I've posted my first story and would LOVE for you to go read it (and, if you enjoy it, to "heart" it!).  After you've read it, come back here to read the STORY BEHIND THE STORY! 

PARIAH by Jillian Boehme

STORY BEHIND THE STORY:

Many years ago, I wrote a YA dystopian novel called CITY LIMITS--and it's the novel that landed me an agent after 5 years of trying. (Josh Getzler, for those of you who either weren't here yet or didn't remember.) The market was glutted with dystopian, and the book never sold.

Honestly, I'm glad--because it wasn't as strong as it could've been. There are later drafts, but ultimately I had to shelve it. (You all know how that goes!) As most deserted novels tend to do, this one has lived quietly in my heart, occasionally tugging at me in a wistful sort of way.

The other day, my son DMed me a link to a short story contest--for dystopian fiction. Immediately, I thought, "I already have worlds and characters in this genre." (CITY LIMITS is one of several dystopians I've written.) But then I saw this: "CONTEST CLOSES IN 36 HOURS."

"Do I smell a challenge?" thought I.

So I pulled out CITY LIMITS, drew what I needed from the opening scene, and wrote the rest. The best part about this exercise is that I WAS EXCITED AND ENGAGED ALL DAY AS I WORKED ON THIS. I may have even squealed to myself a time or two. 

I haven't felt this way about writing in a long time. I've definitely allowed the pressures of publishing to steal my joy--and that's on me, not the publishing industry. Writing this short story reminded me that I am a writer and that I really do love writing! Sure, it would be great to win the contest--but I'm already walking away with something of so much value: a refreshed writing heart.

If you need an outlet for your writing that will give you a break from your latest WIP and perhaps infuse you with a piece of your writing heart that you may have lost, I encourage you to check out the VOCAL site. There is a free and a paid option (I chose the latter; we'll see in the months ahead if it's worth it) for membership; either way, they pay you per 1000 reads--and you can receive tips from your readers, too!

If you join, please let me know! 

And if you just took the time to read PARIAH--thank you! New ventures always feel like giant steps; I appreciate your support.

 

Critique Partner Entries Are Up!

Hey, everyone!

We've got 14 entries for our Critique Partner Dating Service. Not a huge response, to be sure, but definitely enough to give each of you a chance to find your (almost) perfect Critique Partner.

Guidelines are as follow:

1. If you see an entry that looks like it might be a good fit, send an email to introduce yourself (this is not the time to send materials).
2. If you're not sure you want to send an email, leave a comment asking further questions.
3. Entrants, PLEASE CHECK YOUR COMMENTS REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
4. This is a public list.  I am no longer the "middle man."  Please do not come to me with your dating woes.  (If you have a legitimate technical difficulty, I will always help you with that.)
5. For security purposes, I will remove these entries from the blog one week from tomorrow.

Please post your questions below!  I will check the comments regularly and try to stay up to date with public questions

Happy dating! 

Submissions are now OPEN for our CRITIQUE PARTNER DATING SERVICE!

 Go HERE for instructions.

Please remember that our bot is currently not working, so all entries need to be emailed to me directly at facelesswords@gmail.com!

Here's to finding your (almost) perfect critique partner!!