Did anyone catch a glimpse of the moon last night? Named for the howling of hungry (or socially active) wolves, it’s also known as Center Moon, denoting mid-winter and, in this case, mid-month when pastimes lean toward fireside reflections of days gone by and silent hope for those to come. “Quiet Moon” seems fitting as well.
Historically,
January isn’t all that boring a month. It marked the invention of the X-Ray in
1896, the founding of Motown Records in 1959, the first Super Bowl game was
played in January of 1967. And in
2010, although the Apple IPad tablet, “Smaller
than a laptop, larger than a cellphone,” first appeared to a less than
enthusiastic audience, by 2017, 360 million tablets had been sold.
A little history on National Thesaurus
Day: Peter Mark
Roget published “Roget’s Thesaurus” in 1852 for the express purpose of helping
writers “find the word, or words, by
which an idea may be most fitly and aptly expressed,” While synonym dictionaries do not include
definitions, dictionaries, in general, do include synonyms. As the
one-stop-shopper in me wonders why we’d need two resources, the writer in me
knows perfectly well that in the heat of the moment in the middle of (possibly)
a pivotal paragraph, time is of the essence in maintaining momentum. To highlight
and click for a list of suitable synonyms is just too hard to resist ;-) But, as Reader’s
Digest explains, there is one caveat: one poor choice of words can be disastrous
– or hilarious, depending on how you look at it.
And once all
is said and done (and edited) just right, what do we do? We celebrate Book Blitz Month!
Have you ever wondered, as I have, what to do with all those
short stories; written and left to forever litter the decks of a Ghostship
adrift on a sea of unrealized dreams? Shannon Lawrence has just released a
lifeboat of a book filled with treasurable advice and priceless information!
Whether you're looking to add short stories to your repertoire as a solo pursuit or in addition to novel writing, The Business of Short Stories covers every aspect from writing to marketing. Learn the dynamics of short story writing, where to focus your editing efforts, how and where to submit, how to handle acceptances and rejections, what to do with reprints, and how to market yourself and your stories online and in person. The information in The Business of Short Stories has been distilled from over a decade of short story publishing experience so you don't have to learn the hard way. You'll find information on submission formatting, cover letters, querying a collection, sending proposals to writing events, how to create a website, SEO, social media, and so much more. This is an invaluable resource for short story writers.
There's never been a better time to get into short stories!
Author Bio: Shannon Lawrence has made a career of short stories,
with over a decade of experience and more than fifty short stories published in
magazines and anthologies. In addition, she's released three horror short story
collections with a mix of new and previously published stories. Her true-crime
podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem is going into its third season.
Her website and social media:
Website: www.thewarriormuse.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriormuse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriormuse/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/shannon-lawrence
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/shannondkl
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Lawrence/e/B00TDKPOAO
Podcast Website: www.mysteriesmonstersmayhem.com
Congratulations, Shannon!
ReplyDeleteI bought a first generation iPad. And a second. And a third, fourth, and fifth. (We now have an iPad in every room...)
Howdy, Captain!
DeleteYour house, full of tech-gadgets, sounds a lot like ours...I just don't know how to work half of it ;-)
Yay for Shannon!
We also have a tech crazy house. Add two teenagers and in comes even more!
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ReplyDeleteThank you for having me, diedre!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Shannon. Very best wishes!
DeleteHi diedre! Sad to say, I missed the moon last night, but we are getting over a major blizzard here. Hard to walk with the sidewalks not cleared. Thanks for the history lesson about the Thesaurus, an invaluable tool. Unlike many, I prefer a laptop and don't have an iPad.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Shannon! We met last month over the WEP writing challenge. I am interested in publishing short stories and articles, so this book is one I will certainly add to the Kindle. And I love podcasts!
Hi Debbie! I shiver just thinking of the word blizzard ;-) Hope they clear your sidewalks soon.
DeleteI love my laptop and take it everywhere. I'm the only one in my family who doesn't have an iPad ;-)
I've enjoyed many of Shannon's stories and can safely assume The Business of Short Stories will be of benefit to anyone. I'm ordering an e-copy - and a hardback as well, soon as it's available.
You are good at podcasts; something else you and Shannon have in common!
Stay warm ;-)
Debbie, it's been great meeting you! I missed WEP, so hopefully going to do it consistently now. Funnily enough, we're snowed in here right now. We got over a foot at our house, but the sun is out, so it will be gone quickly enough.
DeleteI never miss the moon. It peers in through my skylight, which happens to be almost directly over my bed. I don't mind, but when it's really full, my body thinks it's early morning and craves coffee.
ReplyDeleteMy best to Shannon. Her book sounds perfect for the on-the-fence short story writer.
Hi, Lee!
DeleteI've always been a fan of the moon - especially when it's full. Can't say as I've ever craved coffee :-) Though in your case, I can see how that might happen. Thanks to morning songbirds, who like to get right into our skylights that open (with screens)I rarely miss a sunrise.
Your visit (thank you!) has reminded me I owe you one ;-)
Having the moon hovering over a skylight sounds wonderful if you're a good sleeper! I need a full dark bedroom, but love to look at the moon when I'm awake.
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