Though some stories and novels are based on unrelated episodes (Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote), known as the “episodic story” or the “picaresque”, and some have a purpose to reveal what life is like for the protagonist without the use of a rising action/rising emotion sense of plot (Flaubert: “A Simple Heart”), known as the “slice of life” story (from the French, tranche de vie), most are traditionally plotted. Here’s a guide to plot for narrative writers.
(more…)Category: fiction lessons
After decades of giving writing workshops and over 15 years of teaching college I’ve developed hundreds of original lessons and assignments. Now it’s time for me to give back in thanks for the opportunity to teach and have a writing career. These materials are presented at no charge for you to download and use. Please credit: Ⓒ Copyright Michael Jackman. All Rights Reserved. You can help support my ability to present free online writing lessons by donating a suggested amount via the Paypal link. Any amount is welcome and thank you for your support!
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2 superior and free creative writing resources to help you get published
Sure, most of us writers with manuscripts to submit know about Duotrope and the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs ), two long-standing and comprehensive Web sites with lists of contests and publications (AWP has jobs as well). The good news is that other excellent resources are around for you to use that don’t cost a subscription or membership fee. Here are two that I’ve used successfully:crwopps (Creative Writing Opportunities list), run by Allison Joseph, will come right to your e-mail either in digest format or as individual mails, depending on your settings. I use individual e-mails for each opportunity to make it easier to sort and delete. But a warning – this list is so good that will mean a lot of stuff in your inbox. I use a separate e-mail account for newsletters and mailings to help me keep organized. Allison Joseph is the poetry editor at Crab Orchard Review. Sign up at groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CRWROPPS-B/info
When crwopps went on hiatus during the winter holidays, Joseph was kind enough to refer her readers to Cathy’s Comps and Calls Web site, and so I discovered a second excellent and free resource. I highly recommend it. Compiled by Cathy Bryant on her WordPress site, the list only considers competitions and submission calls that have no reading or entry fees. Thanks, Cathy! Check out Cathy’s Comps and Calls.
My thanks go to Allison Joseph and Cathy Bryant for doing the detail detective work so that the rest of us can have an easier time with our careers.
Know a good resource? Post a comment and let us know.
