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Popsicle Crows View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Popsicle Crows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2021 at 3:59pm
I agree completely. The contest winners and finalists are always worth reading and well chosen. There's a few that certainly could have been winners as well but that's a tip of the hat to the quality of the writers here.

The screenwriting tips I got from other members have been more useful to me than anything I read elsewhere and people here seem to genuinely wish success on each other. 

It's also a great place to try new and adventurous things to see how readers react. The forum feedback is first and foremost feedback by regular people who love stories and love reading. If you want editorial type feedback, we can get that here too.

I wouldn't mind if they added a couple more competitions..

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (4) Thanks(4)   Quote nod1v1ng Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 8:57pm

Maybe I'm a bit of a cynic, a girl has seen some $h*t. So when I saw the title of this post my heart sank a little.

Man oh mister was I pleasantly surprised! THANK YOU! 

In 2016, I saw a post on FB advertising NYCm Flash. I had just gone through a horrific divorce from someone who had controlled every single aspect of my life, and had suddenly found myself in a in a bit of a chaotic, rediscovery, reinvention phase. I said to myself, self, do you want to try and write a story? Sure! Why not! What do I have to lose? 

An addiction was born.

All these years later, I haven't missed a single NYCm prose contest. I've published (or have forthcoming) 49 short stories. Yes, I'm totally gunning for that #50 by year end, you better believe it. I've made enough cashola from said stories to take myself on a couple of fun vacations. I have a bookshelf of magazines and anthologies that I can look at and touch whenever I need a boost of confidence in my life. I made those things! I'm proud of those things. And many of those things would not have existed without a NYCm prompt and deadline.

BUT even more special to me is this forum. I have learned SO much from the talented people who post here. I've joined three (that's right three!) remarkable writing groups directly because of my participation in this forum. I have made lasting and meaningful friendships with writers who I initially met here. Some of them I've met in real life and others I have only interacted with online but are honestly some of the kindest and most important relationships in my life. 

So Vee, (et all) I'm absolutely delighted you are having a good experience. Hope to see you around for many years to come! 

XOXO


Edited by nod1v1ng - 04 Aug 2021 at 9:15pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote VeeRob3299 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2021 at 9:47pm
Originally posted by nod1v1ng nod1v1ng wrote:


Maybe I'm a bit of a cynic, a girl has seen some $h*t. So when I saw the title of this post my heart sank a little.

Man oh mister was I pleasantly surprised! THANK YOU! 

In 2016, I saw a post on FB advertising NYCm Flash. I had just gone through a horrific divorce from someone who had controlled every single aspect of my life, and had suddenly found myself in a in a bit of a chaotic, rediscovery, reinvention phase. I said to myself, self, do you want to try and write a story? Sure! Why not! What do I have to lose? 

An addiction was born.

All these years later, I haven't missed a single NYCm prose contest. I've published (or have forthcoming) 49 short stories. Yes, I'm totally gunning for that #50 by year end, you better believe it. I've made enough cashola from said stories to take myself on a couple of fun vacations. I have a bookshelf of magazines and anthologies that I can look at and touch whenever I need a boost of confidence in my life. I made those things! I'm proud of those things. And many of those things would not have existed without a NYCm prompt and deadline.

BUT even more special to me is this forum. I have learned SO much from the talented people who post here. I've joined three (that's right three!) remarkable writing groups directly because of my participation in this forum. I have made lasting and meaningful friendships with writers who I initially met here. Some of them I've met in real life and others I have only interacted with online but are honestly some of the kindest and most important relationships in my life. 

So Vee, (et all) I'm absolutely delighted you are having a good experience. Hope to see you around for many years to come! 

XOXO

 

A heartwarming response. Thank you for your candor and your honesty. I too can't see this addiction ending anytime soon. I look forward to running into you in the hallways! :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FerretKittyMom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:05am
I joined for the first time in May as well in the 100 word MF. I had considered it last year, but couldn't work up the nerve. My best friend encouraged me to enter. I sent her my submission on Friday to review and she really enjoyed it! The following Monday she had a medical emergency and passed away unexpectedly. She was my best friend for 25+ yrs. We encouraged each other's creativity. She was also a writer, and I will continue to enter these contests in honor of her memory. 
Rhyming2 Vacation Vexation

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VeeRob3299 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:08am
Originally posted by FerretKittyMom FerretKittyMom wrote:

I joined for the first time in May as well in the 100 word MF. I had considered it last year, but couldn't work up the nerve. My best friend encouraged me to enter. I sent her my submission on Friday to review and she really enjoyed it! The following Monday she had a medical emergency and passed away unexpectedly. She was my best friend for 25+ yrs. We encouraged each other's creativity. She was also a writer, and I will continue to enter these contests in honor of her memory. 

That's so sad.  Your participation is a lovely tribute.

V.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jacksilver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:43am
Originally posted by FerretKittyMom FerretKittyMom wrote:

I joined for the first time in May as well in the 100 word MF. I had considered it last year, but couldn't work up the nerve. My best friend encouraged me to enter. I sent her my submission on Friday to review and she really enjoyed it! The following Monday she had a medical emergency and passed away unexpectedly. She was my best friend for 25+ yrs. We encouraged each other's creativity. She was also a writer, and I will continue to enter these contests in honor of her memory. 

What a beautiful tribute .. and it's also lovely that she at got to read your first story before she passed Heart
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote jacksilver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 8:44am
Originally posted by nod1v1ng nod1v1ng wrote:

 I haven't missed a single NYCm prose contest. I've published (or have forthcoming) 49 short stories. Yes, I'm totally gunning for that #50 by year end, you better believe it. I've made enough cashola from said stories to take myself on a couple of fun vacations. I have a bookshelf of magazines and anthologies that I can look at and touch whenever I need a boost of confidence in my life. I made those things! I'm proud of those things. And many of those things would not have existed without a NYCm prompt and deadline.

BUT even more special to me is this forum. I have learned SO much from the talented people who post here. I've joined three (that's right three!) remarkable writing groups directly because of my participation in this forum. I have made lasting and meaningful friendships with writers who I initially met here. Some of them I've met in real life and others I have only interacted with online but are honestly some of the kindest and most important relationships in my life. 

So Vee, (et all) I'm absolutely delighted you are having a good experience. Hope to see you around for many years to come! 

XOXO

That's incredible - congrats!!

Also, I'd love to know where you got those stories published and how you approached them .. I wouldn't have the first idea where to start!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Popsicle Crows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 4:10pm
Originally posted by FerretKittyMom FerretKittyMom wrote:

I joined for the first time in May as well in the 100 word MF. I had considered it last year, but couldn't work up the nerve. My best friend encouraged me to enter. I sent her my submission on Friday to review and she really enjoyed it! The following Monday she had a medical emergency and passed away unexpectedly. She was my best friend for 25+ yrs. We encouraged each other's creativity. She was also a writer, and I will continue to enter these contests in honor of her memory. 

That's so heartbreaking. People who understand your need to write and who actively encourage it are like stars. I'm so sorry that happened. I hope you're doing okay Heart
Reach out to people or even less-than-strangers Smile  here if you need to. She would have been so proud of you.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nod1v1ng Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 9:15pm
Originally posted by jacksilver jacksilver wrote:

Originally posted by nod1v1ng nod1v1ng wrote:

 I haven't missed a single NYCm prose contest. I've published (or have forthcoming) 49 short stories. 

That's incredible - congrats!!

Also, I'd love to know where you got those stories published and how you approached them .. I wouldn't have the first idea where to start!

Hiyas Jack! 
 
Check out this thread where I posted some links to some submission trackers. Trackers can do just that, track what you have submitted, but they are also a really good resource to seek out potential venues. They all have search features that you can utilize to help narrow down the best places to try submitting.

For example - I use duotrope. I take the piece I want to sub, then plug my parameters into their search feature: genre, subgenre, style, audience, topic, subtopic, length, payment, submission type, medium (print, electronic), etc. Then it spits back markets that fit my parameters, gives some guidelines & statistics for each, as well as a link to their site. Then I can hop over, check out what that specific market is looking for. Most venues have a submissions page that will give you guidelines on what they are looking for and their specific requirements for submission. If they are a little vague on how they want submissions formatted, Shunn is a good standard. This is a great site to help you get started.

As for where I've published, here's the list... 

As I tweeted the other day, be aware that the submission game is not for the faint of heart. It comes with a lot of rejection. Don't let it get you down. Often, rejection has nothing to do with the quality of the piece. It's editor preference, or timing--perhaps they just accepted something of similar theme/style/length. Or it just does not jive with the rest of the stories for the issue. 

Putting yourself out there can be hard, but it can be very satisfying! Give it a try & good luck! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote laurbail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Aug 2021 at 9:22pm
I couldn't agree more. My husband has been fighting cancer for four years, and bad cancer for 2.5. NYCM is my happy place to be creative and get away from the stress of cancer and to support other writers. It honestly keeps me sane and feeling like my life has not come to a standstill because of the disease (nor has his...) 

We all have stuff we have to deal with in life, so great that this community helps us rise above the bad stuff and find joy!

laurie
Read my SSC CH2 script: Wish You Were Here (suspense)
or SC Final Beyond Words(suspense)
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