MY NOTEBOOK by Shalla de Guzman

CALL-4-SUBMISSIONS: List of Lit Mags

2007-03-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

Anemone Sidecar wants energetic, unusual, idiosyncratic unpublished work that may not otherwise find a home but which potentially adds to the grand collection of fine writing. No depictions of the various methods of enslavement or sexual punishment, please, and no graphic violence of other sorts, especially to birds or small animals. If you have work you are confident the sorely missed 3rd bed would have liked, send it here.

Ninth Letter is accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews from September 1 to April 30 (postmark dates). Ninth Letter is a published semi-annually at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Rose and Thorn Literary E-zine
We look for compelling and thought-provoking fiction. Use all aspects of good writing in your stories, including dynamic characters, strong narrative voice, and a riveting and original plot. A personable and confident overall tone will ensure you make the first cut toward publication. We have eclectic tastes so go ahead and give us a shot.
Read Rose and Thorn's Pushcart Nominees

Tea Party Magazine’s core focus is the intersection of creativity and social justice. We support all people who struggle against oppression by presenting a forum in which we can tell the truth about our lives, reveal what has been hidden, and/or present a vision of liberation. Our artists and writers are speaking from their hearts, as they grapple deeply with issues of social justice in their own lives.

CALL-4-SUBMISSIONS: Literary Journals

2007-03-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Print Submission Guidelines

Ninth Letter is accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews from September 1 to April 30 (postmark dates). Ninth Letter is a published semi-annually at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. We are interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work. To make life easier for everyone, including yourself, please adhere to the following guidelines when submitting your work to Ninth Letter:

For poetry, submit 3-6 poems at a time. For fiction and nonfiction, please send only one story or one essay at a time; no more than 30 pages (approximately 10,000 words), double-spaced.

Single- or double-sided copies are okay. Do not send a second submission until you have received a response to the first. We do not consider previously published work or simultaneous submissions, and we do not accept electronic submissions.

Submissions should be addressed to:
For poetry, send up to six poems in a submission. For fiction and nonfiction, please send only one story or one essay at a time; no more than 30 pages (approximately 10,000 words), double-spaced. Single- or double-sided copies are okay. Do not send a second submission until you have received a response to the first. Submissions should be addressed to Fiction Editor, Poetry Editor, or Nonfiction Editor:

NINTH LETTERUniversity of IllinoisDepartment of English608 South Wright St.Urbana, IL 61801

Please include your name and contact information on the first page of your manuscript; cover letters are optional. All submissions must include an SASE for reply; we recommend a stamped business-sized envelope. If you wish to have your manuscript returned, you must include adequate postage and a properly sized envelope, and indicate such in your cover letter. We will recycle all unreturned manuscripts.

You should hear from us regarding your submission within 8 weeks; if you haven't heard from us in that time you are welcome to query about the status of your manuscript via mail or e-mail at ninthletter@uiuc.edu.
Ninth Letter pays $25 per printed page, upon publication, for accepted material, as well as two complimentary copies of the issue in which the work appears. Writers will be sent contracts upon acceptance of their work, and will receive page proofs prior to publication. Ninth Letter publishes one issue in the spring and one in the fall.
Contact
Editor - editor@ninthletter.com
Fiction Editor - fiction@ninthletter.com
Poetry Editor - poetry@ninthletter.com
Nonfiction Editor - nonfiction@ninthletter.com
Download Submission Guidelines
Print Submission Guidelines .pdf/2.5 MB

Coming 2007! A Smart Author's Toolkit: Insider's Guide to Literary Agents, Editors and Publishing by Shalla de Guzman

2007-02-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

www.shalladeguzman.com

Shalla de Guzman Honors Nobel Prize Laureates

2006-11-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

MORE PRACTICE ON WRITING BEATS

2005-08-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

only at: http://shalla.00books.com/coolfreegifts.html
MORE PRACTICE ON WRITING BEATS

Early Draft of Fran Dorf’s A Reasonable Madness:

“Laura’s illness is very complex,” I said. “If you’d just—“

“My wife obviously has a screw loose somewhere,” he said. “I was under the impression that the family is informed when a person goes crazy.”

I sighed. “Sometimes that’s true,” I admitted.

He said, “But you don’t think my wife is crazy, or what?”

My frustration was mounting. “I wish you’d stop throwing that word around so casually,” I snapped.

“I don’t give a goddamn what you wish,” he said. “It’s obvious to me that my wife should be in an asylum.”

What an odd choice of words, I thought. “There are no asylums any more, Mr. Wade,” I pointed out.

He got up, walked over to the window and looked out, then turned back to me.

“Whatever,” he said. “A hospital, then.”

I took off my glasses, rubbed my eyes. “Why do you think she should be in a hospital?” I asked him.

“Delusions. You’ve heard of them?”

“Once or twice,” I said sarcastically, beginning to lose it. “Why don’t you tell me about Laura’s?”

“Thinking things that are obviously ridiculous,” he said. “Misinterpreting everyday events and people’s behavior as having something to do with her—with this power she thinks she has. Oh, but I forgot. You believe in witches.”

Problems:
Explanatory speaker attributions
1 needless thinker attribution
Several dialogue descriptions
1 –ly adverb
what I would’ve edited out

Dialogue explanations are masking Tension

Let’s Edit out unnecessary dialogue mechanics:

“Laura’s illness is very complex,” I said. “If you’d just—“

“My wife obviously has a screw loose somewhere,” he said. >>>(changed to)>>>

“My wife’s obviously got a screw loose somewhere,” he said. “I was under the impression that the family is informed when a person goes crazy.”

I sighed. “Sometimes that’s true,” I admitted.

He said, “But you don’t think my wife is crazy, or what?”

My frustration was mounting. “I wish you’d stop throwing that word around so casually,” I snapped.

“I don’t give a goddamn what you wish,” he said. “It’s obvious to me that <(deleted) my wife should be in an asylum.” What an odd choice of words, I thought. “There are no asylums any more, Mr. Wade,” I pointed out. He got up, walked over to the window and looked out, then turned back to me. “Whatever,” he said. “A hospital, then.” I took off my glasses, rubbed my eyes. “Why do you think she should be in a hospital?” I asked him. “Delusions. You’ve heard of them?” “Once or twice,” I said sarcastically, beginning to lose it. “Why don’t you tell me about Laura’s?” “Why don’t you tell me what you think those are, Mr. Wade?” “Thinking things that are obviously ridiculous,” he said. “Misinterpreting everyday events and people’s behavior as having something to do with her—with this power she thinks she has. Oh, but I forgot. You believe in witches.”

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Shalla's Latest Blog: Shalla Writes: Short Stories

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BTW: Shalla de Guzman in on Amazon, see all of Shalla's Reviews.

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Shalla Wins Competition in Mad Hatters Review!

COMING Spring 2007

The Fish in My Bed

Shalla de Guzman

MAD HATTERS REVIEW

Edgy and Enlightened Literature, Art and Music in the Age of Dementia

***Meet Shalla's Fellow Mad Hatters Review Contributors***

Dear Shalla, Hold onto your hat and take a deep breath.

You are the winner in our FISH AND PLANE contest!

You will receive a special MHR prize and your delightful entry will be published in our next issue.

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