Wednesday

SHALLA: Know Flash Fiction? And, CALL-4-SUBMISSION from FlashShot




Know Flash Fiction?




Check out this article: "A Quick, Sharp Stroke"
Click here for other examples of his micro fiction.




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Shalla wishes you all the best for 2007!






Coming Soon!


Shalla Chats with Editors Back-2-Back


February 1, 2007


SHALLA CHATS with Richard Peabody
Writing and Publishing Literary Fiction


by


Shalla de Guzman


Who is Richard?

Richard Peabody, a prolific poet, fiction writer and editor, is an experienced teacher and important activist in the Washington , D.C. community of letters.


He is the founder and co-editor of Gargoyle magazine and editor (or co-editor) of fourteen anthologies including Mondo Barbie, Conversations with Gore Vidal, A Different Beat: Writings by Women of the Beat Generation, Alice Redux, Sex & Chocolate, and Grace and Gravity: Fiction by Washington Area Women.


He is the author of the novella Sugar Mountain, two short story collections, and six poetry collections including Last of the Red Hot Magnetos and I'm in Love with the Morton Salt Girl. He is currently working on Kiss the Sky: Fiction & Poetry Starring Jimi Hendrix (forthcoming 2007).
Peabody holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Literature from American University. He has taught at the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, The Writer's Center, and at Hopkins, where he has been presented the Faculty Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement. Peabody lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area.


You can find out more at: http://www.wikipedia.org/
and


http://www.gargoylemagazine.com/
Only at: www.shalladeguzman.com


April 4, 2007


SHALLA CHATS with Alice Andrews Biofiction Introduced

by Shalla de Guzman

First of all, who is Alice?


Alice teaches psychology with an evolutionary lens at the State University of New York at New Paltz, and is the editor/publisher of Entelechy: Mind & Culture, an evolutionarily-informed interdisciplinary online journal. She is also the author of Trine Erotic, a novel that explores evolutionary psychology and other behavioral science themes.


Alice is currently working on a book (based on her essay with the same title, published at Metanexus) called An Evolutionary Mind (to be published as part of Imprint Academic's series: "Societas: Essays in Political and Cultural Criticism"), and plans to begin writing another novel soon.


Only at: http://shalladeguzman.com/weloveshalladeguzman.php

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Call-4-Submissions from FlashShot

FLASHSHOTS ARE SELECTED BY OUR EDITOR EXTRAORDINAIRE, ESTHER SCHRADER


Become a Flashshooter!
"Bet you can't submit just one!"


New limit, effective November 15, 2005: up to 100 words.
Fiction: horror, mystery, fantasy, SF, humor. Absolutely NO poetry. If you have something else in 100 words or less that you want me to see, try me! Reprints are fine, so long as you own the rights and tell us where they previously appeared. Submit up to three stories, and then wait until the last story is about to appear before sending up to three more.

For more: Flash Shot

Friday

Shalla: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Tips on Writing Short Stories; And Did you know? Shalla is on YouTube



Happy Holidays!







Love,
and



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Tips on Writing Short Stories




What are the publishers and competition judges looking for?

A well-written structured story with a plot they haven't heard at least a hundred times before. So, first of all, HAVE A STORY TO TELL.

Begin with an arresting first paragraph or lead, enough to grab the reader: make him or her curious to know what happens next.


Did you present the story line quickly enough to catch the reader's interest or did you use up a third of the story with a long biographical preamble of the characters or with dialogue between two of them (often left confusingly unnamed)? You may know exactly who is speaking, but the reader may be left bewildered. Never underestimate the power of dialogue in conveying character, but it must contribute to the main focus of the story.


The story may be rejected if it is too slight in content or if the plot is too clichéd. No amount of careful padding and elaborate dialogue can substitute for a story line that is wafer-thin.


The story may be rejected if it is 'top heavy' i.e. too much is spent on the build-up, so that the climax or denouement (as in the twist ending) is relegated to one sentence, leaving the reader bothered and bemused but sadly not bewitched.


Don't signal the twist ending too soon!


If you're telling a fast-moving story, say crime, then keep your paragraphs and sentences short. It's a trick that sets the pace and adds to the atmosphere you are conveying to the reader.


For more: Fiction On the Web

Shalla's Tip on Writing Short Stories

Read, Read, Read, know what's being published...

Study stories that are published in good literary journals. That's a great way to learn craft.

For more: ADVANCE WITH SHALLA



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SHALLA on TV?

Yes, Shalla is on YouTube too!




Shalla




Who Is Shalla?




SHALLA Hosts Spellbound





What Is Spellbound?






SHALLA Wins In Mad Hatters Review





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Look What Shalla Found!

Hi Writers, Shalla here, I haven't fully checked this out but it looks interesting...




Writing.Com is the online community for writers and readers of all interests and skill levels. Whether you're an enthusiastic, creative writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your story writing online or a casual reader searching for a good story, Writing.Com is the website for you!


With 458,222 members and 1,079,572 literary items created since inception,this community is bursting with activities, inspiration and creativity.


Free memberships are available to everyone. Each membership includes an online writing portfolio, numerous story writing tools, email services and the chance to meet and bond with fresh creative minds, just like you! No other website services the Story Writing world better than we do.

For more: Writing.com





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Hi writers, to get into the proper writing mode, I often immerse myself with Optical Illusions.

This helps my writing tremenduously, especially when I'm editing.



Because I write "literary" short stories and novels, depth is important. With my novel (especially the one I'm editing now), what you see at first is not all there is, there is always a lot more beneath the surface...








Back to Optical Illusions
Other Illusions:Blind Spots
Blink Effect
Bordering
Chromatic Adaptation
Chromatic Adaptation
Color Blindness
Crispening
Dither Dots
Dithering
Fill Patterns
Opponent
Optical
Simultaneous Contrast
Simultaneous Contrast
Value Contrast



Click on a thumbnail to view the full-sized image or tour the gallery.


More Puzzles


Ambigrams
Watizzits?
Daily Crossword Puzzle
Jigsaw Puzzles
Cryptic Crosswords
Pyramid Puzzles
Strategy Game
Memory Game
Tic-Tac-Toe

Strategy Games
Memory Games
Cryptic Xwords
Tic-Tac-Toe

Friday

Written a Novel? Like to know what's Next? PLUS! Our Q&A with author Billie Williams

How About Joining a Writers Competition?


Welcome to the Sobol Award - Where Every Writer Has a Voice
The Sobol Award is an annual award open to all unpublished fiction writers. -->


Each manuscript will receive two reviews from experienced readers
A panel of
distinguished judges will select the winners

Substantial prizes will be awarded, including $100,000 first prize
Representation is guaranteed




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Can you believe it?


It's coming up!







From the ShalladeGuzman Writers Group



Where you can meet literary agents, editors, publishers, etc.

For FREE of course...



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Hi Writers, look what Shalla found!
Of course Shalla hasn't checked this, but it looks good!
*
'Create a Character' Clinic
*
Are editors telling you that your characters won't let them put
your manuscript down?
Are readers saying they stayed up allnight reading your story?
If you answered "No" to either of those questions, this clinic can help bring new life to your characters - and your stories!
This comprehensive, step-by-step guide is written by the best-selling author of more than 30 published books.






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Plus! Did you know?






SHALLA CHATS with top Editors of Literary Magazines






For more: Shalla Chats with Editors Back-2-Back






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NEWS!




The ShalladeGuzman Writers Group

presents Mystery/Suspense and Young Adult Adventure Author



Billie Williams

So first off, who's Billie?




She also writes a how to mystery column for "Sell Writing On Line," a monthly e-zine. She loves to travel, has visited nearly every state in the union. Hasmoved out to Colorado twice and back to Wisconsin "You can take thegirl out of Wisconsin but you can't take Wisconsin out of the girl."




Her latest novels will be released in June 2005 from: Wings ePress,Inc. Skull Music, a romantic suspense; From Triskelion, Purple Haze, Romantic Suspense with Sizzle, andFrom Venus Press, Blind Date Romantic Suspense with the Sizzle turned way up. All three books touch on the paranormal in one way oranother.




A series of How to on various aspects of writing that connect tothe first one, Writing Wide, will be available from FilbertPublishing this year: So You Want to Write a Mystery; So You Want ToWrite Compelling Characters and So You Want to Spice Up Your WritingPurple Haze, June 2005 Triskelion Publishing Skull Music, June 2005 from Wings ePress, Inc.



For more on Billie Williams:
*
For the transcript of our Q&A with Billie Williams,
Message #'s 131-161

GREETINGS FROM BILLIE WILLIAMS

SEASON’S GREETINGS TO YOU AND YOURS!


I would like to invite you to take a peek at what reviewers are all talking about. If you have an avid reader on your gift list, or if you want to give yourself that special something this year, please go to
www.billiewilliams.com, click on the Books link and browse away. You’ll find mystery, suspense, young adult historical adventure, romantic suspense and more

Or go to
www.lulu.com/Billie and have a look see at what’s available from me there. From cook books, to poetry, essays, booklets about writing and more, I’m sure you’ll find something that will fit your pocketbook/wallet and most everyone on your gift list.

If your taste is more to the spice and sizzle of a good romantic suspense go to
http://loganwblue.tripod.com or http://cricketsawyer.tripod.com where Logan Blue and Cricket Sawyer have a selection of hot romance with suspenseful twists that like to heat up your winter evenings.

If you have a writer on your gift list, or if you are an aspiring writer yourself, try Writing Wide, Exercises in Creative Writing (available from
www.filbertpublishing.com or your favorite bookstore- online on bricks and mortar) or the Wide Spaces Brochure available at LuLu.com ( www.lulu.com/content/494067 ) I’m sure they will be pleased.

And as a special pre-Christmas bonus to you all—I will give you a special gift when you let me know what you have purchased. I have several e-booklets that I will give you a choice from when you do. If you purchase three books and let me know (yes, I believe in the honor system) I will send you an autographed bookplate for each of the three books to make it a very special gift and a key chain if one of them is Skull Music or Watch For The Raven (
www.wings-press.com ) or Purple Haze ( an electronic book)
(
http://www.triskelionpublishing.com) If you like shape shifters take a peak at Angeni over at www.silksvault.com or any of Cricket’s other titles there.

Don’t forget to check out Knapsack Secrets at
http://www.PageFreePublishing.com/knapsack/knapsack.html where you can listen to the first chapter being read by an incredible team of readers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


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Like to read our latest SHALLA Q&A's?





Seminar with Jerry D. Simmons, a former NY Publishing ExecutiveMessage #'s 1468-1489





"Get Booked on Oprah" with, top media coach, Susan Harrow
Learn how to get a 6 figure book advance! Message #'s 1328-1363





Q&A with Producer and former HBO Dev Consultant Taylor Van Arsdale Messages #'s 1024-1054





Q&A with Manus and Associates Literary Agent Stephanie Lee Message#'s 908-962





Q&A with Writers House Literary Agent Daniel Lazar Message #'s 787-812





Q&A with Firebrand Literary Agent Nadia Cornier Message #'s 1134-1180









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For more:
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by








at








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And Shalla is on You Tube too! SHALLA
 

Thanks for Visiting!

Come back soon and check out my Best Sellers :)

Questions? Compliments? (I like getting kind emails :)

Please title emails with "Hi Shalla" otherwise they might get deleted.

shalla_de_guzman@yahoo.com

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