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DirtyMartini

Over 90 days ago

United States

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25 May 2013

I could be inspired by anything, a real life event, a conversation, a chat, another person's story or poem often...sometime's I'm inspired by people's statuses on here and other sites like Facebook...for instance, my friend Chris wrote "Happiness is not a destination" on his FB status, and I wrote the poem "Happiness And Purpose"...Louise wrote something on her status here on SS about having a coworker who was looking for another job, and kept asking her help, and she ended it by saying she's not a Google search engine...so, I turned her status into my poem "The Jerk At Work"...

I can go on...Maggie I'm sure knows her writing has inspired a poem or two of mine... happy8

happy8

Btw, I don't think I'll ever be able to look at a sandwich the same way again...and like that George Bernard Shaw quote Miss Moth...

25 May 2013

"Laugh at what?" he asked.

25 May 2013

A dear one who is near,
Is the one close to my heart,
I cherish that she's here,
For I miss her when we're apart.

25 May 2013

Quote by Rumple_deWriter
Before blaming, Maggie, you might try cutting back on the tequila shooters and Tabasco tacos.

Damn Rump...do you realize what you're suggesting? If I were to cut back on the tequila shooters, I'd never make it through a whole day as a moderator on Stories Space...just sayin'

25 May 2013

Looks like there's an entry fee on this one that was overlooked in the original post in FundsforWriters, but C Hope Clark just made me aware...

I think it's ten dollars, or ten pounds, or ten Euros...or ten something...could be ten penguins for all I know...but anyway, still might not be a bad deal for someone considering the size of the prizes...

24 May 2013

WILLIAM HAZLITT ESSAY PRIZE
http://www.nottinghilleditions.com/essay-prize
---
NO ENTRY FEE
Notting Hill Editions is delighted to launch an annual literary prize for the best essay in the English language, of between 2,000 and 8,000 words, published or unpublished, on any subject. Award value £15,000. Five runners-up will each receive £1000. Deadline August 1, 2013. Authors of any nationality are eligible, but submissions must have been written originally in English. If already published, the essay must have appeared for the first time in periodical (print or online) but not book form, between 1 January 2012 and 31 July 2013.

Makes me want to go write an essay... happy8

happy8

24 May 2013

THE CAPILANO REVIEW
http://www.thecapilanoreview.ca/submissions/
---
The Capilano Review publishes venturesome experimental writing and art. For poetry submissions, send up to 8 pages; for fiction, a maximum of 6,000 words. Contributors are paid $50 per published page to a maximum of $300.

Fall 2013 and Winter 2013 are open issues.
Fall 2013 submission deadline: 30 June 2013.
Winter 2013 submission deadline: 30 November 2013.

24 May 2013

I voted...I actually read it too, though I might regret it later...and if I get nightmares tonight about being chased by Bigfoot and unicorns, and a centaur smashing my camera...I have you to blame...

24 May 2013

Hey Yas...here's something else by Dave Farland...so, I'm sticking it here...some good advice btw...

Word Choice for Creative Writing
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/word-choice-for-creative-writing.aspx[/size]

24 May 2013

Here's some helpful advice from the experts for my writer friends here I thought worth sharing, though I'm sure most of my Stories Space friends are experts already...

No. 12 just made me laugh out loud btw... happy8

happy8

Writing Tips: 31 Most Invaluable Pieces Of Writing Advice From Famous Authors
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/writing-tips-_n_3319260.html?ir=Books&utm_campaign=052213&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-books&utm_content=Title[/size]

23 May 2013

I write the story...I can't start a story unless I have a pretty good idea of how it goes, though I have to admit, I have tried on more than one occasion...it don't work...though to what extent sort of varies...

For instance, some here may be familiar with a story of mine "Lost Tribe" from another site...I sat down, wrote the first paragraph, then realized I had no clue how the story was going to go...two weeks later I was able to site down and finish the whole rest of the 6400 word story...

Another example here, my story "The Birthday Party" which won the first contest...I started it the day the contest was announced btw, wrote a bit over 500 words, then realized I wasn't really sure about a few things...so, I took a break and did, among other things, read one of Steffanie's stories (don't recall which one at the moment...whichever one has comments from May 26, 2011), and then came back to it after a while...took me 3.5 hours to write a 1208 word story, but hey...it won the contest...

22 May 2013

Looks like I'm the first author spotlighted over on Aaron Sawyer's blog...he has a new feature where he spotlights a different author in the poetry world each month, since I'm the first, he's posting this a bit early for the month of June...but, it should run until the end of June...not much more than my bio, a couple of sample poems, and links...but I'll take it...check it out my Stories Space friends... happy8

happy8

Author Spotlight - Alan W. Jankowski
http://www.amsawyer.com/html/author_spotlight.html

Btw...note that the poem links go to this site...I mean, where else...right?

20 May 2013

Harsh words can hurt feelings.

20 May 2013

Quote by magnificent1rascal

Also, adding a Recommended Read badge was a nice touch.

You just have a thing for badges...and I agree the thumbs up is much better than that damn check mark...and btw, I just looked, and we now have the thumbs up...not bad, I can live with that one...

I have no idea who thought of the check mark...but, really did not like that one at all...

20 May 2013

Here is another songwriting site that may be of interest to some here...

Songstuff Music Resource
http://www.songstuff.com/[/size]

20 May 2013

Somebody invited me over to this site tonight, and I joined, as if the other 2.3 million writing, networking, and social media sites I'm on are not enough to keep me busy...but anyway, I'm told this site is pretty good...and despite the name, it's not just for indie authors...here's what is says on the site anyway...

Welcome to indiewritersupport.com. Our mission is to expose talented writers, either self-published or not, to a mass of book readers.

Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen...but, it does look like its got a lot going for it...check it out my published writing friends... happy8

happy8

Indie Writers Support
http://www.indiewritersupport.com/[/size]

19 May 2013

Here's a poetry contest that may be of interest, the theme being when life knocks you down...prizes include cash, T-shirts, and publishing...check it out my poetry writing SS friends... happy8

happy8

Knuckle Sandwich Publishing Presents: Poetry Contest
http://www.theknucklesandwichbook.com/poetry-contest.html[/size]

19 May 2013

Blame DirtyMartini eh Rump? Don't worry, I'll fix your link...nice of you to pick that Justin Bieber song btw...

On another note, here's a classic from Mr. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles...

18 May 2013

Btw, if you click on the link to my author profile over on AUTHORSdB you will see something really cool towards the bottom...a Badge...

Yes my friends, they do indeed have a selection of badges over there...something in common with this fine site, and that alone should be good reason to join up and post your info...you too could be sporting a new badge like myself...

Yeah, got notice of my Top 10 Badge earlier today...

AUTHORSdB (@AUTHORSdB) mentioned you on Twitter!
Inbox
x

AUTHORSdB (Twitter)
2:44 AM (14 hours ago)

to me
@Exakta66 in TOP10 & No10 #author AUTHORS DATABASE Pls RT #1AdB - @AUTHORSdB

Alan W. Jankowski,
You were mentioned in a Tweet!

AUTHORSdB
@AUTHORSdB
@Exakta66 in TOP10 & No10 #author AUTHORS DATABASE Pls RT #1AdB authorsdb.com/authors-direct…
01:44 AM - 18 May 13
Reply to @AUTHORSdB Retweet Favorite

18 May 2013

Bump here...

THE BULWER-LYTTON FICTION CONTEST
---------------------------------
DEADLINE: June 30, 2013
GENRE: Humour
DETAILS: Write a bad opening line to a novel. The sentence
shouldn't be longer than 50 - 60 words. All genres accepted.
Multiple entries accepted. All original and unpublished.
PRIZES: a pittance
URL: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com

18 May 2013

AFTER THE FALL APOCALYPTIC SHORT STORIES
----------------------------------------
DEADLINE: June 30, 2013
GENRE: Short stories,
DETAILS: 5000 word maximum apocalyptic/dystopian short story.
PRIZE: $£100 and publication
URL:
http://www.almondpress.co.uk/#/apocalyptic-story-contest/4575820109

18 May 2013

GKBCINC'S INAUGURAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION
-------------------------------------------
DEADLINE: June 30, 2013
GENRE: Short stories
DETAILS: A two thousand word tale with crime at its heart.
PRIZE: £100, £50, £25 and publication
URL: http://gkbcinc.com/the-gkbcinc-short-story-competition/

18 May 2013

DARK PLACES SHORT STORIES
-------------------------
DEADLINE: June 15, 2013
GENRE: Short Stories
DETAILS: Quarterly contest for science fiction and fantasy
stories. 1000 - 5000 words long, previously unpublished stories
only.
PRIZE: £50 and publication.
URL: http://dark-places.co.uk/writing-competition/

17 May 2013

thesnailmagazine: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Inbox
x

Ron Francis via LinkedIn
10:16 AM (10 hours ago)

Ron Francis
Publisher & Editor at thesnailmagazine

I am in the process of trying to set up and run a print-only periodical - thesnailmagazine - which will publish exclusively longform, narrative, or 'creative nonfiction'. I am keeping a blog at thesnail.jigsy.com recording my successes and failures. Each issue of the magazine will be in slightly larger than tabloid form - fifty-six or so pages [more if possible] each containing some 1,000 words. As far as new features are concerned, I want to avoid memoir and autobiography, as well as stories about parents and grandparents and other family members. I am looking for features that take the writers and the readers out of their comfort zones , profiles of interesting characters or normal characters who have done something interesting or extraordinary, or have experienced things that might have been expected to alter them. Events that require evaluation and can be done so in such a way that compels the reader to read [as it should have compelled the writer to write].

I am not looking for 'universal truths'.

I am not looking for pieces written predominantly in the first person. I don't mind the writer appearing in the piece, but if he or she does then it should be as a member of the chorus rather than a solo voice.

Payment: $20 per printed page.

Rights: The right to publish once in periodical form together with an option to anthologize the feature - which will attract extra payment.

Format: Please send your completed piece within the body of an email - don't bother too much about formatting the piece to; .

Alternatively, send it as a Word attachment to the same address. At the top of your piece, under the title and byline, state the word-count. I would prefer pieces in the 3,000 to 75,000 range but am prepared to accept longer pieces if they are exceptional.

A brief - 100 word - bio would be appreciated.

I will let you know as soon as possible whether I consider your piece suitable for thesnailmagazine.

If you have any contacts or friends who are working on pieces at the moment, or intend doing so in the future, please pass on this announcement. I hope to have thesnailmagazine up and running during the final quarter of the year.

Thanks for reading this
Ron Francis
Publisher and Editor
thesnailmagazine
http://thesnail.jigsy.com/[/size]

13 May 2013

Alright...a review of my book on an actual book review site...and this is a first for me btw...the book came out September, 2012, and I'm finding out it takes months, if you're lucky, to get a book reviewed...and books of short stories and/or poems are not always easy to get reviewed in the first place...

eFiction Reviews - I Often Wonder

And btw...eFiction Reviews is not connected with eFiction Magazine, and I won't get into all that, but Doug Lance of eFiction Magazine is not happy with their use of the name...

Anyway, eFiction Reviews is a relatively new book review site started by playwright Warren Thurston...as some here might know, it often takes quite a while to get a book reviewed, especially if you're not with a major publisher...so, when I saw mention of this site, I immediately sent him an e-copy of the book...

And yeah, this is a first for me, as I mentioned...and I happen to be very happy with the results here...check it out my Stories Space friends... happy8

happy8

13 May 2013

I think a big congrats and round of applause are in order here Miss M.P Rascal...

Enjoy that new ribbon, and I see there'a a monetary award as well...always a good thing, if you ask me...

Would be nice if you threw a party for your friends here on Stories Space...and don't forget to buy a drink for the member who may have posted the contest in the first place...ahem... Whistle

Whistle

13 May 2013

Quote by magnificent1rascal

All of the above still apply (although I am horrible about keeping up with Twitter), and I just added a Facebook Page for my non-rascally alter ego: http://www.facebook.com/mpwitwer

Just "liked" your new page Miss M.P. Racal...

I know I posted about this in another post, but there is a neat, relatively new site for putting all your links together in one database...you might want to give it a shot...

Here's my page again, and I just updated it a couple of days ago...check it out...I know ya'll really want to...

AUTHORSdB > Authors Directory > Alan W. Jankowski
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1824-alan-w-jankowski

That page includes everything I do writing-related...Martini-based and otherwise...oh, and note that they give out badges...I have a cool Top 25 badge on my page... happy8

happy8

12 May 2013

The Rolling Stones — Paint it black [live] (1966)

10 May 2013

I'm told it's a temporary thing btw...how temporary remains to be seen...in the meantime, it seems to be a friendly ghost...

At least you have a real ghost there Gypsy...Yas and I both had a problem where the ghost was not appearing correctly...we had a box that was blocking the "Stories Space" return to home page thingy...

If you have a box that looks like this picture, and you have trouble getting back to the home page, you have to hit Shift & F5 at the same time...that should do it...

10 May 2013

HootSuite is a social media management system for brand management created by Ryan Holmes in 2008. The system’s user interface takes the form of a dashboard, and supports social network integrations for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare, MySpace, WordPress and Mixi.

HootSuite - Social Media Management
http://hootsuite.com/

Anyway...I think if you actually know how to use this, you can type something and it goes out to every social media site on the planet at once...

I did manage to join and log on...I have to say it displays Facebook news feeds better than the FB Timeline thingy...but haven't really figured out how to post anything...I'm told it's a useful thing though...