Lamp Light has a call for new writers, and they are paying SIX CENTS A WORD. If you've never had a pro sale, this might be for you.

Here's the link: https://apokrupha.com/2021/08/30/lamplight-special-submission-call/

Here's the opening text:

We are going to take a new turn for the submissions. The criteria to submit will be as follows, the following statement must be true:

“If accepted, this would be my first pro-sale.”

And to make that true, we will be raising our pay scale to match:

6¢ (USD) per word (based on HWA guidelines)

5100 words MAX (firm)

Yes, this lowers the max word count, but that is to keep within budget. So this go-round, we will not take any stories over the word count. We’ve added a 100 word buffer, so target that 5,000 word mark as a max. (For this call, strong 1,500 – 3,000 word stories will fair best.)

One of the things we’ve loved over the years is finding new writers and showcasing them for the first time. These two issues are going highlight new writers and hopefully be just the first of many times you will read their work. 

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Thank you for your reply.
Yes, its a bit of a whirlwind right now, juggling everything but my novel is out tomorrow.

Good morning all.

6500 is a good solid length for a short story. I agree the trend is toward micro and flash, but if anything that makes longer, old school short stories even more important. They all involve craft, but all different kinds of craft. 

I have decided that I’m going to watch the Mets until they win a game, then stop for the season, to end on a high note. Assuming they win another game, which has not been the trend. Good luck in the post season Sara! Looks like the Braves will take the division! I’m also using your name again in the novel, Sara! (Unless you spell it with an h, and I think you might. Still, it’s based on you!)

Not much going on today. Germany sounds fun, Gill, though it’s got to be tough for him to settle there. Got to be exciting for him!

All for now. Lovely day here. The blank page awaits.

Coffee and one third of a cookie.

Thanks for the setup Ape.

Lovely day today.

So, apparently I was off by an entire MONTH about Dune coming out. The OLD Dune is now on HBO, and that is what was confusing me. I saw the old Dune drunk at a movie theater in Times Square: I'd been to an office party that ended in early evening, and my roomate had a date and didn't want me to come home til late, so I had hours to kill. So, a few more beers, then the movie. 

There is nothing like the feeling of walking out into the extreme weirdness of pre-Disneyfied Times Square after a David Lynch movie. I saw Blue Velvet in Times Square too. The perfect venue.

Time to edit. Coffee and five sugar cookies please. 

I am unable to wake fully up.

Good morning everyone!

This just in: the Mets lost AGAIN! 8 games out of first place, 10 games left to play. You do the math.

Boring editing day today. I'm wanting to start the novel, but I know I need to do all my dumb boring short story editing first, because I won't have the time or bandwidth or interest once I start.  

Hey, looks like the spacing issue got fixed! I'm so happy! That was driving me nuts.

Coffee and a small stack of cookies please. Hug that wacky monkey for me!

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Ever wonder how social media algorithms work?

Falling Down and American Beauty clips have been popping up on YouTube for me as recommended viewing. An accurate reflection of my view of life or foreshadowing?

🤔

🤣 🤣 🤣

“May the force be with you,” the doctor said as he handed a stool softener prescription to the constipated woman.

😳 

😆

Yikes on the algorhythms. They know you better than your own dreams. I thought American Beauty was wildly overrated, but I really liked Falling Down. That scene with the little kid and the rocket launcher is lodged in my brain. 

No Talia Wednesday. Today I am going to coat the kitchen floor with oil and slide the cats across it. They love it! And clean-up should be a breeze!

I really did teach David Foster Wallace (the cat, not the dead writer) how to play fetch. About once a week, he'll bring one of his little cat toys to one of us, and set it down. Sometimes he'll shake it to get your attention. And then, if you throw it, he brings it back! He'll do it 5-6 times before he decides he has more important things to do, like lick his butt.

Off to write. Coffee and a maple crunch cookie please.  

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Hi all!

Mmmmm, may I have some maple crunch cookies, Sara? Yummy!

And Ping, would you mind getting my ball out of the sandtrap for me, please? It's by the gator. I'm sure he won't bite  

I once wrote a story about a croc attacking a guy on a golf course. Sigh. So many stories. All is a blur. I can’t even remember what the story is called or what it was about. But I recall the croc.

Gotta go back under the knife. Recently informed the scalpel didn’t carve out all of the cancer. Sheesh. The scar was just healing nicely too. Oh well.

Stupid federal election. Idiots. I hate them all. Well, hate’s too strong of a word and I don’t loathe all of them. There is potential for a surprise. People are pissed. Election was called too soon by a duplicitous and manipulative PM. If the vote splits between the liberals and conservatives, the NDP may capture a lot of the frustrated vote. It has happened before. Regardless, a minority government is most likely which means another ‘election-of-confidence’ will be called in eighteen to twenty-four months at another six or seven hundred million dollars. What a frickin’ farce.

Nothing for me, thanks. I’ll just lick the excess sanitizer off of my hands. A quick micro-buzz is all I need to get me through the night.

Our thoughts are with you. Life is a battle. It always wins.

Finished season one of Boudain's Parts Unknown, which ended with a Heart of Darkness riff in the Congo. Great show.  

Critique group went okay. Time to lick my wounds and face the blank page again.   

Coffee and a cookie would be swell.  

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Tiny lizards...in the wine. Tiny lizards...make me feel fine.

Sorry, wrong song. I used to have 2 anoles when I lived in NYC. Nurse Bill and Dr. Lizardo. The best part of the deal was buying crickets every couple weeks - the apartment was filled with cricket chirps! My roommates were less thrilled than I. 

Slow day, errands and such. I'm in the mood for a movie theater, but nothing good is playing (until DUNE! IN FIVE DAYS!). I'm sure we'll find something fun to do.

Coffee and a happy face cookie! 

You USED TO HAVE two aholes. Did you seek medical attention for that? Was it rectalfied? I suppose, it’s very competitive in NYC and not only being an ahole, but having two additional aholes is beneficial. But dude, I know some people name or are given nicknames for their sexy parts, but you’re the first I know of to properly name his aholes. Strange times. Stranger things.

Mochaccino with whip, please. 

Thank you, Ma’am. May I have another?

Umm ... I am curious too, Ping! So what happened to Nurse Bill and Dr Lizardo? 

Scott, thanks for leaving the astronaut cookies for me to play with.

I accidentally stepped on tiny lizard today, but he rebounded. I swear they are gonna take over the world!!! Everywhere!!! 

The anoles (note the n, Ping) died after awhile. They don't live long. They were fun though!

I read this morning, apopos of nothing, that tarantulas are disappearing in my area. Migration numbers are way down. They blame climate change and drought and PEOPLE STEALING THEM (!!!) as the main reasons behind the decline. People: don't steal tarantulas!!!

Short fiction critique tonight. I have a story on the killing floor. These guys are nicer than the long fiction critique group at least.

Not much else going on. Mets actually won a game.

I'd like a Oort Cloud shaped cookie please.       

Tiny lizards...in the wine. Tiny lizards...make me feel fine.

Sorry, wrong song. I used to have 2 anoles when I lived in NYC. Nurse Bill and Dr. Lizardo. The best part of the deal was buying crickets every couple weeks - the apartment was filled with cricket chirps! My roommates were less thrilled than I. 

Slow day, errands and such. I'm in the mood for a movie theater, but nothing good is playing (until DUNE! IN FIVE DAYS!). I'm sure we'll find something fun to do.

Coffee and a happy face cookie! 

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Quote by DenimAngel
Hi peeps  

A large iced coffee sounds yummy in my tummy

Good to see this place busy !!

I have smiley face cookies today.. only cookie cutters I found that were cute were shaped like hearts circles flowers and stars.

*Moving the old cookies to the emergency cookie tins behind the counter and filling the cookie jars to the tippy top with fresh cookies*

It was fun drawing smiles on the cookies:)

Scott thanks for the set up! The coffee is GOOD

Jeff .. giggles I'm the cookie PRINCESS! we had this discussion last winter and fall you can keep your SNOW there in Colorado !! I don't want it 

Kimmi have a safe trip with your Twin ... Remember bail money if necessary

Elyse that sounds like a fun game .

*Giving the adorable critters fresh water and treats*

Stay safe everyone

Hi everyone

Thanks, Sara, but twin fun interruptus. We are close to our resort and Mom's memory care facility called. She's been in an uncontrollable rage since last night. They are admitting her to a psych ward. I may head home as soon as my sister's hubby gets here. Her facility won't keep her unless we can settle her down. 

Anyway, had fun on drive down with sis. And Verbal, please send me link. :)

I will take anything chocolate please! 

No Talia Friday. I'm gonna teach the cats to hang glide off the back balcony. They need some excitement in their lives.

Finished a new story yesterday. So, edit today, and obsess over the novel. Talia is all atwitter about The Morning Show starting again tonight. Me, I'm more excited about Dune in 5 days. Woo-hoo! 

A coffee and a cookie please. 

Timothy Elephant.

I have been obsessed with Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain's astonishing show. Don't know why it took me so long to discover this show (or Bourdain for that matter). I'm by no means a foodie, but the show is so much more than food and travel. I'm  limiting myself to one a night, to make them last, and thank God there are so many. 

Truth be told, I may have a little man-crush on Anthony Bourdain. I'm a sucker for the whole bad-boy tortured genius thing. Talia approves. Apparently she has a similar attraction to bad boy tortured geniuses.    

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Good morning all.

No Talia Wednesday. The cats and I shall be creating a short blunt human/cat pyramid today.

Not much going on. Doing another reading on Youtube. I plan to say "nipple" again, just to give Ping a cheap thrill.

Still writing stories, but am trying to draw out a novel plot on giant sheets of art paper.  It's fun but kinda scary. 

Fall was in the air yesterday. I love that feeling. 

Gotta get to work. Coffee and ten thousand cookies please. 

Where's this reading? I'm kind of interested in how a reading works in a "nipple."

Thank you, Sara, for cookies. I'm headed for a road trip with my twin and will snatch a few for our trip. Might be "Twins Gone Wild" til her hubby arrives Sunday night. :) 

I finally figured out how to publish w/pic on here. So yay!  

Have a great upcoming week!

The reading went well. It’s always fun. I have a shaving cut on my lip that was kinda weird looking, but what are you gonna do?

Fall is on the way. It’s supposed to snow in the mountains in the next couple days. Gonna stay hot here, but no days over 90 which is cool.

Grilled a million pounds of chicken last night. We will be eating chicken for quite some time. Anyone know any recipes, send me this way.

Until then, a coffee and four hundred thousand cookies. Oh, that’s too many? Okay, one. A happy face! Can we have space cookies tomorrow, cookie Mom?

Good morning all.

No Talia Wednesday. The cats and I shall be creating a short blunt human/cat pyramid today.

Not much going on. Doing another reading on Youtube. I plan to say "nipple" again, just to give Ping a cheap thrill.

Still writing stories, but am trying to draw out a novel plot on giant sheets of art paper.  It's fun but kinda scary. 

Fall was in the air yesterday. I love that feeling. 

Gotta get to work. Coffee and ten thousand cookies please. 

Hey everyone. Sure will be glad to have Bill back.

It had been an exhausting morning. Kicking back to close my eyes for a minute, then on to writing. A short, sad story this week.

I would love a coffee and…let’s see…*SUDDENLY STEALS ALL THE COOKIES AND EATS THEM IN THE CORNER WITH MOLLY THE MONKEY* 

I’ve never written much sci fi, and have never had to do much world building. That’s about to change with the next project: I am building a world recovering after what I am calling a “soft apocalypse,” where the world doesn’t end, but takes a big hit from a mind-virus pandemic that shuts down much of our modern infrastructure. The book takes place after the pandemic, when the world is rebuilding. Very much a soft world build. Most detail is implied, not explained.

I don’t know if it’s any good not, but it sure is fun to attempt.

Hey, it’s that nutty little monkey! C’mere and give me a big monkey hug.

Not much new going on today. Apartment shopping with youngest daughter later today.

I guess that Mets-Yankees game last night was one for the ages, though probably still too little too late for the Metropolitans. Wish I could have seen the game. I tried as late as 10 p.m., but it was still blacked out by ESPN. The Saturday game was blacked out by Fox. Sigh.

Time to write. Coffee would be swell.

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Has anyone asked about or commented on the missing word counts from poems and stories?

I briefly scanned the other posts. I may have missed it. Can anyone see word counts? If so, where are they?

Thanks.

I’ve noticed it but not mentioned it. Estimated read time appears to have taken its place, but I prefer word count for a number (ha!) of reasons. 

I'd also love it if they'd tweak line spacing, it's driving me bonkers: more space in paragraph breaks, less space in line breaks (within the paragraph).

Having an icon for RR and EP next to the title would be groovy too.   

Hey, everyone is getting me all wrong about the critique group! It was actually a big vote of confidence, from published writers (I'm kind of the newbie to the group). I was psyched. If anyone cares about the minutia: Chew is in chapters, each chapter has three POVs (it's here on SS in two parts). Their issue is that it's a cumbersome structure - the solution is longer chapters, one POV each. They actually dug all the content, it was about the format. And they noted how rare it was for a title to be a verb. 

Anyway. Not much else going on. Glad 9 frikkin 11 is over. Hate that day.

We are going to an art gallery later today, and then grocery shopping (an activity I quite enjoy for some bizarre reason). Until then: chill. Mets vs. Yankees tonight, which I normally love, but it's on ESPN, meaning I can't watch because I don't have cable. Way to build that fan base, MLB.    

Coffee please!

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Quote by CuriousAnnie

Root canal ... I dream of root canal. 😕 Not really, just that lets just say I needed a blood transfusion after an emergency C-section Tuesday night. All is good now; baby got stuck and is well despite that, mother is improving 👌 

I am having trouble publishing a poem about late babies (or more accurately one late young man in particular) which I wrote Saturday. Cant work out if it is a bug or that I am stupid... Okay, don't answer that. 

But for all the mums out there I do have a question: How come second children are born? 

Oh Annie, that’s fabulous news. Congrats. Boy or girl?

Bigger question: Are you naming it Verbs or Ping?

But be careful. Tams immaculately conceived a little hybrid VerPing thingie of horror. How awkward  it would be if you two named your young ones the same thing?

Well, I’m off to a wet market in China. I’ve got some business to tend to. Don’t ask but vendors will probably start a bidding war for what I have to offer.

Or to paraphrase Quint, “The taxidermist’s gunna  have a heart attack when he sees what I brought him.”

Go Fernandez Go! 

Bring another Women’s US Open Tennis Championship to Canada for us!

Good weekend to all, especially Sir Rump if you can hear me. Hurry back, as soon as you can.

While the world is almost certainly a better place with Ping in it, and perhaps even with me in it as well, I'm fairly certain having two more VerPings around might be problematic. 

I fared pretty well in novel critique group. Meaning, they suggest I rewrite EVERYTHING, because they see some structural issues, and various other issues, but they like the characters and they LOVED the world-building (this is essentially the two parter here on SS, Chew). And they loved the title.

So, more work, but they think the general idea is sound. I tend to agree.

Anyway. Lazy night for Talia and I. Fine with me! I hate all this 9/11 anniversary coverage, so am staying away from televisions for the day.

A cookie please!        

Enjoy the weekend all!

Good morning all. 

Busy day today but I will pop my head in.

Novel writing critique group is tomorrow morning, and this week I am under the knife, so to speak. They are a good group, but a tough crowd, and I am a little nervous.

Anyone seen Vi around lately? I hope we didn’t lose her in the move. I was just getting to know her.

I also have great faith that Bill will be found and brought back into the fold. He is too well loved to be missing.

A coffee and a cookie would be the cat’s pajamas.

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Root canal ... I dream of root canal. 😕 Not really, just that lets just say I needed a blood transfusion after an emergency C-section Tuesday night. All is good now; baby got stuck and is well despite that, mother is improving 👌 

I am having trouble publishing a poem about late babies (or more accurately one late young man in particular) which I wrote Saturday. Cant work out if it is a bug or that I am stupid... Okay, don't answer that. 

But for all the mums out there I do have a question: How come second children are born? 

That's worrisome about Bill, Larry, and thanks for the update. I hope to see him soon.

I woke up too early and I'm tired and a little grumpy. A new story awaits, though, so it's time to start flinging words onto the screen like spitballs and see what sticks.

Coffee and a cookie would improve my day greatly!

Two root canals!? So sorry, Gill. I have a real life horror story regarding root canals, but I'll not scare you with my own experiences.

Things seem to be coming along nicely with the upgrade. It de-emphasises the stories a little, but I imagine they can be tweaked into the forefront.

I have a new story up here: Magpie House. https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/supernatural/magpie-house  Kind of a Stephen King-ish vibe. Still in first draft land, and I'd be happy to hear any suggestions for edits/rewrites in the comments.

No Talia Wednesday. Haven't seen the cats yet today. That cannot bode well.

Enjoy your day all. A coffee and 12 cookies please. I'm hungry. 

I'd like to see the line spacing tweaked a bit, so that spaces between paragraphs are a little larger, and easier to differentiate from the spaces between lines within a paragraph. I'd apply this both to stories and to Forum text.

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I’m locked out of the other site 🤣

I knew I would be, I’m so rubbish with technology, lol 

Don’t suppose you could sneak me a beer, could you? 🍺

It's not you. I can't get in right now either. The site is still unstable from the upgrade, I think. My suggestion to all would be to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully, the tech crew are working on the issues.

There's a couple cases worth in the bottom of the fridge. Emergency stock I laid in. It's Sleeman's. Good Canadian beer (even if the company is now owned by Sapporo).

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Sipping some tea while the rain disrupts my plans to swim with my neighbor. Had a great visit with my daughter this past long weekend, but her departure left me feeling melancholy. She is going through a tough time and it helped to come home to the beach where she could chill and have mom and dad pamper her a bit. But sending her on the road with tears in her eyes yesterday was heart-wrenching. She is strong, she will be fine, eventually. In the meantime, I think it's cruel that the magic wand I used when she was a child to make things better no longer works now that she is grown. 

Hey all.

Things seem to be coming along nicely at other sites. I took a peek of the Forums--in specific a particularly bonkers thread in the TT--and I like the way it looks, and works! The story presentation, IMHO needs a little tweaking, but there is certainly no shortage of folks there with opinions on what would work best. (My apologies for mentioning other sites, but I am assuming it's an unavoidable subject at present.) 

Mets took a CRUSHING loss last night. Sigh.

I really like the way the Magpie story turned out. My confidence is restored, though temporarily (it's always temporary! and should be). I may post it later.  

A coffee and a cookie please!

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Don't have any cosmic horror lying around right now. The ones I have on here are too long. Will keep this in mind for the future, though. Cosmic horror is pretty much my favorite sub-genre.

They take "cosmic horror, dark science fiction, or weird" so you can still enter. 

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Hmmm… my worm story, perhaps? How about the doll one I just sent you?

$100 buys a lot of motorcycle kilometres.