I’m busy these days writing the second “Finding Family” book, The Family We Make. It’s Rick’s story, and to some degree his brother Sam’s. I hope to self-publish this one, although not for free, and dip my toes into the official self-pub waters.
I also have two books, the next Hidden Wolves, and The Rebuilding Year sequel, in line for editing. Real life stuff has slowed me down, but I’m getting back into the swing of it. I hope.
So I’m looking with a mix of eagerness and trepidation at the 2014 Love Has No Boundaries writing event, getting underway in the M/M Romance Group on Goodreads. This will be the fourth year for this reader/writer love-fest. Over the next day or two, members are submitting story prompts with a picture and a description of the story they envision from that image. Starting late tonight, my time-zone, the first prompts will begin to be posted, a few at a time, until 200 are released. And authors will begin claiming the prompt that sparks their imagination. And… yeah, I’ll probably grab one.
I don’t need another story to work on. But at the same time, these prompts have given me some of my best stories: Like the Taste of Summer in 2011, Into Deep Waters in 2012, Nor Iron Bars a Cage last year. Since I write best from an initial visual and the hint of a character, this style of prompt is right up my alley. So I’ll be looking at them. Hoping to find something I can keep short (really) and good (hopefully) and maybe a bit different again from my previous books. We’ll see what catches my eye.
If you are a group member, you can still get a prompt in. There will be 200 authors of M/M, from new writers to well-known names, looking for inspiration and planning to write a free story for you. The info and link for getting the prompts submitted is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1723220-love-s-landscapes-introduction—69-spaces-left At the moment there are 69 slots left for new prompts, but they are counting down. 131 submitted already.
If you’re an author or aspiring author, I’d encourage you to think about picking up one of those prompts to write. Do be aware that the time frame is fairly tight – about 45 days to finish. You also will have to be able to handle seeing your story reviewed, afterward. And be able to live with at least one awful review, probably more. (Everyone does. For Nor Iron Bars, between the really nice reviews, I got things like: “I made it to 30% but was really bored. I didn’t connect with characters or their relationship at all. Out of what I read it was “meh”…” And others like that.) But you will also get great positive reviews, encouragement, the fun of participating, and a lot of readership. The last set of story anthologies have something like 19,000 downloads, and that doesn’t even consider the downloads of individual stories. It’s fun, challenging, rewarding, and a great way to get your name out there.
So… about 10 hours until the first prompts post for claiming. And my current book is only at 96,000 words. Must get back to writing…
Really pleased that you are going for it again this year …. with one of your uniquely short stories *snickers*
And I’d agree with you – everyone wavering as to whether to have a go or not go for it! And I say this as someone who has much to thank you for the encouragement you gave two years ago when I first wrote for the event 🙂
It is fun. And I have sworn to go short this year. Really…
I’m going to attempt to write something for the event for the first time…once I get a prompt. Last round filled fairly fast: Less than 10 minutes, I think. I’ve been an avid reader of these (and a prompter for one last year) for couple of years. So, I hope you go light so I can manage to get one. 😀
I just picked up my prompt, and I have a gazillion ideas so I’ll have to give it some thought. I hope you do get to write one. I think the rush will slow down as the most eager authors grab things. I also just sent in a prompt for someone else to write, that should appear a couple of days down the road, and there will be another hundred or more of other good ones yet to come. Good luck.
Thanks. I figured once the rush is done, it will be easier to find one. Who knows, maybe it will be yours. 🙂 Are there still prompts left? I figured those would be fine by now too.
Last I looked they still had 30 spaces left for prompts, which mean 170 submitted so far, and about 40 of those posted and claimed.