Suspense, Horror and Mystery Genre Differences Infographic
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@writing-again
Suspense, Horror and Mystery Genre Differences Infographic
Dancing next to the old flame.
Stamping rhythms to summon monsoons,
that encircle our feet.
Tantrums turn to downpours.
Putting out our heat.
Deep guttural moans emanate from primal orifices,
chrashing through colours,
to create vivid spectrums that are fleeting crackles of light.
We sway, exhaust, trip, twirl next to the old flame.
Under starlights and cityscapes
Questing for majesty.
Fetishising the way embers burn new freckles on our skin.
Lost to be endlessly enriched by the old flame.
Narrative Anchors: How to hold your readersâ attention, wherever you take them.
One of my old fiction professors, Tom, used to always grab coffee with us students whenever our story had been workshopped.
Weâd meet at the downtown coffee shop, where we fought the flocks of students for a table, pulled out a couple wrinkled copies of the story, and discussed feedback over bland coffee.
It was during one of these discussions that Tom pointed out something Iâd stumbled into doing well. (Heâs very good at that.)
âI think this is great, Mike,â he said, tapping my story on the table. âFrom the opening line, the question is whether these two will sleep together, and that grounds us. If my attention ever wavers, I can always fall back on, âOh, well have they slept together yet? No, not yet? Okay, cool. I still know where we are, then, and where weâre headed.â That makes the story easy to follow.â
This wasnât, admittedly, a major focus of our conversation. We moved on to discuss more important things (like the storyâs key flaws), but somehow that comment stuck with me over the years.
And now, looking back, I realize it was the first time I started thinking about something Iâd eventually call ânarrative anchors.â
Whatâs a narrative anchor?
Itâs something I made up. But trust me, itâs helpful.
In short, I consider narrative anchors to be the craft elements you include in a story to ground your reader. On the one hand, they can help you craft a story that rings with simple, crystal clarity, and on the other hand, they can empower you to challenge readers with fresh, creative storytelling, without ever losing them at sea.
I put narrative anchors into three categories:
Plot Anchors
Character Anchors
Style Anchors
Plot Anchors
Plot anchors are a clearly defined situation, goal, or destination for a story. Tom (above) pointed out a situational plot anchor in my story, but youâll find plot anchors everywhere. For example, in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang needs to master the four elements and defeat Fire Lord Ozai. We know from the beginning that defeating Ozai is the end-goal, so we feel grounded at every stage of the story, knowing where weâre going.
Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville, is another great example. Ahab is hellbent on hunting down the White Whale, and we never lose sight of that goal, even as the narrative stretches across hundreds of pages.
Thatâs the point of a plot anchor: to give your reader a clear direction, so they always know where theyâre going.
Character Anchors
These anchors are the clear motivations and arcs you give your characters. Disney does this well in their musicals, always using an âI want songâ (more about those here) to clearly declare what their main characters want: Mulan wants to express her true self, Hercules wants to find where he belongs, and so on. The rest of the story then circles around that characterâs pursuit of their âwant.â
When readers have a strong understanding of your characterâs motivation and journey, they have a much easier time following the story as a whole.
Style Anchors
Style anchors are my handy little catch-all for every other craft choice you make to bring clarity and simplicity to your work. Style anchors can include: short chapters or paragraphs; simple and accessible language; straightforward writing forms; clarity of description; engagement with the five senses; using a smaller cast of characters; sticking to a single POV; and so on.
Cool. So when (and how) do I use these narrative anchors?
Tip 1: Donât start with anchors. Start with the story. Take your idea, begin developing the characters and plot, and start writing.
Tip 2: As you write and revise, start thinking about anchors. Ask yourself what kinds of anchors you already have in place, what others may be helpful to add, and whether or not youâre doing enough to ground your readers in the story.
Tip 3: Consider your audience. Readers of popular fiction will want to be reasonably grounded, so you should try to always use at least a few anchors. But if your audience likes super artsy, experimental fiction, you may be able to get away with fewer tethers.
Tip 4: That being said, donât be afraid to challenge your readers, whoever they are. If you want to get creative, go for it. If you want to experiment with form, language, plot, character arcs, or whatever, PLEASE do!
Tip 5: But when you challenge readers one way, try to compensate by grounding them in other ways. For example, maybe your story lacks a clear plot anchor, but you include a character with a clear arc and motivation. Or maybe your story is incredibly challenging on a stylistic level, but you give readers a clear character motive and plot (this was my experience reading Moby-Dick).
Tip 6: If big anchors donât fit, consider smaller ones. For example, if your story lacks a BIG plot anchor like defeating Fire Lord Ozai, maybe use smaller plot anchors to drive individual sections of the book. Or maybe instead of a BIG declaration of your characterâs motive at the beginning, include little anchors for your narrator that act like breadcrumbs for their motives and development.
Tip 7: Mix and match anchors as necessary, because there is no magic formula.
Long story short?
Write the story you want to write â then use narrative anchors to keep your readers reading, wherever your story takes them.
Tom may not have said that all in so many words, but if I bought him a coffee, I bet heâd agree.
Good luck, everybody, and good writing!
â â â
Everyone has stories worth telling. If youâre looking for writing advice or tips on crafting theme, meaning, and character-driven plots, check out the rest of my blog.
Thought it might be helpful to share how I balance different narrative anchors in my own work. So here we go!
Like I wrote above, you should always start with the story you want to write, and then use narratives anchors to support that story. So for me, more often than not, my stories donât have any big, story-long plot anchors (unless itâs a short story). In other words, I rarely have a Fire Lord Ozai or a White Whale to ground my readers from beginning to end.
And thatâs because my favorites plots are those that unfold, blossom, and evolve in unexpected ways. Itâs why I love Stephen King novels and Miyazaki movies. (A couple of pantsers, if there ever were any.)
So instead of using a single, big plot anchor, I use smaller ones â establishing section-specifc plot goals so that thereâs always at least some direction and grounding.
Next, I plant initial character anchors to give my readers a clear understanding of whatâs motivating my narrator and supporting cast.
Lastly, as a style anchor, I tend to ground my readers in the moment, with clear, vivid descriptions of the setting, characters, and character actions (without bogging down the prose, of course). My personal goal is always to keep readers confident about where they currently are and whatâs currently happening, but uncertain (and curious) about whatâs around the corner.
Thatâs how I generally think about narrative anchors in my own work. Itâs basically a balancing act: pursuing your goals for your story, but also removing uncertainty whenever it doesnât suit your purposes.
How do you like to find that balance?
Iâd love to hear.
iâd never really thought about this consciously, but i definitely do this. when i start on page one, my question is always: what are we waiting for?Â
my biggest frustration as a reader is embarking on a story with nothing to wait for. iâm hooked by a story that has a real question right from the beginning. lots of genres have questions built in (whodunit? are they going to fall in love?), and a really good story is going to have me asking more than one.Â
so when i write, thatâs the question. what are we waiting for? (english teachers might say: why do we care?)
Š (c ) copyright 1990-2011 Rebecca Sinclair
See the original HERE
@theybecameanimagi
A Writing Cheat Sheet: for linking actions with emotions.Â
As always, click for HD.
Private Rebellion.
Our greatest rebellion.
A masters seige.
Occupying space.
Unwarranted. Unecassary.
Present and existing
In spaces where hesitation is humiliation.
I will wait.
Thriving.
Occupying space
big ones
i scarf down soggy microwaved pizza, pizza laced with msg or heroin because its taste is orgasmic while i swipe left mostly but sometimes right on tall fit bodies of the ladies of bumble.
this one has a six pack, goddamnit!
bumble lets you filter by height. itâs ever so convenient who wants to fuck a midget?
i want a giantess with a clit my cock rivals to force feed me her vaginal discharge, to rub her gash on my face and drain the cum out of my nuts like those cow milking machines, to kiss without the neck arch, to fuck as hard as i can and it not be hard enough
Youâre tearing me apart
Who was it that signalledÂ
invitation for that joyful existence.
Menalcolyâs enemy is swept away
when you rasped away autumns of sweat.
Permission is possible but resisted
a scream is answered by you.
Chances to speak are sweat
nothings that sing our resonance.
The bells of celebration on my
Unwanted mornings are your ritualistic erections.
I apologise,
Please understand,
But you will remain the way I think you are,
Lacking truth.
Perfection incarnate,
All because...
Youâre tearing me apart.
you can always take naps so if you have the option to stay up till 4 am with someone you love, do it. whether itâs talking about life or making out or making each other laugh uncontrollably, do it. memories are worth making and some people are worth losing sleep over.
Common Phrases Correctly
Oh thank the gods
You could always nip it in the butt too if that makes you happy.
Publishing for Fun and Profit
So there was a list going around tumblr for a while that made it to my dash of literary journals that accept open submissions (and will pay!), but upon inspection about half of them were closed indefinitely, and I found quite a few other places that looked interesting through further research, so I wanted to post my own list.Â
I tried to focus on things that paid professional grade (at least 6 cents per word), were friendly to speculative fiction, and specifically encouraged diversity and writing about marginalized groups.
(Please note that as of right now I have never submitted or been published with any of these, so if anyone has experience with them, good or bad, please feel free to message or reblog this with your experiences.)
Speculative Fiction
Strange Horizons â Speculative fiction (broadly defined) with an emphasis on diversity, unusual styles, and stories that address politics in nuanced ways. 8c per word. Up to 10,000 words, under 5,000 preferred. Responds within 40 days. LGBT+ positive.
Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine â Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, etc. 7-12c per word. Up to 25,000 words. No response times listed.
Asimovâs Science Fiction â Primarily sci-fi but accepts fantasy and surreal fiction, but no high fantasy/sword and sorcery. Prefers writing that is character driven. 8-10c per word. 1,000-20,000 words. Responds in about five weeks.
Evil Girlfriend Media â Horror and urban fantasy centered on female empowerment and defying gender stereotypes. $100 flat payment. 4,000-7,000 words. No response times given. LGBT+ friendly.
Beneath Ceaseless Skies â Fantasy with a focus on secondary worlds and characters. 6c per word. Up to 10,000 words. Average response time 2-4 weeks.
Fantastic Stories â Speculative fiction with an emphasis on diversity and literary style. 15c per word. Up to 3,000 words. Responds within two weeks. LGBT+ positive.
Fiction Vortex â Serialized fantasy and speculative fiction. $300 for featured stories, $50 otherwise. 3,500 words or less. No response times given.
Shimmer â Speculative fiction with an emphasis on diversity, strong plots, vivid characters, and beautiful writing. 5c per word. 7,500 words or less (will consider longer words with query letter). Usually responds within two weeks. LGBT+ positive.
Clarkesworld Magazine â Sci-fi, fantasy, and other speculative fiction. 10c per word up to 5,000 words, 8c per word after. 1,000-16,000 words. Responds within days usually, gives a tracking number.
Apex Magazine â Speculative fiction of all kinds. 6c per word, +1c per word for podcast stories. Up to 7,500 words, all submissions over will be auto-rejected. Responds within 30 days.
Heliotrope Magazine â Speculative fiction of all kinds. 10c per word. Up to 5,000 words. Responds within 30 days.
Lightspeed Magazine â Speculative fiction of all kinds, with creativity and originality in terms of style and format encouraged. 8c per word. 1,500-10,000 words, under 5,000 preferred. LGBT+ positive. Submissions temporarily closed for their main magazine but is accepting for their People of Color Destroy Science Fiction special.
General Fiction
The Sun Magazine â General fiction, likes personal writing or writing of a cultural/political significance. $300-$1500 flat payment  and a one year subscription to the magazine for fiction (also accepts essays and poetry). No minimum or maximum lengths but over 7,000 words discouraged. Responds in 3-6 months. Physical submissions only.
One Story â Any and all varieties of fiction, âunique and interestingâ stories encouraged. $500 payment plus 25 contributor copies. 3,000-8,000 words. Usually responds in 2-3 months.
Camera Obscura â General fiction. $1000 for featured story, $50 for âBridge the Gapâ award, no payment for other contributors. 250-8,000 words. Response time vary, running just over two months as of now.
Flash FictionÂ
Daily Science Fiction â Speculative flash fiction (including sci-fi, fantasy, slipstream, etc.). 8c per word. Up to 1,500 words, but shorter stories given priority. Response times not listed.
Vestral Review â General flash fiction. 3-10c per word depending on length to a max of $25. Up to 500 words. Response within four months.
Flash Fiction Online â General flash fiction. $60 flat payment. 500-1,000 words. Response times not listed.
Novels/Novella
Riptide Publishing â Any LGBTQ manuscripts between 15,000 and 150,000 words. Currently especially interested in lesbian romances, trans stories, asexual/aromantic stories, romances with a happy ending, and genre fiction such as urban fantasy. Also has a YA branch. Â LGBT+ positive.
Crimson Romance â Romance stories of all kinds, currently seeking LGBT+ stories with a focus on emotional connections and relationships, especially m/m romance. Novel (55,000-90,000 words) or novella (20,000-50,000 words) length. Â LGBT+ positive.
Kindle Direct PublishingÂ
Kindle Direct Publishing â Allows you to set your own prices, create your own cover art, and make royalties off of each sell. Any and all genres are welcome and if youâre prolific and smart about how youâre publishing you can make pretty good money.
General Guide to Kindle Publishing â Gives a good rundown of the publishing process on Kindle.
101 Guide to Kindle Erotica â Great guide with lots of resources about how to make money publishing erotica on Kindle. Â Â
Publishing Comics/Graphic Novels
Here is a list of potential comic companies and what kind of open submissions they accept. Â
Here is a list of literary agents who accept graphic novels.Â
rawest fucking hozier lyrics in no particular order:
iâd suffer hell if youâd tell me what youâd do to me tonight
heat of her breath in my mouth; im alive
iâd be the choiceless hope in grief that drove him underground
idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on his sword
and when the earth is trembling on some new beginning with the same sweet shock of when adam first came
every version of me dead and buried in the yard outside
the stench of the sea and the absence of green are the death of all things that are seen and unseen
if I was born as a blackthorn tree iâd wanna be felled by you, held by you, fuel the pyre of your enemies
some like to imagine the dark caress of someone else, I guess any thrill will do
before the wave hits, marveling at god; before he feels alone one final time and marries the sea
betray the moon as acolyte on first and fierce affirming sight
i have never known peace like the damp grass that yields to me, I have never known hunger like these insects that feast on me
screaming the name of a foreignerâs god; the purest expression of grief
sweet and right and merciful, iâm all but washed in the tide of her breathing
but you donât know the hell you put me through; to have someone kiss the skin that crawls from you
so i try to talk refined for fear that you find out how iâm imagining you
my head was war, my skin was soaked, I called your name âtil the fever broke
be still, my indelible friend, you are unbreaking
remember me, love, when iâm reborn as a shrike to your sharp and glorious thorn
true but how could you forget:
my peace has always been dependent, on all the ashes in my wake
Iâm somewhere outside my life, babe, I keep scratching but somehow I canât get in
And the nights were as dark as my baby, And half as beautiful too
lemme just add
true that love in withdrawal was the weeping of me, that the sound of the saw must be known by the tree
if secrets were like seeds, then iâm lying on the marble marvel of the flowers you have made
why would make out in words a cage for your own bird, when it sings so sweet the screaming, heaving fuckery of the world
I can write a shitty poem if I want to.
Iâm practising the modern day love story,
the modern day, indulgent, self-obsessed fantasy.
It will not and doesn't have to be good, neither smart.
Just for me, to tell myself to stay sexy.
Iâm snuggling on Sunday, alone deliberately
Feeling my own skin and knowing all my parts...
Intimately.
Iâm pushing on through, riding my bike,
No Freddy Mercury, but who says I have to be. Feeling dreamlike.
Wear that sexy underwear, just for me.
No, Sandra, youâre not allowed to see.
Eating carbs and chocolate and chai tea.
Hold my love handles, and jiggling freely.
Put on that song from two thousand and three.
You know the one, where it broke your heart.
And dance er, fuck what rhymes with three.
Erm, and dance like a bumblebee?
Yeah, know we are getting started, buy that expensive coffee;
because you know what it tastes better,
And end this rhyme with toffee.
 Why?
I am being nice to me.
Scratch my balls more, and watch cartoons.
Yes, I pay council tax, but Pokemon is amazing,
That is true appraising.
Mark my skin without peopleâs art,
this canvas is limited, my time is short.
Whip out the needle, right here on my arm a skateboarding Bart!
Why? I have the right to a list,
To win where I can,
be kind to my self and say.
Fuck it!
Thank you for listening x
If I could kill for your robbers, I would.
Eat a heart.
My synapses, collapses.
Battered eyesockets bloody.
Emphasis enough?
Hyperbolic, pathetic, but true.
Truth being...
I cannot observe our moments.
Personify, perspire have persective of that.
I can, hold, it.
Feel it's luxury swell and break me
Then move on.
To the next one, wanting the old one.
I order make another!
Destroy the vapid, by paying for breath?
Suckle for permission.
But at least hold it.
You ainât at your lowest till you sit down in a standing shower
You and me, mon ami
Look at me rough,
with you and unsafe,
reflection in that window. I am not good enough.
So we buy commercial stuff.
Feel good.
Rebellion of thought, intrusive
You tell me just now.
We connect,Â
speak freely,Â
telling each other everything we can.
One way ticket,Â
the old we stays.
Coins trickle down a new you is made.
Our pathetic love of convenience
Forged in British small town amusment arcades.
It was expensive bordeom, that would be spent again.
It was the happiness moment of my life,
When you revealed yourself to me,
Someone said if I come to die,
 this will be the place.
Mon ami.
BED
The big light is going off.
This is my bad, this is your bed.
Shall I get you dressed?
No, we wonât go out, there is nowhere to go.
So here are three chocolates.
Do you want one? Take it.Â
My friend,
Where did everyone go? Can we meet them?
Tomorrow.
This is my bed, you say.
Itâs too warm, you are too warm.
Letâs take you back to bed.
You call me staff.