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Saturday, February 25, 2006

Finding markets For joke fillers

Scouring the Internet and database market lists for publications seeking joke fillers takes patience. The resources are available to find these markets. I have a massive collection of jokes in my portfolio, though have a tough time locating the right publication for them. The type of humor I write ranges from observational to satricial, covering all types of topics. Some may say my humor is sophmoric.

I've submitted groups of jokes to a couple publications, but had no luck being published. Editors have weird tastes when it comes to humor. If they don't get it or find it amusing they believe no one else will. That's how the literary marketplace seems to work. Locating a core audience for specific types of comedy is the key. I've been meaning to submit a joke and article idea to the National Lampoon .

Here are links to publications seeking fillers and writing websites with listings and information on humor writing:

http://www.absolutemarkets.com

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

http://www.satevepost.org

http://www.newyorker.com

The best part about joke fillers is they're quick to write and don't require a query letter during the submission process. The short pieces and one-liners build decent credits on a portfolio or resume too. I recommend writers who enjoy humor to tap into his market to earn extra cash.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Daily Time Killer

Welcome!

Any writer with a great desire to published knows editing consumes time, especially after finishing a rough draft. I've always disliked having to recheck punctuation, spelling, word usuage, sentence structure, etc. It gets to be a pain in the butt! However, it's essential part of writing which requires careful attention and patience. I tend to slack off on editing because the joy for me is creating a story with compelling elements. This wreaks trouble when trying to publish a literary piece. I've learned from such lackluster efforts and realized how important it is to rework a story with several revisions if necessary.

Weeding out redundant words or phrases helps in the editing process. This way stories won't sound so dull. I've also learned to avoid using cliches too. They're considered to be a killer when submitting to an editor. Sticking to a writing routine or even joining a writing workshop will help with this problem. As a reference, writers can use books like the Chicago Manual of style or MLA Writing
Manual. The following link can be used as a resource for citing work and other facets of composition

http://www.press.uchicago.edu

It's a reliable source to browse when writing a research paper. It can save you time and frustration. Hopefully I can get more writing content online when I post some stories or articles on gather.com and maybe other growing writing communities out there. Until then, have fun and enjoy honing your craft!

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Hi, back again to write on a snowy day here in Virginia as well as in much of the Eastern and Southern part of the country. This is a day to stay indoors (especially if you're trapped there from a blizzard) sit by a heater or fire place, drink hot chocolate, and write. If your creativity is flowing you can get a lot accomplished. This weekend will be good for me to watch a few good movies, college games, and catch up on some reading.

Screenwriting resources

The last time I posted my attention was on screenwriting. It's incredible how many resources there are on the Web concerning this craft. I've surfed a couple enlightening sites. If you're a screenwriter or have an interest in this career field it's easy to educate yourself on the entertainment/film industry. Also, many screenwriting websites are sponsoring competitions for full-length movie scripts and screenplay shorts in various genres. Novice screenwriters are known to receive agency representation, win prestigious awards, and cash while making valuable contacts.

Here is a short list of sites which offer screenplay competitions.

http://www.moondancefilmfestvial.com

http://www.projectgreenlight.com

http://www.screenwritersutopia.com

http://www.donedealpro.com

You can't go wrong with the accurate, insightful information on these pages. I like to refer to them now and then to keep up with news in the 'biz. If you have an idea start churning out those pages. Before that it's always a good idea to write an outline to help the brainstorming process. Good luck to all those who inspire to do great things with their writing and if your area is blanketed with snow try to avoid frost bite!

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Hello and Welcome to all!

Over the past month or so I've be doing some soul-searching with my writing. Most people do this with their life, but I figured finding places for my individual creative works would be best at present. Plus I could use the publishing credits. Positioning specific types of writing is time-consuming business and requires essential knowledge as well as research on markets. Wasting precious hours of one's life by scanning through numerous markets to sell short stories, articles, novels, and poems without identifying a niche gets a writer no where. It's like running around in circles.

As I've becomed more educated about the writing world I've found it's smart to seek a moderate number of publications only for one form of fiction literature at a time. Otherwise your searches eat up too much time and drive you crazy, causing constant frustrations. Since last week I've been focused on finding outlets to publish some of my short stories until I received an email from a screenwriting site (visited now and then) which sends out newsletters each month or so.

This forum for screenwriters offered me a free full membership, including all services, to their site if I exchanged links with them. That sounded like an offer I couldn't refuse. I've already posted a link to their site on the right: http://www.indietalk.com

The guys who run this website provide a good service. They along with other screenwriters and industry professionals discuss the craft of screenwriting, how to market scripts, what material production companies/agencies are looking for, what films are in development, and much valuable insight into this expanding industry. The recent email got me thinking more deeply about my two short scripts. Both have been revised several times, but still feel incomplete. I know though they're sellable ideas that just need further development and a refined structure make-over. I hope to do some more research on screenwriting and resume marketing the screenplay shorts through an aggressive, persuasive strategy.

 
Copyright (c) 2005-06 Pete Harvey