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Blog #10 Farewell!

Happy Monday everyone! 

This post is bittersweet because it is our last post. As our final post, I have begun preparing for the submission of my short story. In doing so I had to explore a variety of literary journals. I learned that just because you pay and submit your work, that does not always guarantee that your submission with be accepted.

8 Literary Journals for New Writers - Read Poetry

Because of this I specifically chose to research literary journals for new writers. Through this search, I came across a surprising number of inviting journals looking for unpublished new authors. Though this is good news, who knew how many guidelines you had to hurdle through to get your work considered! I found two journals that I am particularly interested in, both having similar directions. These journals are called NewReaderMagazine, and The Magnolia Review.

Both journals allow all genres, though you must compile a short summary of the piece, a minimum of 500 words, a $10 fee (for New Reader Magazine) and the story must be exclusively only submitted to that journal. You must also include a short writer bio attached to your e-mail submission. A few journals that I have researched don’t pay the author, mainly your reward is notoriety. However, NewReaderMagazine does. Also, when you submit, remove your name and personal information and include a cover letter (for The Magnoila Review). After submission, it takes about 30 to 100 days for a response, so be patient!

Here is how my cover letter would go:

Dear NewReaderMagazine/ The Magnoila Review,

I would like to submit my enclosed unpublished fictional short story entitled "Counting Life's Cost" by Iman Brown to be considered for future publication to your journal. I affirm that this has not been submitted for publication elsewhere.

Bio: Iman Brown is a amateur fictional illustrator based in Atlanta, Georgia. Her unpublished work includes a short story titled "Counting Life's Cost". Before Iman started writing fiction, she pursued her bachelors degree in Speech Pathology. To shake things up, she decided to attend Graduate School at Clayton State University as a English MAT student. It was here in her fictional writing course where she bore this future gem. If you want to know when Iman's next short story will come out, you can visit her on NewReaderMagazine.

Thank you for your attention.

Iman Brown

browniman@yahoo.com

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Erase & Revise!

Hey everyone!

So, we are nearing our finish line right now and I am so excited. This past week our first draft was due and you guys...I basically rewrote my short story. Revisions shouldn't seem so scary, even though they are. I truly feel that altering my story was for the best. Now this week I will be receiving feedback from my peers and really getting down to business for our final draft next week.

Wish me Luck!

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Blog #8

Happy Monday!

Telling a successful story is not always easy. Now that we have began this process, I’m really beginning to understand that. When you first begin a story, it may seem compelling at first. However, without structure how are we supposed to persist with captivating our audience? Slowly, but surely I’m learning that there is literally a craft or strategy in the process of fictional writing.

Structurally, this technique is like a pyramid with five parts. As i begin to review my short story and its performance, I would like to believe my story is along the course of in between the climax and the falling action. This technically depicts the character at the point of no return. I chose this because this is where my reader finds something revealing about my character, Vera is currently in her dilemma, experiencing a change in her circumstance. As I begin rewriting and eventually will come to the end of my story, reevaluating what my story is about and what I want the reader to understand about its characters may be my start to revisions.

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Blog 7: Levi Jeans!?

Hey everyone!

So, this past week I had been toying around with how and where I wanted my scene to occur. I totally went off a limb with this one. I can't tell you how it ends, but I can tell you what happened. I decided to add a bit of action to my story, and because I've never committed a crime I had to do a bit of research. My characters were involved in a HEIST!

But not your typical kind of heist. My characters took shoplifting to another level and decided to rob a high end department stores shipment. I went online trying to find news articles where this might of actually occurred in real life, and you would be surprised. In Las Vegas a few thieves ran a heist on a truck and stole a half a million dollars worth of Levi jeans off a loading truck.

To try to make things interesting and as realistic as possible I researched how these robberies occurred and how they were or were not successful and even the supplies they utilized. I still have more research to do for my next scene due to some mishaps during our heist.

We shall see where this leads us!

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Resources For Writing Sketchy Topics

Medicine

A Study In Physical Injury

Comas

Medical Facts And Tips For Your Writing Needs

Broken Bones

Burns

Unconsciousness & Head Trauma

Blood Loss

Stab Wounds

Pain & Shock

All About Mechanical Injuries (Injuries Caused By Violence)

Writing Specific Characters

Portraying a kleptomaniac.

Playing a character with cancer.

How to portray a power driven character.

Playing the manipulative character.

Portraying a character with borderline personality disorder.

Playing a character with Orthorexia Nervosa.

Writing a character who lost someone important.

Playing the bullies.

Portraying the drug dealer.

Playing a rebellious character.

How to portray a sociopath.

How to write characters with PTSD.

Playing characters with memory loss.

Playing a pyromaniac.

How to write a mute character.

How to write a character with an OCD.

How to play a stoner.

Playing a character with an eating disorder.

Portraying a character who is anti-social.

Portraying a character who is depressed.

How to portray someone with dyslexia.

How to portray a character with bipolar disorder.

Portraying a character with severe depression.

How to play a serial killer.

Writing insane characters.

Playing a character under the influence of marijuana.

Tips on writing a drug addict.

How to write a character with HPD.

Writing a character with Nymphomania.

Writing a character with schizophrenia.

Writing a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Writing a character with depression.

Writing a character who suffers from night terrors.

Writing a character with paranoid personality disorder.

How to play a victim of rape.

How to play a mentally ill/insane character.

Writing a character who self-harms.

Writing a character who is high on amphetamines.

How to play the stalker.

How to portray a character high on cocaine.

Playing a character with ADHD.

How to play a sexual assault victim.

Writing a compulsive gambler.

Playing a character who is faking a disorder.

Playing a prisoner.

Portraying an emotionally detached character.

How to play a character with social anxiety.

Portraying a character who is high.

Portraying characters who have secrets.

Portraying a recovering alcoholic.

Portraying a sex addict.

How to play someone creepy.

Portraying sexually/emotionally abused characters.

Playing a character under the influence of drugs.

Playing a character who struggles with Bulimia.

Illegal Activity

Examining Mob Mentality

How Street Gangs Work

Domestic Abuse

Torture

Assault

Murder

Terrorism

Internet Fraud

Cyberwarfare

Computer Viruses

Corporate Crime

Political Corruption

Drug Trafficking

Human Trafficking

Sex Trafficking

Illegal Immigration

Contemporary Slavery 

Black Market Prices & Profits

AK-47 prices on the black market

Bribes

Computer Hackers and Online Fraud

Contract Killing

Exotic Animals

Fake Diplomas

Fake ID Cards, Passports and Other Identity Documents

Human Smuggling Fees

Human Traffickers Prices

Kidney and Organ Trafficking Prices

Prostitution Prices

Cocaine Prices

Ecstasy Pills Prices

Heroin Prices

Marijuana Prices

Meth Prices

Earnings From Illegal Jobs

Countries In Order Of Largest To Smallest Risk

Forensics

arson

Asphyxia

Blood Analysis

Book Review

Cause & Manner of Death

Chemistry/Physics

Computers/Cell Phones/Electronics

Cool & Odd-Mostly Odd

Corpse Identification

Corpse Location

Crime and Science Radio

crime lab

Crime Scene

Cults and Religions

DNA

Document Examination

Fingerprints/Patterned Evidence

Firearms Analysis

Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Art

Forensic Dentistry

Forensic History

Forensic Psychiatry

General Forensics

Guest Blogger

High Tech Forensics

Interesting Cases

Interesting Places

Interviews

Medical History

Medical Issues

Misc

Multiple Murderers

On This Day

Poisons & Drugs

Police Procedure

Q&A

serial killers

Space Program

Stupid Criminals

Theft

Time of Death

Toxicology

Trauma

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Blog Post 6

Hey everyone!

Throughout my writing process I have progressively understood the importance of understanding point of view, as well as perspective. Essentially, it helps to create dimensions within our characters, makes them seem interesting and provide our readers with perspective. When I began my short story, I had to go back and review the different kinds of POV to write in, and ultimately how to execute them.

Just like Bausch's "Tandolfo The Great", I plan on using 3rd person POV as my writing style. However, my short story seems to be developing at a slow pace due to my main character. I thik that by changing perspective to another character telling the story will alter my progression in a beneficial matter.

Here we go again! Wish me luck this week!

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Just keep pushin'- Blog 5

Happy Monday everybody!

Somebody obviously wished me luck this past week because I hit a milestone!...kinda lol. I got through page 1 of my fictional story! (Whoop-Whoop!)....But not without mistakes.

This week I'm learing on how to help the reader experience the experience.

"Wait..what?"

I know, sorry, let me explain. So you think creating a story is just summarizing plots and ideas, but it takes so much more than that to bring it to life. You have to actually create the scene in a way that allows the reader to watch it literally unfold as you read.

For Example:

Imagine reading a summary of a writer explaining in two sentences that Bonnie and Clyde just robbed a bank and had a shoot out on the way out.

A scene would probably include a chaotic conversation between Bonnie and Clyde. Maybe Clyde yells to Bonnie to tie up the hostages and don’t forget to count them so they know how many there are. Bonnie may respond that they have to move quick, while tying up the hostages up, there’s only 3 minuets left until the cops show up, as sweat beads off of her nose, falling onto her digital watch. Both sentetnces provide the same facts, but perhaps the dialogue helps the reader to imagine the scene unfolding.

A helpful tip I can give you on bringing your scene to life is by avoiding monotonous dialogue and verbs. An example of this would be "she smiled", "he laughed". Our aim is to make the reader feel emersed within the scene and dialouges such as these disrupts the scene. As an author, the attribution of our characters dialogue should tell the reader that our character is happy, or annoyed.

I decided to point out both of these details because I am guilty of them all. But most importantly, they are paramount in our writing process. Hopefully this helps us both as we look forward to our next week in writing.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Monday!

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Location, Location, Location- Blog 4

Hey Everyone, welcome back!

Good news, 

I’ve been making a bit of a breakthrough in my writing project. The hardest part was just getting started. I tried to decide on where I wanted the setting to take place, based on the atmosphere I wanted to create and some of the obstacles that my characters may experience just due to weather. I have never personally been anywhere further up North than North Carolina(lol) so I have no idea what time of the year it snows, in the DMV area (DC, Maryland, Virginia) versus when it doesn’t. This is where my story is going to take place. Within that research, I made a mistake in an earlier post, mentioning that the D in “DMV” stood for Detroit. -wheew, that was close-

There is another primary setting, and that is the Covenant House. 

A few main characters reside here. I had to research what term is called outside of  “Orphanage”. Then find a Covenant House within the DMV area. 

I am trying to add description where you can paint my characters based on their personalities, clothing, their descriptions and where they live. So a bit of research amongst location has for sure been essential. 

I can’t wait to share!

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Survival Myths That Could Do More Harm Than Good.

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Blog Post #3

Hey everyone!

This past week, the creation of my characters has been a bit difficult. I made three possible narratives for my stories because I had to find the one I was most passionate about (and I’m indecesive)!  With each narrative, I used the same characters. However,  that changed aspects of my story like..

plot possibilities 

Narration

character point of view 

character qualities

Yikes, I know! 

There are so many aspects in detailing a character. Not to mention that they also help in establishing your theme, tone and plot platform of your story. These are a few tips I learned from my reading this past week. 

With that being said, I created Vera. Vera just turned 17 In August, the story begins in late January. Vera has been on her own since she can remember, however, she just lost her Mom last year. With no other willing family member in Detroit, she’s been sent to a Covenant House. You know, the ones for troubled youth and what not. Vera is what they call in the black community, a “yellow-bone”, but she’s so much more than her shell. Vera’s mother was actually brown skinned, and her father..well we don’t know him. Obviously, he was fair-skinned. Vera got her street smarts and most of all her smooth temperament from her mom. Vera thrives on her confidence, and the ability to be able to control people by her charm. This is how she has learned to adapt. Much like her mother. She was tall, Hersey complexion, and had the prettiest almond eyes. Bea, was her name. She could finesse her way out of anything and anyone. Long story short, her mother gets caught up and involved withthe wrong people. A man named Deon. He was her mothers weakness..and he knew it. Vera learned to be an adult early while slowly losing touch with her mother. When her mother passed last year, she was sent to the Covenant House. Here, she’s going to meet her bestie, partner in crime, Nana. Nana is definitely going to play a major role in the creation of Vera from here on out. Vera is what we call, a blossoming character.

I actually found slight inspiration for Vera from a character in the novel by Desirae Fanonne Jefferys, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. This characters name is Lydia. Lydia is also, fair-skinned, beautiful long hair and colorful eyes. As we discover more about her character, we learn that her beauty within the black community had alot to do with the creation of her character, as well as her actions. She used her beauty and charm to calm her inner bear (lol). 

We will see what is in store for Vera, very soon! Thanks for checking in youguys!

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Hey youguys! 

How’s everybody surviving Monday!? Here’s something helpful to share to get us moving and make this a productive rest of the week! My Professor shared this link about various ways to respond to procrasination, anddd I’m #guilty for it lol. 

Cheers to this week! 

:-)

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I procrastinate so much I procrastinate the actual procrastination.

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It’s MONDAY!

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Blog 2

Hey everyone!

After our reading of Chapter 3, I learned a few basics to create a fictional story. We were able to assess some examples of short stories that helped provide illustration for what information I need to include in my story for it to be successful.

One of the most profound tasks to incorporate in your story is to make a narrative that makes the reader want to keep reading. In this process, as soon as possible, we try to introduce the characters, their relationships, as well as the conflict. The best demonstration in my opinion in assessing these traits was the short story, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona. “Just after Victor lost his job at the BIA, he also found out that his father had died of a heart attack in Phoenix, Arizona.” We learn immediately about the main character, information about the character and the possible conflict surrounding the story.

After reviewing these short stories, I learned that I would prefer to start my story in the middle of a scene, aside from starting at the beginning of a plot. I like how opening the story this way raises questions within the reader. The suspense makes it more alluding. My only problem now is after figuring out my story plot, what scene in my story would be the best to use to open. How Sherman Alexie know to begin his story with the news of Victor's father, versus opening the story at the funeral instead? As I start writing my story, I’m creating at least 4 opening plots that include the informing and convincing information about my characters and conflicts, as well as establishing the setting. The plot that achieves these narratives the best, is the route I”ll take.

Wish me luck!!

Here is a link I found of some interesting tips from other Pro fictional writers!

https://www.iuniverse.com/en/resources/writing-and-editing/20-writing-tips-from-fiction-authors

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Mentally, this is where I am when I write.

source

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#happyhumpday!

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Blog #1

Hello everyone! My name is Iman (e-mon), and this is my second semester as a MAT student. I have to admit to being excited, yet a bit apprehensive about our Writing Fiction class. I do not personally consider myself a great writer, however when I really put alot of time and effort into my writing sometimes I impress even myself. Before I owned a diary I had a notebook in which I used to write short stories in when I was younger. But writing then was just for fun and did not feel like a task. I think that is when I find my writing to be the most creative. I am looking forward to being vulnerable in my writing with you guys, all while learning to discover myself as a fictional writer. There’s so much to look forward to. Nice meeting you all!