jecwrites

[jecwrites]

nobody warns you that writing makes you obsessed with hands. what are they doing? are they trembling? are they clenched? are they—

[jecwrites]

I love short stories. I love people who write/tell short stories. They are a breed of writer we don't hype up enough. They, just absolutely naturally with very little conscious effort as they grow this skill, understand how to use words so fucking economically in order to create a complete narrative.

World building? They got it, they do it, and they have parred it down to the most meaningful bits and pieces in order to make you feel like this is a real place.

Characterization? They have fleshed out the most meaningful aspect of creating a character in a few sentences. And, boy, do they ever do this! All the time! Like it's nothing at all!

Intriguing plot? There are stories that require 34587560874958643769809543 pages worth of information to ensure the plot is consistent, good, and worth your interest but apparently these shitters don't need that. They've got every trick in the book right at their fingertips ready to go to make sure their 3 page story keeps you hooked the entire time. And they don't even sweat it, the unsaid compliments the said so flawlessly in most of these works that a fifteen-minute read can spawn hours worth of discussion.

And holy FUCK, every word is used economically. Every phrase so fundamental it can barely be changed without altering the entire story. Every line of dialogue feels so natural, but contains such important information that you're locked in. Zero waste novelists wish they were on the level of a short-story writer, and we're not giving the short story writer the dues they're owed for this skillset.

Hats off to you, short story crafters. You're amazing.

[jecwrites]

It feels like this every time I write a fic

[jecwrites]

first drafts are a necessary evil, but that knowledge doesn't make it hurt any less. like, what do you mean it can't be perfect on the first try? what do you mean I wrote all this just to rewrite the whole thing? rude.

[jecwrites]

May you never lose joy in writing

[jecwrites]

Othered Love Novelettes

Following our anthologies Other & Different (2023) and Other Worlds (2024), we will be concluding our Othered series with upcoming trans romance novella Summer Nights, Cigarettes & Spearmint Toothpaste by James Edward Cook AND and a series of short novelettes!

In 2025 we’re celebrating love and want you to join us!

Submissions open: 1st Feb to 1st March 2025

We’re looking for two or three short novelettes to complete our 2025 line-up. The number of novelettes selected will depend on those that best fit together and the total word count. These will either be published as individual novelettes or as a collection, to be determined once the successful submissions have been selected.

Theme: Othered love.

We’re looking for stories that explore what it is to be other and/or different, whether as an individual, group, community or society, with a romantic twist. 

We leave it up to the authors how they wish to explore this. We welcome stories that explore the effects of being othered, the positive and negative repercussions, whether acceptance is finally found or if it is even required or wanted. The only requisite is that it must have a romantic element. This can be something hinted at, all the way through to true love – requited or not. We’d especially love to see: ace and/or aro representation, poly representation, non-Western cultures and non-Christian religions. 

Genre: The romantic element doesn’t have to be the main genre. We strongly encourage submissions of all genres, and welcome speculative, horror, scifi, fantasy, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and more. 

Rating: All ratings welcome. Erotica is fine, but we do need some plot with it! Please ensure you provide relevant content warnings on your submission.

Submissions Open: 1st February 2025 to 1st March 2025

Publication: Between September and December 2025

Word Count: These are short novelettes with a 8,000 word minimum to 10,000 word maximum – hard limits

NO Reprints and NO Simultaneous Submissions – please do not submit work that is already under consideration with another publication. 

Authors may submit up to two works each.

Compensation:  £50 + royalties (TBD) 6 author copies

Please ONLY SUBMIT IF: – you belong to an underrepresented or marginalised community. These include, but are not limited to: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, neurodiverse and people with disabilities. – you are aged 18 or over

More info on our website

[jecwrites]

Becoming a writer is great because now you have a hobby that haunts you whenever you don’t have time to do it

[jecwrites]

may all the people who see this finish their current wip this year

[jecwrites]

If you ever feel like 'should I write the most self indulgent thing ever' the answer is yes. always yes. 💌

[jecwrites]

writing is so fun

[jecwrites]

one of my worst writing sins is abusing my power to create compound words. i cannot write the sentence "The sun shone as bright as honey that afternoon." no. that's boring. "The sun was honey-bright that afternoon" however? yes. that sentence is dope as fuck. i do not care if "honey-bright" is a word in the english dictionary. i do not care if the sentence is grammatically correct. i will not change. i will not correct my erred ways. the laws of the english language are mine.

[jecwrites]

Writers when it's time to write the story no one forced them to come up with in the first place 🙄

[jecwrites]

to a 2025 of finding the spark (and being in peace when it takes a vacation) 🥂

[jecwrites]

[jecwrites]

i think fiction should be abolished. if yo uwrite about a character dying you should be put on trial in real life for murder

[jecwrites]

would you like a nice glass of

[jecwrites]

sometimes the best writing advice is "just let it be bad." revolutionary. terrifying. but it works.