Wacky Writer's Wednesday prompt #3

Ok, I am a little late today, but better late than never, right? Right! This weeks WWW prompt is:

If you or your character could have any super power, what would it be, and how would they use it?

I think this one is MUCH easier than last weeks, don't you agree?

Remember, each story is due by Sunday night at midnight, EST.

Wacky Writer's Wednesday Prompt #2

Sorry this is a little late in the day guys.  Life seems to have escaped me!  This one was inspired and suggested by Ira.  I kind of like the idea; it's original and unique. Are you ready? here it goes:

You wake up one night after having one of those deep, thought provoking dreams.  Only, instead of forgetting about it, this dream changes your life.  What is this dream, and how does it change your life?

There you go! That's your prompt for this week. It's due by SUNDAY night instead of Saturday.  Remember the minimum word count is 500 words and the max is 1,500!

Ready...set....WRITE!

Remember, for those of you who have posting rights, please make sure to post your story with the subject WWW Prompt 2 + the title of your story if you have one.  If you don't have posting privleges, e-mail me at authoradvice@gmail.com with the subject WWW Prompt #2

How to spot a scam

This blog was inspired by an e-mail I received today from careerbuilder.com.  I received an e-mail from someone with what seemed like a potential position, but it sounded too good to be true.  So, I did my homework, and it turns out, they were a scam artist.  The sad part was, it was for a "real" position.  And that got me thinking; there are a lot of scammers out there; how do you tell the legit people, from the scumbags?

In this day and age, everyone is looking for a quick buck.  However, there are ways to earn it, and then there are ways.  And with this horrible economy, it seems as if most people are desperate for money.  Some people can get so desperate for cash, that it can cloud their judgment.  This is where people like scammers come into play.

Unfortunately, it is hard to crack down every single scam out there, so I am here to offer you advice on how to avoid getting trapped in one.  Scams are not only common in the literary world, but they are common in the real world as well.  In the literary world, it is a little bit more difficult to spot one, but if you do your homework on a publisher or agent, you should be able to avoid getting caught up with one.

Let me tell you a little story or two.  Before I signed with Otherworld Publications, I almost got involved with a company called The Writer's Literary Agency.  I found them through an add on Fictionpress.com, and thinking they were legit, I clicked on the add to see what they were all about.  I followed their guidelines, and was contacted.  Naturally, I was excited, and went through most of the process, minus getting my book critiqued.  I got the contract, and thankfully I did not sign with them. first off, they wanted me to send my work to a THIRD PARTY to have my work critiqued.  This raised some suspicions.  Not only that, but they wanted me to PAY to have my book critiqued.  Then, I opened the contract and read it.  Luckily at the time I was working at a law firm, so I had access to hundreds of attorneys.  So, I had one of them look at the contract.  There were things in it that I never agreed to, and I am glad that my mother was smart enough to google this company.  It turns out that they are a self publisher type company (which is fine for those who have the money to self publish), but they don't say that on their website.

Take a look on their website for yourself to see what they say: Writers Literary Agency

They say right in their description that they don't sell your work to vanity publishers or charge reading fees.  BUT what they so cleverly leave out is that they want you to have your work critiqued, and that it costs YOU money.  Another thing I just noticed on their website, is that they say they don't edit, but they do mention that they will help you polish your work.  Talk about a double standard there.

When you google their name, the word scam comes up along with it.  Read this one article that comes up with by someone named Bionic Lady and on Eisla Sebastian's blog.  Both blogs pretty much say the same thing.

Another Agent that I consider to a partial or full scammer, is Barbara Bauer.  She came up one day in a search I conducted for literary agents.  She seemed legit, and so I queried her.  Within a month, I received a letter in the mail (an actual letter from her!).  I was impressed and quite surprised when I received it. I was standing in the kitchen with my mother when I opened it.  The letter was basically offering me representation if I paid a "membership" fee.  Sure enough, along with the letter, came an application, that was much like a job application. It asked me for my school information, my work history, and here's the ticker: my social security number!  A red flag immediately went off at the request of my SS#.  NEVER, EVER give out your social security number to ANYONE.  My mom and I looked at each other, and I decided that just by having to pay the membership fee, I wasn't interested. Her clients are legit, and although she might not be a scam, she does charge a fee.

From what I have learned over the last two years, is that any reputable literary agent or publisher will offer to pay you money if they are truly interested in your work.  Yes, they need to earn a living, but they will take money out of your books royalties, not from you specifically.  Now, this is with traditional publishing, I can't say much about self publishing.

The bottom line is this; if it seems to be too good to be true, it usually is.  If something seems fishy or "funny" to you when dealing with a particular agent or publisher, go with your gut or intuition, because trust me, it's usually right. Make sure you use common sense, and do your homework.

Delilah-Posted for Erin Danzer for WWW prompt #1

I am posting this for Erin, as she was having trouble posting this herself.  Please be nice and comment on her story!

Prompt #1 - If you were a paranormal creature, and you had a friend with an incurable disease, would you "save" them or let them suffer and possibly die?

I’ve never told anyone this before. Everyone around me thinks they know me so well, like I’m their best friend or something. In reality, nobody knows me and I am their worst nightmare. My name is Delilah and I am a vampire. My bite is intoxicating even as it takes the last drop of blood from your veins. You love me. You beg for me. You wish it would never end. I hate you. I’m incapable of anything other than lust and satisfying my own needs. Or at least that’s what I always told myself… until James came along, when everything I thought was right was turned upside down.

James and I met in a bar. That’s where I used to meet a lot of my “dates” and I figured he wouldn’t be any different. The first night he said hi to me in passing. The second night, he completely ignored me. That irritated me; nobody ignored me if I didn’t want them to. I tried to get close to him, to learn his story, find out who he was, but every time I tried, he moved further away. Finally, a week had gone by and then another and I knew as much about James as I did the first night we said hi. I knew I needed a different approach.

So I peeked into his mind and found out where he lived. I started haunting his apartment building, waiting for an opportunity to approach him. I had to have him – I had to know him! Due to the lack of contact, he’d become an obsession. He had to be MINE! And I was going to make it so.

Finally, after another month of haunting his apartment building and anywhere else I knew him to be, he let me approach him. After six agonizing weeks of being left out in the cold every night until dawn, his eyes met mine and I knew he’d finally relented. He nodded as he passed the shadowed doorway where I hid and my hungry gaze followed him into the building, where he left the door ajar instead of pulling it closed tight. Swiftly, I raced to the door and followed him up to his fourth floor apartment. Though I’d never stepped foot inside, I’d spent plenty of time in the hallway outside. This door was also ajar and I pushed it open with ease. It never occurred to me to take caution. He was letting me in! After what felt like a small eternity, he was letting me into his home – his  life. And now his life would be mine!

The apartment was brightly lit and sparsely furnished. A low couch and a table made up the front room. I stepped around both, listening for sounds of him throughout the apartment. The kitchen was straight ahead and I thought I heard something from that direction. Or was it the bedroom down the short hallway? I just didn’t know. I stopped in the middle of the living room and closed my eyes to better concentrate. Now that I was surrounded by him, I couldn’t keep my mind on the task at hand.

I felt him enter the room the same moment I heard the whisper of his bare feet on the plush carpet. My eyes popped open to find him standing just inches in front of me. Surprised, I stumbled back, catching myself on the corner of the table. I would have fallen if not for his quick reflexes. He reached out and kept me steadily on my feet. I was eternally grateful.

“Who are you?” he whispered, his voice raspy. His slate blue eyes stared at me hard as though he was trying to answer his own question without giving me a chance to. I narrowed my eyes at him and flipped my long mane over one shoulder, but his grip on my arm stayed strong and kept me within kissing distance. He shook me a bit, enough to set my hair fluttering around my face.

“Who are you?” he repeated, his voice stronger now that he had an edge of anger in there. I planted my feet and stood my ground.

“I am Delilah,” I told him regally. He studied me another moment before doing the one thing I’d never had done. He threw his head back and laughed in my face. Anger warred with awe at the beautiful sound and I debated whether to punch him or pull him closer.

“Seriously; that’s what you’re calling yourself these days?” he asked still chuckling. I cocked my head at him. Did I know him? I took in his torn, ratty jeans and faded shirt, his white hair that looked in need of a trim and wash and the slate blue eyes that never left mine. Unease settled in the pit of my stomach as I thought back over my 300 years, trying to place his face. It all took a matter of seconds, but it felt like a year. I shook my head. I didn’t know him.

“Who are you?” I asked in return. His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he finally let go of my arm and took a step back to put some distance between us.

“I am Gideon,” he announced. My heart pounded in my chest as I blindly stumbled back from him. Gideon! My love! Shakily, I sank onto the corner of the worn couch and stared up at him with renewed interest. This couldn’t be the strong man I’d loved. The Gideon I’d known had long dark hair and eyes the color of the summer sky. Gideon had been human; even after my own desertion into becoming a monster, I’d made sure he stayed safe. No one was supposed to touch what was mine. Anger bubbled within me as Gideon sat down next to me.

“What happened to you?” I asked brokenly. It was impossible to deny who he claimed to be; what reason would he have to lie? I forced my nose to wrinkle. “Why are you old?”

“I’m dying,” he declared and I recoiled as though he’d hit me. Dying? He wasn’t supposed to die!

“How?” I barked. “Why are you here now?”

“I sought out another after you became a vampire,” he admitted. “I knew you wouldn’t like it, but you couldn’t stop me if you weren’t around. It wasn’t until after the transformation that I was told about the curse of my existence. Not only did I have to drink blood to survive, but I also had a deadline. After 300 years, if my true love did not die before me, I would die. It’s been 299 years and nine months. I have only three months to live.”

My world crashed down around me. Three months to live? After finding my true love again, all I would get was three months of happiness before Death took him from me for good? NO! It couldn’t happen! There had to be a way to stop it!

“What can I do?” I whispered, horrified but knowing I would do whatever possible to restore him to his former self. He shook his head, averting his eyes to his hands clasped on his lap.

“There’s nothing you can do,” he declared and I glared as I grabbed his arm and forced him to look at me.

“What do I have to do?” I repeated vehemently. “I don’t care if I die; knowing you’re still alive is enough.”

His eyes narrowed again. “I won’t lose you again the moment I regain you.”

“Then we need a solution. You have to tell me how to help you. Please. I can’t lose you again.” 

Bloody tears streamed down my face and neither of us made a move to wipe them away. We sat staring at each other for several minutes, lost in the memories of what we would never have again. Finally, he grasped my hands as he sighed. His eyes met mine and they were kind, the eyes of the man I’d fallen in love with more than 300 years ago.

“You have to die,” he whispered and I nodded.

“I will,” I agreed and pulled him close for our final kiss.

What's in a name? part 1-choosing an author pen name

So, I have been thinking about this all day.  How do you decide what pen name to use for your writing?  I mean, an author's name is very important.  Do you use your own name, or do you come up with an alias?

Me, personally, I decided to use my name that was given to me at birth.  It was honestly a tough choice, but in the end, it just seemed right.  My last name is famous enough; I am a descendant of the first president of the Czech Republic, Tomas Masaryk (the last name was changed to an i when he came to America).  I have been doing a lot of research about him, and have found out that he has a lot of work published. Granted, it's mostly scholarly work and political type stuff, but still.  It obviously runs in the family, and if the first president of the Czech Republic (the man responsible for freeing the Jews during the Holocaust) isn't afraid to publish under his own name, then why should I be?  Heck, the man has a university named after him, and there are several statues of him; one in Chicago, Washington D.C., and one in Prague!

However, there are some instances where you just have to change your name.  For example, say if you write children's or YA books, and you decide you want to venture out into erotica or something.  Would you really want your young readers (who probably look up to you as a role model), to associate those two very different types of writing with you?  Some people might say that it's pointless to use a different name, but in some places, especially if you're active in your church or synagogue, you might want to consider publishing under a pen name.

So, how do you choose a pen name?  That's something that is up to you, the author.  I would go by something that has a special meaning to me/you.  But, no matter what, make sure that you like the name, because once you sign that contract and your book goes to print, that's how people will remember you!

Wacky Writer's Wednesday Prompt #1

This week's Wacky Wednesday Writing prompt was inspired by author Ashlynn Monroe's short story, Dark Miracle.  The prompt is this:

 If you were a paranormal creature, and you had a friend with an incurable disease, would you "save" them or let them suffer and possibly die?


Be sure to take a look at the rules before you start writing your story! 

Wacky Writer's Wednesday Rules

Wacky Writer's Wednesday is a fun little writing game that I came up with.  Every Wednesday I will post up a different writing prompt.  It will either be in the form of words, a music video, a poem I come across or as simple as a photo.  The following are the list of rules to participate in the game.

1a) Check this blog every Wednesday for your new writing prompt.  I will do my best to post it as early in the day as possible, but they will most likely be posted in the late afternoon or early evening.
1b) If you decide to participate, please make sure you link back to this post on your post so that I know you understand the rules.
2) All posts on this blog/in this game are in eastern standard time (if that makes a difference for anyone)
3) Each story should be between 500 & 1,500 words (max & min).
4) If you find yourself going over 1,500 words, make sure to put a TBC (to be continued) comment at the bottom of the page and you can continue with the following weeks post.
5) If you would like to participate in Wacky Writer's Wednesday (Or WWW for short), please E-MAIL me at bethmasarik@gmail.com OR comment that weeks writing prompt blog post.
6) You do not have to play every week, but I would love it if you did.
7) ALL stories are due by Saturday night at midnight, eastern standard time.
8) Please MAKE SURE YOU TELL ME YOU ARE INTERESTED so that I may make you a contributor for this blog, so that you can post your story.
9) After you post your story, please make sure you READ & COMMENT everyone else's stories that are participating.
10) Every story that is entered, will go in a "pool" at the end of every month, and we will all vote on which story we like best. (I will ask my publisher or someone close to me who is a non participant for help with this)
11) The story that is voted on the most will be featured on the WWW page until the end of the following month.
12) The monthly winners will then be put into one big pool at the end of July/beginning of august and will be entered to win a FREE copy of my debut novel, The World Among Us, a YA Fantasy novel with a Romeo & Juliet mythology twist.
13) The monthly drawings will be held on the 29/30 of every month, except in the month of February, where I will draw it on the 28th.

WWW-Writing prompts

Wacky Writer's Wednesday, or WWW for short, is a new idea that I got.  I will post different writing prompts every Wednesday.  You can do whatever you like with these prompts-you can use them to inspire poetry, or a short story.  If you want to participate, you should send me an e-mail at bethmasarik@gmail.com with the subject being WWW WRITING PROMPTS.  The short stories should be between 500 and 1,500 words long.  Those who participate, will get their short stories posted here on my blog for people to comment.  You're story doesn't have to be perfect, but it should be legible.  Make sure you use spellcheck BEFORE you submit your work.

I am working on a point system, and the person who submits the most stories between now and August and who racks up the most points, will receive a FREE copy of my debut novel, The World Among Us.