A publisher for you!

Hey, if you would like to get to know a publisher while she is starting up, then see this note directly from her:

"If you are not yet a member of The Story Mint go to http://www.thestorymint.com/ and register. This is an ‘invite only’ as The Story Mint is still in its early developmental stage."

There is an area you can submit a full length manuscript (novel) for her to consider.

A serial story that you can add to (although all chapters are taken for this current story - so maybe just give feedback on chapters already written, for now).

A place you can receive computer generated feedback on 250 words or so.

She is also looking for feedback on her site since it is only in its BETA stage and will need a lot of work before it is up and running correctly and is more appealing to the eye.

I hear the best way to getting published is to get involved with publishers that are just starting up. So now here’s your chance!!

Commas before a name (or sir, buddy, mate etc) and after a salutation

Long ago I didn't understand the idea of placing a comma before a name, such as: 'What are we doing here, John?'
It's why I tended to easily forget to add it. I still don't really understand why it is needed all the time, however I have come across a few instances where it would be confusing to leave it out. Therefore, I have realised that the comma is somewhat a necessity in these situations.

For example:
'That's a nice pen Dick.'
Be better if you did this:
'That's a nice Pen, Dick.'

I know, Dick, is not a name that is used often these days, but even if the name was Bob or Rod or Phil, it would still sound a little odd.

Check out this post by Rachel:
http://www.grammarerrors.com/punctuation/commas-in-direct-address/

Free writing & Stream-of-consciousness writing

To begin as simply as possible, start punching any and all words/sentences you can think of into your word processor (or pen to paper if you prefer), don’t worry about how insane what you type sounds, just type. Think of it as a dream you are having where anything can happen; you may be walking along a road that stretches for miles, then there is someone next to you and they're talking about how they love to travel, suddenly you are in Egypt, etc.
That’s very basic, don’t stop there, write anything that pops into your head. It could be that your arm becomes disconnected from your body and moves by its own accord, it finds a snake and they have a ‘romantic’ time together. An enormous tidal wave washes that away and you see from the corpses floating around you that the entire planet has been engulfed by floods killing all land life.
Sentences don't need to make sense, words don't need to be spelled correctly and a full stop doesn't need to be used at all. Just go!

Everything I have just mentioned sounds absurd, but this is how I first began to write. I later learnt that there were books written on this style/exercise of writing. It's called free writing or also stream-of-consciousness writing. Look it up if you like.
This should free up your mind and prove that you can write. After writing for fun with no direction, you can begin moulding a story that you are interested in and making it your first short story or novel.
Enjoy!

A soldier who knows he is going to die

Take a read from this small story regarding a soldier that has been captured behind enemy lines and knows he is going to die:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpLn5Ci1aL4

Well, you don't have to read it, you can have it read to you instead.

And another silly vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d27Jy83ARRs

This one is titled: Drunk
Reading a story while doing something else.
In a bar this time, trying to look normal but unfortunately looking like a dork.
The story is about a man that has lost his wife and likes to drink (excerpt from my novel, Wake. He isn't drunk in the novel, he instead has other worse problems).

Yes, have a laugh at me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvw9-ZZp-w

Have a story read to you, titled: Heart

Commitment

Lee clawed at the hands that held his head down and so received a knock to the back of the head as his reward. He tried to call out but instead breathed in water.

Lee’s body shook as he gagged. His head was then suddenly pulled up.

He coughed up the water from his lungs and said, ‘Oh god, oh god, oh god.’ Then threw up water from his stomach.

Karr, who was behind him, let go, causing him to fall to the floor. Lee lay on the ground while his body convulsed, putting his three fingered left hand to his face – the other two had been cut off. His right hand had been crushed with a hammer – he knew he would never have use of that hand ever again.

Lee had been in the military for over 12 years and had completed six tours, this was the first time he had been captured.

Karr picked up Lee’s semi-naked body and dragged it to the next room where the fire pit smouldered. Lee didn’t know if he could take any more pain. They were going to kill him, that was for certain, it was just a matter of when.

‘The clock’s ticking, my friend,’ the man in the shadows said. ‘If you can’t tell me where the next attack will come from, Karr will have to kill you.’

Lee said nothing.

The hot iron came towards him.

He closed his eyes as tight as they would go.