There is a literary journal currently asking for a $1 "handling fee" to fast-track submitted stories. Is this okay? What really, is the point of asking for a dollar?
posted by uans on Aug 22, 2009 - 20 answers

How often are the stories of a comic, novel, play, TV series, movie, or song conceived by the writer's friend, relative, acquaintance, neighbor, mailman, dog, etc? [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing on May 28, 2009 - 14 answers

I am trying to get a better understanding of Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" **Spoiler Alert** [more inside]
posted by madmamasmith on Jul 28, 2008 - 13 answers

Recommendations/sources for good erotic writing? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 1, 2008 - 16 answers

I'm looking for a series of hardback science fiction anthologies I dimly remember from childhood (sometime in the mid 80s). I think it had a one word title with a number, and the series went up to at least number five. I remember two stories in particular... [more inside]
posted by Artw on Jan 13, 2008 - 11 answers

I'd like to read some short story collections that have the same feel as movies like "Lost in Translation" and "The Station Agent." I guess "introspective" is the key word. All recommendations will be much appreciated.
posted by davebush on Sep 29, 2007 - 17 answers

How do you make an idea timely? [more inside]
posted by clairezulkey on Sep 20, 2006 - 5 answers

What's that site with web-fomat short stories, usually at least somewhat autobiographical, and accompanied by illustrations--in the vein of the old word.com Work content? [more inside]
posted by littlegreenlights on Aug 25, 2006 - 4 answers

How can I make my symbolic/abstract writing style more accessible to readers, so that they won't turn away from my stories in boredom? [more inside]
posted by gregb1007 on Jun 2, 2006 - 58 answers

Looking for good, free online writers' forums to try and promote a magazine project I'm working on. Where on the web do poets and short story writers tend to congregate, and how can I reach that audience (preferably without spending any money)?
posted by BackwardsCity on Jan 11, 2005 - 3 answers

Creativity question: How do you expand a premise into a story? More inside.... [more inside]
posted by Miles Long on Apr 29, 2004 - 9 answers

Recently, on the "Mary Celeste" Metafilter thread, Languagehat, Davehat, and I spontaneously coauthored (with no prior discussion) a bizarre, surrealist triptych I've dubbed "Food-Based Psychic Spying defense technology in the Cold War - A retrospective". I think we may polish it up a bit, add some bits here and there, and try to have it published - in hardcopy - somewhere. But where? Any suggestions for venues or submission protocol? Thanks. [more inside]
posted by troutfishing on Dec 24, 2003 - 3 answers