PGS Special Crime/Mystery/Suspense Issue: Call For Submissions
If you remember this post, "Crime Does Not Exist", you'll know about my previous rant. Go ahead and review it and all the links in it. Read too this link from Peter Rozovsky in the U.S., on Detectives Beyond Borders: A Forum For International Crime Fiction. Consider it a refresher, seeing as we all might have forgotten about it given the discussion that erupted here sometime after.
Instead of continuing to rant, perhaps something can be done about it.
Given that we have a special call for submissions for the Halloween issue guest-edited by award-winning writer Yvette Tan, she with the penchant for the spooky, wouldn't it be wonderful if someone with the inclination for crime/mystery/suspense handle such a PGS issue?
Talk about good fortune. As with Yvette, Palanca award winner F.H. "Ichi" Batacan, author of the crime novel "Smaller and Smaller Circles", has taken on the guest-editing chores for this special PGS issue focusing on this genre. This might serve as a small push for these kinds of stories. No occasion like Halloween or Christmas is required. Crime doesn't need a holiday.
And so...this is another special call for submissions for crime/mystery/suspense stories, to be perused by Ichi, she who will shape and form that particular PGS issue, tentatively due last quarter of this year (*gulp* here's hoping enough material gets sent in).
Some restrictions: when we say crime/mystery/suspense, we're talking the realist kind. No cross-genre. Don't mix it up with scifi, fantasy, horror, etc. Ichi wants hard-boiled, gritty, dirty, down-to-earth, stuck-in-the-mud, empirical kind of crime/mystery/suspense fiction. To use TV shows as an example, think those programs on the Crime/Suspense or Fox-Crime channel on cable right now (Law & Order, Dexter, Cold Case, CSI, etc.). And keep the stories Rated PG people. You can get as close to Rated R as you want, just don't cross the (yellow police) line. Think deeply about character and motive, folks, as well as the common themes of such stories, like justice. Or injustice, for that matter.
Other notes: The story need not be set in the Philippines. Given how spread out Pinoys are, it is conceivable to write a story set anywhere in the world. Come up with your own conflict/situation. Ah, but Filipino leading characters, please.
Deadline is August 15, 2008. Please follow international manuscript guidelines as stipulated here. Send all entries as rtf attachments to pdocrmy(at)yahoo(dot)com. They will be immediately forwarded to Ichi. All previous submissions to that email address that are still pending will be sent to Ichi.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment on this blogpost.
For an initial taste of why this genre draws Ichi, check out her blogpost, "It's A Mystery".
Get writing, people! Ayokong mapahiya kay Ichi! At ganun din kay Yvette! Write and send in your horror and crime tales!"
Instead of continuing to rant, perhaps something can be done about it.
Given that we have a special call for submissions for the Halloween issue guest-edited by award-winning writer Yvette Tan, she with the penchant for the spooky, wouldn't it be wonderful if someone with the inclination for crime/mystery/suspense handle such a PGS issue?
Talk about good fortune. As with Yvette, Palanca award winner F.H. "Ichi" Batacan, author of the crime novel "Smaller and Smaller Circles", has taken on the guest-editing chores for this special PGS issue focusing on this genre. This might serve as a small push for these kinds of stories. No occasion like Halloween or Christmas is required. Crime doesn't need a holiday.
And so...this is another special call for submissions for crime/mystery/suspense stories, to be perused by Ichi, she who will shape and form that particular PGS issue, tentatively due last quarter of this year (*gulp* here's hoping enough material gets sent in).
Some restrictions: when we say crime/mystery/suspense, we're talking the realist kind. No cross-genre. Don't mix it up with scifi, fantasy, horror, etc. Ichi wants hard-boiled, gritty, dirty, down-to-earth, stuck-in-the-mud, empirical kind of crime/mystery/suspense fiction. To use TV shows as an example, think those programs on the Crime/Suspense or Fox-Crime channel on cable right now (Law & Order, Dexter, Cold Case, CSI, etc.). And keep the stories Rated PG people. You can get as close to Rated R as you want, just don't cross the (yellow police) line. Think deeply about character and motive, folks, as well as the common themes of such stories, like justice. Or injustice, for that matter.
Other notes: The story need not be set in the Philippines. Given how spread out Pinoys are, it is conceivable to write a story set anywhere in the world. Come up with your own conflict/situation. Ah, but Filipino leading characters, please.
Deadline is August 15, 2008. Please follow international manuscript guidelines as stipulated here. Send all entries as rtf attachments to pdocrmy(at)yahoo(dot)com. They will be immediately forwarded to Ichi. All previous submissions to that email address that are still pending will be sent to Ichi.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment on this blogpost.
For an initial taste of why this genre draws Ichi, check out her blogpost, "It's A Mystery".
Get writing, people! Ayokong mapahiya kay Ichi! At ganun din kay Yvette! Write and send in your horror and crime tales!"
posted by pgenrestories at 5:59 AM
10 Comments:
Hi, by rated PG, just what do you mean exactly? Am I allowed to include violence, swearing, killing, etc…? I’d just like to know exactly how tame this should be and exactly how far I can go. Graphic sex is obviously out, but what about graphic violence? Further, my characters will seem a bit unrealistic if I censor their language, so I’d just like to know how far I can go with what my characters say. Thanks in advance.
Hi Cynical Dreamer. Well, tell you what: write the story you want that's in your mind, and let's see how it comes out. We can discuss things afterward, if anything needs to be toned down...or up! If your story is accepted, we can come up together with something mutually publishable. Thanks!
Righto, thanks for clearing that up. I'll get writing immediately.
Thanks, too! Looking forward to receiving something from you!
Hi. I don't think you specified what languages are allowed. Normally, I wouldn't ask for most publications but since Pinoy, I thought maybe there'd be a special rule on this or something.
Hi, Anonymous. Sadly, we take submissions only in English for now, but in future issues, or perhaps another type of publication, that might change... Thanks for your inquiry.
Yeah, I guessed as much. Wanted to qualify it though. I mean, yes, English, but what're your rules on, say, the vernacular? Like "Tita," for instance, as opposed to "Aunt"?
Hi again, Anonymous.
Using "Tita" or "Tito" is fine. In PGS2, the story "The 101st Michael" by K. Osias did have that because she had a character who preferred to speak in Tagalog. Just write your story in English with what feels comfortable to you, let the Filipino terms fall where they are appropriate, and if it rings well then it should be fine for your story. Thanks again!
I've just posted this inquiry on the other blogspot, but I've got another matter to ask about.
Is there a max word-count to be observed?
and furthermore, the story I plan to submit was published recently in the Philippine GRAPHIC magazine. Would you still be able to use it?
Thanks, and thanks again.
Hi, edmar1946. I responded on the other post. 2000 to 6000 words, but the longer you go the greater the chance you'll be asked for a heavy rewrite if the story is accepted. Keep your story tight.
As for your other question, we prefer fresh stories, originals, but if you wish to send in a piece that was previously published go ahead. Just indicate the name of the publication it was in, and the date as well. Also let us know if you still own the reprint rights, and that there's no exclusivity with the previous publication. We don't want any legal trouble. If the story's strong enough, it'll be considered. But if it comes down to two stories of fairly equal merits, and one is a reprint, the other one will be given preference. Thus, our bias for fresh tales. Thanks!
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