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`Thank You For Taking the Time to Explore this Project!`
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*This project is built by an aspiring Scifi/Fantasy writer, for aspiring Scifi/Fantasy writers.
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This is a narrative adventure meant to guide you to resources that could help you at any stage of your writing journey. It includes writing strategies, tools, interviews with established authors, formatting guides, publishing resources, and more.
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This project primarily focuses on Science Fiction and Fantasy but also touches on Horror and Romance writing as well.*
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~~There are many links to websites and videos in this project that will not open in a new tab automatically. Please remember to open all links in a new tab to prevent losing your progress in the Library~~
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~~This Project can be viewed on Mobile but functions best on a desktop browser.~~
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If you are ready to begin your journey:
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{link to: 'Outside', label: '*Approach the Library*'}
[Continue]You stand in the center of a small circular lobby.
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The silver glow of the moon and the soft orange of the streetlights poor in from the stained glass windows that span the circumference of the room's high walls.
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Each vibrant window depicts a different figure holding a variety of items.
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~~Swords, Spears, Wands, Shields~~
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~~Scrolls, Tomes, and Quills...~~
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*The chromatic glass faces of those who have walked this path before you look down in encouragement*
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At the far end of the lobby sits a smooth oak desk. A cloaked figure sits behind it, sorting through a stack of papers.
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{reveal link: 'Look Closer', text: 'It raises a cloaked hand and beckons you forward in one swift motion. It has been expected you.'}
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{link to: 'Approach', label: 'Approach the Figure'}The metal hinges of the door creak shut slowly behind you.
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You make your way down a long, dark staircase into the dusty basement of the library. Each step kicks up a cloud of dust, creaking underneath you.
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A faint light catches your eye from halfway down...
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You step down into a stuffy, cold room with a conical ceiling light illuminating a podium at the center of the room. The light falls like a halo onto a large leather-bound tome titled:
***
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~~Works Cited~~
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**Scifi/Fantasy:**
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Adams, John Joseph. “Interview: William Gibson.” Lightspeed Magazine, 24 Apr. 2012, www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/interview-william-gibson.
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Analog Science Fiction and Fact. “Writer’s Guidelines - Analog Science Fiction and Fact.” Analog Science Fiction and Fact, 6 Mar. 2026, analogsf.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines.
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“Clarkesworld Magazine - Science Fiction and Fantasy.” Clarkesworld Magazine, clarkesworldmagazine.com/submissions.
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Fractured Literary. fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit.
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Moksha. adamant.moksha.io/publication/lightspeed.
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Sanderson, Brandon. “Lecture #5: Worldbuilding Part One — Brandon Sanderson on Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy.” YouTube, 5 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATNvOk5rIJA.
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"Uncanny Magazine - A Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy." Submissions, uncannymagazine.com/submissions.
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Winokur, Jon. “Andy Weir — ADVICE TO WRITERS.” ADVICE TO WRITERS, 28 July 2019, advicetowriters.com/interviews/2017/12/12/andy-weir.html.
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Writing – Erin Morgenstern. erinmorgenstern.com/category/writing.
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**Romance:**
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Barbara Sherrod. www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number11/sherrod.htm.
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Flame Tree Publishing Ltd. “Flame Tree Fiction Submissions Policy - Flame Tree Publishing.” Flame Tree Publishing, flametreepublishing.com/submissions.html.
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Goguen, Rachelle. “An Attempt to Be Earnest — Rachel Reid Writes Romance.” Rachel Reid Writes Romance, 15 Sept. 2025, www.rachelreidwrites.com/news/2025/9/14.
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Silver Rose Magazine Submission Manager. silverrosemagazine.submittable.com/submit.
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Submittable. Fractured Literary. fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit.
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**Horror:**
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Conover, Stuart. “Opportunities Archives - the Horror Tree.” Horror Tree, horrortree.com/category/calltype.
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Fractured Literary. fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit.
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King, Stephen. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Scribner, 2020.
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Nightmare. adamant.moksha.io/publication/nightmare.
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“On Writing: Agatha Christie'S Advice.” Agatha Christie, www.agathachristie.com/news/2021/on-writing-agatha-christies-advice.
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“‘The Greatest Menace to the Writer Is the Reader’ and Other Advice From Shirley Jackson.” Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025, lithub.com/the-greatest-menace-to-the-writer-is-the-reader-and-other-advice-from-shirley-jackson.
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**Craft:**
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Brewer, Robert Lee. “100+ Grammar Rules for Writers.” Writer'S Digest, 12 June 2020, www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/grammar-rules-for-writers.
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Clarke, Neil. Short Story Cover Letters – Neil Clarke. neil-clarke.com/short-story-cover-letters.
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www.reddit.com/r/BetaReaders
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Scribophile. “Meet Beta Readers | Scribophile.” Scribophile, www.scribophile.com/beta-readers.
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Shunn, William. Modern Manuscript Format | William Shunn. www.shunn.net/format/story/1.
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**Publishing:**
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Publishing... And Other Forms of Insanity. publishedtodeath.blogspot.com.
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Cavannagh, Martin. “How (and Where) to Find a Literary Agent in 2026.” Reedsy, 2 Mar. 2026, reedsy.com/blog/guide/literary-agent/how-to-find.
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Morgenstern, Erin. On Writing and Publishing and Paths – Erin Morgenstern. 9 Apr. 2013, erinmorgenstern.com/2013/04/on-writing-and-publishing-and-paths.
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Verrillo, Erica. Publishing ... And Other Forms of Insanity. publishedtodeath.blogspot.com.
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Wendig, Chuck. Terribleminds. “‘Indie First?’ What Is Best in Publishing?” Chuck Wendig: Terribleminds, 9 Apr. 2013, terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/04/09/indie-first-what-is-best-in-publishing.
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https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/how-can-i-get-published/?_gl=1*1wzcfhk*_gcl_au*MTE0OTMzNzQwNy4xNzc3MDUyODM3
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“How Can I Get Published? | Penguin Random House.” PenguinRandomhouse.com, 21 Mar. 2022, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/how-can-i-get-published/?_gl=1*1wzcfhk*_gcl_au*MTE0OTMzNzQwNy4xNzc3MDUyODM3.
[continue]
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{link to: 'Checkin', label: 'Return'} The solid oak door glides across soft carpet and closes firmly behind you.
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You step onto the red velvet carpeting and into a room that is three times as long as it is wide. Soft orchestral music plays lightly over aged speakers,
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You face the back end of several rows of bookshelving, each row is labeled based on subject matter.
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*Have a look around and do not be surprised if you find what you need somewhere you didn't expect.*
>{link to: 'Fiction', label: 'Create'}
>{link to: 'Craft', label: 'Craft'}
[continue]
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{link to: 'Checkin', label: 'Return'}To get a library card, visit our website in a new tab and sign our {link to: 'https://jbarre69.atabook.org/', label: 'Guestbook!'}
***
After applying for your Library Card, the figure gestures to his left,
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There are now three arched doorways where once there were none.
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*You're sure there was a solid wall there just a moment ago...*
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Each doorway is marked above the threshhold by reflective metal plaques:
>Ground Level: {link to: 'Shelves', label: 'Shelves'}
>Upstairs: {link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Publishing'}
>Downstairs: {link to: 'Annex', label: 'Annex'}You walk down the long row of shelves until you reach a sturdy mint-green aluminum rack of textbooks. The smell of chalk-sticks, markers, and linoleum floors permeate this area of the library.
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There are three sets of shelves. Two sit in front of you and one behind, each labeled based on subject matter:
>{link to: 'Drafting', label: 'Drafting'}
>{link to: 'Proofing', label: 'Proofreading'}
>{link to: 'Tools', label: 'Tools'}
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{link to: 'Shelves', label: 'Return'}You walk up a thin staircase and into a bright office space, where a metropolis of cubicles and filing cabinets sit atop smooth green carpet.
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Despite the hour, daylight pours into the room from the windows lining the wall.
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At the back of the room there is a glass-walled office with a title stenciled into the door:
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~~PUBLISHER'S OFFICE~~
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Inside the office there is a simple desk piled high with {link to: 'Proofing', label: 'manuscripts, letters, and style guides.'}
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There is a quote hanging on the wall behind the desk:
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{reveal link: 'Look Closer', text: '"*As a beginning writer, you’ll be most interested in the ‘little magazines,’ if you’re writing short stories. If you’re writing or have written a novel, you’ll want to note the lists of literary agents."* by Stephen King, ~~On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft~~, pg. 238'}
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There is a laptop open in the center of the desk. The screen reveals a popup labeled
{link to: 'Find Your Agent', label: 'Find Your Agent'} in large, friendly lettering.
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Beside the desk is a mint-green filing cabinet with four large drawers:
>{link to: 'Scifi/Fantasy Publishing', label: 'Scifi/Fantasy'}
>{link to: 'Horror Publishing', label: 'Horror'}
>{link to: 'Romance Publishing', label: 'Romance'}
>{link to: 'Self-Publishing', label: 'Self-Publishing'}
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{link to: 'Checkin', label: 'Return'}Echoing voices beckon you further into the library. You drift through maze-like shelves, lost in the music of your footsteps, until you reach a solid oak door at the back of the room.
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The door is reinforced with rows of hand-forged iron. There are deep, animalistic scratches in the wood and smoke billows lightly from underneath. You can hear flower-petal soft laughter from the other side.
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*Something deep inside you longs to explore beyond the threshold...*
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As your hand grasps the curve of the wrought iron doorhandle, which voice is it that calls to you?
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{link to: 'Scifi/Fantasy', label: 'Science Fiction/Fantasy'} | {link to: 'Romance', label: 'Romance'} | {link to: 'Horror', label: 'Horror/Mystery/Thriller'}
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{link to: 'Shelves', label: 'Return'}The door creaks open.
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A cool breeze blows through your hair and the air is filled with the gentle lapping of waves against the shore.
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Your shoes gently press against rough, weathered planks. You stand on a long wooden dock that splits two bodies of water, each body stretches beyond the horizon.
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On your left there is a dark ocean, vast and eerily calm. Strange glowing fish swim deep in these waters and a large silver moon hangs in the sky.
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Massive winged beasts fly through the night, seemingly held aloft by the stars themselves.
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On the still surface of the waves, reflected in the moonlight, your eye catches brief glimpses of shining armor, razor-sharp swords, and great battles between good and evil.
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You can hear the clang of metal and the cries of battle if you lie still enough.
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On your right there is a vast reflective ocean of liquid metal.
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Electricity crackles at the cresting of waves and large space-fairing ships tear through the sky.
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Twin suns shine down onto the mercury ocean, the waves crash against the dock with emphatic drums.
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In the friction of the churning liquid, electric worlds reveal themselves to you. The thunder of railguns and lasers reverberate as dark matte-black skyscrapers rise and fall from the quicksilver sea.
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At the end of the dock, the two oceans press against one another. The fluids mix at their borders energetically and create spirited new elements.
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*The swirling waters call for you to dive in.*
[Continue]
>{link to: 'advicetowriters.com/interviews/2017/12/12/andy-weir.html.', label: 'An Interview with Andy Weir'}
>{link to: 'lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/interview-william-gibson/', label: 'An Interview with William Gibson'}
>{link to: 'youtube.com/watch?v=ATNvOk5rIJA.', label: 'Lectures by Brandon Sanderson'}
>{link to: 'erinmorgenstern.com/category/writing/', label: 'Blog Entry by Erin Morgenstern'}
[Continue]
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{link to: 'Fiction', label: 'Return'}You fall through the doorway and into thick fog and gravel.
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The echo of your footsteps return to you like a pursuer...
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You entered this room alone but are you still?
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The darkness of the endless expanse surrounding you feels oppressive,
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Maddening.
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You aren't sure if you're falling or drowning.
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Your heart races with the rabid thrill of your own ending.
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The shadows at the corner of your vision lunge at you with every step.
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Your mind unravels itself, pressed against the frigid razorblade of fear.
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You stop walking and your echoed footsteps grow closer.
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Fear nips at your heels as you run down a long dirt road. The dark trees close in and fully surround you, a pine box waiting to become your coffin.
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You trip on something skin-soft, plummeting into an open grave in the middle of the road.
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As you fall, a pair of wide yellow eyes lean over the grave and watch you fall,
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large teeth reflect fading moonlight.
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*Rushing wind deafens you.
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Blinding heat rises to meet you.
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You evaded your pursuer but what awaits you?*
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*Out of the Frying Pan
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Into the Fire
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Abandon Hope*
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{link to: 'Enter Here', label: 'Enter Here'}
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{link to: 'Fiction', label: 'Return'}The door presses shut behind you as you step into the courtyard of a beautiful garden.
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The air is flower-sweet and full. The wind dances through the branches of a great oak tree.
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Underneath the tree sits an elegant white gazebo.
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Inside the gazebo there is a mahogony writing desk and a small table with several small chairs.
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The desk has an inkwell and quill, and a small candle with an ornate wax seal press.
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On the table sits a beautiful porcelain tea set and several bottles of various perfume and cologne.
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*Gentle birdsong and warm spring air make the world seem light as a feather and born anew in the light of true love.*
[Continue]
>{link to: 'https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number11/sherrod.htm', label: 'Jane Austen'}
>{link to: 'https://www.rachelreidwrites.com/news/2025/9/14', label: 'Rachel Reid'}
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{link to: 'Fiction', label: 'Return'}The drawer slides open.
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*The rich smell of parchment and sweet ink rises from the files.*
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It is full of neatly organized packets of paper segmented by thick paper dividers labeled:
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{reveal link: 'Reveal Publishers', text: 'TOR | DAW | ACE'}
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Fiction Magazines:
>{link to: 'https://analogsf.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines/', label: 'Analog'}
>{link to: 'https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/submissions/', label: 'Clarkesworld'}
>{link to: 'https://fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit', label: 'Fracture'}
>{link to: 'https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/lightspeed', label: 'Lightspeed'}
>{link to: 'https://www.uncannymagazine.com/submissions/', label: 'Uncanny'}
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{link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Return'}The drawer slides open.
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*The acrid smell of dried blood and the sting of freshly-fired gunpowder grab your attention.*
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It is full of neatly organized packets of paper segmented by thick paper dividers labeled:
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{reveal link: 'Reveal Publishers', text: 'TOR Nightfire | Titan Books | Cemetery Dance Publications'}
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Horror, Mystery, and Thriller Magazines:
>{link to: 'https://fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit', label: 'Fractured Lit'}
>{link to: 'https://horrortree.com/category/calltype/', label: 'Horror Tree'}
>{link to: 'https://adamant.moksha.io/publication/nightmare/', label: 'Nightmare'}
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{link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Return'}The drawer slides open.
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*Gentle smells of candlewax and perfume rise to meet you.*
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It is full of neatly organized packets of paper segmented by thick paper dividers labeled:
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{reveal link: 'Reveal Publishers', text: 'Entangeld | Harlequin | Avon'}
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Romance Magazines:
>{link to: 'https://www.flametreepublishing.com/submissions.html', label: 'Flametree Publishing'}
>{link to: 'https://fracturedlit.submittable.com/submit', label: 'Fractured Lit'}
>{link to: 'https://silverrosemagazine.submittable.com/submit', label: 'Silverrose Magazine'}
[Continue]
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{link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Return'}You've been wandering these streets for as long as you can remember.
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Soft moonlight catches the corners of buildings and the profiles of passersby. Your mind makes a song out of the rhythm of the city.
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You hear a familiar voice calling to you from the end of a long cobblestone street,
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*Not a voice, but **voices***...
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You stand at the large oak doors of an ornate stone library,
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The orange glow of the streetlights reflect off of a copper plate with the words: "~~Sic Parvis Magna~~".
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*Greatness From Small Beginnings*
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{link to: 'Lobby', label: 'Step Inside'}
[Continue]Your footsteps echo off the marble tiles as you approach, the figure raises its head,
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{reveal link: 'Observe the Figure', text: '*Despite your best efforts you cannot see a face underneath the shadow of the ink-black cloak...*'}
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The figure enthusiastically gestures to a sign that sits at the front of the desk:
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{link to: 'Checkin', label: 'Library Services'}Deeper into the shelving, in a far corner, there is a small desk. Stacks of loose paper sit at each side. Atop the desk the loose pages are assessed. Misspellings and disorganized sentences are crossed out and rearranged with swipes of dark ink.
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*An inkwell and quill sit atop this desk like a hammer and anvil, both hammering impurities out raw material.*
>{link to: 'https://www.reddit.com/r/BetaReaders/', label: 'Subreddit for Finding Beta Readers'}
>{link to: 'https://www.scribophile.com/beta-readers', label: 'Scribophile Online Writing Community'}
>{link to: 'https://www.shunn.net/format/story/1/', label: 'Manuscript Format for Publishing'}
>{link to: 'https://neil-clarke.com/short-story-cover-letters/', label: 'Publishing Cover Letter Format'}
>{link to: 'https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/grammar-rules-for-writers', label: 'Readers Digest Grammar Tips'}
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{link to: 'Craft', label: 'Return'}
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or
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{link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Return to Office'}On this shelf sits disheveled reems of paper. All of them covered in the mad scrawls of captured ideas, each loose stack like the loose threads at the back of a beautiful tapestry.
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*A work of art is pulled from behind the veil here. It lies dormant, waiting to be assembled.*
>{link to: 'https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/how-do-i-overcome-writers-block/', label: 'Sanderson on Writers Block'}
>{link to: 'https://lithub.com/is-it-real-25-famous-writers-on-writers-block/', label: '25 Authors on Writers Block'}
>{link to: 'https://nanowrimo2.com', label: 'NaNoWriMo Writing Challenge'}
>{link to: 'https://www.scribophile.com/writing-together', label: 'Scribophile Community'}
[Continue]
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{link to: 'Craft', label: 'Return'}You find your way past the shelving and find a dim storage closet. The closet is small but is packed to the brim.
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The shelves are full of plastic bins. The bins are full of pens, pencils, paper, rolls of typewriter ink, and notebooks of all sizes.
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*You feel a jolt of excitement at the various tools of your trade. All of them are at your disposal*
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{reveal link: 'Reveal Methods', text: 'Microsoft Word/Google Docs | Typewriter | Pen and Paper'}
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In the middle of the shelves there is a plastic bin labeled:
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~~Tools and Gadgets~~
>{link to: 'https://getfreewrite.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopqusCZRIkh13dda03Wh_z96MzpjmmurjNSv9hH14eSG14LCdD2', label: 'Freewrite: Digital Typewriter'}
>{link to: 'https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/mudz1k/the_online_pen_shop_master_list/', label: 'Fountain Pen Masterlist'}
>{link to: 'https://typewriters.com/categories/new-reconditioned-typewriters/?srsltid=AfmBOoqZtlOXUQTPm9vdZ7BXPrSt3xwjORXtN0JpI1mx-tg5fW8hb2wl', label: 'Typewriters For Sale'}
[Continue]
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{link to: 'Craft', label: 'Return'}The drawer slides open.
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The interior smells like home. It smells like spilled coffee and lunch at your desk.
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*You can practically hear the clacking of your keyboard, feel the eye strain of a full day's work.*
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It is full of neatly organized packets of paper segmented by thick paper dividers labeled:
>{link to: 'https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/04/09/indie-first-what-is-best-in-publishing/', label: 'Chuck Wendig: On Self-Publishing (Vulgar)'}
>{link to: 'https://erinmorgenstern.com/2013/04/on-writing-and-publishing-and-paths/', label: 'Erin Morgenstern: On Her Publishing Experience'}
>{link to: 'https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com', label: 'Find a Magazine'}
[Continue]
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{link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Return'}[Align Center]
`Writing Advice From the Pros`
[Continue]
>{link to: 'https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2021/on-writing-agatha-christies-advice', label: 'Agatha Christie: Writing Advice'}
>{link to: 'https://lithub.com/the-greatest-menace-to-the-writer-is-the-reader-and-other-advice-from-shirley-jackson/', label: 'Shirley Jackson: Writing Advice'}
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{link to: 'Horror', label: 'Return'}[Align Center]
~~How To Find An Agent~~
[Continue]
>{link to: 'reedsy.com/blog/guide/literary-agent/how-to-find/', label: 'Reedsy: Find an Agent'}
>{link to: 'penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/how-can-i-get-published/?_gl=1*1wzcfhk*_gcl_au*MTE0OTMzNzQwNy4xNzc3MDUyODM3', label: 'Penguin Random House: Find an Agent'}
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{link to: 'Publishing', label: 'Return'}