Writers Resources

Hello everybody!

Lately I've been getting frequent e-mails from people asking me where they can submit their story to be published. For money or for fame. Others ask me where they can submit for book reviews of their indie book or if I'd do a bit of marketing for them.

So, I've put together a short list of writers resources and put them on Floating Robes. You'll find them at the top of the page.

Since the list is still short (and by no means complete) I've also added them below.

I will frequently update this collection and put the most prominent of them in the Writers Resources section on the right side of the homepage.

I hope they will help you somewhat.

Submission openings 

- Dark Markets - frequently showing openings for submissions to various magazines. Specialized in horror.
- Duotrope's Digest - wonderful search engine for short fiction submissions. Dark or otherwise.

- Horror Tree - Great list of openings for submissions with frequent updates. Specialized in horror.
- Writers Market - List of magazines which are open for submissions. It looks dated, but it's still good.

Forums and communities

- Bookreaders Forum
- Book and Reader Forum
- Indie Horror
- Authors Den - community for all sorts of writers. Has a forum and an online bookstory which sells indie books.

Marketing

- Liz $1 Reviews - Funny girl who Twitters about your blog for a day for $1. Gain some extra publicity.


Contests

- International Aeon Award - Annual short fiction contest. Opens for submissions every three months.
- The Birdport Prize - Annual short fiction and poetry contest.
- Bristol Prize - Annual contest. Open to all genres and prizes for all genres!
- Lucid Hills Magazine - Frequent contests. Themes ranging from horror to non-fiction.


Greetings!

Marcel

WTF Movie of the Week: Event Horizon!

She could not understand what her new contacts had to
do with her kids'  nightmares...

Ever since I watched Into the Mouth of Madness I have no qualms anymore about Sam Neill doing horror. So, there, I've said it...

Event Horizon is the story of a spaceship by the same name that got lost some years ago and has recently turned up on the far side of our Milky Way. So, the rag-tag bunch of fearless pilots fly their ship over there to take a peak. With them is the brilliant scientist (Neill) who is part of the team that built the Event Horizon. It was designed to breech the borders of the known universe and, by Golly, it did.

As soon as the team docks at the Event Horizon, strange things start to happen. The log gives off horrible (and gory) images of what happened to its (now disappeared or dead) crew and the engine seems to have a mind of its own. Add to that the unexplaineable sabotages to the ship they've arrived in, making it virtually impossible to return to Earth, and you have a recipe for disaster. Soon the crew fall victim to hallucinations and horrible flash backs to the worst moments of their lives.

Event Horizon basically re-hashes the 'haunted house'-stereotype of horror. The sci-fi window dressing is just a nice cadre in which to place it. But this is just one of those movies where you can tell the crew had fun doing it! The actors are really into their characters, the story itself is nice, rounded and deep. No loose ends are left (although the ending hints at a sequal). Halfway through it, my wife went up to sleep, but I just didn't want to join her. I had to know how this turned out.

Sam Neill is wonderful as the evil antagonist. Ever since his Jurassic Park-character he just evokes such feelings of safety in me that his transformation into this almost Pinhead-type monster is horror enough on its own.

If you have two hours to spare and you don't know what to do with yourself, give this a whirl! Really, you won't be disappointed!

Marcel

Book Review: I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan

NOT the pretentious tripe it
could have been!

The last of my spending spree in York last fall, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I certainly didn't expect it to be the best of the bunch, but it looked interesting. I had opened it up before and was put off by the stream-of-consciousness writing style which usually heralds a book full of intellectual look-at-me-being-smart-ness.


I was so wrong!

I, Lucifer is the story of the devil who gets to hear that God, in His infinite wisdom, has decided to do away with the Human Experiment. Judgment Day is upon us and He wants to give His fallen angel a chance for redemption. If he lives in a human body when the Apocalypse starts, he can join God and the Angels again. So Lucifer cuts a deal: he will live in human form for a month and after that he'll let Him know what he'll do.

Of course Lucifer would not be Lucifer if he didn't live it up in the human world, but there are also wonderful funny and touching scenes in which he learns about our human world. The scene where it takes him four hours to get from the appartment to the subway station because he can't get enough from all the smells in the street is hilarious. And there are many others like that.

In retrospect the stream-of-consciousness style only adds to the believe that we are listening to the Devil, frantic, sexy, childishly charming, rude and with a deep sense of injustice. Duncan has managed to portray a Devil that is at once disgusting and loveable.

Although the ending is a bit puzzling and Lucifer's ultimate choice is predictable, we understand full well why he has to do what he does. For people with a love of metaphysical humour and are not easily offended by bending the christian dogmas somewhat, this is a great read!

Marcel

Glen Duncan's website.

WTF Movie of the Week: Midnight Meat Train!

A solid effort!

"What is this?" my wife asked me.

"It's a horror movie," I replied. "It's from a Clive Barker short story so it's going to be weird and bloody."

She then proceeded to put on her headphones and listen to Adele's latest album with a mixed look of contempt and worry for my mental health.

The Midnight Meat Train centers around a photographer in New York trying to make it big in the art world. To that end he decides to shoot the down and dirty street life. When, one night, he comes across a sinister looking man whom he decides to follow. He quickly learnes this man (played by Vinnie Jones), is a serial killer who makes the subway system his hunting grounds.

Pushed by the gallery owner for more gritty shots, he starts stalking the man and quickly finds this no ordinary Freddy, Michael or Jason, but the manifestation of something much, much bigger.

Judging from the comments on IMDB, feelings are mixed on this one. You either love it or you hate it, depending on what you're looking for in a horror movie. There is tons of gore for the blood-lovers and the acting is excellent. Especially Vinnie Jones' brooding looks sends shivers down your spine. When it comes to the ending, things get unraveled, though. Unfortunately, there is no earlier hint of this bigger picture that is going on. I have been told that in Barker's story things are much clearer from the onset. I, personally, like a good twist on a story, so it didn't bother me so much (although I did raise an eyebrow).

As far as obscure horror movies go, The Midnight Meat Train is one of those hidden gems. The concept is wonderful, like Book of Blood or Hellraiser. The story itself is wonderfully rounded without any lengthy philosphical digressions. And although you can feel where this is going from a mile away, the execution is done so remarkeably it's a joy to watch.

A solid effort!

Shameless Selfpromotion: Resurrection of a Broken Mind!

Yes, people, the game is on! My short story Resurrection of a Broken Mind is out now! Available on Amazon MP3, iTunes and CDBaby!



It's all about Peter Holleweg, a reclusive young man diagnosed with schizophrenia. He lives in a draughty old house by the railroad tracks. The only one who seems to notice him is his psychic neighbour. When one night she breaks into his house, Peter learns exactly where his bizarre visions are coming from. And how to stop them...

I'm really happy with the way this story turned out and what a great job Scottish artist Alan Ballany did of reading it. I loved the way my characters came alive once he read the dialogues. And I thank him for his input for my use of the English language.

The story itself has been likened to Clive Barker's Book of Blood and one reader said: "Marcel Admiraal has taken the ghost story up a notch from spooky to literature. Extremely well written and beautifully read, this story is a joy to listen to. Admiraal's descriptive detail transports the listener into the story which builds in intensity until the shattering climax. This was time well spent."

What else there to say? Enjoy!

Marcel