Theric and I have now read all of the 20 or so submissions we have received so far. I’m not going to go in to much detail about them, but I will say that we are pleased with this set of stories as a starting point. Many thanks to everybody who sent work in. It’s been quite entertaining reading. Since the deadline for submissions is still a ways away we aren’t making any final decisions right now. Sadly, it’s the early birds who are going to have to be the most patient.
And yes, there is still plenty of time to submit — we won’t close submissions until Oct. 1. Indeed, you have time even if you haven’t started yet (11 weeks — so get to it). For those still thinking about possibly participating, we have some suggestions for styles/sub-genres to consider. Obviously, the best thing you can do is write an awesome, well-crafted story. An excellent story never faileth (to catch the editor’s eye).
However…
Our cup spilleth over with space opera.
And we could use (more) entries that are…
- urban fantasy
- mystery/noir/detective
- alternate history (that’s not in the future)
- set in “real” (or alternate) 19th and 20th century settings
- written from the pov of a female protagonist
- written from the pov of known church figures (although word is that a few Porter Rockwell submissions are in process so maybe not him*)
- western (with monster)
- Professional Adventurer (Doc Savage, Indy Jones [Orson Pratt? Jacob Hamblin?])
- occult
- giant monster (Them!, Godzilla)
- werewolf, mummy or Frankenstein monster
- ancient horror unleashed
- horror in general
- steampunk
- set in wartime (Civil, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, contemporary…)
- Dan Brown-style thriller
- set in a Book of Mormon setting
- not set in space or the U.S.
We also need illustrations and photographs so if you have something that fits the theme send it in (submission details here). In addition, (or instead) if you have artistic talent and are interested in illustrating one of the stories, drop us a line at monsters AT motleyvision DOT org with an example of your work, and we’ll connect you with a story in October. We have some good ones that we think will be fun to illustrate.
To sum up: Things are on track and going well. We want more stories and illustrations. And this first crop of submissions totally validates the Mormons & Monsters concept. You are going to really enjoy this anthology.
*although, as mentioned, the awesome caveat trumps all
A Motley Vision 
Would you prefer a single submission per artist? or is it theoretically possible to get 2 pieces into the anthology?
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Theoretically, yes. Quality of course is our first concern. But if you have a piece in and your second piece is tied-for-last with someone without another work included, I would probably vote for the other person.
This is Theric’s thoughts.
This does not represent William’s thoughts.
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This are Theric’s good grammar.
In this case, Theric has done spoken for myself.
I have such a good idea, but I don’t know if I’m going to get around to it. Do any collaborators wish to take up the cause?
Submissions with dual authors are welcome.
Might I suggest that if you want to make this work, you should provide some way for interested parties to contact you.
I realize I might be taking a little something out of the P90X playbook here, but is there a forum (outside of the comments sections of these posts) where interested and involved parties can congregate and provide updates and encouragement? I realize that writing is celebrated for its solitary virtues, but in the interest of knocking this anthology out of the park (and maybe giving you guys some option anxiety), it might be worth considering. I’ve often lamented to my wife that it was much easier to focus when I was in college as I was surrounded by like-minded (or like-goal-oriented) people on a daily basis. But to hear that writer x is making headway on her epic poem and writer y is stuck on his graphic novel… those kinds of things can be very motivating. Plus, it can force one to confront one’s goals – DAILY. It can be as simple as a tweet (“wrote four more pages today”) or maybe as complicated as a call for knowledge or familiarity within a certain genre. Point is, it could be a resource for aspiring anthologists, all of whom share a common goal. And perhaps it’s my Mormon gathering instinct, but part of what is appealing about this challenge is that it’s a call for community… a Mormon pulp fiction-phile community. Perhaps someone knows a way or a place for the Monsters and Mormons hopefuls to check in with each other, post their progress (not their work), and otherwise instill in each other a perfect brightness of trope.
A forum, as in a message board? We can do that (perhaps this weekend).
Or we can create a blog page.
Otherwise, this is the announcement blog post.
No problem. Tell me what format you’d prefer: message board or blog.
Ask and ye shall receive: The Peculiar Pages forum.
I have no preference, honestly. I was picturing it as a message board, I guess, but whatever would be most effective and preferred by everyone else trumps all. Perhaps most importantly, there’s the question of whether or not others would even be interested in the first place.
Oops. Forgot to close my quote tag.
Wow. Nicely done. Uh, come one, come all… I guess.
I have emailed about 13 people telling them about this opportunity, including my photographer friend of mine.
What qualifications are you looking for in an illustrator? Someone capable of doodling in the margins of their notebook, or a person with a fine arts degree?
Thanks for spreading the word, Beth. We are looking for someone who can draw a compelling illustration with basic craftsmanship (e.g. correct perspective and lines) and who is excited. No fine arts degree required, but fine arts degree holders are welcome too — just like with the writing which can span genre and literary modes and be more in one or the other so long as the central concepts are present.
William, I’ve actually enlisted a friend to do illustrations specifically for the story I’m working on. Short story, about five chapter, with an illustration heading each one. Would that be okay or do I need to share (obviously, as with the story, I assume the illustrations need to be approved either way)?
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We’ll approve the text and the illustrator separately, just like in kids’ picture books, but if we’re happy with the both of you and the combination thereof, then thanks for saving us time.