working hard on slush

With the Jan 15, 2021 submission deadline looming for the fabulous February 2021 issue of Electric Spec, all the editors are working hard on the stories in the slush pile. If you sent in your story already: Thank you! If not: Get it in!

Within the last week, I read more stories that started with the protagonist waking up. Ugh. Try to avoid this. I read more stories that merely involved a man killing his romantic partner. Ugh. Try to avoid this.

Interestingly, I also read a couple stories with no showing. Ugh. Try to avoid this. If you read Electric Spec, you know we like some showing. Showing means dialogue, people talking to each other. Showing means characters acting in the moment. In contrast, telling means one person, such a narrator, telling the reader what happened. Some markets like telling; consider submitting your telling story there.

In these challenging times, consider distracting yourself by reading some free fiction at Electric Spec.
Stay safe and take care!