KYD: Kill Your Darlings

My latest Super Secrets of Writing article in DreamForge Anvil magazine!

KYD or Kill Your Darlings is a writing exercise I developed to win writing contests and craft potent vignettes used to build winning stories. I taught it to members of my Super Secrets Workshop, and had them practice the exercise at least once a month. Amazing–some would say miraculous–results followed. Almost all of the writers were unpublished when they began, but their writing transformed. Workshop members ended up either becoming a Finalist in the international Writers of the Future Contest, winning the Contest (four to date), winning the Mike Resnick Memorial Award for New Writers, or achieving their first professional sales in magazines and anthologies.

The editor of DreamForge Anvil magazine was so impressed with the results in my workshop, he commissioned me to write an article on the subject. Here’s his introduction to the article:

Stephen King said it best. “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” We need to be ruthless with our work— every word we write is not sacred. Get your words on the page, but be sure to go back in and give them a cold hard stare, knife in hand.

It’s free to read at the DreamForge website. Improve your writing by clicking HERE!

This article gives the basics you need to craft leaner, meaner stories. If you’d like to learn the actual exercise to transform your writing, you need the workshop I teach on it! I’m conducting a virtual KYD: Kill Your Darlings Exercise master workshop at Fyrecon Online this year! Here’s the details:

My KYD master workshop!

KYD: The Kill Your Darlings Exercise

5 Hour Live Online Master Workshop for $119
(includes Whole Conference general admission to Fyrecon Online , a $60 value!)
Class is limited to 20 students
November 21, 2021, 11:00 AM to 3:50 PM Mountain Time at Fyrecon 5

Twenty-five years ago, I developed a writing exercise to help me win what was likely the largest international flash fiction contest ever held. The contest was the brainchild of Dan Hurley, famous as the Sixty Second Novelist. For one year, writers from around the world submitted their 250-word flash stories each week, and professional judges awarded prizes for first, second, and third place. 500 to 700 writers entered each week. At the end of the year, twelve professionals judged the 52 first place winners for the grand prize.

Two of my first place winners placed in the Top 10. One of those took Grand Prize, earning me the title of Writer of the Year. Number One … out of some 30,000 total entries.

This is the system I developed to help me win that contest. I call it “Kill Your Darlings.” Many writers I coach say it’s the #1 reason they obtained their first pro sales, made it into Best of the Year anthologies, and were finalists and winners in major writing contests like Writers of the Future. The first place story that won the Mike Resnick Memorial Award? That was crafted from a KYD.

The system works.

Want to shave years off your learning curve? If you take this workshop, I can teach you how.

“Wrangling your first professional short story sale is a lot like catching a fish with your bare hands. Sure, it can be done, but you’re going to need to know the secrets unless you want splash around like a fool for an embarrassingly long time.

Moon promised me that if I put in the work he gave me, I’d reduce my time to publication. His KYD exercise has helped me move from not even sniffing a sale, to winning the Mike Resnick Memorial award.

Moon is not just a keeper of (super) secrets. He is a keeper of promises.”–Z.T. Bright, author

CLICK HERE NOW TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER before November 21st, 2021!

My Writers of the Future 24-Hour Story Published in THINGS WITH FEATHERS: Stories of Hope

Preorder Now! Anthology release on October 15, 2021

I sold my Writers of the Future Workshop 24-hour story to a pro-pay anthology! In case you don’t know this famous WotF exercise, author Tim Powers walks around the Hollywood classroom with a top hat pulling out cool items you write a story on in–you guessed it–24 hours. Yeah, I’m the lucky dog that got handed a blank 3×5 card, both sides white, for my story prompt. Talk about a challenge! I’ve been so busy since returning from the workshop, I never bought out the time to touch the story up and send it to a market. I know, bad boy! But the right pro-paying anthology appeared, and I knew this story could hit the mark. Boom. Sold first time out!

This story explores relationships between sentient buildings along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It will be published by Third Flatiron Publishing and the anthology’s title is THINGS WITH FEATHERS: STORIES OF HOPE. In both trade paperback and Kindle version on October 15th, 2021. Free to read to those with Kindle Unlimited.

My short story’s title? “Sophie’s Parisian Stationery & Parfumerie Magnifique.”

Click HERE to order! Merci beaucoup!

“Sharnathium” To Be Published in Galaxy’s Edge Magazine

Now that the contract is signed, I am happy to announce a new sale to Galaxy’s Edge magazine! This is my science fiction story, “Sharnathium.” It’s the tale of an ethereal astralmancer that is tempted to leave his stellar body to taste the pleasures of mortal flesh once again. Will he enjoy the heavenly bliss of a night with his cobalt-branded concubine, or will he be damned by the trap waiting for him by the galactic mechan-witches? Read to find out! I’ll keep you posted on the publication date. Don’t miss it!

Character Agency: Creating Proactive Heroes

Another published sample of Wulf Moon’s Super Secrets in DreamForge magazine!

This Super Secret is on proactive vs. passive heroes. In many submissions from beginners, the protagonist is swept along by circumstance, passively reacting to events instead of exercising their will over events to change their circumstances. It’s a big problem among hopeful writers, often creating a weak internal character arc and failing to engage the reader! I can teach you how to fix that! Read this Super Secret for FREE HERE!

Another Wulf Moon’s Super Secrets of Writing Articles Published in DreamForge Magazine!

Click the illustration to enjoy a Super Secret for FREE! Another sample of what’s to come in the upcoming books!

The three-act structure. Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about it. Why has this storytelling template been around for so long? Because it’s a simple framework, easy to see, easy to understand. Think about it. Every story has 1) a beginning, 2) a middle, and 3) an end. One, two, three. That sums up the three-act structure in a nutshell. Only, in the three-act structure, it’s called 1) Setup, 2) Confrontation, and 3) Resolution. Same thing. Simple, right? Simple tools are the best. Learn how to use this one by clicking HERE! It’s FREE!

Award-Winning “Muzik Man” Makes the Cut for Best of Deep Magic, Anthology Two!

Wulf Moon’s “Muzik Man” reprinted in Best of Deep Magic, Anthology Two!

“Muzik Man.” My novelette about an android minstrel robot sent to save a tone-deaf world was first published in Deep Magic, Fall 2020. It received a starred review in Tangent Online, and went on to win Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Story of 2020 in the Critters Readers’ Choice Awards. 2500 readers from around the world vote in those awards for their favorites in the publishing year, and this is the largest of categories, so it’s quite an honor to win.

But that’s not all! Deep Magic selected “Muzik Man” for their latest Best Of Anthology! In the issues they selected this anthology from, they had published bestselling authors Terry Brooks, Michael Sullivan, Ken Liu, Jeff Wheeler, Charlie Holmberg, and more. So making it into the pages of this Best Of Deep Magic anthology was no easy feat! Two alumni from my year-long Super Secrets of Writing Workshop that I teach in the Writers of the Future Forum made it in as well! Brittany Rainsdon and KD Julicher! Well done!

Would you like to read the best of the best, hand selected by Deep Magic’s first readers and editorial board? Click HERE to get your copy in a thick trade paperback (my fave!) or for Kindle! Free to read in Kindle Unlimited!

This is the issue “Muzik Man” first appeared in. If you’d like the anthology, go to the opening image of this post.
BEST SFF Story
of the YEAR!

Wulf Moon’s SUPER SECRETS. “Nail Your Opening: How Driving to the Story Creates Accidents”

The editor of DreamForge Anvil magazine, Scot Noel, asked me to go on a journey with him. He told me he had a new focus to his magazine this year, his goal being to publish hopeful writers that may have never been published before. He was aware of my work with my award-winning SUPER SECRETS workshops. He knew many writers from my workshops had won major international contests and had obtained their first pro sales after taking them. He asked me if I’d like to write articles for his magazine based on the Secrets I taught in my workshops. I agreed.

This is the article that was published on April 21, 2021, in their first official issue of this new venture. It’s free to read. And it’s a good example, both of how I teach, and of one of the chapters from my upcoming books through Mark Leslie’s Stark Publishing Solutions. I trust you’ll enjoy it. And if you enjoy the sample, I hope you’ll join my Wulf Pack Club. You’ll be first to know about the Kickstarter event leading up to the books.

Here’s the editor’s forward to the article:

“What is an inciting incident? How do you know when your character has “crossed the threshold?” And why does “driving to the story” create a 12 car pile up every time? With this essay from Wulf Moon’s SUPER SECRETS series, you learn how to start your story at the right place and keep up the pace until the conflict reaches its height!”

Click HERE to read the article for FREE! (But I do hope you’ll subscribe to keep their flame alive!)

“See it? Don’t make me keep standing here! This laser beam is roasting my little robot finger!”

A New Wulf Moon Story in DreamForge Anvil Magazine!

“Shaken, Not Stirred,” by Wulf Moon. Published April 21, 2021. Featured Story in the flagship issue of DreamForge Anvil magazine! The issue includes an article titled “Behind the Scenes: Author’s Notes” where I detail how the story was written. This was my first commissioned story for a magazine, and also my first time being the featured story. Issue 1 was the sample issue for their Kickstarter; Issue 2 is the full meal deal. I was happy to be a part of this digital launch of a new venture that DreamForge magazine took this year to survive in the aftermath of the publishing woes caused by coronavirus.

And there’s GOOD NEWS! They’re still planning the full-sized, full color print magazine they’re famous for. Look for a bundled multi-issue print version later this year! I’ll keep you posted!

This magazine is famous for its top notch stories and gorgeous original illustrations. In fact, I received TWO illustrations for my story by the talented Jane Noel! A writer can wait many years before they see a custom illustration based on their story. The only other time this has happened for me was the story “Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler” in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. These illustrations are a special gift to writers when published in DreamForge. Long may they continue to share their beautiful magazine with the world!

Here’s the publisher’s comments on the story. It’s FREE to read at their Reader’s Portal, but I do hope you’ll subscribe. It’s what keeps great publishers in business to bring you great stories! Links below. Here’s the publisher’s forward to this fun galaxy jumping story that spans our universe!

The peoples of Earth are newcomers to the celestial order in more ways than one, just ask Cassie, our first homeworld ascendant to the Intergalactic Holistic Organization for Accumulation and Redistribution of Dynamics (HOARD).

READ “Shaken, Not Stirred” by clicking HERE.

READ “Behind the Scenes: Author’s Notes on Shaken, Not Stirred” HERE.

Check out the entire issue of DreamForge Anvil, Issue 2 HERE.

ORDER your Kindle version HERE. Only $2.99.

Chatting With Sherri Welcomes Back Wulf Moon!

My interview on the Chatting With Sherri program on BlogTalkRadio is now live and available to listen to on BlogTalkRadio! Just click the image above and enjoy!

We blended a cocktail from so many topics! Writers of the Future as the base, of course. Stirred in the wonderful results so many have enjoyed from applying my Super Secrets on writing. We also swirled in how the publishing deal on my upcoming books with Mark Leslie Lefebvre came about. Added a nice splash about Brittany Rainsdon and her recent successes with Deep Magic magazine and Writers of the Future Vol. 37. Poured in a shot on Elizabeth Chatsworth and the magic words spoken to encourage her to write her WotF winner. Of course we talked about Elizabeth’s success with her debut steampunk novel, THE BRASS QUEEN. And topped the cocktail off with my story “Shaken, Not Stirred” published in DreamForge Anvil magazine on Saturday, April 10th, 2021!

Finally, no fancy drink is complete without a garnish. Mine was going back in time to where I learned oral storytelling—from my childhood when I lived with my Chippewa grandmother. Topped it off with a pink umbrella by citing why magazines like DreamForge Anvil and Deep Magic are so important!

This cocktail is chilled to perfection!  Cheers!         Listen HERE.

Wulf Moon wins Best Author, Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Story, & More in the 2020 Critters Awards!

AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT:  The winners of Critters 2020 Annual Readers’ Poll Awards were announced yesterday. Over 2500 people from around the world voted during three weeks of polling, giving recognition to achievements in 41 publishing related categories. I am happy to announce I won Best Author, Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story, Best Writers’ Workshop, and Best Writers’ Resource of 2020. (If you’re voting in awards like the Nebulas and Hugos, please see my preceding 2020 Awards Eligibility Post to get a FREE copy of “Muzik Man” for your consideration!)

Continue reading “Wulf Moon wins Best Author, Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Story, & More in the 2020 Critters Awards!”