LITERARY MARKETS
high-end psychiatric facilities
to see what they might be like.
They often had names based
on nature, so I called mine
Hummingbird Creek, and added
features from luxury hotels.
I’m the daughter of a
psychiatrist, and when I was
six I actually lived in a private
psychiatric hospital for a few
months while my parents were
buying a house, so I drew
on some surprisingly vivid
memories, and asked my father
the odd question.
I also found open forums
where young people talked
about what they liked and
disliked about being admitted
for long stretches at a time in
these facilities. When I wanted
characters to talk pseudo-
scientiic facts about health
and wellbeing they were
disturbingly easy to ind.
A useful thing I discovered
is if you type in a short phrase
that your character might use,
sometimes a blog or article
comes up, written by someone
with those views.
Making it real
I used to be a magazine
journalist and would frequently
phone up people to fact-check.
Even if you aren’t a journalist,
press oices will usually
answer your questions if they
aren’t too busy.
For Dead Popular I had to
check whether a 15-year-old
needs a solicitor present if she
is being interviewed by police,
so I emailed the Thames Valley
Police media oice. They were
extremely helpful – and it was
good to have a written answer
because it was a relatively
complicated reply depending
on whether my character was
giving a statement or being
interviewed under caution.
Although I’m writing about
murder, my books aren’t
graphic. However everything
has to ring true. Touching a
light switch gives a character
in Dead Popular a nasty electric
shock but doesn’t kill them.
I contacted an electrician
who’d done some work in my
house and asked him some
questions which he was happy
to answer in return for an
acknowledgement at the end
of the book. He helped me
make the circumstances
plausible. I adjusted certain
details such as making the
light switch metal rather
than plastic, and that meant I
needed to establish early in the
story that the building was old.
For Lying About Last Summer
I had to research drowning,
which was horrible. I used
what I’d learned in sentences
such as: So this is what
drowning’s like. Silent because
there’s not enough air to shout.
I always search for irst-hand
accounts of people who have
been afected by such things,
or ind a self-help group and
ask to speak to someone.
I also make use of experiences
I’ve had in diferent areas of
my life. One of my daughters
had a paintballing party so
I used it as an activity at my
bereavement camp.
One area I have to be
sensitive about is borrowing
from my children’s lives too
heavily. Of course, it’s the
painful episodes in life that
make the best iction but I
would never want to embarrass
them, so I run things past them.- Follow Sue on Twitter or
Instagram @suewallman or
contact her via suewallman.co.uk
with Janet Cameron
WRITING OUTLETS
Literary mags seeking depth
Lunate
lunate.co.ukLunate publishes on a roll-
ing basis, and the site hints
there may soon be a print
magazine. They are look-
ing for lash iction, short
stories and poetry. They’re
not inclined towards genre pieces, but prefer mature, layered
content. There are few issues to avoid: violence towards
women, child’s viewpoint, romance – check the guidelines.
Tip: If you are a marginalised voice, or if your piece shines
a light on minority interests or is politically savvy, you have a
good chance of impressing the editor.
Submissions: Flash: up to 1000 words. Stories: up to
2000 words. Poetry: not speciied. Please include a third-
person author bio. Send to [email protected]Stonecrop Review
stonecropreview.comStonecrop Review is seeking
iction about how humans
and other living creatures
survive, adapt and even
thrive in the urban sprawl.
It’s publishedbi-annually
for downloading. Check for the current theme; recent ones
have been Fauna and Sky.
Tip: As you observe urban life, be aware of how it affects
the way you think about your city. This can be any city in
the world.
Submissions: Send 500-5000 words in double-spaced
12 point Times New Roman. Include a 50-word author bio
and photo and email to [email protected]Claw and Blossom
clawandblossom.comThis online literary journal
is looking for nature-based
poems and short prose.
It’s published quarterly and
pays $25 for successful
submissions. Several issues
are available on the site.
Tip: A sense of urgency
works well, as if you are sharing your words from necessity.
Submissions: Send one poem or 1000 words of prose
using the online manager. Free-verse poems are preferred
and prose should have depth and layers. Avoid genres, such
as romance or mysteries. Submissions are judged blind so
don’t put your name on your work.- Janet’s book Eighteen Amazing Women Philosophers is
available as an ebook from Amazon and in paperback.