Are you a fiction writer who needs motivation (or should I say, a kick in the butt) to get going?
A few days ago, we told you about a summer retreat center that is looking for folks whose work focuses on animals to spend some time in a lovely cabin in Maine and write, create, theorize, or manifest that great AR-themed Magnum Opus. What an opportunity for creative activists to devote themselves, in full, to their socially-conscious project!
It’s too bad the timing isn’t better (the cabin retreat is only available in summer), because our friends over at Ashland Creek Press — an independent book publisher that publishes “a range of books that foster an appreciation for worlds outside our own, for nature and the animal kingdom, and for the ways in which we all connect” — is currently seeking submissions for an anthology focused on animals. ACP explains:
We’re looking for stories of how the lives of animals and humans intersect, particularly in regards to the conservation and protection of animals. We are not seeking stories about hunting, fishing, or eating animals — unless they are analogous to a good anti-war novel being all about war. Under these basic guidelines, however, we’re open to reading a wide range of short fiction with animal themes.
True, the aforementioned retreat center is summer-specific, but with winter beginning to make itself known (and my dreams of acquiring a new Vaute Couture coat only getting stronger with the onset of chilly weather), why not hibernate near your laptop and write that short story that has been lingering in the back of your brain for so long? ACP is, it seems, providing that kick in the butt so many of us writers need.