Fiction Journal (Editors' Blog)

Short Story Contest

2008-11-11T15:03:00.002-05:00

Contest Deadline is fast approaching. If you haven't entered yet, please do.

Deadline is midnight November 15th 2008.
$6 entry fee
1st prize is $100 US minimum.
2nd Prize is $50 US minimum.

Send us your best Fiction Short Story contest entry!

Short Fiction Online

2008-10-14T09:30:00.003-04:00

Hello All,

New issue of Ramble Underground is online. We have three new short fiction stories and art throughout by Elaine Thompson.

Have a look...

Short Fiction Story(s)

AMERICAN IDOL FINALE

by Mark Spencer

“Elvis was seventy-one years old and weighed at least three hundred and fifty pounds, so I’ve been expecting this. Now I have to get his corpse out of our Greenwich Village apartment and onto the sidewalk somewhere …” Read more

BATHWATER

by Sarah Mitchell

“Upstairs, I hear the sounds of my son waking, and I follow his footsteps through the ceiling as he stumbles from his bed to the bath. Tom is eighteen, nearly a man. Nearly the man his father was…” Read more

Wednesday’s CHILD

by Constance Smith

“Her grandmother said that because she was born on a Wednesday, she was full of woe. Gina tried to imagine how that must feel, having a sadness inside you so great that you are full of it, like when you eat too much of something and it hurts.” Read more

Tell Starbucks to recycle!

2008-10-14T09:25:00.004-04:00

Hello all,

Take a second to jump over and sign this petition, by one of our past contributors, to get StarBucks to setup recycling in their stores.

Recycle StarBucks

Thanks,

McCain on Health Care

2008-09-25T12:50:00.005-04:00

What’s next, deregulation of the healthcare systems? Yes, according to John McCain.

The great deregulator is at it again. It wasn't enough, what they let the banking industry get away with, now he wants to deregulate the healthcare systems.

In a recent article (Sept/Oct 08 Contingencies magazine) he states that "The problem is not that most Americans lack adequate health insurance. The vast majority of Americans have private insurance...”

In fact 16% of Americans are completely uninsured and another 5% are underinsured. That's 21% of the population, one in five families! If he starts an article about his plan for healthcare reform with a statement like this, with a statement that dismisses 21% of our population out of hand, how can this be helpful to us? When these uninsured people end up in hospitals - driving up healthcare costs - we foot the bill.

Then he goes on to brag about deregulation in the banking industry, and propose similar deregulation in the healthcare industry too. Does this guy read the news or watch TV? He must have written this article before the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy or the buyout of Fannie and Freddy, right? Wrong this is in this month’s release of Contingencies Magazine.

Maybe there wasn't enough time to pull his article but certainly after all this news, even John McCain must be rethinking his Healthcare plan. At least one would hope.

Check out both candidates plan on health care in their own words

McCain on The Economy - fundamentally sound.

2008-09-16T16:13:00.003-04:00

Or in other words....

Hard-working American families are anxiously trying to make sense of yesterday's disastrous economic headlines.

While we're trying to figure out just how hard the news will hit them and our savings (If we had any) , John McCain's advice seems to be: don't worry about it.

Right after a major global investment bank declared bankruptcy, and in the middle of the second-biggest Dow Jones drop this century, McCain told an audience in Florida that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong." - strongly pointing to a depression forget recession. Banks don't go under in a recession!

How can the fundamentals of our economy be strong when, just this year, 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs? When people are losing their homes? When health insurance is beyond the reach of an ever increasing number of Americans?

John McCain clearly doesn't get it. Dumb Ass.

McCain for Women? The Women Vote.

2008-09-09T23:48:00.006-04:00

While the Republican ticket touts a female VP, is this enough to win the women's vote? I should think not. I'd say to suggest such a thing is an insult to all women everywhere. This would be like saying all blacks should vote for Obama. I don’t know about the rest of America, but my mom, my wife, and even my eight year old daughter can see when they are being had.

Women (and men) fought way to hard for the right to vote, to have it exploited.

Sarah Palan and John McCain want to take away a women’s right to choose – even though Sarah Palan’s family had that same choice. They chose life, a good choice, but they had the right to choose none the less. Well, not under their would-be administration.

John McCain voted against the violence against women act. What? Yes you read it right. What was this guy hatched from snake eggs. Doesn’t he have a mother? Oh yeah, they touted her at the convention too. Poor thing looked like she was held up on strings. I guess that was to prove he had a long life expectancy.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden (Especially Joe Biden) have been supporting women’s issues all their careers. Whether it has been right to choose, or equal pay, or protecting women against violence. Their record shows they are on the right side: My daughter’s side, and my side.

See more on McCains record in regards to women

I am leaving the comment below for the sake of free speech and the writer, while not leaving their name took great lengths in writing it. Unfortunately the bulk of their argument is about how violent women are. This may be true, but it is completely irrelevent - perhaps there should be a violence against men act. The rest of the arguement is that the laws are too loose, and restraining orders are granted to anyone without much investigation. To that I can only say, if someone goes to the length of getting an order of restraint, they most likely have a decent reason. At any rate, I'd rather air on the side of caution.

Obama Vs. McCain on Energy?

2008-08-21T10:50:00.002-04:00

When will the people and the environment win out over big business? The answer is never, not if we continue to give into business as usual. Not, if we continue to support the billionaire oil companies by voting their figure heads into government. They funnel money into McCain’s campaign and what do you think they expect in return?

Answer: McCain will give $4 billion in tax breaks to big oil companies—including $1.2 billion for Exxon alone.

While McCain represents old school mentality: give to the rich, take from the poor, Obama will raise fuel efficiency standards and invest $150 billion over the next ten years in alternative sources of energy like wind power, and solar power, and advanced biofuels, creating up to five million new jobs for working glass people. This will create a new workforce called Green Collar workers.

As American people we are guilty of letting the wool be pulled over our eyes. Guilty of allowing Oil companies to control environmental issues, of allowing logging lobbyists to run the environmental protection agency, letting big banks write the bankruptcy laws, and letting Pharmaceuticals write the medical bills. We are guilty by way of ignorance and complacency. Well I’m getting wise.

Obama vs. McCain is a simple question? Let's ask ourselves, how are things working now? Are we ready for a change or do we like what we see? For me it is an easy answer: Change

We pay for Short Fiction

2008-08-21T10:46:00.004-04:00

Announcement for Ramble Underground

With our latest issue we now pay our author’s for accepted fiction. The rate is $15 per story. We know this isn’t much, but it's more than nothing.

We are proud to offer this small token to support this great art.

Also note: we no longer publish poetry.

New Fiction Short Story(s) & Contest Winners

2008-03-14T12:34:00.002-04:00

The Spring '08 issue is live and free. Read new Short Fiction by Joseph P. Thayer & Tamara T. Linse. Also read the winners of our short fiction contest: Liz Kelley, Mike Weddle, and Heidi Wicks.

Please use our comments box on the left hand side of the story to let the authors know how you feel. Also peruse our archives for old treasures.

Energy Bill In Congress - SEND AN EMAIL

2007-12-06T14:37:00.000-05:00

There is finally an energy bill in congress worth caring about:

As of Wednesday night, the House was set to begin debate on the energy bill, S.2191. Possible features of the bill include:

* Electricity and renewable fuel requirements--power companies would have to produce at least 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020
* A repeal of tax incentives for oil and gas companies worth about thirteen and a half billion dollars
* Extending tax credits for renewable energy such as wind and geothermal
* An increase in the clean-coal tax credit

It is time to make the change into the future. With the largest Nuclear
plant (The Sun) circling our globe every day, we do not need to be
poisoning the earth with CO2, and other bi-products.

Tell them to stop supporting the billionaire oil barons and start working for the
People!!!!

Tell them to vote to Pass, and do not veto, the Energy Bill, S.2191.

Click Here to easily send letters to your representatives and the President.

Add Comments to Stories

2007-08-09T16:00:00.000-04:00

Hello All,

Just added a comment feature to our site. Under each story, there is an add comments link. Please let us and the authors know what you think.

Hope all is well,

Joseph Thomas

Nominations for 2007 Best of the Net

2007-08-02T14:59:00.000-04:00

Announcing our Nominations for the 2007 best of the Net series:

This year we nominated two stories for consideration:

Monet’s Hair, by Brian Katz – appeared in our Summer 07 issue

and

So Much Depends Upon, by Randall Brown – appeared in our Winter 07 issue.

Good luck to Brian and Randall,

Thanks for contributing!

How to Get a Short Fiction Story Published

2007-07-31T15:12:00.000-04:00

Hey All,

I recently wrote an article for Writing-World on the subject of finding markets and tracking submissions.

Have a look at The Article, hope you find it helpful.

All the best,

Joseph Thomas

New Issue!!!

2007-07-31T15:02:00.000-04:00

Hello All,

Sorry it has been sometime.

We have a new issue of Ramble Underground up - Summer '07. Have a look at great Online Fiction.

Drop us a line let us know your thoughts,

Joseph Thomas

Yeah Baby

2006-11-08T11:45:00.000-05:00

Check it out:
The House
The Senate

Phew!

Get out and Vote

2006-11-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Just a brief note. If you are registered to vote, please get out and do so on November 7th. I know there is apathy out there, but I think this time we have a real shot at restoring some balance to this government. We are in a serious crisis in this country: a time where one man (and his gang) have seen to an insane expansion of presidential power. We are moving closer to a dictatorship than we have seen since the birth of this nation.

I know none of these guys are perfect, far from perhaps, but we need balance; it’s a numbers game.

Restore the balance. Learn about your candidates. Vote Democrat. Make a difference.

Links:
Find out about your candidates
Locate your election site

Summer Edition and Fiction Contest Awards

2006-07-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

We are working feverishly to put out the Summer issue. Please check on it soon!

We have the winners of the Short Fiction contest and some new Fiction, Poetry, and Art.

See the Spring issue before it is yanked. Of course you can always find it in our Archives: Fiction, Poetry, Art, and Photography

Congress debates allowing offshore oil drilling

2006-06-29T09:59:00.000-04:00

Soon the House will vote on the following legislature.

'To provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources on the outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes. '

This basically give states the authority to sell off (Lease) parts of the Ocean to mining companies so they can suck them dry of their resources. Saying nothing of what can be meant by "and for other purposes".

What impact will this have on sea life and earth quakes and who knows what else. Once they have drained all of these resources, they will have to go back to modern, clean and renewable, energy anyhow. Why put it off another 10 years.

Let's give up chasing the ghost and destroying our natural resources. With Hybrid, Ethanol, Solar, and Wind technology today, there is no longer any excuse to give big oil companies freedom to Pilage our resources at Record profits!!!

Please lobby against this legislature by going to congress.org and sending emails to your representatives. This takes about 2 minutes to send 4 emails!!!!!!

To read more: Go Here

Last Days of Kurt Cobain

2006-06-09T15:40:00.000-04:00

If anyone knows the where abouts of Gus Van Sandt, please let me know. I would like to give him a punch in the neck.

Last night I watched Last Days - It started at 12:55 Am and ended at 2:35 Am - I get up for work at 7:00Am - I am a big Nirvana fan and an amatuer Insomniac so I watched and waited. Then I waited and watched. I thought to myself something has too happen soon. Then the movie ended.

Its not bad enough that the movie is based so loosely on any fact: Like Kurt killed himself, Fact 1 and he wore striped sweaters: Fact 2. Outside of that, this is speculation and as the movie admits mostly a work of fiction. Now I like fiction, but if you are not going to tell the truth than at very least make it interesting. There is a three minute clip of a bunch of hedges if you like this footage and would like to talk to me about the advant garde meaning - please let me know; I'd like to punch you in the neck too.

I want my two hours back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JT

Haditha Massacre

2006-06-02T12:11:00.000-04:00

Read this article in the Washington Post about the Haditha massacre.

If it is even half true, I am ashamed to be a human being let alone an American.

Can you imagine killing innocent children? Think of them 8 in total - less than 15 years old - some as young as 1 year old. Think of them as if they were your own babies. Not someone somewhere far away from home. Think of them as if they were your own, because they were someone's!

God it is unbearable. I sincerely hope this story is not true, for humanities sake, but I fear it is true. And worse yet, reportedly, the Marines paid $1500 to $2500 per death of innocent Man, Woman, and Child. $2500 can't buy a good flat screen TV.

I Know George Bush didn't pull any triggers and I honestly believe that if he was there this never would have happened, but he still must bare some responsibility. I don't think he would kill an innocent chiled in cold blood, but his war certainly has.

When the truth is too hard to bare, too atrocious to believe, something has to be done about it. Please write to your congressman here and ask that they push to pull out of this war!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call your senator and tell hem to support Senate Joint resolution 36. This resolution is a plan to have our combat troops home by end of 2006. This is agressive, but without a plan it will not happen.

This site gets you the phone numbers for your senators. I just called my senators - you speak to an assistant - ask if the senator knows about the resolution (They should) and tell them to support it. It is that simple.

END THE WAR!

Short Fiction Story(s)

2006-05-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

Man have I been reading a lot of short fiction and the truth is, the bottom line, most of it is boring. I finish and my first thought is why did I read that - well I have an obligation as a fiction editor to read fiction, but that aside, I am usually no better or better yet, no worse for reading it.

This simple fact however makes it easy to find the gems. The ones that really say something - the ones that cause some movement within the reader or shake up a common belief - they stick out like a sore thumb - like a giant vagina on Times Square - saying look here, here is the truth.

The afore mentioned story, the vagina, is a rarity. Listen I am a writer - that's why I started this Ramble thing anyway - to help other writers and like all good acts, to help myself. I am striving for the vagina constantly and I fall short time and time again. I know how hard it is. I know how this thing we have taken up can mangle your mind and punish your body. I know the knife pain in your back from sitting up too long, too late at the PC - Type Writer - Note Pad - drinking coffee and cigarettes or sipping green tea and sucking on grape leaves - whatever.

I tip my hat to all of you who submit here or elsewhere, all of you who submit nowhere, but write anyway. You have my vote, but please - for pity sake (I read allot) give me something to think about. Be creative - Be brave!

All the best,

JT

New Short Fiction Stories

2006-04-14T15:37:00.000-04:00

New Issue released!!! Spring '06

Have a look - we have new short fiction, poetry, and Visual Arts.

JT

No Nukes means No Nukes!

2006-03-08T10:06:00.000-05:00

No Nukes, means No nukes, or does it?

So now we want to bully Iran into giving up their secret plans to build a bomb, but they say it is just to make Nuclear Power plants.

Hmmmm, where did they get that idea from? Oh wait, every major world power does this. America being at the forefront.

So what is OK for us is not OK for them. It's like me eating a big fat Ice Cream cone in front of my kid and saying 'You can't have any, sugar is bad for you' While I lap up the drips from my finger tips.

Don't get me wrong - I say No Nukes, means No Nukes - why doesn't Iran put their money into Solar or Wind? These are renewable, clean and oh yeah they can't blow up the earth.

Hmmmmmmm, I know why - Because America doesn't so why the hell should they?

What the hell, lets all get Nukes - I'll get one and you can have one - then we can juggle them and hope they don't fall or leak - like three mile island!

Tired of arrogance and hypocrisy,

Joseph Thomas

Show don't Tell

2006-01-09T16:58:00.000-05:00

Here is a simple explaination for an old rule that can be somewhat cloudy.

Have a read if this one has you feeling fuzzy. Not in a good way.

JT

Corruption in Washington and other shockers.

2006-01-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

What the Hell?

So let me get this straight, lobbyist lavish gifts on elected officials so those officials will vote on and push laws that benefit the companies/industries/groups that the lobbyist work for. And if that doesn't sound corrupt enough, in most cases the lobbyist support the elected officials re-election campaigns. So most elected officials, save for the really rich ones, are in the pockets of some special interest before they enter office.

I thought that the elected officials represent the people who voted for them. What an ass I am.

Of course the really good lobbyist, then get jobs in very high places in the US Government - take the head of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), he used to be a lobbyist for big logging companies (Not very environmentally friendly). In this sense the pendulum comes full circle; so government is fair - fairly corrupt.

The real problem here is that no one will be held accountable - some officials 'Head Aid' will lose their job or get spanked for being bad. Will they hang DeLay by his political testies? I doubt it.

What's worse is that this will provide a decent cover for George W. to slip under the radar of IMPEACHMENT for ignoring the constitution and pooh-poohing the bill of rights. This is the real shame of it. Another sacrificial lamb on the alter of the Bush Administration.

tata -

Joseph Thomas

Last Night

2006-01-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

Last night I had this dream where I was writing this real tight piece about some social political subject. It was moving, thoughtful, provocative , and of course, dead on and honest.

I woke up this morning had some tea, and I can't remember a damn word of it. Not even the topic. What's the point of lucid dreams, when they don't last past the dawn?

Luckily I also forgot the name of the publication I was sure would publish it.

There is justice. Somewhere.

JT

Short Fiction Contest Results (Fall '05)

2005-12-20T23:14:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

Ramble Underground's Winter '06 Issue is Live.

The Winners of the Fall - 50-50 Short Fiction Contest are online. The Grand Prize Winning story won $100 US and is published along with two honorable mention.

Spare a moment and read some Fiction!

New Short Fiction, Poetry, Art, and Photography...

Short Fiction - New Issue

2005-12-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Our Winter '06 issue is released tonight. Short Fiction is alive and well. There is a pulse and it's beating hard and fast.

We are publishing four New Short Fiction Pieces and Three New Poems.

Have a Look.

http://www.rambleunderground.org

Tookie

2005-12-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

Stanley Tookie is dead. Our Jail system doesn't work. Reform is just a word. NYC Transit is threatening a strike. Gold is up. The dollar's down.

Apathy!

Bush acknowledges faulty Iraq intelligence

2005-12-14T16:02:00.000-05:00

Wow,

So it seems that GW Bush has finally picked up a three year old newspaper!!! What a scholar.

Doinus proud! GW.

This of course is a trick: Carl Rove, or whoever thinks behind the face, decided Bush should own up and take responsibility. This is bound to boost the sliding ratings.

Sorry this is supposed to be a Fiction editor's blog - so how about them Yankees?

Write a good ending

2005-11-28T10:11:00.000-05:00

As the editor of an online Literary publication, Ramble Underground, I see way too many Fiction pieces fall short at the end. After writing a tight story with a clear and enticing beginning, most writers pull us through to the middle and then drop us flat on our faces. I have read several stories where I was looking for the next page, wishing they went that extra mile or minute. Those stories have not been published.
I am not advocating Disney endings or endless short fiction stories without direction. Your ending can be anything you want, but spend at least as much time on it as you did the beginning. Be sure that your ending serves the purpose of the story.
The most common ending pitfalls we see in short fiction writing:
Hurried endings (Big build-ups, epic tragedy, all resolved within a paragraph - ain't life grand)
Loose ends (You don't have to explain everything. Not everything has an answer, but don't leave key things out.)
Pointlessness (Many stories end where they began, nowhere and none the better for it. Have the reader be changed: give them a new prospective or understanding)
We all know the importance of the first sentence, but what about the last? Don't sell your work short and toss away countless hours, spend time on the ending. You'll never get published without one.
Joseph Thomas is the editor of Rambleunderground, a Quarterly online publication of Fiction, Poetry, Art, and Photography. Read his blog at What The H?

Stanley Williams

2005-11-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

Stanley Williams is one of the founders of the Crips gang in LA. His execution is scheduled for December 13th 2005.

Read about his reform and his fight to redeem hisself and to save the lives of so many young gang members. See why he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year now since 2001.

Read his Petition for executive clemency

Read my email to Governer Schwarzenegger:
Send him your own (governor@governor.ca.gov)

Dear Governor,

I hope that you take a hard look at this case and decide to grant clemency to Stanley Williams. Clearly this is a case where the jail system worked to reform a citizen. This is the very purpose of the system in the first place, Redemption. If the state kills this man it sends a clear message that reform does not exist and is a worthless concept in our jail system.

Weigh the scale of good and evil. This man has done his share of evil, why cut him down now, when he is trying to re-balance that scale?

Best regards,

Joseph Thomas
editor@rambleunderground.org
Editor, Ramble Underground
Art begins beneath the surface...
Read my Blog

Impeach Bush Coalition

2005-11-22T15:16:00.000-05:00

Check this out. Novel idea. I'm in!!!

Dick Cheney

2005-11-22T14:48:00.000-05:00

I don't like his face. He looks like somebody you wouldn't trust if he came to your door in a suit. This is not based on facts, though I could muster up a few, it's more just a feeling of dislike.

No it's not that he's up to his eyeballs in blood money - nor is it the denial of his own lesbian daughter. Sorry he does not deny her, he forgives her and begs forgivness of his party for her girl on girl preference.

Really it is none of this. I wouldn't trust him if he worked for Green Peace and wore only hemp. He'd be the one filtching from the dime bag or replacing it with oregano.

Well what the hell? he's is a politician - a damn ugly one.

Fiction Contest

2005-11-18T12:14:00.000-05:00

Our first ever Short Fiction Contest has reached its deadline. We raised $99 dollars for the first place prize. We are reading them now and will announce the winners in our Winter 06' issue - out December 21st.
Check back to see.

Ramble Underground - Fiction, Poetry, Art, and Photography

The forum for the Fiction contest was 2000 words or less. We think this is a good size. What says you? Too short, too long? Are we contributing to the ever shrinking face of Fiction???

How about the $6 entry fee, too much?

Let me know.

This fiction journal thing

2005-11-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

LINK: Ramble Underground

It has really taken off. We are getting about 50 Fiction Submissions a month and 30 writers entered our Short Fiction Contest. The prize has risen to $90 US Cash and we have raised about $75 (After Paypal took theirs) for Site upkeep, etc. It is awesome to be able to pay writers for their work.

We have receieved some great stories and some not so great stories, but all in all, people are out there making art.

We are looking forward to our next Issue coming December 21st - Our first Fiction contest results, plus awesome Photographs and Art to post as well. Look for it!

All the Best,

Joseph

New Short Fiction

2005-11-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

As editor of a literary journal I see that the face of short Fiction is shrinking: 2000 words or less, Flash Fiction, short short Fiction, Micro Fiction. What is next? Short Fiction Sentence Contests?

Is this good for Fiction? I do not know, new is good, but short is short. Is it enough?

Well, I confess, I have been lured in by the tight structure - the need for succinct description and movement. Hell it's easier and it is harder, but is it good?

Post your thoughts.

Health Care

2005-11-01T22:26:00.000-05:00

How frustrating. Doctors can not administer good medicine because their hands are tied by Insurance companies. The docs are too damn busy anyway so mostly you are dealing with Nurses or less assistants, secretaries, phone answerers! Nightmare.
Soon I am told, from my doctor, they will have lists of approved doctors and ratings - not based on lives saved, don't be ridiculous. Based on average hospital stay lengths - Billing rates - frequency of testing. None of this is in our favor. all in favor of the CEO, CFO, VPS, Yada yadas at the top of the Health care industry. So my wife who has a history of Breast Cancer can not have a Mamogram every year so some fat head can buy his daughter another pony or a fancy bottle of grapes!
To End the health Care Crisis - And it is a crisis if you have someone you love who is unwell - To end it: Have the government impose salary Caps or Governize the whole damn thing. How un Capitalistic of me. How damn true of me.
Sorry did I just ask the governmen to protect the common man?
What an ass I am.

Butt naked in the USA

2004-11-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever tried to buy clothes made in the USA? What a frustrating task. I am quite sure that in Macau, where J Crew has their clothes made, they are not paying well enough to charge me $78 for a sweater. Who gets this cash? Mr. Crew (Figuratively of course)? A few rich executives? The counter girl? No, she makes $10 an hour. How many sweaters can she push in an hour? Too many. How can we afford to feed our children when nothing is made here?

www.luckybrandjeans.com (some clothes made in the USA.)
www.llbean.com (some stuff made in US. and they adhere to higher labor standards Globally)
Hopefully I will have more to come.

GAP, Old Navy, J Crew? Forgetaboutit!!!