How bloody are we talking? I have something in mind that could use some deliberately over-the-top violence. Not violence that indulges in the details, just what happens when barbarian fists meet normal heads.
Blood and bloody is no deterrent. Gore and gory is. Blood happens in physical combat. Write your character reveling in the challenge of that combat and survival, NOT reveling beyond the necessary blood and pain inflicted. I don't want to read Hostel or Saw and those won't make the cut. Ha. See what I did there.
I am actually uncertain how to answer that. Give me a hardcore character in a hardcore world doing hardcore damage to whatever's impeding his or her goal. Reread what I described above. If it helps any, I ran Rogue Blades Entertainment for the last 20 years and have numerous anthologies out. If you want a sample of what I like, the latest one is my defining title of Sword and Sorcery, NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD. There are definitely some balls to the walls tales in there.
Apologies, still not totally familiar with Substack and didn't realize I wouldn't get notices of comments and just found this.
To answer your question, while many people think Solomon Kane is Sword & Sorcery, I disagree because for me S&S comes down to protagonist motivation, which has to be on their own behalf in my opinion. For me, Solomon Kane acts on behalf of his God.
I call my Sword & Sorcery the S&S Attitude, and it consists of 2 character ingredients: an indomitable will to live fully every single moment until the moment Death throat punches you and a mercenary motivation that prioritizes fully embracing the next largest challenge you find even at the expense of whatever gain(s) you just made or may make. S&S is about battle, booty, beer, and baubles, or war, wenches, wine, and wages, or arms, ass, ale, and alms, but the true S&S Attitude protagonist values most the challenge of conflict and personally throwing oneself into and against the next test with a big ol' grin.
I'll take a Solomon Kane style character with that Attitude any day.
Somehow I want to try swashbuckling an S&S hero across John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" allegori-stan. I mean, Mr. Hawthorne laid a railroad there once, and it's got most all the needful elements: Good, Evil, Beautiful Women, Deadly Hazards, Funny Names ...
I never quite got into these types of stories (more a matter of "was never exposed to them"), but tit sounds exciting!
I've always been a kind of fellow who enjoys different media at different times. Sure, stories that go more into character or "the allegory of this" can be interesting, but sometimes you just want to read high adventure and stories filled with dark foul villains being vanquished.
On the Open Calls page, the word limit is 5-8k, but I saw that on this comment page it was mentioned as being 8-10k. Is it safe to assume that 5-10k is the intended word limit?
I did not catch that, but yes, the boss peeps did list 10k up there. I haven't been receiving anything beyond 8500. Sweet spot is still 5-8k, but I prefer longer to shorter.
How bloody are we talking? I have something in mind that could use some deliberately over-the-top violence. Not violence that indulges in the details, just what happens when barbarian fists meet normal heads.
Blood and bloody is no deterrent. Gore and gory is. Blood happens in physical combat. Write your character reveling in the challenge of that combat and survival, NOT reveling beyond the necessary blood and pain inflicted. I don't want to read Hostel or Saw and those won't make the cut. Ha. See what I did there.
If you can't read it with your favorite heavy metal tunes cranked up to 11, it's not metal enough.
Word count?
Right there on our Open Calls page--all the info you need for submission. 8-10k. But please make sure to check the rest of the requirements.https://raconteurpress.substack.com/p/open-calls-2025?r=2pggz3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
Any limitation as to plot or are we free to go completely balls to the wall?
I am actually uncertain how to answer that. Give me a hardcore character in a hardcore world doing hardcore damage to whatever's impeding his or her goal. Reread what I described above. If it helps any, I ran Rogue Blades Entertainment for the last 20 years and have numerous anthologies out. If you want a sample of what I like, the latest one is my defining title of Sword and Sorcery, NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD. There are definitely some balls to the walls tales in there.
All right. Apologies if that was a stupid question. I'll have to check out your anthologies.
Not stupid, I just wasn't sure how to respond.
Would you consider Howard's other character solomon kane to be sword and sorcery?
Apologies, still not totally familiar with Substack and didn't realize I wouldn't get notices of comments and just found this.
To answer your question, while many people think Solomon Kane is Sword & Sorcery, I disagree because for me S&S comes down to protagonist motivation, which has to be on their own behalf in my opinion. For me, Solomon Kane acts on behalf of his God.
I call my Sword & Sorcery the S&S Attitude, and it consists of 2 character ingredients: an indomitable will to live fully every single moment until the moment Death throat punches you and a mercenary motivation that prioritizes fully embracing the next largest challenge you find even at the expense of whatever gain(s) you just made or may make. S&S is about battle, booty, beer, and baubles, or war, wenches, wine, and wages, or arms, ass, ale, and alms, but the true S&S Attitude protagonist values most the challenge of conflict and personally throwing oneself into and against the next test with a big ol' grin.
I'll take a Solomon Kane style character with that Attitude any day.
Somehow I want to try swashbuckling an S&S hero across John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" allegori-stan. I mean, Mr. Hawthorne laid a railroad there once, and it's got most all the needful elements: Good, Evil, Beautiful Women, Deadly Hazards, Funny Names ...
What it lacks is a good cross-genre spoofing.
Outlining starts tomorrow.
Rough draft done. Edit 1 begun.
already workign on mine
I never quite got into these types of stories (more a matter of "was never exposed to them"), but tit sounds exciting!
I've always been a kind of fellow who enjoys different media at different times. Sure, stories that go more into character or "the allegory of this" can be interesting, but sometimes you just want to read high adventure and stories filled with dark foul villains being vanquished.
Advice I can get bloodied with.
Can the protagonist be a woman that likes beer, blood, and ass or is this strictly a sausage party?
Abs-solutely! Bring her on.
Good, I didn’t want to bring in a split tail where she isn't wanted
On the Open Calls page, the word limit is 5-8k, but I saw that on this comment page it was mentioned as being 8-10k. Is it safe to assume that 5-10k is the intended word limit?
I did not catch that, but yes, the boss peeps did list 10k up there. I haven't been receiving anything beyond 8500. Sweet spot is still 5-8k, but I prefer longer to shorter.
Thanks. I was about to ask the same question. It was going to be hard to hit EXACTLY 8,000 words.
Dang it. I was so busy writing that I missed the Blanket Fort!