Imagine you received the above canvas in the mail, but there's no note or idea who sent it to you. What do you do and why would someone send this to you? This actually happened to one of our Semi-Sages and you can listen to Molly's story on her Semi-Sode. As amazing as her story was was, it sparked an idea among the Semi-Sages. What if we ran a contest, asking you to write a story on the above scenario? And what if there were prizes?
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PROMPT: You receive an odd package and have no idea who sent it to you. 
WORD COUNT: 250-500 words
WINNERS: Each Semi-Sage will select a winner for a total of four winners!!! You heard that right! Hint: Follow us on our social media platforms to see where our interests lie. Winners will receive a $25 Amazon dollar gift card, shout out on our podcast, publication on our website, bragging rights and a COVID-19 approved wave.    
HOW TO SUBMIT: Submit via our email address Semisages@gmail.com in the body of the email. ATTACHMENTS WILL NOT BE OPENED  
FORMAT:  Times New Roman 12 point, double-spaced. No extra spaces between paragraphs. Please put in the header Mysterious Package/Last Name. At the top of your email, please include your name and wordcount. If you have a specific Semi-Sage you'd like to submit to, please put her name at the top. If not, all Semi-Sages will consider all submissions. 
SUBMISSION DATES: April 10-May 8th (Extended!)
REPRINTS: No. We only consider original works. 
STIPULATIONS: We will not accept any gratuitous sex (story appropriate sexuality is okay), harsh language or any stories with abuse or mistreatment of animals (including human animals). This includes no torture porn, torture in general, rape, killing of children or animals, and bestiality. 
MEDIA RIGHTS: By submitting to the contest, you agree to share your work on social media and post the winning entries on our website.  

As we recorded this episode, California was in a shelter in place order due to Coronavirus or COVID-19 and we recorded from our homes. The Semi-Sages discussed how things were going for us on a personal level and then we went into the meat of the episode--plagues! We discussed Shakespeare who went under several quarantines and had his theatre shut down in his lifetime due to...the plague. We also discussed the importance of sanitation, and where the term sh*t-faced came from. It's a fun, topical episode!

In episode 4 we talk about dialogue and how to use it to breathe life into your characters.
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Each moment of dialogue must push the story forward, has to show how the characters feel about each other, and must be authentic and sound genuine. We share our favorite lines of dialogue from Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Twilight, Return of the King, Stranger in a Strange Land and discuss how these lines push the story forward and characterize these unique characters.
 
What are your favorite lines of dialogue. Share below!

In this episode we talk about romance and what it means to us. Romance isn’t just romantic love, but it’s also about love with cars, with nature, with our pets, or even with ourselves. We discuss that many character arcs involve falling in love with  themselves, before they can fall in love with another character. We also talk about why readers love romance so much even though the plot points, lovers meet, lovers start a relationship, lovers break up, one lover does a grand gesture, lovers reunite, stay the same over and over.

We also discuss the importance of choosing the best way to write for you. As Theresa says, “If you write, you’re a writer. Period.”
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How do you write? Do you write every day like Sarah or Theresa or do you binge write as Molly does? Do you have a critique group like Molly? Did it help? Do you need help finding a group? Let us know in the comments below.

Here we go with our second episode! We discuss first lines from listeners and Morrigan has Aha moments. Below are the lines shared.
 

• From Cheryl Lendvay's book, Tales from the Tallgrass Prairie:
  "No one in the house heard the gunshot. At least that's what they said."
  
• From Jessica McFadden:
  “I lifted my eyes from reading the spells in my grimoire, an ache pulsing at the base of my neck, reaching down between my shoulder blades where my wings would soon erupt.
  
• From E.M. Criman:
  “I was leaving my entire life behind, and it was my own stupid fault. 
  
• From Dale Fitzgerald’s book, Hallows Man
  "Well, the day had started out normal enough..." 
• From Lori R. Lopez’s book, Leery Lane
  "It was the place kids were warned about from birth."
  
• From Del Howison’s book, The Survival of Margaret Thomas
  "There are things that fix themselves in your mind; the blue smoke of multiple weapons discharging, the flash of an evil woman's smile, or the repulsive beauty of a bloodstained silhouette on a dry wooden sidewalk."
• From Holly Bell’s book, On the Road to Nimrod
  “We'll have to wait for the heavy morning dew to capture it.”
  

Do you have a first line you’d like to share? Leave a comment and we’ll feature it on a future episode

In our very first podcast, we play a fun game where we guess the works of fiction based on the first line. Because some of these are our favorite books, we thought it would be fun to share our favorites with our listeners. Let us know in the comments or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter which of the books are your favorite and why. We may mention you on our podcast!

Morrigan
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein packs a monstrous punch. The author's ability to weave poetic narrative into a plot which causes its readers to grapple with universal principles of the human condition continues to inspire writers in both the sci-fi and horror genres.  Breaking away from traditional gender roles, Mary Shelly (the daughter of famous first wave feminist Mary Wollenstonecraft) creates a novel which examines creation and parenthood from a chilling perspective. Although I have read and taught the novel many times, I still find new perspectives and insights in its pages.
 
Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game transports its readers into a world of conflict, competition, and survival. Card uses the futuristic war about the alien "buggers" to expose the base instincts of all of us.  Weaving a captivating narrative of personal growth and sacrifice, Ender's Game leaves its reader with a compelling twist that challenges us all to see the world from our enemies perspective. This book is a critical piece of literature in our era of violence, conflict, and political division.

William Golman's Princess Bride carries readers into a land of adventure, courage, friendship, and true love. This captivating tale is a cozy read with unique characters which speak to the heart of what really matters. One of the only movies that live up to the book, both renditions of the story bring a warm smile to my face. Reading this to my sweet daughter was a once in a lifetime experience.
 
Theresa
Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
This one is all about the nostalgia for me. While I enjoyed the series, I do feel like the first book is the strongest. But this one makes my list, because one of my sons loved the books and the movies and we would sit on the couch cuddling under blankets, watching the movies.
 
The Wizard of Oz – Frank Baum
Even though this book starts with a really slow beginning, it’s still one of my favorites. As a child, I’d read this one and all 14 of the Oz books obsessively. I had them memorized. I’d thought if I wished hard enough, I could go to Oz and meet Dorothy and Ozma. A huge thank you to Frank Baum for sharing his world with me and thousands of other readers and inspiring my own world building.
 
The Handmaids Tale - Margaret Atwood
While this book is troubling to read and the television series is disturbing, I can’t leave this one off my list. A wonderful cautionary tale about what happens if we’re not careful in what we give our government the power to do. And on that note—please vote this next election. Make your voice heard or you don’t get to complain about what happens.
 
Moon Called- Patricia Briggs
I’m not a huge fan of shifter or vampire books, but I love this series. And this book started it all. I love how the characters develop over time and the originality of Ms. Brigg’s world building.
 
Molly
Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo : Leigh Bardugo is an excellent author, and there's something extra special about her fantasy heist novel duology, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.  

The Black Prism - Brent Weeks: I read this book a few years ago, but it holds a special place in my heart because my husband and I listened to the audiobook while driving through Norway on our honeymoon. It has a unique magic system and one of the best reveals I've ever read.

Moon Called - Patricia Briggs: This series is a quintessential read for those who love urban fantasy. They balance humor and serious topics well. Rather unique for this genre, many of the characters are in healthy, stable & supportive relationships.

The Martian - Andy Weir: As an engineer, it is difficult for me to read science fiction. Many books in the genre either play loose & fast with the laws of physics or put technology instead of characters at the heart of the story. The Martian avoids both these pitfalls. It is funny, believable and a joy to read. 
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World War Z - Max Brooks: Do not judge this book by its movie. Written as if it's a series of non-fiction interviews, it is unique and fascinating. The audiobook has a full cast of voice actors and is also excellent. 

Hello all and welcome to the Semi-Sages of the Pages! We're the writing podcast where we don't know where we're going, but we're having an adventure!

The Semi-Sages are four women, each navigating the world of (mostly) speculative fiction writing and publication. None of us knows what the future holds & we are not experts. However, we want to share our trials and lessons with you as we go on this journey.

Our first episode drops on Feb 4! Until then, check out our website, stalk us on social media or shoot us an email! We look forward to engaging with all of you. Keep a weather eye out, the ladies keep sending me voicemails and I'll share some soon!