The UFG2 Slush Pile Chronicles: the plot that is not

Writers who are new to the craft sometimes don’t understand plot as much as one would like.  That is the only way to explain the prevalence of the plot which is not: “they meet, they fuck, the end.”

Real plots have two things that the example doesn’t have: complications and a resolution.

Without a plot (excepting the plot that is not), the submission is not a story.

I’m not trying to tell anyone that there’s anything wrong with a narrative piece . Write all you want. However, if you submit a non-story narrative to paying markets that don’t specifically say they pay for non-story scene report, you may expect a rejection.

I received some excellent work that I could not accept for “UfG2″ because there was no plot.  There may be a third-gender character, but if you can replace that character with a vampire, a werewolf, or an elf, then the writer has not submitted a third-gender story.

It’s kind of like putting sugar in teriyaki sauce and calling it coffee.  I’m sorry, but I won’t swallow it.