Fiction Scribe

I came across an interesting post on The Wandering Author’s blog.

Not long ago, I posted about the plight of autistic children in many parts of the world, and asked what a writer could do to stop it. I still don’t have an answer to the larger questions, but one comment started me thinking of one thing we can all do. No matter what else may happen in the world, we can each try to help one person at a time.

Anna’s son, Red, has apraxia, which means he can’t talk. And her health insurer has decided Red’s need for a speech therapist doesn’t qualify. So Anna read my post and said, “Children who can’t speak. God, how I understand that subject.”

Anna’s comment left me thinking about her son. Too many people are seeking donations for too many needs for a button seeking donations through PayPal to do much good. It always seems easier to raise funds if you offer something in return; that’s why bake sales and raffles are so popular. But what can a blogger offer? Well, a lot of bloggers are writers, or want to be.

The Wandering Author is looking for your “child without a voice” themed stories for an anthology he plans to put together and sell on Lulu. However, there are a few things to be done first:

First of all, the book can’t legally be published without an agreement written by someone who understands copyright law, granting rights for this project but allowing each author to retain the remaining rights to their own work. If possible, it should cover submissions from any country, and sales to any country as well.

There is also the problem of setting this up so neither Anna nor I winds up with a nasty surprise from the tax man, and so everyone who participates can be sure the money really goes to help Red. I wouldn’t even begin to know how to do that. I’m also not sure if such an arrangement is possible under LuLu’s current terms of use, or whether a special accommodation will be necessary there. I can probably find that out on my own, at least.

Most of you can’t help with the legal questions, but if you do have a relationship with any blawgs, or happen to know a good lawyer who might donate a bit of time, I’d appreciate your help. I’ll also be seeking help myself, but I already know this - if I could afford to pay the lawyers, I could pay for the therapy myself and spare myself all the work! I’m just hoping the legal issues can be broken down into smaller tasks, and there will be enough lawyers willing to help.

However, he is also looking for submissions, which is where the writers and aspiring writers who come to this site come in. The fine guidelines are on the post, but basically he’s looking for stories of any length (preferably not over novella length) on the theme. He’s still working on the fine legal details, but that gives you more time to write your story.

Write and know you’re writing for a good cause.