Gail Simone, writer of @VertigoComics’ new horror title CLEAN ROOM, details the unvarnished reality of what it takes to become a comic book professional.

I'm CJ Lyons. And I'm a writer.... If you also need a twelve-step program to stop writing, then you've come to the right place. I don't like rules. I don't like people telling me what to do. I don't like complex formulas or graphs or charts that I have to consult because that's the "right way" to create a compelling story. So I've taken everything I've learned about the essence of good storytelling and I've distilled it all into a few simple concepts. Things so easy that by the time you've finished this book and practiced using these techniques, you'll be able to not only craft a great story but also to complete your novel. In fact, by the end, you'll be saying: Wow! This is so easy, it makes so much sense! I can use this every day I write... NOTE: I’ll be uploading parts of this how-to book every Thursday. If you’d like to buy the complete book it’s available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XTWZA2 (and was previously published as No Rules, Just WRITE!) There's also a companion workbook available on NoRulesJustWrite.com ABOUT CJ: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty-one novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart. Winner of the International Thriller Writers’ coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday). Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net

This is a contest designed to help expose your novel to the greater Wattpad community. Whether you just joined Wattpad or have been an active member for years, the sole purpose of this contest is to assist in the recognition of your book. NBR'S CURRENT CHAMPION REVIEWER: @LLMontez Testimony: I am floored at the level of amazing analysis, it was like having a large group of beta readers. - @h_coyle Because of all of you and NBR, my story is now ranking in fantasy and continues to climb! - @ktflynn Being spotlighted on NBR helped my story SO much! I got some incredibly useful tips and my story even made it to the What's Hot list in the Romance genre! - @AmeVicky02 I was overwhelmed - I can honestly say this is the most thorough feedback I've been given on anything I've ever written (tears up) - @twin_cities Being in the spotlight is cray to the zay! I was overwhelmed with the amount of positive, helpful, and inspiring comments we received. The NBR contest is full of amazing people and is really cool to be a part of. - @KaraMichelleBooks I can't even begin to explain how hard it was to choose a winner and two runner ups. I want to keep you all chained under my bed so I can trade you food and water for feedback. - @cjbirch The feedbacks were awesome! Grammatical errors. Sentence structures. Flow. Descriptions. Everything has been so useful in helping me understand how I can improve. Some of you really put in so much effort to break it down it's unbelievable. - @JovyLow6 Previous featured authors were lying when they said it was difficult to choose a winner--because it's not difficult, it's near to impossible!!! - @PipSqueeks88 Not only do these rounds help expose me to new authors but critiquing others' works makes me think of my own work in different ways and how to improve it.. - @consciousdreamer1 Not exaggerating, this has been some of the best advice I've ever received from readers - @Holly_Gonzalez

Once Upon Now Grand Prize Winner published by Gallery Books. Sixteen-year-old Mira Sighansen never questions her place in the majestic wilderness of the Yukon Territory until she witnesses her brothers' oil rig explode. Refusing to believe the young men are dead, the teen's suspicions are strengthened when their bodies aren't found and she's later visited by six wild egrets. But these are no ordinary birds, and Mira is faced with a remarkable task not even the loss of her voice or the anger of her best friend (over a boy, of course!) can hamper. Convinced she can break a magical enchantment to bring her brothers back, Mira will risk jail and even psychiatric commitment to stop the rig from being rebuilt. Failure to overcome the doubts of her mayor mother, the opposition of her drilling foreman step-father, and the wrath of an industry thirsty for the valuable natural resource could mean not only the end of her family as she knows it, but also the loss of a vital part of her peoples' culture. This 9,000 word original short story is a modern-day retelling of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale number forty-nine 'The Six Swans' with a First Nations twist. It was part of the #OnceUponNow contest sponsored by @Target for a chance to be included in a published anthology. As of July 5, 2016, it has made it into the Top 25 and as of August 16, 2016, it has been announced as one of the Top 10 Grand Prize winners.