Gilly Laughs

Plunge is an online literary magazine publishing short stories, poetry, and non-fiction focusing on queer women within various genres (sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, westerns, etc).

Every issue of Plunge is themed. While every work in each issue must fit within the theme, broad and creative interpretations are both acceptable and desirable.

Issue One: Queer Women in Mythology

my·thol·o·gy KEY NOUN: pl. my·thol·o·gies A body or collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes. A body of myths associated with an event, individual, or institution: “A new mythology, essential to the … American funeral rite, has grown up” (Jessica Mitford). The field of scholarship dealing with the systematic collection and study of myths. [src] [src]

Re-write old myths revealing or highlighting queer women. Create new myths for cultures who live among the constellations. An ethnographic study of alien mythology. The private folklore of school girls. Modern day fusions. The goddesses of steam.

Submissions open through the first week of December.

Criteria

• All stories should feature at least one queer woman. Queer refers to the entire QUILTBAG. Woman refers to any person who identifies as such.
• Works that denigrate women or queer people/issues will not be accepted.
• Works explicit in sex or gore will not be accepted.
• While Plunge will read over and edit all works prior to publishing, all submitted works should be checked over and lined edited prior to submission. Any work with multiple obvious spelling and/or grammar errors will not be accepted.
• Some creators may be asked to edit their work as a condition for acceptance. Whether or not the creator decides to make the changes is entirely up to them.
• Works must fit the issue theme. Creators may interpret the themes broadly and should not feel restricted by any genre implied by the theme. For example, ‘fairy tale’ as a theme may include capers, space operas, old west, and so on.
• Cross-genre works and creative interpretations of the themes are very welcome.
• Nonfiction works should critique, illuminate, compare, and/or discuss pop culture, books, history, and/or literature in terms of the theme. This may be done through reviews, memoir, essays (academic or personal), news reports, interviews, meta-fictive analysis, or etc.

Basically, Plunge is seeking well-written and enjoyable works about queer women, that fit within the theme, and that have something that sticks after reading.