Medium Publications by ILLUMINATION Writers

Introduction to Take Two

A publication by Tina L. Smith

Take Two is a new publication developed especially for skilled Medium writers to share alternate versions of a poem or short fiction.

This is a very different publication from most. Designed especially for writers to have fun and be creative!

Maybe you want to create a parody of your own work. Or try a different approach to a piece you’ve already published (without changing the live, published version). Maybe you even want to take on a redux of someone else’s work.

Now there’s a home for your witty and alternate versions of short pieces (two minutes or less reading time).

Why Take Two? It’s a second take AND it’s for work that has a reading time of two minutes or less.

Parodies — spoof yourself!

There are two different kinds of parodies you can submit.

• A parody of a short fiction piece or poem you published on Medium (from any publication or self-published)
• A parody of someone else’s short fiction or poem published on Medium (from any publication or self-published) [Note: please ask permission of the author as a courtesy and tag them in your submission. Only good-natured submissions, please.]

Rewrites — revisit your approach

And there are two different kinds of rewrites you can submit.

• A revised version of a short fiction piece or poem you published on Medium (from any publication or self-published)
• A revised version of someone else’s short fiction piece or poem published on Medium (from any publication or self-published). [Again, please ask permission of the author as a courtesy and tag them in your submission.]

How to submit

1. Email [email protected] to be added as a writer. Include your Medium name and a sentence about why you’d like to be added as a writer. Please allow a day or so for me to add you.
2. Choose a favorite poem or short fiction. NOTE: the original AND new piece should each be under two minutes to read.

• Choose your own work published on Medium (any publication or self-published) — no permission required.
• Choose a piece published by someone else on Medium (any publication or self-published) — please connect with the author first to ask their permission as a courtesy. This is YOUR responsibility.

2. Create a new version. Keep the overall spirit but add a twist or a new angle to it.

• This is a great venue for creating parody. Have fun! Be clever and all that rot.
• It’s also a great venue for trying out a different ending or viewpoint.
• If you are creating a new version of someone else’s work, tag them in your submission.

3. Include a link to the original piece in your new submission so that readers can easily see both versions.

4. Add a tag: “Parody” or “Rewrite” to indicate which type of piece it is. (“Rewrite” indicates that it is a revised, non-parody version.)

4. Submissions will be reviewed ASAP, but please allow at least 24 hours to respond before emailing to inquire about status.

Here’s an example of a parody of an original poem.

Cash prize writing contest underway; submissions due 8/25/20

To launch Take Two in style, we’re running a writing contest with a small cash prize! I hope you’ll consider submitting an entry. Details about the contest can be found in this link:

I extend a special thank you to Dr Mehmet Yildiz for his generous invitation to share this publication with the talented writers of ILLUMINATION. You’re awesome!

I look forward to hearing from some great ILLUMINATION writers!

Your humble editor,

Tina L. Smith