In the endless pursuit of publication I’ve come across a few sites that are only accepting works that fit their theme or style of the month, like stories that take place in a hatbox, or characters who speak in Haikus. Ok, those are made up, but I actually came upon one that only wanted stories written in annotated triptychs. No, really! So here’s what I think. If you already happen to have a story in that form, that is called writing. If you intentionally write one in that style, because the site might consider it, that is called an exercise. Although if you are an artist and someone pays you to paint their portrait, that is called a commission. And if anyone wants to commission me to write a story in annotated triptych form, I’m sure I can do it.
An Actor, a Writer, and a Rabbi's Wife Walk into a Bar... 
I hadn’t realized this was being done to writers too. Many a call for submissions for juried art are for thematic exhibitions. Frequently they are of a social nature, wanting to illustrate that plastics need to be recycled or domestic violence is bad. I don’t disbelieve these causes but feel that putting up an exhibition in an art gallery is “preaching to the choir.” So many times I’ve been told “it’s for a good cause.” My general answer has been that if it’s a good enough cause, write a check. Then the moneys are directly given to the good cause. There’s also the issue of the problem of the tax write-off, which is a different rant for a different time.
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