30th September, 2009 - No Comments
How to Get Rejected John C. Snider, Ginjer Buchanan, Bill Fawcett, Toni Weisskopf, Stephen H. Segal, Stacy Hague-Hill, Lou Anders Easy Rejections: Long cover letters Shaped manuscripts Pitching in costume Submit a marketing plan Spam submission Inappropriate topic Assuming familiarity Disrespect of genre Getting the editor’s name wrong Not understanding the genre Filthy submission Strange » Read More
29th September, 2009 - No Comments
World Building Peter David, Steve Berman, Chesya Burke, Ann C. Crispin, Christopher Golden, Catherine Asaro, Walter Jon Williams Key Points Establish the world, then live in it. Evoke the world What story works in the world OR what world moves the story Characters create the world they need to live in Be Consistent History is » Read More
28th September, 2009 - No Comments
Frightening Folklore Christopher Golden, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Jonathan Maberry, Caitlin Kittredge, Mike Mignola Key Points Universal Monsters: Fundamental human fears Explanation for the unknown Keeping the balance Mythology: Mythology is a shared experience that connects us We are creating new mythology all the time We change history through storytelling Favorite Monster Sources: Japan Malaysia Vietnam » Read More
27th September, 2009 - No Comments
Getting in the Game: Writing for the Gaming Industry David Harmer, Bill Bridges, Kathleen O’Shea David, Elonka Dunin, Sean Patrick Fannon, Aaron Armand de Orive Key Points Gaming: Know your Audience Players want the illusion of a nonlinear story Players must feel accomplished Gamers like action – Fights must happen Develop a setting for all » Read More
26th September, 2009 - No Comments
I realized it had been a while since I’d mentioned where my stories were. I’ve been updating my News page, but here’s a summary of the past two weeks for the curious: Twin Circles was submitted to and rejected by Fantasy Magazine. Crow Spirit was submitted to Strange Horizons. Thirsty Dagger was submitted to Weird » Read More
26th September, 2009 - No Comments
Tell It Like It Is! Sherrilyn Kenyon, Eric Griffin, Peter S. Beagle, Chesya Burke, Cherie Priest, Raven Hart, Gene Wolfe, Tiffany Trent Key Points Write: Sit down and write – Talent isn’t enough, you have to show up. Hard work trumps talent. If the muse is late, start without her. Find your audience and speak » Read More
25th September, 2009 - No Comments
Storytelling…Is It a Lost Art? Sandra Angelin Chastain, Katherine Kurtz, James A. Moore, Stacy Hague-Hill, Gene Wolfe Key Points Storytelling: Storytelling is evolving, not dying. Character, Theme, Atmosphere, Plot – hit two in every paragraph. Good stories are moving, truthful and relatable. Everything is in play – spin the plate and see how they fall. » Read More
24th September, 2009 - No Comments
Write a Story in an Hour Gary Kim Hayes Key Points You need an idea or a character. Idea: The idea must be central to the story, but the story is not about the idea. Find a unique idea. Snowball the idea. Character: You have to do bad things to your characters. Character is how » Read More
11th September, 2009 - No Comments
Thirsty Dagger was rejected this morning by Fantasy Magazine. Tonight I submitted Twin Circles to them. I’m debating posting updates with each submission and rejection, or just updating my news page and every now and then posting a summary here. Read More
9th September, 2009 - No Comments
In the panel, Things I Wish Some Pro Had Told Me run by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Heinlein’s Rules for Writing were the first thing presented. Rule number 5 is: You must keep the work on the market until it sells. In that spirit, I submitted four stories tonight that I had previously put » Read More