Hello and welcome to 2015. You may remember that back in July I noted that CC Finlay will edit two issues of Fantasy & Science Fiction for this year, and that he will accept electronic submissions. Excellent news! The second of those submission periods is open now through January 15th. For more information, check out his blog post on the subject. Good luck to all who submit!
Posts Tagged ‘short stories’
CC Finlay’s Guest-Edited F&SF, Now Open to E-Subs
Posted in Writing, tagged artists, CC Finlay, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fiction, genre fiction, Motivation, science fiction, sff, short stories, speculative fiction, submissions, Writers, writing, yay on January 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Fun, No Nonsense
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged creativity, David Farland, Fiction, fun, Gavin Grant, genre fiction, Holly Black, inspiration, Kelly Link, Lightspeed, sff, short stories, speculative fiction, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing, yay on December 15, 2014| 1 Comment »
David Farland put out a nice piece last week titled Be Excited, and (unsurprisingly:) that pretty much sums up his thesis. Essentially, he says that the writers he sees who are the most productive are those able to get and stay excited about their work. That hit home for me, not just in terms of quantity, but also quality. I find that my best stories tend to be those I find most entertaining. Granted, I may be biased, but what’s more fun than… fun?
With that in mind, I recommend a short fiction from the September issue of Lightspeed.* Holly Black’s Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (the Successful Kind) is everything I love about a story: it’s funny, poignant, trying and triumphant. And fun.
* This story also appeared in the excellent Monstrous Affections anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant, which I read on the strength of this piece.
A Brief Introduction to Resources for New Writers
Posted in Writing, tagged Ann Patchett, Anne Lamott, creativity, Damon Knight, Dwight V. Swain, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, john scalzi, on writing, science fiction, sff, short stories, speculative fiction, Stephen King, TED, work, writer’s block, Writers, writing, Writing Excuses on December 8, 2014| 1 Comment »
Writing is simple, right? Writing is considered a basic skill in our society and as such, people often look down on it as, well, a basic skill. Sadly, thinking that you can write an effective book/story/memoir/etc. because you are literate is like saying that because you can run down the block, you have what it takes to do the Boston Marathon.
As always, the devil is in the details. Sorting out those details, by understanding the process and which of the many aspects of art and craft you should work on, is key to becoming (and staying) a writer.
Much of what I read and write is speculative and genre fiction, and a few of my specific suggestions and references are colored accordingly. If speculative fiction isn’t your thing that doesn’t mean you can’t use these references. It just means that you may need to ask yourself questions like, “This is great, but how would an alien sea monkey’s need for interstellar love translate to a tailor in modern-day Calcutta?” All the better to exercise your creative faculties, I say. As you’ll see, though, most writing advice translates well across boundaries.
Here are a few pointers to get you started…
Resources I’ve Found Useful:
- Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
- Creating Short Fiction: The Classic Guide to Writing Short Fiction by Damon Knight
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King [An intriguing look at King’s own experience with writing as well as a truly useful guide to the craft itself.] - Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain [A very detailed discussion of craft.]
- The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life by Ann Patchett
- You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing by John Scalzi
- If you happen to be fighting a case of writer’s block, you may very well find Victoria Nelson’s On Writer’s Block helpful. It’s not what you can do to get rid of the block, it’s what the block can do for you…
It will shock no one to learn that there are also a lot of writing resources on the web; often the problem is sorting through them all. Search for talks, interviews and essays by authors whose work speaks to you, see if their ideas or suggestions offer fuel for your fires. I’ve mentioned some links in previous discussions on writing and creativity already, and there are many (many, many) more. To get you started:
- 13 Inspirational TED Talks for Writers
- Stephen King’s Reading List for Writers
- The Writing Excuses podcast/blog
- The TED-Ed Writer’s Workshop Series
Life rewards action…. That story isn’t going to unf*ck itself.
— Chuck Wendig [asterisk mine]
There are all kinds of writers. Fiction vs. not, certainly, but also binge writers, morning writers, middle of the night writers, must have my pencils just so writers, deadline writers and cabin in the woods writers, can only write on used envelope writers, take your pick. Find what works for you.
Then write.
A Better Tomorrow Through Science Fiction
Posted in Likes, Science!, Writing, tagged DARPA, dystopias, Elizabeth Bear, Fiction, Future Tense, genre fiction, inspiration, NASA, Neal Stephenson, optimism, science, Science and Technology, science fiction, sff, short stories, speculative fiction, Ted Chiang, Writers on October 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »
via Slate.com:
Using Science Fiction to Create a Better Tomorrow: A Future Tense Event Recap
Oh, this looks fun. A recent event hosted by Slate’s Future Tense and Issues in Science and Technology in D.C. focused on ways that imagination in general, and science fiction in particular, can help inspire a better future. Sure, dystopias are all the rage and who doesn’t love a good apocalypse, but people have always enjoyed teasing themselves with frightening things. The key word is “teasing”… that doesn’t mean we actually want to live there.
(Srsly, do you really want a horde of raving zombies standing between you and your pumpkin spice latte every morning? Neither do I. I want to live in a future where disease is manageable, hunger is obsolete, and creativity and innovation rule the day in the best ways. I also want a flying car. Because where are all the flying cars?!)
Check out the October 2nd event, complete with video of speakers like Neal Stephenson, Ted Chiang, Elizabeth Bear, representatives from NASA, DARPA, SyFy and many others, here: Can We Imagine Our Way to a Better Future?
From the tales we tell about robots and drones, to the narratives on the cutting edge of neuroscience, to society’s view of its most intractable problems, we need to begin telling a new set of stories about ourselves and the future.
Related links:
— Neal Stephenson’s article at the World Policy Institute, on the importance of renewing our society’s ability to “get big things done”: Innovation Starvation.
— The anthology Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future.
— For more links to short stories (including pieces from Hieroglyph) and related discussions on this topic, see the final section of the Slate article.
Fifty Thoughts on Writing
Posted in Writing, tagged advice, Fiction, genre fiction, persistence, Seanan McGuire, sff, short stories, speculative fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on October 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Here’s another great piece of writing advice, this time from prolific and award-winning author Seanan McGuire. She gives us 50, yes, fifty thoughts on writing, some on the act of writing and some on being a writer. It’s a useful list. Let’s just say she had me at “You’re going to suck when you start.”
🙂
Cover Letters: The Story Stands or Falls on Its Own
Posted in Writing, tagged Cover Letters, Fiction, Helena Bell, sff, short stories, speculative fiction, submissions, Thoughts, to do and not to do, Writers, writing on October 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »
If you have ever had questions about how to introduce your submission, I recommend The Occult Wisdom of Cover Letters by Helena Bell. It’s extensive, covers a great many details that only come up when you are ready to submit at 4:13 a.m. and have no one to ask, and is funny besides.
Essentially, her advice boils down to “the story stands or falls on its own” so keep it short and simple. Also, I recommend paying special attention to the appendix of “terrible things.” Avoid!
Do More
Posted in Writing, tagged do more, Fiction, Motivation, motto, persistence, productivity, short stories, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing on September 11, 2014| 1 Comment »
My motto for today is “Do More.”
That’s it. Simple and easy to wrap one’s head around, if not always to put into practice. Having a goal helps me focus. Making it straightforward brings me all the positive feedback of accomplishment without the tedious “Holy crap, I can’t do this” of a more difficult challenge.
“Self,” I say to myself, “you are doing more and that is awesome. Let’s keep it up.”
Does a dead-simple productivity hack like this work for me? I am happy to report that so far the answer is yes. I’ve edited one story, submitted another, brainstormed a third, worked out and also done non-writing work. I’ve made what I consider not-bad progress. Here’s hoping that whatever it is you’re working on, you have too.
Robot Army? Yes, Please!
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged books, crowdfunding, Fiction, genre fiction, John Joseph Adams, robot army, science fiction, sff, short stories on August 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I’m afraid I’m late to this particular party so please note the deadline tonight at midnight, but for the next ten-ish hours HELP FUND MY ROBOT ARMY!!! and Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects edited by John Joseph Adams is available for Kindle at the low, low price of $0.99. I’ve read the title piece and enjoyed the heck out of it, so I’m in.
This deal ends at August 26th, 2014, which is midnight tonight, Pacific Time. Enjoy!
It’s Uncanny!
Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged artists, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, neil gaiman, science fiction, sff, short stories, space unicorns, speculative fiction, Uncanny, Writers, writing, yay on July 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »
A new pro-level magazine of science fiction and fantasy? Yes, please! Uncanny Magazine is being launched via Kickstarter, and as a supporter of things sfnal, writerly, and otherwise cool I signed on. It’s a project by three-time Hugo Award-winner Lynne M. Thomas and three-time Hugo Award nominee Michael Damian Thomas, and it already features a terrific contributor roster of authors and artists.
Also? Space unicorns!
So if you also like the idea of more markets for professional science fiction and fantasy, check out Uncanny: A Magazine of Science Fiction & Fantasy.
Went Fishing
Posted in Holidays, Writing, tagged bald eagles, creativity, fishing, fun, inspiration, lake trout, nature, short stories, writing on July 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Had fun fishing. Thought up lots of story ideas while trolling the lake. Did not fall in.
Non-typical wildlife observed on this trip:
— a black bear galloping across the road
— loons and loon chicks
— Merganser ducks
— one heron, Great
— two Trumpeter swans and their four signets
— deer, grazing
— a fox, sprinting
— lake trout, swimming
— terns and/or gulls, I can’t tell them apart
— a bald eagle nest, but the parents were away and the chick was having a bit of a snooze
Also, I learned that reeling in 550 feet of steel fishing line takes ages and is not for the weak of arm!
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