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mary rosenblum
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Hello all!
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mary rosenblum
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Wow, I'm impressed that so
many people made it on a sunny holiday Friday no less... (well, sunny for
me!)
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor, talking about writing Speculative
Fiction tonight. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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mary rosenblum
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It's going to take me moment
to shift gears here. :-) I'm about 200 pages into the revision of my
current novel...
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mary rosenblum
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and that is rather an altered
state of being for me, since I keep the entire story in my head as I
work...makes it hard to do much else! :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Nice to come up for air
though. My dogs are bored.
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mary rosenblum
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It occurred to me that I
haven't specifically talked about writing in the speculative fiction genres
much. And I know a number of LR regulars are working in SF and/or
fantasy...
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mary rosenblum
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so this might be a good time
to talk about what makes good or bad SF/fantasy, what to watch out for, and
what editors want.
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mary rosenblum
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Since I know most of them
personally in the field, that's the easy part. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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SF and Fantasy rather blur
together, depending on how strictly you define 'Science Fiction'...and at
the fantasy end of the spectrum...
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mary rosenblum
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they blur over into both
horror and mainstream.
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mary rosenblum
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I've written several 'fantasy'
pieces that were published mainstream.
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drakeluvr
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It seems like so many ideas have
been touched on, what else is there to write?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, goodness, drake EVERY idea
has been done. So what?
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mary rosenblum
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It's not the idea that
matters, although if you come up with a cool new one that's great.
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mary rosenblum
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You can take something that
has been done a hundred times, give it a new twist, a new perspective, and
it's fresh.
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mary rosenblum
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That's one of the things that
I love about the field and one that makes it potentially powerful...
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mary rosenblum
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it is not entirely dependent
on idea, nor is it entirely dependent on characters...it is a blend of
both...
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mary rosenblum
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and you can weight the balance
either way in a story...
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mary rosenblum
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using a familiar SFnal idea
with a powerful character driven plot...
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mary rosenblum
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or a strong new idea or take
on one with less powerful characters.
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drakeluvr
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I mean, I took a new twist on
Lord of the Rings, and presented to Tolkien Estates because I thought that
was the idea place to start. They told me I was in danger of copyright
infringement
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mary rosenblum
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You're only in danger of
copyright infringement if you use the characters created by Tolkien,
Drake...
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mary rosenblum
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and that IS too close.
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mary rosenblum
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Lots of writers use things
from my created universes...
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mary rosenblum
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but they have to bring their
own characters to the mix!
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tkat_2
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This must be the year of
recycled ideas for hollywood. They seem to be remaking old movies, very
badly I might add. I saw the remake of Salem's Lot. The original was
better.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, that is Hollywood and
NEVER look to Hollywood as an example of what to write.
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mary rosenblum
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Hollywood follows far behind
printed prose in terms of 'cutting edge' folks.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor, talking about writing Speculative
Fiction tonight. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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drakeluvr
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I used my own characters and
place names, and only made referrence to his character of Legolas in
passing and they totally flipped out
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mary rosenblum
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yeah, you simply CANNOT use
characters from other writers' universes unless you get written permission.
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mary rosenblum
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And you CAN get it...a friend
of mine has written a couple of excellent Sherlock Holmes in the future
pieces...
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mary rosenblum
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and got permission from the
Doyle estate.
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mary rosenblum
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But right now, with the
popularity of JRR...they're fighting a lot of copyright infringement
problems and will NOT be tolerant.
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drakeluvr
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I was making an association to
the character of Legolas being played by Orlando Bloom, that was it
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mary rosenblum
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Well, doesn't sound like it to
me, but you'd have to run it by a lawyer. That will cost you quite a bit.
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wolf122
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The owners of Tolkein Estates
are hyperparanoid about rights--I remember reading that Peter Jackson had
to go through miles of red tape to get the movies out.
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mary rosenblum
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They really are...happens when
something is a big seller.
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wolf122
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Do editors ever look for
specific sub-genres? Such as sword-n-sorcery, historical, romance, etc?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, all the time, wolf!
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mary rosenblum
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THE biggest mistake novice
SF/fantasy writers make is to submit to a magazine that they have not read.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors have VERY specific
tastes in what they do and do not publish.
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mary rosenblum
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You probably cannot sell a
sword and sorcery piece to Gordon Van Gelder at Fantasy and SF magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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But that's what's mostly in
his slush pile.
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beirdd
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There have been a lot of writers
who have used the characters from the Star Trek universe. But I suppose
they have a vested interest in keeping the interest going, so they are
generous with permission.
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, I'm laughing beirdd!
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mary rosenblum
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They are NOT permissive!
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mary rosenblum
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Those books are written as
work for hire on contract and they are carefully vetted. You get a 'bible'
so that you don't mess up their main characters!
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mary rosenblum
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YOu try publishing something
with a Trek character without permission and you will get a letter from a
lawyer pronto.
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mary rosenblum
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Gene is vicious about rights,
from what I've heard.
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drakeluvr
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Oi!! *sigh* I bet it'll be a
LOOONNNGGG road for me then
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mary rosenblum
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How come, drake?
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beirdd
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No, didn't mean without
permission. Just figured they had been generous in giving it out, though.
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mary rosenblum
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They're not, beirdd...you can
write Trek books for them...they take subs all the time...but not on your
own.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're interested, get the
guidelines.
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mary rosenblum
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They're big sellers and you
get decent money.
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drakeluvr
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well, this story that took a new
look at Middle Earth, is the very backbone of some other stories I was
planning to do
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mary rosenblum
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If you're doing it as
nonfiction, you're fine, drake, but I would simply create your own
universe. Why not? I doubt you'll get any kind of permission from the
Tolkien estate to use ME in any form.
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mary rosenblum
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Why not make your own fame?
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mary rosenblum
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Tons of fantasy are middle
earth with other names .
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mary rosenblum
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It's the name that
matters...and the character names.
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shaeya
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where do I find sifi magazines?
What are the names of some
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mary rosenblum
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The big ones are SciFiction
(online mag) Asimovs, Analog, Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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Talebones is technically small
press, but very well respected.
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mary rosenblum
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Dark Gate and Realms of
Fantasy (if they're both still in business) are the classical fantasy
markets.
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drakeluvr
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I feel that if I put them out
first, would be lost. It was after I made up my own names, Ened Kemen
(Middle Earth ref) and sent it to TE to look over, that they mentioned
copyright infringement
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mary rosenblum
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To be honest, Drake, you
really ARE better off making up your own worlds. Use what you love about
JR's and make it better. Surely you don't think it's entirely perfect?
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mary rosenblum
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That allows YOU to be more
creative in the long run and will earn you a much stronger reputation with
readers.
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drakeluvr
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I am working on it once more
because they made me feel like they would be on the look out for it
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mary rosenblum
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Whos' that?
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neo
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Isn't speculative fiction that
which deals with alternate history lines, like Nazis win WWII?
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, neo. That's alternate
history...a growing genre.
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mary rosenblum
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Harry Turtledove is sort of
the master of that...read his work if you'd like an example.
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mary rosenblum
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I love it, personally. Takes a
ton of research and knowing the REAL history so you can make the alternate
plausible...
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mary rosenblum
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Asimov's and probably F &
SF would be good mag markets for it, but it's primarily a novel genre.
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tkat_2
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re: The Realms of Fantasy
Magazine. I have two copies and their guidelines say they are a tough
market to crack.
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mary rosenblum
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They are but that's partly
because everybody who writes S & S short stories sends 'em there. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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But that's true of all the
main mag markets I mentioned.
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mary rosenblum
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They get about 100 subs a
week.
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mary rosenblum
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But most of them are wrong for
the mag or simply BADLY written.
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mary rosenblum
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You're not really competing
with 100 stories.
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mary rosenblum
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You're probably competing with
ten.
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drakeluvr
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it made me feel like Tolkien
Estate would be on the look out for it to slap me with a copyright
infringement suit so I have been widdling away once again
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mary rosenblum
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If you're really concerned,
contact Daniel Stevens, the publishing lawyer I interviewed here a couple
of years ago.
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mary rosenblum
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His interview is posted and he
has contact info there.
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mary rosenblum
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Pay to have him look the ms
over and tell you if you're clear.
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mary rosenblum
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I doubt it will cost a huge
amount.
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mary rosenblum
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Even a sample chapter or two
and a synopsis should do it for him.
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beirdd
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When you use such a large and
intensively developed universe such as the Star Trek one, doesn't it make
it difficult to learn all the timelines, relationships, interweavings,
etc., so you don't make big gaffes?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh don't worry, beirdd. If you
write a Trek novel for the Star Trek, they send you the 'bible' that has
all the character and story lines in it.
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mary rosenblum
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It's about the size of a phone
book from what i hear.
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speck
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Fantasistent is looking for
short story subs to go in their "Bash Down the Door and Slash Open the
Badguy" Anthology. They want humorous tales of swords and sorcery.
Guidelines are at www.fantasistent.com:--)
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mary rosenblum
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Yes, this is a new open
anthology market.
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mary rosenblum
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I have a story in their Modern
Magic anthology...they pay decently.
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mary rosenblum
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I hope their project flies!
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mary rosenblum
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Do check them out.
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mary rosenblum
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They are publishing
anthologies of orginal stories.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor, talking about writing Speculative
Fiction tonight. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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wolf122
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I have an illythid (mind-flayer,
octopus like mind eater) as an evil character in a story (the story works
around that concept)--could I use a different 'monster' that eats brains,
but doesn't look like a Wizards of the Coast monster and get away with it?
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mary rosenblum
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Sure. Just make it different. Believe
me, wolf, that is not the first brain eating monster to live in SF! LOL
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beirdd
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To be honest, sounds like too
much trouble.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, you really have to be a
Trek fan to enjoy it, I think.
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mary rosenblum
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All the Trek writers I know
ARE Trek fans...they already know the series well.
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drakeluvr
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Ok, I will... there is another
reason I am looking to have it published, in some sembiance... My best
friend who was looking forward to reading it passed away last month so if
it happens, it will be dedicated to her memory
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mary rosenblum
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I'd have Stevens or another
publishing lawyer look at some representative chapters and a synopsis and
then you can stop worrying.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor, talking about writing Speculative
Fiction tonight. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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pjwriter2
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why is there so few sifi and F
mags?
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mary rosenblum
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Distribution. In one word.
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mary rosenblum
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A few years ago, the magazine
distribution company...the one that put ALL magazines in the stores...
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mary rosenblum
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got bought by Barnes and
Noble...
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mary rosenblum
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Most of these mags then lost
their 'newsstand' sales...no more racks in the supermarket, newstand,
independant bookstore.
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mary rosenblum
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And their sales dropped by
about half.
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mary rosenblum
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Now they are nearly all by
subscription only and they are ALL struggling.
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mary rosenblum
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I'm afraid that the fiction
magazine has only a handful of years left ...at least in print...unless
something changes.
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mary rosenblum
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I think what will arise is a
'original anthology' market...
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mary rosenblum
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and online sites where you can
read or download stories.
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mary rosenblum
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Amazon.com is starting
something like that.
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beirdd
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Yeah, different genre, but I
recently tried to find Alfred Hitchcocks Mystery Magazine and Ellery
Queen's Mystery Mag, and could not find them anywhere. Maybe that's their
problem, too.
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mary rosenblum
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It is. They, Analog, and
Asimov's are all Dell Magazines.
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mary rosenblum
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They're all on the same floor
of the same building...their addresses are all the same. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Never simultaneously submit to
two of those at the same time. The editors talk to each other at lunch! LOL
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wolf122
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I'm afraid I'm no help to the
magazine industry--I usually get coffee and sit at Border's once a month
for a couple of hours and read the mags. At , and up, the mags are getting
too expensive to buy a lot of them.
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah, it's a catch-22. As the
readership drops, prices have to go up, so the readership drops....
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beirdd
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Well, I just submitted a story
to AHMM, so wish me luck!
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mary rosenblum
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I do. Good luck! :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Takes about four months to
hear, most of the time.
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t green
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So... what exactly is the
definition of "Speculative Fiction"? is it fiction with a
slightly alternate twist? say... "What If" novels?
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mary rosenblum
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It's a broad umbrella, t, and
it overlaps into mainstream.
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mary rosenblum
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Essentially, it covers
anything that is not 'real'.
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mary rosenblum
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The future, ghosts, telpathy,
demons, alternate history...
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mary rosenblum
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but it's a marketing term...
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mary rosenblum
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and if a publisher thinks that
'Handmaid's Tale' will sell better as mainstream, mainstream it is, even
though it's technically SF.
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pjwriter2
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So in the long run the publisher
puts it where they want?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, not quite. YOU have to submit
it to a particular editor.
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mary rosenblum
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Your agent may decide that it
would make a good mainstream thriller, for example, instead of a SF novel
put out by Tor and send it to Simon and Schuster.
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wolf122
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Do editors ever give stories to
other editors if they can't use them? Kind of trading slush piles?
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mary rosenblum
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No. They might, occasionally,
suggest you try another editor or publisher.
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mary rosenblum
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Not often. They're usually too
busy getting through that huge stack. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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But once in awhile, you'll get
that kind of advice.
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mary rosenblum
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And don't fall into the most
common mistake of all...
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mary rosenblum
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thinking that all you have to
have is a really cool idea.
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mary rosenblum
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Ideas are not particularly
important.
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mary rosenblum
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It is what you DO with that
idea that will sell your story...or fail to sell it.
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mary rosenblum
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You must write a good story.
The good idea is a bonus.
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mary rosenblum
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And conversely...if you can't
come up with an idea that 'hasn't been done' don't sweat it.
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mary rosenblum
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No big deal.
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speck
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Is there a particular sub genre
in Spec. Fic. that is "hot" now?
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mary rosenblum
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Good hard SF is always
popular. Gordon Van Gelder is DYING for it at F & SF.
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wingedwarrior24
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if an editor knows you are new
to the craft, will they let a not well written story slip?
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mary rosenblum
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Yep. Who's going to write it
if you can't? They're editors.
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mary rosenblum
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They might scribble a note and
say 'nice idea'...
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mary rosenblum
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but they have GOOD stories on
their desk...and they even if your idea is good...
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mary rosenblum
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it has to be as GOOD as the
stories they already have in front of 'em.
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mary rosenblum
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Which is why you are here,
learning to improve your craft, no?
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wolf122
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If an author wants to write a
novel for a certain line of books (Forgotten Realms, example), would
crafting the novel to have the same sound and feel as others in the line-up
work to sell the piece?
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mary rosenblum
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Well, clearly if all the books
from this publisher have certain things in common, they probably do want to
see those things. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I suggest that you write the
book that rivets you to the screen, and THEN start browsing the
bookstores...
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mary rosenblum
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to see who is publishing books
like the one you have just finished.
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mary rosenblum
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And then submit to that
publisher.
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mary rosenblum
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And count your blessings!
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mary rosenblum
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SF/fantasy/horror is about the
only place you can submit without an agent!
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wolf122
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What are small or medium level
slip-ups writers commonly do that just cause an editor to slush an
otherwise good story?
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mary rosenblum
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1. Bad Characterization.
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mary rosenblum
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2. Bad writing.
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mary rosenblum
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3. Bad endings
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mary rosenblum
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4.Bad beginnings.
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mary rosenblum
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The first two are pretty
interchangeable and they are the biggest reasons.
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mary rosenblum
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Often, a novice is so
delighted with the cool idea (and this goes for mystery, too), that they
rush through the story...
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mary rosenblum
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without really putting any
thought or energy into the characters.
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mary rosenblum
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Believing that the cool idea
will carry the story.
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mary rosenblum
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It will not.
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mary rosenblum
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Readers need real people. The
idea isn't enough.
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mary rosenblum
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I doubt any of you here write
badly enough to get rejected on that.
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mary rosenblum
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Character, maybe, if you
haven't had a lot of practice creating real people.
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mary rosenblum
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As I said, I suspect most of
you would place in the top ten percent of the slush, from what I've seen of
my students in general.
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mary rosenblum
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I do want to say one thing
about ideas...since some of you out there are my students.
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mary rosenblum
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I have a very strong ethic
about ideas proposed by students or participants at workshops I teach.
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mary rosenblum
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I don't touch them.
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mary rosenblum
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Ever.
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mary rosenblum
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The reason for that is my very
strong feeling that it is not fair for me to use your ideas. I CAN write
better than you. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I'm not going to compete with
you using YOUR idea!
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mary rosenblum
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Just in case anyone worried.
:-)
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drakeluvr
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I just wrote to Mr. Steven.
Thanks Mary, I will let you know what I find out. *hugs*
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mary rosenblum
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Do let me know, Drake. The
whole issue of how close you need to be to violate copyright is very
complex and I'd love to find out.
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mary rosenblum
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But for example, at writers
conferences, several of us will sit around and do idea generatings, usually
in the bar at the end of the day.
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mary rosenblum
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Often several writers go off
with the same idea. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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You'd never know it when the
stories are finally published!
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mary rosenblum
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And by the way, especially in
this field...
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mary rosenblum
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I highly recommend attending
any local SF/fantasy convention you can.
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mary rosenblum
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Even the small ones will
feature a few editors, publishers, and a bunch of pro writers.
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mary rosenblum
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They offer excellent panels on
writing and publishing as well as all other aspects of the genre...
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mary rosenblum
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and it's a very open crowd.
You can wait for an editor or writer after a panel and chat.
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mary rosenblum
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Networking is how most writing
business is done at the pro level.
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mary rosenblum
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As a very novice writer, with
nothing in print yet...
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mary rosenblum
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I got several invitations into
antholgies that were never publicly advertised...
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mary rosenblum
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just because I was sitting
around with an editor when he/she talked about an upcoming project...
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mary rosenblum
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and I asked if I could
contribute.
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mary rosenblum
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Nearly everybody in the field
recognizes a hungry and serious aspiring writer and we've ALL been there,
we all have a soft spot for 'em...
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mary rosenblum
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and we'll offer a hand.
Introduce you to an editor at a party. Give you a referral to an agent. That
sort of thing.
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mary rosenblum
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It's worth the money folks, if
you're serious.
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mary rosenblum
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Now this is true of every
genre, but for some reason, the SF/fantasy cons just seem to be more open
and relaxed.
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geezer
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What's a typical price for a
conference?
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mary rosenblum
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Depends on the size, geezer,
and whether you get your membership early or at the door.
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mary rosenblum
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If you get it say, nine months
in advance, a small con might only cost you say 75 to attend for the
weekend.
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mary rosenblum
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At the door, it might be
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mary rosenblum
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The really big cons...World
Con, will run you around , as I recall.
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mary rosenblum
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They offer convention rate
hotel rooms. Find roomates to split the bill.
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mary rosenblum
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Travel is going to be a large
or small expense depending on where you are going.
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mary rosenblum
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Check the internet for airfare
deals, check for nearby hotels that are cheaper...
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frazz
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I was told at a convention in
Southern California that SF&F was the most difficult genre to break
into. That it was so tight almost no new writers were accepted. I got very
depressed to say the least!
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mary rosenblum
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Frazz, that is totally untrue.
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mary rosenblum
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Not only have I been writing
in this for a very long time, I have watched people break in all the time.
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mary rosenblum
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I think it's actually one of
the easier genres to break into.
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mary rosenblum
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Because it is so diverse and
readers are always hungry for 'new'.
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wolf122
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How much graphic violence can be
used in SF? I'm thinking less of shock and gore, and more of using a small
Anat & Phys background to graphically enhance battle scenes (almost
like the one scene in Saving Private Ryan).
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mary rosenblum
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OH, goodness, you have some of
the most impressively detailed gore you want to read (or don't want to
read) in this genre. Get into the horror...
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mary rosenblum
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end of the spectrum and the
local slaughter house can't compare! LOL.
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mary rosenblum
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Virtually anything goes...as I
said, it's a very diverse genre.
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frazz
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They also said SF is looking for
hard core SF right now and "popcorn" was out!
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mary rosenblum
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Take all those 'predictions'
with a good shake of salt, frazz.
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mary rosenblum
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Right now, fantasy is beating
SF for readership, thanks to Harry Potter.
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mary rosenblum
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But hard SF has always been a
good seller.
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mary rosenblum
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But now, there is a merging of
the romance and SF/fantasy genres.
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mary rosenblum
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Catherine Asaro, past
president of SFWA, writes romantic SF.
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mary rosenblum
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That's a growing new face of
the genre.
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pjwriter2
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As a reader there never seems to
be enough new sci fi /f .Just my two cents
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mary rosenblum
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I'm one of the people doing
our best to fix that for you, pj! :-)
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wolf122
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Are editors looking for
full-time writers (to publish many volumes of work), or more for part-time
writers, publishing every now and then?
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mary rosenblum
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All publishers want writers
who will deliver more if their book makes good money, and all magazines
want repeat performers.
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whistlin_smithy
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Mary, your story 'Search Engine'
was a good read. Would you say that was hard SF or just more low key SF, or
somewhere in between?
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mary rosenblum
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Thanks, Smithy. That's hard
SF. :-) Wouldn't be in Analog otherwise, LOL.
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mary rosenblum
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It's hard SF because it's
based on the science in the story.
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mary rosenblum
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That story doesn't work
without the science.
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pjwriter2
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Me too I hope :)
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mary rosenblum
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Go for it, pj!
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mary rosenblum
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'Hard' SF is a SF story where
the science matters. It's not just a setting.
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mary rosenblum
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'Soft' SF is the story where
the SF is really just setting.
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geezer
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Do you have a science
background, Mary?
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mary rosenblum
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I have a BA in biology and I
READ prolifically in the sciences. :-) I do keep up on what is going on.
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mary rosenblum
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This is our After Hours Forum,
with me, Mary Rosenblum, your web editor, talking about writing Speculative
Fiction tonight. I've published seven novels and more than 60 short stories
and will do my best to answer any questions you have. If you're new here,
remember that you need to click on the 'Ask a Question' button or the 'word
bubble' next to the red question mark at the top of the screen in order to
ask a question. Your regular 'send' bar won't reach me! Or you can use /ask
and type your question into the regular send bar if that works better for
you..
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frazz
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What about Young Adult? It seems
everything in that genre is magic.
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mary rosenblum
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There are about three
publishers doing SF for YA right now.
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mary rosenblum
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I'ts not a big seller in YA,
alas.
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chell
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Do you feel fewer new writers
are doing horror?
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mary rosenblum
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No, actually, I think it may
be the reverse.
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mary rosenblum
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But I think horror is going in
the direction of ezines in short fiction.
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mary rosenblum
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If horror is your genre, you
need to join Horror Writers Association
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mary rosenblum
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I think you can join HWA as an
associate member even if you have not yet published...
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mary rosenblum
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I'm not sure, but you can
check their website.
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mary rosenblum
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http://www.horror.org/index.htm
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mary rosenblum
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Even if you're not a member of
SFWA (you need to publisher 3 stories or a novel to join) you can
subscribe...
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mary rosenblum
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to The Bulletin, the
newsmagazine for SFWA.
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mary rosenblum
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It has market and publishing
news.
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mary rosenblum
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And if you're serious about a
career in speculative fiction, subscribe to Locus Magazine.
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mary rosenblum
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That is THE trade journal of
the genre.
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mary rosenblum
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You'll see photos of your
favorite authors (nearly always unflattering, LOL), find listings of cons,
and publishing news.
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madhatter
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I've heard the term "magic
realism". what, exactly, it this?
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mary rosenblum
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Something I do quite a bit
madhatter. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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It began as the label for a
very specific group of South American writers some decades ago...G. G
Marquez among others...
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mary rosenblum
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and has broadened to currently
mean a type of magic that arises from reality...
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mary rosenblum
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rather than including witches,
demons, etc.
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mary rosenblum
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My story in Modern Magic, the
anthology coming out from Fantasist, is a magic realism piece.
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geezer
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Is three stories or a novel
standard to qualify for membership in most trade associaltions?t
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mary rosenblum
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No, it varies, geezer.
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mary rosenblum
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MWA requires a novel. Period.
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mary rosenblum
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Published.
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mary rosenblum
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RWA has no publication
requirement.
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mary rosenblum
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HWA has different levels, and
I think you can belong without publishing at all.
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mary rosenblum
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The main thing to keep in mind
is...write a good story.
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mary rosenblum
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That is THE bottom line in
this broad genre.
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mary rosenblum
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It is very large, it includes
a WIDE variety of stories and there is room in it for yours.
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mary rosenblum
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Don't use Hollywood as an
example.
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mary rosenblum
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What Hollywood puts on the
screen is rarely what is popular in the prose genre., except for a few
exceptions like Tolkien.
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mary rosenblum
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And what is popular right now,
may not be when your book comes out two years from now...
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mary rosenblum
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so what what moves YOU not
what you think moves readers right now.
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mary rosenblum
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And then, believe in your
work.
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mary rosenblum
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Keep sending it out.
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mary rosenblum
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And send more.
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mary rosenblum
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Editors watch to see if
someone keeps submitting and improving.
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mary rosenblum
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Those are the people they will
eventually buy from.
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mary rosenblum
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They really will know your
name long before you get your first acceptance or scribbled note.
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mary rosenblum
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Well, this has been a fun
Oregon Hour, and certainly a subject close to my heart. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Thanks for coming, all!
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mary rosenblum
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Do drop in Sunday evening for
our open chat...
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mary rosenblum
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same time as this, same place.
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mary rosenblum
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Have a great Fouth, all. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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See you Sunday!
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