Shameless Plug.

[takyris]

Let's be honest here. I was gonna do this on the General Forum, but I didn't want to post another off-topic thread. I was trying to follow the rules. I was trying to be good.

But this forum is specifically DEVOTED to Fantasy and SF books, movies, and TV shows!

So anyway. I'm a writer. I've gotten a few stories published in the past and had spent more than a year tantalizingly close to qualifying for SFWA membership -- membership in the Science Fiction Writers of America, which requires you to have three pro-level short-story publications. Pro-level means that the magazine has a subscriber base of 2,000 or more and pays you at least three cents per word.

As of Monday, I officially qualify. My third pro-level publication just came out on one of the few Pro-level Webzines out there, Strange Horizons.

http://www.strangehorizons.com

Incidentally, SFWA membership doesn't get me a free yacht or anything, but it does let me look a bit more professional on my cover letters, so the next time I send my novel to an agent or publishing house, I might be taken a bit more seriously.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Check out the story if you've got a few minutes to kill. It ain't swords & sorcery, but it's different.

-Patrick Weekes, otherwise known as Tacky

 

[Chauzu]

Congratulations!

I am working on my first attempt at a serious novel. I have never known about these membership/pro-level thingies. My story is of the fantasy genre. Do you have any information on some fantasy 'pro-level' clubs? I think I might consider something like this.

 

[takyris]

Yo, Chauzu,

As far as professional organizations, you've got organizations for most genres. Somewhat oddly, the Romance Writers of America are just bloody huge, the Horror Writers of America are pretty big, and the SFWA, which covers science fiction as well as fantasy, is kind of all over the map.

The professional organization will look good on your cover letter when you send it to agents or publishers, but if you're looking for actual resources to help you write, here are a few suggestions:

1) Read the genre in which you write. A lot of new authors write about worlds where gravity is lower or where dragons hold the key to magic, and they don't realize that it's been done before. Reading a bunch of fantasy stuff will broaden your horizons and help you figure out what your own style is, so that you don't sound like a Tolkien wannabe or a Martin wannabe.

Note: I don't know what kind of writing experience you have. That's the first thing I tell everyone.

2) Read the Turkey City Lexicon:

http://www.sfwa.org/writing/turkeycity.html

This should give you a lot of tips on things to avoid. You don't wanna get so caught up in avoiding the issues they mention that you can't write anymore, but it's nice to look at it and go, "Oh, dude, I'm doing that. Better fix it."

3) Join a writing group:

If you can find a writing group, they can provide you with valuable feedback. Because they're writers too, they can give you better advice than some of your friends, who might just say, "I liked it. It was neat."

College campuses almost always have a writing group. Most metropolitan areas have them, too. I see that you're in Livermore (I grew up in Pleasanton), and I'd guess that Las Positas will have a writing club. Heck, if you're free this weekend, come to the Potlatch Writers Convention in San Francisco. It's a convention for SF and Fantasy writers -- more emphasis on writing and thinking than on costumes and stuff. You can DEFINITELY find a writing group there that's appropriate for whatever level you're at.

http://www.potlatch-sf.org/

If you're not ready for a writing group yet, you might consider a creative writing course from Las Positas or an online writing group like Critters:

http://critters.critique.org/users/critters/

I'd be careful in writing classes, however, as some of the teachers really come down hard on genre fiction, like science fiction or fantasy.

Hope this helps!

-Tacky

 

[Chauzu]

Thanks for the suggestions and links. I appreciate it.

1) Read the genre in which you write. A lot of new authors write about worlds where gravity is lower or where dragons hold the key to magic, and they don't realize that it's been done before. Reading a bunch of fantasy stuff will broaden your horizons and help you figure out what your own style is, so that you don't sound like a Tolkien wannabe or a Martin wannabe.

Heh, I don't think I've read enough Tolkien to be a Tolkien wannabe. Never read Martin though. I know my ideas have never been done before, and I think my writing style is pretty different compared to others.

Note: I don't know what kind of writing experience you have. That's the first thing I tell everyone.

I've been writing stories and songs since I was about 9 or 10. Been creating the fantasy setting my stories take place in since I was 10. I'm 18 right now, and a senior at Livermore High. I won't be attending Las Positas next year because I'll be joining the Marines.

If you can find a writing group, they can provide you with valuable feedback. Because they're writers too, they can give you better advice than some of your friends, who might just say, "I liked it. It was neat."

lol, that's exactly what my friends say, too.

Hope this helps!

And it does! Again, thanks!

 

[jonesy]

Shame on you. And congratulations.

 

[John Crichton]

Congrats and good luck on future projects.

 

[WayneLigon]

Congratulations! I'm still trying to sell a fiction peice Mainly, I'm still looking for markets. I got a nice rejection letter from Magazine of F&SF (nice writing here, but I'll pass), and a couple other places, but no check so far

I'll certainly check out Strange Horizons.

 

[takyris]

Thanks, guys!

Wayne, check out Ralan.com -- it's got a HUGE market list sorted by market classification and pro/semi-pro/small press classification.

http://www.ralan.com/

And you've just been completely spoiled by F&SF -- that market is consistently one of the fastest to respond, and always uses personal notes. Once you've waited four or five months for a form rejection letter, the love for the current market really sets in.

-Tacky