Blog
Ahoy, Critterfolk!
New entry Jun 06
Critter Notices
Books from Critters!
Check out Books by Critters for books by your fellow
Critterfolk, as well as my list of recommended books for writers.
Stayin' Alive
If you want to make a career of SF writing, STAYING ALIVE - A WRITER'S GUIDE by three-time SFWA President Norman Spinrad, published by your Critter Captain's ReAnimus Press, is an indispensable guide to the inside workings of the SF publishing industry by an expert.A Guide to Barsoom
The ultimate, definitive
GUIDE TO BARSOOM from ReAnimus Press.
NOW IN PRINT EDITION TOO. The best guide to Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series.
Interviewed!
I was interviewed live on public radio for Critters' birthday, for those who want to listen.
Free Web Sites
Free web sites for authors (and others) are available at www.nyx.net.
ReAnimus Acquires Advent!
ReAnimus Press is pleased to announce the acquisition of the legendary Advent Publishers! Advent is now a subsidiary of ReAnimus Press, and we will continue to publish Advent's titles under the Advent name. Advent was founded in 1956 by Earl Kemp and others, and has published the likes of James Blish, Hal Clement, Robert Heinlein, Damon Knight, E.E. "Doc" Smith, and many others. Advent's high quality titles have won and been finalists for several Hugo Awards, such as The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy and Heinlein's Children. Watch this space for ebook and print editions of all of Advent's current titles!
Book Recommendation
THE SIGIL TRILOGY:
The universe is dying from within...
"Great stuff... Really enjoyed it." — SFWA Grandmaster Michael Moorcock
Announcing ReAnimus Press
If you're looking for great stuff to read from bestselling and award-winning authors—look no further! ReAnimus Press was founded by your very own Critter Captain. (And with a 12% Affiliate program.) [More]
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FEATURED BOOK
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Can you circulate this for me?
You're a new or unestablished writer. You crafted a jewel of a story. You sent it to every conceivable market. You couldn't justify any more time on it. You moved on to another story. There your jewel sits on the shelf. You aren't getting the recognition you deserve. The fans aren't getting the access they seek. A new option is now available.
The Science Fiction Showcase Award for New Writers is a way to get you noticed and taken seriously, a way to rescue your story from slushpile purgatory.
I've been participating in the Critters Workshop for over 3 years. Stories read: 540. Stories critiqued: 185. My critiques are usually 400-600 words. When I'm active, I critique 6-8 stories a week and spend about an hour on each critique. Including reading time and including email correspondence with writers, I spend 15-20 hours a week participating. Minimum participation is 75%. When I was last active, my ratio was 450%. (Can't get above the 450 mark. Even when I critique 10-12 stories a week. Must be something about the algorithm.)
I also review for Tangent. My reviews for Tangent are more analytical and more indepth than those of other reviewers. Again, I spend a lot of time on the stories.
A few responses to my critiques: "This is the story's second time through the queue and yours is by far the best and most useful critique I've received. I got excited just reading your email. Even though you were telling me what didn't work in my story, you explained yourself well and I feel like I can really make a difference with what you've given me." "Critiques like yours, which are specific and grounded in the plot and theme of the story, go an awful lot further than cookie cutter pronouncements like 'don't take the easy way out,' 'needs more characterization' etc." "Your labeling the story 'tragicomedy' was probably the best 'praise' I've gotten yet. Somebody got it!" "Whoa, that was quite a thorough analysis, I'm impressed."
Here's feedback from Analog regular Carl Frederick, whose stories I almost always critique on Critters and sometimes review for Tangent: "Based on yours and other Critters critiques, I decided on a very major rewrite. I wanted to complete it before thanking you. Actually though, I did all my other Critters thankyous before I started the rewrite. I held back only yours out of the importance I place on your critiques."
Occasionally, I critique sample chapters of novels. More than one author has followed by asking me to critique their entire novel. Why ask for additional feedback from someone who hasn't offered any significant insight? So I'm assuming they didn't do this with everyone, just people who recognize where they're trying to go with the story and can help them get there. Several short story writers have notified me when their next story was posted on Critters. Some have sent me more stories by email. You get the picture.
In short, I'm committed to playing coach and cheerleader to new writers, I'm good at it, and I'm ready to move on to the next phase. Meanwhile, I have a team of readers assembled from Critters to help me. I anticipate heavyweights joining as the project gains momentum. I will also put out a call to literature professors and creative writing professors. I'll announce a list monthly. Some day this project will evolve into an online magazine, print anthologies, workshop, etc.
Those of you who are familiar with how news travels in the science fiction community, I need you to spread the word. Logistically, it's impossible for me to do everything. And I need to stick with what I'm good at: reading, selecting, and recommending exceptionally good stories. If you're not an editor or established writer and want to get involved in the award, pay your dues on Critters.
If I form a selection committee, I'll bow to its consensus, even if I disagree. This is assuming they explain how the story distinguishes itself from the rest of the slushpile. No explanation, no selection. But we're all wordsmith's, so I don't anticipate this becoming a problem.
I've been mulling this idea for 3 years. I think I've got 99% of the angles covered. Every new project will have issues. I'll iron out the kinks as I go.
Why an award versus other ideas for helping authors kick start their careers? Awards carry much more prestige. Buzz about awards results in the story titles and author's names being flung all over the Internet. Awards can be included in cover letters. WHETHER TO INCLUDE A STORY IN A MAGAZINE IS BASED PARTLY ON SPACE AND BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS; it's also based partly on the popularity of certain authors and the popularity of certain subgenres. WHETHER TO RECOGNIZE A STORY WITH AN AWARD IS BASED STRICTLY ON LITERARY STANDARDS AND GENRE STANDARDS. And since I'm recognizing the stories instead of publishing them, the authors can still get paid when they find a market.
The science fiction genre has become a large umbrella for a variety of speculative fiction. IMO, these other genres should go by the general name speculative and leave the science in science fiction.
According to the original definition, science fiction requires an indispensible science element well blended into the story. If you can take the science out of the fiction and still have a story, it's not science fiction, it's just fiction.
But science fiction is about the results and implications of science, not just the possibilities of science. It's about how science affects people and how they respond to science. Without the human drama, all you've got is rockets and rayguns and robots. Or a bunch of scientists sitting around hashing out theories and experiments and discoveries.
Contrary to what you might have heard, cloning, time travel, telepathy, artificial intelligence, etc, are not worn out science elements. The LGM subgenre seems to have unlimited potential, especially in comedies. I read a delightful one in Asimov's 30 years ago and nice one in Analog a few weeks ago. Dramas and romps alike are welcome. I'm especially interested in stories that blend current environmental issues with near future plausible science. (Ask me why.)
I'm not looking for space opera, superhero, alternate history, franchise, fantasy, sword-n-sorcery, god/devil, mythology, fable, horror, etc. Characters can be humanoid/android, Earthling/alien, eugenic, mutant, etc. But no dragons, vampires, unicorns, mermaids, zombies, witches, angels/demons, ghosts, etc, even if the story includes a major science element. These species spawned in a different genre and carry baggage, so we're not going there.
If it's a dystopia story, the dystopia needs to rely on or be caused by the science factor. Same goes for futuristic survival. NASA type stories usually put me to sleep. I've never read a science fiction sports story I consider memorable.
Don't jazz up the story with nanotechnology, teleportation, FLT, stargating, tractor beams, force fields, cloaking devices, phasers, and other science elements that aren't crucial to the science fiction premise. (Rockets and rayguns a science fiction story do not make.) Same goes for littering the story with various aliens whose characteristics and culture might be fascinating to explore but whose alienness plays no essential role in the premise or plot. Don't try to sound cool by saying bot instead of robot, grav instead of gravity, etc. Don't consume enormous amounts of word count with launching, orbiting, landing, adjusting equipment, etc. I have a habit of giving up on a story if the science fiction premise isn't established early enough. Same goes for stories with too many science terms I have to Google.
The only style rule is that the style you choose needs to be the style best suited for the story. Contrary to what you almost certainly have been told, show isn't always inherently better than tell, activity isn't always inherently better than dialog, activity or dialog isn't always inherently better than narrative, neither first nor second nor third person narrative are inherently better than the other two, you don't have to open with the most dramatic moment in the story and then rewind, you don't necessarily have to list the contents of a room or describe a character's physique and clothing, the story doesn't have to be organized like a 3 act play, dream sequences and info dumps are effective tools if used carefully, etc, etc, etc. The style doesn't dictate the story, the story dictates the style. Nuff said.
Although great stories as long as 15,000 words have held my attention, a word count over 8,000 discourages me from reading. In addition to personal time restraints, I'm trying to help new writers break into magazines and anthologies and those markets have space issues.
Literary standards are credible premise, sophisticated plot, consistent and strong character development and character interaction, reoccurring themes, vivid scenes, etc. Avoid graphic sex, gory violence, excessive profanity, bodily excretions, etc. Tread lightly on rape, drug abuse, etc, even if it's integral to the science. Pseudonyms are OK. Don't even think about plagiarism. Feel free to explain what you tried to accomplish with the story, but put the explanation at the end of the story.
I neither know nor care about what's trendy. Nor will a lot of people who read your story in 10 years. Nor will most people who read it in 50 years. Nor will anyone who truly appreciates it. Write about ideas you're passionate about. Write about ideas with plenty of potential to explore. Leave the trendiness to the trendsetters and trend followers.
Out of the 500 plus stories I've seen on Critters, perhaps 25 are magazine worthy. 80% of what's on Critters - and I suspect the figure is higher for magazine slushpiles - will never see the light of publication. And for good reason. So although there's no limit on the number of stories you can submit, and you're welcome to submit more than one at the same time, please don't send me every little story you ever whipped out.
Stories exposed only in nonpaying and minimal paying markets, especially obscure and defunct markets, are eligible. Definition of a new writer: never been published. Quick and dirty definition of an unestablished author: the editors of Asimov's and Analog don't recognize your name.
There's no projected que time. If you want to keep submitting to the markets instead of waiting for news about the award, no problem. Feel free to resubmit after a major revision. And major means major, not just significant. Feel free to notify me when your story is posted on Critters, but there's no guarantee I'll be active that particular week or choose to critique that particular story.
I can't acknowledge receipt of a story or offer feedback about stories not selected. I don't have the inside story on markets, so I can't offer any advice on getting published. Stories will be selected based strictly on literary quality and science fiction quality. Volunteering for the project will neither qualify nor disqualify your stories from being selected. Same with having a previous story selected. Please don't lobby me about someone else's story, submit someone else's story, or ask me to contact the author of a story. I don't have time to answer over the transom questions about the project. I won't respond to naysaying or debate the definition of science fiction.
I can read a story submitted only as plain text pasted into the body of your email message box or attached as a Microsoft Word document saved as ".doc" (Don't ask me why.) Messages with any other type of attachments and text with any formatting of any variety whatsoever will be deleted unopened and unread. If in doubt, opt for the plainest plain jane possible. Put the word "submission" in the subject box. Without the word "submission" in the subject line, I'll assume it's spam and delete the message. You don't have to indent paragraphs, double space sentences, number pages, put the title in quotes, put your name in italics, indicate the word count, etc. Send stories to BOTH of these email addresses. (Don't ask me why.)
sciencefictionshowcase gmail.com newwritersshowcase yahoo.com
Those of you who are great writers but technology challenged, just get one of your computer buff friends to explain what I'm talking about. Trust me, the submissions requirements are actually pretty simple and pretty easy. Eventually, I'll have an online form that will eliminate all these issues. If you're a card carrying sci fi fan and an experienced webmaster, bring it on.
I registered the ScienceFictionShowcase .com domain name. A website is coming soon. But it won't be anything involved. An FAQ, a submissions form, and a monthly list. Now start digging out those stories.
SUBMITTED STORIES WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED, POSTED, DISTRIBUTED, OR SHARED IN ANY WAY. AUTHORS WILL RETAIN ALL COPYRIGHT WHATSOVER. STORIES NOT SELECTED WILL NOT BE SAVED OR USED FOR ANY PURPOSE. NO ONE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AWARD WILL SHARE AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR. NO FINANCIAL PRIZE ACCOMPANIES THIS AWARD. THERE ARE NO FEES WHATSOEVER ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AWARD.
