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Welcome to issue #9 of the Writers and Illustrators
of the Future Herald.
In this newsletter you will find features by past contest
winners, information about L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers
of the Future Volume XIX, the Illustrators of the Future
Winner Gallery and more!
We hope the newsletter keeps you informed and entertained
and wish you good writing, good illustrating and as
always, good reading.
View
our history here.
| ILLUSTRATORS OF THE FUTURE JUDGE
AWARDED DOCTORATE OF ARTS DEGREE |
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Frank
Kelly Freas |
Frank Kelly Freas, well known as the Dean of Science
Fiction Art, and judge of the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators
of the Future Contest, received his Doctorate of Arts
degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, his alma
mater, on December 16, 2003.
Mr. Freas is one of AIP's most successful graduates
and had the distinction of having the highest grades
in the school during his attendance 1946-1951. Mr. Freas
is grateful to the AIP for having given him his start
on his very successful career. He's honored to receive
the recognition of the Doctorate of Arts degree from
this most esteemed art school.
| NEWS FLASH |
|
The 20th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement
Awards Ceremony will be held Friday, August 20th, 2004
at the Beverly Hills Hotel honoring winning writers
and illustrators of the 2003 year as well as contest
judges, luminaries of the field and special guests.
| ILLUSTRATORS OF THE FUTURE WINNER
BREAKS INTO HOLLYWOOD |
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Tar-Monster
from Scooby Doo 2—Monsters Unleashed |
"Recently I worked on the character
animation team responsible for bringing the 'Tar-Monster'
to life in the movie Scooby Doo 2—Monsters
Unleashed.
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Jared
Barber
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"Completing just over one minute
of animation to high praise has been a dream come true.
On top of a wealth of education in both traditional
and 3D animation, being one of the 2002 winners of the
L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest
proved a great asset when auditioning for the role of
3D animator here at Frantic Films in Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada. I am currently animating a second
feature film and through my company Polar Animation,
have several more illustration opportunities as
well."
—Jared Barber
polaranimation@yahoo.ca
| MAKING A LONG CAREER OF SHORT
STORIES |
|
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Bruce
Holland Rogers |
"It was almost fifteen years ago that my wife
answered the phone, and when I asked her who was calling,
she handed me the receiver and said, 'You'll see.' So
she knew moments before I did that the L. Ron Hubbard
Writers of the Future Contest was calling. My shout
a few seconds later confirmed that, yes, I had actually
won the contest.
"I had been entering the contest every quarter
for years, and I almost couldn't believe that my story,
A Branch in the Wind, had actually won. A prize
check for a thousand dollars soon arrived in the mail,
and not long after that, a contract came offering additional
money for publication rights to my story. But the best
part was that the contest flew me to the Writers of
the Future writing workshop and fed and housed me while
the other contest winners and I concentrated on learning
more about the writing craft and business of a writing
career.
"I had sold my first SF story years earlier,
but after that, my writing career had stalled. Winning
the contest was a great boost to my confidence, and
I also learned quite a lot at the workshop. My sales
steadily increased from that time, and I've piled up
well over 100 fiction sales not only in SF and fantasy,
but mystery and literary fiction as well. Two of my
stories have won Nebula Awards, another won a Bram Stoker
Award and a Pushcart Prize. I've even had a story nominated
for the Edgar in mystery.
"My contest story was short, and many of the stories
I've written since then have been even shorter. I particularly
like the short-short-story form, and I have established
an electronic cottage industry of publishing my stories
by email, using publicity skills I learned as a contest
winner. For $5 a year, my subscribers receive 3 short-short
stories a month. I have a subscriber base nearing 400,
with readers in two dozen countries."
—Bruce Holland Rogers
www.shortshortshort.com
| THE MACHINE IN EUGENE |
|
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Back row: Brian
Wade, Diana Blackmon, Leon West
Third Row: Ray Vukcevich, Ted Stetson,
Kherry McKay, Amy Hanson, Blake Hutchins, Jay Lake,
Jeremy Bloom, John Burridge, Kathy Oltion, Stephen
Stanley, Deb Lynch, Devon Monk, Nina Kiriki Hoffman,
Lael Salaets, Eric Emery,
Richard Ramsey
Second row: Eric Witchey, Leslie What,
Dianna Rodgers, Robin Catesby, Bruce Holland Rogers,
Jerry Oltion
Front Row: Honorary Wordos for
the evening, Gatlyn
and Paige |
"The 'Machine in Eugene' is the Wordos,
a writing group in Eugene, OR. It boasts at least seven
members who have had their work appear in the L. Ron
Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthologies:
"Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Vol. 1, A Step into Darkness
J. Steven York, Vol. V, Starbird
Bruce Holland Rogers, Vol. VI, A Branch in the Wind
Eric M. Witchey, Vol. XVII, Dreams and Bones
Leon J. West, Vol. XVIII, Memoria Technica
Jay Lake, Vol. XIX, Into the Gardens of Sweet Night
Kenneth Brady, Vol. XX Asleep in the Forest of the
Tall Cats
"The group has managed one member in each of
the last four anthologies and every writer who has appeared
has continued to acheive results. J. Steven York has
published many shorts and novels. Bruce Holland Rogers
has published novels and shorts. He has also won two
Nebulas, a Stoker, and a Pushcart Award. Nina Kiriki
Hoffman has won a Stoker, published many novels, published
over 100 short stories, and received nominations for
other awards. She is also a judge for the Writers of
the Future Contest. Eric M. Witchey has won a number
of additional awards and placed short stories in seven
genres under four names. Leon J. West has continued
to write, publish and finish his degree. Jay Lake has
placed over 100 short stories in a two-and-a-half year
period. Kenneth Brady has sold into markets all over
the world. Though his Writers of the Future
story hasn't yet appeared, two of his stories have appeared
in China where they have small-press circulation numbering
in the millions, and he recently sold a 20,000 word
novella to Analog Magazine.
"What is the secret to the Wordos' success?
The writers bring stories to the table for critique
by a group of peers that includes all levels of development
in craft—from long-published novelists to developing
beginners. The group works consciously to support one
another in personal goals and development. They engage
in conscious study of craft. The group encourages the
habit of practice. Jay Lake's practice included writing
a story a week for almost two years. Sometimes he wrote
two or three stories a week. For Eric M. Witchey, practice
meant seven unpublished novels, 300 short stories, and
entering the Writers of the Future contest twelve times—and
every quarter for eight quarters in a row.
"Support among the writers is about savoring the
small moments and celebrating personal achievements.
When Leon West won his slot at the Writers of the Future,
the Contest Administrator had trouble contacting him
because he had moved from Salem, OR to Eugene, OR to
attend college and be nearer the writing group. The
Administrator had heard that Leon was part of the Wordos
group, so she contacted another member of the group.
The result was that Leon heard about his win at the
workshop table. He didn't believe it at first, but the
group brought him around and threw a party to celebrate.
"The group celebrates all kinds of success. They
have an incentive program for production. To celebrate
the fact that a story went in the mail, they give out
chocolate for each rejection reported at the table.
There's an award system for achieving self-defined personal
goals. The group gives out trophies for first short
story and first novel sales. Most important, the group
works on craft by critiquing with respect and compassion.
"The 'Machine in Eugene' thanks the L. Ron
Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, and wishes
all who write and submit to the contest the best of
luck and skill."
—Eric M. Witchey
L. RON HUBARD PRESENTS
WRITERS OF THE FUTURE, VOLUME XIX |
|
 In
this latest volume, you will discover 14 brand new,
imaginative tales from the best new writers of science
fiction and fantasy with accompanying illustrations
from the best new illustrators of science fiction and
fantasy.
Winning stories are selected by top writers including:
Kevin J. Anderson, Algis Budrys, Orson Scott Card, Brian
Herbert, Tim Powers, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Frederik
Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Andre Norton, Robert Silverberg
and Jack Williamson.
As well as featuring cover art by master illustrator
Frank Frazetta, this volume contains essays on writing
and art from renowned professionals including L. Ron
Hubbard, Will Eisner and Sean Williams that offer you
insights on how to win the Writers of the Future contest.
So whether you are an aspiring writer and want to get
an edge on the competition—or an avid fan of speculative
fiction—you will be thrilled by the journeys these
stories will take you on as you adventure to other worlds
and alien lands.
Click here
to order your copy today.
PRESENTING…
THE ILLUSTRATORS OF THE
FUTURE WINNER GALLERY |
|
Each of the following illustrations was rendered by
a recent winner of the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators
of the Future Contest and submitted as part of his/her
prize-winning entry.
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The Journeyman
by Yancy Betterly of Apopka, FL |
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Gravy Boat
by Laura Diehl of Grottoes, VA |
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Felis
by
Beth Zaiken of Rochester, MN |
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Ye Olde Apothecary
by Matt Taggart of San Antonio, TX
|
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Escape with the
Loot
by Brian Reed of American
Canyon, CA |
| MASTER STORYTELLER: An Illustrated
Tour of the Fiction of L. Ron Hubbard
receives Hugo nomination—the 'Oscar' of
Science Fiction |
|
 L.
Ron Hubbard's enduring appeal as one of the most widely
read and influential writers of our time was underscored
recently when the World Science Fiction Society announced
this year's nominees for the Hugo Awards—science
fiction's highest distinction and the field's acknowledgement
equivalent of the Oscars.
Nominated for a Hugo in the "Best Related Book"
category is Master Storyteller: An Illustrated Tour
of the Fiction of L. Ron Hubbard, an informative,
spectacularly illustrated "coffee table" book—spanning
more than half a century of the great pulp fiction era
and the golden age of science fiction to his crowing
science fiction works of the 1980s.
The Society will present Hugo Awards in a variety of
categories—best novel, story, artist and editor
of 2003, among them—at the 62nd World Science
Fiction convention in Boston, Massachusetts during the
Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 2-6, 2004).
Order Master Storyteller Today!
| GET TIPS ON WRITING AND ART
FROM L. RON HUBBARD AND OTHER SCIENCE
FICTION GREATS |
|
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As a special limited time
offer Author Services, Inc. is offering you
a special package to help you get the most out
of your artistic endeavors. This package includes
the entire set of L. Ron Hubbard
Presents Writers of the Future, Volumes I-XVIII
and you will also receive a complimentary copy
of Ron The Writer: The Shaping of Popular Fiction—containing
helpful articles about the craft and business
of writing fiction. |
| Benefits you'll receive from
this package: |
| • |
|
Each of
the eighteen paperbacks contain in all,
over 180 prize-winning short science fiction
and fantasy stories by talented new writers
so you can gain insight into what award-winning
stories read like. You know you're reading
the best, as each story is selected by
leading science fiction legends such as
Dr. Gregory Benford, Algis Budrys, Orson
Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven,
Andre Norton, Frederik Pohl, Dr. Jerry
Pournelle, Tim Powers, Robert Silverberg,
Jack Williamson, Gene Wolfe, Roger Zelazny
and numerous other luminaries in the writing
field. |
| • |
Every writer's prize-winning
story is brought to life with an original
illustration by the quarterly Illustrators
of the Future winners selected by such
artists as Frank Frazetta, Frank Kelly-Freas,
Edd Cartier, Will Eisner, H.R. Van Dongen
and Bob Eggleton. |
| • |
Each volume
contains essays on writing and art
by L. Ron Hubbard
covering such subjects as: story vitality,
suspense, circulation and
many other vital topics. In addition,
articles containing numerous writing and
illustration tips are included in each
volume by other top professionals. |
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| INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING
IN THE CONTESTS? |
|
Participating is very easy and there
is no entry fee. Just remember, the deadline for the
next quarter is June 30, 2004,
a deadline by postmark. Three cash prizes are awarded
each quarter for each Contest. For writers, first prize
is $1,000, second prize is $750, third prize is $500.
For illustrators, three winners are selected and each
wins $500. The annual Grand Prize for each Contest is
$4,000.
There are certain requirements that
must be met when submitting your entry. The rules for
the Contests have been provided below, so please review
these before sending in your entry.
The mailing addresses are:
The Contest Administrator for the
Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest may be
contacted at the following e-mail address: contests@authorservicesinc.com.
You will find she is quite helpful in sorting out questions
on the rules, eligibility requirements, entry specifications,
etc. Feel free to e-mail her and, while you are in touch,
let her know how you like the Writers and Illustrators
of the Future Herald!
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