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Dragonchef
(@dragonchef)
Posts: 385
Silver Star Member
 
@wildkardde- alternate history

< is there anything you have to keep in mind when writing that specific genre?>

I think as long as there is a speculative element of some sort: magic (fantasy) or steampunk machinery (sci-fi...maybe) throughout the story you'll be good with it.

3 HMs
6 SHMs
Umpteen Rs
Still hoping and working toward better -
One of these days, Alice . . . POW! We're going to the moon!

 
Posted : August 11, 2022 8:27 am
Anna X and Dugan Lentz reacted
RETreasure
(@rschibler)
Posts: 957
Platinum Member
 

I think alternate history falls under the "speculative" umbrella already - it just needs to be clear that it is, in fact, alternate history. But that's a subjective and slippery slope - probably up to the judges. Maybe Kary will pop in with an insight.

V34: R,HM,R
V35: HM,R,R,HM
V36: R,HM,HM,SHM
V37: HM,SF,SHM,SHM
V38: (P)F, SHM, F, F
V39: SHM, SHM, HM, SHM
Published Finalist Volume 38
Pro’d out Q4V39
www.rebeccaetreasure.com

Managing Editor, Apex Magazine

 
Posted : August 11, 2022 10:57 am
Dugan Lentz reacted
storysinger
(@storysinger)
Posts: 1503
Platinum Plus
 

I read Tsuu, Tsuu, Kasva Suuremasse, in v38 today, Rebecca, is that considered alternate history?

Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships

 
Posted : August 11, 2022 6:30 pm
Dugan Lentz reacted
David Hankins
(@lost_bard)
Posts: 445
Gold Star Member
 

@storysinger I believe both Rebecca’s story and The Phantom Carnival by Elizabeth Ticknor are excellent examples of alternative history. John Goodwin did a podcast with the two of them a few weeks ago talking about writing alternative history for Writers of the Future. I found it fascinating the level of research they’d put into their historical time period, but that research clearly paid off. Made the pieces feel authentic to the period. 

Death and the Taxman, my WotF V39 winning story is now a novel available for pre-order! (Click Here >). The Taxman is Coming on Tax Day (Apr 15th) 2024!

Subscribe to The Lost Bard's Letter at www.davidhankins.com and receive an exclusive story!

New Releases:
"Milo Piper's Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War" in LTUE's Troubadours and Space Princesses anthology.
"Felix and the Flamingo" in Escape Pod.
"The Ghosts of Hart's Gambit" in Renaissance Press's There's No Place anthology.
"The Devil's Foot Locker" in Amazing Stories

 
Posted : August 12, 2022 5:14 am
JAbecker, DoctorJest, Dugan Lentz and 1 people reacted
RETreasure
(@rschibler)
Posts: 957
Platinum Member
 

I could definitely be wrong here, but this is how I think of it. Alternate history and historical fantasy are a Venn diagram, but not a circle. 1632 by Flint, Island in the Sea of Time by Stirling, and His Majesty's Dragon by Novik, are examples of alternate history. I could argue that His Majesty's Dragon is both alternate history (events of the past being told differently) and historical fantasy (events of the past being told with magic/fantasy elements). 1632 and Island in the Sea of Time are alternate history because the people and rules of that world are identical to ours, it's just history with a twist (modern people/ideas/elements). So from my perspective, "Tsuu, Tsuu, Kasva Suuremasse" is historical fantasy. Outlander is another example of historical fantasy, IMO - where the history is fairly accurate (as it is in my story) but there is magic/the fantastic.

More salient to the point, I think historical fantasy (like both "The Phantom Carnival" and my story) are probably more what WotF is looking for.

V34: R,HM,R
V35: HM,R,R,HM
V36: R,HM,HM,SHM
V37: HM,SF,SHM,SHM
V38: (P)F, SHM, F, F
V39: SHM, SHM, HM, SHM
Published Finalist Volume 38
Pro’d out Q4V39
www.rebeccaetreasure.com

Managing Editor, Apex Magazine

 
Posted : August 12, 2022 6:01 am
David Hankins
(@lost_bard)
Posts: 445
Gold Star Member
 

@rschibler Good distinction! Thanks for the clarification between alternate history and historical fantasy.

Death and the Taxman, my WotF V39 winning story is now a novel available for pre-order! (Click Here >). The Taxman is Coming on Tax Day (Apr 15th) 2024!

Subscribe to The Lost Bard's Letter at www.davidhankins.com and receive an exclusive story!

New Releases:
"Milo Piper's Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War" in LTUE's Troubadours and Space Princesses anthology.
"Felix and the Flamingo" in Escape Pod.
"The Ghosts of Hart's Gambit" in Renaissance Press's There's No Place anthology.
"The Devil's Foot Locker" in Amazing Stories

 
Posted : August 12, 2022 6:58 am
storysinger
(@storysinger)
Posts: 1503
Platinum Plus
 

Thank you both for the info. I really enjoyed both stories. I just listened to the podcast with John Goodwin interviewing Rebecca and Elizabeth and it was well worth the time.

 

Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships

 
Posted : August 12, 2022 7:23 am
storysinger
(@storysinger)
Posts: 1503
Platinum Plus
 

After hearing the explanation about the origin of The Phantom Carnival I realized I had a connection. As a confused teen, a brother, a friend and yours truly, decided to jump a train and run away together. In those days the tail of a train had a caboose with an engineer on watch. He saw us running across the top of the cars and leaping from one to another without realizing the danger. Even though we found a car to hide in they searched until they found us. 

The next two weeks we were guests at a local boys holding facility with some of Mobile's troubled teens. When our parents came for us we were more than ready to go home. We never ran away again.

Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships

 
Posted : August 12, 2022 7:25 am
RETreasure
(@rschibler)
Posts: 957
Platinum Member
 

Thanks for listening! Liz and I had a great time Smile

V34: R,HM,R
V35: HM,R,R,HM
V36: R,HM,HM,SHM
V37: HM,SF,SHM,SHM
V38: (P)F, SHM, F, F
V39: SHM, SHM, HM, SHM
Published Finalist Volume 38
Pro’d out Q4V39
www.rebeccaetreasure.com

Managing Editor, Apex Magazine

 
Posted : August 12, 2022 7:25 am
 Dom
(@dommichaels)
Posts: 84
Bronze Star Member
 

This is just curiosity, but I've always wondered:

Do you (the contest administrators) print out the files for the first reader who then literally "goes through the stack", or does Kari read the submissions in electronic format?

(7) HM, (2) SHM

 
Posted : August 26, 2022 7:16 pm
(@martin-l-shoemaker)
Posts: 2135
Platinum Plus Moderator
 
Posted by: @dommichaels

This is just curiosity, but I've always wondered:

Do you (the contest administrators) print out the files for the first reader who then literally "goes through the stack", or does Kari read the submissions in electronic format?

Electronic. Printing would be tens of thousands of pages (at least).

And while nobody likes to hear it, she rejects most within a page. No sense in consuming all that paper when she only reads the first page.

If you'd like to learn more about the slush process, keep an eye on Fyrecon. I can't divulge details yet, but they're working with Writers of the Future on a special presentation you're going to want to see!

http://nineandsixtyways.com/
Tools, Not Rules.
Martin L. Shoemaker
3rd Place Q1 V31
"Today I Am Paul", WSFA Small Press Award 2015, Nebula nomination 2015
Today I Am Carey from Baen
The Last Dance (#1 science fiction eBook on Amazon, October 2019) and The Last Campaign from 47North

 
Posted : August 26, 2022 8:58 pm
 Dom
(@dommichaels)
Posts: 84
Bronze Star Member
 

@martin-l-shoemaker 

That what I figured. Makes perfect sense. Thanks!

(7) HM, (2) SHM

 
Posted : August 26, 2022 10:52 pm
Physa/ Guthington/ Amy
(@physa)
Posts: 412
Gold Star Member
 
Posted by: @martin-l-shoemaker

If you'd like to learn more about the slush process, keep an eye on Fyrecon. I can't divulge details yet, but they're working with Writers of the Future on a special presentation you're going to want to see!

Holy cow! Looking forward to this for sure! Thanks for the update, Martin. Smile

WOTF results:
Vol 41: Q1 HM, Q2 P
running totals to date:
WOTF: 6 Rs, 3 RWCs. 6 HMs
IOTF: 3 Rs, 3 HMs
Check out my new website: https://www.amyrwethingtonwriterofspeculativeworlds.com/
According to Winston Churchill, "success is going from failure to failure with enthusiasm"
Somehow I lost my Guthington profile, but it's me. Amy Wethington = Guthington = Physa

 
Posted : August 27, 2022 11:27 am
(@martin-l-shoemaker)
Posts: 2135
Platinum Plus Moderator
 

@physa See my announcement on the front page! (In a few minutes...)

http://nineandsixtyways.com/
Tools, Not Rules.
Martin L. Shoemaker
3rd Place Q1 V31
"Today I Am Paul", WSFA Small Press Award 2015, Nebula nomination 2015
Today I Am Carey from Baen
The Last Dance (#1 science fiction eBook on Amazon, October 2019) and The Last Campaign from 47North

 
Posted : August 31, 2022 6:14 pm
(@martin-l-shoemaker)
Posts: 2135
Platinum Plus Moderator
 

Kary English – The Slush Is ALIVE – The Contest – Quarterly Topics, and Other Items – Writers & Illustrators of the Future Forum (writersofthefuture.com)

http://nineandsixtyways.com/
Tools, Not Rules.
Martin L. Shoemaker
3rd Place Q1 V31
"Today I Am Paul", WSFA Small Press Award 2015, Nebula nomination 2015
Today I Am Carey from Baen
The Last Dance (#1 science fiction eBook on Amazon, October 2019) and The Last Campaign from 47North

 
Posted : September 1, 2022 7:34 pm
Dugan Lentz
(@wildkardde)
Posts: 10
Advanced Member
 

Random question: How well are references to popular film/TV shows received by this contest? In the several WOTF anthologies I've read, I don't recall coming across any pop culture references. 

V39: HM, SHM, R, R
V40: HM, R
V41: SF

 
Posted : January 16, 2023 6:11 pm
(@morgan-broadhead)
Posts: 444
Gold Member
 

Posted by: @wildkardde

Random question: How well are references to popular film/TV shows received by this contest? In the several WOTF anthologies I've read, I don't recall coming across any pop culture references. 

Generally speaking, references to contemporary films/shows/media/events, etc. serve to date your story and bookmark it into a specific time and place. The other drawback is that it may pull the reader right out of the story because it reminds him when and where he is.

On the other hand, using historic events, media, films, books, etc can add authenticity to, say, a story about time travel. Thinking specifically here about Ernie Cline's Ready Player One and Stephen King's 11/22/63.

 

"You can either sit here and write, or you can sit here and do nothing. But you can’t sit here and do anything else."
— Neil Gaiman, Masterclass

Drop me a line at https://morganbroadhead.com
SFx1
HMx4
R/RWCx5

 
Posted : January 17, 2023 11:48 am
Dugan Lentz
(@wildkardde)
Posts: 10
Advanced Member
 

@morgan-broadhead Good to know, thanks.

V39: HM, SHM, R, R
V40: HM, R
V41: SF

 
Posted : January 17, 2023 12:51 pm
Kary English
(@karyenglish)
Posts: 688
Gold Star Member Moderator
 

Posted by: @wildkardde

Random question: How well are references to popular film/TV shows received by this contest? In the several WOTF anthologies I've read, I don't recall coming across any pop culture references. 

Hey, there!

References are fine.  Smile No rules against them.

I'm guessing here, but many of the winning stories wouldn't be likely to have any just by virtue of their settings - far future sci-fi, epic fantasy, etc. Just be careful to get them right (example: Cap'n Crunch was a cereal, Captain Kangaroo was a TV show for kids), and don't go so deep with them that you end up writing fanfic (ex: Your story, Son of Scooby, has one of Scooby's pups solving mysteries with Shaggy's tween daughter.) 

I actually had one this quarter that did the Kangaroo vs. Crunch thing, and it was an immersion breaker. It wasn't the only reason for rejecting that particular story, but it was one of the reasons.

 

WOTF: 1 HM, 1 Semi, 2 Finalists, 1 Winner
Q2,V31 - Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
Hugo and Astounding finalist, made the preliminary Stoker ballot (juried)
Published by Galaxy's Edge, DSF, StarShipSofa and TorNightfire

 
Posted : January 23, 2023 1:07 pm
angelslayah, Dugan Lentz, MarathonCoder and 4 people reacted
angelslayah
(@angelslayah)
Posts: 233
Silver Member
 

Couldn't find an answer searching the forum: 
Anyone track the appearance of "flash" fiction among the contest winners, historically? 
Thanks for any leads or info!

@DonMarkmaker

 
Posted : February 13, 2023 9:33 am
Dustin Adams
(@tj_knight)
Posts: 1352
Platinum Plus Moderator
 

Volume 5 page 68.

Yup. Page 68 - only.

Career:

1x Win
2x NW-F
2x S-F
9x S-HM
11x HM
7x R

 
Posted : February 13, 2023 9:50 am
(@luckycharms)
Posts: 4
Active Member
 

I've done some searching, but can't seem to find a definitive answer. How are self-published novels considered when it comes to entry eligibility? I've published a fair amount of books, but no individual title by itself has yet sold over 5,000 (paid) copies. Is that the number I'm supposed to look at? Because cumulatively, I have sold more than 5,000 books. And I've only sold one short story at the pro rate of 8 cents/word, though I don't think circulation of that was 5000 either.

Thanks!

 
Posted : February 29, 2024 7:16 am
Jason Toth
(@jason)
Posts: 528
Gold Star Member Admin
 

Posted by: @luckycharms

I've done some searching, but can't seem to find a definitive answer. How are self-published novels considered when it comes to entry eligibility? I've published a fair amount of books, but no individual title by itself has yet sold over 5,000 (paid) copies. Is that the number I'm supposed to look at? Because cumulatively, I have sold more than 5,000 books. And I've only sold one short story at the pro rate of 8 cents/word, though I don't think circulation of that was 5000 either.

Thanks!

Here is what I got from the Contest Director, "It is 5,000 per title that counts against. Has to also be 8 cents per word so this person is totally OK to enter still."

 

 
Posted : March 2, 2024 11:05 am
(@luckycharms)
Posts: 4
Active Member
 

Posted by: @jason

Here is what I got from the Contest Director, "It is 5,000 per title that counts against. Has to also be 8 cents per word so this person is totally OK to enter still."

 

Fabulous! Thank you so much, Jason!

 

 
Posted : March 2, 2024 11:25 am
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