After a week of going through reviews and editing, I think I have to put Q3 story down for a little. I learned quite a bit, but right now I have brain overload.
I look forward to reading for a little. Maybe I will get an inspiration for Q4 from history.
Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
I'm reading recent WotF anthologies and writing between sessions. Trying to get a feel for what's been catching Dave's attention, and now Kary's. If you don't get past Kary, your story never gets to Dave's desk. Write on!
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships
How well do uncomfortable truths do in the contest? I'm worried about my current WIP.
2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP
I'm reading recent WotF anthologies and writing between sessions. Trying to get a feel for what's been catching Dave's attention, and now Kary's. If you don't get past Kary, your story never gets to Dave's desk. Write on!
You are absolutely correct, my friend. Kary reads the first two pages to see if you nailed your opening like a pro, then goes to the end to make sure you stick your landing. If you do, it goes to Dave. If you don’t, it gets rejected. You have very little time to prove you might have written a potential winner.
You can take that to the bank. Kary English is a good friend.
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
@wulfmoon Just curious does the first 2 pages extend onto page 3 since the first page is a half page? How many pages of the end are read? Enquiring minds want to know these details.
Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
@wulfmoon Just curious does the first 2 pages extend onto page 3 since the first page is a half page? How many pages of the end are read? Enquiring minds want to know these details.
Kary reads your first two pages, and will read three if it’s really good. Then she pops to the end to see if the ending lives up to the opening promise. If it does, you move on. I’m sure it’s a quick check, a scan of a page or two. She has thousands of stories to move through. This is typical slush reading. Normally this is divided up between a team of readers at other publications. But it’s good for you it’s all Kary. She is very conscientious about giving you your chance.
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
^ This is why we work so diligently on our 450 openings.
And not just so that the opening rocks then falls off a cliff, but so that it sets up your whole story to rock.
Career:
1x Win
2x NW-F
2x S-F
9x S-HM
11x HM
7x R
^ This is why we work so diligently on our 450 openings.
And not just so that the opening rocks then falls off a cliff, but so that it sets up your whole story to rock.
Exactly. If you don’t nail your opening, the rest of the story falls. Everything ties in to that opening, right down to the triumphant (or bitter) end. It’s why I teach the workshop on this (see my post in the Super Secrets). Most aspiring writers miss one or more of the major elements that must be in an opening. And if they’re very new, most of them start with the protagonist getting out of bed. I explain why in my article “Nail Your Opening” at DreamForge in my signature below. Good for people here to read.😊
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
^ This is why we work so diligently on our 450 openings.
And not just so that the opening rocks then falls off a cliff, but so that it sets up your whole story to rock.
Exactly. If you don’t nail your opening, the rest of the story falls. Everything ties in to that opening, right down to the triumphant (or bitter) end. It’s why I teach the workshop on this (see my post in the Super Secrets). Most aspiring writers miss one or more of the major elements that must be in an opening. And if they’re very new, most of them start with the protagonist getting out of bed. I explain why in my article “Nail Your Opening” at DreamForge in my signature below. Good for people here to read.😊
I like how this reflects the painful process of finding an agent for a full-length novel. Most of them only want your first five pages, so if you don't nail your opening, you're never getting more than a form letter 'Thanks but not at this time' if even that. Two pages to make or break a short story sounds about right.
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
How well do uncomfortable truths do in the contest? I'm worried about my current WIP.
I think if you hit the emotional notes effectively, and if the story fits within the PG-13 ideal bracket for the contest's intended reader level, then I think you'd probably be okay with this. And I'd certainly be comfortable trying a story built on this kind of theme myself. Uncomfortable truths have been a long-standing element of both fantasy and science fiction, and I think they frequently show up in stories even when they aren't the main theme. So while I can't say for certain--and since the things the judges are looking for certainly evolve over time, and can't always be pinned down quite so specifically--it's not something I would expect to see dropping out of the contest on the grounds of the theme itself.
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
Thank you! After seeing Wulf Moon's post about a solid opening and closing, I decided I'd go for it. Having said that, your words help a lot.
2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP
@wulfmoon Just curious does the first 2 pages extend onto page 3 since the first page is a half page? How many pages of the end are read? Enquiring minds want to know these details.
Kary reads your first two pages, and will read three if it’s really good. Then she pops to the end to see if the ending lives up to the opening promise. If it does, you move on. I’m sure it’s a quick check, a scan of a page or two. She has thousands of stories to move through. This is typical slush reading. Normally this is divided up between a team of readers at other publications. But it’s good for you it’s all Kary. She is very conscientious about giving you your chance.
Makes sense. I'm sure Kary has thousands of entries each quarter to sort through. It's a keen insight. Thanks Moon! And looking forward to your upcoming "Nail your beginnings" workshop this Saturday.
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
@physa. See you there! And others. All FIFTY of you!
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have been begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
I teach at a high school. There are no creative writing courses offered here, and it kind of breaks my heart. I've been (poorly) promoting this contest all year. Today, second to last class of the year, a student expressed interest. In my dreams, the school would eventually get a Writers of the Future club, but for now I'm stoked to at least get a nibble. Write on!
2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP
I learned quiet a bit about writing with all the reviews from Q3 entry. I am grateful for all the feedback. Hopefully the story makes it to HM. This will be the last round of reviews.
I am trying to decide what to read for inspirational ideas for Q4. Hmm History or Space tough choice.
Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
@babooher I would have loved a creative writing course in HS. We did have a literary magazine which was fun though.
Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
We never had creative writing classes either, though we had some pieces of it mixed in with our general English classes (we had both Language, which was a writing class, and Literature, treated as distinct classes and grades). I didn't take a lot away from it, but I did have a friend in those classes who was great to work with, and whose style I've always liked. Unfortunately, he largely gave up on writing later--a shame, as it was my respect for how much better his craft was than mine was that drove me to seek out classes and other lessons, and to try and start improving my own.
Still would love to see him return to the fold, but alas, he's not in that sort of place at the moment. In the future, perhaps.
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
So, my Q3 entry is coming together nicely now--and because I know I'm going to want to let it settle, I'm currently ironing out an outline for another story that I'm going to try and draft in the post-first-draft pause (well...the post-first-draft-and-small-edits-I-don't-want-to-forget pause, if I'm 100% honest about my initial flow.)
I don't know right now which one of these two will come together as the better story, or perhaps more importantly, the one that feels more complete when measured against the originating idea. Whichever one it is, I'll likely go with that one for my Q3, and then do some revisions to the other to prepare it for my Q4. I also have a prior HM which I've done significant edits on right now, and which I'm planning to push through some additional revisions to. As of right now, my personal goal is to reach the end of June with a Q3, a Q4, and a potential V39.Q1 entry all lined up and ready to go. Life may yet throw some heavy curve-balls in my direction, but I still feel like this is a realistic target for me at the moment.
(And, of course, since I plan to keep on making new stories, it's quite possible that not all of those three will ever make it into the Contest at all--but in the worst case, I'll have stories ready to go if I need them.)
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
(And, of course, since I plan to keep on making new stories, it's quite possible that not all of those three will ever make it into the Contest at all--but in the worst case, I'll have stories ready to go if I need them.)
Speaking from personal experience, I far prefer the problem of having too many stories to choose from to the problem of having too few. You've got a good goal, here.
If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it. ~ H.G. Wells
If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain
R, SF, SHM, SHM, SHM, F, R, HM, SHM, R, HM, R, F, SHM, SHM, SHM, SF, SHM, 1st Place (Q2 V38)
Ticknor Tales
Twitter
4th and Starlight: e-book | paperback
(And, of course, since I plan to keep on making new stories, it's quite possible that not all of those three will ever make it into the Contest at all--but in the worst case, I'll have stories ready to go if I need them.)
Speaking from personal experience, I far prefer the problem of having too many stories to choose from to the problem of having too few. You've got a good goal, here.
I definitely agree! I spent a chunk of this afternoon (my first mostly-free day in my whole week-long vacation, it turns out!), and edited my HM to get it into nice, solid, stable shape!
(And then, of course, sent it out to another market, because who needs a safety net?)
I'll keep working on my current story tonight.
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
At some point I am going to have to say enough is enough and enter 3 QTR story, but I think I will go back through beginning after Wolf's workshop. I feel like this process is going slowly.
Small steps add up to miles.
V38: R, R, HM, HM
V39: RWC, HM, HM, SHM
V40 : HM, RWC, R, HM
V41 : RWC, WIP
"Amore For Life" in After the Gold Rush Third Flatiron Anthology
"Freedom’s Song” in Troubadour and Space Princesses LTUE Anthology
And phew! I'm done with my first draft for my provisional Q3 entry--it ended up longer than I expected, with a noticeably larger third act than I had planned on, but I think it'll condense in the revision stages. I firmly expect to revise the opening down by anywhere from five hundred to a thousand words too (my initial opening commits the cardinal sin of starting too early, which cannot stand) and I want to revise or rewrite the denouement.
There's also much polishing yet to be done in the main body.
But I'm glad to have that first draft together, and also to have managed to get something approximating a fairly regular writing routine going over the last few days, which I hope to be able to use for the revision process. So, my current plan is to do the section rewrites tomorrow, with the new opening and denouement, and then let the draft sit for a few days while I pivot to work on the outline and first draft of the second story. Then I'll come back to this, and start on the style and rhythm edits.
Who knows, I may even have it together in time for some other people to read it before I submit this time...
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
Still working my Q3 entry first draft. That pesky day job keeps getting in the way, but it is nice to have something to eat while I write! Hopefully I’ll have the draft finished by next weekend.
This will be my first story that I send outside of the friends/family circle for critique, so that’s kind of terrifying. However, before finding the WotF Forum, I was at a loss as to how to even find someone for an outside critique, so it’s kind of exciting too. I love that this community is so supportive of each other.
Okay, back to writing!
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
If I can, David- glad you're looking to get your story critiqued. Be prepared, though; reading comments people say about your work can sometimes seem like a real slap in the face. "What? You didn't like my ending?" Lol.
But there are two good things, here. Firstly, every person I've met in this forum genuinely wants to help you improve and is friendly about it (as you've noted). Any comments about your story aren't personal, just their view of the work. Secondly, when people are honest and point out parts of your story that they didn't think were any good, it gives you a grand opportunity to take that feedback and make your story better.
So get your stuff critiqued. Take feedback on the chin. Thank the person for helping you improve your story!
"If writing is easy, you're doing it wrong." -Bryan Hutchinson
V36-37: R x6
V38: R, HM, R, HM
V39: HM, HM, HM, HM
V40: HM
Does magic realism count as speculative fiction? The story I'm working on now is much more magic realism than scifi and fantasy and I'm wondering if it's worth submitting it to wotf or (once I finish it) to submit it for a different market.
V36:Q3 HM V37: Q3 R, Q4 SHM V38: R,HM, F, HM V39: HM, SHM, SHM, SHM V40: SF, RWC, ?
Does magic realism count as speculative fiction? The story I'm working on now is much more magic realism than scifi and fantasy and I'm wondering if it's worth submitting it to wotf or (one I finish it) to submit it for a different market.
Google says magic realism isn't spec, but the lines can be blurry depending on the story. I'm not sure I trust Google in this regard, but it does speak to potential concerns. If you're not certain whether your story will be a good fit for the contest or not, a good way to check might be to participate in critique trades and ask your readers to keep an eye toward whether they feel that the spec element is strong enough for the contest or not. (I will say that I've learned from personal experience that Dave likes his spec up front and strong, which means that if those elements are light enough it may not do well in the contest despite being superbly written.)
If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it. ~ H.G. Wells
If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain
R, SF, SHM, SHM, SHM, F, R, HM, SHM, R, HM, R, F, SHM, SHM, SHM, SF, SHM, 1st Place (Q2 V38)
Ticknor Tales
Twitter
4th and Starlight: e-book | paperback
@scott_m_sands Thanks for the offer! I’ll send you a PM once it’s ready for critique. Hopefully within a week or so.
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
Does magic realism count as speculative fiction? The story I'm working on now is much more magic realism than scifi and fantasy and I'm wondering if it's worth submitting it to wotf or (one I finish it) to submit it for a different market.
I think my Q1 HM was more magical realism than anything else. I didn't realise until a fellow forumite mentioned it. It's not really fantasy or sci-fi.
35: - R R R | 36: R HM R R | 37: HM HM HM SHM | 38: HM HM HM HM | 39: HM HM HM SHM | 40: HM R SHM SHM |
4 SHM / 12 HM / 7 R
My day 1 edits have been great so far--a completely new opening has both cut the opening length in half, and set up the basis for both heightened tension in parts of act 3 and a much better ending and denouement to the story as a whole. I'll be tinkering more today, but it's safe to say I'm really happy with how this has gone to this point!
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:0 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Published prior WotF entries: PodCastle, HFQ, Abyss & Apex
I thought I was going to finish my Q3 draft this weekend. But my wife put me in the hospital Friday night and I lost a lot of valuable time. She was sanding furniture downstairs while I was writing. I didn't realize how bad my breathing had degraded until it was REALLY bad (talk about getting lost in one's writing!). I'm so close, but I'm doing stupid things for lack of sleep. Ah well. It'll be drafted tomorrow. I'll even have time to let it rest before looking at it for revisions. Write on!
2012 Q4: R
2016 Q3: SHM
2019 Q2: HM, Q3: HM
2020 Q2: HM, Q4: SHM
2021 Q1: HM, Q2: SF, Q3: SHM, Q4: SHM
2022 Q1: SHM, Q2 RWC, Q4 RWC
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3:Nope Q4: WIP