WRITERSoftheFUTURE.com

Orson Scott Card's "Ender" series, especially the "Earth..." prequels (really surprised these didn't make the list) ~Morgan Yeah - good point! I think Enders Game is one of the top ten science fiction books ever written. (Although - I never read the rest - but I plan to someday)

Very cool list! I started out OK, but faded in the latter half of the (sci-fi) list. I think I will go get Neuromancer. Seems time. Interesting about The Shining. I wonder why. I've been discussing "character" again with a writer friend, and it seems that might fall under that category? A...

Except for a few stories, that's a good "History of SFF" but nothing that's currently being published. Certainly, if you're into the history of SFF, read those books (or just for enjoyment). But if you're working on being a professional writer in this day and age, read the stories that ha...

Thanks. That’s a great list. There are some on there I’m not familiar with but will check out in the future. For me, I’d want to add David Brin to the science fiction books. The Postman is my favorite post-apocalyptic story and The Practice Effect is a very neat little book that shows how you can ha...

Congrats to everyone - I imagine the finalists are not getting any sleep tonight! I hope I get to have that problem some day.

When Joni calls the finalists does it show up on caller ID as private? If so, I think I may have missed the call.... It sure does. I answered an "unknown" number this afternoon hoping it was her. Grrr... OK - So this had me going for a minute since I got a no ID call and ignored it and th...

Here's some great advice from Marion Zimmer Bradley on what editors are looking for.

I love the repeated: EDITORS DO NOT BUY STORIES BECAUSE THEY ARE WELL WRITTEN

http://mzbworks.com/why.htm

Thanks! Lots of good advice there - I'm still not decided - but leaning toward going with the short story and if it just absolutely demands to be a novel I'll listen to it and give it a try. Thanks!

I was just about to make a suggestion along these lines -- In other forums I've seen where they find people who are active in the forum that they learn to trust and give them the power to delete inappropriate posts - etc. It takes a little leap of faith - but its worth it to avoid the spam. It could...

So - I've never had anything published and consider myself a relative newbie to this whole writing life. I'm working on a short story for Q2 - it's a pretty awesome concept - not even sure yet if I have the chops to pull it off - but I'm trying - and it's starting to seem like maybe there's actually...

I saw this subject come up within another thread - on another subject and, a) I lost it, and b) figure it warrants it's own thread anyway.

So - when you're trying to come up with new stories - where do you get your ideas/inspiration?

For me this was a thought experiment - I hope to do both of course. But I see advice about the need to write quickly if you want writing to be a career - and then other advice that you need to write slow - in order to fully develop your stories. The last story I worked on was about 20 pages, and it ...

Got a personal rejection from F&SF last night. That’s pretty delightful, for me. I got a form rejection from them a few months ago on a different story. I still want that first sale, of course, but like you guys said, this means I’m on the right track. Just keep writing, finishing, and submitti...

I know it's a false dichotomy, but if you had to choose a) or b) below - which would you choose? a) an ability to churn out decent stories that sold in such numbers that you could quit your day job and just write for the rest of your life, but the stories had no staying power and no impact beyond ju...

A note on word counts and the contest... Dave sometimes says that he counts by the old fashioned method that produces counts up to 20% higher, but unfortunately (for us) the contest pays the per-word rate by the word processor count. If and when they ever get in touch to send me an extra $108 I wil...

Winning is placing. It means Joni asks you if you're sitting down. Words I have yet to hear. However, published finalist is not a win, but grants almost all the benefits of a win, plus you can keep entering. I love Eric James Stone's method. His Q4 was the published finalist, and around the time he...

I'm cursing myself with all my high hopes! But I really like the story I'm going to submit - but even just a bump up from HM would be nice - evidence of improvement.

I used to be told I had a great accent too. Then I asked how it was considered possible for an Englishman to speak English with an English accent. I mean, do we accuse the French of speaking French with a French accent? (I have to concede that my accent nowadays places me somewhere between Windsor ...

Once upon a time we had a poetry thread, but I've lost it. And sometimes I feel like writing a piece of silly doggerel. Possibly you do too. So I'll start. Good Clean Fun (with apologies to WS Gilbert) There once was a little Venusian queen Oh tell me a good sci-fi story! Who landed her spacecraft ...

Yeah, it is interesting. I feel like the overall story length was a lot longer in last year's anthology. *REST OF COMMENT REDACTED DUE TO PARANOIA ABOUT ANONYMITY* I recently friended Dave on Facebook, and then unfriended him due to my PARANOIA ABOUT ANONYMITY. I'll refriend him as soon as I win! w...

I just read this Shakespeare quote, and thought about this thread. "And so, in spite of death, thou dost survive, In that thy likeness still is left alive" The quote is about our children, but I think it could easily also apply to our stories. According to the obituary, Jeff Carlson left u...

A note on word counts and the contest... Dave sometimes says that he counts by the old fashioned method that produces counts up to 20% higher, but unfortunately (for us) the contest pays the per-word rate by the word processor count. If and when they ever get in touch to send me an extra $108 I wil...

Reading through vol 33, I'm surprised by the short length of these stories. I might even call it a trend... Yeah, it is interesting. I feel like the overall story length was a lot longer in last year's anthology. *REST OF COMMENT REDACTED DUE TO PARANOIA ABOUT ANONYMITY* I recently friended Dave on...

Hi Chris, "Win" means getting first, second, or third place in any given quarter. Essentially, if you get any form of cash prize, you have "won" the contest, even if you did not get first place or the grand prize. You can absolutely enter multiple quarters in a row before result...

I HATE HATE HATE the title of my current story -- but was going to just ignore it and submit - but this discussion has been an inspiration -- I've already come up something better -- it can still use some work but much better than what I had

Interesting - but - my two page story turned into 20!

"Just counted my submissions for Writers of the Future. We hit an all-time high again. 20% higher than the previous record, set last quarter.Let the judging, begin . . ." On Dave's facebook page. wotf003 wotf003 wotf003 Ugh! So - more and more competition. Good for the contest I guess. I ...

I'm pretty excited about my story for Q1. It, and a bunch of ideas, came to me in June while I was still flying high from the HM. It's pretty out there though - so not sure if it's a great story or just a silly idea. I hope to be submitting it to my writer's group in a couple weeks - so will see wha...

Is there a minimum age limit? I have a relative who is 14/15 - and he's a great artist. Can he enter the illustrator's contest? Does anyone know of someone his age winning?

And -- can you win more than once? Say - enter Q1, then enter Q2 before the winner is chosen for Q1, and win Q2 as well? Has anyone ever done that?