Rejections mark progress... if you listen.

I sent out five stories and poems in October, and have started getting some rejection letters back. Mostly I get the "Thanks, not for us." response, but I noticed something about one of them in particular. It was a personal rejection that had some excellent advice in it: the Editor liked the science and the technological accuracy, but there were just too many short stories and even novels with the same premise.

What did that tell me? It told me I hadn't done much in the way of research as to what the market had been publishing. My story was a standard end of the world story, told from what I had hoped was a different enough perspective. I was so wrong. How many of you have tried to write the quintessential vampire story (and your initials are LKH or AR) and had the same thing happen? Or the perky young wizard battling evil? There is such a thing as market saturation and market timing, and it can kill the writing career of anyone not willing to look a bit further afield in what they want to write.

Almost everything has been done to death, many times over. Take zombie stories for instance. How many zombie short stories are rejected every day because it is the same tired theme over and over again. I recently had the opportunity to critique a zombie story told from a very unique point of view. When I picked myself up off of the floor after laughing myself out of my chair (I hit the ground hard, let me tell you!) I knew this writer had that special talent to take a trope and turn it inside out. I will post more about the story when it is published.

So, take these rejection letters to heart. Read up on your chosen genre. Try to think out of the box. You'll be a better writer for it. I know I will!

Submit or Perish!!!

Are you a writer who is also a pack rat? I am. I went over the list of stories I have been working on and discovered I hadn't submitted anything in a couple of months. That didn't seem right. So I checked a little spreadsheet I have of current work. Sure enough, there were five stories I had finished editing and didn't submit! Why? I asked myself. It turns out I was too busy writing other things and getting them ready for critiquing. So they sat on my PC, gathering electronic dust (and cat hair, but we won't go into that.)

So I fired up the Internet (thanks, Al Gore and Vin Cerf) and logged onto Duotrope. There I found a home for everyone of my stories. Now, I may get five rejections. But if I do, at least that tells me where I stand in my writing skills (See previous post.). But If I don't submit, then nothing changes.

Some writers I know keep working on stories forever. They want it to be perfect before it's published. But I am of the mind that putting too much polish on a story can actually take some of the shine off of it. You need rejection; you need to know what you are doing wrong (or at least not quite right.). Any response I get on a story will teach me something. But not submitting teaches you nothing.

Write, submit, recover and start all over again!

Bettering your craft...

This year at Armadillo Con 31, I had the honor of meeting and chatting with James Frenkel, a senior editor with TOR Books. I did the usual polite introduction of myself, business card in hand, and told him that I hope to have a manuscript pass into his hands someday. He inquired about said manuscript and what my writing credentials were. I gave him a brief (10 second) description of the novel currently sitting on an agent's desk and the one short story I had published at the time.

He looked at me and asked if I was still writing short stories. I said of course. He encouraged me to writing short stories. I thanked him for his advice and let other slavering individuals garner his attention.

His comment stuck in my mind. The week after the Con, I went back and reviewed all of the short stories I had written since I started. I read them in the order in which I wrote them. I noticed that there was a remarkable difference in the style and quality of writing between the oldest and the newest stories. THAT made me think. I started my novel at the same time I started my first short story. Like any newbie writer, I was sure that the novel was a good one, albeit targeted to a specific sub-genre (hard science space opera). I thought I might have trouble selling it, but all of the people who read it (twenty or so) really enjoyed it. When I met the agent, there was interest and I was asked to send the usual package. It's been out with the agent for over three months; not a lot of time in the publishing industry.

But after reading my sequence of stories and the progression of my writing skills, I realized that Mr. Frenkel's advice wasn't just good, it was critical. No matter how good my novel was, if I started it today, it would be a much better novel. I had fallen for one of the worst pitfalls any new writer can succumb to: Thinking I was good at writing. Now, don't get me wrong, I like my stories and my characters, but will everybody else?

What helped me most of all was getting involved in critique groups. In an earlier post, I said not to write in a vacuum. Let people who write also read your stories and tell you where things could be better. My two favorite critique groups are Critters.Org and the Slug Tribe. They are open, honest, fair and have a code that explains how to critique and not be nasty about it. One memeber of the Slug Tribe, Patrice Sarath, was teaching a Writer's Workshop at the Armadillo Con. During a critique of a story I submitted, she gave me one piece of valuable advise that FINALLY got through my neutronium skull. My writing was good and my story was interesting, but my POV was all over the place and that ruined it for her.

When I started writing after the Con and Workshop, I focused on nothing but keeping the POV where it should be. (I tend to write like I think, and I am so all over the place!) The difference between these stories and my earlier ones was readily apparent. I was getting even better!!!

But I still have a long way to go. Jim Fenkel's advice is what drives my writing now. Short stories are the pop quizzes of writing; you can get an immediate idea of where your skill set is while preparing to write your thesis.

So, thanks to Jim Frenkel and Patrice Sarath. You have been a great help to me!

On Plagiarism...

I run a little online magazine called Infinite Windows. I run it both as a hobby and a learning tool to help me shape my skills at editing. It's done very well for itself and I have received many good stories, poetry and artwork. Imagine my surprise when one of contacts on Twitter informed me that a piece story I had published was stolen from another author.

I quickly followed a link I was given, which led me to the original author's site and several other authors whose work had been plagiarized. Apparently this person who goes under the name of Richard Ridyard has been doing this for a while. For more detailed information on this situation, I will refer you to Aaron Polson, Angel Zapata and Deb Biancotti's Blogs.

Plagiarism does no one any good. For the author whose work is stolen, it generates frustration and anger. For the editors of the publications these stories are submitted to, it causes more work and aggravation. But ultimately, for the plagiarist it causes the most damage. They will be found out, In this day and age, nobody can do this and not get caught. Mr. Ridyard (or whomever his real name is - and he will be discovered, believe me!) has destroyed any hope of becoming a published author in his own right. No body will ever believe anything he ever submits is his own work.

On top of everything else, this individual has committed theft of intellectual property. And if he has been paid for any of this plagiarised work, it is out and out theft. Period.

So for the Richard Ridyards of the world, you will be found out and your reputation will be permanently ruined. Nobody trusts a liar.

Will I Read Your Script or Story? ...Maybe

A lot has been said recently about aspiring writers trying to get their stories or scripts read by a professional. Most of the blogs are down right nasty and full of frustration (except for Scalzi... he makes you feel good as he tell you no and explains why in detail.).

On the other hand, I will read your story or script. Why? I'm always looking for good stories to publish in my webzine. I am also looking for great ideas for stories of my own (Caveat Emptor - what can I say?).

So, by all means, send me your best. I'll either give you exposure or steal your ideas!

Armadillo Con 31

What sets the annual Armadillo Con in Austin, Texas apart from most genre conventions? Well, it is a literary convention, targeted toward writers looking to learn and share their experiences. You won’t find very many people in costumes (other than tacky Hawaiian shirts, of course!) and there are no odd-ball beauty contests, like for the Best Rendition of a Storm Trooper in a Leather Bikini. No, it’s all about improving your craft and meeting the professionals.

One of the most important aspects for me, was the annual Writer’s Workshop. Here, a group of novice writers are exposed to seasoned professionals who share their experiences and techniques. I want to publicly acknowledge this year’s coordinators, Stina Leicht and Melissa Tyler. They did a marvelous job of running the workshop and procuring a really top-flight panel of judges, including Jim Frenkel (a Senior Editor with Tor Books), majorly talented authors like Scott Lynch (“The Lies of Lock Lamora”), Patrice Sarath (“Gordath Woods”), Sharon Shinn (“Samaria” and “Twelve Houses” series), and other notables like Matthew Bey (local Austin writer and editor of the print magazine “Space Squid”) and Nancy Hightower, who is not only an author (“Devouring Winter” ), but also teaches college courses about writing. There were many more, so here is a link to the total list of instructors.

After a morning session of discussion, Scott Lynch held a great game where people would be picked out to construct a story based upon statements from a previous contestant. The stories built up nicely, until some editorial comments were thrown in like “add a talking beagle to your plot”. It was hilarious!

After lunch, we all broke up into separate groups to critique stories we had brought to the Workshop. There were five or six novices and two professional writers in each group. Our group had Sharon Shinn and Patrice Sarath. There were some amazing stories in our group! (Mine will be amazing once I get that pesky Point of View thing sorted out!) The critiques themselves were excellent and very beneficial. The workshop alone was worth the cost of the whole Con.

After the Workshop, the convention officially opened. Kim Antell gave a great talk on what to expect at the Con, and Scott Bobo mixed some really mad martini’s.

The panels at the Con were an amazing mix. Everything from City Building and Using Softer Sciences in Genre Fiction, to Why Do They Keep Canceling My Shows? One of the best panels was an explanation of Texas as both a place and an idea; Elizabeth Moon, Joe Landsdale, Howard Waldrop, Scott Cupp, Neil Barrett Jr. and Lou Antonelli took us deep into what we call Texas Weird.

There were also lots of author readings. My favorites were Rob Rodgers reading from his newest endeavor, Fort Dire and James P Hogan, reading from his new novel coming out next year.

Speaking of James P. Hogan, I spent a delightful time talking to him and his wife Sheryl. I have been reading his works since the early seventies, and have them on my list as perennial re-reads. He told some great stories about his life and the publishing industry. We also shared funny stories from our respective careers in the computer industry. His reading was especially enjoyable; his dry wit, humor and delivery dovetailed nicely with the segments he read.

I was also able to spend a little bit of time with Guest of Honor Scott Lynch. He is such an open and engaging individual, with lots of energy. Expect great things from this guy!

One of the great things about this Con is the ability to just sit and chat with authors from near and far. Exchanging ideas, funny stories and getting lots of advice from people who have been through it all adds a special zest to your evening!

I want to thank the Con Committee for a wonderful job. See you next year!

Why your stories don't sell.

Most of us are in the same situation. We write a story or a novel and submit it for publication and then we wait. Most of the time, we receive rejection letters. Now we know our story is great, all my friends and relatives loved it! Why does it keep getting rejected? There are many reasons why a story or novel gets rejected; most of them are very simple.

1. Did you make sure you followed the submission guidelines?

Many publishers will not even consider a manuscript if it is not formatted correctly, no matter how good it may be. Slush piles are HUGE! It also tells them that you really didn't pay attention to what they wanted you to send. Follow the rules; they are there for a reason.

2. Did you make sure your story or novel fits with the publisher?

Sending a graphic horror manuscript to a literary publisher is a waste of postage or the internet. Research the places you want to send your manuscript to. Make sure your idea is a good fit, do your homework! Take 15 minutes to read through the publishers website and see what they are looking for.

3. Is your manuscript properly edited?

Have you run spell check? Great, now read it through completely after you do so. Spell check is great, but it doesn't catch everything (like its, it's and its'). And most spell checkers are horrible on grammer. For those of you that write genre fiction, this is especially true. Your perfectly acceptable alien dialouge can be changed back into standard English without your knowledge! This is your baby. Make sure the buttons are buttoned and the zippers are zipped. Cross your I's and dot your T's. Nobody else will, and it makes for a shoddy manuscript if you don't! It also tells a publisher that you are an amature, and that is NOT good if you want to get published.

4. Who has read your manuscript?

Writing in a vacuum is a bad thing. You need to have people deconstruct your stories and tell you where they can be improved. Your friends and family will encourage you and tell you your writing is great! The are biased toward you and down't want to hurt your feelings. You need to find a writing group that offers to critique your work. There are many sites online and probably in your area. They are normally free; you just have to critique other stories to get your own read. Go on a regular basis, your ability to write and give criticism will improve.

5. What you are writing just may not be what they are looking for.

You have that vampire novel you've been working on for 2 years and you can't seem to get it published. It's a great story right? But right now (and for the past several years) vampire stories have been flooding the market. Check out what's being publsihed now. See where there is a lack of stories and see if your style fits that. Be open to what you write. There is a lot of inertia in the publishing industry. Read the trends.

6. Your writing may just not be good enough right now.

When we decide to write, we often just write out what is in  our heads. The first stuff is almost always bad. Get used to it. The first few times we try anything, we stink at it. Don't get discouraged, write more. The more rejections you get, the more you should write. But make sure you follow rule #4. Have your writing critiqued on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect!!!

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