A teenager is inherently an outsider, because they’re in transition, unformed, changing quickly from childhood to adulthood. They’ve been given a lot of cultural freedom as a child, because they are children. You often hear people say, “They don’t understand, they’re just children,” and this is often an excuse for breaking some minor cultural prohibition.
Surprise is one of the vital elements in story making precisely because it makes things unpredictable. It makes hope, fear, worry, and curiosity possible.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t self-publish if you want to (though I would urge you to do so on the basis of knowledge rather than hype), or that self-publishers can’t become successful (clearly, they can–something that has always been true, for every possible value of success). I’m just saying that it’s risky to assume that others’ success stories will apply to you.
There’s nothing like writing during adolescence. The intensity, focus, and emotional strength that such a writer brings to her/his work is, like a map frozen in time, sharply delineated and can’t be captured except as a memory of once walking in those lands.
Industry News and Member News for Lia Keyes, Mari Ness, Jim Hines, David Levine, Jennifer Brozek, Michael Chabon, Yasmine Galenorn, and Stephanie Dray.
The board of directors of SFWA unanimously voted to add Tanglewood Press to the list of SFWA qualifying markets. This independent publishing
Dmae Roberts, an award-winning radio artist and writer, recently profiled acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin for Stage and Studio, a radio show that focus on performing, literary, and media arts with a connection to Oregon.
Member News for Kelly Swails, KJ Kabza, and Keffy R. M. Kehrli.
When I’m teaching, I do bring some books to class in order to point students toward them. I don’t think books are a substitute for the act of writing, but they can help focus and direct your practice and give you a list of things to work on that might not otherwise occur to you. Here’s a list of my top ten for speculative fiction writers focusing on their craft. I was sad to find some not available on the Kindle, but where possible, I’ve pointed to the e-version.
