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Literary Agencies as Publishers: An Accelerating Trend
Last week, prestigious UK agency Ed Victor Ltd. announced that it was going into publishing, with an ebook/print-on-demand division called Bedford Square Books.
Hunting Down the Value of Social Media
Are Facebook, Twitter and IM having any effect on the quality or volume of my work? These questions, coupled with a very long list of goals I wanted to accomplish, plagued me like a broken plot.
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 22 – Patterns for the Struggle: Element 1
What you need to do is keep throwing troubles, conflicts, surprises, and obstacles at the reader. You also need to let the hero have some successes. This allows the reader to have cause to fear AND hope,…
Nebula Awards Weekend: Mass Book Signing
Forty authors will sign their books at the Nebula Awards Weekend, Friday, May 20, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Washington Hilton at 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.–located four blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro Station…
I Broke a News Story, and All I Got Was This Freaking T-Shirt
As readers of this blog know, I’m fascinated by the oddities that pop up at the fringes of the writing and publishing worlds. This qualifies as one of the odder things I’ve come across lately: T-Post.
Nebula Awards 2010 Interview: Nnedi Okorafor
My characters always come first. You can’t have a plot if you don’t know who is going to move through it. Onyesonwu came to me way before her story did. The first scene I wrote was the…
Guest Post: Writing Advice
You become a writer by writing. You learn by damaging your ego, and giving more of yourself than you take. By a thousand revelations, by millions of words you improve.
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 21 – Patterns for Presenting the Problem: Elements 4-5
If the main character is sympathetic and interesting, the reader will root for her and want to see what happens. If some of the particularities of the character and problem are surprising to the readers, it will generate more interest…
Pay to Play Anthologies
Vanity anthologies are a popular way for unscrupulous companies to make money on writers’ hunger for publication. By far the most common vanity anthology scheme is the free contest scheme, in which writers are enticed to enter poems or stories…
Write on the River 2011
2011 WRITE ON THE RIVER CONFERENCE SHOWCASES PACIFIC NORTHWEST LITERARY TALENT Wenatchee’s year-round writing organization has outdone itself this year, bringing three New York Times best-selling authors and an experienced homegrown array of predominantly Pacific Northwest authors and editors to…
Duncan Jones, Director of Source Code – a Video Interview
Director Duncan Jones discusses crafting stories, science fiction, and the making of his latest feature, SOURCE CODE.
Milford SF Writer’s Conference Opens for Registation
You are cordially invited to join the Milford SF Writer’s Conference, held at the Trigonos Centre in Snowdonia, Wales.
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 20 – Patterns for Presenting the Problem 1-3
Have you thought about starting with a bang right away? Or does your story want another hook before you roll the main one out on the stage?
Clarion West to Honor
Paul Park, Connie Willis, and Gardner Dozois
On June 24 at 8 p.m., Clarion West will open the Locus Awards Weekend with a party in honor of CW instructor Paul Park. The party will also celebrate Awards Toastmistress Connie Willis, SF Hall of Fame inductee Gardner…
In Memoriam: Joanna Russ
Joanna Russ (b.1937) died on April 29, 2011, two days after entering hospice. Russ was admitted to hospice following a series of strokes. Russ received a BA from Cornell in 1957 where she studied under Vladimir Nabokov. She began publishing…
The Interminable Agency Clause
An “interminable agency clause” (sometimes called an “interminable rights clause” or a “perpetual agency clause”) is language inserted into an author-agency agreement whereby the agency claims the right to remain the agent of record not just for the duration of…
Self-Publishing: An Interview with Scott Nicholson
Somewhere during the summer, when I got the latest “I can’t sell this” from an agent, I realized, “You can’t, but I can.” I have not looked back since.
Hugo & Campbell Best New Writer Nominations Announced
Nominees for the Hugo Awards and for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer have been announced.
Key Conditions for Suspense:
Part 19 – Use Patterns & Options, Not Formulas
Building stories is like building houses. Yes, you need a foundation, walls, and a roof, but holy cow–look at all the variations that are possible AND successful given those basic requirements!
Tidbits
Last October, I blogged about David Boyer, a self-styled author and publisher who was discovered to be committing extensive plagiarism, publishing stories and books both under his own name and his many aliases.
Guest Post: Klingons Invade WorldCon
Every summer, Klingon speakers from around the world have gathered for a long weekend of barking and spitting, singing and storytelling, impromptu game shows, off-the-cuff translations of broadway musicals, and vaudeville routines.
Quick Updates for 2011-04-21
Member News for Randy Henderson, Donald Norum, Jason V. Brock, K.V. Johansen, Adam Christopher, Allan Cole, David Levine, Vonda N. McIntyre, Anna D. Allen, Mary Robinette Kowal, Paul Cornell, and Kay Kenyon.
Renovation: Teaching SF Workshop
Renovation, the 69th Worldcon, is delighted to announce “Teaching SF”, a workshop for teachers, librarians and parents on how to use science fiction as a teaching tool.
Guest Post: The Google Books Settlement–It’s Not Too Late to Fix It
The question now becomes, “where do we go from here?” The parties were left free to negotiate a new settlement, or continue the original lawsuit.