nancyfulda ([info]nancyfulda) wrote,
@ 2008-03-01 12:17:00
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Resources for New Writers
As a follow-up to my post on aspiring writers, I figured I ought to share some resources. Many of these are specific to speculative fiction, others apply to all genres.

Books on Writing
Description by Monica Wood
Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
Beginnings, Middles and Ends by Nancy Kress
How to write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card.

Discussion Forums on Writing, Publishing, etc.
Absolute Write
Baen's Bar
Codex (Requires at least one professional sale or completion of a major writing workshop.)
Backspace (Requires a $30 registration fee. 5 day free trial.)

Online Critique Groups
Online Writers' Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (Requires a $50 membership fee; some people think that's too much, others think it's a fair deal.)
Critters

Real Life Writing Workshops (Warning: These are expensive.)
Uncle Orson's Writing Class/Literary Boot Camp. Taught by Orson Scott Card. Two day open enrollment followed by four days of auditioned writing instruction.
Viable Paradise
Clarion
Odyssey

Where to Find Good Fiction
Analog
Asimovs
FSF
Realms of Fantasy
Jim Baen's Universe
Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show
Strange Horizons
AnthologyBuilder

For a much more comprehensive listing, check the market listings at Ralan.

Also, be sure to check the web sites of Asimov's, Analog and FSF from time to time. They often post electronic versions of stories that have been nominated for Hugo or Nebula awards.

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[info]wishwords
2008-03-01 08:22 pm UTC (link)
You would think that as big a state as Texas is and as many authors as come from here, there would be workshop around these parts once in a while.

*looks longingly at the list of workshops*

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Slug tribe; book resources; Jerry Pournelle
(Anonymous)
2008-03-02 02:22 pm UTC (link)
Wishwords,

Forget workshops. Do you live in Austin? No? Move there. The best writers' group for sf/f in THE WORLD meets the second and fourth Tuesdays in Austin. <http://www.slugtribe.org/index.html> You can meet the group for dinner beforehand if you want. Last time I was there, the group included two professional editors and six -- count 'em, six -- published writers. Bring plenty of copies (I suggest 12) of your latest work (not more than 5000 words; that is, 20 pages). Long works can be presented in installments. You get oral and written comments. Best investment of time you will ever make. Tell 'em keith sent ya.

+++++

Books you gotta read:

Dwight Swain; _Techniques of the Selling Writer_; University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK; 1964 (out of print but worth the search)

William Strunk, Jr, and E B White; _The Elements of Style; Allyn & Bacon, Needham Heights, MA; 2000 (4th ed) (read it cover to cover; then keep it for a reference)

+++++

Absolute, bar-none, best advice there is: <http://jerrypournelle.com/slowchange/myjob.html>

Boiled down to 10 words: "[W]rite and throw away a million words of finished material."

My DAILY goal is 1000 words. Saturdays and Sundays included. I don't always make it.

How long does it take to write a million words at that pace? Think about it. Think about what else happens between word one and word one million.

keith
PS If you do not know who Jerry Pournelle is, quit now. You are beyond redemption.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]ecmyers
2008-03-01 08:31 pm UTC (link)
Another workshop: Clarion West.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]nancyfulda
2008-03-01 11:00 pm UTC (link)
Ah, thank you. I'd forgotten about that one.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]melissajm
2008-03-01 09:12 pm UTC (link)
Thank you particularly for the Codex info.

(Reply to this)


[info]david_de_beer
2008-03-01 09:56 pm UTC (link)
Clarion has an online workshop as well, Clarion Virtual.

(Reply to this)


[info]will_couvillier
2008-03-01 10:59 pm UTC (link)
James Gunn offers a live workshop at the University of Kansas each summer.

(Reply to this)


[info]catrambo
2008-03-02 03:06 am UTC (link)
You can find some good speculative fiction here too! http://www.darkfantasy.org/fantasy/ ;)

Taos Toolbox is another workshop worth listing. (imo)

There's a Clarion South as well.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]nancyfulda
2008-03-03 05:25 am UTC (link)
>>Taos Toolbox is another workshop worth listing.

Indeed. Here's the link.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]howardtayler
2008-03-02 03:33 am UTC (link)
You totally forgot the Writing Excuses podcast, which features two extremely talented writers (Brandon Sanderson and Daniel Wells) and one hack cartoonist.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]nancyfulda
2008-03-03 05:24 am UTC (link)
I did. Not to mention Mur Lafferty's "I should be writing"

Clearly, I'm going to need to do an updated version of this post.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Can we make this a meme?
[info]mbarker
2008-03-03 05:11 am UTC (link)
This was such a good idea that I dragged out my list of books and picked a few. See http://mbarker.livejournal.com/58848.html

And thanks!

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Can we make this a meme?
[info]nancyfulda
2008-03-03 05:26 am UTC (link)
Sure. Consider yourself tagged ;)

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