Discussion

Hey all, For all of our writers in the group, after you’ve been writing for awhile, you discover things that make your writing life easier. Maybe it’s a site that you use for researching real-world locations for your next novel. Maybe it’s a writing app that just helps the words flow a little better. Maybe it’s an app that helps you turn off the online distractions and just write for a bit. Or maybe it’s a piece of something in the real world – a chair, a sound machine, a pad and paper – that for you makes the writing … Read more

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Shira Anthony: “This general topic comes from my experiences writing both fantasy/sci fi series and single books, and really can apply to either genre. What are readers’ and authors’ perspectives about writing series vs. one-off stories. Do you like to invest in more than one book? What about writers?” It’s an interesting question. As a writer, I like the idea of extending my characters beyond the original premise, and in some cases (especially fantasy), of planning a multi-book arc. As a reader, I also like getting invested in series – the idea that I can … Read more

Today’s question comes from QSFer Hank T. Cannon: “What goes into a good blurb? Are there different types of blurbs? What kind should be used for promotion? What kind should be used for submissions?” I hate writing blurbs. I hate writing summaries. Blurbs and summaries are like the Muzak of the fiction world. They take a (hopefully) vibrant, living story and wring out every last bit of life and color from them to create a sad approximation of a plot. When I have to write a blurb or summary, I always end up feeling like my story is the saddest, … Read more

Hi all… for today’s topic, I’m tapping into my current experience on a story I’m reworking. It was originally a “straight” sci fi story that I wrote maybe 25 years ago. Needless to say, the tech is waaaaay out of date. In my initial update, I brought it up to now, but because this is a future story, I got called on it, and am working out what tech will be like in 10-15 years. But that’s not today’s topic. Today, I’m ruminating and masticating (new word of the day calendar, anyone?) on changing a character from female to male, … Read more

This week, an MM fiction writer who uses several male pen names was unmasked as a woman. This in itself is not a big deal – people write under open names all the time – and there’s a long history of women writing under male names to get their work out there – look at George Elliott. People often establish a separate pen name for other purposes as well – for instance, when an author writes erotica, and then wants to publish something in the YA market. A pen name is a great way to keep the two lines separate. … Read more

Today’s topic comes from QSFer Tammy Jenkins: “cookie cutter characters (LGBTQIA individuals come in all shapes and sizes)”. As a writer, I have a tendency to reach for the familiar – I often write characters who share traits with people I know or have met – it’s a natural thing to do. But sometimes we go beyond this tendency and write characters like others in our given genre. And these can veer pretty easily into tropes. Who hasn’t read an MM story with a handsome, strong, blond and blue-eyed hero? Or the dark haired, dashing bad boy? So my questions … Read more

Sometimes I go through a bit of a dry patch – when I’m not writing, either because of time constraints from work or other obligations, or because I’m just not in the right space. When the latter happens, I usually don’t use it as an excuse not to write – I just shoft gears to a different project that will fire my interest. But also, at these times, I wonder why I write. I mean, I love reading – especially anything sci fi or fantasy. I have since I was in second grade. But I like music too – so … Read more