NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

@horsearcher welcome! I love to have a new fantasy writer around.

The workshop has great material for generating new story ideas, so you're definitely in the right place.

I'm a huge fan of the critique exchange in the forum. Drop a line there if you want more feedback.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!

Welcome to all the new members! There’s still time to take the WotF Online Workshop and to finish it in time to join us for Orson Scott Card’s presentation in July! Scott Card understands writing craft better than anyone I know. Don’t miss this chance to hear him speak and to ask your questions. It’s a rare opportunity.

Have fun making new friends here to cheer one another on in your writing goals … like winning Writers of the Future!

Wulf Moon

Forum Moderator 

Hello fellow writers and readers.

My name is Sebastian and I'm from Argentina, and like many others before me, my reading passion began when I first read Lord of the Rings. Years have passed since then, and, while I still enjoy that genre, lately I've been mostly interested in science fiction and non-fictional books on human behavior and philosophy.

Despite having some sort of craving to write something of my own for a long time, I only recently managed to put all my excuses aside and actually try. And as I did, I had an important decision to make: should I write in spanish or in english? I guess it's obvious which one I opted for.

Writing in a foreign language is tough, but it's also quite educational. Every day I learn new vocabulary, different syntax rules and grammar in general. And, with the help of this website's workshops and any possible comments from its community, I hope to further hone my writing abilities. Thank you all for the opportunity!

Welcome to the land of cooperative forumites where everyone thrives on each other's success. Take advantage of the WotF workshop and write your winning story.  

@sebas-anguiano Welcome! We have quite the thriving community of non-native English speakers here, so you are in good company. Props to you for making the choice to write in a foreign language! We do have a thread for grammar and formatting rules that you may find helpful and it’s a great place to ask those specific types of questions.

https://writersofthefuture.com/forum/writing-craft-talent-technique/grammar-and-punctuation-questions-answers-and-resources/

@sebas-anguiano Welcome, Sebastian. There's several writers here that don't have English as their first language. It's a challenge, but the more you work in a language, the easier it gets. Glad to have you with us!

Wulf Moon

@sebas-anguiano bienvenidos a WotF!

Being bilingual gives you skills that other writers don't have. You can think of alternative ways to phrase sentences that others aren't familiar with, you can pull in diverse aspects of your culture, etc.

If you go through the workshop, you'll see a more of how this works.

Envia me mensaje si quieras alguna ayuda o sugeriencia sobre tu short story  

@g-l-bertram gracias por la oferta, la tendré en cuenta, y con gusto devolveré el favor!  

Hi, I'm Kelly! 

I've been serious about learning the writing craft for the past year and a half and I'm really excited to submit something for Q4! I write fantasy and Sci-fi ^_^ 

Hi and welcome Kelly. With those styles of writing, you'll fit right in. 

@kellymorgan 

Welcome, Kelly! If you haven't had a chance to look at it yet, the free writing course offered here is second to none. The difference it made in my writing was an absolute day and night difference. 

Glad to have you aboard!

@kellymorgan welcome to the forum!

This is my favorite online writing community by far, and the resources on here are really good.

I second @cedars; go check out the writing course if you haven't already. I can always tell when someone hasn't taken it.

Don't be a stranger!

Posted by: @kellymorgan

Hi, I'm Kelly! 

I've been serious about learning the writing craft for the past year and a half and I'm really excited to submit something for Q4! I write fantasy and Sci-fi ^_^ 

Welcome, Kelly!

Serious about writing? Crafting quality stories that win contests and sell to respectable markets so they will be read? We’re all about that here. Do share in the topics of interest, ask questions of the collective, and don’t miss the online course. I highly recommend doing your best to keep up with the WotF Podcast as well—John gets the best and focuses each episode on the needs of the aspiring writer.

Welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon

Hi! I'm Lauren.

My first submission was in Q1, and I have a pending Q2, and Q3. I'm writing a new story now, but not sure it'll be my Q4 submission or not. I may end up revising Q1's story. Anyways! I'm really excited to be in the forum, even though the setup is taking me a hot minute to figure out. I have been mostly publishing flash fictions in lit mags for the last few years though my first love was Ender's Game & HP. Then I found Sanderson. So, I want to improve at short stories and maybe someday write the big novels.

@mattnwife Welcome to the forum!

I'm with you. I've been working on a novel, but my main concern is with short fiction for now. I'll probably seek bigger game once I feel a little more established with the craft.

If you haven't taken it already, I strongly suggest you check out the free writer's workshop, and send your stories through the critique exchange. There's no better way to improve than by having a total stranger rip your work apart.

Posted by: @mattnwife

Hi! I'm Lauren.

My first submission was in Q1, and I have a pending Q2, and Q3. I'm writing a new story now, but not sure it'll be my Q4 submission or not. I may end up revising Q1's story. Anyways! I'm really excited to be in the forum, even though the setup is taking me a hot minute to figure out. I have been mostly publishing flash fictions in lit mags for the last few years though my first love was Ender's Game & HP. Then I found Sanderson. So, I want to improve at short stories and maybe someday write the big novels.

 

You've come to the right place, Lauren!

I'm glad you found us! Entering every quarter is a great way to grow. The results and certificates you earn each quarter will give you the means to gauge your progress. Great job on writing fresh new stories and setting up a habit of submitting. Well done!

Don't miss taking the WotF Online Workshop. You learn from the best!

Welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon

@mattnwife Welcome. Great to hear you are writing, regardless of what length. Flash, short stories, and novels all have their unique pace and all have their beauty. Keep at it and have fun.   

@sebas-anguiano Welcome to the group.  

@snow Welcome. Liking to write is great. I've done it for myself for many years. Only recently have I started submitting to contests and I've found this forum is great for encouragement. Some workshops and free advice that is well worth going through (I mean, it's free, so other than time...)

One of my old teachers used to say, "Fill a page. Fill a page. Fill a page." It was to get a writer in touch with their thoughts; borders, punctuation, grammar, and spelling are all tossed out.  Just “Fill a page”. It seemed strange at first, but I've learned that when I'm stuck on a story, I go back to this exercise. 

BTW: Good luck on the police academy. I retired and I've been seriously thinking of going to help my local community. My wife, though, is not so excited about that idea.

Hello, I'm Darren.

I currently work as a high school math teacher, but my first passion has always been for writing. I love writing fantasy especially, and occasionally dabble in other genres such as sci-fi, horror, and more contemporary realistic fiction. I also enjoy writing poetry; I've had two poems published and I also won the NC State Undergraduate Poetry Prize while in college. Unfortunately, I've not yet had any fiction published (unless you happen to count stories published on Neopets when I was a teen, but I don't think they apply).

I just recently learned about WotF and I'm excited to immerse myself in it and start submitting once I have an idea what types of stories the contest is looking for. I also started the online workshop, and I'm enjoying it as well. I love opportunities to learn more and explore the craft more deeply.

@thewritingwolf welcome to the Forum. This is by far my favorite writing community.

Let me know once you've finished writing the story for the workshop, and I'll be happy to do a critique exchange with you. As I'm sure you already know, there's no better way to learn than by getting more eyes on your work!

Welcome @thewritingwolf ! This is a great place to improve your writing. Dig around, read through some threads and be sure to check out the free Writers of the Future online workshop. Glad you found us!

@thewritingwolf Welcome aboard, Darren! You’ve come to the right place, even the write place, to advance your knowledge of how to craft publishable stories.

Enjoy the WotF Online Workshop—you’ll learn from the best!

Cheers!

@mattnwife 

Welcome, Lauren!

Great choices in literature. Well done, there. 
It's nice to have you on the forum! Don't be afraid to reach out with any questions. There are many fantastic writers here, and they're more than willing to help if you ask them.

@thewritingwolf 

Hey, Darren! Welcome!

I started using this forum a couple years back. It's fantastic. Very supportive, lots of great people here who will smile and cheer when you succeed!

As mentioned, hit up the Online Workshop. There's a thread called Wulf Moon's Super Secrets- be sure to check that out, too.

Happy writing! 

Hi guys!

I'm Mihai from Romania. But you can call me Mike, it's the same  

Glad to meet you and to be part of this large and passionate community of Sci-fi & Fantasy writers!

First of all, I would like to ask you two questions regarding the writers contest, since you have more experience than I do.

1. How long should the stories be, generally speaking? I know there is a limit of 17 000 words, but I haven't seen a minimum word rule.

2. As an aspiring writer, I'm more inclined towards fantasy than science-fiction. Therefore, I would like to know how diverse can this genre be within the confines of the contest. The judges accept only high-fantasy stories like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, or do they also welcome low-key fantasy ones, even magical realism?

Please let me know, if possible, what your insights are. Thanks in advance!

@mihai-balaceanu_wotf

Hi Mihai, welcome to the forums! I'm sure someone else can give you more detailed information, but I believe that flash fiction is accepted, but the judges have said that it will be a harder sell for them. I recommend reading a recent anthology to get a feel for average length.

As for fantasy, as long as there's a speculative element, you're good to submit. The speculative element should be front and center, but whether the setting is a secondary world, urban, or something else doesn't seem to matter much. Again, I'd recommend reading the anthologies!

Posted by: @mihai-balaceanu_wotf

1. How long should the stories be, generally speaking? I know there is a limit of 17 000 words, but I haven't seen a minimum word rule.

2. As an aspiring writer, I'm more inclined towards fantasy than science-fiction. Therefore, I would like to know how diverse can this genre be within the confines of the contest. The judges accept only high-fantasy stories like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, or do they also welcome low-key fantasy ones, even magical realism?

Welcome to the Forum, Mihai!

Allow me to answer your questions. On your first, any length up to 17,000 words is acceptable. Joni Labaqui, Contest administrator, recently stated the Contest now accepts flash stories as well. So you decide the length your story demands. Just realize the judges are looking for writers that can prove they have the chops to build a career, and flash stories tend to provide less for them to judge your overall skills by because there’s less to sample. I did a Super Secret in here on some of the benefits and risks on story length and winning story averages. “Not too long, not too short, jusssst right.” I hope that helps.

Any speculative fiction is accepted. But if you write, say, urban fantasy, be sure you get the speculative element in that first or second page. “Magic Up Front” is another Super Secret I advise you to read on this. If it’s set in our world, in our current time period, judges are going to want immediate assurance they’re reading a speculative story that could go in the book. Give them that assurance. Remember, the first reader is going through thousands of stories to find the ones to send up to the coordinating judge to read. You have two or three pages to make your case that your story should be considered. Make sure you give her proof she can check off her boxes, or your story won’t go higher. 

I highly recommend you take the WotF Online Workshop. You can’t get better instruction on how to craft a story that works.

Welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon

Forum moderator 

Thank you very much, Wulf Moon! I kindly appreciate your patience to guide my steps into the world of WOTF. Of course, I am eager to learn more from the online workshops and from reading the anthologies, as well.

Have a great day! And even greater inspiration for writing!