@christaelrod Hello Christa, welcome! 
“Stories are the collective wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Your job as a storyteller is not simply to entertain. Nor is it to be noticed for the way your turn a phrase. You have a very important job—one of the most important. Your job is to let people know that everyone shares their feelings—and that these feelings bind us. Your job is a healing art, and like all healers, you have a responsibility. Let people know they are not alone. You must make people understand that we are all the same.”
Brian McDonald
2022: Second Place Winner V39 Q1
2021: HM, HM, SHM
2020: R
2019: SHM, R
2018: HM
2017: HM
Check out my fiction and more at spencersekulin.net
Welcome Christa. With your credentials you'll enjoy the forum and all the helpful people. Enjoy.
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships
Welcome to the forum, everyone!
@valkiera Hi Kiersten! Congrats on the entry and the rejection! My first was the same, so I'm here with you. But, you can do this so I will cheer you on! There are tons of resources to help you. Just look through everything. If you have any questions, post them. Everyone here is pretty great at helping each other like one big family! Here's to all of us fulfilling that writer dream!
@jonah Welcome, Jonah! Happy to have you. I have a best friend who lives in Wales. She's got the most beautiful and sultry voice I've ever heard, but she's the sweetest person in the world. I bet you're just as wonderful as her. I like the playwright, screenwriter, and sometimes short story writer. I bet that's interesting. What are some of the genres of scripts that you write? I hope you enjoy writing short stories and have a fun time here!
@gersh Hi Gersh! Welcome! What are twilight years? Twilight is pretty. You're never too young or too old to write. Writing is a great way to express yourself, or to get lost in worlds of your imagination where you can do everything and anything you want. I hope most of all that you have a fun journey, and that writing will give you lots of pleasure and lots of joy!
@christaelrod Hi Christa! I hope with all those skills you enter the illustrator's contest! I love art, so I can't wait to see some of your work and hopefully, you'll have success and win!
*When one door closes, another one opens. Here’s to a new chapter! Onward!*
Welcome, @christaelrod! Have you entered the Writers of the Future contest before, or is this new ground you're breaking? Likewise, what about other short fiction? Curious to know where you are on your journey right now--and regardless of all, welcome to the forum.
Also, I think I let @valkiera slip through the cracks, so I'll throw out a belated welcome your way as well!
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:2 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Pending: Q3.V42
Hi. I just joined. I started writing a decade ago. Now I have more free time, so my goal is to be more productive.
~~ Pegeen ~~
Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Writer
Several entries...not keeping track.
@pegeen Welcome to the forum!
3rd Place Vol 41 Q3 ("The Stench of Freedom")
Submission record: R x 2 / HM x 7 / SHM x 2 / W x 1
Stories published in Daily Science Fiction, Every Day Fiction, 365tomorrows, and Gwyllion Magazine.
Find out more on my website (www.joelcscoberg.com) or sign up to my newsletter for updates on my writing journey.
Welcome @pegeen! Congratulations on the free time! Send some my way if you have any spare ? Have you submitted in any of the previous quarters? Are you hoping to submit for V40 Q2?
VOL 40 2nd Quarter: Third Place ("Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber")
Past submissions: R - HM - HM - HM - HM - HM - SHM - SHM
www.jd-writes.com
Kindle Vella - Ashes to Ashes, Earth to Kaybee
Hi. I just joined. I started writing a decade ago. Now I have more free time, so my goal is to be more productive.
Welcome.
I started to focus on my writing last year. The people in this forum have helped me grow so much over that short time, compared to me trudging along on my own. Read through the forum and absorb all you can. Then, write.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: RWC, HM (HM Resubmit), Submitted, WIP
2024 V41: RWC (HM Resubmit), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: -, -, -, HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -, R, -, -
Thank you @ease . I submitted for the first time a few minutes before midnight on 12/31/22. So I'm trying for V40, Q1.
~~ Pegeen ~~
Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Writer
Several entries...not keeping track.
@pegeen Hey there! Welcome!
“Stories are the collective wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Your job as a storyteller is not simply to entertain. Nor is it to be noticed for the way your turn a phrase. You have a very important job—one of the most important. Your job is to let people know that everyone shares their feelings—and that these feelings bind us. Your job is a healing art, and like all healers, you have a responsibility. Let people know they are not alone. You must make people understand that we are all the same.”
Brian McDonald
2022: Second Place Winner V39 Q1
2021: HM, HM, SHM
2020: R
2019: SHM, R
2018: HM
2017: HM
Check out my fiction and more at spencersekulin.net
Thank you @ease . I submitted for the first time a few minutes before midnight on 12/31/22. So I'm trying for V40, Q1.
Congratulations on submitting! May good things come your way as you stay the course.
Cheers!
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
Hello friends.
This is my first post here. So I am just going to say hello and not much more.
I have been writing for years but I am now in the porcess of putting together my first book.
Is there anything like a good template to use in Microsoft Word to format what a publisher would expect for a book?
Is there anything like a good template to use in Microsoft Word to format what a publisher would expect for a book?
Publishers can vary in their expectations, so it's worth checking to see if they have individual guidelines. However, a good, general rule of thumb is to use either of the Shunn manuscript formats:
https://www.shunn.net/format/story/
The great majority of publishers and fiction markets expect one of the two.
(Also -- welcome!)
DQ:0 / R:0 / RWC:2 / HM:15 / SHM:7 / SF:1 / F:1
Pending: Q3.V42
@xarzu Hello and welcome! As for format DoctorJest is spot on. Shunn format is the standard for most markets.
“Stories are the collective wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Your job as a storyteller is not simply to entertain. Nor is it to be noticed for the way your turn a phrase. You have a very important job—one of the most important. Your job is to let people know that everyone shares their feelings—and that these feelings bind us. Your job is a healing art, and like all healers, you have a responsibility. Let people know they are not alone. You must make people understand that we are all the same.”
Brian McDonald
2022: Second Place Winner V39 Q1
2021: HM, HM, SHM
2020: R
2019: SHM, R
2018: HM
2017: HM
Check out my fiction and more at spencersekulin.net
Howdy!
I recommend, once you get your format, even if after your story is written, save, then save as and call it "format.doc" or something. Delete everything but the first few sentences or so. Then you have it ready for the next story, instead of trying to reformat every time you start something new.
Career: 1x Win -- 2x NW-F -- 2x S-F -- 9x S-HM -- 11x HM -- 7x R
Like me: facebook/AuthorTJKnight
Hello friends.
This is my first post here. So I am just going to say hello and not much more.
I have been writing for years but I am now in the porcess of putting together my first book.
Is there anything like a good template to use in Microsoft Word to format what a publisher would expect for a book?
Welcome, William!
Others have already answered your question, so I'll just say hail and well met! I'm glad you're writing a book, and I trust you're here to enter the contest. A contest win like Writers of the Future will make publishers sit up and pay attention if you're querying or sending them your novel. Solid credits really help!
Welcome aboard!
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
@xarzu Welcome to the forum!
3rd Place Vol 41 Q3 ("The Stench of Freedom")
Submission record: R x 2 / HM x 7 / SHM x 2 / W x 1
Stories published in Daily Science Fiction, Every Day Fiction, 365tomorrows, and Gwyllion Magazine.
Find out more on my website (www.joelcscoberg.com) or sign up to my newsletter for updates on my writing journey.
@xarzu Welcome
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: RWC, HM (HM Resubmit), Submitted, WIP
2024 V41: RWC (HM Resubmit), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: -, -, -, HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -, R, -, -
Hello!
Took a while to get the nerve up to submit to the WotF contest (Q4 2022) and a bit longer to hop onto the forums and say hi. The holiday season was too chaotic to get anything written, but I am steadily working on my next submission for Q2. Glad to be here.
@annaliess Hey there, welcome to the forum! Congrats on submitting - once you start, it gets easier to get into the habit of doing it every quarter. I wish you the best of luck with your Q2 story. Happy writing!
“Stories are the collective wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Your job as a storyteller is not simply to entertain. Nor is it to be noticed for the way your turn a phrase. You have a very important job—one of the most important. Your job is to let people know that everyone shares their feelings—and that these feelings bind us. Your job is a healing art, and like all healers, you have a responsibility. Let people know they are not alone. You must make people understand that we are all the same.”
Brian McDonald
2022: Second Place Winner V39 Q1
2021: HM, HM, SHM
2020: R
2019: SHM, R
2018: HM
2017: HM
Check out my fiction and more at spencersekulin.net
@annaliess Welcome! & Congratulations on submitting. (I recently joined too).
~~ Pegeen ~~
Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Writer
Several entries...not keeping track.
@annaliess Welcome to the forum, and best of luck with your last submission!
3rd Place Vol 41 Q3 ("The Stench of Freedom")
Submission record: R x 2 / HM x 7 / SHM x 2 / W x 1
Stories published in Daily Science Fiction, Every Day Fiction, 365tomorrows, and Gwyllion Magazine.
Find out more on my website (www.joelcscoberg.com) or sign up to my newsletter for updates on my writing journey.
Hey!
Mark Tomlinson, here. I'm a retired guy in the Chicago Far North burbs. I've worked in IT for 36 years, and raised a family, but never had time made time for writing. Since I've always enjoyed writing and reading Sci-fi, and now have time on my hands, I thought I'd enter WoTF to see if I'm any good.
Well, heck, I've entered every other quarter since Q2 2020, and have received two Honorable Mentions and three Silvers. That's inspired me to join a couple of local writing groups, and now I'm going to jump into this forum as well.
Nice to meet you all.
@mark-tomlinson welcome to the forum, Mark! And well done on your entries and results so far; to me those results say you're definitely good. There's lots of advice and friendly people here to swap stories and critiques with, and check out the online workshop if you haven't already.
3rd Place Vol 41 Q3 ("The Stench of Freedom")
Submission record: R x 2 / HM x 7 / SHM x 2 / W x 1
Stories published in Daily Science Fiction, Every Day Fiction, 365tomorrows, and Gwyllion Magazine.
Find out more on my website (www.joelcscoberg.com) or sign up to my newsletter for updates on my writing journey.
Hello and welcome Mark. With those results you have skills that may lead you to the top of the heap.
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right."~ Henry Ford
2025 V42: RWC, HM (HM Resubmit), Submitted, WIP
2024 V41: RWC (HM Resubmit), HM, RWC, Finalist (RWC Resubmit)
2023 V40: HM, HM, R, HM
2022 V39: SHM, HM, Semi-finalist, HM (HM Resubmit)
2021 V38: -, -, -, HM (R Resubmit)
2020 V37: -, R, -, -
@mark-tomlinson Hello Mark! Welcome, and good job on your writing so far! I look forward to seeing your winnings in the future.
“Stories are the collective wisdom of everyone who has ever lived. Your job as a storyteller is not simply to entertain. Nor is it to be noticed for the way your turn a phrase. You have a very important job—one of the most important. Your job is to let people know that everyone shares their feelings—and that these feelings bind us. Your job is a healing art, and like all healers, you have a responsibility. Let people know they are not alone. You must make people understand that we are all the same.”
Brian McDonald
2022: Second Place Winner V39 Q1
2021: HM, HM, SHM
2020: R
2019: SHM, R
2018: HM
2017: HM
Check out my fiction and more at spencersekulin.net
Hello!
Took a while to get the nerve up to submit to the WotF contest (Q4 2022) and a bit longer to hop onto the forums and say hi. The holiday season was too chaotic to get anything written, but I am steadily working on my next submission for Q2. Glad to be here.
[/quote/]
Glad to have you with us, Annaliess! Do post in the quarter you are entering—most of the support happens there. And don’t miss the free WotF Online Workshop, taught by the best in the biz!
Welcome aboard!
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
@mark-tomlinson Sounds like you’re ready to seek your heart’s desire! This group can help. Lone wolves get slaughtered. It’s better to run with a pack!
Welcome to the Forum!
All the beast!
Wulf Moon
Click here to JOIN THE WULF PACK!
"Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler" won Best SFF Story of 2019! Read it in Writers of the Future, Vol. 35. Order HERE!
Need writing help? My award-winning SUPER SECRETS articles are FREE in DreamForge.
IT’S HERE! Many have begged me to publish the Super Secrets of Writing. How to Write a Howling Good Story is now a #1 BESTSELLING BOOK! Get yours at your favorite retailer HERE!
Hi!
I'm Alan and live in Belfast, UK. I have just started a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at the ripe old age of 50! Writing is always something that I have enjoyed but never really pushed myself to do anything about it. Now that I am semi-retired and recently divorced I thought this would be a good time to start working on something that I have a passion for!
