NEW USERS! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!

Nice to meet you too! Let's do it! Write to Win!

See you at the finish line!

-Kim

Deal!!!

It was pretty cool...He was a very laid back, soft spoken person....it was very nice to meet him....

Hey, everyone. I've been a member here since August of last year, but haven't utilized the account until now. My friend Wulf Moon suggested I check out his Super Secret tips, and I'll be working through those as time permits.

A little about me ... I'm a Colorado writer and musician and a fan of WotF since Volume I. (I have all of them on my shelf at home.) I'm an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association and have published several poems, three short stories, and numerous non-fiction articles in now-defunct computer magazines. I've attended the FutureScapes writing workshop and will be attending Superstars in 2020. I was also a long-time participant in ongoing writing workshops with Melanie Tem and Ed Bryant before they passed.

I've only entered WotF once, in 2009, and received an Honorable Mention for that story, along with some words of encouragement from the late K.D. Wentworth. (If Moon has anything to say about it, I'll be entering more often in the future. 😉 )

I'm looking forward to feeling the spark ignite again.

Welcome Stace, and good luck with everything.

WELCOME, STACE! Good to see you here! And HM means RESPECT in this domain. As Kevin J. Anderson once told me, "Getting an honorable mention is a big deal from Writers of the Future. It actually means something. They don't give those things out lightly."

Stace and I were Facebook friends, and I had this crazy idea of hosting a filking event at Superstars Writing Seminar this past February. Stace agreed, and we met for the first time there, did a quick rehearsal and sang for the night. He's a great singer, songwriter, guitarist, writer, poet, human being...have I missed something? Anyway, glad to have you on the boards, Stace. And if you want to hear us sing together, there's another Superstars Seminar next year. Outside of the WotF workshop, it's the best you'll ever attend. Eric Flint said the same when he spoke at our workshop. Check out the Superstars website. If you can find a way, you won't be disappointed. David Farland also teaches there. So does Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. And many more. Message me if you would like a discount code. It really is a way to level up in your knowledge, and also to network with other professionals. You'll meet great people there. Like Stace!

Enjoy the Forum, Stace!

Stace and I were Facebook friends, and I had this crazy idea of hosting a filking event

I was unaware of the meaning of filk so I had to google it. I had no idea I've been a filker for years.

LOL! Yeah, when I organized a filk session at FutureScapes, I had to define it for people so they knew it wasn't something nasty. 😀

Hi! I've been lurking in the forum for a few weeks but haven't posted before. I've been writing a long time but only taking it "seriously" for a few years now. I'm a homeschooling mom of 3 (with a 4th on the way) and I also teach at/direct a part-time class program for homeschooling families, so it's been a struggle to write consistently but I've finally managed to just do it and make it part of my life, which feels so good!

I've entered WoTF only 3 times so far... Q4 v. 35 (HM), Q1 v. 36 (R), and I have one in for Q2 now. Trying to work on one for Q3 but having tons of trouble! I've started like 2-3 different stories only to feel like they just weren't going in the direction I wanted. Anyway, hi! Glad to be here and actually posting instead of just silently lurking the forums. 😉

Hi! I've been lurking in the forum for a few weeks but haven't posted before. I've been writing a long time but only taking it "seriously" for a few years now. I'm a homeschooling mom of 3 (with a 4th on the way) and I also teach at/direct a part-time class program for homeschooling families, so it's been a struggle to write consistently but I've finally managed to just do it and make it part of my life, which feels so good!

I've entered WoTF only 3 times so far... Q4 v. 35 (HM), Q1 v. 36 (R), and I have one in for Q2 now. Trying to work on one for Q3 but having tons of trouble! I've started like 2-3 different stories only to feel like they just weren't going in the direction I wanted. Anyway, hi! Glad to be here and actually posting instead of just silently lurking the forums. 😉

Welcome.
I lurked for ages before I posted. And I'm struggling with my Q3 having set one story aside already.

HM first time out is impressive. You've probably seen Wulf's tips, they're worth reading if you haven't. Keep writing. Good luck.

Welcome, CCrawford! Glad you have developed a writing habit. Keep writing fresh.

A man approached a busker on a New York City street corner. "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" he asked. The musician lowered his saxaphone. "Practice, man. Practice."

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

HM first time out is impressive. You've probably seen Wulf's tips, they're worth reading if you haven't. Keep writing. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum CCrawford. You should definitely check out the daily threads. The power to hone your craft is available.

Hi! I've been lurking in the forum for a few weeks but haven't posted before. I've been writing a long time but only taking it "seriously" for a few years now. I'm a homeschooling mom of 3 (with a 4th on the way) and I also teach at/direct a part-time class program for homeschooling families, so it's been a struggle to write consistently but I've finally managed to just do it and make it part of my life, which feels so good!

I've entered WoTF only 3 times so far... Q4 v. 35 (HM), Q1 v. 36 (R), and I have one in for Q2 now. Trying to work on one for Q3 but having tons of trouble! I've started like 2-3 different stories only to feel like they just weren't going in the direction I wanted. Anyway, hi! Glad to be here and actually posting instead of just silently lurking the forums. 😉

Welcome.
I lurked for ages before I posted. And I'm struggling with my Q3 having set one story aside already.

HM first time out is impressive. You've probably seen Wulf's tips, they're worth reading if you haven't. Keep writing. Good luck.

Thank you! I've read some of Wulf's tips but I'll go make sure I didn't miss any.

Welcome, CCrawford! Glad you have developed a writing habit. Keep writing fresh.

A man approached a busker on a New York City street corner. "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" he asked. The musician lowered his saxaphone. "Practice, man. Practice."

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

Thank you! And yes, I'm committed to this now... I'm not giving up so I'm just practicing and reading everything I can to continue to grow!

HM first time out is impressive. You've probably seen Wulf's tips, they're worth reading if you haven't. Keep writing. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum CCrawford. You should definitely check out the daily threads. The power to hone your craft is available.

Thanks, I'll check them out!

Hello Brad and everyone else,

My name is Allen. I live about an hour outside of Detroit, MI. I have been submitting stories to this contest off and on since 1993, obviously with no success so I gave up for a couple of decades. I find the experiences of the other contestants interesting and I want to learn more about where my writing falls short. Still waiting on an answer back for my Q2 entry, probably won't have an entry for Q3, hope to have something to enter for Q4...

Anyway, glad to be part of this group.

Welcome everyone, from another newbie. The contest questions thread had a whole lot of useful and interesting information in it. In case you are looking to know more about the contest

Hello Brad and everyone else,

My name is Allen. I live about an hour outside of Detroit, MI. I have been submitting stories to this contest off and on since 1993, obviously with no success so I gave up for a couple of decades. I find the experiences of the other contestants interesting and I want to learn more about where my writing falls short. Still waiting on an answer back for my Q2 entry, probably won't have an entry for Q3, hope to have something to enter for Q4...

Anyway, glad to be part of this group.

Welcome, Allen!

On never giving up, I suggest you listen to the WotF Podcast of Preston Dennet's TOPANGA CANYON story. And you might as well listen to mine too, while you're at it. You will find some great encouragement there.

Cheers!

Moon

Hello Brad and everyone else,

My name is Allen. I live about an hour outside of Detroit, MI. I have been submitting stories to this contest off and on since 1993, obviously with no success so I gave up for a couple of decades. I find the experiences of the other contestants interesting and I want to learn more about where my writing falls short. Still waiting on an answer back for my Q2 entry, probably won't have an entry for Q3, hope to have something to enter for Q4...

Anyway, glad to be part of this group.

For what it's worth Allen, I spent maybe twenty years submitting before I finally landed a publisher. If I'm being honest with myself, the first 10-15 years my work wasn't really publish-worthy. I was raw, and just kept pumping out material rather than really investing energy into learning how to my writing better technically. Looking back at my piles of work now, I find lots of great ideas, but some of glaring mistakes make me cringe. Even today I still catch myself using passive voice, not taking opportunities to amp up my tension, using too many "it" and "that" and "was" words, etc. My guess is your writing has improved, and maybe you're a bit gun-shy after your initial rejections, but don't give up. If you're willing to really put it all out there and take some constructive critiques from folks, you will probably find easy ways to clean up technical problems, and you'll likely find your work itself is (and always has been) great. --Tracy

A hearty welcome to all the new members by your new moderator! This is the best contest on the planet to discover and promote new speculative fiction writers. And this Forum is the best place in the world to figure out how to get discovered. We welcome all of you, and look forward to your contributions to the positive spirit, encouragement, and friendship that the WotF Forum fosters!

If you didn't receive your welcome letter upon admiittance to the Forum, please go to the main topic folder and read our new Welcome letter, and our Anti-harassment Policy. Simple rules to make the environment safe and fun for everyone.

Browse the wealth of information here. Do post to the quarter you are entering, as that's where most of the discussions and encouragement to keep writing and entering happens.

So please introduce yourself here and come on in! The water is fine.

Wulf Moon
https://m.soundcloud.com/writersofthefu ... ng-back-up

Hi, I'm Carolyn Ivy Stein and I live in Memphis, TN. I write science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery. I also write game supplements. I submitted to the previous two quarters and have made it my goal to submit something every quarter. I'm also working on a challenge this year of writing a short story a week.

Welcome, Carolyn! You are a diverse writer, and that's a good thing! Submitting every quarter is another excellent goal. So is writing fresh stories. In your case, if you write a fresh story every week, you are going to move into warp factors of progress! Good for you!

There are some good topics on the Forum on how to write smart as well as plenty. Dig in! And do post in the quarter you are entering--most of the encouragement happens there.

Welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator

Hi, I'm Carolyn Ivy Stein and I live in Memphis, TN. I write science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery. I also write game supplements. I submitted to the previous two quarters and have made it my goal to submit something every quarter. I'm also working on a challenge this year of writing a short story a week.

Welcome. It seems we share a few genres although I haven't ventured into mystery (I don't read it enough to do it justice).

I love that challenge to write a short story a week. It is really tempting to join you on it - but a novel that has been percolating for a while in the back of my brain finally had a breakthrough so I think July and August are mostly spoken for. Maybe I could shoot to squeeze in a pair of stories in each of those months. Would love if you post somewhere on the forum here so I can cheer on your progress with your stories and maybe find some motivation/inspiration/impetus to join you on the quest as well as working on the novel.

Hi, I'm Carolyn Ivy Stein and I live in Memphis, TN. I write science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery. I also write game supplements. I submitted to the previous two quarters and have made it my goal to submit something every quarter. I'm also working on a challenge this year of writing a short story a week.

Welcome. It seems we share a few genres although I haven't ventured into mystery (I don't read it enough to do it justice).

I love that challenge to write a short story a week. It is really tempting to join you on it - but a novel that has been percolating for a while in the back of my brain finally had a breakthrough so I think July and August are mostly spoken for. Maybe I could shoot to squeeze in a pair of stories in each of those months. Would love if you post somewhere on the forum here so I can cheer on your progress with your stories and maybe find some motivation/inspiration/impetus to join you on the quest as well as working on the novel.

Nice idea, but most publications consider posting to a public forum actual publication. As such, you could not offer first rights--they were used up. Additionally, you might wish to send some of those stories in to WotF. Again, if you've displayed them publicly, it would bring into question how blind your submission really was--judges and our first reader do come in here from time to time. If they recognize a submitted story, they will have to pass on it.

But there's nothing wrong with swapping with your peers.

Cheers!

Hi, I'm Carolyn Ivy Stein and I live in Memphis, TN. I write science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery. I also write game supplements. I submitted to the previous two quarters and have made it my goal to submit something every quarter. I'm also working on a challenge this year of writing a short story a week.

Welcome. It seems we share a few genres although I haven't ventured into mystery (I don't read it enough to do it justice).

I love that challenge to write a short story a week. It is really tempting to join you on it - but a novel that has been percolating for a while in the back of my brain finally had a breakthrough so I think July and August are mostly spoken for. Maybe I could shoot to squeeze in a pair of stories in each of those months. Would love if you post somewhere on the forum here so I can cheer on your progress with your stories and maybe find some motivation/inspiration/impetus to join you on the quest as well as working on the novel.

Nice idea, but most publications consider posting to a public forum actual publication. As such, you could not offer first rights--they were used up. Additionally, you might wish to send some of those stories in to WotF. Again, if you've displayed them publicly, it would bring into question how blind your submission really was--judges and our first reader do come in here from time to time. If they recognize a submitted story, they will have to pass on it.

But there's nothing wrong with swapping with your peers.

Cheers!

Thank you so much for the kind welcome!

At this point I'm following Dean Wesley Smith's advice and editing the stories as best I can, giving them to an Alpha reader for his comments and then sending them out and keeping them out until they gather enough rejections to age out of active submission. I save my favorite story each quarter to send to WOTF (and since I'm writing a story a week, that favorite sometimes changes). With the WOTF stories I bring them to my writers group and get their feedback before editing and sending to WOTF.

The story a week challenge is often tough. The biggest problem I'm having with it is that I often start a story and then it turns out that the idea is really not suited for a short story. It is probably a novel or novella idea. So I set it aside and start again. I have so many false starts some weeks that I despair.

Nice idea, but most publications consider posting to a public forum actual publication. As such, you could not offer first rights--they were used up. Additionally, you might wish to send some of those stories in to WotF. Again, if you've displayed them publicly, it would bring into question how blind your submission really was--judges and our first reader do come in here from time to time. If they recognize a submitted story, they will have to pass on it.

But there's nothing wrong with swapping with your peers.

Cheers!

Maybe I wasn't that clear in my comment. I didn't mean to post the actual stories. Just a thread discussing how it was going and maybe others could join in to try and keep up with the same challenge. Sorry if that didn't come across in my reply.

Carolyn it sounds like you have a great strategy going. All those false starts on novel/novella length ideas sound like their own kind of frustrating fun But at least it sounds like if you want to sit down to a novel or novella you won't be wanting for ideas!

Hi guys. I'm Ekpeki Oghenechovwe. I'm a writer of colour from Nigeria. Have one pro published story and another forthcoming. Entered for Wotf a couple times. Once when I didn't even know how to literally cross my Ts and dot my Is. Then seriously the second time and made honourable mention. Then a few other times not seriously and just entered my next serious story in this second quarter. I double as a slush reader and submissions editor in three SFF mags, Strange Horizons, Podcastle and Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores. Btw that's where my one published story The Witching Hour was published. It made the Tangent online recommended reading list with two stars. And was shortlisted for the Nommo awards for African Speculative fiction by Africans. I look forward to interacting with and learning from all the great writers here. Cheers all.

Welcome, Ekpeki! Good job on the slush reading for those mags. You should post a topic in here on what you see in the slush--it would be very eye opening to our members. Congrats on the pro sale, and on making the Tangent Recommended Reading list. Two stars is very good. It also means they gave you a good review, which can be hard to obtain. Well done!

Do post in the quarter you are entering...most of the support and commentary occurs there.

Welcome aboard!

Wulf Moon
Forum Moderator

Thanks Mr Wulf. My autocorrect kept correcting that to wolf. That thing where you have your credits under your post, how is it done? Sorry. I'm a bit dim about these things.

Thanks Mr Wulf. My autocorrect kept correcting that to wolf. That thing where you have your credits under your post, how is it done? Sorry. I'm a bit dim about these things.

If you go into your User Control Panel, there's a spot where you can edit your signature. Welcome to the forum!

Thanks Mr Wulf. My autocorrect kept correcting that to wolf. That thing where you have your credits under your post, how is it done? Sorry. I'm a bit dim about these things.

If you go into your User Control Panel, there's a spot where you can edit your signature. Welcome to the forum!

Alright. Thanks.