Brad's in Analog AGAIN...

Steve, that post was pretty much made of awesome.

Thanks. Pity I couldn't sub that image to KD rather than my stories she hates.... 😉

Steve

This is becoming a bit of a broken record here...

I am pleased to announce that my novelette, “The Exchange Officers,” has officially sold to Stanley Schmidt and Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. And if I may butter Stan up a little, I’d like to lobby (again) for Stan as Best Professional Editor, Short Form, on the Hugo award ballot for World Science Fiction Convention 2012.

Ooooh, most excellent, another addition to my "must read immediately" list.

This should be a sticky thread.

Nah, it's always at the top anyway.

No, I think it's about time we had an entire sub forum in which we can celebrate Brad's awesomeness. Then we can move all the Brad fan threads there.

I had a thought this morning. (They don't happen too often, etc etc)

And I'm totally serious on this.

I predict that within 3 to 7 years (after KD decides it's time to move on) Brad will be the co-ordinating judge at WoTF.

Steve

I had a thought this morning. (They don't happen too often, etc etc)

And I'm totally serious on this.

I predict that within 3 to 7 years (after KD decides it's time to move on) Brad will be the co-ordinating judge at WoTF.

Steve

Best to have these things out there and in black and white (BOLD, no less) so we can internet time capsule the idea. We can point all the newbies here and say "Look upon the bestselling author Steve aka Klaatu's brilliance and forethought. He was a great poster!

(PS: I have no luck so far with KD either...not sure it is my writing style or my choices in what I write about...or maybe I'm just not there yet> Need a bigger sample size to say for sure--for my case at least).

Why would Brad do that to his writing life? Judging WotF is a huge, involved process that takes a lot of hours. Brad already has a military job, a civilian job, is a writer, and mods the forums. He'd have to be making enough money from the judging gig to replace at least the civ job, I imagine, and hand over the forum to someone else. Even then...

Best to have these things out there and in black and white (BOLD, no less) so we can internet time capsule the idea. We can point all the newbies here and say "Look upon the bestselling author Steve aka Klaatu's brilliance and forethought. He was a great poster!

I hope no one really thinks that's what I was after. Just having fun in the spirit of 'Let's predict the Q1 winners". Although, It would be nice to be a best selling author and revered for my brilliance and insight. 😉

Why would Brad do that to his writing life?

... because he's Brad 'freakin' Torgersen. Chuck Norris of the writing world and he can do anything he wants......

Actually, I have no idea whether Brad desires giving up his day job and become a full time writer or not. But why would KD, or Dave Wolverton have done it to their writing career? WoTF seems to like alumni as judges, and Brad's already shown an interest, willingness and ability to become involved in the contest way beyond the involvement of other past winners and mere mortals.

He'd have to be making enough money from the judging gig to replace at least the civ job, I imagine, and hand over the forum to someone else.

I don't imagine KD survives only from her writing. She is, indeed, successful, but hardly prolific or on the best selling lists. And I don't imagine KD or Dave undertake this duty for up to 8 years simply for the love of it. I would think the remuneration would have to supplement one's writing income quite well. While Brad is certainly off to a flying start, there's no guarantee his longer work will sell in the numbers required to support himself and allow him to give up the day job (If that's what he desires - and I must say, I would love for that to happen for him.) It may be that if were asked at some point in the future, he would take it on. Or not. All I'm suggesting is the way he's heading, it would not be out of the realms of possibility for him to be asked one day.

As for handing over the forum, if his writing really takes off, he'd possibly have to do that anyway. People move onwards and upwards.

I have no luck so far with KD either...not sure it is my writing style or my choices in what I write about...or maybe I'm just not there yet> Need a bigger sample size to say for sure--for my case at least

While it's true I've had little success within the competition, I'm certainly not suggesting anything other than at some point in the future KD will undoubtedly decide to move on. There's only so much hard-core slushreading one can take without going completely insane.

And also, Brad would not be my first choice to be co-ordinating judge. Bob Writer would be. Can you imagine receiving a semi-finalist crit from him? Now that would be something!

Steve

Oh Bob...I wonder if he will be available then? That would be the most exciting coordinating judge. Ever. We could have a bazaaro contest where the losers are the winners.

Except I believe they did that once and Kevin J. Anderson won it. It was one of the stories Dave Wolverton told at the workshop last month.

Ah Bob as a judge and/or Brad Freakin' Norris. That idea certainly scoops the poop out of the party punch bowl for me.

I'm the Chuck Norris of Science Fiction?

I thought I was the Jack Burton of Science Fiction.

In seriousness, I hope Kathy's issues resolve and she can be back with the Contest week next year. As for being a coordinating judge, I would think they'd want that to go to someone who already has a significant body of work, and editorial experience, and literary chops.

That man might be... Eric James Stone?

Issues? Sorry? Next year?

I was only surmising about a few years hence. Is there something happening that's causing an upcoming change of judge?

I hope KD is well.

Steve

This was the first year Kathy couldn't attend as instructor - Nina Kiriki Hoffman did it, alongside Tim Powers.

I don't know details on why Kathy could not attend - obviously something came up. It happens. Needless to say I hope there will be no change in the judging in that regard any time soon.

Thanks for letting us know, Brad. I hope everything is ok with KD.

Steve

Oops! I missed this one:

18. 74-day acceptance from Analog Science Fiction & Fact on April 30. Congratulations, Brad Torgersen! *

Congratulations, Brad!

Meanwhile, my story is at 214 days... Patience... Patience... Patience...

I think he snuck it in, hoping we wouldn't notice.

Congrats Brad. How awesome to be published yet again in such a cool SF zine.

Pending Responses: 49 responses are pending (1 min | 32.2 mean avg | 13 median | 286 max days waiting

I'm currently at 286 days and terrified. I need to stop daydreaming about sharing a table of contents with Brad Freaking Torgersen.

Pending Responses: 49 responses are pending (1 min | 32.2 mean avg | 13 median | 286 max days waiting

I'm currently at 286 days and terrified. I need to stop daydreaming about sharing a table of contents with Brad Freaking Torgersen.

Ah, so YOU'RE the outlier! I've been using you as my gauge: See, 214 days isn't THAT long! Some poor soul has been waiting 286 days! Good luck! Maybe soon we can see a TOC with Torgersen, Bonanno, and Shoemaker...

Congratulations, Brad!

Congratulations!

Congrats! And did anyone else notice he snuck into IGMS?

Curse you, Brad Torgerson!!!

... As I ask myself 'now how can you be more like Brad'?

Congrats! And did anyone else notice he snuck into IGMS?

Curse you, Brad Torgerson!!!

... As I ask myself 'now how can you be more like Brad'?

I'm suddenly reminded of the scene from Little Nicky where Nicky's roommate is drowning him in the bathtub. "Damn you Kevin Spacey! You take all my parts!"

Congrats! And did anyone else notice he snuck into IGMS?

Curse you, Brad Torgerson!!!

... As I ask myself 'now how can you be more like Brad'?

I'm suddenly reminded of the scene from Little Nicky where Nicky's roommate is drowning him in the bathtub. "Damn you Kevin Spacey! You take all my parts!"

All kidding aside, though, I like to highlight Brad's successes because he was right where we are just three years ago. He's proof of what you can do from here if you set your mind to it.

Are you saying I can't call Brad Kevin Spacey?

Are you saying I can't call Brad Kevin Spacey?

No, but you might try "Gerty"!

Congratulations on the IGMS publication, Brad!

All kidding aside, though, I like to highlight Brad's successes because he was right where we are just three years ago. He's proof of what you can do from here if you set your mind to it.

Yes, this. From 1992 to 2009 I had zero professional sales, over 120 rejections, and 870,000 unpublished words.

Hopefully none of you have to experience that kind of incubation delay, before you crack the glass.

However, once you do crack the glass, I advise pushing yourself to the next Warp Factor. Capitalize. As soon as I won Writers of the Future in late 2009 -- November to be exact -- I began to redouble my efforts. Additional sales followed. Then, in early 2011, a readers choice award from a major magazine. Then I got the *cover* for that major magazine. Then that cover story got me on the Nebula award ballot. And the Hugo. And all of these things cumulatively got me on the Campbell ballot.

Good things happen quickly, but only if you keep at it and don't expect instant successes -- or settle for one-time successes.

I should also say THANK YOU to everyone who sent congrats.

2012 is turning into my best year yet, and it's not even half over.

Good things happen quickly, but only if you keep at it and don't expect instant successes -- or settle for one-time successes.

I've probably used this metaphor before here; but I can't resist reusing my favorite material. So here it is again.

There's this race. It's run up a big hill, so big that no one has ever found a top. Sooner or later, everyone in the race either falls down the hill, or gives up and rolls down, or else just keeps running until they can run no more. There's no single, clearly defined winner; but there are people who are up the slope where many people can see them.

Why do they run the race? There are as many reasons as there are racers. Some just like to run. Some are compelled to run. Some run for money or fame. Some run because personal demons are chasing them.

And there are also "qualifying races". These are run in the streets of the village at the bottom of the hill. These are places where runners practice for the main event. And proving that this metaphor is a bit imprecise, many runners manage to run in both races at the same time.

And on the edge of the village, right at the verge of the hill, is Writers of the Future: a particularly well known qualifying race, though it's by no means the only way to get to the hill. And if you win that race, you get great prizes. You get a gala ceremony. You get training in how to race. You get introductions to other racers, some of them famous racers you have admired for years. You get to know all these people, and may be able to ask them for racing advice for years to come.

And then they carry you in a very nice carriage. They set you at the very first step of the slope of the big hill; and they say, "Go! Run! We'll cheer you on! We''ll let everyone know about your successes!"

And you're at the START of the main event. You haven't "won", since no one ever really does. Only a small number of villagers even know who you are at this point. You've accomplished something few have ever done, but it's still just a START.

At this point, you could choose to go home. For some the big party and the recognition are reward enough. There's no shame in that. Not everyone has the desire for the main event.

What you CAN'T do is just sit there and think you should be carried farther, or delude yourself about how far you've climbed. You're at the start. You're ahead of a lot of people, some of whom will someday catch and pass you. Don't mistake this for the race.

But if you have the desire, you've now gotten a START. You've been carried out of the village. But that doesn't make the hill any shorter. How high you climb depends on how much you paid attention in the workshop, how much you KEEP learning as you go, and how hard and how fast and how long you run.

Brad is setting an impressive pace. When my time comes, I intend to look to him as my example: not his accomplishments, but his attitude and his determination to run fast and hard and smart.

Great analogy, Martin! Thanks!

Some run because personal demons are chasing them.

I run because an alligator is chasing me.

Brad is setting an impressive pace. When my time comes, I intend to look to him as my example: not his accomplishments, but his attitude and his determination to run fast and hard and smart.

I think Brad has a T Rex on his tail.

Some run because personal demons are chasing them.

I run because an alligator is chasing me.

Brad is setting an impressive pace. When my time comes, I intend to look to him as my example: not his accomplishments, but his attitude and his determination to run fast and hard and smart.

I think Brad has a T Rex on his tail.

A Freakin' T. Rex, if you will.