Tag Archive for: writing contest

man looking at bulletin board

Avoid Hesitation

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When you sit down to write a story or the opening to a scene, you’re presented with a problem: how to begin? As a contest judge, I see too many tales that don’t work—right from the very first sentence.
Author Andrew Peery

Spectacular Settings

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I mentioned last week that when I judge a story, one of the simple things I look at is your setting. There are so many aspects to setting, here's a look at just a few.
Girl at typewriter

Avoiding Cliché Openings

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Many years ago, Damon Knight, a fine writer and editor, wrote a book on how to write short fiction. Damon talked a bit about avoiding clichés.
Jake Marley being interviewed at LA Festival of Book

Persevere

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It's been nearly a year since I found out I was a finalist for L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest, and very nearly five months since I was announced as the 2017 Golden Pen Award winner. To say my life has changed feels like an understatement.
Anker Grossvater painting

The Problem of the “Told” Story

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I have talked about some of the most frequent problems that I see when judging for the Writers of the Future Contest, and today I’m going to tackle one of the biggest: the problem with “told” stories.
David Farland speaking to several of the 2017 Writers of the Future winners: (l-r) Stephen Lawson, Ziporah Hildebrandt and Molly Atkins

Persistence

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There is a myth among the general public that the greatest writers are born with uncanny innate talents that average folks dare not aspire to. Yet there is only a sliver of truth to that argument. Talent is helpful, especially for new authors who are just trying to break in, but you can’t make a career out of it.
Author Tobias S. Buckell, photo by Marlon James

Focus on Tobias Buckell, Writers of the Future Volume 16 Winner

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Tobias Buckell was born in Grenada and lived in the British Virgin Isles, spending his first nine years living on a boat and playing cricket on sandy beaches. Today he’s in Ohio with his wife, twin daughters, and a couple dogs. He’s a New York Times bestselling writer ...
Jim C. Hines self portrait

Focus on Jim C. Hines, Writers of the Future Volume 15 Winner

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“Looking back,” Jim C. Hines said, “my Writers of the Future story was the first one I’d written where I felt like I’d found my own voice.” He’s referring to “Blade of the Bunny,” his prizewinning story from volume XV of the annual anthology ...
Author Anton Rose being interviewed

Anton Rose, author of “A Glowing Heart”

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“I am British, you know?” Anton Rose quips at one point of the week long workshop. He’s explaining a penchant he has for a particular personality trait, and the line is given ...
Author Andrew Peery

Andrew Peery, author of “Useless Magic”

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Andrew Peery is one of the more impressive people you could meet. He lives in Durham, North Carolina where he works as a physician. He has a family—wife and two younger children who he clearly adores. As a doctor, he’s a person who ...