Tag Archive for: writing contest

Jim C. Hines self portrait

Lou J. Berger on Writers of the Future

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Lou J. Berger writes about his experience with the Writers of the Future Contest and his journey as a writer.
stack of blocks balanced

Questions of Balance

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Writers of the Future Coordinating Judge, David Farland, passes on his tips on writing stories that are well balanced.
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.
Jim C. Hines self portrait

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 ...