Bettering your craft…

This year at Armadillo Con 31, I had the honor of meeting and chatting with James Frenkel, a senior editor with TOR Books. I did the usual polite introduction of myself, business card in hand, and told him that I hope to have a manuscript pass into his hands someday. He inquired about said manuscript and what my writing credentials were. I gave him a brief (10 second) description of the novel currently sitting on an agent’s desk and the one short story I had published at the time.

He looked at me and asked if I was still writing short stories. I said of course. He encouraged me to writing short stories. I thanked him for his advice and let other slavering individuals garner his attention.

His comment stuck in my mind. The week after the Con, I went back and reviewed all of the short stories I had written since I started. I read them in the order in which I wrote them. I noticed that there was a remarkable difference in the style and quality of writing between the oldest and the newest stories. THAT made me think. I started my novel at the same time I started my first short story. Like any newbie writer, I was sure that the novel was a good one, albeit targeted to a specific sub-genre (hard science space opera). I thought I might have trouble selling it, but all of the people who read it (twenty or so) really enjoyed it. When I met the agent, there was interest and I was asked to send the usual package. It’s been out with the agent for over three months; not a lot of time in the publishing industry.

But after reading my sequence of stories and the progression of my writing skills, I realized that Mr. Frenkel’s advice wasn’t just good, it was critical. No matter how good my novel was, if I started it today, it would be a much better novel. I had fallen for one of the worst pitfalls any new writer can succumb to: Thinking I was good at writing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like my stories and my characters, but will everybody else?

What helped me most of all was getting involved in critique groups. In an earlier post, I said not to write in a vacuum. Let people who write also read your stories and tell you where things could be better. My two favorite critique groups are Critters.Org and the Slug Tribe. They are open, honest, fair and have a code that explains how to critique and not be nasty about it. One memeber of the Slug Tribe, Patrice Sarath, was teaching a Writer’s Workshop at the Armadillo Con. During a critique of a story I submitted, she gave me one piece of valuable advise that FINALLY got through my neutronium skull. My writing was good and my story was interesting, but my POV was all over the place and that ruined it for her.

When I started writing after the Con and Workshop, I focused on nothing but keeping the POV where it should be. (I tend to write like I think, and I am so all over the place!) The difference between these stories and my earlier ones was readily apparent. I was getting even better!!!

But I still have a long way to go. Jim Fenkel’s advice is what drives my writing now. Short stories are the pop quizzes of writing; you can get an immediate idea of where your skill set is while preparing to write your thesis.

So, thanks to Jim Frenkel and Patrice Sarath. You have been a great help to me!

On Plagiarism…

I run a little online magazine called Infinite Windows. I run it both as a hobby and a learning tool to help me shape my skills at editing. It’s done very well for itself and I have received many good stories, poetry and artwork. Imagine my surprise when one of contacts on Twitter informed me that a piece story I had published was stolen from another author.

I quickly followed a link I was given, which led me to the original author’s site and several other authors whose work had been plagiarized. Apparently this person who goes under the name of Richard Ridyard has been doing this for a while. For more detailed information on this situation, I will refer you to Aaron Polson, Angel Zapata and Deb Biancotti’s Blogs.

Plagiarism does no one any good. For the author whose work is stolen, it generates frustration and anger. For the editors of the publications these stories are submitted to, it causes more work and aggravation. But ultimately, for the plagiarist it causes the most damage. They will be found out, In this day and age, nobody can do this and not get caught. Mr. Ridyard (or whomever his real name is – and he will be discovered, believe me!) has destroyed any hope of becoming a published author in his own right. No body will ever believe anything he ever submits is his own work.

On top of everything else, this individual has committed theft of intellectual property. And if he has been paid for any of this plagiarised work, it is out and out theft. Period.

So for the Richard Ridyards of the world, you will be found out and your reputation will be permanently ruined. Nobody trusts a liar.

Will I Read Your Script or Story? …Maybe

A lot has been said recently about aspiring writers trying to get their stories or scripts read by a professional. Most of the blogs are down right nasty and full of frustration (except for Scalzi… he makes you feel good as he tell you no and explains why in detail.).

On the other hand, I will read your story or script. Why? I’m always looking for good stories to publish in my webzine. I am also looking for great ideas for stories of my own (Caveat Emptor – what can I say?).

So, by all means, send me your best. I’ll either give you exposure or steal your ideas!

Armadillo Con 31

What sets the annual Armadillo Con in Austin, Texas apart from most genre conventions? Well, it is a literary convention, targeted toward writers looking to learn and share their experiences. You won’t find very many people in costumes (other than tacky Hawaiian shirts, of course!) and there are no odd-ball beauty contests, like for the Best Rendition of a Storm Trooper in a Leather Bikini. No, it’s all about improving your craft and meeting the professionals.

One of the most important aspects for me, was the annual Writer’s Workshop. Here, a group of novice writers are exposed to seasoned professionals who share their experiences and techniques. I want to publicly acknowledge this year’s coordinators, Stina Leicht and Melissa Tyler. They did a marvelous job of running the workshop and procuring a really top-flight panel of judges, including Jim Frenkel (a Senior Editor with Tor Books), majorly talented authors like Scott Lynch (“The Lies of Lock Lamora”), Patrice Sarath (“Gordath Woods”), Sharon Shinn (“Samaria” and “Twelve Houses” series), and other notables like Matthew Bey (local Austin writer and editor of the print magazine “Space Squid”) and Nancy Hightower, who is not only an author (“Devouring Winter” ), but also teaches college courses about writing. There were many more, so here is a link to the total list of instructors.

After a morning session of discussion, Scott Lynch held a great game where people would be picked out to construct a story based upon statements from a previous contestant. The stories built up nicely, until some editorial comments were thrown in like “add a talking beagle to your plot”. It was hilarious!

After lunch, we all broke up into separate groups to critique stories we had brought to the Workshop. There were five or six novices and two professional writers in each group. Our group had Sharon Shinn and Patrice Sarath. There were some amazing stories in our group! (Mine will be amazing once I get that pesky Point of View thing sorted out!) The critiques themselves were excellent and very beneficial. The workshop alone was worth the cost of the whole Con.

After the Workshop, the convention officially opened. Kim Antell gave a great talk on what to expect at the Con, and Scott Bobo mixed some really mad martini’s.

The panels at the Con were an amazing mix. Everything from City Building and Using Softer Sciences in Genre Fiction, to Why Do They Keep Canceling My Shows? One of the best panels was an explanation of Texas as both a place and an idea; Elizabeth Moon, Joe Landsdale, Howard Waldrop, Scott Cupp, Neil Barrett Jr. and Lou Antonelli took us deep into what we call Texas Weird.

There were also lots of author readings. My favorites were Rob Rodgers reading from his newest endeavor, Fort Dire and James P Hogan, reading from his new novel coming out next year.

Speaking of James P. Hogan, I spent a delightful time talking to him and his wife Sheryl. I have been reading his works since the early seventies, and have them on my list as perennial re-reads. He told some great stories about his life and the publishing industry. We also shared funny stories from our respective careers in the computer industry. His reading was especially enjoyable; his dry wit, humor and delivery dovetailed nicely with the segments he read.

I was also able to spend a little bit of time with Guest of Honor Scott Lynch. He is such an open and engaging individual, with lots of energy. Expect great things from this guy!

One of the great things about this Con is the ability to just sit and chat with authors from near and far. Exchanging ideas, funny stories and getting lots of advice from people who have been through it all adds a special zest to your evening!

I want to thank the Con Committee for a wonderful job. See you next year!

Why your stories don’t sell.

Most of us are in the same situation. We write a story or a novel and submit it for publication and then we wait. Most of the time, we receive rejection letters. Now we know our story is great, all my friends and relatives loved it! Why does it keep getting rejected? There are many reasons why a story or novel gets rejected; most of them are very simple.

1. Did you make sure you followed the submission guidelines?

Many publishers will not even consider a manuscript if it is not formatted correctly, no matter how good it may be. Slush piles are HUGE! It also tells them that you really didn’t pay attention to what they wanted you to send. Follow the rules; they are there for a reason.

2. Did you make sure your story or novel fits with the publisher?

Sending a graphic horror manuscript to a literary publisher is a waste of postage or the internet. Research the places you want to send your manuscript to. Make sure your idea is a good fit, do your homework! Take 15 minutes to read through the publishers website and see what they are looking for.

3. Is your manuscript properly edited?

Have you run spell check? Great, now read it through completely after you do so. Spell check is great, but it doesn’t catch everything (like its, it’s and its’). And most spell checkers are horrible on grammer. For those of you that write genre fiction, this is especially true. Your perfectly acceptable alien dialouge can be changed back into standard English without your knowledge! This is your baby. Make sure the buttons are buttoned and the zippers are zipped. Cross your I’s and dot your T’s. Nobody else will, and it makes for a shoddy manuscript if you don’t! It also tells a publisher that you are an amature, and that is NOT good if you want to get published.

4. Who has read your manuscript?

Writing in a vacuum is a bad thing. You need to have people deconstruct your stories and tell you where they can be improved. Your friends and family will encourage you and tell you your writing is great! The are biased toward you and down’t want to hurt your feelings. You need to find a writing group that offers to critique your work. There are many sites online and probably in your area. They are normally free; you just have to critique other stories to get your own read. Go on a regular basis, your ability to write and give criticism will improve.

5. What you are writing just may not be what they are looking for.

You have that vampire novel you’ve been working on for 2 years and you can’t seem to get it published. It’s a great story right? But right now (and for the past several years) vampire stories have been flooding the market. Check out what’s being publsihed now. See where there is a lack of stories and see if your style fits that. Be open to what you write. There is a lot of inertia in the publishing industry. Read the trends.

6. Your writing may just not be good enough right now.

When we decide to write, we often just write out what is in  our heads. The first stuff is almost always bad. Get used to it. The first few times we try anything, we stink at it. Don’t get discouraged, write more. The more rejections you get, the more you should write. But make sure you follow rule #4. Have your writing critiqued on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect!!!

Follow me on Twitter: @ddtannenbaum

Zombies come to Austin…

I was honored to be invited to partake in the Zombie Killing Techniques festivities put on by Space Squid, to Celebrate their seventh issue release. Now, Space Squid ain’t your daddy’s Analog, it’s a more refreshingly today-type of magazine. Raed it… you’ll enjoy it.

The crew from Space Squid are all top-notch folks (they had good nummys and prizes) and shelled out top-dollar for a quality pig’s head for their zombie (I was going to take it hope and smoke it, but the sledge hammer did such a great job of splattering it, I declined!).

And the people from Furgal Media were most excellent. They didn’t freak out too much when we started swinging swords, hammers and other object, both sharp and blunt.

Alas, the Ninja sword handed down to me by my father did not prove to be as formidible as I had hoped it would be. Anybody know a good sword repair-person?

Kirinyaga, a remarkable book.

I have just finished reading Mike Resnick’s remarkable book, Kirinyaga. It is a series of interlocking stories concerning the establishment of a Utopian colony of African natives from the Kikuyu tribe, told from the point of view of the tribes witch doctor, or mundumugu. They were written specifically as shorts tories, but Resnick has crafted them in such a way that the evolution of the charcaters is seamless. 

Starting from the foundation of the colony, the stories grow more complex and captivating. Koriba, the mundumugu, tries in vain to keep his culture pure from corrupting influences. You watch as his power and wisdom is slowly eroded by the temptations of modern society. In the end, he abandons the colony when he realizes that Utopia is not a destination, but a journey. One he is not willing to abandon.

This style of writing is not often used, and not always to good effect. One of my favorite books that was sucessful in this style was Venus Equilateral, by George O. Smith. This book concerned the doings of a communications relay station at the Venusian LaGrange point. It is a very good example of Golden Age science fiction.

BBQ and Writing…

I invested in a very essential item for living in Texas: a smoker. The one I got is a water smoker; it has a five foot tower to hang meat over a bowl of water that keeps things moist and catches the fat.There is a firebox on the side that produces heat but mostly smoke. This handy gadget allows me to produce delicious BBQ of all kinds, by burning wood instead of charcol or gas. (Does this make it green?) BBQ in Texas is different from almost everywhere else. The meat is rubbed down with a mixture of dry spices instead of goopy sauces. (You can always add your own afterwards.)

I like mesquite wood best for smoking. I start with a bunch of regular wood logs, like the kind you buy at Home Depot for your fireplace. Once I have a really nice bed of coals, I start putting chunks of mesquite wood on the coals. You have to do this about every fifteen minutes in order to keep the smoker going. I’ve smoked pork ribs, country ribs, brisket, pork loin, corn on the cob and even managed to make a good smoked salmon. (Great for breakfast with onions in eggs.)

I have some other things in mind a want to try, like smoking a lasagne or stuffed eggplant. My doctor keeps yelling at me about my cholestorol and stuff like that, but I can’t help it! Texas Monthly has a great article on the Best Barbecue Joints in Texas. I was drooling after the first page!

How does this relate to writing? When you smoke, be prepared to spend six to eight hours just tending the smoker. This allows you to relax in the backyard and think, read or write. It a very relaxing way to spend the day, not to mention all the food you get to eat when you’re done!

On Dialogue…

As I prepare for the Writer’s League of Texas‘ annual Agents and Editors Conference I have been going over the novel I am going to shop there. After doing more critiques and attending a convention recently, it came to me that I write dialouge the same way I speak. For most people that may not be a problem. For me it is. I tend to use lots of objectifiers and modifiers; my use of adverbs and adjectives is not quite peerless but it gets up there. I do a lot of public speaking due to the fact that I teach a lot. (See? That last sentance can be trimmed considerably or even cut without losing any impact!) This means I have to keep the audiences’ attention. Sometimes it’s easier to throw out the patter so my mouth can catch up to what my mind wants it to say.

In writing, this can be a story-killer. While reviewing a critque I recieved during a contest I eneter last year, there was one very curt piece of advice: Eliminate “just” and “well” from the manuscript. It saved me almost a thousand wordds and made the story a better read. Huh? Well, it just did! Try it yourself. Reread one of your stories and see if dropping those two little words do anything for it.

Also remember, you have the story in your head. There is much that doesn’t get on paper; have someone read the story cold and tell you what confused them. I’ll bet lots of stuff like character descriptions and scenery descriptions never make it out of your neurons and onto the paper…

I am NOT David Weber (although I could probably play him on TV)…

I had one very interesting moment at the Con. I was at a hospitality suite talking to someone when this guy comes from out of nowhere and starts talking to me like we’ve spent the day together. Then he asks me “What are you requirements to be a Guest at our local convention?” Now, my Plank Time reflexes kicked in. All movement in the room slowed down and took on a reddish hue; convesations dropped to such a deep rumble, I couldn’t understand anything. In this altered state my mind raced; “How does this guy know me? How did he know my first short story will be published in a brand new magazine that will come out in June?” I figured something wasn’t quite right, but who was I to spit in Murphy’s eye? I dropped back into normal mode; Everyone sped up and lost their reddish hue, and I could understand the conversations again. I look this guy dead in the eye (which was kind of painful, because he was well over six feet tall, while I barely top out at five foot and ten inches) and said “Well, my requirements are… (drumroll please!) JUST ASK ME!” He smiled and glanced down at my name tag. I watched a look of embarrased horror crawl across his face. He took a step back and said “Oh my God! I’m so sorry! You’re not…”

I sighed and said, “No, I’m not David Weber, but I guess I do look a bit like him.” So much for my picosecond of glory! After having met David Weber I decided there was more than just a passing resemblance. We both are big guys with shaved heads. We both wear glasses and we both sport small goatee’s and perenially have a Blue Tooth Headset welded to our ears. The most obvious difference between us is that he is a New York Times best-selling author of over forty novels. with over five million books in print. And I am none of these things (YET!!!!) I guess it’s time to update my picture so this will make more sense…