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Inklings Issue 3.07
================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Newsletter for Writers on the Net
Issue 3.7 Apr. 02, 1997
================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0307.html>
This issue features an interview with award-winning sf author
Robert Sawyer, with columns by Lee Wardlaw ("How do I make my
mss 'stand out'?") and David Breeden ("Should I copyright my
poems?").
This issue sponsored in part by:
================================================================
$269 "LAPTOP COMPUTER" for Writers. The AlphaSmart Model 20 is
a smart keyboard with 4-line LCD display. Stores 64 pages text,
downloads via PC/Mac keyboard cable, 150+ hrs on 2-AA batteries
** AlphaSmart ** 1-888-276-2780 x20 http://www.alphasmart.com
================================================================
* ON SPEC Magazine * http://www.greenwoods.com/onspec/
The premiere Canadian Quarterly of Speculative Writing, where
readers can find the best in Canadian SF, Fantasy, Horror and
Magic Realism. E-mail: onspec@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca.
================================================================
THE WRITER'S SOFTWARE COMPANION: multimedia software by Writer's
Digest's Nancy Kress. Uses advanced learning tech. and total
immersion to bypass years of trial-and-error, dramatically
accelerating a writer's progress. http://www.novalearn.com
================================================================
* Samurai Consulting * http://www.samurai.com
Services include internet consulting, WWW page design, electro-
nic newsletters, mailing lists, FTP sites, system maintenance,
training. Email: Bryan Fullerton <bryanf@samurai.com>
================================================================
ISSN 1205-6413. Copyright 1995-1997 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. See end
of issue for more info, and for details on how to subscribe and
unsubscribe. Send comments to editor@inklings.com (please use a
meaningful subject header!). For information on how you can
become an Inklings sponsor, send e-mail to editor@inklings.com
with "rate card" in the subject header. No attachments, please.
================================================================
| CONTENTS THIS ISSUE: |
| From The Editor's Desk |
| Fresh Ink and Market Information |
| Ask The Children's Book Author |
| Ask The Poet |
| Interview with Robert Sawyer |
| Subscriber Publications |
================================================================
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
======================
In this issue, I am pleased to introduce two new sponsors.
*ON SPEC MAGAZINE* is a Canadian quarterly publication with a
focus on SF, fantasy, horror, and magic realism. Great writing,
very nice-looking magazine...as some of you know, I'm a big fan
of speculative fiction and I regularly pick up my copy of ON SPEC
at Bakka Books (the best sf bookstore in Toronto!). Be sure to
check out the Spring Issue, a special "Canadian Geographic" theme
issue that also contains a writing column by Robert Sawyer. ON
SPEC is always looking for well-written short stories and poetry,
with a preference given to Canadian authors. Payment rates,
submission guidelines, and other info can be found at the
website: http://www.greenwoods.com/onspec/
*THE WRITER'S SOFTWARE COMPANION* is an interactive software
program for fiction-writing instruction. The program was
developed by Nebula and Hugo award-winning science fiction writer
Nancy Kress, and Terry Boothman, a teacher and consultant in the
field of multimedia-based education. I spent several hours trying
it out and was extremely impressed...it's super-easy to navigate,
has a friendly interface, and is packed with useful information.
Features include interactive lessons, sixty-seven of the
excellent fiction columns Nancy Kress writes for Writer's Digest
magazine, a catalogue of over 5000 names for characters, hundreds
of examples of published writings annotated by Nancy, everything
searchable and well-indexed. More information and free demo
version available at the website:
http://www.companion.novalearn.com/
InterNIC has changed its pointers to reflect my server move, but
it will take a week or two for the change to propagate to all
servers. By the time the next Inklings issue comes out, Inkspot's
new URL should be http://www.inkspot.com. The new Inklings URL
will be: http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/
If you have problems reaching me through ohi@inkspot.com during
this transition process, try morgaine@utcc.utoronto.ca.
Thanks to Gary Gach for mentioning Inkspot and Inklings in his
new book, WRITERS.NET, a guide to resources for writers on the
net. More information available at:
http://www.primapublishing.com/life/76150641.html
FRESH INK
=========
Business and Professional Communication page
--------------------------------------------
Hosted by Ohio State University English Dept. Includes links/info
for related journals, conventions, organizations, websites.
HTTP://www.cohums.ohio-state.edu/english/areas/bizcom.htm
SFNovelist Writing Workshop
---------------------------
For writers of hard science SF novels (science fiction where the
science is believable or at least does not violate currently
known science). For more info, write Victory Crayne at
victory@crayne.com or see:
http://www.crayne.com/victory/sfnovel.html
Children's Writing Resource Message Board
-----------------------------------------
New discussion forum provided by the Children's Book Insider,
a newsletter for children's writers.
http://www.pratomic.com/boards/cwrc/
Writer's Forums moved
---------------------
The Writer's Forums (a joint project between Inkspot and The
Writer's BBS) have been revamped and moved to a new URL:
http://www.writersbbs.com/new_bbs/
Cluelass
--------
Great site for readers and writers of mystery fiction.
http://www.slip.net/~cluelass/
Children's Literature Web Guide
-------------------------------
This has always been one of my favourite sites on the web. :-)
Re-vamped with discussion forums. Has a special section for
writers.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/rwriter.html
Seeking young writers
---------------------
Linda Leavitt, editor of a literary ezine called The Free Zone,
is seeking poetry and other creative writing by young writers for
a new kids' page.
Email: dune58@geocities.com
http://www.geocities.com/soho/4676
GL: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/4676/whatsnex.htm
================================================================
MARKET INFORMATION
==================
Please note: Inklings does its best to print only accurate market
info. However, it cannot be held responsible for lost postage,
time, etc. that you may incur due to inaccuracies. Do not send
submissions by email before inquiring first. You should get
current, detailed guidelines before submitting. Include SASE for
snailmail replies. More market info at:
http://www.inkspot.com/market/.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING MARKET SOURCES:
SCAVENGER'S NEWSLETTER
Monthly market info letter for sf/f/h/m writers & artists.
More info at: http://users.aol.com/Lemarchand/scavenger.html
THE GILA QUEEN'S GUIDE TO MARKETS
POB 97, Newton, NJ 07860-0097 Email:K.Ptacek@genie.com
http://www.pacifier.com/~alecwest/gila/
CHILDREN'S WRITERS MARKET LIST (magazines only)
Available by e-mail or snailmail. Email mshauers@hotmail.com.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
"FNASR" = First North American Serial Rights, "SASE" =
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "simsubs" = simultaneous
submissions, "mss" = manuscript, "RT" = response time, "GL" =
guidelines, "wds" = words.
***If you are a *paying* market and would like your guidelines
included in a future issue of Inklings, please fill out the form
at: http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/inkspot/mktpayform.html
PAYING MARKETS:
Alexandria Digital Literature
-----------------------------
Kathy Ice, Executive Editor. 701 5th Avenue, 43rd Floor, Ste.
4380, Seattle, WA 98104. Online publisher of speculative fiction
of all lengths. "We are currently looking to buy wide-area
network distribution rights of previously published works. We are
especially interested in shorter fiction, and in works that are
no longer in print. For exclusive wide-area network distribution
rights, we pay a royalty of 25% of the retail price; for
non-exclusive rights the rate is 10%. Authors receive a 5%
royalty bonus if they waive the advance (bumping the rates to 30%
and 15% respectively). The advance is 1/2c/wd if the author
chooses to take it. Because electronic publishing is such a new
field, and because Alexandria's approach is in many ways unique,
we strongly suggest that authors contact us for further
information before submitting (or deciding not to submit)."
(Source: Scavenger's Newsletter, Mar/97).
URL: http://www.alexlit.com
Email: kice@alexicom.net
Highlights For Children
-----------------------
HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, 805 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431:
Rich Wallace, Manuscript Coordinator. This secular publication
buys fiction of 200 to 900 words for children 2 to 12. (They now
want beginning reader fiction of up to 500 words for 6-8 year
olds--editor for this is Beth Troop.) They pay $120 up for ALL
rights on acceptance. They report and pay quickly, but may hold
material for years before publishing. They assign writers
personal editors after a sale. No pen and paper puzzles used
here. HIGHLIGHTS has now piloted an international edition!
(Canada & South Africa, primarily). This will use British
English. They are open to writers with expertise in specific
geographic areas. (Source: Children's Writers Market List)
Your Big Backyard
-----------------
YOUR BIG BACKYARD, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22184-0001:
Donna Johnson, Editor. After a number of years of ÒrecyclingÓ
material, this nature magazine for 3-6 year olds is open to
fiction and nonfiction again. They sometimes use animal
protagonists, but the animal must run true to its real-life
characteristics. They probably buy all rights to material up to
1000 words. Pay is great: $500. (Source: Children's Writers
Market List)
Affair De Coeur
---------------
3976 Oak Hill Dr., Oakland CA 94605-4931. Publisher: Louise
Snead. Monthly. ARTICLES: "Articles must be pertinent to the area
of publishing, writing, marketing, or the fiction romance genre."
Length: 2000 wds max; pays to $35 on publication for 1st NASR.
SHORT STORIES: "Short stories must be of romance with the
following GLs: (a) There are no limitations with regard to
setting. Time of setting may be historical, contemporary or
futuristic (b) Plots may be general romance or may include
suspense, mystery, or intrigue (c) There are no age restrictions
on the couple. Romances can range from young adult romances to
twilight romances. There are no restrictions on previous
relationship. (d) There are no racial or ethnic restrictions on
the couple. We welcome diversity as long as the portrayal of the
race or ethnic groups are realistic and non-stereotypical. (e)
Because of the short length of the story, we discourage a love
scene unless it is vital to the story. (f) The story should end
on a positive note. That does not necessarily mean that the
couple ends up together and lives happily ever after. It may mean
that the heroine realizes she is better off without the hero or
vica versa. (g) In order to avoid the feel of a 'true confession'
we encourage the author to write the story in third person.
However, if he/she does write it in the 1st person and it works,
it may be accepted." Length: max 2000 words; pays $35 on
publication for 1st NASR. Email submissions okay. No reprints.
Sample $5; subscription $35/year. (Source: The Gila Queen's Guide
To Markets, Issue #84)
Email: Sseven@msn.com
Spectacle
---------
Richard Aguilar, Editor, SPECTACLE, 101 Middlesex Turnpike, Suite
6, Box 155, Burlington, MA 01803. Biannual, themed journal
featuring the work of talented writers and essayists on an
eclectic mix of lively topics. What is the connection between
mental illness and artistic expression? Madness and the Creative
Imperative, the Fall 1997 issue of a new journal, SPECTACLE, will
devote itself to exploring this link in depth and invites
submissions of essays and papers of up to 5,000 words. Deadline
is June 30, 1997. "We are accepting insightful, provocative,
entertainingly analytical pieces including essays, articles,
critiques, interviews, case studies and scholarly (but
accessible) writings. No poetry or fiction please. All
submissions should be original, unpublished, and well-crafted
writing that engages the mind and the heart." PAYMENT: $30.00
upon publication and two copies of journal. For complete
editorial guidelines, send SASE to snailmail address, or email
request. No email submissions. (Info rec'd Mar.15)
Email: raguilar@sencomcorp.com (guideline requests only)
Murderous Intent
----------------
A Magazine of Mystery & Suspense, MadisonPublishingCompany. P. O.
Box 5947, Vancouver, WA 98668-5947. Publisher/Editor: Margo
Power. MURDEROUS INTENT, A Magazine of Mystery & Suspense, is a
quarterly magazine targeting "the readers and writers of
mystery/suspense who want not only to be entertained but
challenged". FICTION: "Send only your best short stories, no
longer than 5000 words (prefer 2000-- 4000 words) (short shorts
considered including 250 -- 400 word flash mysteries that have a
beginning, middle, & twist ending). We will also consider
cross-genre mysteries (i.e. horror, science fiction, romance) if
the strongest emphasis is on the mystery/suspense. No hardboiled.
Give at least a hint of the mystery on the first page and keep
suspense high. We publish what we feel are outstanding stories.
Plot and character are of equal importance." NONFICTION: "We are
looking for articles (no longer than 3500 words) applicable to
writing or reading mysteries. For example, articles covering
forensics, police practices, district attorneys and how their
offices operate, weaponry, crime scenes, medical examiners,
private investigators, criminal defense lawyers, DNA testing,
etc. We are open to anything pertaining to the mystery field BUT
the articles must be authentic and you MUST include sources. No
true crime." FILLERS: Mystery related cartoons, poetry, etc.
PAYMENT: Fiction or nonfiction, payment for First North American
Serial rights is $10 plus two free copies per story or article,
on acceptance. The author will be expected to sign a contract
stating that the work is original and that he or she is the
author. Fillers: $2--$5. TIPS: "We like to use one urban ghetto
story per issue. i.e. THE COLLECTORS, ON HIS OWN, GEEZERS.)We
don't get enough of these. We love humorous mysteries." See
website for full guidelines and submission format. (Confirmed
April 1/97)
Email: madison@teleport.com
GL: http://www.teleport.com/~madison/guidelines.shtml
URL: http://www.teleport.com/~madison/
Keen Science Fiction
--------------------
Teresa Keene, Editor, POB 9067, Spokane, WA 99209-0067. Phone
509-744-0987. Fax 509-744-0987. Monthly publication,
classic-style sf. No email submissions. "We need to see more time
travel stories for the Nov/97 'All Time Travel' issue. We get so
few good ones that we need to start reading for it now. New RT
1-2 months, tops. I still respond personally to each submission
with an intimate and specific handwritten note as to why the
piece was rejected. Please don't tape your mss shut! Am seeking
writers who can deliver some good terraforming pieces!" "SF
poetry will be considered, if it's really good." LENGTH:
"50-4,000 words, with preference going to 50- 2,000 words. The
4,000 word limit is hard and fast . . . I will not even look at
anything over that." PAYMENT: Pays one cent per word within 3
weeks after publication, Minimum, $5.00, maximum, $40. Poetry
pays in comp copies. See website for full guidelines. (Source:
Scavenger's Newsletter, Mar/97, confirmed and updated Apr.1/97)
GL: http://pages.prodigy.com/KeenSciFi/guidelines.html
URL: http://pages.prodigy.com/KeenSciFi/
Email: ZLSK20A@prodigy.com (queries only)
FolksOnline.com
---------------
775 E. Blithedale Ave. #377, Mill Valley, CA 94941.
Pays 2 weeks after publication. Seeks non-fiction. LENGTH &
PAYMENT: Articles & true stories: 500-1,000 words $100 - $175.
Themed tours: 6-10 sites with a 3-8 line description of each site
$50. E-mail submissions preferred. Reprints accepted at same
rate. LOOKING FOR: True stories - inspirational personal stories
about how the Net or computers has significantly changed or
improved someone's life, Articles - how-to articles about how to
do anything on the Net. Current articles sections are: "Look Ma,
I did something useful on the Web today", "Educational resources
for ages 2-92", "Transform your talents to the Web", "How I
market my product /service on the Web". "In addition to writing
for the site, we also are seeking "virtual editors" to get
material written by others or to interview folks and write their
story or article." Publishes 6 stories/articles per month, 2
tours per month.
Email: editor@folksonline.com
GL: http://www.folksonline.com/folks/sd/contrib.htm
MARKET UPDATES
==============
From Margaret Shauer's (Children's Writers Market List):
COBBLESTONE, FACES AND CALLIOPE, 7 School Street, Peterborough,
NH 03458 have new theme lists. ODYSSEY is in the process of
updating the theme list.
================================================================
Ask The Experts
---------------
*** Please put "inklings question" in the subject header. ***
Judith Bowen (ROMANCE WRITER) jbowen@max-net.com
David Breeden (POET) drpoetry@ktc.com
Charles Deemer (SCREENWRITER) cdeemer@teleport.com
Susan Graham (AGENT) slgraham@atl.mindspring.com
Paula Guran (HORROR WRITER) DarkEcho@aol.com
Carol Henson (BOOK DOCTOR) UBKX12C@Prodigy.com
Ken Jenks (ELECTRONIC PUBLISHER) MindsEye@tale.com
Bob Sablatura (JOURNALIST) bob.sablatura@reporters.net
Michelle Sagara (SF/FANTASY WRITER) Michelle.Sagara@sff.net
Lee Wardlaw (CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER) Katknip2@aol.com
Marcia Yudkin (FREELANCE WRITER) send to editor@inklings.com
Sharon Zukowski (MYSTERY/SPY WRITER) 76372.2252@CompuServe.COM
Columnists may be unable to reply privately to every message, but
will answer selected questions in future issues of Inklings.
================================================================
ASK THE CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Lee Wardlaw
<Katknip2@aol.com>
Q: Is there any way to make my manuscripts "stand out" so that
editors will actually read them?
A: Contrary to popular belief, every manuscript that is
submitted to a publisher gets read, either by an editor or an
editorial assistant. Most editors can tell, however, whether a
book is publishable just by reading the first three pages - - so
if you take too long "warming up" your story, chances are it will
be rejected without receiving a complete read.
Here are ten essential elements every manuscript needs to make it
"stand out:"
1. A strong, fresh idea/theme - - or an old idea given a new
twist.
2. Vivid, believable, memorable characters with whom kid-readers
can identify. Make sure you know what your characters want, and
*why* they want it. Your characters must also be doers, not just
observers.
3. Immediacy in your text. Your book must have the feeling of
things happening right now, right here, right away. Remember to
begin your beginning the moment something goes wrong.
4. Good tension. Your story must have a constant, taut,
what's-going-to-happen-next? feeling. You can do this by keeping
your time lines as short as possible, and by constantly
increasing the importance of the main character's problems/goals.
5. A satisfying ending. If you introduced a problem at the
beginning of the story, it must be solved at the end of the
story. And it must be solved by the child protagonist - - not
some well-meaning parent or teacher.
6. A juvenile point of view. Make sure the story is told from
the viewpoint of a child, not the author's. This also means: No
teaching, no preaching!
7. Lively writing. Add drama and color to your stories with
rhythmic sentences, expressive words, sparkling dialogue and
vivid sensory details.
8. A grabber title. You need a title that intrigues . . . one
that promises exciting or scary or funny things to come. (And
make sure your title will grab children *and* editors!)
9. A unique voice. Editors are looking for writers who have a
fresh writing style, a way of telling a story that is all your
own. So write about what is important to you, what you most care
about. This will give your work an emotional impact that kids
can and will resond to.
10. Evidence that you've done your research. A story that
contains all 9 essential elements proves that you know your
audience and you know what they like to read. These are the types
of manuscripts that editors - - and children - - buy.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
Lee Wardlaw is the award-winning author of 17 books for children,
ranging from picture books to young adult novels. Recent titles
include 101 WAYS TO BUG YOUR PARENTS (middle grade, Dial) and THE
GHOUL BROTHERS (first chapter book, Troll), and PUNIA AND THE
KING OF SHARKS (picture book, Dial). Lee's web page is at
http://www.interlog.com/~ohi/inkspot/a-lee.html
Copyright (c) 1997 Lee Wardlaw. All rights reserved.
================================================================
ASK THE POET
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Dr. David Breeden
<drpoetry@ktc.com>
Should I copyright my poems?
----------------------------
That is probably the second most-asked question among
inexperienced poets (Number One being, Where do I get
published?).
While opinion varies somewhat, the best answer to the question is
no. Never copyright an individual poem. According to
established practice, you own your poem from the moment you write
it down. No one can take it from you.
Yes, but, you've heard the stories of lawsuits. OK. Let's be
honest. Though yours truly and a good many others would argue
that poems are some of the most valuable of humankind's
productions, fact is, a pound of radishes will get you more cash
than a pound of poetry in most markets. Poems just aren't
valuable enough to steal, so establishing the date of a poem's
production does not tend to be very important. Don't spend money
protecting yourself against something that won't happen.
A screenplay, a play, sometimes the plot of a novel or short
story, may become commercially valuable and therefore tempt
others to theft. This does not, alas, happen to poems. Putting
a small "c" in a circle on a page does not protect your poem any
more than it already was, and marks the poet as an amateur.
Don't bother. The poem is yours.
But what happens when an editor wants your poem?
Almost all literary magazines leave copyright of a poem in the
hands of the poet. You are paid for "one time rights" and then
the poem is yours again, though good manners dictates that, if
you republish the poem, you mention who had the good taste to
publish it first.
Occasionally, however, an editor will ask to buy the copyright to
a poem or group of poems. In other words, the purchasing company
can do with it as they will, without your permission. Read such
a contract carefully. Sometimes the company only wants the
option to use your poem in a future anthology and will inform you
when the poem is used. You will feel happy to see it in print
again and all will be well.
But sometimes unscrupulous publishers use poems for purposes the
poet never intended. In my experience, this has only occurred in
the realm of greeting card verse. I have heard of cases in which
a company bought the copyright to an entire book of poems,
published it in a limited edition no one saw, then proceeded to
publish the poems individually as greeting cards without giving
credit, or money, to the poet.
The company makes money, the poet receives only the initial
purchase price of the manuscript, and no royalties, since the
book came out in an extremely limited edition. This is not a
case of theft. The unwitting poet has sold the copyright.
If you still feel nervous about copyright, use the easiest
copyright technique known. Type you poems, seal them in an
envelope, take them to the post office, and mail them to yourself
by registered mail. When you get the letter back, file it
without opening it. You have thereby established the date before
which your poems were written.
Copyright for a collection of poems is a different matter. In
this case, getting copyright tucks your collection away in an
archive for the perusal of future generations. Usually the
publisher of the collection will do this, but the writer is
always wise to be sure.
Copyright isn't so complicated as we often think. And worry
about it certainly shouldn't keep poets away from the more
important task of writing good poems.
==-------------------------------------------==
David Breeden's poetry and essays have appeared in numerous
magazines, including Mississippi Review, North Atlantic Review,
Paragraph, Pikestaff Forum, Turnstile, and The Quarterly and four
books. In addition to editing the literary magazine Context South
and the Press of the Guadalupe, he is working on a novel and
screenplay. You can see his other poetry column at:
http://www.on-net.net/~cca/Dr.Poetry/DPMAIN.html
Copyright (c) 1997 David Breeden.
================================================================
INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT J. SAWYER
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
<editor@inklings.com>
Robert J. Sawyer is Canada's only native-born full-time science-
fiction writer. He has sold ten novels to major New York
publishers and won thirteen national and international writing
awards. His novel, _The Terminal Experiment_ won the Nebula Award
for Best Novel of 1995, and his _Starplex_ is a current finalist
for the Nebula Award for the Best Novel of 1996. His latest
novel, _Frameshift_, will be in stores in May.
You can find out more information from his webpage at:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sawyer
How did you make your first professional sale?
----------------------------------------------
The Strasenburgh Planetarium is in Rochester, New York; since
1972, my family has owned a vacation home on Canandaigua Lake,
which is near there. In the summer of 1979, the planetarium
announced a science-fiction short-story writing contest, to be
judged by Isaac Asimov. Asimov was to pick a grand-prize winner,
whose story would be produced as a dramatic starshow, and two
runners-up. He did that, but the planetarium folk felt the
winning story -- which was quite charming -- couldn't be
stretched to an hour on its own. They decided to make the
dramatic starshow into a trilogy, with three complete stories in
the course of an hour. The natural thing to do would have been
to make the second- and third-place entries the other two
components, but one of them wasn't visually oriented enough to
make a good starshow. The Planetarium held a reception for all
those who had entered the contest; I came down from Toronto for
that, and, as I entered the room, one of the producers said,
"Thank God you've come! We've been trying to get ahold of you
for weeks." I'd thought there might be some prejudice against a
Canadian entrant, so I'd used the vacation home's American
address and phone number on my entry -- and it had been
unoccupied for more than a month prior to this. Anyway, it
turned out that the planetarium staff had loved my story, and
wanted to buy it to be the third installment of their trilogy.
The trilogy was produced under the umbrella title "Futurescapes,"
and my story was called "Motive." "Motive" introduced the
Quintaglios about which I wrote much later, and the giant
exploration starship with its mixed human/dolphin/alien crew,
which features in my current novel _Starplex_. "Futurescapes"
had 192 performances in the summer of 1980.
What about your worry about prejudice against Canadian writers?
Have you found this to be true at all in your writing career?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Submitting to Strasenburgh was the last time I ever worried about
possible prejudice against me in the States because I was a
Canadian. The Planetarium didn't care -- and so far, no one else
has either. In fact, I've made a point of being blatantly
Canadian in my fiction. _Golden Fleece_ and _Starplex_ both have
Canadian main characters, _End of an Era_ and _The Terminal
Experiment_ are set entirely in Canada, and _Frameshift_ has a
French-Canadian protagonist. I've never had a negative word
about this from any American editor, reviewer, or reader over the
Canadian content in my books.
Do you prefer writing novels or short stories? Why?
---------------------------------------------------
I much prefer writing novels. Even though I have a reputation
for being a clear, concise writer, I find it very hard to say
what I want to within the confines of a short story -- short
stories are great for making single points, but they really don't
let you explore a range of issues and alternatives. And, of
course, there's the simple reality that novels are much more
lucrative.
As a writer, how useful do you find the Internet?
-------------------------------------------------
The Internet is marginally useful. I participate on
rec.arts.sf.written, in order to keep my name in front of
potential book buyers. And my home page has been wonderfully
successful; I get several fan letters each day through it. But
as a research medium, I think the World Wide Web leaves a lot to
be desired. The information on it has been placed there by
vested-interest parties; it's essentially the world's largest
collection of press releases. I much prefer information that's
been evaluated by critical eyes, and so my principal online
research tool is Magazine Database Plus on CompuServe. It's got
the full text of all the articles in over two hundred
general-interest and specialty publications, many going all the
way back to 1986. Among the titles of obvious use to SF writers
are _Astronomy_, _Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists_, _Discover_,
_Omni_, _Popular Science_, _Psychology Today_, _Scientific
American_, _Sky & Telescope_, and _Science News. The material
isn't free -- it costs US$1.50 to download each article -- but I
find it a much better research tool than anything on the Web.
How much preparation do you do before you actually start writing
a novel? (e.g. outlining, research for the science in your
stories?)
---------------------------------------------------------------
I only do an extensive outline when I'm looking for a contract
prior to writing the book. The shortest outline I've ever done
was 2,900 words (for _Starplex_); the longest was 12,000 (for
_Frameshift_). But, in general, I prefer to write without an
outline -- although, of course, I do have some notion in my head
of what I'm trying to accomplish. As for research, I spend two
or three months of solid 40-hour weeks on research for each
novel. And it's not just science research. For _Frameshift_, I
had to dig into the history of the Treblinka death camp, the
Israeli legal system, insurance regulations, and more; for
_Illegal Alien_, I spent weeks learning about the American
judicial
system and trial procedures. But I love research -- it's my
favorite part of the process of creating a novel.
What are your writing habits? (e.g. daily schedule, where you
write, etc.)
-------------------------------------------------------------
My wife heads out about 8:25 a.m.; I'm usually at my computer by
that point, taking care of my email -- I get about twenty
business-related letters a day. She gets home a little before
5:00 p.m., and I try to be wrapped up by then. When I'm actually
writing the first draft -- as opposed to researching or revising
-- I try to do 2,000 words a day. Ideally, that's four
double-spaced manuscript pages before lunch, and four more after
lunch. I have one of the bedrooms in my home set up as an
office; I do maybe three-quarters of my work there, and the rest
on my 386 palmtop computer -- it runs a dozen hours on AA
batteries, and only weighs 750 grams, so I take it with me
wherever I go.
Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with it?
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't write my novels in linear sequence: I don't start at
page one and keep going until I hit page last. Rather, I write
scenes in the order they occur to me, or in the order in which
I'm ready to tackle them, and fit them together as a mosaic at
the end. Often, I don't know what to write next in a particular
plot thread of the novel. At that point, I simply switch to
another plot thread. Even on the days in which nothing creative
is coming to me at all, I still work. If you write twenty little
descriptive paragraphs of a hundred words each, and insert them
in the novel at twenty different places where you've perhaps
failed to provide a lot of detail in your first draft, you've
still met your daily word quota. Writer's block is something you
simply can't afford to have if you want to write full-time. It's
a war for every writer: would I rather work today, or go outside
and play in the sun? Most so-called writers' blocks are simply
the latter winning out over the former; they're an excuse to goof
off.
Can you offer any tips/advice for writers who want to pursue a
full-time writing career?
--------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to become a full-time writer, put some money in the
bank first. When I stopped doing non-fiction writing, which is
what I used to do for a living, and started writing novels
fulltime, I had a hundred thousand dollars in the bank -- the
result of lots of hard work, and years of planning in advance to
switch to fulltime fiction writing. That's a lot of money, but
almost every new business -- whether it's a restaurant, a retail
store, or fiction writing -- fails because it is
undercapitalized. You almost certainly will make no money your
first year of writing, and not much -- a four-figure income, if
you're lucky -- your second year. If you don't have cash
reserves to tide you over for two or three years until you're
established, you're doomed. But remember, very, very few writers
do it full-time; even most really big names are part-time writers
for their entire literary careers.
================================================================
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