The famous Writers of the Future workshop wrapped up Sunday morning with hugs and tearful goodbyes. Writers who arrived as strangers left as lifelong friends.

The Writers of the Future workshop is one of the most intensive boot camps for new writers in the industry. Many winners have commented that they value the workshop even more than the trophy.

This year’s workshop was delivered by New York Times bestselling authors and Science Fiction masters Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game), Tim Powers (On Stranger Tides), and David Farland (The Runelords).

History of the Writers Workshop

The Writers of the Future contest was started by New York Times bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard (Battlefield Earth) in 1983, after a long history of helping new writers. Mr. Hubbard published writing advice in several articles for writer’s journals like The Author & Journalist. These timeless tips form the core of the writers workshop, including such topics as: how to build suspense in a short story, where story ideas come from, the importance of research and realism, and things editors do that drive writers crazy.

“In these modern times, there are many communication lines for works of art. Because a few works of art can be shown so easily to so many, there may even be fewer artists. The competition is very keen and even dagger-sharp.

“It is with this in mind that I initiated a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” —L. Ron Hubbard, in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 1

The contest is open to aspiring writers from around the world. In accordance with the contest rules, entrants must submit an original, unpublished, science fiction, fantasy, or speculative horror story.

Writers Workshop Today

In keeping with L. Ron Hubbard’s example, the writers workshop continues to share his writing advice, along with several practical exercises for aspiring writers.

Writing tips included:

• Fantasy writing prompts
• Story ideas
• Story outline
• Rules for writers
• Writers block
• Short story prompts
• Realistic fiction

The workshop instructors this year included Orson Scott Card, Enders Game, Tim Powers, On Stranger Tides, and David Farland, The Runelords.

During the workshop they were interviewed for the Writers of the Future podcast, where they shared insights of the writing workshop and several writing tips. You can enjoy it here:

Writing short stories

The 24-hour story challenge is one of the workshop’s best-known highlights. Working with a random item and an interview with a stranger, the writer winners were given 24 hours to research, outline, and write a complete short story. Their stories were then critiqued by the other writers and judges.

David Farland presenting storytelling basics

Tim Powers giving out objects for the 24-hour story

Research at the library

Meeting a stranger

  John Haas working on his 24-hour story

Writers turning in their 24-hour stories

Famous Authors

The final days of the writers workshop were packed with candid writing advice from a blue-ribbon panel of judges, past contest winners, and publishing professionals. These guest speakers shared their wisdom and writing tips, giving the winners years of experience in just a few breaths. This year’s guest speakers included:

Nina Kiriki Hoffman, The Thread That Binds the Bones

Rebecca Moesta, Young Jedi Knights and Kevin J. Anderson, Spine of the Dragon

Dr. Robert J. Sawyer, Quantum Night

Eric Flint, 1632

Larry Niven, Ringworld

Dr. Doug Beason, The Officer

Dean Wesley Smith, Tombstone Canyon

Jody Lynn Nye, Moon Tracks

Dr. Gregory Benford, The Berlin Project

Dr. Beatrice Kondo of The Heinlein Foundation

Liza Trombi of Locus

Dr. Nnedi Okofor, Binti

Darci Stone, “Mara’s Shadow”, Eric James Stone, That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made, Kary English, “Totaled”, and Martin L. Shoemaker, Today I Am Carey

Marketing Plan

Delivered by Galaxy Press President John Goodwin and Vice President Public Affairs Emily Goodwin, the final workshop day focused on the business of writing: marketing and selling books. Special Guest, Bill Fawcett, American editor, anthologist, game designer, book packager, fiction writer, and historian, made a presentation on targeting one’s marketing and exceptions to the rules. Special guest, Dave Chesson, CEO Kindlepreneur, made a presentation about book-selling giant Amazon with advice to help new writers get a jumpstart.

Topics included:

• What is marketing
• Marketing strategy
• How to brand yourself
• Selling books
• Online marketing
• How to do media interviews
• Selling on Amazon

 John Goodwin, President Galaxy Press and Emily Goodwin, VP Public Affairs

 Bill Fawcett, author and editor

Dave Chesson, CEO Kindlepreneur

Writers Success

With the workshop at an end, this year’s winners are now ready to launch their careers from a foundation for success. Over the years, hundreds of contest winners have gone on to enjoy professional writing careers—the largest success rate of any writers workshop or contest. Just in the last year, they have published over 100 brand new science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.

How to attend the Writers of the Future Workshop

How do you get invited to attend next year’s workshop?

The first step is to complete your short story and submit it. Only submitted stories have a chance of winning, and only winners and published finalists are invited to this exclusive writers workshop.

For an edge on the competition, read previous books in the series to learn what kinds of stories end up as winners. Good luck!

Contest resources:

• workshops daily blogs
• sign up page
• contest rules
• enter the contest
• about the contest page

Contributed by Kary English, Writers of the Future First Reader and winner from WotF 31.

Kary English grew up in the snowy Midwest where she read book after book in a warm corner behind a recliner chair. Today, Kary still spends most of her time with her head in the clouds and her nose in a book.

Kary is a Writers of the Future winner and now the Contest’s First Reader whose work has been nominated for both the Hugo and Campbell awards. Kary’s fiction has appeared in Galaxy’s Edge, The Grantville Gazette, Daily Science Fiction, Far Fetched Fables, the Hugo-winning podcast StarShipSofa, and Writers of the Future, Vol. 31.

The post Writers Workshop appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Andrew Dykstal, a writer from Arlington, VA, has been named the Grand Prize Winner of the 35th Annual Writers of the Future, and Aliya Chen, an illustrator from Fair Oaks, CA has been named the Grand Prize Winner of the 30th Annual Illustrators of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards for Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests in the genres of Science Fiction & Fantasy held at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, CA on Friday evening, April 5, 2019. A capacity crowd of 400 people attended the Black-Tie GALA. Presented by Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press, the theme for the two-hour awards show was Retro Robotics.

John Goodwin, President of Galaxy Press, said: “This year marks a historic milestone in our contests with simultaneous benchmark anniversaries, the 35th Anniversary of our Writer’s Contest and, at the same time, the 30th Anniversary of our Illustrators Contest. This year was also groundbreaking for another reason, in that, Aliya Chen made history becoming our first Chinese Grand Prize Winner ever selected in either of our competitions.” This year’s event was an Invitation Only Black-Tie GALA which was streamed live via the website, www.writersofthefuture.com, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. PST on Friday evening, April 5, 2019.

Andrew Dykstal, The Winner of the Grand Prize Writer’s Award, said: “This is absolutely fantastic! I feel that my career as a writer has now been catapulted. It’s a tremendous honor to be here. The quality of the stories of my fellow writers in this contest is amazing. I have made new friends for life. Having the opportunity, as I have for this past week in workshops networking and learning from authors I grew up reading, and whom continue to influence and inspire me, has been an experience I will never forget.”

Aliya Chen, The Winner of the Grand Prize Illustrator’s Award, said: “I didn’t expect this at all. I’m overwhelmed and very grateful! Winning this Grand Prize Award is validation for me that illustration, which is a passion for me, doesn’t have to be limited to a hobby, but it’s definitely possible as a career. I also feel God has opened these doors for me. My twin sister, Felicia, who is also an illustrator like myself, is the person who actually learned of the Illustrators of the Future Contest and encouraged me to enter. We are both supportive of one another, and for that reason we both didn’t enter the competition at the same time. This is a moment in my life I will never forget!”

Joni Labaqui, Director of Contests for Author Services, Inc. said, “This year, our fourth quarter illustrator 2018 winner, Alice Wang, became the youngest winner to ever enter our contests and win, at the age of 15. Submissions for our Writers and Illustrator Contests over the last 35 and 30 years respectively, have come from over 175 countries. This year we had four quarterly winners from England, more than ever before in one year. Selecting the two Grand Prize Winners from thousands of contest entries submitted annually is not an easy process.”

Coordinating Writer Contest Judge David Farland and Fellow Writer Judge Orson Scott Card announced writer Andrew Dykstal as the Golden Pen Award winner while presenting him a check for $5,000. Andrew Dykstal’s winning story, “Thanatos Drive,” was illustrated by Qianjiao Ma.

Coordinating Illustrator Contest Judge Echo Chernik and Fellow Illustrator Judge Bog Eggleton announced illustrator Aliya Chen as the Golden Brush Award winner while presenting her with a check for $5,000. Aliya Chen illustrated writer Elise Stephen’s story, “Untrained Luck.”

The awards show was held in the visually opulent Grand Ballroom of the Taglyan Cultural Complex nestled in the heart of Hollywood. Catered by Divine Food, the GALA began with tray passed Hor D’oeuvres and Cocktails, followed by a delectable Mediterranean four-course meal and the Awards Show, followed a Book Signing and Reception in the plush Foyer of the Taglyan.

The awards show opened with Sci-Fi Stomp and Body Percussion Dance featuring ROV-E, a Mars Rover Robot Prototype from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and dancers from EM Cirque, a world-renowned aerobatics and dance troupe.

Event Emcee, Gunhild Jacobs, Executive Director of Author Services, Inc. introduced Keynote Speaker, Ed Hulse, an award-winning journalist and historian who specializes in documenting American popular culture of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Joni Labaqui, Director of Contests for Author Services, Inc. presented the L. Ron Hubbard Lifetime Achievement Award to Bob Eggleton, a Founding Judge of the Illustrators of the Future Contest, and winner of many literary awards, including nine Hugo Awards and 11 Chelsey Awards.

John Goodwin, President Galaxy Press, unveiled the 35th Volume of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future featuring the work of the 12 award-winning new authors and 12 award-winning new illustrators from this year’s contests. Edited by David Farland, with cover artwork by Bob Eggleton, the book also features stories written by renowned writers and illustrators, Dean Wesley Smith, Rebecca Moesta, Mike Resnick, Echo Chernick and L. Ron Hubbard. The new anthology is now available throughout the United States from Amazon.com, BN.com, BAM.com, in Barnes & Noble stores, Books A Million or at GalaxyPress.com

In his Keynote Address, Ed Hulse talked about the Golden Age of Science Fiction and post World War II, with a veritable explosion in pulp magazines. Hulse said, “The Golden Age of Science Fiction isn’t a relic of the past. It has seeped into our popular culture in myriad ways. The Galactic Empires of Isaac Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ series were foremost in the mind of George Lucas when he conceived ‘Star Wars,’ and Doc Smith’s ‘Lensmen’ were among the influences of his Jedi knights. In the first film’s famous bar scene, he even lifted a sequence from L. Ron Hubbard’s story ‘The Kingslayer’ virtually word for word. Van Vogt’s mutant ‘Slans’ were forerunners of Marvel’s ‘X-Men.’ Countless popular motion pictures and television shows have adapted classic Golden Age pulp yarns, officially and unofficially.”

Hulse continued, “These storytellers all contributed mightily to the evolution of Science Fiction. And now you’re part of that evolution. You represent a new generation of writers, alternately building upon and superseding literary traditions now more than a century old. Yours are the ideas and concepts that will shape Science Fiction for years to come. I look forward to seeing how you’ll respond to the challenge of making science fiction relevant to the readers of tomorrow.”

Awards for each of the Quarterly Finalists of the Writers and Illustrators Contests were presented by actors Kate Linder, Lee Purcell, Sean Cameron Michael, Ernest Pierce and Phil Proctor, along with renowned judges specializing in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

This year’s 12 Quarterly Awards Winners of the Writing Contest were each presented with cash prizes and trophies. They included: Kyle Kirrin of Creede, CO, Preston Dennett of Reseda, CA, Kai Wolden of Eden Prairie, MN, David Cleden of Fleet, Hampshire, UK, Rustin Lovewell of Gaithersburg, MD, Carrie Callahan Bardstown, KY, Elise Stephens of Seattle, WA, Christopher Baker of Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK, Mica Scott Kole of Westland, MI, Andrew Dykstal of Arlington, VA, Wulf Moon of Sequim, WA and John Haas Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

This year’s 12 Quarterly Awards Winners of the Illustrating Contest were each presented with cash prizes and trophies. They included: Emerson Rabbitt of Minneapolis, MN, Vytautas V (Vytautas Vasiliauskas) of Paris, France, Yinying Jiang of Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK, Alexander Gustafson of Essex Junction, VT, Christine Rhee of San Francisco, CA, Sam Kemp of Birmingham, West Midlands, England, Allen Morris of Cleveland, MS, Jennifer Ober of Atlanta, GA, Josh Pemberton of Seattle, WA, Qianjiao Ma of Arcadia, CA, Alice Wang of Bellevue, WA and Aliya Chen of Fair Oaks, CA.

Dr. Beatrice Kondo, daughter of the late Writers of the Future Judge, Dr. Yoji Kondo, and a member of the Heinlein Society Board of Directors, presented Gunhild Jacobs, Executive Director of Author Services, Inc. with a Letter of Recognition. The Heinlein Society is devoted to the study and promotion of the late American Science Fiction author Robert A. Heinlein. During her presentation, Dr. Kondo said, “L. Ron Hubbard established the Writers of the Future contests as a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged. On behalf of the Heinlein Society and issued by its President and Chairman, George E. Rule, I would like to present a letter of recognition to L. Ron Hubbard and his enduring Contest on the occasion of the 35th Anniversary.”

In addition to celebrity and distinguished judge awards presenters, other VIPS in attendance at the event included: Elizabeth Fuller, Kary English, Martin Shoemaker, Jim Meskimen, Tamara Meskimen, Jennifer O’Dell, Phire Whitaker, Gino Montesinos, Daniel Kotto, Edwin Gagliano, Monica Wiela, Gene Rurka, Kelton Jones, Skip Harris and Jeff Rector. Some Renowned Former Writer and Illustrator of the Future winners were also in attendance, including: Dean Wesley Smith (1985 – Volume 1), Nini Kiriki Hoffman (1985 – Volume 1), David Farland (1987 – Volume 3), Sergei Poyarkov (1991 – Volume 7), Dr. Nnedi Okorafor (2002 – Volume 18), Brian C. Hailes (2002 – Volume 18), Darci Stone (2018 – Volume 34), Eric James Stone (2004 – Volume 20 and 2005 – Volume 21) and Eric Flint (1993 – Volume 9).

Event attendees also included 23 world-renowned writer and illustrator contest judges specializing in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The 15 Writer judges in attendance included: Kevin J. Anderson, Dr. Doug Beason, Dr. Gregory Benford, Orson Scott Card, David Farland, Eric Flint, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Todd McCaffrey, Rebecca Moesta, Larry Niven, Jody Lynn Nye, Dr. Nnedi Okorafor, Timothy Thomas “Tim” Powers, Dr. Robert J. Sawyer and Dean Wesley Smith. The eight illustrator judges included: Echo Chernik, Lazarus Chernik, Bob Eggleton, Larry Elmore, Dr. Laura Freas Beraha, Val Lakey Lindahn, Sergey Poyarkov and Rob Prior.

Following the 1982 release of his internationally acclaimed bestselling Science Fiction novel, “Battlefield Earth,” written in celebration of 50 years as a professional writer, L. Ron Hubbard created the Writers of the Future Contest (www.writersofthefuture.com) in 1983 to provide a means for aspiring writers of speculative fiction to get that much-needed break. Due to the success of the Writing Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was created in 1988.

The annual Contests draw entrants from around the globe and are free to enter. Winners retain full rights to their work and each are given cash awards. Each year three winners are selected quarterly for both the Writers and the Illustrators Contests. Then a Grand Prize winner is selected for both the Writers and the Illustrators. Grand Prize Winners receive an additional $5,000. The Contest flies out all winners to Los Angeles for an expense-paid, weeklong workshop given by Contest judges and culminates in a Black-Tie Gala Awards event. The contests promote the arts welcoming diversity, ethnicity, creativity and equality, with no age limits.

In the 35 years of the Writers of the Future Contest, there have been 416 winners and 80 published finalists. The 416 past winners of the Writing Contest have published 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 32 New York Times bestsellers and their works have sold over 60 million copies.

In the 30 years of the Illustrators of the Future Contest, there have been 346 winners. The 346 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 television shows and 40 major movies.

The Writers of the Future Award is the genre’s most prestigious award of its kind and has now become the largest, most successful and demonstrably most influential vehicle for budding creative talent in the world of contemporary fiction. Since its inception, the Writers and Illustrators of the Future contests have produced 35 anthology volumes and awarded upwards of $1 million in cash prizes and royalties. For more information please visit www.writersofthefuture.com and www.galaxypress.com

The post Andrew Dykstal and Aliya Chen Announced as Grand Prize Winners of the 35th Annual Writers of the Future appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Artem Mirolevich was an Illustrators of the Future winner published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 24.

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 24

Artem Mirolevich: At the time when I was awarded as Illustrator of the Future, it was one of the most important awards I had ever received. Getting such an important recognition was a major career boost. I loved how thoughtful everyone was and how everything was well organized. The experience of flying to the west coast, being treated like a star, and also given an opportunity to learn from some of the best illustrators in the business was priceless. It helped me believe in myself, believe that anything is possible and that the sky is the limit. The staff and everyone else involved were truly amazing and earnestly helpful in so many ways. It’s been twelve years since my participation and I still keep in contact with numerous members, staff, illustrators, and volunteers (!) that worked for this wonderful project. I HIGHLY recommend to all aspiring artists and authors to submit and participate. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Interview with Artem Mirolevich

NOTE: This article was originally published in Russian, and has been translated by Google translate into English. To read the original Russian article, visit: https://aboveart.ru/portfolio_page/artem-mirolevich/

One of a few contemporary Russian artists whose works have commercial success in the United States, Artem Mirolevich promotes Russian art abroad while making it more recognizable and prominent. Artem has done more than 100 exhibitions around the world including #ArmoryShow and #MiamiArtBasel.

Each of his artworks immerses us into a new world, influenced by his cultural heritage, his life experience, and vision.

Investigating the main problems of philosophy and contemporary society, his works could be called prophetic, affecting the inner human essence.

How can an author from Russia become successful abroad and get into the US galleries?

Artem Mirolevich: To begin with, of course, lots of talented Russian artists spark curiosity abroad, but there are several difficult moments.

First of all, the Russian government doesn’t provide any institutional support for the artists abroad, in the United States, in particular, so they have no one to count upon. Many artists from Post-Soviet space ask me to help with promotion, but the reality is that, on the local level, there are lots of sponsors that are ready to help artists, however, private commercial galleries are very difficult to convince to bring in a good artist because they are interested in both the artwork and the artist himself.

This is where the second moment arises: the identity of the artist. Galleries look at who the artist is and what he can give them. Galleries need bright, charismatic personalities who can easily become media personas and attract media attention to their exhibitions. At the moment, the Russian artist represents and sponsors himself, thus has little chance in this competitive market. I believe that in order to sell Russian artworks abroad, it is necessary to create a certain “Russian Pavilion,” which would centralize and promote Russian artists collectively. Until 2007, the Ministry of Culture supported Russian artists, but after the financial crisis, unfortunately, the funding had stopped. Upon realizing that we were not getting any help for Russian art abroad, I began to actively promote it myself. I had neither the resources nor the reputation of the Ministry of Culture, so I went the other way: I turned to Ernst Neizvestniy (at that time, one of the most famous Russian-speaking artists living and working in the USA), and with his support, we organized 10 exhibitions of contemporary art, which had taken place over four years. Some of the artists who were also deeply involved in this project are Igor Molochevsky, Den Porvatkin, and Sasha Meret.

Meeting with Ernst Neizvestniy

Several shows were done at the most important art fairs, such as The Armory Show in New York and Miami and Art Basel Week in Switzerland. Kolodzei Foundation provided tremendous support for the Russian Pavilion at The Armory Show. Many thanks to Gala Kovachnina who generously hosted us at Gala Contemporary in Miami and Natasha Akhmerova who helped in Zurich. All of the exhibitions were organized on a voluntary basis, but, unfortunately, this big project was ended. Yes, I received lots of gratitude in my address, but apart from that, I wasn’t able to get anything out of it. I expected that a large community would gather to jointly promote art, but to my regret, no one had any interest in that. Galleries are only interested in the sales of certain artworks, and after they are sold, many authors simply disappear from the market.

I then changed my direction to ArtCosmos. The niche is much bigger because the project represents artists from various countries, the ones who are interested in science. We did a show and a panel discussion with world-renowned scientists and artists in Barcelona, in collaboration with QuoArtist, an international non-profit organization that establishes a connection between art, science and technology, and Espronceda Art Center, an innovative international platform and multi-disciplinary environment for artists. This is kind of a mix of art and science. Very soon, on May 4, my exhibition on global warming and environmental protection will be held in Venice, as a part of the Venice Biennale.

“The Magic of the Wind” by Artem Mirolevich

You are traveling a lot, participating in various events and actively promoting contemporary art yourself, but in what direction do you think it is going and what are the main trends?

Artem Mirolevich: Since the last economic crisis (meaning the financial crisis of 2008), Contemporary art has definitely become better. It was cleared of falsehood, artificiality, and pomposity, which had allowed to sell artworks for huge money. More real art has come to life, in fact, in all fields.

Right now, I began to take more interest in mixed media arts. Over the last 3-5 years, technologies have reached such level allowing to fully render both the meaning and the visual aspects of the author’s idea, cutting off the amateurs who create low-quality products with outdated technology but position their works as highly conceptual, overshadowing real professionals who have invested an incredible amount of energy into their product. It is fair that these works are very expensive. From the perspective of a person directly within the art world, I can tell what the process looks like: it is necessary to create an idea, but the idea without implementation is practically meaningless. Therefore, it should be possible to technically implement this idea, through drawing, painting, multimedia installation, sculpture or any other technology, and then, bring it to the viewer, while retaining some individuality, for example, humor.

Artem Mirolevich at work

“Crossovers and Dearers” by Artem Mirolevich

We noticed that, at the moment, installation is becoming an increasingly popular form of art. It is difficult to imagine any major exhibition without it.

Artem Mirolevich: On a global scale, installation became popular quite a while ago. Galleries and museums gladly keep them in their collections. As an art form, installation has recently reached a new level of quality, unprecedented earlier, and perhaps because of this, its popularity has begun growing both among professionals and ordinary people. If we talk Contemporary art, I think that today, street art is the most honest, most altruistic and fresh, which, in turn, could also be an installation.

I often attend grand contemporary art events, including Burning Man, and I consider it as a cultural phenomenon, which allows us to see real art. By the way, last year, there was an installation, very successful in my opinion, in the form of a popular Russian fairytale object “ИзбушканаКурьихНожках” (literally, “the Hut on Chicken Legs”). I would even dare to say that it was my favorite last year. It is a pity that most art objects are seen only by those who come to the Burning Man festival.

As we know, at the end of the festival, the majority of art objects are burned yet some remain, mostly the metal ones. These objects are getting sold and could be then found in completely unexpected places. So it’s hard to realize that they had once been a part of such a grand festival as Burning Man.

“The Hut on Chicken Legs” is one of the most interesting installations Burning Man 2018

Would you want to create art objects for Burning Man?

Artem Mirolevich: I haven’t yet worked for this festival specifically, but I would love to do this and I am working in this direction. I have a project in mind, which I hope to realize in the next few years, and, hopefully, one day my works will be presented at Burning Man so that even Russian public could admire them.

Art studio of Artem Mirolevich

Art studio of Artem Mirolevich

Please tell us about your work and projects.

Artem Mirolevich: I’ve just had an exhibition at SCOPE. Another exhibition Book Thief is currently taking place in Williamsburg at Figureworks Gallery. I have two more exhibitions, one in Venice in May and one more in Japan in September.

In the first week of March, the largest art fair The Armory Show traditionally opens in New York, along with around 20 venues, each with its own character and approach to art. For example, such art fair as Art on Paper presents the works that are done on paper or out of paper. The Armory Show is unique because artworks could be viewed closely there, unlike in museums where they are located permanently. SCOPE Art Fair presents the works of the living artists aged from 20 to 40 years old. It’s an iconic place that you need to visit at least once in your life before you turn forty (laughs). All galleries and museums of New York are getting ready for this month way in advance so, in early spring, the whole city comes to life. It is really fun, grand and beautiful!

“Arrival and Departure” by Artem Mirolevich

Which and how many works did you present at your solo exhibition at Scope?

Artem Mirolevich: I presented my new works, which I had been working on for the past two years. In my works, I employ such a technique as collage. When creating, I use my own works, and since I am quite seriously involved with etching, I often use my engravings as the basis for the collage. Besides this, I use old photographs that I found or bought, sea charts, and various items collected during travels and exhibitions. This is a kind of my visual journal. The works are quite bright and funny, which contrasts with my early work. Part of the works were presented at the Scope Art Fair while others are currently exhibited at the Figureworks Gallery, which is located in Brooklyn in the Williamsburg area. Therefore, if you had attended both events, you would have seen all my new works.

Works of Artem Mirolevich at Scope Art Fair

“The Shark in a Big City” by Artem Mirolevich

By Artem Mirolevich

Please tell us about your exhibitions in Venice and Osaka.

Artem Mirolevich: The next big exhibition that I am doing will be held in Venice as part of the Venice Biennale and it will open on May 4, 2019. Therefore, I invite everyone to visit. It will be truly interesting. The exhibition is devoted to the problems of global warming and there will be works of 6 artists including me. The exhibition itself is inspired by mysticism.

As part of this exhibition, a series of plenary sessions will be held with scientists and people dealing with the issue of global warming. For me, it is not simply an opportunity to show my work, but also a chance to voice my concern about this problem, the inadequate governmental action of many countries including the United States. It is a large-scale platform, an opportunity to speak out and communicate with people who are making lots of effort to showcase the existing problem. We really hope that this exhibition will help us achieve real results in solving the problem of global warming.

After Venice, I am going to Japan, to the wonderful city of Osaka. In September of this year, I will be a part of the exhibition at G-77 Gallery, and it will be no less ambitious. The exhibition takes place in a two-story gallery, with its own garden, which, of course, is decorated in Japanese style.

I invite everyone and I will be very happy to see you at the exhibitions!

“The Most Powerful Woman in the World” by Artem Mirolevich

Thank you for the invitation, we will be happy to come! Do you plan to organize an exhibition in Russia or the Post-Soviet space?

Artem Mirolevich: I participated in the 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (with the “25 kadr” Gallery). I really liked that experience, and I will gladly come to Russia with my exhibition. I am interested in doing an exhibition in Yerevan because I have relatives in Armenia, although I have never been there myself. I am also planning to do an exhibition in Tbilisi. Perhaps, this will be a big tour across the Post-Soviet space.

As for Moscow and Russia as a whole, I like how contemporary art is developing at the moment. There is very serious support for both galleries and museums, and the artists, and I think that if this stays, then, after some time, it will bear fruit. And thanks to the creativity of Russian and Post-Soviet artists, this will happen even faster.

“Space Knight” by Artem Mirolevich

The post Interview with Award Winning Artist Artem Mirolevich a Decade Later appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

When you look at the tattered edges of old nautical charts, often you’ll find a wicked sea serpent threading through the water. There is even a medieval globe with the inscription: HERE BE DRAGONS. It probably didn’t mean the explorers had run across dragons (although I’d like to think so); it meant they hadn’t explored that location and if you decided to travel there, you would do so at your own risk. You were navigating uncharted waters.

Much of writing is exactly that. No two writers’ journeys are the same because we all have unique circumstances and we are all singularly unique individuals. You can read and study what others did to find their course across the vast oceans of writing and publishing, but in the end, you have to chart your own path, catch the wind in your sails, put your hand to the tiller, and guide your ship to the destination that’s right for you. It’s your journey. You haven’t traversed these waters before. There will be perils. There will be dragons. But if you hold fast and fight to the last, there can also be rich rewards.

A 40-YEAR TALE

My journey to the stage of Writers of the Future has been a 40-year tale. It began at 15 when I submitted a science fiction story and won the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the same contest that first discovered Stephen King, Peter S. Beagle, Joyce Carol Oates, and a host of iconic names in the Arts. It became my first professional sale when it sold to Science World. With over thirty first place awards that followed in speech and writing events by the time I was 18, one would have thought smooth sailing to a professional writing career was just ahead. But my story has had several false denouements, thinking I had made safe harbor, at last, only to be sucked into a whirlpool filled with sea serpents slapping their scaly carcasses across my deck, snapping toothy jaws at my jugular. It’s a tale of triumph and woe where THINGS GET WORSE and had I told it to you, you might have even shed a tear … until you realized that no one becomes a professional writer without facing down at least a few dragons of their own.

My dragons were the usual: abandoned by my mother; a runaway escaping a violent father; living with uncaring foster parents; taking foolish risks with drugs because I didn’t care if I lived or died; waking up in a hospital and realizing the next time I might not; building a successful business only to be sued by an SEC receiver for a massive sum I had never earned; winning that seven-year court battle in spite of the receiver seizing every penny we had; and just when the court said no harm no foul and handed us our life back, the recession took our new business, the bank took our home, and cancer took my wife’s health. You know. Dragons.

And then I had an epiphany, as characters often do in the depths of their Dark Night. I had just brought my wife back from the hospital after two cancer surgeries and a second nuclear treatment—in fact, she was still radioactive, and I couldn’t be within ten feet of her. I realized then that I would never be one of those people that achieve that peachy life where health stabilized and finances secured and I could block out the time necessary to become a full-time professional writer. I decided then—against all the foreseen clinic visits and scans and therapy for my wife—that I would find a realistic goal for my writing that I could achieve within my circumstances.

I plotted a fresh course. What would be a reachable destination? I had never lost sight of the fact that winning Writers of the Future had launched many SF writers’ careers—people I knew personally like Dean Wesley Smith and Kris Rusch and Nina Kiriki Hoffman. I had entered the contest for over twenty years at this point when I had my epiphany. I had earned many Writers of the Future certificates—from honorable mentions to semifinalists—all the way back to the first coordinating judge, Algis Budrys. I had also won some major international contests and had achieved a second pro sale to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2, published by Pocket Books. And I had garnered innumerable personal rejections by the top editors in speculative fiction. I had earned enough positive proofs to know that if I intensely focused even my limited energy and free time on one specific goal, I had the potential to make something great happen. So I chose to focus all my energy on winning Writers of the Future by entering every single quarter, come what may.

CHARTING A COURSE TO WIN WRITERS OF THE FUTURE

Charting that one simple course was the key to changing everything for me. One story, written every quarter, submitted to the contest before midnight on closing day. Meeting that personal commitment in spite of the trials sweeping through our life taught me dedication to a specific task and how to meet deadlines. And in meeting each deadline, I wrote a lot more. I modified my goal to push my abilities to the limit by writing fresh stories outside my comfort zone. The writing came easier, because I was regularly exercising my writing abilities, and I was riding the edge of my imagination. I discovered I could write faster and better than I had ever believed possible. In short, dedicating myself to never let a Writers of the Future quarter go by without submitting a fresh story pushed me to generate the skills necessary to become a professional writer.

Of the fifteen quarters I entered after making that decision, I received honors from the coordinating judge, David Farland, fourteen times—the last being my finalist and second place win in the fourth quarter of Volume 35. But something else happened as my skills grew. I hit a definitive breakout moment.

What’s a breakout moment? In sailing, there is a directional wheel diagram called Point of Sail. It marks out a vessel’s direction of travel under sail in relation to the true wind direction over the surface of the water. A sailboat cannot sail directly into the wind. But there is a point in sail position called close-hauled, where a vessel is as close to the wind’s direction as it can go without losing power. You get to that point by adjusting the sail to the proper angle relative to the direction of oncoming wind and trimming it so the surface is taut, generating maximum lift on the sail. It takes a lot of practice, but you know it when you hit the perfect mark—the sail quits luffing and goes drumhead tight and the sailboat leans with power, gliding like a bird across the water. It’s a rush to go from being in irons—stalled on the water—into close-hauled tack.

A breakout moment in writing is much the same. Writers know when they hit it. You’ve probably experienced it yourself or watched it happen to a friend. For ages, nothing seems to be selling for them, and suddenly, everything is, to solid, career-building markets. Be happy for them. They worked long and hard to get that moment to occur.

My breakout moment happened last November. In the space of two weeks, the wind rushed my writing vessel, I heard that pop as the sail went taut, and my writing career moved into close-hauled trim. I had just had my story “War Dog” published by a pro-paying anthology, and they hired me to narrate it (it went on to win Critters Readers’ Choice Award for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Story of 2018). Two days later, editor Alex Shvartsman hired me to be podcast director for a new pro-science fiction magazine called Future Science Fiction Digest, and the first story I narrated also became a Nebula nominee. Three days later, I got the call I had won a full scholarship to the Superstars Writing Seminar—one of the best writing seminars in the country. Two days after that, I got the call from Joni Labaqui I was a finalist in Writers of the Future 4th Quarter, and a week later she called again with her famous line, “Moon, are you sitting down?” I had won second place. ALL of this happened within exactly two weeks. As I posted the news to my social media, someone joked that I was an overnight success, because that’s what a breakout moment looks like. I responded, “Yeah, I’m an overnight success, forty years in the making.”

WINNING WRITERS OF THE FUTURE

In April 2019, I attended THE best workshop for new speculative fiction writers in the country, conducted by David Farland, Orson Scott Card, and Tim Powers—each writing heroes of mine, each authors of many books on my bookshelves. And I saw the release of Writers of the Future Vol. 35 on the Hollywood stage and was honored to have my award handed to me by Dr. Gregory Benford. But most importantly, I got to speak my heart about my journey, how I had been entering the contest for 25 years, how much I loved the contest, and how I had written a story in 36 hours in a desperate hail Mary at the very end of the contest year and had won. It was a euphoric moment as the crowds cheered to my tale.

And after that whirlwind, you go home. Perhaps this is the most dangerous moment for an up-and-coming writer after sailing at peak potential, close-hauled, soaring under best of trim. You go to a few signings at famous bookstores when you get back and then, no more wind. No cheering crowds. No fans asking for your autograph. If you’re not careful, the wind could entirely spill from your sails. You could lose all momentum. You could enter that dreaded point of sail called the no-go zone. But the old sailors called it something else: in irons, shackled in place. Bad things happen to captains when they lose the wind and their sails luff and the ship enters the dreaded doldrums. When you’re dead in the water, dragons can come, and they can be the worst of dragons: fear, self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy.

Well, I worked mighty hard to get to this particular point on the map, and I’m determined not to let that happen. A good sailor doesn’t let the wind slip from his vessel’s sails. Momentum is a powerful thing and hard-won. For instance, the day I had to drive to Seattle to catch my plane for the Writers of the Future workshop, I told myself I couldn’t leave until I finished suggested edits on a story I had gotten back from the editor of Deep Magic magazine. I got to my hotel way too late that night, but I had met my deadline. My reward? When I came home, I had a contract waiting for me, and my historical fantasy about a Spanish captain will appear in Deep Magic this Fall.

I then read our Writers of the Future anthology from cover to cover. I found brilliant advice from Mike Resnick, directing us to sell the reprint on our stories, especially to foreign markets. I had never thought about this before—when you’re a new writer, you don’t have a lot of published stories to even consider such things. But I knew Future Science Fiction Digest gets many of their stories reprinted for a huge audience in China, and they happened to be calling for stories to commemorate the Moon landing. I had a Moon story! I queried the editor, got his approval to send him “Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler,” and he sent me a contract. The reprint now appears in Future Science Fiction Digest, Issue 3. I was also commissioned to create the podcast.

SINCE WINNING WRITERS OF THE FUTURE

Other good things have happened as well. The funniest? Walking into the local casino where I dance and hearing the band leader announce across the PA system, “Hey folks, that famous author Wulf Moon is with us tonight. He’s been tearing it up on the writing scene!” And a stranger in the crowd actually got up and shook my hand! I guess I can say I’m “Locally Famous!” I also sent a letter to Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency to give him a progress update on my novel. Don represented me long ago on a Star Trek novel that didn’t sell, alas. And then, all those dragons swamped my ship. I went to the Superstars Seminar primarily to renew my friendship with Don. We had lunch together, and he asked about my current work-in-progress. As I detailed the world his eyes lit up. He said in all his years, he had never heard of anything like it, and he said to send it to him, to send him anything I’m working on, in any stage of development. I’m really happy he’s so interested, as being a mainstream published novelist has been my ultimate goal. Now, Don knows I won another international writing contest, that I’m published in a #1 bestselling anthology, and he has a sample of my latest work.

So I’m using the gust of wind the good people at Writers of the Future have filled my sails with, but I’m sharing that power with others as well. I post tips on how to win the contest on the Writers of the Future Forum. My “Moon’s SUPER SECRET Bonus Challenge” topic has over 30,000 views. Many have told me the encouragement shared has helped them to start writing and submitting again. Two that accepted my challenge made Finalist, and several have said their recent honors were because of the help and tips I’m sharing. They did the work—all I’m doing is encouraging them to set the same goals that I did that finally got me my win. And I’ve just enjoyed a fresh honor from Author Services—president John Goodwin invited me to be a moderator in the Writers of the Future Forum.

AND NOW ITS MY TURN TO START PAYING IT FORWARD

You are now stronger than they are. You transformed. When you unroll that nautical chart, you’re going to be right over that serpent mark, and you’re going to look about, and there’s going to be no one there but you.

Because … HERE BE DRAGON!

All the beast!

Wulf Moon

PreviousNext

Wulf Moon

Wulf Moon is an Olympic Peninsula writer, artist, and narrator. Moon wrote his first hard SF story when he was fifteen. It won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. It became his first pro sale in Science World.

His story “Seventh Heaven” was published by Pocket Books in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds II. A Borg love story. What could be sweeter?

His conquistador fantasy story, “War Dog,” was published by Third Flatiron. It won the Critters Annual Readers’ Poll award for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story of 2018.

Moon recently won the international Writers of the Future Contest. His story “Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler” first appeared in Writers of the Future, Volume 35, and was reprinted in Future Science Fiction Digest, Issue 3.

Moon is an approved narrator for Apex Publications, PodCastle, and Escape Pod, and has narrated numerous episodes for Gallery of Curiosities and Third Flatiron. He is podcast director for Future Science Fiction Digest. Enjoy more of his work by visiting www.driftweave.com.

The post HERE BE DRAGONS – How one man charted his path to success through L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

At the Illustrators of the Future art workshop for 2019, winners learned secrets to perfect their art and how to succeed at the business of illustration. Several famous illustrators gave the contest winners insight into becoming successful professionals; knowledge not taught in universities and treasured as much (if not more) than winning the illustration contest itself. Click here for more information on the Illustrators of the Future.

Award-winning artists Echo and Lazarus Chernik along with fellow judges delivered this year’s workshop, including L. Ron Hubbard Lifetime Achievement Award-winners Bob Eggleton and Larry Elmore and Val Lakey Lindahn, Rob Prior, Sergey Poyarkov, and special guest Brian C. Hailes.

The contest winners and published finalists are flown in from the around the world to attend this exclusive art workshop. Aspiring illustrators enter three pieces of their artwork. They must be science fiction, fantasy, or horror, in nature and they must follow the contest rules to qualify. The contest is free to enter and artists retain all rights to their work—they give none away.

Illustration Workshop

New York Times bestselling author L. Ron Hubbard started the Writers of the Future Contest in 1984, writing that:

“In these modern times, there are many communication lines for works of art. Because a few works of art can be shown so easily to so many, there may even be fewer artists. The competition is very keen and even dagger-sharp.

“It is with this in mind that I initiated a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” —L. Ron Hubbard, in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 1

L. Ron Hubbard recognized the importance of fantasy and sci-fi art to complementing a story—he sensed what he defined as a “creative synergy” between the written word and the art that illustrates it. Mr. Hubbard studied art and illustration, and many of his discoveries on color, lines, and what defines the quality of art are covered in the workshop.

The workshop instructors, Echo and Lazarus Chernik, give the essentials of illustration, provide real examples drawn from their hard-won experience, and do practical exercises to push illustrators to go further faster.

Art Workshop topics:

• How to make a good illustration great
• How illustration is different from fine art
• Teaming up with artists and art directors
• Art portfolios, best practices
• Portfolio presentations, best practices
• Studio management, best practices
• Illustration jobs and how to freelance successfully
• How to write contracts
• How to win clients and influence people
• One-on-one portfolio reviews from illustration legends
• And so much more

PreviousNext

Famous Illustrators

As has become tradition, the final days of the art workshop feature candid advice from the judges, past contest winners, and professionals in the industry. They shared their wisdom and tips on how to be a successful artist, giving the winners the benefit of years of experience to help launch their careers.

This year’s Illustrators of the Future art workshop included presentations and art portfolio reviews from: Val Lakey Lindahn, Sergey Poyarkov, Larry Elmore, Rob Pior, Bob Eggleton, Dr. Laura Brodian Freas Beraha, Marianne Plumridge, Brian C. Hailes, and Maryse Alexander, Marketing Director Galaxy Press.

PreviousNext

Marketing Plan

The President Galaxy Press John Goodwin, Public Affairs Executive Emily Goodwin, and Lazarus Chernik took the final day to cover the business of illustration and writing: marketing and selling books. Special guests, Dave Chesson, CEO Kindlepreneur, provided insight about Amazon and tips for the new writers and illustrators get started, and Bill Fawcett, American editor, book packager, game designer, and fiction writer spoke about targeting one’s marketing and exceptions to the rules.

Topics included:

• What is marketing
• Marketing strategy
• Online marketing
• How to brand yourself
• How to do media interviews
• How to do book signings
• Selling on Amazon

Illustrators’ Success

Writers and Illustrators are now ready to build their careers on a foundation for success. Over the years, hundreds of our winners have gone on to enjoy professional careers—the largest success rate of any workshop or contest for aspiring artists. Winners have gone onto receive all of the major science fiction and fantasy awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy, and industry awards such as the Emmy and even an Oscar.

Past winner and award-winning illustrator Artem Mirolevich, shared his experience with winning the contest and attending the art workshop: “The experience of flying to the west coast, being treated like a star, and also being given an opportunity to learn from some of the best illustrators in the business was priceless. It helped me believe in myself, believe that anything is possible, and that the sky is the limit.”

How to Attend the Illustrators of the Future Art Workshop

Do you want to attend next year’s workshop?

The first step is to complete three illustrations or paintings and submit them to the illustration contest. Only submitted artwork has a chance of winning, and only winners and published finalist are invited to this exclusive art workshop.

To get ahead of the competition, we recommend that you review previous books in the series. This will not only give you an idea of the quality of past winners, but there are also essays with advice on art from L. Ron Hubbard and the judges of the contest, all Grand Masters of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Tap here to download a Writers of the Future volume for free.

History of the Illustration Workshop

The Illustrators of the Future contest began five years after the writing contest was launched. Frank Kelly Freas, the Dean of Science Fiction Illustration, originally led the workshops with these masters of illustration: Bob Eggleton, Frank Frazetta, Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, Moebius, Val Lakey Lindahn, Edd Cartier, Vincent Di Fate, Diane and Leo Dillon, Paul Lehr, Ron Lindahn, Alex Schomburg, William Warren, Jr., and H. R. Van Dongen. Today, that list goes on including Larry Elmore, Shaun Tan, Rob Prior, Sergey Poyarkov, and Laura Brodian Freas Beraha.

Contest resources:

• The Blog
• The Podcast
• Sign up for the Newsletter
• Illustrator Contest rules
• Enter the Illustrator Contest
• About the Contests
• Free copy of Writers of the Future

Contributed by Lazarus Chernik, Illustrators of the Future Judge since 2016.

Lazarus Chernik

Lazarus Chernik is an experienced brand manager, creative director, and award-winning designer with over twenty years of experience. His clients have included everyone from small businesses to Fortune 100 giants. He has directed the creative departments for numerous agencies and corporations, including a Top 15 national advertising agency, a national web development firm, a national retail chain, a catalog retailer, and a retail goods manufacturer.

The post Art Workshop appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

I’m still excited about after winning the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future competition

When I got the call that I won 2^nd place in the Writers of the Future Contest, I screamed, I cried, I laughed, I did my happy dance. I had entered 47 times. I finally did it!

From 1988–1992, I did my best to become a sci-fi writer. But I couldn’t do it. All the magazines, and of course, the Writers of the Future Contest, rejected my stories. I gave up on my dream. Then, starting in 2009, I decided to give it another try. I had wandered the desolate plains of total rejection before, and I was terrified. Could I do it?

I began getting lots of rejections, including four from the WOTF Contest. Then I got my first honorable mention, followed by another. Soon I earned more, but I just couldn’t get past the honorable mention status. I wanted a silver HM, or a semi-finalist, or finalist! I started to get discouraged.

Meet Topanga Canyon

But I didn’t give up. Especially when I found out that I had a secret identity. Some of you may have heard of “Topanga Canyon,” the subject of a cautionary tale taught by Dean Wesley Smith, who appeared in Volume 1 of the WOTF volumes and is today one of the judges. In his workshop, Dean talked about a promising young writer who the editors were excited about. Everyone was wondering who was going to be the first to publish his stories. Even book editors showed interest. Then suddenly, he disappeared, never to be seen again.

Well, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Topanga Canyon, and I’m not giving up again. I discovered my secret identity on the WOTF forum. If you want to win this Contest, you are making a huge mistake if you don’t check out the forum! It was there that I got the encouragement, knowledge, and advice to keep entering.

Interview with Preston Dennett & Dean Wesley Smith, The Topanga Canyon Never Give Up Story

Getting that call from Joni Labaqui will forever be one of the best moments of my life. I had read all the WOTF volumes several times. I loved all the stories in them. And now, mine was one of them! I was so excited, I couldn’t contain myself. So, I did what I always do, I decided to write about it. I quickly discovered that there were 24 things that I was stupidly, insanely, and obsessively excited about. I wrote each thing down and braced myself for all of them to happen.

I was also able to talk about the realization of my dream on the first day of the workshop.

My 24 Things

Fast-forward several months later, and now that I’ve experienced all of them, I can say that I was right to be excited about every single one of them. Here they are, in some inexplicable order:

1. Seeing my name on the WOTF website blog showing the list of winners. Amazing! Must stop clicking on it! I admit it’s been over a year since it appeared, and I occasionally still take a peek at it, just to make sure I’m not dreaming.
2. Reading my story (and the others, of course) in the book. I’ve read all the volumes. Now my story will be in there. Wow! Now that I have read the new volume, I’m once again delighted. The stories are amazing. They’ve all got that quirky, original and creative twist that makes the WOTF stories so unique.
3. The weeklong workshop taught by the best in the field. I bow humbly and am ready to learn. This turned out to be so much more than I expected. Having lunch with Dean Wesley Smith at the local burger joint, having a cocktail with Tim Powers at the hotel bar, a long list of guest speakers, all powerhouses in the field. I could go on! My notebook is filled, and my brain is trying to contain it all.
4. The generous prize money. Always nice. So nice. (PS: Got it! It was nice.) And then I got paid pro-rates for the story itself too. Wow!
5. The trophy. I seriously can’t wait. So, I’ve got my trophy now. It sits in the center of my dining room table, at least for now! You should see how it bends the sunlight.
6. Meeting the judges. Very nervous, many questions. Okay, I’ve met them. All the judges were incredibly humble and welcoming. They were very knowledgeable and answered all your questions, and others you didn’t even think of asking.
7. Meeting fellow winners. Always room for more lifelong friends. OMG, this was perhaps my favorite part! Hanging out in the hotel room, going to the local bar, lounging by the pool, talking about our speeches, trying to find a place in Hollywood to eat lunch, I will remember them always. What a great group of friends!
8. Reading the stories in my quarter. I got second place. What story beat mine? What story got third place? So, fast-forward again. I’ve read the story that beat mine. And I can see why it won first place. And I’ve read the story that placed third in my quarter, and I have to admit, it’s one of my favorites of the entire volume. I loved it.
9. Seeing the artwork for my story. Please have tissues ready. Lots of tissues. This turned out to be sooo amazing. And yes, I needed the tissues. I’ll just leave it at that.
10. Giving my speech on stage. I’ve spent years on this one … not even kidding. I attended the WOTF awards nine times, always in the audience. Now I walked on stage as a winner. I was nervous, but I couldn’t have been happier. My main problem was, I was one of the last to give their speech, and all the other speeches before mine were starting to make me cry.
11. Reading my bio. Yeah, I already know about me, but this is different. Seeing my bio in the WOTF, wow! I’ve always loved that the WOTF books include not only stories but bios and essays from the judges. It’s so amazing to be a part of a contest that has helped launch so many monumental careers.
12. Seeing the cover of Volume 35. Haven’t seen it yet. Pretty darn excited about it. Saw it. Love it!
13. Meeting Joni Labaqui, the long-time Contest Director. I couldn’t believe it when she called me telling me I had won second place. Still can’t believe it. I had met her briefly attending the ceremonies before, but now as a winner, it was different. All the people who run the Contest were truly incredible. They made me feel like a real writer, in a good way!
14. The autograph session after the ceremony. So many times, I’ve gotten the autographs. Now I shall be giving Surreal! And ***coughs*** just the beginning. So, yeah, this happened. There were so many people, I actually got cramps in my hand. And who do I see before me, smiling, and holding a book for me to sign? Tim Powers! No kidding. I have the photo.
15. Staying in a hotel in … wait for it! Hollywood! Hollywood! ***Cue the singing!*** So yeah, this was truly amazing. What a contest!
16. Reading reviews of the book. Already bracing myself. So, the reviews are coming in. And they are quite favorable, thank you, humbly. I’m not sure why, but my favorite review is from an Amazon reader who said that my story was their favorite! And I didn’t even have to pay them! (Much … just kidding!)
17. Being able to put “I won the Writers of the Future Contest” on my resume and cover letters. Slush pile? What slush pile? So yeah, this actually works. I even got a personal congratulation from the editor of a long enduring, pro-level magazine.
18. Recognition! By winning the Contest, I got an invitation-only opportunity to submit to a pro-level publication. It happened! And my story has been accepted! Fourth pro-level story!
19. Telling my family, friends and co-workers and fellow writers that I won. This was so much fun. Get ready for some hugs and congratulations! And do not tell them what your story is about. Let them read it in the book. Stay strong, do not give in!
20. Reading the blurb for my story in the front of the book. I’ve read them for other stories. What will they say about mine? I know, it seems like a little thing, but when I saw it, I felt those tears again. It’s just one small sentence, but it captures my story perfectly. I won’t give it away here. Buy the book. You won’t be disappointed.
21. Finding out what order my story is in the book. A weird thing to wonder, I admit, but what can I say? I’m weird. I might be first, yeah! I might be last? Yeah! Anywhere in the middle, which is fine with me. I don’t know why I even think of this, but I’m looking forward to seeing it. So, now I’ve got the book. My story is last! And I’m so happy! My words will the last words that the reader sees.
22. Seeing how many pages my story takes up in the actual book. I already have a rough idea, of course, but I want to know exactly. So, my story occupies thirteen pages — really a very small section of the entire book. There are shorter stories, and some much longer. It’s one of the things I love about the WOTF volumes, they take all different lengths.
23. I just know there’s something I haven’t thought of yet, and it’s gonna be amazing. The award dinner? The tuxedo? The book offers … I just know there’s something! Fast-forward and yes, there is, and I’m not saying what they are. There are too many, and frankly, it’s better a surprise.
24. The confidence. Out of the thousands of anonymous entries, my story was chosen. Now I know for sure, I can do this. And that alone is the best prize of all!

So, there you go! Those are the 24 things that I’m still excited about after winning the Writers of the Future Contest. And I hope that they are also 24 reasons to inspire you why you should enter the Writers of the Future Contest, and win! As someone who entered 47 times, I can tell you, it was sooo worth it! Don’t give up!

PreviousNext

Preston Dennett has worked as a carpet cleaner, fast-food worker, data entry clerk, bookkeeper, landscaper, singer, actor, writer, radio host, television consultant, teacher, UFO researcher, ghost hunter and more. He has written 22 non-fiction books and more than 100 articles about UFOs and the paranormal. But his true love has always been speculative fiction. After a long hiatus, he started writing again in 2009. He has sold 37 stories to various venues including Allegory, Andromeda Spaceways, Bards & Sages, Black Treacle, Cast of Wonders, The Colored Lens, Grievous Angel, Kzine, Perihelion, Sci Phi Journal, Stupefying Stories, T. Gene Davis’ Speculative Blog, and more, including several anthologies. He earned twelve honorable mentions in the L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest before winning 2nd place for Quarter 1, 2018, (Volume 35), his third professional sale. He currently resides in southern California where he spends his days looking for new ways to pay his bills and his nights exploring the farthest edges of the universe.

The post 24 Things appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Writers of the Future 2nd Quarter Standings for 2019, Volume 36

Of all the writing contests out there, this one launches careers!

And the winners are:

First Place – Katherine Livingston from Oklahoma
Second Place – Zack Be from Maryland
Third Place – Tim Boiteau from Michigan

Finalists:

Angela Clawson from Utah
Nathan Dodge from Texas
Austin Gragg from Missouri
James Hearn from Texas
Andrea Kriz from Massachusetts

Semi-Finalists:

T.E. Bradford from New York
Grant Gerwatowski from Michigan
Kevin P. Hallett from Texas
Jenica Jessen from California
M.H. Lee from Colorado
A.J. Lee from Oregon
Blazej Szpakowicz from British Columbia, Canada
Luke Wildman from Indiana
Michael J. Wyant Jr. from New York

Silver Honorable Mentions:

Robert Bagnall from United Kingdom
Christopher Baxter from Utah
M.K. Beutymhill from California
K.R. Borne from Pennsylvania
Matt Bosio from Florida
L. R. Braden from Colorado
Jennifer Bushroe from Arizona
Jack Calverley from United Kingdom
C.A. Carey from Oklahoma
D.C. Carlisle from Arizona
Erin Casey from Iowa
Chan Yuk Chi from Singapore
Cory Daignault from Minnesota
Michael DeCarolis from Florida
Max Dosser from North Carolina
Michael Duda from Ohio
Jason Fernandes from Pennsylvania
Kathryn Francia from New York
Robert Hawkins from Texas
Antoine J. Hayes from Maryland
Greg Hoover from Missouri
Aaron Horsager from Ohio
Nick King from New Mexico
Rachel LaDue from Connecticut
Jourdan Lamse from Michigan
Caroline Manley from Ohio
E.L. Ratliff from Washington
Spencer Sekulin from Ontario, Canada
Nathan Slemp from Michigan
Benjamin Tyler Smith from Pennsylvania
Gabrielle Thurman from Arkansas
Dan Thurot from Utah
Merethe Walther from Georgia
Helena White from Connecticut
Robert Luke Wilkins from California
Tannara Young from California

Honorable Mentions:

Nicholes P. Adams from Utah
Marek Frederick Alfrey from United Kingdom
Mads Alvey from Kentucky
Sara Amis from Georgia
Michael Anderson from Michigan
Jennie Anderson from Idaho
Jasmine Arch from Belgium
Steve Arensberg from Texas
Brandon Argetsinger from New York
Julia V. Ashley from Mississippi
I.R. Astorga from Spain
T.L. Bainter from Missouri
Brendan Ball from Russia
Hope Barajas from Colorado
C. A. Barrett from Kentucky
J.I. Baydoun from Michigan
Hilda Beal from Virginia
Amitai Ben-Abba from California
John Biggs from Oklahoma
Justin A.W. Blair from Florida
James Blakey from Pennsylvania
A. Branham from Texas
Marlin Bressi from Pennsylvania
Michael D. Britton from Utah
Jane Brolf from British Columbia, Canada
Jonathan Bronico from Massachusetts
Nathan Buckingham from Arizona
Brian Alan Carlson from Alabama
Logan Cason from North Carolina
K.J. Chaves from Oregon
Dennis Chen from California
Jean-Francois Chenier from British Columbia, Canada
Dantzel Cherry from Texas
Rachel Chimits from Colorado
David Christiansen from Utah
Jeremiah Christie from Paraguay
Carrie Clickard from Florida
Cary S. Collins from Georgia
Mike Core Tez from Ontario, Canada
Danielle Coty from Michigan
Krishan Coupland from Scotland
E.A. Crawley from Washington
Sarina Dahlan from California
Emily Dauvin from Saskatchewan, Canada
L. H. Davis from Florida
Lance Dean from California
Alya Demina from Germany
Andy Dibble from Wisconsin
Russell Dillingham from Washington
Mira Dover from Virginia
Arthur Doweyko from Florida
Alexander Duhamel from Canada
Frank Dutkiewicz from Michigan
Claire Ellis from Texas
Mason Engel from Indiana
Robert Mitchell Evans from California
R.G. Everly from Virginia
Kaitlin Felix from Switerland
Suzanne Ferguson from Texas
Jonathan Fesmire from California
Neil Wesley Flinchbaugh from Illinois
Zanna Fong from Ontario, Canada
S.C.A. Fontaine from France
Tim Fox from Oregon
Rhyanne Fritz from Arizona
John A. Frochio from Pennsylvania
Michael Gardner from Australia
PK Gardner from North Carolina
Sergey Gerasimov from Ukraine
Katharina Gerlach from Germany
Rebecca Giansante from California
Melva Gifford from Utah
Nate Givens from Virginia
Barry M. Goldsmith from Arizona
Ilyssa Goldsmith from Arizona
Ian Gonzales from Washington
Les Gould from Virginia
Carl Grafe from Idaho
G. Gray from Northern Ireland
Jordyn Grist from Illinois
Jon Gunnarsson from Germany
Maryann Elizabeth Haaser from Indiana
Pam Hage from Netherlands
Doug Hamilton from Ohio
Laura Handley from Virginia
Alex Harford from United Kingdom
JJ Harlan from Washington
DW Harvey from California
Russell Hemmell from Scotland
Peggy Hendry from Arizona
Michelle Henrie from Utah
R.W. Hodgson from Ontario, Canada
R. J. Howell from Illinois
Scott Hughey from Idaho
Cathy Humble from Oregon
Lynde Iozzo from Colorado
Jared Allen Jackson from Utah
Matthew J. Jarvis from British Columbia, Canada
A. Jennings Meyer from United Kingdom
Sean Jones from Colorado
Kent Alan Jones from Minnesota
K.D. Julicher from Nevada
Brandie June from California
Isabelle Jurasz from Illinois
Breelyn Karno from Massachusetts
Carolyn Kay from Colorado
Simone Kern from Texas
Kari Kilgore from Virginia
Jace Killian from Arizona
David Kilman from Colorado
Michael Kingswood from California
Shawn Kobb from Virginia
TJ Koker from California
Jeffrey Kremer from Ohio
M. Kuriel from Virginia
Jason Lairamore from Oklahoma
A. Humphrey Lanham from Oregon
Alon Lankri from Israel
Alexis Lantgen from Texas
Morag Lewis from United Kingdom
Justin Li from Singapore
Kelly Lindell from Connecticut
Bonner Litchfield from North Carolina
Barbara Lund from Utah
Hank Lyne from Netherlands
Jeremy Mallory from Virginia
E.H. Mann from Victoria, Australia
Karl Mann from Alberta, Canada
Charlie Marsh from Minnesota
Robert J. McCarter from Arizona
Shea McCollum from California
Andrew McCormick from California
Sylvia Mcivers from New York
Lynn Michals from Virginia
McKenna Miller from New York
Devin Miller from North Carolina
Dennis Mombauer from Sri Lanka
G.H. Morgan from South Carolina
Aaron Moskalik from Michigan
Soumya Sundar Mukherjee from India
John OConnell from Kentucky
Alex Olson from New York
Mike Olson from Wisconsin
V.L. Percy from Arizona
Peter Philleo from Florida
Zach Poulter from Utah
Mihica Anushree Prashant from Dubai
Helen Qian from Maryland
Milana Quezada from California
Jordan Radford from Illinois
Brittany Rainsdon from Idaho
Jake Reed from California
Angela Rega from Australia
N. Reilly from Oregon
Timothy Reynolds from Alberta, Canada
William Joseph Roberts from Georgia
Noah Ronquillo from Louisiana
Edward Sammons from Florida
Eric Schieber from North Carolina
M.M. Schill from Florida
Cody Schroeder from Missouri
Madd Shaddox from Arkansas
Sandra Siegienski from Oregon
S.W. Smith from Florida
Ariel Smith from South Carolina
Rebecca Smith from Tennessee
Taliyah St. James from New Mexico
Andrea St. Pierre from Idaho
Jessica Staricka from Minnesota
Viktor Steele from Utah
E.C. Stever from Idaho
Brooklyn Stewart from North Carolina
Lillian Sturhahn from Colorado
Xariffa Suarez from Texas
Liviu Surugiu from Romania
Jesse Swafford from Oregon
Nick Sweeney from United Kingdom
Katie Tally from North Carolina
M.R. Tevebaugh from Colorado
M. Elizabeth Ticknor from Michigan
Julianna Totten from Nevada
Rebecca E. Treasure from Texas
Roderick D. Turner from Ontario, Canada
Paul Douglas Waddell from Tennessee
Krista Wallace from British Columbia, Canada
Susan Watkins from Oregon
Jesse Weiner from Colorado
Esther Eleanna Weissman from Maryland
CE White from Georgia
JM Williams from Korea
Chris Winspear from Australia
Nick Wisseman from Michigan
Thomas Woodward from Minnesota
Ramez Yoakeim from Georgia
Neil Young from California
Vivi from Illinois

The post Writers of the Future 2nd Quarter Winners Announced for Volume 36 appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Illustrators of the Future 2nd Quarter Winners for 2019, Volume 36

This illustration contest list is the place to be!

And the winners are:

John Dale Javier from Maryland
Heather Laurence from Michigan
Phoebe Rothfeld from California

Finalists:

Grace Aldrich from Kansas
Andrew Burt from Florida
Thad Stalmack II from Minnesota
Abirami Sukumaran from Arizona
Kendra Yapyapan from New York

Semi-Finalists:

Lauren Arnott from Texas
Suiane Baptista from Florida
Maddie G. from California
Elizabeth Golobish from North Carolina
Alexandra Holland from Massachusetts
Jessica Lin from California
Shelly Pinder from Texas
April Robinson from Arkansas
Gilbert Rodriguez from Florida
Alejo Vina from Buenos Aires
Yidan Wang from New Jersey
Duoyi Dora Yao from California

Honorable Mentions:

Freyja Baileykaze from Washington
Reina Hudspeth from Virginia
Freya Lee from New York
Kayla Smith from Indiana
Emma Smith from North Carolina
Jaime Vado from Ohio

The post Illustrators of the Future 2nd Quarter Winners Announced for Volume 36 appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Growing up, my parents saw my passion for art at a young at (age) and placed me into art lessons at the age of six. My parents supported my passion throughout my childhood by finding new teachers with the help of a former art teacher, who we affectionately called “Mr. R,” when others would move away or no longer fit my artistic needs. I was incredibly fortunate to have been homeschooled since it allowed me to focus on my artwork more than many of my public school counterparts. I am forever grateful for having supportive parents.

As I was deciding on a field of study, I knew art was the only field I was truly passionate about. However, I wanted to be smart about it. Since I was introduced to the fine art world at a young age, I had seen the starving artist lifestyle and it was not glamorous. I wanted to pursue art but I wanted to be able to support myself. I chose illustration as a career path because of my interest in storytelling through still images. As I was pursuing my bachelors, I found that I wanted to eventually teach art to other aspiring artists, so I started my masters at SCAD Atlanta. (Savannah College of Art & Design)

Writers of the Future

I heard about Writers of the Future from a previous Illustrator of the Future winner. She is a friend from SCAD who was a year ahead of me in the graduate program and she had participated the previous year. She encouraged me to submit my fantasy art to the contest saying that it was free to submit. I submitted; hoping to try for a number of quarters. I was amazed when I was selected for the 3^rd Quarter of the 35^th year of the Writers and Illustrators of the Future on my first attempt. The story I illustrated resonated with me on a personal level and I was thrilled to be creating a piece for it.

In April of this year, I had the privilege to attend the Writers and Illustrators of the Future workshops and award ceremony in Los Angeles. It was my first time staying in LA and it was an amazing experience I will never forget. At the workshops, I met many talented award winners including a SCAD alumnus. We learned a lot from our instructors Echo and Lazarus Chernik as well as our esteemed guest illustrators and bonded through our shared passion for science fiction.

I made many wonderful memories, including ones outside of the workshops. One of my favorite memories was playing Pictionary at Scum and Villainy, a pop-up bar some of the winners had found nearby, with the illustration winners and Lazarus. Another very special day for me was the day the illustrators were able to present their work to the writers who had inspired the artwork. I was excited to see that my writer knew exactly which Illustration was his.

Every day, we learned something new from each other and our instructors. It was a magical week and I was sad to say goodbye to everyone. Nevertheless, it was back to reality the moment I arrived home, as I had to return to classes that next morning. Despite the quick turn around, I was invigorated by the event and was excited to incorporate the knowledge I had gained to my work.

Where I Am Now

As I am finishing my masters at SCAD, I know I still have so much to learn from my peers and veteran illustrators but the Writers and Illustrators of the Future experience has given me opportunities to become less of a little fish in a big pond, by connecting me with other artists and writers of the future in the science fiction community. As I continue to pursue my dreams, I am currently working at a graphic design and illustration position with a small marketing company while completing my thesis. I would encourage other young Writers and Illustrators to apply to the Writers and Illustrators of the Future contest who are interested in the Science Fiction careers.

PreviousNext

The adventure of nature and the beauty of wildlife capture the imagination of Jennifer Ober as she creates her own worlds and creatures. Though realism is the foundation of her work, she intentionally focuses on the magic of the world around her. Her award-winning work incorporates artifacts and mythical figures, while including elements of fanciful imagery of modern mythology. She adapts quickly to artistic situations and relies on her storytelling techniques to create works that are relatable to the audience. She has completed her BFA in Illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design as Valedictorian in 2016. As she is completes her masters studies in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2019, Jennifer intends to pursue a career in visual development and children’s books.

The post Jennifer Ober Following Her Passion for Fantasy Art appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Writers and Illustrators of the Future Celebrating its 35th Birthday at Dragon Con

To help celebrate 35 years of helping aspiring writers and artists, Galaxy Press (America’s Mart, Building 2, Booth 1410) has contributed 700 copies of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future 35 to the Heinlein Blood Drive as an incentive for Dragon Con goers to donate their life-giving blood this coming Labor Day Weekend, August 30–September 2. A letter from Mr. George Rule, Chairman of The Heinlein Society, was presented at the 35th Annual Awards Ceremony by Dr. Beatrice Kondo, recognizing the decades-long friendship between Mr. Hubbard and Mr. Heinlein.

Writers and Illustrators of the Future was created by L. Ron Hubbard to provide a means for the aspiring writer and artist to have their creative efforts seen and acknowledged and it is celebrating its 35th anniversary at Dragon Con, the most book friendly convention in the South where entire families attend to find books appropriate for readers of all ages.

Along with the celebration, Writers of the Future will have some of its past winners who will be on hand to sign books at their booth including two winners from volume 35: Carrie Callahan and Jennifer Ober.

Recognizing aspiring artistic talent, like with writers, is equally as vital and the art from this year’s winning artists will be featured in the Dragon Con Art Show. (Grand Hall of the Hyatt Regency, booth 75)

A special writer panel entitled “Writers of the Future: Story Prompts, Short Fiction & Winning the Contest” with panelists: Kevin J Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Larry Niven, Jody Lynn Nye, Tim Powers, Brandon Sanderson, Robert J. Sawyer, and moderated by John Goodwin. (Hyatt International South, Saturday, 1:00 pm)

A special illustrator panel entitled “Illustrators of the Future: How Do You Survive as an Artist?” with panelists Ciruelo, Larry Elmore, Echo Chernick, Lazarus Chernick, and moderated by Joni Labaqui. (Hyatt Grand Hall C, Friday, 1:00 pm)

The Writers of the Future writing contest was created by L. Ron Hubbard to provide a means for aspiring writers to get that much-needed break with the first volume releasing in 1985. Due to the success of the Writing Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was created.

The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 416 past winners of the Writing Contest have published 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 32 New York Times bestsellers and their works have sold over 60 million copies.

The 346 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

Deadline for entries for the 36th year of Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future is September 30 at midnight, Pacific Time. Enter by going to www.writersofthefuture.com.

For more information on Writers and Illustrators of the Future, visit www.writersofthefuture.com and www.galaxypress.com.

The post Writers and Illustrators of the Future Celebrating its 35th Birthday at Dragon Con appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Writers & Illustrators of the Future are international contests, with thousands of entries from over 175 countries around the world. Salt Lake City has the distinct honor of having more winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest than any other city in the world. Winners include Robert J. Defendi, Julie Frost, Brian Hailes, Amy Hughes, Scott Parkin, Darcy Stone, Eric James Stone, Brad Torgersen, and Kathleen Woodbury. World renowned authors, initially hailing from the Salt Lake City, Orson Scott Card, Dave Wolverton (Contest winner turned Contest judge) and Brandon Sanderson are Writers of the Future Contest judges.

To celebrate 35 years of helping aspiring writers and artists, Galaxy Press is proud to once again attend Salt Lake City FanX, September 5–7 at the Salt Palace, and is bringing in several past winners to autograph books and talk to aspiring writers and artists at the Galaxy Press booth #1202. These winners include: Julie Frost, Brian Hailes, Eric James Stone, Darci Stone, Brad Torgersen, and Kathleen Woodbury.

With the dilemma of supporting the arts amidst continued budget cuts, Writers and Illustrators of the Future provide a forum for the aspiring writer and artist. Free to enter, open to anyone not professionally published, and judged by top professionals in the industry, these Contests have recognized over 800 winners and awarded over $1 million in prize money in its 35 year history. The judges will only see the story or art and a number assigned to the entry making it the top merit competition of science fiction and fantasy in the world.

The Writers of the Future writing contest was created by L. Ron Hubbard to provide a means for aspiring writers to get that much-needed break with the first volume releasing in 1985. Due to the success of the Writing Contest, the companion Illustrators of the Future Contest was created.

The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The 416 past winners of the Writing Contest have published 1,150 novels and nearly 4,500 short stories. They have produced 32 New York Times bestsellers and their works have sold over 60 million copies.

The 346 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

Deadline for entries for the 36th year of Writers of the Future and Illustrators of the Future is September 30 at midnight, Pacific Time. Enter by going to www.writersofthefuture.com.

For more information on Writers and Illustrators of the Future, visit www.writersofthefuture.com and www.galaxypress.com.

The post Writers and Illustrators of the Future Celebrating its 35th Birthday in Salt Lake City at FanX appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

How One Writer Won Writers of the Future

“It’s ok, Carrie! You can just climb back down—you don’t have to jump!”

When I was five, my dad took me and my siblings—my older brother and my twin sister—to a water park. One of the features of this water park was an impossibly deep pool with a towering outcrop of rock that you could climb and jump off of. There were jumps at five feet and ten feet, and the pool was thirteen feet deep. These numbers are seared into my memory like the symbols of some iconic myth.

At five years old, I was three foot nothing, and worried about everything constantly. I liked to read, I hated to go outside, and I didn’t have many friends beyond my family. I was, to put it bluntly, a nerdy wimp.

So, when I ask you to picture tiny little me standing at the ten-foot jumping ledge and staring down into an aquamarine abyss, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that I was practically vibrating with terror. I remember the thoughts whirling around my head: the recognition of my hubris for climbing so high, the detailed vision of my body dismembered by the impact of the water, the humiliation of my inevitable climb down to a safer height.

I knew that I couldn’t really climb down—that it would mean a kind of failure I couldn’t live with. So, ignoring the gibbering of my terrified mind, I jumped.

I jumped feet first, with my legs straight and my arms pinned against my body. My stomach flopped and, in a crash, the world became irrevocably blue. The water was cool after I’d stood so long out in the sun, and I pushed toward the glittering silver surface to break through—alive, and brave.

That was a day I learned a lesson that has since become a keystone of my life: Sometimes you might be scared to jump. Sometimes it’s better to leap anyway.

Submitting to Writers of the Future

I was nervous in the moments after loading my story to the Writers of the Future website. What if I’d formatted it wrong? What if I was exposing myself to ridicule and heartbreak? What if I was—gasp!—rejected? Should I just start over? Forget the whole thing? I hadn’t submitted much up to that point, and the idea of actually pressing the “submit” button made my fingers tremble.

But then, of course, I hit it anyway—and here I am.

When I look at L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 35, I see that moment on the ledge. I see it in the rocks in the background of the cover, in the swirl of blue water, and in the tiny figure of the boy in the boat staring down the impossible. Most of all, though, I see it in the table of contents.

You can see another of my moments on the ledge in the awards ceremony yourself, if you want, when you look at me with my hand on my hip, staring out into a crowd of faces, so sure I would say something dumb, that my voice would tremble—but speaking anyway.

And I’m sure you can see it in yourself, every time you have a chance to take a risk, to jump into something great or climb back down to a “safer” height.

I hope you take the leap.

PreviousNext

Born to avid genre readers, it’s no surprise that Carrie Callahan was named after a Stephen King novel. She was raised in the wilds of Florida in a series of homes set in the seedier parts of the state, feeding her sense of the strange. She’s since lived in eight different states across the country and managed to become the first of her immediate family to earn a college degree.

Having grown up economically disadvantaged, Carrie prefers to write about the members of the “lower” classes while also maintaining a speculative flair–an aesthetic she calls Dirt Spec. Dirt Spec is any kind of speculative fiction (be it sci-fi, fantasy, or horror) that strives to portray people living in poverty with more nuance than a flattened trope, a piece of set dressing, or a joke.

Carrie has a B.A. in English from the University of Cincinnati and will begin her MFA at Eastern Kentucky University in the fall of 2019. Carrie is also the recipient of the Writers of the Future Award, and you can find her award-winning short story, “Dirt Road Magic,” in the L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 35. This international writing contest was created to discover and launch new authors, many of which are now publishing new sci-fi and fantasy books each year.

She lives in Kentucky with her supportive husband and their Yorkie, Chestnut.

The post The Jump appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

You gotta work for it. I must have heard that phrase thousands of times growing up, applicable in any situation, and whispered in almost reverent tones. Work, hard work, was the answer to any question.

Those words rang true when I got my first job on the docks of Boston as a teenager in the 1970’s, earning the money I needed to afford beaten up old copies of Analog, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Worlds of If, and whatever else I could get my hands on. Those stories were my escape, and I worked hard to earn them. Reading those tales of fantastic places, heroic characters saving the day or saving the universe, filled me so full of ideas I had to try and share those creations with others. My dream of becoming a writer had begun.

Struggling to Find My Voice

It didn’t go well at first. I played at it, struggling to find my voice and unwilling to invest myself. I swore I’d be a writer someday, but there was work to do. Hard work. I spent hot summer days deep in black mud that smelled of rot and decay, digging clams. Later, I worked in sweltering warehouses, factories, places where there wasn’t time to dream. I wrote a few stories, sometimes taking breaks of years between attempts, getting better, but never really getting serious.

Brothers D’Amico

One day, a friend talked me into submitting. I sent out my best work, receiving nothing but a pile of rejection letters. Those rejections crushed my fragile ego, ruining my confidence and pushing my dream of writing into the shadows. I continued to read and continued to talk about writing, but it never led very far—until my twin brother came up to me and told me he’d written a novel.

We’d always been competitive, my brother and I, but I’d assumed writing was my dream, not his. I’ll admit to a bout of petty envy when he handed me his manuscript. He’d done what I hadn’t, put in the work. I think it was then that I really started to take writing seriously.

My Introduction to Writers of the Future

That was 2009, the year I first entered L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest.

I’d read several of the anthologies, enjoying the stories, picking up new years when I came across them. But I’d never considered the contest as something I should enter. The anthologies were too polished, the writing too good. Clearly, it wasn’t for an unpublished amateur like me. Or was it? The ads encouraged non-professionals. There was no entry fee and no downside to submitting. So, I decided to do what I’d been raised to do and work for it.

I read every volume of Writers and Illustrators of the Future. I learned what the judges were looking for, but I also learned what made a great story. I saw hundreds of examples of exceptional science fiction and fantasy. I visited worlds more rich, detailed, and creative than many I’d read by professional writers. I lost myself in wonder, and it made me remember why I dreamed of sharing my own visions with the world.

Then I wrote. I took what I’d learned, and submitted my first story in the 3rd quarter of 2009, earning an honorable mention for “The Lemon Thief of Munjid Al Salam.” Rather than being discouraged, I felt as if I’d accomplished something important. I obviously wasn’t quite ready, but my efforts had been noticed. There’s no way to describe that feeling.

Hard Work Pays Off

“Vector Victoria” was my second attempt, submitted for the first quarter in 2010, and I remember being moved to tears when Joni Labaqui called me to tell me I’d won 2nd place for that quarter. I don’t think I could’ve been happier winning the lottery, although that’s exactly what I’d done. I’d be chosen for one of the greatest honors I could imagine. My work had paid off.

I’d been so focused on the writing that it came as a shock to me when Joni told me they’d be flying me out to Hollywood, expenses paid, to attend a week-long writing workshop and awards banquet. I had trouble believing it. I’m sure I made a nuisance of myself by asking her to repeat the news several times before I could fully comprehend.

We stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel, almost across the street from Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The place had a classic old-world feel that only added to the mystique and adventure. I met the other winners on the first day. Everyone seemed dazed as if we all shared the same waking dream. I can’t describe the feeling of being in a room where everyone … understands. We had all gone through the same struggle, battled with the same doubts and fears, and put in the same hard work to get there.

The instructors, K.D. Wentworth and Tim Powers, were amazing. We hit the ground running, and I learned more in the first day than I could have at any other workshop. I loved reading the articles by L. Ron Hubbard. Although they were written decades ago, they were so insightful and well written they could’ve been penned by one of the contemporary masters of science fiction. “Magic out of a Hat” was my favorite article because it showed me everything and anything can be world-changing, pivotal, interesting.

I thought I might not be able to complete the 24-hour story challenge, especially since the item assigned to me was a rock, but the level of excitement and creativity surging through the workshop proved infectious. I used that rock as my story’s problem and its prize. I put the main character between a rock and a hard place and made the oppositional character as stubborn as a rock. I even named one of the characters Rox. I really rocked that story, and it made me feel as if I could write anything. The story was called, “Set in Stone” and I sold it to Plasma Frequency magazine in 2013.

Dave Dorman, David D’Amico, and Robert J. Sawyer

Meeting the judges, all those famous writers who’d come to speak with us, made me feel as if this workshop was something different. Kevin J. Anderson, Mike Resnick, Robert J. Sawyer, Eric Flint, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Tim Powers, K.D. Wentworth, and so many more I thought my head would explode.

I almost cried when they did the “Big Reveal,” and I got to see the illustration for my story. The emotional impact of seeing how someone else interpreted the random scribbling in my head was really powerful. It felt like magic. My words evoked a place, a character, an entire world that someone else could see and feel. The illustrator, Ryan Downing, really captured the main character’s fear, while still keeping the feel of who she was, the walking billboard, the Shimmy girl, the intentional/unintentional Vector.

We got to meet some of the winners from recent years: Eric James Stone, Ken Scholes, Laurie Tom, Jordan Lapp, and several others. All had exciting writing projects in the works, and every one of them treated me like an equal. I felt I could accomplish anything.

Then came the awards ceremony. I had my reservations about getting on stage, I think we all did, but everyone was so professional that they got us through it—and we looked good. I remember waiting for my turn to be called up. I was so nervous I could barely concentrate. Any little thing would send me over the edge. Then the button popped off my tux. I held it together, though, making an offhand remark about how well they’d been feeding us.

Autographing books with Larry Niven

The book signing was surreal. I got to sign books right beside Larry Niven. LARRY NIVEN! His stories were a major inspiration to me. He was my idol, someone so much larger than life—and there we were, signing the same volume of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Volume XXVII together.

It was difficult for me to feel as if I really deserved all this, but from the very beginning, everyone at Author Services and Galaxy Press treated me like I belonged here, like I was the important one.

Writers and Illustrators of the Future was my very first sale. It gave me the confidence to start submitting again, and I sold a story titled, “Trick of Memory” to Daily Science Fiction in that same year. I sold four stories the year after, and more than a dozen in 2013. I passed my 20th sale in 2014. It was 2014 when my story, “Bittersweet” was chosen as one of the top 10 stories of the year by the Critters P&E Annual Readers Poll.

2015—The Year that Almost Wasn’t

2015, the year that almost wasn’t!

2015 was a difficult year for me. I collapsed sometime around midnight on the 6th of February, unable to breathe. My aortic valve had split open. Blood pooled into the sack surrounding my heart, crushing the life out of me. I spent a long time in the hospital. Then, three days after returning home, I had a heart attack. A week later, and they found blood clots in both my legs.

Something seriously tried to kill me that month, and it took me a long time to recover and get back on track.

Recovery with a Vengeance

My twin brother was the one who got me going again. In 2016 we wrote a story together titled, “One Slow Trigger Day,” and it was published by Electric Spec magazine. The sale pulled me back from a dark place. I started writing again. It was also my brother’s first story sale. He’d been trying since he’d first shocked me into action years earlier, but with less success. He submits to the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest, frequently receiving honorable mentions, but he’s still waiting to break into the winner’s circle.

I sold my first stories to audio markets in 2016. It was absolutely thrilling and somewhat weird to hear someone else speaking my words. It reminded me of the power of seeing that first illustration for my Writers and Illustrators of the Future winning story, “Vector Victoria.” There’s something deep and transcendent when you feel someone’s been inside your thoughts. I think it’s the reason I keep trying to draw interest in a shared universe project. I’ve opened my ideas up to other writers more than once, but haven’t been able to gain much traction.

One of these shared worlds was a gigantic bridge within the unimaginable vastness of a Dyson Sphere, destroyed thousands of years in the past, but peopled with rich and varied cultures. My story, “A Game of Balances” that came out in Phantaxis magazine in 2017, was set in this universe, and I still have the 28-foot-long map I created.

My second attempt at sharing my worlds was with fantasy, a universe where each of the elements has unique and special properties, and these magical qualities could be accessed only by certain adepts. We had our own periodic table, and a chart showing combinations of elements. MYTHIC magazine has just published the story I wrote for this, “The Certainty of Echoes.” It was a really fun story to write. I like to add levels beneath the surface arcs of my stories, and I wanted to be playful with “The Certainty of Echoes” to counter the dark fantasy tone of the main action. So, I went a little 7 dwarves on this piece. If you squint, you can see where I gave (I hope subtly) each of the characters specific qualities reminiscent of the beloved fairytale creatures. It’s not something you need to know to enjoy the story. Just a fun fact, and maybe a little insight into the disturbed glob of goo that is my brain.

My story, “The ‘aiei of Snow” was published by Electric Spec magazine in 2017. It was the first story I’ve written to elicit fan mail, and reading how my words could affect someone so profoundly almost made me want to cry.

Also, in 2017, I self-published a collection of my previously sold stories called, Through Starlight, Dying. I followed it up with a horror-slanted volume titled, These, My Apocalypse, a science-fiction only collection titled, A Breath of Space, and a book of flash stories titled, A Million Tiny Worlds. They’re all available through Amazon, and I’ll happily autograph and ship a copy to anyone who purchases a book from my website.

I won the Write Well award that year for my story, “The Lemon Thief of Munjid Al Salam,” my original Writers and Illustrators of the Future entry. It’s a touching piece of loss, and hope … and time travel. It also closed a loop for me. Selling that story meant I’d sold every piece even remotely connected with the Contest. I’d sold my winning story, of course, and shortly after sold my one-day story, written while at the Writers and Illustrators of the Future workshop. I’d even sold the story I wrote on the plane coming home, “A Single Soft Step” to Slink Chunk Press in 2016.

Life Is Good!

David with wife, Julie

I got married in 2017 to a wonderful woman named Julie who encourages my writing career and pushes me whenever she sees that I’m not putting in the work. She knows the value of hard work and has been both my harshest critic and my strongest supporter.

In 2018, I got involved with New England Speculative Writers, and sold a story to their anthology, The Final Summons. My story, “The Redemption of GRE-334b” was about loneliness and isolation, and it helped me to realize I come back to that subject often in my work. Working with a group who’ve published so many novel-length pieces has also helped me realize where I should go next.

I’ve enjoyed the gratification of completing shorter pieces, but I’ve always longed to publish something more substantial. It drove me to write a novel version of my Writers and Illustrators of the Future winning story, but I’m convinced it lacks some subtle element that made the original a success. So, it sits on my desk waiting for the final spark that will bring it to life. That project taught me how stories and novels are two very different animals. I learned quite a bit from doing the work, and I’m currently completing the first book in a space opera series titled, Relics of Empire based on a short story by the same name I sold to MYTHIC magazine in 2017. It’s a rags-to-riches arc that I like to think of as Cinderella meets The Foundation Trilogy.

Life is good!

I’ve sold, in total, 70 stories to various magazines over the almost 10 years since that first sale to Writers and Illustrators of the Future in 2010, and I expect to sell much more in the coming years. I owe a lot to the Contest and the people who run it. They recognized my strength before I did, and the confidence I gained from entering the Contest pushed me to become better.

In the end, I’d accomplished what I set out to do. I became a writer. I believe talent plays a part, but the truth is, if you really want to win, you gotta work for it.

D. A. D’Amico is an enigma wrapped in confusion and stuffed head-first into a fish-flavored paper bag. His writing style is Jackson Pollock meets Scanners, a surreal exploding-head mess of genres and styles where almost anything is likely. He’s had more than seventy works published in the last nine years in venues such as Daily Science Fiction, Crossed Genres, and Shock Totem … among others. He’s a winner of L. Ron Hubbard’s prestigious Writers of the Future award, volume XXVII, as well as the 2017 Write Well award.

Collections of his work, links to anthologies and magazines he’s been in can be found on Amazon at:
https://www.amazon.com/D-A-DAmico/e/B0086L98WQ/.

His website is: http://www.dadamico.com.

Facebook: authordadamico, and on painfully rare occasions twitter: @dadamico.

The post You Gotta Work For It appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Nearly three years ago, I nabbed my very first editing client, and my self-employment as a freelance developmental editor has been going pretty swell ever since. But as both I and my business have developed, I’ve started to notice some destructive ideas that cost my clients all kinds of money and time that they could better be spending elsewhere. So today I’d like to share some secrets from the editor side of things—and some of the best ways to save your sanity on edits, and get the most bang for your buck.

#1 You Probably Don’t Need Line Editing on Your Whole Book

Most developmental editors offer line editing services, which tend to start at around $0.01 per word at a standard rate (about $100 per 10,000 words). A line edit is where an editor goes line-by-line, making tracked changes to the text, and offering comments on all the things that don’t work (it is not the same as copy editing, which corrects spelling, mechanics, and grammar). This is the fine-toothed comb of editing, and I am hired for it often. But the ugly truth is this: only about one in ten of the clients I’ve line edited were actually at the stage where they needed that service. Here are some reasons for that:

• 10,000 words of line editing can point out every bad habit you have.
• You can apply those bad habits to the rest of your book without paying to line edit the rest of the words.
• Many writers think their story is farther along than it is.
• If you can’t write a solid enough page on your own, you’re not ready for an agent.

Times when you DO want a line edit:

• On your first few chapters, to hone them for the query trail.
• On a partial, where you want to identify bad habits and fix them in the rest of the draft for less cost.
• When you are aiming for self-publication.
• When you do not wish to make any structural or sweeping changes whatsoever.
• When you are aiming for indie publication, but want your book to get more personal attention and thus have higher quality.

The Editor’s Side of This:

Although it is every* editor’s goal to see you succeed, any* editor will take your money and do whatever work you select, especially if you insist. So be informed, and know what services are giving you what bang for what buck. For my own clients, I’d say only one in ten clients can learn more from my most expensive service than they can learn from my mid-range one (which I title “Recommended”). Save yourself the money; you’ll have lots to work with, either way.

*I don’t speak for other editors and their service options, but I do operate on good faith that most of them want to do right by their clients, like I do.

#2 Have a Hook

This one is simple: don’t write a vampire romance where the girl is human, the vampire is hot, and she tries to withstand his sultry paleness, but ultimately caves to his blood-soaked deliciousness—the end. Does that sound familiar? Of course it does.

You might argue that Twilight had much more going on than this, and you’d be right. But if this is all you have happening, then how are you blowing Twilight out of the water?

So, what does Twilight have that you don’t? The answer is simple: novelty. Twilight told a story that people were hungry for, but that they’d never heard before—a teenage vampire romance. That was its hook: vampires and teenagers. (You can argue that had also been done before, and it had, but none of those things really went mainstream or hit the YA book market or were as accessible. So Twilight also had good timing, good distribution, and accessible writing, which are other things that added to its novelty.)

Every story has meaning to its author. EVERY ONE. But that does not mean it will have meaning to a contest, an agent, a publisher, or an audience. Your book needs to have a hook. This can be anything from something tagline-worthy (boy mistreated all his life finds out he is famous in the wizarding world) down to something more specific (an LGBT main character, a subverted trope, a unique setting, a touchy subject*). Chasing trends is no good either, because they’ll be gone within the year or two it will take for you to get an agent, a book deal, and then on shelves. But you do need something.

Think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Half of that book is exactly the same as its source material, and yet it’s a whole new story, and a bestseller. So, don’t knock out a book that’s been done a million times. Brainstorm how you can make it stand out in the field. If someone asks you, “How is your book different?”, you had better have an answer.

The Editor’s Side of This:

An editor can help you fix your concept, but how much of their other feedback is rendered moot once you make that big change? Come to the table with a good concept already; otherwise, they are already being paid to edit a book that is destined to change drastically, or even to fail.

*Take care not to appropriate. Don’t write a hookless book and then “fix” it by making your character gay or your setting Asian, etc. These sorts of things should come from research and be integrated into the story, not tacked on for curb appeal.

#3 Your First Book is Your Tutorial

This one sucks the most when you realize it, but makes the most sense later on. In most cases, the first book you write is your training manual, not your ticket to the big leagues. (And by “first book,” I mean the first book you polish up and send to agents, even if you may have written others before that.)

To be frank, your first book is a complete Dumpster fire, like all first drafts are. But you are probably not yet the writer most capable of sorting that Dumpster fire into anything worth selling. It will be a pile of burning trash no matter how much water and perfume you dump on it. This is a sad fact of the writer’s life. However, there is a huge bright side to this: without turning a terrible first book into a slightly-less-terrible first book, you won’t have a semi-decent second book.

In short, you learn so much from Book One that, even if you pay hundreds to hire an editor for it and still don’t get an agent, the revision pays for itself in the increase to your skill level. (This of course assumes that you are able to take and utilize constructive criticism, and X knows not everyone can.) As an editor, I get a lot of first books. Sometimes I see them more than once. Sometimes they get agents, but most do not. But the best thing I see in my career is a second book from someone who has made use of everything they learned from the first, and applied it to the second. You would not believe some of the vast improvements I have encountered—like night and day. If a writer is determined to improve their craft, then the difference between a person’s first and second book is often astronomical.

Take for example the advice that a character must have agency—that they must make the story happen, rather than having it happen to them. Say you write the main character of Book One to have no agency, because you don’t know better at that time. To fix this, you revise every scene that character is in, trying to give them more agency. The resulting draft is better, but it is still operating under the yoke of the original book, because you have not started from scratch, but have instead worked within your original framework. The skeleton hasn’t changed much, and their agency, though improved, is not optimized. however, you have spent time improving the agency in every scene, to the point the concept is now hammered into you brain.

Then you write another book, and from the very open of that one, you know your character needs to have agency. Every scene thus becomes charged with your character’s decisions, actions, and movement through their story. So therefore, the first draft of Book Two is already as good or better than the revised draft of Book One, and its “skeleton” is already built to hold the character’s agency. This same concept goes for every other thing you learned from Book One—a dozen writing rules optimized, where before they had been forced in.

In conclusion, my advice is to make every book you write the absolute best it can be. But if it does happen to fail, move on. Don’t stay there, don’t cling to it, don’t revise it ten times. You have better books inside you, and the next one will blow your mind. (Besides, Book One isn’t going anywhere. You can always come back and rewrite it!)

The Editor’s Side of This:

Even if you hire an editor, don’t expect them to turn your book into gold. It’s possible that they are instead helping you to turn you into gold*. That gold will then bleed into your future projects. I personally think this is still worth money, but it’s also worth the cheaper option in many cases. You can learn a great deal from a simple beta read from a professional.

*With that—and everything else in this article—said, some editors still suck, and are no good for your book or you. There are many red flags to watch out for (missing deadlines without notice, for example). If you want to be safe, check their experience, testimonials, and accolades. Very low prices can indicate low experience, too. The same goes for agents and publishers. Be informed. And good luck!

Meet Mica Scotti Kole

PreviousNext

Mica is a freelance developmental editor based near Detroit, Michigan. She started writing stories in kindergarten, opening with a colorful series based on her zoo-animal Duplos (involving, at one point, flying go-carts that ran on … coconuts?). She is also the curator of Free Writing Events, a Twitter account and website which compiles and promotes free-to-enter online writing events and contests to over 20,000 authors (it’s how she discovered Writers of the Future). She writes YA fantasy long-form and adult science fiction short-form, and her current obsessions are home-brewing, Steven Universe, and board games that start with the letter “M.” She is also the founder and host of the #Write4Life charity event, which aims to help other writers get edited and agented. She quit her day job to pursue the dream of writing in 2016, and this is her third professional publication. You can find her services and Free Writing Events calendar at micascottikole.com or on Twitter at @writevent.

The post Some Secrets from the Editor Side of Things appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

This won’t surprise anyone who knows me, or who at least saw my acceptance speech at Writers of the Future 35: My sons are my motivation.

When I was a kid I was always making up stories, always asking What If? about every situation. It was something that stayed with me through my teens and into my twenties. If anyone ever asked, I would have said I was a writer … but then in my late twenties to early thirties I stopped writing.

So what happened?

I’d Lost the Dream

Simply put, I’d lost the dream. Saddest most insidious thing is I didn’t even realize it until a decade later. You see, I was still telling people I was a writer. There was always some project I was getting ready to start, an idea that would be jotted down for later, or enough editing on that one book I’d written that I could justify—at least internally—the title.

But it was a lie. There was no feverish desire to get the ideas inside my head written down. I was like a Skrull from the Fantastic Four comics, looking the part on the outside only. I was lacking motivation, or even the motivation to look for motivation.

But sometimes in life a seemingly unrelated change comes along to give the nudge that is needed.

When my son, Jack, was born I suddenly found that missing motivation. One screaming, demanding change in life made me question everything else. Would Jack be proud of me in my office job? Would he brag to his friends about me? Would I go in to talk to his class about internal audits and creating health and safety manuals?

Not likely.

Something Had to Change

Something had to change, but what? Then I remembered what I’d been saying all those years: I am a writer. So I began to write again. Slowly. Tentatively. Badly. I was exercising a muscle that had been allowed to atrophy … but that love of What If? was still there, waiting for me to pay attention. There were new topics now, and sometimes scary What If? questions around being a father. It was all fuel for a building fire.

Two and a half years later Jack got a little brother, Oliver, and the fire grew.

I took courses to improve my writing skills, and started showing stories to people. I joined a critiquing group, learning how to take criticism and improve my stories. I discovered that there was an incredible point where a story stopped being mine and would start to belong to the reader.

I started submitting stories to anthologies and magazines, learning to take rejection and realize it wasn’t personal. In time a story sold. Then another. And another. Not at professional payment, but each one brought me closer.

When Writers of the Future accepted my story, “The Damned Voyage,” for the 35^th annual anthology, I’d published about thirteen stories, and seen my first novel, The Reluctant Barbarian, in print. I had become a writer in fact, not just inside my head.

But that’s just the beginning of the tale.

I always have a goal in regards to my writing. First sale. First professional sale. First novel. My current goal is to bring my writing income to the point of replacing my day job. I will be a full time writer one day, and soon.

In the meantime my kids go to school and tell their friends I’m a writer. They’ve read some of my stories and seen me putting in the effort for something important to me. I’ve been invited to speak to their classes about the writing process, and maybe even inspired one or two of those students to write their own stories.

My boys think I’m cool … at least for now. One day that cool factor will probably go away, and I’m okay with that. With any luck they’ll still be proud of me.

Speaking from the Heart

When I made my acceptance speech at the Writers of the Future awards I spoke about my kids. Afterwards I was referred to as: that guy who cried. But another thing happened. People remembered my speech. My fellow writers said that my talk touched them and that they would remember it. All I did was speak from the heart.

And that’s where I am today. I speak from my heart. Oh, maybe not everything is emotional and heartfelt in my writing, but I mean the words I say. There’s a message in many of my stories: What a father will do for his children, or how far he can go when one is hurt. The importance of friendship and family, and on standing by those people in your life. Messages of wonder and amazement and magic, because there is more to this world than what we see. The bizarre and unexpected are just around a corner.

I’ve come full circle to that kid I used to be who looked at the world with a question of What If? on every subject.

All I had to do was find my motivation first, and grow the fire.

Now go find yours.

Meet John Haas

PreviousNext

John Haas is a Canadian author living in Ottawa with his two wonderful sons. Since the early days of elementary school, John has been an avid storyteller, though mostly only told those stories to closest friends, family, and the occasional pet. Once the above-mentioned wonderful sons entered his life, the need to write kicked into high gear, fuelled by a desire to be something his boys could be proud of. In the past eight years or so he has had fifteen short stories published in various excellent publications, and seen his first novel, The Reluctant Barbarian, a humorous fantasy tale, and its sequel, The Wayward Spider. Since the sales were made to small presses that don’t pay professional rates, he was still eligible to enter the contest at the time he submitted to Writers of the Future.  John’s goal remains to become a full-time writer (rich and famous would be nice too, but one step at a time).

The post Motivation, What If, and a Growing Fire appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Writers of the Future 3rd Quarter Standings for 2019, Volume 36

Of all the writing contests out there, this one launches careers!

And the winners are:

First Place – JL George from United Kingdom
Second Place – Michael Gardner from Australia
Third Place – Storm Humbert from Michigan

Finalists:

Van Alrik from Idaho
Gustavo Bondoni from Argentina
Dan Portincaso from Illinois
K.L. Rivera from New York
Morgan Welch from United Kingdom

Semi-Finalists:

Joshua Esso from Maryland
Henry Gasko from Australia
Ken Hoover from New Mexico
Adam Lapallo from Virginia
Sandra Siegienski from Oregon
Dan Thurot from Utah
Leah Yacknin-Dawson from Texas
Robert Zoltan from California

Silver Honorable Mentions:

Robert Bagnall from United Kingdom
Amitai Ben-Abba from California
Kristen Bickerstaff from Texas
Charlene Blackwell from Canada
Colleen Blockhus from Texas
Philip Carroll from California
Alicia Cay from Colorado
Josephine Desir from Illinois
Tabitha Di Giacomo from Canada
Nicholas Diehl from California
WHN Dunham from Canada
A.V. Dutson from Utah
Constance Fay from California
Lisa Gregoire from Canada
J.R. Johnson from Canada
Kent Jones from Minnesota
Angela Kayd from Massachusetts
Seth Kennedy from California
H. Orion Kim from Maryland
Barbara Lund from Utah
Charles Mears from California
Lynn Michals from Virginia
J.C. Pillard from Colorado
Kathleen Powell from Missouri
Vincent Riddle from Utah
Laura-Marie Steele from United Kingdom
Scott Pahaku Vilhauer from California
Galen Westlake from Canada
Luke Wildman from Indiana

Honorable Mentions:

Les Abernathy from Alabama
J.F. Acosta R. from New York
LD Albano from Washington
Diana Alexander from Minnesota
Elena Alperina from Florida
Ann Marie Anglin from New York
Tom Barbados from Japan
Michele Baron from Virginia
Matthew Baron from Georgia
Steve Bates from Virginia
B.D. Bates from Louisiana
Deborah Bean from Texas
Christopher Jon Bennem from New York
Blake Bennett from Alabama
Derek Benson from Florida
Zachary Berman from Maryland
Renan Bernardo from Brazil
Richie Billing from United Kingdom
Jeremy Birkline from Massachusetts
James Blakey from Pennsylvania
Rob Bleckly from Australia
Bret Booher from Indiana
T.E. Bradford from New York
Madison Brake from Florida
Brian Brennan from Washington
David Bridge from United Kingdom
Michael D. Britton from Utah
Jonathan Bronico from Massachusetts
Christopher Broom from Texas
David Brush from Michigan
John Bucklin from North Carolina
J. Tynan Burke from New York
M.K. Butymhill from California
Matthew Byrne from Pennsylvania
A.C. Causey from Michigan
Daniel Ceruti from Florida
Jean-Francois Chanier from Canada
Jeremiah Christie from Florida
Alvin Chua from California
Christopher Chwang from California
Sandy Clancy from Massachusetts
Lisa Clark from Bulgaria
Caleb Clark from Indiana
C.S. Conkling from Armed Forces Europe
A.R. Cook from Georgia
Scott Coon from California
Celia Cotelo from France
Danielle Coty from Michigan
Krishan Coupland from United Kingdom
Scott Crawford from District of Columbia
Ben Credle from Georgia
Samuel Cromwell from Canada
Cory Daignault from Minnesota
Christina De La Rocha from Germany
Michael DeCarolis from Florida
Glen Delaney from California
Samuel Diaz from California
Emily Dietrich from Illinois
Anj Dockrey from Texas
Jeff Dosser from Oklahoma
Max Dosser from North Carolina
Ian Charles Douglas from United Kingdom
Arthur M. Doweyko from Florida
Steve DuBois from Kansas
Victoria Duhaime from Alabama
Jason Christopher Duke from Arizona
David A. Elsensohn from California
Griffin Erdely from Pennsylvania
Atticus Evil from North Carolina
Samuel Finn from Washington
Greg Fisher from Florida
Cassiopeia Fletcher from Nebraska
Neil Wesley Flinchbaugh from Illinois
J.G. Follansbee from Washington
R. Lee Fryar from Arkansas
Stephen Gereg from United Kingdom
Meghan Gheron from Canada
Nate Givens from Virginia
Michelle F. Goddard from Canada
Keith Gordon from California
Joshua Grasso from Oklahoma
Rayner Green from Nebraska
Jude-Marie Green from California
Maty Grosman from Canada
Jon Gunnarsson from Germany
Brian Hailes from Utah
Phillip Hall from Virginia
Doug Hamilton from Ohio
Dan Hankner from Iowa
Scot Hanson from Idaho
Simbiat Haroun from Nigeria
Wayne Haroutunian from Florida
A.W. Harris from Oregon
David-Christopher Harris from California
Greta Hayer from Louisiana
Carsen Heater from Texas
Christopher Henckel from New Zealand
Michelle Henrie from Utah
C.R. Hodges from Colorado
Haley Holden from Ohio
R.J. Howell from Illinois
Cathy Humble from Oregon
Jeffrey Hunt from North Carolina
Maeve Huttner from Illinois
Gregory Hyde from Colorado
Kathryn Jankowski from California
Erik Johnson from Viet Nam
London Johnson from Tennessee
Taylor Jones from Colorado
K.D. Julicher from Nevada
Ronald Kaiser from New Hampshire
Marjory Kaptanoglu from California
Taria Karillion from United Kingdom
Kevin Kauffmann from North Carolina
Alex Kay from United Kingdom
Christopher Keene from New Zealand
Shelbie Kelly from Arkansas
Brandon Ketchum from Pennsylvania
Jennie Keyes from Idaho
Michael Kingswood from California
Paul Klatt from Oregon
Shawn Kobb from Virginia
Geetha Krishnan from India
Lisbet Kristiansen from Pennsylvania
Kurt Anthony Krug from Michigan
Nathan Landrum from Kentucky
Nikky Lee from New Zealand
Dave Lemel from Wisconsin
Daniel Lengeman from California
Felix Levay from United Kingdom
J.T. Lewis from Canada
Bonner Litchfield from North Carolina
Dawn Lloyd from Washington
Morgan Lloyd from Oregon
Amelia Loeffler from Kentucky
Angus MacGregor from Australia
Anna Madden from Texas
Alicia Maini from Canada
J.H. Malone from California
Melissa Manganaro from New York
James Stuart Mann from California
J.R.N. Martin from Texas
Jay Martin from Texas
Django Mathijsen from Netherlands
Corbin Maxwell from California
Robert J. McCarter from Arizona
Jason McCuiston from South Carolina
Christopher McManamon from California
Stephen McMurray from United Kingdom
Dylan McNamara from Illinois
Kenneth Meade from Georgia
Lauryn Mercredi from Canada
Donald Miasek from Oregon
Fi Michell from Australia
Devin Miller from North Carolina
Stephanie Mirro from Virginia
Katherine Mixon from Illinois
Michael J. Moore from Kentucky
Donald Morrison from California
Susan Morritt from Canada
Samuel Moss from Washington
J. Pak Nelson from United Kingdom
Christy Nicholas from New York
Dana Nisewarner from West Virginia
David North-Martino from Massachusetts
Drew Norton from Oregon
Mike Olson from Wisconsin
Al Onia from Canada
Steve Padilla from Michigan
B.P. Page from Colorado
Billy Palmer from Florida
Simon Pan from Canada
R.J. Patteson from Canada
Tierney Payne from Colorado
Isaac Philips from Florida
David Place from Texas
Carson Poe from California
L.S. Popovich from Colorado
Ajilan Potter from Michigan
Beth Powers from Indiana
Susan Price from Georgia
Clarice Radrick from Florida
Brittany Rainsdon from Idaho
Jake Reed from Oregon
Darren Reiley from Oregon
Daisy Remark from New Mexico
Jenalyn Reyes from Illinois
Richard Earl Rice from Idaho
Di Taemumu Richardson from New Zealand
Morgan Roberts from Connecticut
Sierra Robinson from California
Bert Rock from Arizona
Michelle Rose from Arizona
Christopher Ross from Florida
Marie Roth from Illinois
J.L. Royce from Wisconsin
M.M. Schill from Florida
Cody Schroeder from Missouri
Ian Schutzman from California
Ashley Scruggs from Virginia
V. Shalace from California
Kate Shea from Virginia
Leah Shepherd from Utah
Lydia Sherrer from Kentucky
Hank Shore from South Carolina
Elena Sichrovsky from China
Benjamin Smith from Pennsylvania
Brent Spencer from Utah
Jesse Sprague from Washington
Rennie St. James from Virginia
Carolyn Ivy Stein from Tennessee
Onassa Sun from California
Vincent Sutherland from Arizona
Katherine Szelong from California
Stephannie Tallent from California
M.R. Tevebaugh from Colorado
Jason Thomas from California
Adrienne Todd from Canada
Anders Torstensson from Sweden
Rebecca E. Treasure from Texas
Crystal Trobak from Alaska
M.T. Tucker from Kansas
Roderick Turner from Canada
Owen Tyme from Kansas
Nickolas Urpi from Virginia
Sean Valdrow from Alaska
Noé Varin from France
K.T. Wagner from Canada
Marsha Wallace from United Kingdom
Matthew Wardell from Canada
Megan Webb from Canada
Violet Welles from North Carolina
Robert Wilkins from California
Jason Willis from Minnesota
Chris Winspear from Australia
Chrissy Wissler from California
Brandy Woldstad from Wisconsin

The post Writers of the Future 3rd Quarter Winners Announced for Volume 36 appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

Illustrators of the Future 3rd Quarter Winners for 2019, Volume 36

This illustration contest list is the place to be!

And the winners are:

Aidin Andrews from Idaho
Irmak Cavun from Turkey
Mohamad Hossein Matak from Iran

Finalists:

Joseph DiPastena from Arizona
Rebecca May from North Carolina
Aisha Mpiana from Texas
Julianna Reynoso from Florida
Dali Wu from Canada

Semi-Finalists:

Molly Brown from Rhode Island
Myra Crosby from Washington
Meriza Gomez from Texas
Arthur Haywood from Pennsylvania
Geneva Huffman from Ohio
Gia Leotta from New Jersey
Yuanyuan Liu from California
Hannah Marquardt from Washington
Naja McDonald from Texas
Grace Netanya Roberts from Florida

Honorable Mentions:

Teagan Abel from Arkansas
Ariana Barrett from Ohio
Secret Boykin from Colorado
Skyler D’Vincent from Pennsylvania
Shelby Eissler from Missouri
Alyssa Forbes from Georgia
Claire Graves from Connecticut
Luis Herrera from North Carolina
Brittney Kenger from Michigan
Matison LeBlanc from Louisiana
Qianying Li from California
Xinran Liu from Georgia
Cherrie Newman from California
Moses Ogiemwanye from California
Brett Pearce from Connecticut
Sahar Radwan from Texas
Aletta Ren from Illinois
Lauryn Reynolds from Utah
Mackenzie Shephard from Florida
Abigail Teng from Texas
Elizabeth Wu from California
Anzhi Ye from New York

The post Illustrators of the Future 3rd Quarter Winners Announced for Volume 36 appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

It is with considerable enthusiasm that we announce Craig Elliott as the newest judge in the Illustrators of the Future Contest.

Craig is a production designer, a master of fine art, animator for live-action films, a concept artist and all-around master of his craft.

A Little Bit of Just the Right Kind of Advice

Craig was a featured workshop instructor for the 2019 Illustrators of the Future winners in Los Angeles. It was clear that he would become a permanent installation to the annual workshops with his sound advice to the new artists and care in helping launch their careers.

In his own words, “Sometimes a little bit of just the right kind of advice from an experienced mentor can make the world of difference to someone starting on their art career.”

L. Ron Hubbard created and continues to present the contests for both Writers and Illustrators of the Future where new talent is judged on merit alone. In his own words, “A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists.” The Illustrators of the Future Contest is open for any new artist of any age, race, color, religion, or creed leveling the playing field in search of new talent.

Through his desire to give a helping hand to the next artist, Craig is making a difference in the world and to those that dream. He is warmly welcomed to the Contest.

About Craig Elliott

Craig Elliott is an artist based in Los Angeles, California. He received his education at the famed Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and studied under artists such as Harry Carmean and Burne Hogarth. Craig’s carefully crafted and arresting images of nature and the human form have captivated audiences with their visual and intellectual celebration of the beauty in this world and beyond. In addition to his fine artwork, Craig has had a hand in designing many of today’s most popular animated films from studios such as Disney and Dreamworks. A multi-faceted artist, he is also an accomplished landscape architect, sculptor and most recently, jewelry designer. Especially known for his exceptional ability with the human figure and creative composition, Craig’s work has evolved into a unique vision informing and influencing fine art, print, animation, and commercial worlds.

In the animation industry he has worked primarily for Disney and Dreamworks, designing their animated films such as Hercules, Mulan, The Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, Shark Tale, Flushed Away, Bee Movie, Enchanted, Monsters vs. Aliens, and The Princess and the Frog as well as other upcoming features.

To find out more about Craig, go to www.craigelliottgallery.com

The post Illustrators of the Future Welcomes Award-Winning Artist Craig Elliott as its Newest Judge appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

This is a book review by author and mother Brittany Rainsdon who reads to her kids. “Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler” is an award winning sci-fi short story in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future 35. This science fantasy story is about a courageous disabled young girl who deals with bullying on a Moon-based sci-fi space station.

Summer has been a blast! We made so many memories this year—camping, fishing, parades and more—and it reminds me of the things I thought were cool when I was little. Pokemon, Harry Potter, the Texas State Fair and fishing at Meadow Lake. This year my daughters are into kitty cats, coloring, dancing and dolls. My son is into science, dogs, robots and … the amazing Moon Dawdler? What?

I read to my kids. We always have a bedtime story and sometimes we cuddle up to read just because. I love reading (and writing) and I hope that’s something I can instill in my kids. Books can open your eyes, drop you in another world, or make you feel and learn things you’d otherwise never experience.

I bought volume 35 of Writers of the Future this year for three reasons: I had a friend in it, I was a finalist in their contest that year, and the stories are usually, well, awesome. They’re not geared toward little kids, and for the most part, I wouldn’t recommend picking out any story and reading it out loud for bedtime.

But “Super-Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler”? Yeah. I would.

That story lit a fire in my son. All summer long he’s gabbed “we should visit the moon,” and “could you make a moon dawdler for me?” and “do you think Mr. Moonie would like my picture?” (Mr. Moonie is what he calls the author, Wulf Moon). I even walked in on him coaching his art-loving little sister on how to make a super-duper moongirl—FYI the secret is more red. With the anniversary of the moon landing, our library had a space-themed reading program where we spent many days playing in the fabric space-ship they’d set up and my son dreaming of going to Mars for reasons I won’t spoil. He climbed trees with his cousins at a family reunion and I heard snatches of conversation float down from the leaves. The subject? Moon Dawdler. It made me smile. Because guess what, I love Moon Dawdler too.

I remember reading it to my son for the first time. I chose it because it combined his favorite things in the world—science, dogs, and robots. I remember my little boy curled up against a pillow, completely engaged as I read. He smiled and laughed. Then I watched his eyes go wide and misty as we neared the end. He was seven-years-old (he recently turned eight) and yes, he was that attentive. When I shut the book, he bawled, but when he was done he said it was a “good sad.” I asked him what he thought happened next, what he liked about the story, and if there were parts he didn’t like. I will forever cherish those memories of discussing this sweet story with my little boy.

Moon Dawdler by Brittany Rainsdon’s son

School just started and he took a little bit of Moon Dawdler with him—in the form of a shiny button on his backpack. I thought it was fitting, because in our talks we decided Moon Dawdler is brave.

Backpack with Moongirl button

I don’t know how long Moon Dawdler will be part of my son’s imaginary play, but I do know that story will forever be a part of him. The fair rolled around last week and he entered their art contest. Guess what he drew? I suppose he had most of the summer to practice.

Fair entry

So we had a great summer enjoying the things we love. And when my little boy grows up and reflects on the things he loved at seven or eight years old, I hope we still have that button.

I’m keeping an extra, just in case.

Also, I should clarify that the Moongirl picture is the one my boy coached my daughter through. Right down to the red shoes. lol!

Super-Duper Moongirl by Brittany Rainsdon’s son

Brittany Rainsdon grew up as the only girl in a family with four brothers. She’s reversing that trend with her own children—three girls and one boy. Brittany is a registered nurse and has worked in both medical/surgical and rehabilitation nursing. When she went to her first writing conference in 2017, she wore a new pair of green glasses and several people recognized her during lessons as “that girl in the glasses.” She kept the nickname and uses it as her tag on the Writers of the Future Forum. Brittany wants to eventually publish novels, but is currently focusing on writing short stories. Learn more about Brittany by clicking here.

The post Book review: Moon Dawdler (Sci-Fi Short Story in Writers of the Future 35) appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.

I really really thought that having kids might make this whole writing thing blow up in my face.

I mean, how do you keep working on a novel when you’re sleep-deprived, feeding a helpless human from your own body, and trying to keep up on washing body fluids out of everyone’s laundry?

The Best Day of My Life and the End to My Writing Career

When I gave birth to my first child in 2013, it was the best day of my life and the end of my writing life for many long dark months (at least in the artistic sense). When I wrote my first postpartum blog post, I described the feeling of emerging from a cave back into the light again.

But then I continued to be depressed. I pushed friends away, desperate to find the means to love and care for my growing family and also maintain a faithful connection to the stories I was absolutely sure I needed to keep on writing. But I just couldn’t see how. If there is a moody dramatic impassioned artist type, it pretty much fits me like a glove. (Pity the people who have to put up with me y’all).

So I wept and struggled and tried to write in fits and starts and was interrupted a bajillion times. I brazenly decreed my baby son’s naptime would be my new sacred writing space and begged my mother to help me with childcare while I retreated to her basement or a nearby coffee shop to scribble lines that, if not literature, were at least insanity preventatives.

The Rise of a New Voice

And then, I don’t know exactly when it hit me, but I realized something was shifting inside of me, a gathering, powerful storm. A clarified voice was shaping from within my stories, and it was fierce. The Mother Voice was rising, a burgeoning need to fight and protect the vulnerable and young.

In July 2014, I set out to North Carolina to attend a literary boot camp with Orson Scott Card. He was a writing hero of mine and this was a realization of a personal dream. My son came with me, along with an amazing friend who volunteered to be there to help with him. While at that workshop, I wrote a story called “Here,” in which a motorcycle riding, rough-edged woman softens just enough to start caring for a young homeless boy.

It was the first piece of fiction in which my maternal thoughts were being interwoven with my fiction. My son was 11-months-old at the time. Taking him with me was one of the most challenging things I’d ever done, but I was certain he and I could not be apart for a week yet, simultaneously desperate that I did not miss my chance to attend the workshop. The tension between my two worlds, the writer and the mother, created a kind of static electricity that, I believe brewed my own internal storm.

I thought that becoming a mother and having powerful writing dreams would, in all practicality, send me over “the edge.” Something would have to give, and since I couldn’t, uhm, get rid of my kids, I believed I’d have to bury my writing all the while pretending I didn’t feel incomplete and pallid when I stopped making stories.

Untrained Luck

But then I realized, as I was writing the words I would use to accept my Writers of the Future award, that my children (I had a son and a daughter by that point) had given me a new, vibrant depth to my storytelling. They had made it better. “Here” was re-written and developed into the piece that became “Untrained Luck,” which earned me the honor of inclusion in Writers of the Future Volume 35.

In college, I was writing short plays for a class and my professor commented that I wrote a lot about family. Recently, while editing my short story “Inheritance” for publication in Escape Pod, an editor mentioned that the symbolism and family ties in the work were something not seen enough of in science fiction. It seems themes of family have been haunting me even before I had children, but are now magnified by their presence in my life.

What I want to say to you writers out there, is that there may well be literary gold in the very same little persons who distract you and pull on your clothes and delight in wrestling with you on the floor and forcing you to read them Dr. Seuss’s ABC for the four-hundred-and-eighteenth time. Those munchkins who you’d jump in front of a bus to save are teaching you about the stories you’re burning to tell, and the sacrifices that are really worth making.

Our complicated lives don’t have to be the things that block and choke our storytelling. Sometimes, it’s those wide-eyed miniature people who adore you and keep you up at night and wring your heart dry, that give you the seed of the story you’ve always needed to tell.

In my case, my family helped me write a story that became a huge and important milestone for my career. And they’ll be helping me write my next one.

We met up with Elise at the World Fantasy Convention and had an opportunity to speak with her. Here is that podcast.

PreviousNext

Elise Stephens was raised on a steady diet of fairy tales and Disney musicals. Early involvement in the theater left Elise with a taste for dramatic, high-stakes adventure while frequent international travel gave her awe and respect for foreign cultures. When she fell in love with the intricate plots and strange worlds of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, her fate was sealed for the writing life. She graduated with a Creative Writing degree from the University of Washington where she was awarded the Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction. She attended Orson Scott Card’s Literary Boot Camp in 2014.

Through her fiction, Elise strives to discover the beauty within brokenness and unlock healing after devastating loss. She intends for her stories to offer light and strength for facing the darkness and disappointments of this world. Becoming a mother six years ago added a ferocious affection to her storytelling, and themes of self-sacrifice, legacy, and family ties currently permeate her work.

Elise lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and two rambunctious kiddos in a house with large windows for letting in the sunlight that she constantly craves, both literally and metaphorically. She has three published novels and her short fiction appears or is forthcoming in Writers of the Future Vol 35, STUPEFYING STORIES, and Escape Pod. She is currently writing her fourth novel. Learn more about her writing at www.EliseStephens.com

The post How My Life as a Young Mom Makes My Fiction Powerful appeared first on Writers & Illustrators of the Future.