#Indy Fantasy Writers Guild

[ettawritesnstudies]

Hi Etta! Sorry if you already mentioned this, but where/how did you find your editors? (If you don't mind sharing)

Don't mind at all!

I know there are companies like Reedsy and the Writers Digest which have databases of editors, but that seemed really overwhelming. At the end of the day, the best way to get resources is to network (make friends, and hope their mutuals like you too).

Last year, I did an interview for Amanda Auler on Instagram and she boosted my account, so months later I ended up doing an interview for Addison Horner. He does editing for indie authors, so I asked him for a sample edit and liked it, but I wanted to get other points of comparison first, so I asked around and came up with a short list of editors. I contacted them, and when I had enough to compare, I ended up deciding I liked Addison best and drew up a contract with him. God moment that I found him so quickly.

But if I had to give this advice to someone else I'd recommend following these steps:

Read books in your genre. Read INDIE AUTHORS in your genre. Review their books. Follow them on social media. Be a friendly fan but don't make it weird.

Indie authors are one person publishing teams desperate for engagement and positive attention. They will thank you for your help and be willing to pay it forward when the time comes.

Once you have a handful of books you like that have similar vibes to your book, flip to the acknowledgements and find the editors name.

Google the editor, find their site, submit your inquiry, email works better than a form.

If you can't find the editor online, DM the indie author and ask "hey I really liked your book and it's a good comp title for my WIP. Who's your editor and what was your experience with them like? Do you mind pointing me their way?" Follow the author's advice. Repeat as needed.

(I've only ever received nice responses to this, don't be anxious. If they don't reply they're probably just busy, not annoyed).

When you contact editors, ask about their availability, rates, and be specific about what type of editing you need. Ask for a free sample edit. Mine were 250-2500 words.

Supply details about your WIP. Mine looked like this:

Title: Runaways

Genre: Middle Grade Portal Fantasy. I'm not labeling it as "Christian Fiction" as religion isn't a focus point of the story, but there are significant underlying Catholic themes.

Premise: When Cecelia goes missing one stormy Halloween night, her older sister, Hannah, must venture into the faerie courts to learn the truth about their past and bring her home. (Linked WIP Page with additional information)

Length: About 86,000 words, 180 pages (Times New Roman, 12pt, double spaced, standard 1in margins formatting). 21 chapters with an epilogue

Style: 3rd person limited, present tense. 3 POV characters: primarily Hannah at first, and then Cecelia and the third added later, alternating.

Status/Timeline/Availability: Currently with a 2nd round of beta readers, and I'll be getting feedback by March 31st. After editing the draft to reflect their feedback and doing my own line edits, I'll be looking for a line/copy edit around April/May or early summer.

Types of edits needed: As I understand, every editor uses "line" and "copy" edit slightly differently, but I'm looking for a combination of both styles if possible: checking for internal consistency, logical choreography, adequate descriptions, minor plot or worldbuilding errors, as well as language concerns like cutting crutch words, making sentence structure more dynamic, choosing the right verbs, etc. Developmental editing not needed. Waiting to do proofreading at the moment

When perusing at the editors site, look for credentials/certifications, their backlog of works, and testimonials

If you don't have enough options following this method, join some discord servers! I'm in a local NaNoWriMo group and a Catholic Writers Guild called Inkwells and Anvils which were both useful. I think there might be some writeblr ones as well. Find the critiques channel and send the same information there^^

Compare sample edits. Who respects your voice? Who supplied the most insightful comments? Do you vibe over email? Are they willing to do a stylesheet? Do they like your book? Can you set up a 15 minute zoom call to see if you vibe and discuss details?

Look at prices. My rate is $.015 a word but that's pretty cheap for the industry. Most of the rates I saw publicly were between $.02-.03/word for line editing.

Pray/sleep on it

Once you pick your best option, set a date to send them the manuscript, sign contracts, and make payment.

Send a polite email to the other editors and say "I regret to say you're not quite the right fit for this book, but I appreciate all your time, help, and advice! I hope to work with you in the future" or something along those lines. Don't burn your bridges.

Celebrate!

This whole process took me a couple weeks, everyone was very punctual and professional and friendly. I ended up going with Addison not only because he was the cheapest but also because he made 3X the number of comments as any other writer, and his comments were specific and useful. He understood my characters immediately, I think in part because his writing style is similar to mine, based on his debut novel, Marrow and Soul. We're both Christians who like YA dark fantasy. It's a good match. He's still taking clients for later in the year if that's your vibes. I also worked with Amber Burdett and Sariah Solomon, who were both lovely.

I wish you the best of luck finding an editor who fits your story! I hope this was helpful and not overly long.

[chaospixiemagic]

I feel REALLY shitty promoting my own work during the Writer’s Strike … but I’m also NOT in the guild myself. And still have to make a living as an indie author … so HEY THERE! Wanna check out some YA Epic Fantasy? Of course you do!

Windswept (The Mapweaver Chronicles Book 1) https://a.co/d/1Tpl1pf

[mybookplacenet]

Featured Author Interview: Julie Rogers

Tell us about yourself.: My love for writing started in high school with a first-place award in a themed essay competition. Born with a hearing impairment and congenital abnormalities from rubella, I've always valued the power of the written word and developed recognition for speech patterns by learning musical instruments. My father encouraged her to pursue a degree in journalism and to keep writing no matter what. I received a BFA in Dance Performance and Journalism from Southern Methodist University and completed two years’ post-graduate work at Stephen F. Austin State University. I wrote as a contributing editor for both school papers, area newspapers, and the regional magazine News of East Texas. I was a member of Golden Triangle Writers League while writing in East Texas, helping form my hometown’s first writer critique group with romance author Mary Lynn Baxter and true-crime author Suzy Spencer. In Arkansas, I wrote for community theater, staging and filming several independent projects including her stage comedy, “Garage Sale.” After receiving the Writer’s Digest 1999 Grand Prize, my winning short story “House Call” was selected for publication by William J. Grabowski, former book reviewer and interviewer for The Horror Show magazine. I published my first of seven books in 2001. I also worked as a teaching assistant for Rich Mountain Community College’s film department while writing and collaborating on several screenplays under the management of the late Jeff Ross. Among them are Killing Grounds, a Writer’s Network 2000 Honorable Mention, and Grave Jumper, Fade-In magazine’s 2005 semi-finalist. My inspiration for Grave Jumper came from a composite of true crime reports by former Arkansas State Police Investigator Russell Welch, as well as Unraveled, Welch’s undercover exchange with runner Billy Bottoms regarding the investigation of Barry Seal. After joining Round Rock Writers’ Guild near Austin, Texas, I began collaborating with indie authors as a ghostwriter, editor, and book formatter. I primarily consult and doctor fiction, blog, and screenplay material. I previously worked on contract with Upwork and James Innes Group, writing for clients across the globe on fiction and nonfiction projects, resume enhancement, and LinkedIn profile consultation. Genres I've written are YA, children’s, self-help, inspirational, spiritual, thriller, horror, fantasy, action-adventure, sci-fi, contemporary romance, self-help, technical, and academic. I currently work as a remote freelance ghostwriter and editor for julierogersbooks.com, authorsassistant.com, and Edioak (New York) in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the setting of my seventh book, Falling Stars. I live there with my husband, Jim, a primary care physician, our furry children Madison, Kate, Sukie, and mollusks Dewey, Decimal, and System. I have one son, Seth, who works as a video game level designer in Austin. I'm a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, the Editorial Freelancers Association, Association of Publishers for Special Sales, and Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce. Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?: I grew up in a small town in East Texas. Accelerated Senior English put spurs on our boots, and several in my graduating class were never the same! Do you have any unusual writing habits? Writing always goes better with Panera Bread. What authors have influenced you? I grew up in a small town in East Texas. Accelerated Senior English put spurs on our boots, and several in my graduating class were never the same! Do you have any advice for new authors? Be a consistent contributing member in a good writers' group. What is the best advice you have ever been given? Only kindness matters. What are you reading now? Sutton, J.R. Moehringer What's your biggest weakness? Impatience. What is your favorite book of all time? I really don't have one! When you're not writing, how do you like to spend your time? Either in the gym working out or taking a ballet class. Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you? Now We Are Six, A.A. Milne What has inspired you and your writing style? Annie Dillard What are you working on now? Developmental editing for others and podcasting. What is your favorite method for promoting your work? Written interviews. What's next for you as a writer? Revising the backlist and another dark fantasy. How well do you work under pressure? One step forward, only forward. How do you decide what tone to use with a particular piece of writing? It's usually fits and starts and plenty of stuttering straight out of the chute. Tone takes time. If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be? I'm still realizing why I chose to write FALLING STARS, where that came from. Something new bubbles up every day. Julie Rogers's Author Websites and Profiles Website Amazon Profile Goodreads Profile Julie Rogers's Social Media Links Facebook Page Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest YouTube Account Read the full article

[neil-gaiman]

I’m afraid to try and join the writer’s guild of America, mainly because I feel like as an indie author I don’t qualify by default.

So… you probably don’t qualify to join the WGA (east or west) because they are guilds for people who professionally write screenplays for films and TV, and you need to have sold screenplays to qualify.

There are lots of other organisations though. There’s the Authors Guild, for example, or the SFWA (for Science Fiction and Fantasy writers) or the Romance Writers of America. All the organisations have different qualifications for how to join, so investigate and find out.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2022 - My Summer Rundown (Part 1)

The Runners-up:

20.  DAY SHIFT – Neflix Originals continue to plug the cinematic gaps where needed with an array of impressive (frequently OTT fun) alternatives to big screen adventures, and this bonkers action horror throwback from the makers of the John Wick movies is a pedigree example of this particularly hardy breed.  Jamie Foxx is clearly having a blast chewing the scenery as Bub, the super-violent vampire hunter looking to get back into the good graces of the big-business Los Angeles hunters’ guild that kicked him out for being too overzealous.

19.  TOP GUN: MAVERICK – After a ton of Pandemic-based delays, the long-overdue sequel to Tony Scott’s heavyweight blockbuster popcorn magnet finally arrived to significant fanfare and great box office returns, and despite the inevitable anti-US war-machine grumblings it turned out to be well worth the wait. Tom Cruise steps back into the role that MADE HIS CAREER like he’s never been away as hotshot US Navy fighter ace Pete “Maverick” Mitchell returns to the elite fighter school to train a squadron of young pilots for a desperate secret mission.  Tron: Legacy and Oblivion director Joseph Kosinski delivers thrills and spectacle by the bucketload in a bona fide rollercoaster ride that EASILY does the original justice.

18.  VENGEANCE – I love it when a sneaky smart little indie comes out of nowhere to blow me away, and this deeply satirical black comedy is a DOOZY.  B.J. Novak (The Office) makes his writer-director debut while also starring as aspiring elitist New York podcaster Ben Manalowitz, who hits upon a potential scoop when he winds up in smalltown Texas to attend the funeral of one of his former random hook-ups only to discover her family, led by her big brother Ty (an on-fire Boyd Holbrook), are convinced she was murdered.

17.  MEN – In truth more of AN EXPERIENCE than a film, this twisted existential horror fantasy is one of those movie’s you’re probably only gonna want to watch ONCE, but it’s also definitely one of those movies you REALLY SHOULD see.  Ex-Machina and Annihilation writer-director Alex Garland has put together his most full-on balls-tripping madass feature to date with this fundamentally ODD film about Harper (Wild Rose’s Jessie Buckley), a deeply troubled new widow who’s vacationing alone in a quaint English country house, only to find herself terrorised by a succession of seemingly demonic men who all have the same face (the immensely talented Rory Kinnear delivering one of the best and most impressively varied turns I’ve ever seen him deliver).

16.  SAMARITAN – Overlord director Julius Avery has delivered another cracker with this gleefully inventive and explosively robust alternative take on a superhero movie in which Sylvester Stallone lands one of his most interesting and meaty roles IN AGES as the titular former superpowered crime fighter who finds himself dragged out of his long self-imposed social exile by twelve year-old fanboy Sam (Euphoria’s Javon Walton) when local aspiring crime-boss Cyrus (a typically mesmerising Pilou Asbæk) attempts to spur a citywide uprising.

15.  LIGHTYEAR – Disney/Pixar bring the high-powered origin story of Toy Story’s intergalactic hero Buzz Lightyear to the big screen in fine style in this all-action animated sci-fi treat that sees Chris Evans take on another iconic role after ending his tenure as Captain America with his usual enthusiastic, large-than-life aplomb.  Finding Dory director Angus MacLane delivers thrills, spills and deep belly-laughs as Buzz and a ragtag crew of less-than-prime Space Rangers (which includes a wonderfully game Taika Waititi) fight to save their world from the threat of Zurg …

14.  THE FORGIVEN – Masterful writer-director John Michael McDonaugh (The Guard, Calvary) delivers an emotionally charged and deeply resonant psychological slow-burn thriller adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s acclaimed novel.  Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain both deliver spellbindingly complex performances as the souring upper class couple faced with a crushing moral quandary after accidentally running over a boy in the Moroccan desert on their way to a high society party held by Matt Smith’s idle rich socialite.

13.  BEAST – Idris Elba is at his usual charismatic-yet-vulnerable best as out-of-his-depth Dr Nate Samuels, the father of two wilful teenage girls who finds himself fighting to protect his family from a ferocious rogue lion while visiting old friend Martin (Sharlto Copley), a wildlife biologist working in the South African bush.  Director Baltasar Kormakur has made quite a career shepherding man-against-nature thrillers to the big screen (The Deep, Everest, Adrift), so he’s more than capable of delivering on the super-tense thrills required here.

12.  FIRESTARTER – The second big screen adaptation of one of Stephen King’s most criminally underrated novels may have tanked at the box office (then again, its simultaneous streaming release on Peacock can’t have helped) and been largely panned by critics, but I thought it was a rousing success.  Zac Efron is darkly charismatic as telepathic fugitive Andy McGee, determined to keep his troubled pre-teen pyrokinetic daughter Charlie (The Tomorrow War’s Ryan Keira Armstrong) out of the clutches of the clandestine government outfit looking to profit from her potentially devastating powers, with Keith Thomas (director of acclaimed indie horror The Vigil) bringing Halloween Kills writer Scott Teems’ tight, taut and rewardingly stripped-back script to compelling life.

11.  THE SEA BEAST – Neflix made an impressive stab at grabbing the animation crown for the summer with this wildly-inventive and thoroughly rewarding nautical family adventure fantasy set in a world where a whole society has grown up around the hunting of massive sea monsters.  The classic pirate cinema conventions are paid suitably rip-roaring tribute as we follow Karl Urban and Jared Harris’ salty buccaneers on their quest to bring down the fearsome Red Bluster, only to discover what they’ve been brought up believing could be very wrong indeed …

[guildlings]

Meet Our Creative Director: Jamie Antonisse

There are many more adventures in store for the Guildlings, so today we’re sitting down with Sirvo Studios’ co-founder and our game’s Creative Director, Jamie Antonisse!

Prior to Guildlings, Jamie was best known for indie games including The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom. As a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Interactive Media MFA program, he’s our resident expert on all things related to characters, story, and setting!

So how did Guildlings start?

Guildlings began as Sirvo co-founder Asher Vollmer’s brainchild, way back in 2012. He had this idea for a game about being a “Guildmaster,” and sending adventuring heroes across the world on quests. He asked me to help him with a paper prototype. We developed it over the course of a couple days, tested it, enjoyed it, and promptly put it in a drawer for three years.

Then in 2015, Asher pitched me on an adjusted version of the game: what if, instead of a scribe sending barbarians and wizards across a stock fantasy realm, the game was about teenagers setting out on a magical road trip? That felt really exciting to me. It took me back to my own journeys across the continental US, including the one that took me from DC to California. I cooked up an atlas of destinations pinned on a mystic-modern continent.

That’s when we both realized we had to make this game, and we’d need a team to do it justice. We joined forces with Ryan Sullivan, Asher reached out to some talented artists he’d admired from Twitter (including Ellen, Kyle Youngblom, and Mac Schubert).

With a unique modern fantasy setting like this, did you look at other games or stories for inspiration?

The original draft was very much an attempt to find little nuggets of magical realism hidden in a map of the USA. I definitely had snippets of Italo Calvino and Borges in my head while I was working.

But Worldaria really came into focus when I looked back on the result and started thinking about it less as an Invisible City and more as a 21st century Oz. Oz is such a great creation; it takes the enormous upheaval and complexity of 1900’s America and runs it through this evocative fantasy filter. It makes its fantasy elements approachable, vulnerable, human.

I wanted Worldaria to do that for our modern world. I wanted to take social networks, coffee chains, skate videos, and office parks and make them magical. Conversely, I really wanted to bring elves and goblins down to earth. I wanted to see an elf driving a Honda Civic on a learner’s permit.

There were other references that became important to the game, of course: Steven Universe, The Adventure Zone, even parts of Homestuck. But those came later, once our team had established the characters.

When character designer Ellen Alsop came aboard, did you already have a fairly solid idea of the characters?

Nope! When Ellen first came aboard, the game was quite different. In fact, your entire team of friends could be randomly generated from different classes and personality traits. It was only after a month or two of experimentation that we ditched the procedural and decided to focus on a specific story, a specific set of friends. I wrote up some names and outlines for Ellen to work from, and she came back with some specific requests, including Myers-Briggs personality types, to round the kids out. Only two of these characters came out looking anything like I’d imagined. The rest were totally different, and far more interesting, than the sketches I had bouncing around in my head.

The team dynamic developed a lot over time as well. I really credit the writers rooms we did for that. These were two-day focused brainstorms where we really broke down the characters’ wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses, and made sure that everyone had a solid arc. In addition to our eventual staff writers Adam Hann-Byrd and Danyel Copeland, we brought in some talented folks for those rooms. Child psychologists, YA writers, social media strategists, all sorts of perspectives contributed to the makeup of our guild. 

The game features a lot of group chats and texting, so bringing in social media people was to learn how to do that most effectively. What sort of insights did they share?

I think my biggest takeaway from those sessions was to be authentic, to create from a place of excitement and irreverence instead of filling the script with Tolkien-y versions of the latest memes. This was a delicate balance with one character in particular, I’m guessing you can imagine who. 

Another thing people often notice about the game is that it uses lots of emoji.

If you’re looking at emoji as a gimmick, you will invariably use it wrong. If you look at it as a replacement for a single word ("let’s have 🦃 for dinner”) you’re just playing charades. Emoji work really well as shorthand, especially for emotional ideas. Some of those meanings are specific to certain people. I guess if there is a secret, it’s that I’m genuinely interested in emoji. If you’re not genuinely interested in them, you probably shouldn’t use them in your game!

Who was hardest to pin down, as a character?

Probably Palance, because I found him so personally relatable. He was sort of my stand-in for a while, but no one wants the lead writer lurking in their chat. Eventually, through some conversation with other writers, I realized that Palance needed to provide a stronger, more specific lense on this world. Gwynn viewed things through rules and structures, Syb through sarcasm and logic, Chazazz through stream-of-conscious key clack. I went back over Palance and started to understand him as a visual and emotional thinker. So I figured he could rely on more of a language of emoji to express himself. 

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in games?

If you want to learn the craft of development, study the game genres you love. If you want to contribute to the future of the medium, look around and between genres, seek out the games that don’t exist yet. The range of expression in this medium is already huge, but we’ve still just seen a fraction of what’s possible. Examine those empty spaces. You might find the perfect spot for your career.

That’s somewhat selfish advice, because it’s really what I want to see out of the next generation of games: more surprising successes and more interesting failures.

What’s one thing players can look forward to in the next installment of Guildlings?

The next story update will be a kind of bridge to Chapter 2. The game will open up quite a bit. I’ll tease a few more details in our upcoming newsletter, but for now I’ll just leave you with this headline: Fakey will return in 2020. 

[quill-of-thoth]

The Lemuria Incident

At the advice of @marmaladedtoast​, I have decided that the statute of limitations has (probably) run out on telling you all the Lemuria Incident. At this time, Toast and I were running, mostly by the skin of our teeth, a college writing club. After a first year that included an unfortunate kerning incident, learning WAY too much about our then-secretary’s batman fantasies, and a miraculous lack of anyone pointing out that I didn’t know how to president, we had exactly one problem going into our first official year as a club. I’d promised to have a real published writer come in to give a talk once a year. Problem was, aside from the alumna I’d buttered up in year one after she came for another event? I didn’t know any.

Enter my lifesaving board. Toast was my vice president: her job was to keep me from making a complete fool of myself. We had a treasurer who was supposed to go to student council meetings (he didn’t) and keep track of the funds we didn’t have, and who was also more of a Leninist than a garden variety college communist. We had a public relations person, and I’m not actually sure this far after the fact what she did other than incite the other major drama of the club.

Oh, and mock the bad kerning.

Our new secretary, however, had an aunt who lived less than three hours away. I want to state up front that none of the following nonsense was, directly or indirectly, the secretary’s fault. “She’s looking into indie publishing,” said Secretary, and I emerged from my pile of chemistry homework to explain that we might be able to pay her in pizza, assuming Treasurer ever went to a student council meeting, so if she really wanted to volunteer for free...

“She wants to build an Audience.”

Fine. I had an analytical chemistry shaped hole to crawl into and die in.

The day arrived to a lot of excitement. Some of it was from me, because here was a week where someone ELSE would run my meeting and despite my increasingly bedraggled state, analytical chemistry hadn’t managed to kill me yet.

“Hello my darlings - now shut up.” (When you run a club in college, you have to address them like this, or they might notice that you’re winging it.) “We have a very special guest tonight: let’s hear it for Secretary’s aunt, Tikiphile!”

(Obviously not her real name, but we’ll get to the reasons behind the alias in a minute.)

“Tikiphile is here to talk to us about her book-” *checks notes* “Lost Island of Magic,” (again, not the actual name.)

Finally, I was able to sit down with Toast, and I had about 0.7 seconds of rest before the Lemuria Debacle truly began.

For those of you who don’t know - likely because it finally seems to have died out of the fantasy genre’s collective consciousness - Lemuria is a proposed counterpart to Atlantis, existing either in the Indian or Pacific ocean, because the ‘scientists’ who proposed it in the late 1800′s weren’t geographers and also nobody had noticed plate tectonics yet. It has since morphed in the world of fantasy writing into an “I want to write about Atlantis but that would be cliche so I wikipedia’d around” trope. 

In the minds of our club (again, if you’re on tumblr, Secretary... sorry? It was funny, though.) it means a one-way flashback trip to a presentation that went something like this:

“Let’s start with a little exercise,” said Tikiphile, “I’m very good at reading people’s creative energy, so let’s get to know everyone’s genre.” She looked the board up and down. “Ah yes, you must write romance, it’s in your eyes, dear,” she said to Toast, who may be 100% aboard the shipping train but has never, to my knowledge, written the “soulful love story,” that Tikiphile implied she was working on. “You are very clearly a poet,” she said to me, and because it was college and I had not yet run out of fucks to give I didn’t tell her that we were contractually obligated to avoid poetry. Not that I’d know that muse if she bit me. “Obviously you write horror,” she said to the Treasurer, who was 1) the only man in the board 2) incapable of producing horror intentionally, preferring to create the ongoing discomfort that always accompanies a man who thinks that if he keeps dating members of a social group one of them will eventually fall in love with him.

“Mystery would suit you,” she said to the PR chair, who preferred embarking on real life espionage to actually writing.

“And of course I already know that Secretary writes fantasy.”

Toast and I exchanged a look that, at least on my end, said “It’s only an hour, we can do this, right?”

Wrong.

It became apparent within the first five minutes of a talk that included the importance of making an inspiration board - out of printed out pictures in a binder - that Lemuria, for Tikiphile, was less of an interesting setting than a vehicle for regurgitating the entire new age, partially digested, for our consumption. 

She apparently believed that Lemuria and Atlantis had “some basis in truth” and that you could tell especially psychic people by their purple eyes.  Nobody told her that Snopes was already on the case. But she went on to describe her main character, an “exotic” Hawaiian-but-not-really-because-hawaii-was-just-part-of-Lemuria priestess with exceptional psychic powers, purple eyes, and a quest to save Lemuria from... sinking I guess? Honestly I broke down by the time she mentioned the purple eyes.

What the fuck? I wrote on the piece of paper that I had optimistically thought I’d make notes of agents or publishers on, and passed it to Toast. 

Toast did not know what the fuck. No one knew what the fuck. Except for Secretary, who was beginning to be embarrassed, and Tikiphile, who had apparently watched Twilight.

“You have to have a very clear idea of your character in your head,” Tikiphile explained, “especially if they’re the romantic interest. I’ve cast Taylor Lautner as the Lemurian warrior who my priestess main character is supposed to marry, but of course her true soulmate, the atlantean she has visions of -”

To this day, I don’t remember too many more details of the forty five minute talk beyond that it ranged from psychic visions to reincarnation to aliens to cultural appropriation and that all of my furious note passing to Toast on the topic of “what the hell,” and “This is so awkward,” and “she does know that saying that is kinda racist, right?” didn’t leave any evidence behind.

Finally, it was over, like a bad dream, or what I expect normal people’s bad dreams are like. 

“Any questions?” I asked the club, which was sitting around in various stages of secondhand embarassment.

“Um, yeah,” piped up one particularly brave freshman, “I wanted to know how much of this you’ve written so far, because I always have trouble finishing my stories.”

“About ten pages,” said Tikiphile, and demonstrated the loosleaf pages in her otherwise plump binder. Readers, Writers’ Guild did not have a key speaker the next year.

[nanowrimo]

Camp Pep: Climb Your Mountain

We’re nearing the finish line of Camp NaNoWriMo this April! Today, Camp Nano participant Rachel Lightfoot offers some wise words on how to catch up if you’re feeling that you’ve fallen behind in your race towards your goal:

The last week of this Camp session lies ahead, and I’ve yet to write a single word. While others have had an extremely productive month chasing after plot bunnies and letting their characters take them on wild adventures, I’ve been bogged down with the daily grind of coursework and life, getting antsier as the days slip away. And I know I’m not the only one.

I’ve been here many times before, pushing it right to the wire before pulling off a come-from-behind victory. For those of you here with me, I know how each passing day feels—the writer’s Dark Night of the Soul. There’s the anxious panic that you’re running out of time, that you’ll never be able to pull this off. That you were a fool to think you could cut it at this writing thing, so you might as well just give up now before you waste any more time on an impossible pipe dream.

I’m here to tell you, you’re wrong.

Whether you’ve put one single word on paper, or you made it halfway up your mountain before hitting a rut, you are a writer. You’ve chased after a dream, breathed life into characters, and felt called to tell their story. As long as you can still feel the story’s pulse, still feel that aching longing to dig deep and keep trying, you’re doing it right.

“In these last few days, I urge you to give yourself permission to write with reckless abandon.”

Everyone’s climb up the writer’s mountain is slightly different. Some trek fast and others slow, but none is better or worse than another.

I have a canvas above my writing desk to help me remember this. It’s a short quote I put together years ago when asked what I needed to hear most: “Foot by foot, word by word, climb your mountain.” Every word matters, even if it’s eventually cut in edits. It gets you closer to the heart of your story, gives you insight into your characters and their motivations. Those are things hard-won and worth celebrating! And this month, this challenge, is your invitation to do just that.

Time might be slipping away, but it’s never too late to start a last-minute charge. Every November, some speedy writers reach 50k the very first day. The magic that drives them onward, and drives the last-minute frenziers, like myself, isn’t limited to any specific date on a calendar. It’s inside us, inside you. It’s the burning desire to keep chasing that dream and drown out any nay-sayers with your characters’ voices. With your voice, your story—that no topsy-turvy life can wrench away from you, not forever.

In these last few days, I urge you to give yourself permission to write with reckless abandon. Embrace every typo, every mistake, no matter how glaring, and see how much you can do when you let go of worry and fear. Each word brings you that much closer to your goal and is a declaration all its own.

You are a writer. You can dream the impossible dream and turn it into reality. But the only way to do it is to put one word in front of the other, time and time again.

So pick up your pen or open your laptop—we both have mountains to climb.

A Missouri native, Rachel C. Lightfoot currently attends medical school at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. She first embraced the heady NaNo frenzy in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. She exclusively writes fantasy, drawing on fae lore to color her worlds, with a hint of “drunk science” thrown in. Her treks up the writer’s mountain have spawned two indie published novels and countless co-written pieces. You can catch her on Twitter or her writing guild’s website.

Top photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash.

[nihilnovisubsole]

Hi guys! I’ve put together a list of practical questions regarding Dangerous Crowns’ upcoming release. This is mostly about how to get your hands on it, but there are some details about the book’s content as well. For the cover reveal and full blurb, go here.

What is Dangerous Crowns about?

Dangerous Crowns is about an officer and spy, General Marcus Incipio and Lady Livia. Fed up with their despotic king, they plot to overthrow him, and the two lovers are tested as they become more and more entangled in their plans. The story is set in the province of Histria, a fictional land inspired by Greco-Roman art and culture.

Dangerous Crowns contains elements of political thriller, fantasy, and romance. If you like lady spies, palace intrigue, handsome older men, fancy clothes, snarky banter, neoclassical aesthetics, power couples, stealthy adventure, or the good old-fashioned fantasy of sticking it to a tyrannical ruler, it might be for you!

Wait, so it’s not actually set in Ancient Rome?

The world of Dangerous Crowns is inspired by various societies and time periods, but has many deliberate breaks from historical accuracy. It’s not historical fiction - it’s an original universe with its own rules, so you can expect some fantasy tropes to factor in as well. Here are more details from the book’s appendix:

“While the setting is based on years of research, it is intentionally anachronistic, and some elements are simplified, remixed, or purely fictional. Printing presses and violins coexist with tunics and thieves’ guilds, and soldiers with ancient names use modern military ranks. This was done for both fun and readability. I wanted a lush, but straightforward world, so a reader - especially one unfamiliar with fantasy tropes - could understand the story without cumbersome amounts of exposition or lore.”

How much “fantasy” are we talking?

Not much. Dangerous Crowns has neither magic nor supernatural beings like elves and dwarves - in a way, it’s more of an “alternate reality.” But you can still recognize some ingredients like a quest, a fictional religion, and warrior and rogue archetypes.

I don’t have a Kindle! Will I still be able to read the book?

Amazon offers free reader software for both PC and Mac, as well as free reader apps for iOS and Android. As far as I know, most modern equipment should be able to run it.

If it feels like a hassle to download it just for one book, there are a lot of great indie writers out there! You might start with Among the Hollow by Roman Ankenbrandt, and my former Voltage producer recommends Yasmine Galenorn.

Will Dangerous Crowns be available for pre-order?

No - it’ll be released directly on March 15th. Internet wisdom seems to be that with first books, you’re better off doing a straight release, whereas future books or installments in a series benefit from the pre-order hype. I’ve also read that it negatively impacts your book’s day-one sales rank, though I don’t have any evidence to back that up.

Will it be available on other platforms, like Kobo or Smashwords?

At the start, Dangerous Crowns will only be on Amazon, as I’d like to make it available on Kindle Unlimited. I’ve been told that Unlimited can help new authors without an established reputation, and I think it would be good to take advantage of that. It’s not a decision I’ve made lightly - I know there are people out there who can’t or don’t want to deal with Amazon, and I’d like to find a way to accommodate them if I can.

The good news is, Kindle Unlimited isn’t permanent, so if the book does well, it may be something I consider in the future.

What about physical print copies?

The idea of people owning paperback versions of Dangerous Crowns is really cool, but a tall order to think about right now. Again, if the book really takes off, I might consider it, but I don’t want to get too ahead of myself.

How much will it cost?

Dangerous Crowns will be $4.99 USD.

What rating would you give Dangerous Crowns?

I’d say Dangerous Crowns is for audiences mature enough to know what they’re getting into. There’s nothing in there that I feel warrants a strict adults-only rating, but it does have violence and vague/implicit sexual situations.

What’s that appendix you mentioned earlier?

At the end of Dangerous Crowns is about a 4,000-word “lore bible,” or notes on everything from fashion to science to marriage rules. I kept them around for my own reference as I wrote the book, and several friends of mine thought they might be interesting to include. I hope you don’t need them to understand the story, but if you liked it, you can keep reading and see the worldbuilding that went into it.

Still have questions? Let me know!

[theairshipwars]

Indy Fantasy Writers: Richard Billing!

Welcome back, Gentle Readers. I trust that the New Year saw you all drowning in books, and to that TBR pile I would love to add the latest addition to the Guild; the erudite and truly-nice-chap, Richard Billing, author of The General. nb. Every week, here at the erstwhile home of the Guild (not really a home as such, more of a drinking spot for the itinerent adventurers that indy writers so often…

[myanimerecs]

Tags Masterlist

Here’s all the tags I use for your browsing pleasure. I didn’t realise how many there were until I typed them all out 😅

Ratings:

1/3, 2/3, 3/3 

Adaption:

Game, Light Novel, Live Action, Manga, Novel, Original Work, Song, Visual Novel

Categories:

15th Century, 16th Century, 19th Century

Abstract, Acting, Action, Adult Couple, Adventure, Afterlife, Age Gap, Age Transformation, Aging, Alcohol, Aliens, All Boys School, All Girls School, America, Amusement Park, Androids, Androphobia, Angels, Animal Abuse, Animal Characteristics, Animal Protagonist, Anime Industry, Apartment Life, Apprenticeship, Archery, Arranged Marriage, Art, Assassins, Astronomy, Autobiography, Aviation

Badminton, Bar, Baseball, Basketball, Battle Royale, Bears, Biography, Birds, Blackmail, Board Games, Boarding House, Boarding School, Bodyguards, Body Sharing, Body Swapping, Bookstore, Boss Employee Relationship, Bounty Hunters, Buddhism, Bullying, Butlers

Cafe, Cannibalism, Card Battles, Cars, Cats, Cheats, Chibi, Childcare, Childhood Friends, Childhood Promise, Chinese, Christianity, Christmas, Circus, Classical Music, Club, Cohabitation, College, Comedy, Coming of Age, Conspiracy, Contemporary Fantasy, Convenience Store, Cooking, Countryside, Criminals, Crossdressing, Crossover, Crude, Curse, Cyberpunk, Cyborgs,   Cycling

Dancing, Dark Comedy, Dark Fantasy, Debt, Delinquents, Dementia, Demon, Demon King, Desert, Detective, Doujinshi Industry, Dragons, Drama, Dream World, Drug Use, Dungeon, Dystopia

E/cchi, Educational, Emotional Abuse, England, Environmental, Episodic, Europe

Fake Romance, Family Life, Fantasy, Fashion, Fated Lovers, Feudal Japan, Fishing, Food, Food Protagonist, Forest, Fourth Wall Break, France, Fujoshi

Gag, Gambling, Game, Gangs, Gender Bender, Ghosts, God Human Relationship, Gods, Guilds, Gunfights, Guns, Gymnastics

Hacking, Hamster, Hand to Hand Combat, H/arem, Hell, High Stakes, Historical, Horror, Hosts, Hotel/Inn, Human Experimentation

Ice Skating, Idol, Illness, Inheritance, Insects, Isekai, Island, Isolated Society, Iyashikei

Japanese Mythology, Josei, Jungle

Kids, Kendo, Korean

Lawyers, LGBT, Library, Lifestyle Change, Loneliness, Love Confession, Love Triangle

Magic, Magical Girl, Maid, Manga Industry, Mansion, Married Life, Martial Arts, Master Servant Relationship, Mature Romance, Mature Themes, Mecha, Medical, Medieval, Melancholy, Memory Loss, Mercenaries, Mermaids, Middle Eastern, Military, Mind Games, MMORPG, Monster Girls, Monsters, Motorcycle, Mountain Climbing, Music, Mysterious Shop, Mystery

Neighbours, Newly Co Ed School, Ninja, No Dialogue, Norse Mythology, Novel Industry, N/udity, Nurses

Ocean, Opposites Attract, Orphans, Otaku, Outside World, Overpowered Character

Pandemic, Parody, Pets, Photography, Physical Abuse, Pigs, Pirates, Play or Die, Police, Political, Post Apocalyptic, Poverty, Prehistoric, Prison, Promotional, Prophecy, Proxy Battles, Psychic Powers, Psychological, Psychopaths, PVE, PVP

Rabbits, Racing, Rebellion, Recipes, Reincarnation, Religion, Restaurant, Revenge, Reverse H/arem, Rivalries, Robots, Rock Music, Romance, Rom Com, Roommates, Royalty, RPG, Rugby

Samurai, Sanrio, Satire, School, Sci Fi, Secret Identity, Seinen, Senpai Kouhai Relationship, Serial Killers, S/exual Abuse, S/exual Content, Shinigami, Shoujo, Shoujo Ai, Shounen, Shounen Ai, Showbiz, Siblings, Slapstick, Slice of Life, Soccer, Social Gap, Social Media, Space, Sports, Steampunk, Student Council, Student Teacher Relationship, Sudden Girlfriend Appearance, Suicide, Sumo Wrestling, Superheroes, Supernatural, Superpowers, Survival, Swimming, Swordplay

Teaching, Tennis, Terrorism, The Great Outdoors, Thieves, Thriller, Time Travel, Tourism, Tournaments, Track and Field, Trains, Transfer Student, Trapped in a Game 

Unrequited Love, Urban Fantasy, Urban Legend

Vampire, Vigilantes, Violence, Virtual Reality, Voice Acting, Volleyball

War, Weak to Strong, Werewolves, Western, Work Life, Wrestling, Writers, WWII

Xianxia

Yakuza, Y/aoi, Youkai, Yuri

Zombies, Zoo

Game Only Tags:

Atomospheric, Choices Matter, Cute, Dark, Dating Sim, Female Protagonist, First Person, Free to Play, Gore, Indie, Interactive Fiction, Male Protagonist, Multiple Endings, Otome, Simulation, Single Player, Story Rich, Strategy, Text, Visual Novel

Series:

Fate, Persona, Tales Of, This Boy

Type:

Advertisement, Movie, Music Video, ONA, OVA, Special

No. of Seasons:

1 Season, 2 Seasons, 3 Seasons, 4 Seasons, 5 Seasons, 6 Seasons, 7 Seasons, 8 Seasons, 9 Seasons, 10 Seasons, 11 Seasons, 12 Seasons, 13 Seasons

No. of Episodes:

1-6, 7-13, 14-26, 27-35, 36-50, 51-75, 76-99, 100-199, 200-299, 300-399, 400-499, 500-599, 600-699, 700-799, 800-899, 900-999

So I tried to add links to these but apparently tags with a ‘-’ in them makes them unsearchable in a browser. They show up if you click the tags on mobile though so 🤷‍♀️ 

Length:

Short (1 - 19 eps), Medium (20 - 50 eps), Long (51 - 99 eps), Lengthy (100+ eps)

Other:

Anime Recs, Cartoon Recs, Game Recs, Ongoing, Short Episodes

Random:

Asks, Edit, Fanart, Figma, Figure, Funny, Gif, Gifset, Nendoroid, Not Anime, Photo, Photo Set, Seasonal Anime, Shitpost, Text Post, Video

Just a word of warning that some of the later tags may not show all the entries that have them, for example Gintama doesn’t show up in the lengthy series tag despite being tagged as such. For some reason tumblr only allows the first 20 to be searchable so keep that in mind. 

[tachyonpub]

Get Daryl Gregory’s charming, horrifying, and award-winning WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE for only $1.99!

Daryl Gregory’s World Fantasy and Shirley Jackson Award-winning book WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE is a Kindle Daily Deal for Thursday, May 9.

For today only, the ebook is available for just $1.99!

World Fantasy Award Winner

Shirley Jackson Award Winner

Nebula Award Nominee

Locus Award Nominee

Theodore Sturgeon Award Nominee

BookRiot 100 MUST-READ INDIE PRESS BOOKS

Selected as the Horror After Dark Top Horror Read for 2014

“Daryl Gregory’s We Are All Completely Fine is bitchin’ fun and as wicked and strange as a motorcycle leap through a ring of fire without your pants on. Loved it.” —Joe R. Lansdale, author of Cold in July and the Hap and Leonard series

Harrison was the Monster Detective, a storybook hero. Now he’s in his mid-thirties and spends most of his time popping pills and not sleeping. Stan became a minor celebrity after being partially eaten by cannibals. Barbara is haunted by unreadable messages carved upon her bones. Greta may or may not be a mass-murdering arsonist. Martin never takes off his sunglasses. Never. No one believes the extent of their horrific tales, not until they are sought out by psychotherapist Dr. Jan Sayer. What happens when these seemingly-insane outcasts form a support group?  Together they must discover which monsters they face are within—and which are lurking in plain sight.

“[STARRED REVIEW] This complex novel—scathingly funny, horrific yet oddly inspiring—constructs a seductive puzzle from torn identities, focusing on both the value and peril of fear. When enigmatic Dr. Jan Sayer gathers survivors of supernatural violence for therapy, she unwittingly unlocks evil from the prison of consciousness. Harrison, a cynical monster-hunter, wallows in lethargy. Suicidal Barbara burns to read the secret messages inscribed on her bones. Cantankerous Stan is the lone survivor of a cannibal feast. After paranoid Martin sees slithery spirits lingering around volatile Greta, a powerful young woman decorated with mystically charged scars, ancient evils usher the rag-tag survivors to a battle with the Hidden Ones, exiled deities trapped in prisons of flesh. Gregory’s beautiful imagery and metaphors bring bittersweet intimacy and tenderness to the primal wonder of star-lit legends. Isolated people, both victims and victimizers, are ghosts in a waking world, blind to their encounters with living nightmares. Blending the stark realism of pain and isolation with the liberating force of the fantastic, Gregory (Afterparty) makes it easy to believe that the world is an illusion, behind which lurks an alternative truth—dark, degenerate, and sublime.” —Publishers Weekly

“…a clever and creepy horror tale…” —Library Journal

“Clever, and filled with the creeping dread of what’s in the flickering shadow next to you and what’s just around the corner that suffuses the best horror. I loved it.” —Ellen Datlow, Bram Stoker, World Fantasy, and International Horror Guild award-winning editor of The Best Horror of the Year series

“[Gregory’s] plotting, characterisations, and yes, the writing itself, is all that good. In short, this one completely blew me away….” —Horror After Dark

“Charming and horrifying—you won’t be able to stop reading it.” —Tim Powers, award-winning author of Declare and The Stress of Her Regard

“Daryl Gregory is a writer I would happily follow into any dark place he wanted me to go. This is a labyrinth of a story, intricate as a spider’s web—and like a spider’s web, each piece informs the whole. Beautiful.” —Seanan McGuire, author of the October Daye series and Half-Off Ragnarok

“A superb, haunting tale by one of our very best writers. Gregory’s characters are already in therapy; you may want to join them after reading this spicy, disturbing mélange.” —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues

“[Gregory] is a truly gifted writer and We Are All Completely Fine is just more evidence to the fact.” —SFRevu

“Lovecraft meets Cabin in the Woods in this tale of survivors of various supernatural horrors who come together in a support group to try to heal….fascinating” —Fantastic Reads

“Gregory (Pandemonium, The Devil’s Alphabet, et. al.) has done it again with yet another singularly unique, genre-blending masterwork about a support group of victims of paranormal violence who realize that their nightmarish traumas are all related. This creepy concoction of supernatural fiction, mystery, and horror is a dark little literary gem that readers will absolutely cherish.” Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble.com

For info on WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

[utopiaworldcreator-blog]

3 days.... 3 days I’ve been working on this concept, gathering information and working on making it a reality “Utopia World”

A fantasy community split into 3 sections:

The Citadel: made up of a market place full of indie businesses selling their craft. Artist Alley, the home of the beautiful artists and their work and the Writers Guild, where Authors can promote and sell e-books, trial content and discuss ideas.

The Whisperers Keep: The home of Forum!.. Dun Dun Dunnnnn

The Free Land: The realm of text based fantasy RP, with kingdoms, towns, villages, dungeons, mountains... the list goes on.

To imagine and build a community with everything we could possibly want in one place, writers collaborating with artists, local small home businesses selling theirs products to their right consumer base. Roleplayers and fantasy lovers having unlimited access to all things fantasy 💖

Promoting... striving... building a Fantasy World into a reality 🧝🏻‍♀️🧚🏼‍♂️🦄🐺🐉🧛‍♀️🧙‍♂️😈👹☠️👻🤯

All support, shares, feedback and help to make this happen is greatly appreciated!

[diversityinya]

Reclaiming Taipei with WANT

By Cindy Pon

Even before there was Ghost in the Shell, there was LUCY. Admittedly, it was pretty much agreed that LUCY was a crappy movie all round, but I only had to suffer the trailer to know that it was not for me. It opens with ScarJo kidnapped by Taiwanese mafia type, before she gives the bad boys the ass kicking they deserve. Asian mafia/triad/gang is a western media trope hollywood falls upon time and again. But what really got me was when ScarJo escaped, she was shouting “Do you speak English?” and then shooting Taiwanese who didn’t. Sure, maybe it was another triad baddie, but WTF ever. The fact that Hollywood did not see the heavily racist overtones of this opening scene is unsurprising... and infuriating.

So in one of the first major Hollywood movies where my birth city is featured on the big screen, ScarJo is shown gunning down Taiwanese men and demanding that they speak English. *insert appropriate RAGE gif here*

I joke that I write All Asian All the Time. But it’s not really a joke if it’s true, is it? WANT is my first near-future thriller set in Taipei with a cast composed entirely of Asian and Pacific Islander characters, and a Taiwanese hero featured prominently on the cover. 

WANT is the first YA set in Taiwan I am aware of released by a bigger US publisher, and definitely the first YA SF. The cover art was designed by the amazing Jason Chan, and my audio book is narrated by Chinese American actor Roger Yeh. I had requested an Asian voice actor and my awesome audio book publisher honored that request! You can listen to a sample of Roger’s fantastic narration here. 

It hasn’t been an easy journey. Publishing is a rough business, period, but when you’re insisting on writing novels with basically entire Asian casts, your story is seen as too niche, an outlier. Asian Americans have been othered in western media from the beginning, and it comes as no surprise this was also the case in young adult novels. 

There is no greater compliment for me as a writer than to have a reader tell me they could see my books made into a movie, but also probably nothing as heartbreaking. I know my narratives are too western for Asia and too Asian for the west to garner interest from film or dramatic rights. It would be too much of a risk, too big of a leap. As Americans, we’ll accept immigrant stories from Asian Americans (and not much else), we’ll admire and ogle the “exotic” Asian backdrops, costumes, customs, culture, and women. But Asian faces will still be relegated to the background as side characters to provide some “authenticity” and lend to the Asian ambiance. 

These are not the stories I write, friends. And I will continue to put Asian protagonists at the forefront of all of my stories. I celebrate each publication as a triumph, and my heart is lifted by the young Asian American creators and storytellers I see rising to tell their own tales—to bring to life what we personally never got to see as young readers.

WANT releases June 13th and can be purchased (mostly) where all books are sold. Or you can order through my favorite indie Mysterious Galaxy Books to receive signed and personalized copies (while supporting indie, woohoo!) and I’ll include gorgeous art swag by Jason Chan and myself.

I’m so thrilled to share WANT with you, readers. I hope you fall in love with these characters and Taipei as much as I love them. 

Add WANT to your goodreads.

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA; Serpentine and Sacrifice (Month9Books), which were both Junior Library Guild selections and received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus, respectively; and WANT (Simon Pulse), also a Junior Library Guild selection, is a near-future thriller set in Taipei. She is the cofounder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush-painting student of over a decade. Learn more about her books and art at http://cindypon.com.

[barbosaasouza]

GameACon 2016: Breaking Into Game Writing

In this podcast, game writers Sande Chen, Jennifer Estaris, David Kuelz, Matthue Roth, and Ant Tessitore, along with moderator Patrick Coursey, give inspiring and encouraging advice on how to break into the game industry as a writer. I am really thankful to Michael Beeghley for salvaging this audio recording.  He has really worked wonders with the material, revealing previously inaudible portions.  You'll still hear water glasses clinking or other sound quality issues, but I found that after turning up the volume and listening to the panel, I was not bothered by the crowd noise.   It was a very well-attended session.  Thank you to everyone who came to the panel!  Breaking Into Game Writing

GameACon 2016 October 30, 2016 There are as many ways to break into game writing as there are writers, so taking your first steps can be daunting. Join our panel of award-winning writers and designers as they share their successes and struggles with getting a foot in the door of the industry. Whether you dream of writing the next big AAA game or an indie interactive novel, we’ve got the info to set you on the right path. Moderator: Patrick Coursey Panelists:  Sande Chen, Jennifer Estaris, David Kuelz, Matthue Roth, Ant Tessitore

  You can find other download options here. Patrick Coursey is a writer and narrative designer based out of Baltimore, Maryland. In 2015, he teamed up with Blindflug Studios as writer on the mobile roguelike, Cloud Chasers. The game received four awards including Grand Prize at European Indie Game Days and was an official selection of the Indie Arena at Gamescom. Before that he worked at Fourth Wall Studios in Los Angeles as a transmedia experience designer. He once again joined Blindflug Studios as a writer for their new game, Airheart. He infrequently tweets at @pjcoursey, but would like it if you followed him anyway.   A writer and game designer, Sande Chen has over 15 years experience in the industry. Her first game writing credit was on the epic space-combat RPG Terminus which won 2 awards at the 1999 Independent Games Festival. She was later nominated for a 2007 Writers Guild of America award in Videogame Writing for the dark fantasy RPG The Witcher. She runs the WGAE Videogame Writers Caucus and is SIG leader of the IGDA Game Design SIG. Find her on Twitter @sandechen.  Jennifer Estaris is a writer, game designer, and mother to a spinning 3 year old. She has worked on games for Nickelodeon, Disney, Tiltfactor, and Dreamworks, and is currently developing indie art games at her studio Astra Rise. Jennifer received her M.F.A. in fiction at Columbia University and why hasn’t my daughter stopped spinning? David Kuelz is the founder of Awkward Pegasus Studios, a writing and story consultancy for game developers. Since starting Awkward Pegasus in 2012, he has written and consulted for game developers nationwide and has led workshops on video game writing and narrative design all across the Northeast, including for the Gotham Writers' Workshop and Playcrafting. He’s currently designing the narrative for an unannounced RPG at Juncture Media.  Matthue Roth is a game designer and writer on 30+ acclaimed and award-winning games for iOS and Android. From 2012-2015 he was lead game designer at Amplify, an educational games company that won awards from the iTunes Store, BAFTA, and Games for Change. Most recently his games swept the 2015 Serious Play Conference, earning 3 out of 4 gold medals awarded that year. He’s also the author of six novels, and the New Yorker called his writing “eerie and imaginative.”  Ant Tessitore is currently working as creative lead on a to be announced TCG and freelancing as a names and flavor text writer for Magic: The Gathering, Ant Tessitore is an avid gamer, writer and narrative designer. Ant most recently worked on Oath of the Gatewatch, and has cards to be released in both Conspiracy: Take the Crown and this year’s Commander product. Ant has also written for Artist Noah Bradley’s The Sin of Man Project, weekly articles at Gathering Magic, and supplement products for Dungeons and Dragons.

GameACon 2016: Breaking Into Game Writing published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[nanowrimo]

6 Tips for Finding Your Perfect Beta Readers

You wrote a novel! Now what? NaNoWriMo’s “Now What?” Months are here—this January and February, we’ll be helping you guide your novel through the revision and publishing process. Today, editorial consultant and professional beta reader Jody T. Morse shares her guidelines for finding the perfect betas:

Regardless of how you plan to publish your novel—indie, small press, or big-six publisher—there’s one step that all writers should incorporate into their writing routine: beta readers. These fresh-eyed feedback folks can be priceless at sniffing out the plot holes, speed bumps, and detouring tangents in a manuscript. Here are my top six tips for finding beta readers and utilizing them to the nth degree:

1. Know where to find your betas.

While betas can be found anywhere there are literate citizens, your genre and subject matter will dictate where you’ll find your ideal catch. If you’re writing a story centered around a prison break, consider staff at a local jail or former (hopefully reformed) inmates. Your YA romance might best be read by one of your old high-school teachers or those teens you pass every day on your jog, texting on a park bench. You want betas who want to read stories like yours. If you go for a pro, checking with reputable editors, published authors, or writers’ guilds can be helpful to your search.

2. Know your reader avatar.

Once you’ve decided on the target demographic for your book, you have the key to selecting your optimal beta readers. Asking your neighbor’s third grader to give you feedback on a psychological thriller rampant with innuendo and gory murders makes no sense at all. Turning to a Dan Brown fan or Stephen King-o-phile would be a better beta fit. An additional strategy is to seek out readers for insight into controversial character details or themes, ones you’ve researched but not lived through. A nun may not be your ideal avatar, but she may be able to tell you where you’ll lose Christian readers in your retelling of Jonah and the Whale: Jaws v. Jesus.

3. Ask for what you need.

Don’t be afraid to give your betas a checklist, template, or list of questions to help guide them on the feedback you’re most in need of. As a professional beta reader, I have a feedback form I use that includes basics like plot, structure, flow, word choice, voice, setting, etc. Then I customize this sheet, as needed. Make your own or look online for samples.

4. Give a deadline.

Professionals should set a deadline in the initial contract, but even if you’ve decided to go with betas that are reading for pizza and beer, giving them a due date is imperative. In fact, I suggest asking them up front if they can realistically achieve a full read-through--which means written suggestions and/or chatting with you about the story--within the time frame your publishing schedule requires.

5. Figure out how many you’ll need.

There’s no right or wrong answer on this one. If paying professionals, you can plan on one or two. When using non-pros, you might want to wrangle a few more. But be wary of too many initial readers; you could get bogged down with a tsunami of feedback, discover you’ve become overwhelmed, wave the white flag, and jump ship.

6. Know when to use them.

You’ll want to employ these fishy feedback fiends after you’ve done the major rewrites and light line edits but before you get to work on serious copy edits. No sense editing passages that may end up on the cutting room floor. However, you’d also hate to lose the attention of a good beta reader due to rampant misspellings, chapters out of sequence, or grammar gremlins.

Remember, you’re the alpha writer. Now get out there and find your betas!

Jody T. Morse is a freelance writer, editorial consultant and professional beta reader. She loves playing the field with writing, from coffee table mag articles to spec fiction blogs to haiku poetry. She’s currently editing the first book of her fantasy novel series, Feathers of the Phoenix (written during NaNo 2016), and is putting the finishing touches on an interview article featuring the Mayor of Houston. For more information about Jody, visit www.bountifulbalconybooks.com, her NaNoWriMo profile, or her Amazon author page.

Top photo by Flickr user duluoz cats.