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 The FSFS Newsletter is written by FSFS members covering everything Fantasy and Sci-Fi |
The "Fantasy and Science Fiction Society" welcomes you to  Welcome to the first Newsletter of 2016! Featuring articles written by members of "Fantasy and Science Fiction Society" for all of WdC. Contents 1. Introduction 2. What Worked Well and What's to Come? 3. Packing the Resolution Luggage 4. Uncommonspirt Reviews 2015 Book Promotion Schedule 5. What's a Book without a Cover 6. Book Review: The Mists of Avalon 7. Advertisements 8. Vote  Well Christmas is almost over and the New Year has well and truly begun. December saw the last round of Three Prompts in 2015 and judging is under way on the three entries. December also saw the last ever Newsletter Challenge. I have decided to end the Challenges due to lack of participation. Instead you will get to vote for your favourite article of the month to win the author a merit badge.  2016 holds much excitement for the FSFS and WdC as a whole. In 2015 the FSFS held a group-only Flash Fiction contest. The success of this activity means I will be holding another massive group-only contest at some point in the year. So, if you write fantasy and/or science fiction, be sure to join the FSFS to participate. Another success of 2015 was "Invalid Item" where I hosted Who Wants to be a Millionaire live with the brilliant contestant Elle. Sure, we had to fudge the rules a bit, but it was great fun and you can be sure that I am actively trying to find time to do another one in 2016. There has been much talk in the FSFS "Publishing Forum" about creating a group anthology and self-publishing it. 2016 is the year that might just happen. I am actively researching the best ways to do this, so watch out for more information. If you have experience in this kind of project I'd love to hear from you. On top of group activities, the FSFS will be hosting site-wide activities throughout the year, including a Halloween and Christmas event. "Thrice Prompted" will continue to run every other month. The next round starts 1 February 2016. I am committed to making 2016 the best year in the group's history and making it an awesome year in general. I have started a blog so you can follow my personal progress through 2016 ("Invalid Item" ). For a groupcentric look at the year ahead, I have created the "Invalid Item" . It is a bit bare at the moment, but I will update it as I have more concrete details.  When I dip my quill into the bottle of ink it passes through the ink left behind from the last writing. The new sheet of paper in my notebook holds the indentations of the writings before. This is true of starting the new year as well. The new year does not become a clean slate, we bring with us the baggage from the year before; all of our misgivings, missed opportunities and successes follow us past the fireworks and champagne. They shadow our every move as we trudge and amble into January. As I look ahead to 2016 I need to first analyze 2015 and pick and choose what I pack for the new adventure. Last year I made the following "writing" resolutions; 1) keep up with Muse Masters (which ended mid-year) and Poetic Explorations, 2) work on my poem "The Light-keepers Despair, 3) send two pieces to national magazines for possible publication, 4) go to at least one poetry reading at a local coffee shop. Of these, I kept with two, the first two and never even attempted the others. I chickened out of sending pieces to magazines. Yup, chickened out! I never made it to the coffee shop to even listen to poetry. I really can't tell myself why, either. These resolutions will be the first items packed for 2016. I did participate in a few activities that I had not anticipated at the beginning of 2015. I joined the Fantasy and Science Fiction Society on Writing.com and participated in September Flash. I had never spent a whole month writing flash fiction before and this activity really stretched my writing muscles. I improved throughout the month and gained a great deal of experience for writing short stories. In October, I followed this contest up with the Thirteen Days of Halloween and came in second, greatly due to the experience of September Flash. I have also been running my own Poetry Workshop in FSFS, which I plan to continue in 2016 along with other activities in the Poetry Forum. I plan on sending two entries to the Writing.com Anthology, as well. Along with participating in my current activities on Writing.com I plan to take one course each semester in the New Horizons Academy. I also have plans for my off-site writing. These include attending at least one poetry reading at the local coffee shop. I want to listen to what the other poets share before I share any of my own pieces, but my plan is to take at least one poem with me in case I get brave. I intend to send two pieces to magazines for publication and I want to attempt at least one free-lancing opportunity every three months. I might as well try to get paid for doing something I enjoy. Personally, I lost twenty-five pounds in 2015 and I expect to continue with my weight loss. I won't put a certain weight goal down because I don't know how long the weight loss will take. I would like to be down at least thirty-five pounds by year-end. In May I will be running/jogging in my first 5k race and I hope to participate in a second one in November. When I write out my list of resolutions, writing and non-writing, the list seems long and daunting. I think because the list is all-encompassing. My 2016 luggage seems heavy but the more I accomplish, the less I need to carry into 2017. "Invalid Item" by A Guest Visitor  I’ve been writing stories since 2010, but before 2015 I was practicing a hobby, hoping that it would blossom into a career. This is the first year that I feel that I’ve become a professional author. I’d like to share with you the highlights of the promotion of my first novelette “The Curate’s Brother: A Jane Austen Variation of Persuasion” that was published in October of 2014 as an ebook and then made into a paperback in February 2015. I’ve been on a wild ride of promotion and book signings ever since. 2015 Readings Gypsy Den - Lady Jane Salon February - Anaheim, CA I was to do my first public reading in a little bohemian coffeehouse known as the Gypsy Den. Two weeks before the reading, I confessed to one of my friends that the book was only available in ebook. She was stunned and urged me to print copies to autograph at the reading. The idea stunned me too. Although my ebook had been out three months, I did not realize that I was a “real” author! Of course, I needed to print my books and bring them with me, but until that point, I had not realized this. The reading was to an audience of RWA members, many of them published authors themselves. The questions they had for me after the reading were direct and about my writing process. Afterward, I autographed and sold several copies of my newly printed novelette. WesterCon July - San Diego, CA This is the west coast regional science fiction and fantasy literary convention. The location changes each year. This year it was in San Diego, CA and hosted by Conjecture and ConChord, two local science fiction conventions. It was a huge event for me. I organized a Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading for five women science fiction authors to read their work, of which I was one. We had a great turn out and I was tickled to see a large group of knitting women who turned out to listen to the stories and continue work on their knitting! WorldCon August - Spokane, WA This was the first time that I had attended WorldCon. I have never traveled so far for a convention before, but I was determined to attend. I joined 19 other science fiction authors at the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading on Friday night. I did not read from my published novel. Instead I read an excerpt from my upcoming “Steampunk Wonderland” series that should debut in 2016. WorldCon was great fun. I met many wonderful new authors, took home so many new books that I ended up having to ship the bulk of them home via FedEx! I also attended the Hugo Awards live for the first time. I will be returning to WorldCon next year. Books on Broadway October - Costa Mesa, CA This was an event put on by DeAnna Cameron in connection with her promotion company, Books on the Vine. I read an excerpt from The Curate’s Brother during a “high tea and regency romance” reading. The entire audience were Jane Austen fans. I ended up reading my except four times as the audience was rotated around me. It was my second highest sales event of the year. I had a wonderful time and I hope to return to Books on Broadway one day. 2015 Book Signings Gallifrey One February - Los Angeles, CA Each year, I book a table at the Dr. Who convention in Los Angeles, CA and sell my artisan jewelry and books. It is a great way to get an autographed copy of my book or of the chapbook of science fiction stories and poetry that I participate in each year known as Quantum Visions. WesterCon July - San Diego, CA After the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading, an hour was set aside for the group in the dealer’s room of the convention for all the authors to display and sign autographs. We all sold a few books and had a great time. WorldCon August - Spokane, WA I am a jeweler in the art show at WorldCon and as such, I am offered time in Author/Artist alley to display my jewelry or hold workshops. I chose to bring my books and do book signings. I booked two days in Author Alley and ended up selling and autographing the most books in a location for the year. Books on the Vine – Pop-up Bookstore October - El Dorado High School, Placentia, CA My book will be available for sale in the shop all day and I autographed my Austen Variation novel “The Curate’s Brother” from 1pm to 2pm. This is a fun, well-attended event in Orange County, CA. LosCon November - Los Angeles, CA I’ve been a regular in the dealer room at LosCon for at least half a decade. My table there is mainly for my jewelry, but I also bring my books to sell and autograph. This was where “Quantum Visions”, edited by Jude-Marie Green, makes it debut. I displayed the chapbook that featured my scifaiku poetry along with short stories from other members of the Orange County Science Fiction Club Writer’s Orbit. I ended up selling and autographing as many of the chapbooks as I did my own book. It was a great way to meet new readers and have a chance to chat with them. 2015 Podcasts Changes YouTube - January 7th Join author Wendy Van Camp for *CHANGES*, an hour long conversation with Sally Ember, Ed.D. about science fiction books, the science fiction literary convention circuit and much more! The Event Horizon Krypton Radio - August 13 I've completed a podcast interview with Krypton Radio. We spoke about scifaiku poetry, John Carter of Mars, writing fanfiction and a little about my upcoming Steampunk Wonderland series. It is available to listen for free on iTunes. Epic Geeking Out with Authors 1 Blab - September 24 A group of science fiction authors get together and talk about science fiction novels, steampunk, WorldCon and more geeky topics. 2015 Speaking Engagements Starting the Engine of Your Author Platform When publishing your first novel, common advice is to start a website and use social media to promote the book. Most authors do not know how to tap into social media and waste much time on repetitive marketing tasks that don't seem to work. Instead, you need to create an "engine" to automatically distribute your marketing content to key sites and reduce your online workload. Come join Wendy Van Camp as she explores how to interlock three popular social media networks and grow your brand as an author. WesterCon July - San Diego, CA CHWG Writer's Workshop Buddamouse Claremont, CA November 2015 Blog Interviews The Write Stuff: Interview with Raymond Bolton Writing a Persuasion Prequel: Interview with A.R. Silverberry Author Spotlight: Interview with Kasper Beaumont 2015 Writing Challenges September Flash Fiction Challenge During September of 2015, there was a 30-day challenge to write a flash fiction story once a day via the Fantasy and Science Fiction Society, an online writing group I am a member of. I joined in the challenge on September 2nd and decided to commit to finishing the challenge no matter what. The prize to me were not merit badges or other WDC goodies, the real incentive was to have a bank of stories that I could submit in 2016 and begin to start publishing more regularly. The challenge was a grindstone that came close to overwhelming my month, but somehow I preserved and managed to write thirty flash stories. Many of which I feel will be worthy of submission in 2016 with a bit of revision. Nanowrimo I am a volunteer Municipal Liason (ML) for my region in Nanowrimo. This keeps me very busy October through early December. Right after my September Challenge was over, I moved directly into prep work for Nanowrimo. I manage the Facebook Group and Twitter feed for our group and work with my partner Rosie de Guzman in scheduling write-ins, developing three gatherings for our wrimos, and committing to hosting one write-in per week during November. This is all in addition to my writing 50 thousand words of a rough draft novel. It is like plunging into a cold lake and not coming up for air for ten weeks. You have to know that I love it.  I was a closet sci fi and fantasy writer for over twenty years. I stopped submitting stories in my twenties. The rejections were just too painful. But as the years went by, I couldn’t stop writing and I felt I was too old to care about rejections. So my success in getting my first novel published caught me by surprise. It’s nice to have a publisher, who hires a cover artist and, if you’re lucky, seeks your approval of the cover. What do you do if you decide to self-publish and your book needs a cover? My learning experience went something like this: my first book's publisher asked me for a few sample cover ideas and sample back cover text. The cover that was created was lovely. The next book I published in the series was with a different small press, who asked me if there was a cover artist I’d like to work with. At that point, I had been going to sci fi conventions regularly. That helped me network, and a friend graciously sent out an email to three cover artists they knew, one of whom was available. The process at that point was similar. I provided several cover ideas, back cover text, and my book ended up with what I considered to be an excellent cover. The problem was, the looks were dissimilar. In other words, I didn't feel they “branded” well. I next self-published the next two books in the same series, using the same artist and now had three novels with covers of a similar style. At that point, the sales of the series shot up and it happened to be when my contract was coming up for renewal with my first publisher. As part of the renewal agreement, I negotiated for my cover artist to re-envision my first cover for the second printing. The publisher and I have been very pleased with the result, which effectively brands the entire series. Now, I’ve launched a new series, which I was looking to have a signature look. So, I was interested in finding another artist. I tried the networking approach, but the search was not bearing fruit. That’s when I did an online search and checked out 99Designs (an online cover art service). They offer a contest approach. I thought that’s what I was going to do until I spoke with someone who had done a contest for a logo through 99Designs. That contest took up a week of my friend’s life. So, I checked out elance.com, which is now Upwork.com. I was very specific about my project’s requirements, including my vision for the cover, who my intended market was, text for my cover, back cover text, etc. I posted my cover art project and let people bid. I could check out their portfolios or websites for examples of their work. I had four or five artists who looked like they might be a match. I selected a European artist, whose price was in keeping with what I have been paying for my covers and her website portfolio was, well, spectacular. Her portfolio offered solid fantasy elements, which was important for my urban fantasy cover. I also was looking for someone who had a good command of English, since I wanted to prevent any misunderstandings about my project. Payment through the site is generally done through an escrow approach. The site takes a cut as the broker (Elance took 9%, Upwork offered to maintain that deal for those who transferred as part of the Elance takeover). Those seeking to freelance often also offer hourly rates for work, too. The site’s service offerings are broad, ranging beyond graphic arts and website design to bookkeeping and other freelance services. I recently completed the process and I have received just the cover I was hoping for. The process took a lot of give and take. I also showed the cover to members of my author group on Facebook to get their input and advice. I sought advice from colleagues at work, who told me what they liked and didn’t like, too, which the artist was more than happy to correct. Additionally, when I was trying to figure if the book would look better with the title at the bottom rather than the top, I went to Amazon and checked out other books in the genre to she which look I liked best. The paperback cover took over a week to get “just right.” But my cover artist showed she’s a professional. I gave her latitude to show me options of what she thought could make the cover better. The point is to get readers to gravitate to my book. I hope they will… and I know that covers and books also change over time, so if it doesn’t “work,” one day I can change it for another edition. I have spoken with authors over the last few years who have spent more than what I typically spend for cover art. Then again, I know authors who spend far less, cropping photos to create a great and inexpensive cover. Just know, if and when you need a cover artist, there are truly talented people all over the world who will love working with you to bring your book through their art to life. Seeing my characters there on the cover, that glimpse into my story on an entirely different level, is difficult for me to describe. The book, which I will all too soon hold in my hands, featuring those characters who are like family, will hopefully, just hopefully, invite readers who will soon become their friends, too. "What's a Book without a Cover" by Highmage - D.H. Aire   Book Name: The Mists of Avalon Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley First Published: 1982 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (1984) Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often writing with a feminist outlook and even, under a pen name, gay and lesbian titles. She was born on a farm in Albany, New York, during the Great Depression, to a father who was a carpenter and farmer and a mother who was a historian. Bradley first attended New York State College for Teachers from which she dropped out after two years. She returned to college in the mid-sixties, where she graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in Texas with a Bachelor of Arts. Bradley moved to California soon after and went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of California, Berkely. She trained not only as a psychologist but also as a parapsychologist. In the end, she became a drop-out once more from not one, but three departments of education, “owing to deep disillusion”. Bradley also trained as a singer, and at one time, in her youn ger days, worked as a target for a knife thrower in a carnival. Married twice, both of Bradley’s unions ended in divorce. Her first marriage to Robert Bradley in 1949 lasted fourteen years and they had one son together. Her second marriage to author Walter Breen in 1964 resulted in a son and a daughter, but ended badly in 1990. She had been separated from him for many years before the divorce was finalized. During the 1950s, as a young wife with a small son, she became involved in the phenomenon known as science fiction fandom, writing for a variety of fanzines for nothing, but in time moved up to sell to professional science fiction digest magazines. It was here that she gained her writing chops and moved on to create novels of her own, becoming a professional full-time writer and editor by the early 1960s. Her main novel series featured a sword and sorcery themed world known as Darkover, but she also wrote short stories, articles and books in other subjects. As an author, her most popular novel was The Mists of Avalon which was later made into a major motion picture starring Angelica Houston. The book is a retelling of the Camelot legend from the viewpoint of the female characters. Bradley died in September of 1999. The year after her death, Marion Zimmer Bradley was posthumously awarded the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. “There is no such thing as a true tale. Truth has many faces and the truth is like to the old road to Avalon; it depends on your own will, and your own thoughts, whither the road will take you.” ― Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon The Mists of Avalon is a retelling of the Arthurian legend from the perspective of the female characters. The protagonist is Morgaine, a priestess of Avalon who is King Arthur’s half-sister. When Morgaine is eleven years old and her brother is six, there is an attempt on the young prince’s life. Viviane, known as the Lady of Avalon, and aunt to both Morgaine and Arthur, advises King Uther to have the boy fostered away from court for his safety. She also takes Morgaine to initiate her as a priestess of the Mother and to groom her as the next Lady of Avalon. Time passes and both Morgaine and Arthur become adults. Arthur claims the throne of Britain and defends his kingdom against the invading Saxons. The Lady of Avalon gives him the sword Excalibur that is enchanted to help him gain victory over his enemies. In return, Viviane asks for Arthur to honor the old religion, to which he agrees. Morgaine becomes a priestess with the full power the title bestows, being able to open the gate between our world and the fey world of Avalon. Morgaine conceives a child during a fertility rite and learns to her horror that the masked father was actually her own half-brother and that the escapade was arranged by her Aunt Viviane. In Viviane’s Pagan mind, the child’s royal blood on both sides is acceptable, but Morgaine was raised by Christians and she is appalled by the act. Morgaine leaves Viviane and Avalon, wishing to have no more to do with the ancient druid religion. She fosters her son Gwydion with her Aunt Morgause and King Lot, then joins her brother’s court. Being a former priestess, Morgaine has a reputation for “magic”. She has visions and knowledge of herbal medicines. The childless Gwenhwyfar, Queen to King Arthur, asks Morgaine to create a fertility charm in order to help her conceive the son and heir she longs for. The charm works, but not in the manner that Gwenhwyfar expects. Arthur himself invites his best friend Lancelot to join he and Gwenhwyfar in bed as a threesome. This way, a child might be made “in the king’s bed” and thus still any talk that the child would be illegitimate. The Queen is in love with Lancelot and welcomes the chance to have him, but when the union does not result in a child, she grows angry. Gwenhwyfar rejects pagan magic and turns to Christianity to give her the desired heir. From that point forward, she is an advocate to Arthur to bring Christian values to Britain and to forsake the druidic past. Eventually, Arthur learns that he has a son and he longs to bring the boy to Camelot. However, Gwenhwyfar will not hear of it. To try and create peace for the knight, Morgaine tricks Lancelet into marrying Gwenhwyfar’s cousin Elaine, which angers Gwenhwyfar further. In retaliation, the Queen schemes to marry Morgaine off to a Welsh King to remove her from court. Morgaine believes she will be marrying the king’s youngest son, Accolon who is a Druid priest and warrior, and agrees to the marriage, Later, she finds herself married to King Uriens himself, a man that is old enough to be her grandfather. Trouble ensues and eventually, Morgaine leaves King Uriens court and Wales forever. Gwydion goes to the Saxon court when he is grown to learn of warfare away from his father’s notice. The Saxons name him Mordred, which means “evil counsel”. When he joins Arthur’s court in Camelot, he introduces himself as Morgaine’s son and Morgause’s foster-son with no mention of who his father might be. Due to his close resemblance to Lancelot, many in the court believe that he is the knight’s son and do not suspect that he is King Arthur’s heir. Gwydion wishes to earn his place without preferential treatment and challenges Lancelot to single combat during a tourney to prove his mettle. Lancelot and the King are impressed by his skills and Lancelot makes Gwydion a knight of the round table, naming him Mordred. Mordred is not content with being a knight and eventually, he causes King Arthur more problems. You will need to read the book to learn the final outcome of this engrossing tale. ### I first read The Mists of Avalon when I was in my twenties and it has stuck with me down through the years. I enjoyed the movie that followed and own a copy in my collection. Bradley’s prose is not the strongest, but her descriptions and characters are compelling. In Morgaine, Bradley has created a sympathetic character who makes mistakes, hopes and dreams of a better life and ultimately is swept away by the events of her times. The central theme is the fall of the old Druid religion and how it was replaced by Christianity. Bradley is not complimentary toward Christians in her book, and normally I would find this to be a detraction, but the unfolding description of Pagan religion is fascinating in its depth. The isle of Avalon felt much like a character with its symbolic dissolving into the mists as the old religion faded from the hearts of the English people. The book is extremely feminist in theme from the matriarchal Pagan society led by the Lady of Avalon, to the relationship struggles of the various Queens and their control over their Kings. I liked experiencing Arthurian legend via the eyes of its women, it was a unique viewpoint and not something that had been done before. While I personally enjoyed The Mists of Avalon, I do not know if I would recommend this book to everyone. To men that prefer action and deeds, I fear that they would find this book to be slow and as full of relationships as a romance novel. To Christians who are strong in their faith, I would also be hesitant. The anti-Christian sediments of the author run strong. For people that enjoy a feminist message with fantasy elements, for there is true magic in the book although it is subtle, this novel will have a high appeal.
An auction with some great packages. [Editor's Note] Full discretion: this advertising spot was won in an auction. That said, it does look like a good auction and is raising funds for some good groups.
Check out Three Prompts on the 1st of February for the next round! Judging of the December round is currently in progress. If you're interested in being a judge for Three Prompts please let me know.
An FSFS-only forum to discuss all things writing!
The FSFS Review Board is open! All WdC members can view the list on the group homepage, "Fantasy and Science Fiction Society" . FSFS Members can view the list from the homepage, Review Board page and the Hub. To post on the board you need to review at least one other item on the list.
If you are not already a member and are interested in fantasy and science fiction writing, please read through the group homepage and apply using the application form. The only pre-requisite is that you have a fantasy or science fiction item in your portfolio. If you want to advertise in the FSFS Newsletter please contact me, Matt Bird MSci (Hons) AMRSC   .Vote Last month in "December 2015" I set the last ever Newsletter Challenge. Two people responded, and as a special reward for participating, both will receive a merit badge! Thank you to all the members who submitted articles to the Newsletter. If you submitted an article that wasn't included, don't be offended. I can only fit so much in the Newsletter. Please submit it again when I send the call out for articles. Please comment on this Newsletter if you enjoyed it, or if you have any suggestions for future editions. |
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