5 November 2003

A First Guide for Space Cadets: Resources on the Craft & Business of Writing
Compiled by B. S. Barber
members.rogers.com/b13s13/

BS ("Bobbie") Barber is a blond, blue-eyed part-Cherokee who spent five years in the Army, including medic duty during the Vietnam War. She ended her service as a Captain with an MP unit, and thereafter worked in armed security in the Los Angeles area, managing to survive as a white female in a Crip neighborhood. She currently lives in Canada with her girlfriend, whom she recently had the privilege of legally marrying. A writer who got her start in Xena fanfic, she's several poems published and is writing her first novel. She says she's had too many jobs to count and too many interests to list, but never quits trying to learn.

Everybody's a beginner sometime. We rush in eagerly, certain that we know how to write and how to submit our work, only to learn later that we couldn’t write an effective scene to save our lives and have no clue about professional behavior. Or, we bumble about tentatively, uncertain about something as basic as punctuation, and totally clueless about how to format a manuscript or where to find the right market. Everyone who has ever published remembers the confusion of newbieness, which is why we're publishing a series of articles designed to help newly minted writers of all ages (call them Space Cadets) find their way. This article provides links to resources that will help you through the first stages of the beginner’s life. Broad Universe has made every attempt to ensure that the web sites listed below are offered by reputable sources. We offer this list to give you places to get up to speed on issues and a source of friendly advice, not as the final word on anything.

The First Stop
Run, do not walk, to the web site of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Although SFWA has a members-only section on their site, the organization also offers a variety of resources that are open to anyone. Make certain you take a good look at Writer Beware; Writing: The Business; and Writing: The Craft.

Agents (when you need one, how to get one, etc.)
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml -- Item #9
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm -- Item #5
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html
http://www.sff.net/people/VictoriaStrauss/agentsearch.html
http://www.speculations.com/agent.htm
Also see "On Finding An Agent" in the Sell section of The Broadsheet.

Artificial Languages
http://www.stardancer.org/nonfic/send-template1.phtml/nonfic/art-tuber.txt

Author Interview Techniques http://www.noveladvice.com/membersonly/datedjournals/030415p2.htm#how

Books About Writing
http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/specfic/booklist.html
http://www.sfwa.org/misc/bookstore.htm

Book Doctors (fee-based editing services)
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/bookdoctors.html
http://www.speculations.com/editink.htm

Characterization
http://www.noveladvice.com/membersonly/datedjournals/030215p2.htm#animated
http://www.stardancer.org/nonfic/send-template1.phtml/nonfic/ess-character.txt http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/scientist_as_hero.htm

Contest Warnings
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/contests.html

Copyright Issues
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml -- Item #4
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/copyright.html
http://www.mamohanraj.com/Writing/myths.html
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/copyrite.htm

Critiquing (how to, how not to)
http://www.members.aol.com/asterling/poetry/critguides.htm
http://www.speculations.com/critique.htm
http://www.speculations.com/breakup.htm

Dialog
http://www.noveladvice.com/membersonly/datedjournals/030415p2.htm#dialogue
http://www.noveladvice.com/membersonly/datedjournals/030315p1.htm

Electronic Publishing
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/epublishers.html
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/electronic.html
http://www.mamohanraj.com/Writing/erights.html

Erotica ­ Writing
http://www.mamohanraj.com/Writing/mcmullen.html

Horror ­ Writing
http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/specfic/aversion.html
http://www.speculations.com/cliches.htm

Internet Posting of Stories and Re-Publication Issues
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Item #2

Magical Realism
http://www.writing-world.com/sf/realism.shtml

Manuscript Format and What To Submit
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Items #1 and #6
http://www.members.aol.com/asterling/poetry/guidelines.htm
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm - Item #1
http://www.speculations.com/format.htm

Manuscript Multiple Submissions
http://www.speculations.com/multisubs.htm

Markets (finding the right markets for stories, etc.)
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Item #5
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm - Item #1.1
http://www.locusmag.com (market news)
http://www.write-hemisphere.com/ (market news)
http://www.speculations.com/ (comprehensive market guide)
http://GilaQueen.us(comprehensive market guide)
http://www.spicygreeniguana.com (comprehensive market guide)
http://www.ralan.com (comprehensive market guide)

Pen Names/Pseudonyms
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Item #3

Poetry
http://www.internet-resources.com/writers/wrlinks-other.htm

Print On Demand (POD)
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/printondemand.html

Publishing From The Inside
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/myrtle2.htm (what happens to a manuscript)
http://www.mamohanraj.com/Writing/anth.html (editing an anthology)
http://www.speculations.com/zines.htm (starting a magazine)
http://www.strangehorizons.com/index.pl?Contents=/2001/20010101/start_a_magazine.shtml (starting a magazine)
http://www.eworkingwomen.com/experts/wri1.html (submissions)

Query Letters
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm - Item 1.2

Readings (giving good author readings)
http://www.stardancer.org/nonfic/send-template1.phtml/nonfic/ess-podium.txt

Rejection Letters
http://www.noveladvice.com/membersonly/journals/part1.htm#rules
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm - Item #3.7

Revising
http://www.wenspencer.com/blog/archives/000018.html

Rights and Kill Fees
http://www.yudkin.com/flfaq.htm - Item #2

Self Promotion
http://www.mamohanraj.com/Writing/elgin.html
Also numerous articles in The Broadsheet's "Sell" section.

Sky-fie, Skiffy, or Ess Eff?
http://www.sfwa.org/misc/skiffy.htm

Synopsis (used to sell a novel)
http://www.fictionwriters.com/tips-synopsis.html

Vanity and Subsidy Publishers
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Item #8
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/subsidypublishers.html

Writers Beware (scams, questionable dealings, etc.)
http://www.sfwa.org/beware/general.html

Writers Organizations
http://pageonelit.com/links.html
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Item #10

Writing Conferences, Retreats, Workshops
http://writing.shawguides.com
http://www.writers.com
http://www.msu.edu/~clarion/
http://clarionwest.org/website/index.html
http://www.sff.net/odyssey/
http://www.clarionsouth.org

Writing Craft, General
http://www.thinkage.com/~jim/prose/prose.htm
http://www.wenspencer.com/blog/archives/000020.html#more

Writing Craft, Grammar
http://www.english-zone.com/index.html
http://www.metrostate.edu/writingcenter/online.html

Writing Craft, Writers Block
http://www.geocities.com/rsw-news/wordwork.html
http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=121
http://www.sfwa.org/writing/block.htm
http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/wc1-3.html

Writing Life, General
http://www.noveladvice.com/membersonly/datedjournals/030215p2.htm#life
http://www.stardancer.org/nonfic/send-template1.phtml/nonfic/doc-writers.txt
http://www.stardancer.org/nonfic/send-template1.phtml/nonfic/ess-ethics.txt
http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/specfic/profwrit.html

Writing Workshops Online
http://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com
http://www.critters.org
http://www.scalar.com/mw/pages/mwfaq.shtml - Item #11
http://www.writers.com

- Also contributing to this resource guide were Amy Axt Hanson and Diane Silver.