Author: suzanne

In Praise of Writers’ Groups

If You Are a New or Aspiring Writer, You Need a Critique Group. Believe Me.

For the first in my series of marketing and other tips for new writers, I want to start at a basic level–honing your craft.

The best thing you can do as a new or aspiring writer is join a writers’ group–sometimes called a critique group.

As a beginner, you’ll learn a lot from other writers. You’ll get tips on writing habits, where to find markets to submit to, and how improve your writing. You’ll also receive feedback on your writing.

All groups operate differently. Some meet weekly; other monthly or bi-monthly. Some groups choose to read one member’s submission each time, with other members giving a detailed critique. Others have all members submit a piece of a certain length in advance of a meeting, with members spending an allotted amount of time critiquing each piece of work.

There’s no one “correct way” to run a group–it depends on the personalities and commitment levels of the members.

via GIPHY

How to Find a Group

As a woman speculative fiction writer, I found my first group through my local chapter of Broad Universe, an organization supporting women writers and artists in the speculative genres. I joined their online discussion group, and after lurking for a year agreed to meet another member for coffee (shout out to my friend and fellow writer, Trisha Wooldridge.) It was wonderful to discuss our mutual passion and share our dreams. We became friends, and at some point after that Trish invited me to join my first critique group. We were all women writing speculative fiction, and our group lasted for several years.

While it’s not necessary that group members write in the same genre, many find it preferable. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable contributing, and get useful feedback. I’ve known of other successful groups that have a science fiction writer, a romance writer, a mystery writer, and a children’s book author. There’s no one “right” way.

Look Locally

Find organizations or groups that support your genre. Do be aware that membership in these types of groups can carry a small annual cost. Even a small cost can be too much for some beginning writers. Another tip is ask around your local bookstores, colleges, and libraries to see if a group is operating out of or meeting in any of these places. Can’t find something that fits the bill? Start your own group! Most libraries, coffee shops, and bookstores will allow you to post a flyer announcing your intention to start a group.

Next time, I’ll discuss another tip for beginners. Until then, please share your own experiences finding or joining a critique group in the comments. Have a question? Feel free to ask!

 

 

Getting Serious: A Post-Boskone Brain Dump

Getting Serious

I decided shortly before Boskone that it was time to get serious.

A few weeks ago I hit the big “five-0,” and it seemed like the perfect time to stop giving a damn what people thought of me. It seemed like the perfect time to stop being so dreadfully hard on myself. WHY BE MY OWN WORST CRITIC? There are plenty of people in the world happy to do that for me.

So after very little writing activity during 2017, I made a deal with myself to get serious and really give it a go. Because things don’t fall into our laps (usually.) If you want something, you’ve got to work for it; and if you’re apprehensive, or scared of what people will think of you, or scared of not succeeding, or scared of succeeding (twisted, I know) then you’re not going to get anywhere. (I also bribed myself with wine and chocolate. Luckily, I like wine and chocolate.)

In the few weeks before the Big Birthday, I swallowed down the fear and apprehension I’d been struggling with and turbo-rewrote and edited* a draft short story that had been sitting for almost two years–I was able to rework it so that it more closely fit an anthology call I’d had my eye on. I was so motivated that I fought through illness and turned it in a few hours before the deadline.

While I’m still waiting to hear on whether the story was accepted, it was exhilarating to back at it–scary, but exhilarating.

I brought this renewed energy to Boskone. I promised myself I was going to be more extroverted, make an effort to stop and talk to people, and make new acquaintances. And I did! And it was amazing. 🙂

Luckily, Boskone placed me on several awesome panels. I met wonderful people in my fellow panelists. Some I’d been “Facebook friends” with and finally had a chance to meet in person. Others I knew by name only, and a few I hadn’t heard of before. They were all incredibly smart, talented, and kind. But before each panel I was a bundle of nerves. I feared I’d be the “Red Shirt” on every panel.

 

Like this.

Instead, I over-prepared and felt good about what I contributed to each.

Giving Back

One panel in particular was a standout. The Marketing Uphill panel** was perhaps the one I’d been most nervous about. I was on this panel with real writers! And the owner of a literary agency! And someone who’d been been doing marketing for movies beginning when I was a kid. What did I have to offer?

It turned out I had a lot of practical advice for new and aspiring writers–I still consider myself an aspiring writer in several regards. As someone with a limited budget, no agent, and no written novels (yet), I gave advice such as:

  • Feel insecure about your social media presence? Not sure what to write and post? Post pictures of your cats. (Or substitute cute pet and/or small human.) [Shoutout to D. L. Carter for this tip, which we discussed at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room.]
  • Not good at editing? Or social media? Or creating a website? Offer a trade with someone who is. Maybe someone in your writers’ group is great at social media. They can help you set up your Author Facebook page and teach you to Tweet; you can offer them an edit in return. Or make them a lasagna. Or pet sit.
  • Above all… FIND OTHER WRITERS. Join a writers’ group in your area. Join writers’ organizations in your genre (I’m a member of Broad Universe, New England Horror Writers, New England Speculative Fiction Writers.) They will support you, give you tips, help you network, and hold your beer*** when you need to cry because the short story you wrote and think is brillant was just rejected for the 14th time.

After this panel, my fellow panelists gave me accolades, and a small group of audience members came up to ask questions, take pictures of my books, and grab my business cards and bookmarks. Since I do marketing for my day job as well–I’ve actually been doing marketing-related work for almost 20 years–I decided I should give back to the community by providing weekly marketing tips to new and aspiring writers. Look for the first in this series of tips beginning next week!

 

* Thanks to my friends and fellow authors Morven Westfield and Trisha Wooldridge for editing help on this piece!

** Thanks to fellow panelists Alexander Jablokov (moderator), Joshua Bilmes, and Craig Miller. 

*** Usually, they give the beer back.

 

 

I’ll be at Boskone in Boston this Weekend!

Boskone is the oldest running scifi convention in Boston, and I’m honored to have been selected as a program participant this year! I attended my first Boskone back in 2011 and loved the serious attention to various scifi topics. Read my mini interview on the Boskone Blog here.

Some programming is free on Friday night, so come on down for all or part of the weekend!

Here’s my panel schedule:

FRIDAY, 2/16 at 4pm “Curse Your Inevitable Romantic Subplot”

6pm “Group Reading–Speculative Fiction Shorts” (I *think* I’ll read from my long poem, Interview with the Faerie (Part One), too add some diversity to the Reading, but I’m not 100% sure.)

8pm “The Many Influences of Horror”

SATURDAY, 2/17 at 2pm “The Orville vs. Discovery” (I’m moderating this one)

SUNDAY, 2/18 at 11am “Marketing Uphill”

I’ll be tweeting from Boskone, so be sure to follow me at suzsmuses. I’ll also be selling my books and hanging out at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room. I hope to see you this weekend!

http://www.boskone.org/program-event/

 

Come Hear Several Scifi/Fantasy Authors Read Their Work (or, What’s a Rapid Fire Reading?)

This Saturday at 10am at Arisia in Boston, several members of Broad Universe will be reading selections from their works. Each author has anywhere from 3-7 minutes, depending on the number of participants.

These types of author readings are called “Rapid-Fire Readings” (RFRs)–each author reads from one of their works for the allotted time, introduces the next reader, and so on.

These readings fly by, and are a great way to hear or discover your next favorite writer!

The RFRs by Broad Universe are particularly fun, since we have chocolate and other treats available, and give away free books and other swag.

Check out this year’s list of readers below. Hope to see you there! (I think I’ll be reading from a fantasy/horror story in progress.)

Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
 

My 2018 Arisia Schedule

I’ll be attending and panellng at Arisia Boston again. This year, Arisia (large scifi/genre/lifestyle conference) takes place January 12–15.

My schedule is light this year.

Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading, Saturday 10am in Adams

Join me and  other members of Broad Universe for snippets of each writer’s work–we each get several minutes to dazzle the audience with our words, and we always have free chocolate, book giveaways, and lots of swag and other freebies. Always a fun time! Readers will include: Morven Westfield (moderator), Victoria Sandbrook, LJ Cohen, Larissa Glasser, Julie C. Day, Dianna Sanchez,  Randee Dawn, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Anna Erishkigal, Heather Albano, and me! We typically have last-minute additions as well.

 

Feminism Today, Sunday 2:30pm in Marina 4

Description: “Feminism has had “waves” – our feminism is different from our parents, and their parent’s. What are the differences? How has the current social climate changed feminism and our experience of it? Let’s examine how it influences everything from science fiction awards to our everyday interactions.”

Panelists: Me (moderator), Jacqui B., David Larochelle, Rose H., Mikki Kendall (Arisia GOH)

 

The Power of Teen Movies, Sunday 5:30pm in Adams

Description: “The teenager, as a concept, is a relatively recent invention. And attitudes and beliefs about this transitional period between childhood and adulthood have changed over the years. What’s the best way to understand how the way in which we think about teenagers has shifted? Teen movies, of course. From Rebel Without a Cause to The Breakfast Club to Mean Girls, we’ll look at the impact of teen movies and what they say about being a teenager.”

Panelists: Me (moderator), Robin B., Gabriel V., Danny Miller

 

What would you like us to discuss on the panels? Please comment below.

 

Arisia Was Awesome :-)

I wanted to offer up my belated Arisia report. (Why belated? I was playing catch-up after a bacterial infection and then Arisia… and then I came down with the flu, which I’m still suffering from.) I know I’m not alone when saying this has been one crap winter, health-wise.

The hotel and venue were great, as usual. My panels were awesome (more on that below.) This was my first “dry” Arisia–I usually indulge in a drink after my panels are done, and also usually attend Barfleet and other parties. But this year I was on antibiotics, so I didn’t drink and got lots of rest.

One of the best photos I took… “Baby Jayne Hat.”

The family joined me, as they have the last few years. I was unfortunately unable to see many of the science panels that I love at Arisia. My husband did, and he witnessed–on not one but TWO panels–the extremely smart and dynamic astrophysicist Pamela Gay being mansplained to by audience members. As he told it, she got comments from the audience as a panelist that no man ever would have received.

On a related note, I had an interesting experience on my Feminism panel. A middle-aged, white gentleman asked us “why do you keep talking about women?” I think we were dead silent for about three seconds. Why were we talking about women? Because women still earn less than men, are judged differently in schools and workplaces alike, and under constant threat from sexual assault and intimate partner violence. To name a few.

Some of my books for sale at the Broad Universe table

And although we did talk about women a lot, all of us panelists were “intersectional” feminists (including the one male) so we also spoke about how feminism includes issues of race, class, gender, ableness, sexual orientation, etc. But there’s always “that guy” in the audience, looking for ways to cry about how women get too much attention. Or men don’t get enough. Or something. My fellow panelists were all excellent, as were the panelists (with some crossover) on the “Shame on Slut-Shaming” panel that I moderated.

My favorite panel (as a panelist) was “Mad Max & Melissa McCarthy—Genre Film Feminism.” I moderated this one, and fellow panelists were among the most intelligent, thoughtful women I’ve ever paneled with. We had a great discussion, and partly because we were not all in lock-step with each other. But everyone listened, everyone had a chance to talk, and it was very respectful.

I participated in the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading with a group of talented women authors. I read from Fluff, my novella-in-progress (which is also suffering from neglect due to my illnesses.) I also had fun hanging out with my fellow Broads at the Broad Universe table in the Dealer’s Room. Plus, I sold as many books as I ever had at a con!

“Womaning” the Broad Universe table

Kudos to the Arisia staff, who handled registration beautifully after some snafus last year, and who continue to do an excellent job with programming and tending to the safety of con-goers.

Finally, thanks to all who stopped me in the halls of the hotel to tell me they appreciated my panels! That is so gratifying. Being a good panelist is important to me.

Until next year…

p.s. I was planning to be at Boskone this coming month, but I may be busy playing catching-up, so stay posted for info. on my appearance there.