Scott’s Comments (group member since May 22, 2014)

Scott’s comments from the Ask Susan Shell group.

Abby,
I had a similar inspiration. Once Odyssey taught me how to critique manuscripts I was able to found a critique group that is still going strong. Every one of the long-term members had been published professionally since joining, so there is no question that the techniques Jeanne taught for seeing flaws and ways to improve manuscripts directly led to publication. Another Odyssey grad, Nu Yang, is one of the members.

-Scott

Susan,

Interesting question. I had done a lot of thinking before Odyssey about how a writer could gain an audience before he/she publishes his first book. There are not many ways to do so, and what the author picks must fit his personality. For example, blogging just isn't in my nature. Writing short stories is a good way, but that doesn't leave much time for writing a book...

In the process of writing short stories to try to get into Odyssey, and trying to sell those short stories, I also became aware that there are not many places beginning writers can sell their work and actually get paid. There are the big magazines, Analog, Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Asimov's, Orson Scott Card's magazine, and so forth, but they publish stories mostly from established writers. And then there exist a whole slew of magazines which don't pay a thing, and a lot of contests which charge money to consider stories--turning the slush pile into a money making machine. I wanted my magazine to help fill the gap.

By the way, trivia, some friends (notable Rick Fowler, a contractor and champion of wounded vet's rights) came up with the name New Myths and its tag line--Life from a side view mirror, on the return trip from Lake Mead to San Diego after my bachelor's party.

I do have some worries about New Myths taking subscribers from pay magazines, since the readers can get good quality content for free with New Myths, but I can't see any way around that. Hopefully any negative impact there is minimal.

Odyssey gave me the confidence to go ahead and start New Myths just after graduation. It's been going strong for six years or so.

-Scott

I graduated from Odyssey in 2008. I tell people that Odyssey took me from being a talented amateur to "semi-pro." Not only did Odyssey improve my writing tremendously, it gave me the critical skills necessary to improve my writing continuously into the foreseeable future. It was a direct result of Odyssey that, three years later, I won the Writers of the Future award.

Being there is a "bonding" experience, where the writers live in a dorm-like setting, complete immersion. It is very dynamic and encouragement/stimulation is everywhere. Writing is a lonely business, people are constantly rejecting you, telling you your work isn't good enough, and wondering why you're wasting your time on something that doesn't pay. Support and encouragement is absolutely necessary in the beginning stages.

The format, as I recall, was that we met in the morning for a two-hour lecture on the craft of writing. After that we critiqued each other's stories for another two hours or so. The afternoon was spent writing our own work. We got tons of feedback from our peers and also from Jeanne Cavelos, the director. The guest lecturer were all stupendous; we had James Maxey, Craig Shaw Gardner, Nancy Kress, Barry Longyear, Jenny Rappaport (agent), just off the top of my head. No one, neither student nor faculty, copped an attitude.

Because there is one lead teacher, Jeanne, there was a logical progression and coherence to the lectures, with the guests bringing in differing perspectives. It was a well rounded education for people already having some talent.

I could go on and on. The campus was beautiful; Manchester lovely and not too distracting. (Imagine trying to do this in Vegas...not!) If I could, I'd go back tomorrow.

-Scott T. Barnes