Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
JULY 2022 SCIENCE FICTION MICROSTORY CONTEST (Comments only)
Mod
* Keep the name, "The Future is Short; Science Fiction in a Flash X"?
* Or a completely new name or one based on the contest name?
* Given the amount of editorial work, I would ask if we can have each writer seek their own proofreader/editor, with the other writers' ability to, by majority, reject a work for submission in its current form.
* If anyone would like to help in the proofreading, I am certainly open to that.
* I can collect and format the work into a printable and eformat book.
* If anyone wants to help with this, that would be great.
* I can try to contact older members to see if I can approve story submissions for winning stories or those that the writer would like to promote, given that the group doesn't reject a work.
* Suggest we up the word limit to 1000, as we had done with the other two anthologies.
Other comments/concerns?
How about "The Future is (Still) Short"?Think we should reach out to the families of some of the deceased writers, to see if they want to place stories?
So, trying to string together suggestions, comments, plans so far--from this and the "10th anniversary" thread so far-----Anthology/book name: TBD but likely will include some variation on "The Future Is Short"
---Up word limit to 1000 words/story
---Each writer will get their works for the book professionally copyedited and proofread [2 questions, people: (1) should proofread pieces follow US style, UK/int'l style, or be author's choice as long as consistent with a story? (2) will someone(s) with proofreading/copyediting experience will go over the proofed stories for a final check?] [or is this what "writers, by a majority, will reject [or accept] in its [copedited/proofed] form"?]
---I'll be happy to help with getting the mss into final form . . . IFF everyone has had their the mss seriously copyedited and proofread.
---Suggestion that each person select 3 of their own favorites of their own contest stories PLUS 3 of others of the group's stories for the book. (This comes to a maximum of 6000 words times number of book's participants, but we know some persons will not wish to include this many works or will choose shorter works.)
---Jot, with others if others volunteer, will collect and format the pieces into a printable and e-formatted book.
---Some of us will need to contact participants from earlier years and try to get their--or, if they have died, their survivors'/estates'--approval or permission to include up to 3 of their stories (that were submitted in thoss earlier years) in the book.
---A question: will this be a private/limited printing, or will the book be publicly distributed (or even sold)? If the latter, someone will have to get it copyrighted (US Copyrights Office now has an online portal).
---Also, to protect the compiler/s and the group as a whole, we each should sign a permissions form, as we did for the TFIS volumes. Will you ask for a volunteer to handle this, Jot, or---?
Mod
* Stories up to 1000 words.
* Unless someone is a genius of advertising, we are not likely to sell that many books. Paula would like to see that everyone hires someone to edit our work, but unless she can offer an affordable option to this, which I am up for, I would like to allow writers here to be able to sign off on another's work, or put scratch lines through it to mark issues that need to be corrected. Though, at 1000 words, we have to be given the right to use the art of language to be able to play with the words to add our own flavor to the work.
* I would like to have further discussion on the inclusion of stories. Paula would like to side on equal inclusion, and I respect that, but I am more on side to control the quality level of the stories included. I will leave this as an open discussion and side with what the group decides.
* If people can help with contact of previous participants, that would be great. I will reach out to Ben Boyd Jr.'s family to see if I can include some of this work. Are there other deceased members?
* I'm not sure about the private/public printing thing, as the contest version of these works have already been published publicly. Will leave this as an open discussion.
* I have copies of the previous contract. I can have each writer sign a copy to have their work included.
Thanks for the questions/concerns Paula, as you are the greatest expert here when it comes to this.
I'm happy to contribute stories in as many as the team wants. If someone wants me to proof their work, I can certainly do that too.
--Sorry, I wasn't trying to impose there--just thought there was some sense among those (too few, perhaps) discussing this that a variant of TFIS was what folks wanted for a title. ---Great--wonderful, Jot, that you still have the original contract copies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
---Jeremy--yes, Andrew Gurcak. He did so much for the group. I shall contact E.J. (Elizabeth) and Andy Lake to see if either knows how to reach his family members, but this may take some researching.
---Choosing stories---Respectfully, I do think we do best to use the same number of stories for each author. Reasons are:
* (1) We can control stories quality just as well by letting authors select 3 (or other constant C depending on size of the book) of their own stories, subject to courteous nudging (as in "Umm, you *really* want to include that piece rather than your . . . ?") or to veto by large majority vote (as in "OMG! You don't plan to put that piece of junk in our anthology, do you!!") ;
* (2) Otherwise, we get into the sort of problems of hurt feelings, of people dropping out, etc. as happened with the 2nd TFIS anthology--with, just as happened then, no increase in overall stories quality;
* (3) That sort of quality selection only works when there is general agreement on editorial/quality criteria and when all agree the person or persons making such selections is more particularly qualified than the others.
----Jot, yes, agreed, definitely public/private printing/circulation needs more discussion. . . .
---Jot, you have email addresses for most of the previous/early members of the group? Do you want us to each contact those we're in touch with, or will you be contacting everyone you can (and letting us know whom you can't/who still needs contacting)--? (I'm in touch online with a few of the "old members.") (Does anyone know how, at this point, to contact Carrol Fix? Also Carol Shetler--? Each did so much for the group, need to be contacted.)
Given the nature of the anthology - 10 years, memorials etc - we could do some press. Some of the online magazines (Amazing etc) would find this of interest, as would File770. I think we can drum up some sales.
Mod
I could throw $100 toward advertising, but was thinking this would be a facebook ad. Certainly open to anything.
No worries Paula. I hold you in very high regard, and embrace differing opinions within the group. Diversity of viewpoints is a strength, not a weakness.
I understand your desire to avoid hurting feelings, but one of the main reasons I started this contest was to be able to get and provide honest feedback about others' work so that I/they can improve. Your viewpoint could be a blocker for such honesty. Software developers writes bugs in all of their code, and the compiler is just a tool for telling them what they did wrong. A story is a much harder concept, some are good, some are amazing, and others are not so much.
I certainly don't want to have an open vote to pit one writer against another, I just want to allow anyone to raise a concern about a story privately with me and what they saw as the issue. Then I can raise it as an open discussion to allow the writer to address the issue(s), or gain enough private votes to reject the work its current form. It is merely a business decision. That said, I think it is unlikely that such a vote will take place.
I do still have a folder of the original contracts, but have to see what email addresses I have. One think I want to do is post something about it on the Sci-Fi page on LinkedIn. Might also drum up some interest in the work with others.
Thank you, Jot, I appreciate your respect for my and others' viewpoints.I fear my post may have been unclear. My main concern there is *not* with [my "point (2)"] avoiding hurting feelings--*either* re our feedback to one another about stories during the contests *or* re (a somewhat different issue) decisions that might affect the quality of the anniversary volume. See my points (1) and (3) re criteria [(1) "We can control stories quality ... by letting authors select N of their own stories, subject to courteous nudging ... or to veto by [significantly large majority]", (2) "quality selection only works when ... general agreement on editorial/quality criteria and [on] the [judgs as especially] qualified"]. OTOH, I do understand your sense that we need an "out" method if someone wants to include a story that is terribly written or . . . horrifically unacceptable in some other way (and agreed, it's unlikely to happen)! (OTOOH [on the other other hand], having a "private vote" to knock out a story could--would--lead to a sense of "decisions by private cliques", so best such votes be out in the open! imao).
Sorry to bring up negatives/issues.
Jeremy, you mention Amazing as an sf journal that would be a good advertising venue; are there others? Jot, Justin, Thaddeus, others, what others might be good ones? Jot, I've only worked once with FB for book advertising; it was so-so; have you had good experience with it for this? (Alumnae/alumni mags work well but are WAY too expensive!)
I'm not sure about SF print. The releavant online sites I'm most familiar with are Amazing Stories and File770 - I'm sure both will happily post an article, rather than an ad.The dedicated story sites don't seem to have advertising. Checked DailySF and Flash Fiction Online.
Maybe we can look at Amazon ads as well? Or right here on Goodreads.
I can put in a few bucks as well if that helps.
Anyone have a thought re proceeds to charity?
Here is a link to Andy Gurcak's obituary. He died on October 2, 2020. https://obituaries.post-gazette.com/o...
Jeremy wrote: "I'm not sure about SF print. The releavant online sites I'm most familiar with are Amazing Stories and File770 - I'm sure both will happily post an article, rather than an ad.The dedicated story ..."
Proceeds to charity's a great idea. Of course, we'd all have to agree on a charity/charities, lol.
Mod
I think that's a great idea. We should discuss which foundation to support.
Mod
I can contribute cash, too, for whatever needs funding. I have been seeking out beta readers but I should probably have some more formal/professional proofreading help.
I'm also for quality control. What I think is good may not be what the audience thinks is good, so honest feedback and/or voting might prevent me from embarrassing myself in print.
It's not clear to me what could even work as a vote on stories' quality for the anthology, given that the make-up (and thus story judgments) of the group, these past 5-6 years or so has been so very different (and so much more homogenous in styles/tastes) than the group's make-up through its first five-six years. Oh yes! Honest feedback would be a really good way to handle "quality" issues, Greg! Good idea.
Jeremy wrote: "Posted a baseball story for the 4th."Jeremy, this is a strong and well written story, definitely can reach even to persons who aren't "team sports" fans.
Outstanding stories Jeremy and Chris!!!
Well, that finally posted. I think I'm having trouble with two different accounts, one through Goodreads and via Facebook.
Trouble posting--on both sites, or--?Kalifer wrote: "Well, that finally posted. I think I'm having trouble with two different accounts, one through Goodreads and via Facebook."
I hope that when we read the stories for judging (or even for pleasure) we don't read the version that is sent out in email. In my case, format is important since my writing style is ping pong conversational. The format is important to know who is talking. The email version is an amorphous mass.
Kalifer, what a poignant, charming story! I'm not sure what the "versions that is sent out in email" is, but as the tale appears in the "Stories" section of the microstories site here, it reads clearly except that you might add an extra-vertical-space break (or a dingbat?) to show one of the jumps, in or near the middle of the story, between two characters' pov/speaking.
Fine story!
Hi Paula and thanks for the compliment.The story is , till the last line, in the Mothers POV. If you see otherwise give me a three word sequence to match on to find it. This was originally 850 word the I had to cut, cut and cut so there is probably a POV mistake somewhere. The only thing I could find was a missing space after a comma. Every I, me and my outside of quotes refers to the mother.
Hi Kalifer, I didn't mean a major jump so much as the pov-like change when shifting between speakers. (I've just redone my comment so that's clearer.) It's mostly just a "do a new para for each change of speaker" comment, basically. Kalifer wrote: "Hi Paula and thanks for the compliment.
The story is , till the last line, in the Mothers POV. If you see otherwise give me a three word sequence to match on to find it. This was originally 850 wor..."
Hi Paula, I generally like to pair a remark with a response although I wasn't totally consistent. I want it to feel like a conversation rather than a lecture. Too much spacing makes it seem overly lengthy and chops up the Q/A or Remark/Response interaction. Format is a big deal and am still struggling to make it the way I want it sound in the audience's brain.
Mod
Hi, just so you know, I am not dead. However, I am beyond any desire to post new work in a collected printed anthology. That ship has sailed for me. Too much RL to deal with. However, if there is a special 10th anniversay monthly contest here, I am happy to give a story a go for the sake of posterity and auld lang syn. :)
Hi, Jeremy.Thanks, Paula, for Andrew's obit.
You folks might see an entry from me this month. It may be crusted with writer's rust, but what the heck :)
Hi, Marianne--oh yes, it'll be great to see your new story/entry this month! --It was so sad learning of Andrew's death; I learned of it, a couple of years ago, from Andy Lake and Elizabeth Lamprey--not sure which of them heard first.
Thanks, Paula. It isn't much of anything, but at least it is something.
Can I say what I think might be a way to celebrate 10 years? In keeping with the spirit of the science fiction microstory, we do what we always have done, write a flash fiction piece, but with the founder giving the requirements. We are numbered by appearance. After the deadline, we vote on the stories as usual, but also put it out for the public to vote on, ie, they pick the number they like. But to do so, they make a one dollar donation to charity. Perhaps each writer can list the charity they favor at the end of their story?We do some good, get some reads, raise a glass to time. A print book at this stage seems a lot of work and money for little return, not to mention the dangers of human nature and agita.
Just a thought.
Not quite sure I did it all okay, but this is what hatched out :)
Thanks, Jeremy. It came from somewhere arriving almost full blown in my head.
Mod
Marianne wrote: "Hi, just so you know, I am not dead. However, I am beyond any desire to post new work in a collected printed anthology. That ship has sailed for me. Too much RL to deal with. However, if there is a..."Welcome back, for any length of time, Marianne. Missed you. Loved your story.
Superb story, Marianne. Genuinely deep, moving, brilliant.
Where has the story spec discussion:Length limit
last day of month to submit story
last day of month to submit judgement
Can't find it? Don't we want to have new submitters?
Hope I got my story in on time. Note--it is not in competition, as I wrote an earlier version for our group in early 2013, and as it has won awards in 2 or 3 other fiction competitions. However, it does wonderfully match the theme for this month. Thank you.
Element: A force that works to divide it