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First are some of my favorite authors. Also, I’ve collected quite a few links over the years for writers in the learning stages. Perhaps this can shortcut some time for those just getting into learning the craft.

• Some of my favorite authors

  • Fred Saberhagen - Loved his Swords books.

  • Roger Zelazny - Ah, the world of Amber.

  • Tad Williams - Loved the Dragonbone Chair series. Still working through the Otherland works.

  • Orson Scott Card - Could any book hook faster than Ender’s Game? Orson has a lot of great material for early writers. There’s some things on his site for workshopping, forums, chat, and more. A very nice site.

  • Glen Cook - The Black Company series is a great read. The Tower of Fear is one of my all time favorite standalone books.

  • William Forstchen - I can’t get enough of his Lost Regiment books.

  • Kij Johnson - Kij is a mentor of mine. I’ve attended her GenCon seminars over the past several years. She’s also been kind enough to help me with miscellaneous biz questions.

  • Fiona McIntosh - Up and coming Aussie writer. Look for her soon in the US.

   

• Writing helpers

  • Guide to Grammar and Writing - cross the i’s and dot the t’s. Err, I mean the other way.

  • Critters.org Library - many links on writing, critiquing, market info, etc.

  • Marion Zimmer Bradley - there are some nice articles written by MZB. Interesting reads.

  • Editorial Department - This is a pay-for editing company that will take your work and evaluate it for you. I did this on Blood of Rushma, and I was quite pleased. Give them a look if you’re considering professional editing. Also, they’ve got a great book on self-editing. From their man page, click “Our Book–>Self Editing for Fiction Writers. It’s one of the best books on writing I’ve ever read.

   

• Critiquing Helpers

  • Click here to download my MS Word critique template. Note: there is a macro in this document. Use at your own risk.

   

• Submission Helpers

  • Manuscript format - easy to do. Just do it early so it comes naturally and you don’t have to go edit 600+ pages just before sumission.

  • Manuscript format (2) - see above.

  • Synopsis helper - Synopses can be quite difficult. This will get you on the right track.

  • Ten mistakes to avoid in Synopsis writing - title says it all.

   

• Writing Organizations

  • SFWA - Science Fiction Writers of America. The site itself contains a wealth of information for the new writer and experience writer alike.

  • SFF.net - Online community of authors, publishers, editors, and readers.

   

• Online Writing Workshops

  • Online Writing Workshop - the one I use almost exclusively. They have both a Sci-Fi/Fantasy site and a Horror site. Decent reviews and fast turnaround.

  • Critters.org - a good, free workshop. I don’t care for the long turnaround, but I will admit that you get a lot of crits on your work and they’re pretty high quality.

  • Hatrack River Writing Workshops - This is from Orson Scott Card’s site. I have no experience with it, but it looks interesting.

   

• Intensive Writing Workshops

  • Clarion - One of the top three writing workshops in the SciFi & Fantasy areas.

  • Clarion West - See Clarion above.

  • Odyssey - The last of the top three writing workshops.