Feminism and SF: Reading with a Critical Eye

When I first started blogging back in May, my meanderings across the web lead me to Feminist SF—The Blog, a blog that questions the representation of women in Science Fiction.

Sci-Fi (or perhaps its now being called Speculative Fiction) is one of my guilty pleasures. Why is it my ‘guilty’ pleasure? Well as an English major, not many SF titles fall into academic reading, so anytime I read SF it’s purely self-indulgence. Since I often approach SF with an escapist frame of mind, I’ve never really looked at it with a critical eye before; much less explore the representation of women within the genre.

I have the ladies over at Feminist SF for raising my awareness. Armed with this new perspective, I was intrigued by excerpts of Nina Munteanu’s new novel, Darwin’s Paradox.

I discovered Ms. Munteanu’s blog, The Alien Next Door, about the same time I discovered Feminist SF. Her blog demonstrates a passion for science, the environment, and for the evolution of a cooperative coexistence, a combination I found quite captivating.

Munteanu’s most recent SF book, Darwin’s Paradox, incorporates all of these elements along with strong female characters, as the excerpts found on darwinsparadox.com illustrate.

Having just finished Darwin’s Paradox, I would be interested in hearing what the women over at Feminist SF think of it. Tomorrow (Monday, November 19), I will be posting my review of the book, followed by an interview with the author on Tuesday.

The Structure of a Novel: The Secret of Standard Formats

Remember your first day of English 101? If you’re a writer, you probably do. I was very excited to take my first college English course. I had high expectations of what I would learn there. The classic literature I would analyze. The academic research I would conduct. The illuminating in-class discussions we would have. Boy was I ever disappointed.

Freshman English started with the standard three part essay: introduction, main body, and conclusion. Didn’t we get this message in High School?

Of course, there was a reason for reviewing the standard essay. Although, most of us had been taught the method of the three part essay, most of us hadn’t really learned the true purpose of the three part essay. This standard structure is not merely a device intended to help the writer, it’s also a device that helps the reader. Readers have certain expectations. When you fail to meet these expectations the reader may become frustrated or confused. Ultimately, if the reader loses interest, your words serve no purpose.

During my internship at a local newspaper, I discovered that journalism also had its own structure: the inverted pyramid. Like it or not, working journalists follow this format. It’s what the reader demands and what the editor will insist upon. After all, an editor’s obligation is to the reader, not to your fickle muse.

What I’ve learned from these two experiences is the value of a format, and respectively the value of a good outline to help you adhere to that format. So when I started my first novel, I began with an outline. Utilizing the basic Freitag Pyramid from literature class, I created an outline indicating where I felt the story should start, where it should end, and a few plot points leading to the crises. I thought this would be enough.

What I didn’t realize, however, was that contemporary novels, like essays and news articles, have their very own format. I discovered this while reading The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall. Although, many books focus on writing technique (characterization, scene, dialogue, conflict, etc.) this is the first book I’ve read that clearly details how a novel should be structured.

Marshall delivers an outline in which the writer breaks down a novel into small sections, utilizing plots and subplots, to ensure sufficient tension throughout. Marshall also indicates the best time to introduce the lead, the opposition, and/or the love interest, not to mention how many points of view your particular novel should have.

Now, I’ve known for a long time that romance novels have a very specific format. In fact, I’ve always been a little envious of that skeleton waiting to be fleshed out. Now I have my own formula. I now know my literary novel should have six different view point characters and contain roughly 116 sections, 70 of which should be dedicated to the lead. I also know when to alternate action and reaction and the difference between a story goal and a section goal.

Oh I know. Discovering that there is a formula for writing is kind of like learning the mechanics behind your favorite magic trick. I admit, I feel a little guilty for exposing it. Well, ok, I’m not really exposing it. After all, the formula is a little too long and complicated to go into here. Let’s just say I’m admitting there is one and pointing you in the direction of the smoke and mirrors.

Don’t feel bad, it still takes great writing to make the formula work. Like the three part essay, the standard novel structure has both a method and a purpose, but you still have to supply the talent. By utilizing a standard structure, however, you create a reader friendly book and increase the chances of publication.

Effective Peer Reviews

“So what do you think?”

What a loaded question. It can be the most effective tool in the pursuit of publication, or it can be the beginning of bitter contention. It all depends on the readiness of the writer asking the question, and the ability of the critic to assess that level of readiness. I’ve learned this from personal experience.

I’ve enjoyed work shopping material with fellow writers on a couple of online communities. I believe the critical feedback I receive is absolutely essential to my future as a published author. I even credit it with the honorable mention I received in a recent writing competition. But, challenging an artist without offending can be tricky.

I have been criticized for being both too extensive and too vague. This has taught me to spend as much time assessing the readiness of the writer, as I do analyzing their work. Only a few months ago, I inadvertently offended another writer with a critique that was intended to challenge the author’s literary technique. However, when the author retaliated on a personal level, it became obvious that I had underestimated his readiness to receive such extensive feedback.

Overcompensating, my critiques became brief and somewhat vague. I became more concerned with the ego behind the writing than the writing itself. That is, until just a couple of days ago when a fellow writer reminded me that this minimalist approach was of no use. He advised me to address issues in greater detail and sight specific examples. After clarifying his expectations, I was able to reassess his ability to receive a thorough review.

So, how can you determine an author’s readiness level? First, see if you can locate any of her critical feedback. How they review others is a good indication of her ability to analyze literature and her ability give and receive constructive criticism. What is the general atmosphere of the writing community she most participates in? This is where she feels comfortable and successful. This will give you an indication of the kind of feedback she is accustomed to. Finally, assess her motivation. You can do this directly, before supplying your critique. Ask her what they hope to achieve from the critique? What is her ultimate goal as a writer? Does she have any particular concerns about the piece you will be reviewing? If you receive vague answers, it’s probably an indication of a low readiness level.

It’s also a good idea to come up with a feedback form that will allow you to give specific, consistent feedback. I found this one for creative writing on the University of Hawaii website:

Paraphrase the plot of the story in one or two sentences.

Paraphrase the theme of the piece in one or two sentences.

Describe the narrator’s point of view. Is the point of view consistent? If not, where and how does it shift?

Describe the tone of the piece. Is the tone consistent? If not, point out where it wavers.

Are the characters believable? Why or why not?

What more would you like to know about the characters?

Were there any parts of the story that were confusing or unclear?

If the writer uses dialogue, is it clear who is speaking? Does the writer describe how the speaker says the dialogue?

Has the writer dramatized rather than summarized the experiences in the story?

What parts of the piece are most vivid for you?

What questions did you have when you finished reading the piece?

Anything else?

At Zoetrope.com a sample review for poetry utilized this format:

Overall Quality:

Originality:

Communication of Theme:

Structure:

Diction (well-chosen words):

Imagery (type/structure):

Use and function of Sound repetition:

These are merely examples, of course. You can develop your own based on the goal of your peer reviews. I recommend sharing your evaluation form with your peers when you first begin working togather. This will give the author a clear idea of what you will be assessing and prepare him for the extent of your feedback. (The author’s reaction to your form may also cause you to re-evaluate his readiness level.)

By evaluating both the writer and their work objectively, you will have a better chance of developing productive peer review relationships, while avoiding the backlash of accidentally bruising someone’s ego.

The Ideal Length for Your Book

Are you eager to write your first book? Trying to figure out how long it should be? Do you think page count is irrelevant? Think again. In the publishing business, size does matter!

Many publishers have very strict length requirements. Writing a historical romance? It better be between 100,000 to 125,000 words if you want it published by Avon Books. Are you writing a mystery? Well, don’t be long winded about it. Most mystery novels run between 60,000 and 65,000 words.

I know, I know. Many of you are bristling at the idea of meeting word length requirements. You may have romantic visions of writing the next Ulysses. What about challenging the status quo and writing literature for literature’s sake? Well, of course I would never discourage anyone from such a lofty goal, but I will make one suggestion—keep your day job.

If you want to be a published author, it’s important to be aware of industry expectations. But where do these expectations come from? I wondered the same thing until I read The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall. Marshall, president of the Evan Marshall Agency, explains the logic behind these quotas in the chapter “Getting Off to the Right Start.”

According to Marshall, a number of factors determine the ideal book length, and most of them are economic. From a manufacturing standpoint, books need to meet cost effective length requirements in order to be profitable. From a marketing standpoint, paperbacks need to meet certain length requirements in order to fit a predetermined number in one of those bookstore shelf pockets. Book size even determines how many books will fit in a shipping carton. And then there are consumer expectations. Readers are accustomed to certain types of books being of a certain length. Satisfying the reader’s expectations means your book has a better chance of making it off the shelf.

So how do you determine which length is suitable for your book? Well, Marshall suggests tracking down the publisher’s tip sheet. To do this, you must first classify your novels genre, and then determine which publishers specialize in those genres. Not all publishers have tip sheets, however, so Marshall gives this alternate approach. Find five or six books within your books genre, and then follow this simple formula:

Book pages x lines on a full page x 9 = number of words

Using the average of these five or six books, you will come up with a rough estimate of how long your book should be. I know, it’s not very romantic, but it is practical. Getting published is challenging enough without sabotaging yourself. If you’re serious about being a published author, find out what the publishers are looking for and stack the deck in your favor.

Selling Your College Research Papers

College students need all the financial help they can get. I remember working three part-time jobs while juggling five or six classes each semester. Even with financial aid, it can be a hand to mouth existence. Every little bit can help. So today, I thought I would pass on a little tidbit; you can sell those graded college essays online.

The social media group Associated Content, will purchase your old college essays for an upfront payment of four dollars plus a performance bonus based on the number of hits your work receives. I know, four dollars is not much in the world of professional writing, but it’s better than the zero dollars you make when you purge your files at the end of each semester. As an English major, taking five to six classes a semester, writing a total of ten to eighteen essays, I could have made $40 - $72 dollars in upfront payments. And with new freshman enrolling every year, your college essays will never go out of style. That allows your performance bonus to steadily accumulate every semester.

Ethics of Selling College Papers Online

I admit, when I first began posting my college essays, I was deeply concerned about my responsibility to the academic community. Plagiarism is a serious issue on college campuses. Was I enabling this behaving by posting complete essays on-line? Not really. Professors have gotten pretty hip to technology, and technology has gotten pretty hip to the needs of professors. There are a number of programs designed to help track plagiarism, and quite frankly, if a student Googles a paper topic, their professor can, too.

The second issue is student research. Anyone can publish anything online. Although Associated Content has an editorial process that does not necessarily mean their research papers undergo any fact checking. Students should be very cautious about citing online sources. Check the credentials of the individual posting the content. If it’s an online journal, find out all you can about the review process. Articles printed in traditional academic journals undergo an extensive review processes to ensure the quality of the research and writing.

Benefits of Posting College Papers Online

That does not mean college essays have no place online. They can be a great starting point. Reading essays by other students can help you see a work from a different perspective. It may lead you down new roads of research. It may help stimulate classroom discussion as students bring more to the conversation. And for the students selling essays, it may buy another can of instant coffee for those all-nighters.

For, this reason, I will be removing the submission page from my website. It was originally designed to allow students to proudly post their work on feminist literature. I highly recommend selling them to Associated Content instead. You will still see the link page to essays I have published online, but many of them will now take you to my Associated Content page (hey graduate students need instant coffee, too). May you have another successful semester.

Writing Opportunities for Women

Ladies are you feeling a little left out of the publishing game? In her recent WOW! article, C. Hope Clark writes:

Other than in the romance arena, men writers outnumber women. Or let’s say that published men writers outnumber women.

It’s the lead to an article on female friendly publications and writer’s organizations. Now I’m not sure if publishers aren’t taking women seriously, or if women just aren’t taking themselves seriously, but I thought I would pass on the useful information. If you’re a woman trying to get some of your work published, this article is a great place to start. I also suggest keeping an eye on the Wow! Blog, for updates on web wide writing competitions.

I would love to stay and chat, but I take my future as a writer very seriously (what you don’t like my melodramatic tone?), so I have more chapters to revise and freelance projects to juggle. Fear not, loyal readers, I do have some more great reviews and interviews coming up. I also hope to have a website soon, with samples of my own work (for the sadistically curious). It’s a very hectic but exciting time in the Ares household. I think I need to brew more coffee.

New Publications Embrace New Writers: Red Pulp’s Search for Exceptional Content

According to Samir A. Husni of MrMagazine.com, 700 to 1,000 magazines are launched every year. He should know, he’s the author of the annual Samir Husni’s Guide to New Magazines, and as the Chair of the Journalism Department at the University of Mississippi, he has become “the country’s leading magazine expert”.

This is great news for freelance writers. New magazines are generally more receptive to new writers. As a magazine grows it gradually builds a network of reliable writers, and the longer a magazine has been in publication, the more difficult it can be to get your foot in the door. Established magazines are generally overwhelmed by query letters and chances are yours will get lost in the pile.

This is less likely in new publications for a number of reasons. First, you may find a much more sympathetic editor. Chuck Zepol, one of the founders of the new literary magazine Red Pulp Underground, explains why he and his follow writers decided to start their own ezine:

“Three of us met at a poetry open mic at the main library in San Antonio,Texas. Afterwards we talked about how constricted we felt by the rules imposed by our gracious hosts. After a few long discussions, the idea of Red Pulp Underground surfaced.”

By catching a magazine early in its conception, you have a better chance of finding editors who can still sympathize with your struggle. 

New publications also have less red tape. Most startups begin on a shoe string budget which keeps the staff to a minimum. Ultimately, this means your work will be read by the editor, not the assistant to the assistant editor. Zepol admits that Red Pulp is a small team of four multi-taskers, each responsible for writing, reading, copyediting, and layout, but that doesn’t mean you should underestimate the talent you’ll be working with. With degrees from Universities in Florida, Texas, and New York the staff at Red Pulp is as diverse as the content they look forward to promoting.

In fact, the enthusiasm of a small start up staff can often lead to a more nuruturing enviornment for new writers. Red Pulp prides itself on being an “independent entity”. As a non-profit literary magazine they circumvent the influence of advertising dollars, creating an open forum for self-expression. In their mission statement, the team at Red Pulp encourages new writers who are looking for the opportunity to join the publishing community:

“If you consider yourself a good writer and wish to join our team, we ask that you submit your best work. If your talent matches our drive, we will promote your work on this website.”

One more advantage to new publications: short turnaround time. Red Pulp Underground is currently taking submissions for their October issue (see website for submission guidelines). Although the publication accepts poetry and flash fiction, the inside scoop is you may have a better shot at publication with a well crafted short story.

If your work is accepted by Red Pulp Underground, please stop by and leave your link in the comment section. I’ld love to read it! 

The Synopsis: a Powerful Marketing Tool for Writers

Ok, you’ve finished your manuscript. You’ve sent out query letters. You finally have a nibble! Someone wants to see a couple chapters and a synopsis. This is your last chance to reel them in. What do you do?

Simply put, a synopsis is a brief narrative summary of your manuscript. From a marketing standpoint, a synopsis is a finely tuned sales pitch. There is a standard format for a synopsis and it’s important that you understand it, your credibility as a professional depends on it, and so does the life of your manuscript.

Format your synopsis just as you would your manuscript:

• 12 point courier type
• Double spaced
• Top margin at ½” and all remaining margins at 1¼”
• Justify left
• First page contact and manuscript information
• Slugline and page numbers on every page thereafter

What is the contact and manuscript information?

Your contact information should be at the top of the first page, against the left margin and single spaced. It should include your name, address, and phone number. Just like the header of a business letter. The manuscript information is in the opposite corner and should include the manuscript’s genre, the word count, and the word ‘synopsis’.

What is a slugline?

The slugline is a header that contains your last name, the title of your manuscript (in all caps), and in this case, the word ‘synopsis’. Here’s an example: Author/TITLE OF MY NOVEL/Synopsis

How much of the story should I tell?

All of it! A synopsis is primarily a condensed version of your manuscript beginning, middle, and end. The average synopsis runs about one page for every twenty pages of manuscript (including the chapters you are sending with the synopsis). Don’t divide your synopsis into chapters, however, just tell a concise, unified story hitting the highlights. Dialogue is rarely used. You should also avoid the use of adjectives and adverbs, and referencing your clever plot devices. Stick to the action, emotion and motivation that move the story forward.

Another major difference between a synopsis and a manuscript lies in verb tense. A synopsis is written in historical present tense. You may remember historical present tense from your days as an English student, when you wrote about an author and his work in the present tense. For example: “Milton uses symbolism of both dark and light in his epic poem Paradise Lost.” If you’ve written a lot of Literary research papers, this will come naturally. If you haven’t it may take a little practice and you should definitely get someone else to proofread for consistency.

What are the vital components of the synopsis?

As I mentioned earlier, your synopsis is not just a summary but a sales pitch. Begin with a hook. Hooks begin with the lead character, the leads crisis and how the lead intends on resolving the crisis. The best way to understand hooks is to watch movie trailers:

AMANDA was a practical housewife who didn’t believe in magic, until the family cat was abducted by mischievous gnomes. To appease her distraught daughter AMY, Amanda must enlist the help of fairies.

If you haven’t established all of the lead’s vital statistics in the hook, make sure you quickly follow with the leads age, occupation, marital status or other pertinent details. Also establish the place and time of your story right away. (Think of the cliché trailer lines “In a world were. . .”/“In a time when . . .”)

When introducing new characters, use another film industry trick—all caps. That draws attention to the new player, and sets a precedent, so be consistent with the way you refer to each character. In the above example, Amanda should always be addresses as Amanda and not as Amy’s mom. Chances are your synopsis may get a cursory skim through and you want it to be as clear as possible.

Finally, revise your synopsis with the same diligence you gave your manuscript. It’s an important marketing tool that may be the key to publication.

Reference: Marshall, Evan. The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest. 1998.

I’m Sorry, Did my Stiletto Catch You in the Ego?

I admit it. I’m a classic overachiever. I’m never satisfied with doing well. I’m pushing for Wow! 

I have a difficult time committing to anything I’m not passionate about. A lack of passion leads to mediocrity. It distresses me deeply to plaster a happy façade over the misery of just doing “good enough”. ”Good enough” may meet the standard I’m being measured against, but it doesn’t meet the standard I have for myself–the standard that pushes me to exceed your expectations.

I realize this is obsessive behavior, and it can make me difficult to work with. Not everyone wants to push that hard. But as I look at the people I admire, they all have it, that perfectionism. It doesn’t mean that over achievers are perfect, far from it. It means that when they set their minds on something, their focus is relentless.

That’s why I love writing. I start with my first cup of coffee in the morning and continue well into the night. My ability to achieve my goal does not rely on the performance of others–others who may or may not be as passionate as I am.

I thrive on the feedback. Not the fluffy critiques like “nice” or “well done”, but the pen stabbing constructive criticism that cuts the fat from my writing.  Mind you, I am not belittling the support I have received here and on other social networks. As a writer, it’s satisfying to know my work reaches out and touches someone, or imparts valuable information. But you see, I distinguish between comments (a communication meant to address the EMOTIONAL impact of a piece) and criticism (a communication meant to address the TECHNICAL aspects of a piece).  

Many of you know I’ve started my first novel. Recently, a mentor of mine read the first chapter. It was very exciting to receive the manuscript back with all of its lines, squiggles, and marginal notes. “Shutter the first page” she wrote. In other words, get rid of it. Wow, the whole page? But she’s right, it needs to go. They say the first page is usually the warm up, the formality of getting acquainted with pen and paper. It’s basic advice published in almost every “how to write” book, but there it was, that warm up page mocking me from the neatly typed font of my own work. For me, it’s evidence that you have to actually make the mistake before it leaves an impression.  I am so grateful for the clear, experienced eye of someone honest enough to bring it to my attention.

I make a lot of mistakes as a perfectionist. Like forgetting not everyone else is one. Not everyone makes the distinction between a comment and a critique. For those who don’t, writing can be a brutal business bruising fragile egos. (See the blog The Rejecter.) The bitter backlash marks their lack of professionalism, but I only hold that against those who seek to be professionals. Many people write simply because they like to. It’s a hobby born out of self-expression, and should be treated with a little more delicacy. This is a skill I have just begun to learn.

If you want to become a professional writer, swallow your pride and be prepared to be torn apart. Don’t take it personally. Don’t waste time with retaliation. Roll up your sleeves and dig deeper.

edited: October 19, 2007

Well dear readers, I want to apologize for the negativity (and clichés) of this piece. Although I prefer to put positive energy out into the world, this post represents how I was feeling on a particularly snarky day, so I’ll let the record stand. I would like to thank those who supported me even at my snarkiest, patiently waiting for me to realign myself with the idea of living cooperatively not competitively.

E-quiries - Increasing Publishing Opportunities

Writing effective query letters is an essential skill for any writer seeking publication. In the age of electronic communication, the process of querying magazines and literary journals is faster and easier than ever. For writers, the e-query can be a powerful tool when used correctly.

Who should I e-query?

Before sending out those e-queries, do your research. Not all publications accept queries via email. Check with the Writer’s Market or the writer’s guidelines located on their website. Some publications will direct writers to a specific email address for e-queries. Address your query to a specific editor if that information is available (keep your tone formal).

Just because it’s easy to send emails to multiple addresses doesn’t mean you should. Because of the rapid turnaround time of e-queries, there’s no need for simultaneous submissions. Emailing each publication individually is not only a professional courtesy; it will keep your queries from sounding to generic. Your queries, whether hard copy or electronic, should be specifically tailored for each publication.

How should I e-query?

Make sure you follow the standard format for traditional query letters. No more than one page with 11 or 12 point font, single-spaced, and block format (double spaced between paragraphs with no indentation). Your query should be clear and concise, illustrating the strength of your writing.

Busy editors often scan through query letters, so if you want to get their attention, make the first line count. Make a connection and mention any referral contact. In fact, your first impression starts with the subject line of your email, so make sure to use the word “query” in the title.

Query letters generally consist of three parts. Lead the query with your idea, and why it is right for their publication. Next, give your credentials: awards, honors, publishing credits (boldface or italicize the names of magazines and journals), and personal experience with the subject matter. Finally, let the editor know when you will be following up on your query. Make sure you give the editor time to consider your idea. Although your e-query will arrive in the editor’s mailbox almost instantaneously, they may not have the luxury of responding right away.

Do not send attachments with your query. They clog your editor’s mailbox and most go unopened anyways. Let the editor know you will gladly submit clippings upon request. You can also link to any publishing credits online.

Make sure to enclose your complete contact information (address, phone, fax) just as you would with a traditional query letter. You want to make the editor’s job as easy as possible.

How should I manage my e-queries?

Because sending out e-queries is so easy, it’s also easy to lose track of them. Make sure you use a spread sheet program to track which query you’ve sent to whom and when. Also, note when you are due to follow up with that query, and whether it was accepted or denied. Just because it was not accepted does not mean it is not a good idea, it may just mean it is not a good idea for that publication at the time. For, that reason you should keep a copy of all of your queries. With a little revision they can be sent out to another publisher.

With sharp query letters and diligent management e-queries can cut down on leg work and increase your publishing opportunities.