Writing and submitting your stories -- Questions for K. D. Wentworth

[Teresa Edgerton]

There have been a lot of questions around here lately about marketing stories and submitting manuscripts to agents and editors -- and having recently had the opportunity to renew my acquaintance with K.D. Wentworth the idea occurred to me that if anyone has a ton of experience to share with aspiring writers, she would be the one. So I asked her if she would be interested in visiting our forums and answering some of our questions -- about writing and publishing in general, as well as her own works specifically -- and she has graciously agreed to do so.

Kathy herself should be along in a week or so, which should give us all time to formulate some questions and post them here.

In the meantime, a bit about K. D. Wentworth, for those of you who aren't familiar with her name. She has several published novels to her credit, and literally dozens of short stories, which have appeared in magazines both large and small. She is a two-time finalist for the Nebula award. She has also served as a judge for the prestigious Writers of the Future Contest, which has helped to launch the careers of many, many writers over the years (including, back in 1989, K. D. Wentworth herself).

Here is a link to her bibliography, which she tells me is a bit out of date:

http://www.kdwentworth.com/Publications.htm

And here is a link to information about the Writers of the Future:

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery...rtab=2222_1&hl=k&hl=d&hl=wentworth&sbid=lc04b

I, personally, am thrilled that she is going to be visiting us, because I don't know when we will have another such chance to draw on so much experience (all in one person!), and I hope everyone will join me in giving her a warm welcome, and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. (I also have hopes that we can convince her to join us on a regular basis.)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

And after that introduction, I will start the ball rolling with some questions of my own:

Kathy, you have sold so many stories to so many different publications, that I would like to know, do you usually get an idea for a short story, write it, and then decide where you want to send it, or after you get the idea do you consider where you might sell it and write the story with a specific magazine in mind?

Is it a good idea for writers starting out to consider where they might send a story before they write it, or should they just plunge in and worry about that sort of thing later?

And once a story is written, which magazines would you say are likely to be most receptive to work from new writers?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Hi Kathy, and welcome to chronicles.

Something I'd like to ask - it's been stated before by some that having a presence on the published short story markets can be helpful when seeking publication of a novel.

Is that a sentiment you would agree with, or are both fields now too different for success as a short-story writer to really influence a book publishing decision?

 

[scalem X]

Introduction(skip when in a hurry):

Hey *** (the *s stand for your new username, don't want to deny you the freedom of calling yourself something like psychoticbeaverofdoom or something else you might like), hope you enjoy your stay, don't limit yourself to this thread. It's like checking out a library, you mostly don't go to the library and search for one particular book, get it and leave; you probably want to check out at least what else the library has to offer while you are there anyway. So well have a look, enjoy, you might make it out alive (but probably we'll keep you here trapped until the end of your days *evil laughter* )

Explanation for the above (still skip when in a hurry):

yes, I'm one of the less serious people on this board (I do try to write sometimes, like most people here), they dissagree in the mental institution though. Some people on this forum are far more serious than me and you might actually have a deep conversation with them. I'm more like well Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" (TM Bill Waterson), I sometimes enjoy people, but well I can be a pain in the ass for adult-like people. Anyway this forum is quite diverse, you can easily hide from me in detailed scifi corners and the music part.


Actual question:

Concerning story length:
What length does one aim for (short story) and how to make sure you hit about the right amount of words? Can you see at an idea for a story, about how long the finished story is going to be? Or can you only gamble and leave out/add additional descriptions, plotlines,...? I know it all depends on one's own style ofcourse, but any help is always appreciated .

 

[Mark Robson]

Hello, Kathy. Welcome to Chronicles. As an author of novels I am in awe of your ability to turn out both a substantial number of novels and a plethora of short stories that have all made it into print.

Firstly I'd like to know which you find easier to write - the short stories, or the novels? Do you have a fundamentally different approach to writing stories of such vastly differing lengths, or do you work to a generic formula that you can adapt depending on the type of idea/suitability for either novel or short?

Also, I'm ashamed to say that despite your impressive list of titles I don't believe I've ever read anything of yours. Have any been distributed in the UK at all, or have they all remained in the US?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

scalem, that's a very good question about hitting the right number of words for a short story.

I haven't tried my hand at many short fictions myself, but when I do they're always too long and have to be trimmed down to size. Then when I look at the poor slashed and truncated things afterward, I always feel badly. Surely it would be better not to go overboard to begin with. If our respected guest could give us some advice on how to avoid doing that, it would be very useful, to me at least.

 

[Mark Robson]

Kathy, another question: when you submit stories, do you have a standard submission letter, or do you tailor the submission letter to the publisher/type of story being submitted?

Also, when you write the synopsis of the piece you are submitting, what are you looking to achieve? To set hooks? To give a good understanding of the story? It strikes me that many people who try to write a synopsis (particularly of a novel) feel that they have to include all the twists and turns. What do you look to include and how do you decide what the prospective publisher does not need to know?

 

[Jeremy]

Hi, Kathy, welcome to the Forum! It is a privilege to have a well-known author like you with us. You are an inspiration to us aspiring science fiction/fantasy writers.

I have several questions for you:

1) Aside from Tor, do you know any other publishing house that regularly publishes juvenile science fiction/fantasy? Does Del Rey publish juvenile Science fiction and Fantasy?
2) Do you think it’s better to find an agent first or to submit directly to a publisher? Is it the same for juvenile scifi and fantasy?
3) This is a stupid question but I’m kind of confused now. What do you think about the idea of including 2 synopses, the first one 1-page long and the second one 3 pages long, and let the agent or editor choose which one he or she wants to read?
4) Would recommendations by a well-known published author help a novel get published? Do you get a lot of requests for reading manuscripts from aspiring writers?

Thank you very much!

 

[Patrick Mahon]

Hello Kathy, welcome to the Chronicles Network, and thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge.

My question is: how often, if at all, have you started with an idea for a short story which has subsequently been developed into longer fiction? Equally, has this ever happened to you the other way round? Or do you tend to know straight away whether an idea is one best suited to the short story format or to the novel?

I look forward to your thoughts - thanks.

 

[littlemissattitude]

Hi, Kathy. Thanks for taking time to visit with us. I see on your website that you teach school, so I know that you have more than enough to keep you busy even aside from your writing. We appreciate it very much.

Obviously, it is important for anyone serious about their writing to work on a steady basis, as opposed to just whenever "the spirit moves". So, I was wondering how you deal with the days when you just don't feel inspired to write, especially when you have a deadline approaching.

A sort of related issue is interruptions. Do you have a secluded place to write, at least a room where you can close the door and tell people not to knock unless someone is bleeding or the house is on fire? If not, how do you deal with interruptions for non-essential issues?

This is kind of an off-beat question, but I'll ask it anyway. I love to write. I think its hard work, but I also think it is immensely fun. For some reason, everyone I know out here in the real world tells me that this attribute makes me certifiable. So, do you have fun when you write? Is the process of it, in itself, enjoyable for you? Or am I as odd as my friends tell me I am?

Thanks very much for your time, Kathy.

 

[Marky Lazer]

Hello Kathy. Thank you for your time to answer all these questions of us ignorant fools…

My first question is about the synopsis. I’ve heard maybe a hundred different stories about a synopsis; could you give a brief outline what definitely should be in it? And how long should it be? I heard also tons of stories about the length… Please enlighten us.

Second, I’m still busy with writing my story, but one of my close mates is a great artist. He has drawn a possible cover for it already. I think his picture perfectly captures the feeling and atmosphere of the story. How much of a saying has the writer in the final cover of a book? Can s/he decide on the artist? Can s/he disagree with the cover so another one will be made?

The same question as above, but then concerning lay-out: Is a writer free to do what s/he want with things like font type?

That’ll be all for now. Thanks once more for showing up and enlightening us.

 

[dwndrgn]

Hi Kathy and thanks for taking time out for us.

I'm not an aspiring author but I've spoken with many and quite often the 'rules for submission' come up. It seems that there are some industry standards out there that when not followed is the first 'cull' of unsolicited manuscripts. Is this true? If a specific formatting rule is ignored (font size) does the 'script get tossed into the circular file immediately? Are there rules that can be broken but still get your manuscript read?

While we're on the subject, if you know, could you tell us what the most important submitting rules are?

I appreciate the time!
And welcome to our quirky forum!

 

[kdwentworth]

And after that introduction, I will start the ball rolling with some questions of my own:

Kathy, you have sold so many stories to so many different publications, that I would like to know, do you usually get an idea for a short story, write it, and then decide where you want to send it, or after you get the idea do you consider where you might sell it and write the story with a specific magazine in mind?

Is it a good idea for writers starting out to consider where they might send a story before they write it, or should they just plunge in and worry about that sort of thing later?

And once a story is written, which magazines would you say are likely to be most receptive to work from new writers?

I think it's best to just plunge in and write the story that YOU want to write, then worry about where to send it later. If you're trying to second-guess editors and their taste, the story won't have the same fire that it would if you're just trying to please yourself. Editors don't know what they want until they see it anyway and originality trumps just about every other quality when they're considering which stories to buy.

 

[kdwentworth]

Hi Kathy, and welcome to chronicles.

Something I'd like to ask - it's been stated before by some that having a presence on the published short story markets can be helpful when seeking publication of a novel.

Is that a sentiment you would agree with, or are both fields now too different for success as a short-story writer to really influence a book publishing decision?

I never had any luck selling a novel until I had quite a few short story credits. That said, I don't know if the credits helped me get a better reading, or I just improved my writing through crafting a lot of short stories. Although the two forms are different, writing is writing. If you enjoy both, you should work at both lengths and use all of your writing muscles.

 

[kdwentworth]

Introduction(skip when in a hurry):

Hey *** (the *s stand for your new username, don't want to deny you the freedom of calling yourself something like psychoticbeaverofdoom or something else you might like), hope you enjoy your stay, don't limit yourself to this thread. It's like checking out a library, you mostly don't go to the library and search for one particular book, get it and leave; you probably want to check out at least what else the library has to offer while you are there anyway. So well have a look, enjoy, you might make it out alive (but probably we'll keep you here trapped until the end of your days *evil laughter* )

Explanation for the above (still skip when in a hurry):

yes, I'm one of the less serious people on this board (I do try to write sometimes, like most people here), they dissagree in the mental institution though. Some people on this forum are far more serious than me and you might actually have a deep conversation with them. I'm more like well Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" (TM Bill Waterson), I sometimes enjoy people, but well I can be a pain in the ass for adult-like people. Anyway this forum is quite diverse, you can easily hide from me in detailed scifi corners and the music part.


Actual question:

Concerning story length:
What length does one aim for (short story) and how to make sure you hit about the right amount of words? Can you see at an idea for a story, about how long the finished story is going to be? Or can you only gamble and leave out/add additional descriptions, plotlines,...? I know it all depends on one's own style ofcourse, but any help is always appreciated .

When I first started writing, I had a lot of trouble telling a short story idea from a novel idea. I'm better at it now, but still occasionally still start stories that turn out to be too complex for the short form. The best way to control length is to outline before you start, which keeps you to the point. Unfortunately, I'm wretched at outlining.

 

[Paradox 99]

Hello Kathy.
In echo of everyone else here - Welcome! And thanks so much for taking the time to read through our questions and then answer them.

I have two, though Littlemissattitude beat me to it with the first one. I will expand on it a teeny bit though. Do you go along with the idea that a writer should make an effort to write something everyday even when they're not in the mood? Or do you believe it's more important to devote time to writing when the creative flame is burning brightest? I suppose its a little of column A and B, but I'd like to hear your take on that.

Second question: When writing complex and lengthy stories, I find that as it's flowing onto the page, there will be little facts, descriptions or character details that get plucked out of the air and aren't significantly part of the overall plot (they just felt like an interesting touch at the time). However, several chapters down the line, I find that these little inspirations become more important than I'd first anticipated. Do you have a method to track these things? Or like me, do you have trawl back through the chapters to find out what it was you wrote at the time?

Thank you.

 

[Mark Robson]

When I first started writing, I had a lot of trouble telling a short story idea from a novel idea. I'm better at it now, but still occasionally still start stories that turn out to be too complex for the short form. The best way to control length is to outline before you start, which keeps you to the point. Unfortunately, I'm wretched at outlining.

Kathy, You say you're wretched at outlining, but when you do outline what form does that outline take? I find that my outline for a novel totals no more than a single side of paper. I'm pretty good at utilising that outline to keep me on track, but I don't really detail the story - I just bullet point the main events that have to happen to make the story work. Are you more inclined towards a detailed outline, or are you a quick sketch and dive in type?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Darn it, I was hoping there was some secret you could share with us, some nearly sure-fire method to keep short stories from turning into novellas, or for recognizing a short fiction idea from a novel idea at its inception.

 

[scalem X]

Darn it, I was hoping there was some secret you could share with us, some nearly sure-fire method to keep short stories from turning into novellas, or for recognizing a short fiction idea from a novel idea at its inception

Don't we all, it seems that it's more a working process than a formula .

Writing seems more like baking a cake/pie than like making a chemical substance. You can try and try and maybe one day a pie/cake will be as good as your grandmother's, but in your own different way. Following a recipe is a good guidance, but you need to carve your own way to the real stuff it seems.
Mmm chocolate cake like my sister makes, apple pie like my grandmother makes (that's what I'm eating at the moment) mmm .

Keep baking cakes/pies people!! (now hope that my sister and grandmother read this )

 

[kdwentworth]

Hello, Kathy. Welcome to Chronicles. As an author of novels I am in awe of your ability to turn out both a substantial number of novels and a plethora of short stories that have all made it into print.

Firstly I'd like to know which you find easier to write - the short stories, or the novels? Do you have a fundamentally different approach to writing stories of such vastly differing lengths, or do you work to a generic formula that you can adapt depending on the type of idea/suitability for either novel or short?

Also, I'm ashamed to say that despite your impressive list of titles I don't believe I've ever read anything of yours. Have any been distributed in the UK at all, or have they all remained in the US?

I like writing both short stories and novels, but they are different beasts. Short stories are short term gratification. I can finish one in a week if I really push myself and then have something in hand to send out. Novels are like comfort food. When I'm working on one, I know every day for months exactly what I'm going to be working on and don't have to sit staring at a blank screen. I get to spend a lot of time with the characters and setting I've created and see where it all leads.

They each scratch a different itch and not everyone can do both. I'm lucky that my brain likes both forms. The only formula that I use is Algis Budry's Seven Point Plot, which works equally well for short and long fiction.

None of my novels have had a UK publication, although I have been published in Russia. They are all still in print though, and available from Amazon.