Nancy Fulda, assistant editor for Jim Baen's Universe, shares insights on common submission mistakes and the 'seven deadly sins' of storytelling. The episode delves into avoiding cliches, crafting engaging hooks, embracing originality, and the importance of revising while staying passionate about writing.
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Colorful Manuscripts Get Rejected Early
Nancy shares a colorful slush submission with multiple fonts and colors that was rejected without much reading.
Such amateurish presentation leads to dismissed stories almost instantly.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Avoid Early Info Dumping
Avoid info dumping on page one; if needed, introduce background info after readers care about the story.
Do not use 'staff meeting' style dialogue to dump info disguised as conversation.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Start Stories With Clear Action
Start your story with motion or where something changes, not the climax or incomprehensible action.
Build reader rooting interest before intense scenes to avoid confusion.
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Nancy Fulda fills in for Dan for this week's episode (he was sick, she was in town, huzzah!) but she's more than just "filling in." She's FEATURED. Nancy is the assistant editor for Jim Baen's Universe, and as such is probably the one who rejected your story. Nancy is also the editor-in-chief and founder of Anthology Builder, where you can create collections of short stories you want to read, and have them printed and bound for you. She tells us the sorts of things that will get you rejected, maybe after a page, maybe after a paragraph, and perhaps even before the very first line has been read. This week's episode is brought to you by Schlock Mercenary: The Scrapyard of Insufferable Arrogance. Pre-orders are open now! Disclosure: Nancy is, in fact, Howard's sister-in-law. That might be why her stuff is getting so dang much relevant linkage in this entry. Writing Prompt: Write about a passionate egg.
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